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The Adventures of Merlin
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- Merlin (also known as The Adventures of Merlin) is a British fantasy - adventure drama television programme, loosely based on the Arthurian legends regarding the close relations of Merlin and King Arthur.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(2008_TV_series)
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Merlin (also known as The Adventures of Merlin) is a British fantasy-adventure drama television programme, loosely based on the Arthurian legends regarding the close relations of Merlin and King Arthur.
Merlin: Created by Johnny Capps, Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy. With John Hurt, Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Richard Wilson. These are the brand new adventures of Merlin, the legendary sorcerer as a young man, when he was just a servant to young Prince Arthur on the royal court of Camelot, who has soon become his best friend, and ...
- (88K)
- 2009-06-21
- Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
- 45
Merlin (also known as The Adventures of Merlin) is a BBC fantasy drama which premiered on BBC One on 20 September 2008. It stars Colin Morgan as Merlin and Bradley James as King Arthur Pendragon. It consists of 13...
- Overview
- Biography
- Personality
- Relationships
- Abilities
- Etymology
- Trivia
- Behind the Scenes
- In the Legend
Merlin (also called Emrys) is the hero and protagonist of the series. He is a warlock, the only son of Hunith and Balinor, the ward and apprentice of Gaius, and the best friend and manservant of the late King Arthur. He is also the last Dragonlord in existence and a creature of the Old Religion.
After leaving his childhood home for Camelot, Merlin became the manservant of Prince Arthur. From then on, Merlin began to protect and guide Arthur on his journey to the throne; according to the Great Dragon, it was his destiny to do so. Merlin was also destined to become the greatest and most powerful sorcerer to ever live, and to use his powers to help Arthur reunite the kingdom of Albion by uniting the Old Ways with the new.
Early Life
Merlin was born to Hunith and Balinor in Ealdor, a small outlying village in Cenred's Kingdom. Near the end of the Great Purge, Gaius had helped Balinor, a Dragonlord, escape the slaughter of his people and arranged for him to stay with Hunith. The two fell in love, but Uther eventually discovered Balinor's whereabouts and sent men to arrest him. Balinor was forced to flee Ealdor and leave Hunith behind, unaware that she was pregnant with his child (The Last Dragonlord). Unlike most sorcerers, Merlin was born with the ability to use magic. According to the Great Dragon, Merlin's birth had been prophesied by many cultures. The Druids, for example, referred to him as "Emrys" (The Beginning of the End). Life could be difficult in a village as small and isolated as Ealdor. Food was scarce and everyone was expected to pitch in and help with the harvest. Merlin had one friend growing up, William, who knew about his magic. At some point in their childhood, he used his magic to fell a tree, a stunt which nearly flattened Old Man Simmons (The Moment of Truth).
Finding a Purpose
“Without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion.” — Kilgharrah to Merlin When Merlin was in his late teens, Hunith grew worried by how at odds he was with the people of Ealdor and decided to send him to live with Gaius in Camelot. She hoped that the elderly physician would be able to teach him to control his magic and help him find a purpose for his gifts. Soon after he arrived in Camelot, Merlin saved Gaius from a fatal fall from a balcony in his chambers. The physician was intrigued by his instinctive use of magic, at one point declaring it to be impossible, but nevertheless discouraged him from using it. The king, Uther Pendragon, had outlawed all forms of magic twenty years ago, and anyone caught breaking this law was sentenced to death. Merlin spent his first few days in Camelot helping Gaius while the physician tried to find some paid work for him. He soon found a new friend in the Lady Morgana's maidservant, Guinevere, and an enemy in Prince Arthur Pendragon. After one of their altercations escalated into a mace fight that Merlin tried to win with his magic, Gaius grew impatient with his carelessness and advised him to control himself. Merlin, however, angrily protested that he didn't want to. Without magic he was a nobody and always would be, and he would rather die than not be able to use it. That night, Merlin was awakened by a voice calling his name. He followed it to the dungeons beneath the castle, where he discovered the Great Dragon. The dragon told Merlin that he was destined for great things, and that he would aid Arthur in his destiny to become the Once and Future King and unite the land of Albion. Skeptical, Merlin informed the dragon that Arthur was an idiot, but dragon merely replied that perhaps it was his destiny to change that. The dragon's words had an impact on Merlin, who had been searching for a purpose since he arrived in Camelot. As such, when sorceress Mary Collins tried to avenge her son's execution by killing Arthur, Merlin didn't hesitated to use his magic to save the prince's life. As a reward for his actions, Uther appointed him as Arthur's personal manservant (The Dragon's Call). Merlin was far from thrilled with his new position. He didn't know anything about being a servant and Arthur was often impatient with his attempts to learn, especially when they prevented him from concentrating on his performance in Camelot's annual tournament. However, the tension between the boys began to lessen as Merlin got the hang of his new duties. After Sir Ewan suffered a snakebite while fighting Knight Valiant in the tournament, Merlin discovered that Valiant was using an enchanted shield to cheat. Knowing that the King would never believe a servant over a knight, Merlin and Gaius came up with a plan to cure Ewan so that he could testify before the court. Merlin obtained a sample of the venom for Gaius by decapitating one of the snakes on Valiant's shield, then went to inform Arthur, who was going to face the knight in the tournament finals. The prince was skeptical of Merlin's story at first, but ultimately chose to believe him after he swore that he was telling the truth. Arthur requested an audience with his father and publicly accused Valiant of sorcery, but after Ewan was found dead (having been attacked by another of Valiant's snakes) their case against him fell apart. Arthur was forced to recant his accusation and apologize to Valiant. Angry and humiliated, he later fired Merlin from his service. Merlin was deeply upset by Arthur's actions and decided that it couldn't be his destiny to protect someone who hated him. When he told the dragon as much, however, the creature merely replied that the half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole and that this was not the end, but the beginning. Initially, Merlin was not comforted by the dragon's words, but after Gwen encouraged him to pursue the truth, he decided to expose Valiant's treachery by letting everyone see the snakes for themselves. He searched the spell book that Gaius had given him for a spell that would bring inanimate objects to life, then spent the night practicing it on a statue of a dog. He perfected it by morning and rushed to the tournament grounds, where Arthur and Valiant had already begun fighting. Merlin watched the fight from afar at first, then, after the knight disarmed the prince, he incanted the spell and brought the snakes on the shield to life, exposing Valiant before all of Camelot. He was later rehired as Arthur's servant (Valiant).
Early Adventures
“One day, people won't believe what an idiot you were.” — Gaius to Merlin When not working as Arthur's servant, Merlin would frequently use his magic to help people, often without thinking of the consequences. On one such occasion, he used a magic poultice to cure Gwen's father of a mysterious plague that had stricken the people of Camelot. His attempt to help soon backfired, however, when Tom's sudden recovery led Uther to believe that Gwen was a sorceress and therefore the source of the disease. Devastated by this turn of events, Merlin tried to stop Gwen's execution by confessing to what he'd done. When that failed, he and Gaius went to the reservoir and discovered that the plague was being caused by an Afanc in the water supply. Merlin confronted it with Arthur and Morgana and used a combination of fire and wind to kill the creature. His actions proved Gwen innocent and she was released from prison (The Mark of Nimueh). Merlin's attempt to help also had unforeseen consequences for himself. It brought him to the attention of the sorceress Nimueh, who was responsible for conjuring the Afanc. Seeking revenge for his interference, Nimueh snuck into Camelot disguised as a maid in Lord Bayard's employ and told Merlin that her master had laced Arthur's goblet with poison. Merlin immediately ran to warn Arthur, but Bayard was deeply offended by his accusations and Uther decided to settle the matter by commanding Merlin to drink from the cup himself. Ignoring Arthur's protests, Merlin did as he was asked and collapsed moments later, proving that the goblet was poisoned. Gaius later discovered the petal of a Mortaeus flower stuck to the inside of the cup and determined that an antidote could only be made from the leaves of that same flower. If Merlin did not receive the antidote in three or four days, he would surely die. Upon hearing this, Arthur defied his father's orders and rode out to the Forest of Balor to find the flower. He ran into Nimueh along the way, who led him into a trap and then left him to die. Though unconscious and a long distance away, Merlin was able to sense Arthur's plight and sent a magical light to guide him to safety. When Arthur returned to Camelot with the flower, he was arrested and taken to the dungeons for disobeying his father's orders. Fortunately, Gwen managed to retrieve the flower and brought it to Gaius, who completed the antidote and saved Merlin's life (The Poisoned Chalice). Merlin next used his magic to help a swordsman named Lancelot, who wanted to become a knight but was prohibited by the First Code of Camelot, which decreed that only men of noble blood could serve as knights. Hoping to repay Lancelot for saving him from a Griffin, Merlin used his magic to forge a fake seal of nobility and talked Arthur into letting him try out for the knights. With some help from Guinevere, who provided clothes and armour to help Lancelot look the part, the ruse succeeded and Lancelot was made a Knight of Camelot. However, this plan also backfired in the end. After Uther discovered that his seal was a forgery, Lancelot was stripped of his knighthood and thrown in jail. Horrified by this turn of events, Merlin apologized to Lancelot for making him lie, but the swordsman insisted that he wasn't to blame. He told Merlin that it had been his choice to go through with the plan and that the punishment was his alone to bear. Later, when Arthur rode out with a company of knights to fight the Griffin, Merlin and Lancelot (who had been released from prison by Arthur) set out to follow them. Merlin enchanted Lancelot's spear to give him the power to kill the Griffin, and in doing so revealed his magic to his new friend. promised to keep Merlin's secret, but refused to take credit for killing the Griffin when he knew that Merlin was truly responsible. As such, he decided to leave Camelot with the hope that fate would one day grant him another chance to become a Knight of Camelot. As he watched Lancelot ride away, Merlin hoped that they would meet again one day (Lancelot). After Morgana was stricken with a mysterious illness, sorcerer Edwin Muirden secretly used magic to cure her and quietly set out to undermine Gaius. Merlin was delighted when Edwin encouraged him to use his magic and offered to teach him about it, but was deeply upset when Edwin replaced Gaius as court physician. When he discovered that Edwin had used Elanthia beetles to cause Morgana's illness and was going to use them to kill Uther, Gaius confronted Edwin with the truth. The sorcerer used his magic to surround Gaius with fire, intending to kill him, but Merlin arrived and used his own magic to kill Edwin before he could succeed. He later used his magic to save Uther from Edwin's beetle despite the risk of his powers being discovered (A Remedy to Cure All Ills). Merlin also used his magic to save Arthur when the exiled Sidhe Aulfric and his daughter Sophia enchanted him and tried to sacrifice him to the Sidhe Elder. After his attempt to confront them directly failed, he chased them to the Lake of Avalon and arrived just in time to see Sophia use her magic to force Arthur under the water. Merlin quickly seized Sophia's abandoned staff and used it to kill her and her father, then dove into the lake and pulled Arthur to the surface. Later, back in Camelot, he and Gaius explained Arthur's lapse in memory by telling him that he'd tried to elope with Sophia the night before and Merlin had been forced to knock him out with a lump of wood in order to bring him back home (The Gates of Avalon).
Merlin was portrayed as being kind, caring, compassionate, brave, heroic, protective, intelligent, optimistic, and wise. When he first arrived in Camelot, he could be naive, outspoken, and slightly foolish, as shown in his first meeting with Arthur, and often acted impulsively without thinking of the consequences (The Dragon's Call).
Merlin showed exceptional talent and potential in his magical abilities and was eager to further his education in spite of the risks associated with practicing magic. He could be careless with his powers and initially depended on them to solve every problem, a habit that created trouble for himself and others on several occasions (The Mark of Nimueh, Lancelot). Sometimes he used his magic for selfish or frivolous reasons, such as fighting Arthur in the marketplace or softening his workload (The Dragon's Call, Valiant, The Once and Future Queen).
As Merlin got older, however, he learned to rely on his wits as well as his magic and to use his powers for the benefit of others. At first he tended to seek advice from mentors such as Gaius or the Great Dragon, but over time he became more independent, conducting his own research and figuring out his own solutions. Combined with his cunning, intelligence, and observational skills, these traits made Merlin a formidable amateur detective (The Witchfinder, Goblin's Gold, The Secret Sharer, Lancelot du Lac).
A mischievous soul, Merlin often used his magic to play tricks and create distractions (Goblin's Gold, Love in the Time of Dragons, Aithusa). Occasionally his humour was portrayed as dry or sarcastic, especially when he was disguised as Dragoon the Great (Queen of Hearts, A Servant of Two Masters, A Lesson in Vengeance).
Merlin often used humour to endure Arthur's teasing and frequently engaged him in verbal sparring. He was fond of creating unique insults for the prince, referring to him as such things as a "clotpoll" and a "dollophead" on several occasions. When Arthur asked him to define the latter, Merlin cheekily replied that Arthur was the definition of the word (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).
Merlin was very selfless. He regularly risked his life for his loved ones and was willing to sacrifice himself for Arthur on numerous occasions. However, his selfless nature sometimes impaired his sense of duty, as did his concern with fairness. For example, though his survival was imperative to the future of Albion, when Gwen was arrested for sorcery that Merlin had done, he tried to confess that he was the one responsible even though it would mean his own execution (The Mark of Nimueh). Merlin also had a habit of trying to see good in everyone, which Kilgharrah once warned him could prove to be his undoing (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).
Arthur Pendragon
“You belong at Arthur's side. I've seen how much he needs you. How much you need him. You're like two sides of the same coin.” — Hunith to Merlin Merlin originally had an antagonistic relationship with Arthur. He believed him to be nothing more than an arrogant bully and even said that he'd help anyone who wanted to kill him. However, this changed after he found out that they were linked by destiny and he decided to save Arthur from Mary Collins's attack. Merlin was later appointed Arthur's manservant as a "reward" for saving his life (The Dragon's Call). Though in time they came to be as close as brothers, Merlin and Arthur's relationship initially remained somewhat hostile. Merlin took great pleasure in insulting and playing tricks on Arthur, who was often annoyed by Merlin's insolence and inexperience as a servant. They were also divided by their differences in class. Arthur frequently used his status as prince to rebuff Merlin's claims of friendship and to tease and abuse him for laughs, such as when he gave him massive amounts of chores to complete or poured water over him (Valiant, The Lady of the Lake). Despite their differences, however, Merlin and Arthur quickly developed a grudging affection for one another. They were willing to risk (or even sacrifice) their lives for each other very soon in their friendship, even it it meant acting against the advice or orders of others (The Poisoned Chalice, The Labyrinth of Gedref, Le Morte d'Arthur, The Darkest Hour). They also soon became attuned to one another's emotions. Merlin was particularly adept at deciphering Arthur's thoughts and feelings, and though Arthur tended to be more oblivious, he frequently noticed when Merlin was upset and often tried to cheer him up (The Lady of the Lake, The Last Dragonlord, Love in the Time of Dragons, The Disir). Merlin's secrets proved to be one of the biggest obstacles in their friendship. He found it difficult to confide in Arthur because he could not tell him about his magic, and was forced to hide or downplay many important events in his life, such as the reason he left Ealdor, Freya's death, Morgana's downfall, and Balinor's death (The Moment of Truth, The Lady of the Lake, The Fires of Idirsholas, The Last Dragonlord). Arthur, on the other hand, trusted Merlin with most of his secrets, such as his plan to enter a jousting tournament in disguise (The Once and Future Queen) and his feelings for Gwen (Lancelot and Guinevere), and included him in many of his secret missions, such as his meeting with Morgause (The Sins of the Father), his search for the last Dragonlord (The Last Dragonlord), and the quest for the Cup of Life (The Coming of Arthur). As time went on, Merlin gradually began to take on the role of Arthur's unofficial advisor. Arthur noted Merlin's wisdom on several occasions (usually in a rather indirect way) and sought his counsel on a number of subjects. Some were highly important, such as the right thing to do morally and politically, and some were more trivial, such as how to express his feelings towards women (The Changeling, Sweet Dreams). Merlin was also one of only a handful of commoners invited to sit at the Round Table, showing that Arthur respected him as much as his most trusted knights, and Princess Mithian once noted that Arthur valued Merlin's opinion above almost all others (The Coming of Arthur, The Hunter's Heart). When Uther was mortally wounded by an assassin, Merlin tried to use his influence to convince Arthur that magic could be used for good. Unfortunately, his plan to heal the king backfired and killed him instead, leading Arthur to conclude that magic was pure evil. Certain that he'd turned Arthur against magic forever, Merlin was devastated and worried that Arthur would never know who he really was (The Wicked Day). In the wake of his father's death, Arthur came to rely more and more on the counsel of his uncle Agravaine, who was secretly allied with Morgana and did everything he could to undermine Merlin's influence. Arthur frequently chose to follow his uncle's advice over Merlin's and refused to believe Merlin when he tried to tell him about Agravaine's treachery (His Father's Son, The Secret Sharer, The Hunter's Heart). Despite Agravaine's interference, however, Merlin and Arthur continued to grow closer. Arthur openly called Merlin his friend on several occasions, found the thought of him dying to be unbearable when he was attacked by the Dorocha and captured by Morgana's mercenaries, and even hugged him when he found him safe in the forest (The Darkest Hour, The Wicked Day, A Servant of Two Masters, The Secret Sharer, The Sword in the Stone). Later, after Camelot was captured by Morgana and Helios, Merlin restored Arthur's faith in his ability to rule by using his magic to help him pull Excalibur from the stone he'd lodged it in, which he'd told Arthur only the true King of Camelot could do (The Sword in the Stone). Merlin finally revealed his magic after Arthur was mortally by Mordred in the Battle of Camlann. Angry and betrayed, Arthur initially wanted nothing more to do with Merlin, but changed his mind when he learned that his only hope of survival was for Merlin to take him to Lake of Avalon and ask the Sidhe to heal him. Arthur carefully observed Merlin during their journey, and after seeing how he used his magic for good, he gradually came to understand and accept his talents. Unfortunately, an encounter with Morgana prevented them from reaching the lake in time to save his life. He used his final moments to thank Merlin for everything he'd done for him and later died in his arms. Heartbroken, Merlin sent Arthur's body to Avalon and spent the rest of his life waiting for him to return (The Diamond of the Day).
Gaius
“You are more than a father to me.” — Merlin to Gaius Gaius was Merlin's friend and mentor and one of the few people who knew about his magic. In fact, the main reason Hunith sent Merlin to live with Gaius was so he could help him with his powers. Gaius was initially reluctant because magic was banned in Camelot, but soon came around to the idea and gave Merlin a spell book to help him learn about his gifts (The Dragon's Call). Gaius quickly grew to love Merlin like a son and was willing to sacrifice his life for him on several occasions. When he discovered that Merlin was planning to trade his life for his mother's, Gaius went to Nimueh ahead of him and bartered his own life instead (Le Morte d'Arthur). Gaius also tried to take the blame when Merlin was accused of sorcery and was nearly burned at the stake as a result (The Witchfinder). Likewise, Merlin thought of Gaius as the father he'd never had and frequently used his magic to protect him. He saved his life by killing Edwin Muirden, revived him by striking down Nimueh and trading her life for his, and exposed Aredian as a fraud to save him from being burned at the stake (A Remedy to Cure All Ills, Le Morte d'Arthur, The Witchfinder). Merlin also saved Gaius from being possessed by a Goblin by poisoning him. He administered the antidote as soon as the Goblin had been captured and Gaius felt no resentment toward him for what he'd done (Goblin's Gold). Though usually very understanding of one another, Merlin and Gaius did have a few arguments over the years. One such incident concerned Gaius's former fiancée Alice. When Merlin discovered that she was being controlled by a Manticore in a plot to kill the king, Gaius refused to believe him and accused him of not wanting him to be happy. After he was proven correct, however, Gaius apologized for his behavior and together they were able to save both Uther and Alice (Love in the Time of Dragons). As Merlin got older, he became more independent and less reliant on Gaius's advice, at times even outright rejecting it. For example, when Uther was mortally wounded by an assassin, Merlin ignored Gaius's warnings that his plan to heal him could backfire (The Wicked Day). He also ignored Gaius when he tried to tell him that his former student, Julius Borden, was not to be trusted (Aithusa). However, Merlin still deeply cared for Gaius and continued to depend on him as both a friend and confidant. When Gaius was kidnapped by Alator of the Catha, who had been hired by Morgana to torture Gaius into revealing Emrys's true identity, Merlin defended him from accusations of treason and stopped at nothing to find him. He later forgave Gaius for telling his secret to Alator and assured him that he was just happy he was alive (The Secret Sharer). Gaius, for his part, often expressed pride in the man Merlin was becoming and continued to look after him to the best of his ability. He frequently covered for him when Arthur noticed his absence and even used magic to heal him when he was badly injured during the rescue of King Rodor (Another's Sorrow). He was also uneasy when Merlin decided to meet with Finna and tried to protect him by convincing Arthur to apprehend her, though this ultimately proved to be a mistake (The Kindness of Strangers). The last thing Gaius said to Merlin was that he'd have his favorite meal waiting for him when he returned home (The Diamond of the Day).
Morgana Pendragon
“She is the darkness to your light, the hatred to your love.” — Kilgharrah to Merlin about Morgana Merlin and Morgana initially had a friendly relationship. Morgana was one of the few people who sympathized with the plight of magic-users and Merlin appeared smitten with her at first sight, though his crush gradually faded away over time (The Dragon's Call). They first became friends when Camelot was stricken by a magical plague. After Gwen was mistakenly arrested as the culprit, Merlin and Morgana worked together to prove her innocence by finding the true source of the illness (The Mark of Nimueh). They appeared to grow closer while harbouring the Druid boy Mordred from Uther, who intended to execute him. As they worked together to return him to his people, Morgana told Merlin that she disagreed with the king's feelings about magic, which seemed to give Merlin hope (The Beginning of the End). She later volunteered to help save Merlin's home village of Ealdor when it was threatened by bandits (The Moment of Truth). However, after Morgana attempted to have Uther assassinated, Merlin appeared to lose trust in her and their friendship became more distant (To Kill the King). This became apparent when Morgana's magic began to reveal itself. Though he empathized with her situation and wanted to help, Merlin ultimately decided not to tell her his secret. He did, however, advise her to seek out the Druids, who reassured her that her magic was nothing to fear and could be used as a force for good, and after she returned from their camp, he promised that her secret was safe with him (The Nightmare Begins). Their friendship took another downturn when Morgana allied herself with Alvarr and Mordred in a plot against Camelot. Aware of her treachery, but unsure of how to deal with it, Merlin went to Kilgharrah for advice and learned that Mordred and Morgana were destined to form an alliance of evil against Camelot (The Witch's Quickening). After Morgana agreed to help Morgause bring about Uther's downfall, Merlin poisoned her in order to force Morgause to call off her attack. Morgana was deeply betrayed by Merlin's actions and resisted his attempts to comfort her while she was dying. She was ultimately saved by Morgause, who teleported her away from Camelot (The Fires of Idirsholas). When Morgana returned to Camelot one year later, Merlin was terrified that she'd tell Uther about how he had poisoned her. Much to his surprise, however, Morgana told him that she understood why he'd done it and asked him to forgive her for betraying Camelot. Unfortunately, Morgana's change of heart was nothing but a ploy to divert suspicion and she later led him into a trap so Morgause could kill him. After Merlin managed to escape, Morgana threatened to tell Uther about his attempt on her life if he told anyone what he knew (The Tears of Uther Pendragon). Though they were now enemies, Merlin empathized with Morgana at first and was sad for how hateful she'd become. He tried to reason with her when she summoned an army of undead skeletons to conquer Camelot and when she, Morgause, and Cenred kidnapped Elyan to lure Gwen and Arthur into a trap. However, she rejected his pleas on both occasions (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Castle of Fyrien). Merlin also used magic to heal her fatal skull fracture, though he likely did this out of compassion for her loved ones more so than for Morgana herself (The Crystal Cave). As time went on, however, Merlin grew to be more ruthless towards Morgana. He caused the ceiling to collapse on top of her during the Great Battle for Camelot and caused her horse to throw her during the mission to rescue Elyan (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Castle of Fyrien). Morgana was equally ruthless towards Merlin. She appeared gleeful when he was sentenced to death after being framed for a Goblin's sorcery and left him to possibly burn to death after her stunning spell not only knocked him unconscious, but toppled a candle that lit the room on fire (Goblin's Gold, The Crystal Cave). Morgana began to loathe Merlin after he destroyed her immortal army and injured her sister Morgause, forcing them to flee Camelot (The Coming of Arthur). They met again roughly one year later when Merlin captured by her men. Agravaine wanted to kill him, but Morgana had Merlin taken to her hovel instead, as she believed that he might prove useful. Morgana seemed merciful at first, cleaning his wounds and asking about his loyalty to Arthur. However, she later tortured Merlin by inserting a Fomorroh into his neck that allowed her to control his mind and force him to kill Arthur. Luckily, Gaius and Gwen managed to neutralize the snake before her plan could succeed. Merlin later returned to her hovel disguised as Dragoon the Great and defeated Morgana in a duel, after which he regained control over his mind by destroying the Fomorroh (A Servant of Two Masters). Prior to this encounter, Morgana had learned that an old sorcerer called Emrys was her doom, though she was unaware that Emrys and Merlin were one and the same (The Darkest Hour). After recognizing Dragoon as the sorcerer from her vision, Morgana became determined to uncover his identity. She hired Alator of the Catha to kidnap and torture Gaius, who she was certain had the information she sought. Merlin eventually tracked them down and tried to rescue his friend, but Morgana cornered him and threatened him with a knife. Before she could kill him, however, she was knocked out by Alator, who turned on her after learning Emrys's identity from Gaius (The Secret Sharer). Morgana's treatment of Merlin became even harsher after her three year imprisonment by Sarrum of Amata. She badly injured him by throwing him into a wall when he and Arthur rescued Camelot's knights from her fortress in Ismere and nearly choked him to death during the rescue of King Rodor (Arthur's Bane, Another's Sorrow). She also tricked Merlin into leaving Camelot so she could poison him and prevent him from interfering with her plan to kill Arthur. When asked by her accomplice why she'd gone to such lengths, she replied that Merlin had meddled in her plans once too often (The Hollow Queen). Morgana also renewed her search for Emrys's identity after Merlin thwarted her plan to force an enchanted Gwen to kill Arthur. She tracked down Alator and his servant Finna intending to torture the information out of them, but ultimately learned the truth of his identity from Mordred (The Kindness of Strangers, The Drawing of the Dark). Though stunned by the news, Morgana quickly put together a plan to remove Merlin's magic and declare war on Camelot. When she learned that Merlin hoped to restore his powers in the Crystal Cave, she ambushed him there and trapped him inside. Despite Morgana's efforts, however, Merlin succeeded in restoring his magic and freed himself in time to decimate her army during the Battle of Camlann, though he failed to prevent Arthur from being mortally wounded. Desperate for revenge, Morgana attacked Merlin and Arthur as they traveled to the Lake of Avalon. Merlin confronted her with Excalibur and said that he blamed himself for what she'd become, but now it had to end. Undaunted, Morgana made no move to defend herself and allowed him to run her through, but much to her surprise, her powers failed to protect her. As she gasped in shock and pain, Merlin revealed that the sword had been forged in a dragon's breath and was one of the few things capable of killing a High Priestess. Morgana died seconds later in his arms (The Diamond of the Day).
Magical Abilities
“You are son of the earth, the sea, the sky. Magic is the fabric of this world, and you were born of that magic. You are magic itself.” — Balinor to Merlin One of the most powerful creatures in the world of magic, Merlin's abilities went far beyond those of normal sorcerers. Though most had to study and perfect their skills over many years, Merlin's magic developed from birth with no training and grew at a remarkable rate. During his first year in Camelot, Merlin was able to defeat numerous opponents far more experienced than himself. After two years, he'd gained enough control over his powers to use them in a fight without anyone noticing, and after three years he was able to defeat four Knights of Camelot with relative ease (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, A Servant of Two Masters). When he first arrived in Camelot, Merlin was able to use his magic to instinctively perform techniques such as slowing down an object's movement, possibly extending to time itself, and moving objects with telekinesis (The Dragon's Call). Over time, his powers grew to the point where he could generate telekinetic blasts powerful enough to stun, wound, or even kill his enemies. He could also project these blasts over a wide range to strike several opponents simultaneously, on one occasion killing six men and momentarily stunning another (The Sword in the Stone). Merlin later exhibited other instinctive abilities such as telepathy, which he could use to communicate with other magic users and even to learn spells, and the ability to see the future in the Crystal of Neahtid and the crystals of Crystal Cave (The Beginning of the End, The Curse of Cornelius Sigan, The Witch's Quickening, The Crystal Cave). He was also able to sense sources of powerful magic, including artifacts such as the Mage Stone and the Cup of Life; spirits like the Druid boy who possessed Elyan; and spells such as the one Morgana used to transform Gwen into a deer (To Kill the King, The Coming of Arthur, A Herald of the New Age, The Hunter's Heart). Merlin was also adept in the use of elemental magic. He was particularly fond of fire and could use it a variety of ways, including lighting torches; conjuring rings of fire to surround an opponent; heating his enemies' weapons so they became too hot to hold on to; and creating an inferno to cover his escape when he, disguised as Dragoon, was to be executed (Excalibur, The Moment of Truth, Queen of Hearts). He was even able to manipulate a fire spell cast by Morgause, a High Priestess of the Old Religion, and cause it to explode (The Castle of Fyrien). Though he didn't use them quite as often, Merlin was equally skilled with the other three elements. Examples include creating a cloud of mist to escape Arthur and his men; conjuring a jet of water to revive Gaius; casting lightning and whirlwind spells; and triggering rockfalls and earthquakes (The Nightmare Begins, The Fires of Idirsholas, Le Morte d'Arthur, The Moment of Truth, A Servant of Two Masters, Another's Sorrow). His command of his magic was shown to be particularly effective when his emotions were heightened. For example, after breaking off his alliance with the Great Dragon, Merlin was able to generate a magical shield strong enough to withstand his fire (a feat made more notable by the fact that he had not yet inherited his father's Dragonlord powers), and later mastered the power over life and death to destroy Nimueh and revive Gaius (Le Morte d'Arthur). He was also able to resist Cornelius Sigan's attempt to possess him and force his soul back into the jewel it had been released from, and decimate Morgana's army during the Battle of Camlann (The Curse of Cornelius Sigan, The Diamond of the Day). Upon inheriting his status as the last Dragonlord, Merlin began to realize several new abilities. He was able to command any Dragon (including their cousins the Wyvern) to do whatever he wished by speaking to them in their language, even if they were separated by a great distance; force multiple enemies away from him with a dragon-like roar; and call a hatchling forth from its egg (The Last Dragonlord, The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Eye of the Phoenix, Aithusa). Merlin could also use his magic to influence creatures besides dragons and wyverns. Examples include transforming a statue of a dog into an actual dog; revealing the snakes on Valiant's shield; sharing a brief moment with a Unicorn; summoning a frog from the Witchfinder's mouth; and commanding a snake to startle Morgana's horse (Valiant, The Labyrinth of Gedref, The Witchfinder, The Castle of Fyrien). Merlin was also able to establish a rapport with Freya while she was in her Bastet form, though the reasons for her docility are uncertain and may have been unrelated to his magic (The Lady of the Lake).
Magical Combat
“You don't even have a sword." "I don't need one.” — Gerin and Merlin Merlin was very skilled in magical combat, as he was able to defend himself from numerous sorcerers and creatures of magic with far more experience than himself. For example, he was able to not only stop Edwin Muirden's attempt on his life, but repel his attack back at him (A Remedy to Cure All Ills). He was also able to defeat Tauren's men before he was overpowered by the Mage Stone, and to destroy both Nimueh and the Sidhe Elder (To Kill the King, Le Morte d'Arthur, The Changeling). Merlin's success against Nimueh is particularly notable due to her status as a High Priestess, a powerful and important figure in the Old Religion. Merlin later defeated another High Priestess, Morgause, with the help of his mentor Gaius (The Coming of Arthur). Though often handicapped by the need to keep his magic a secret, Merlin also proved capable of overpowering Morgana after she became a High Priestess in situations where he was able to use his magic freely, incapacitating her with a whirlwind spell on one occasion and decimating her army with lightning on another (A Servant of Two Masters, The Diamond of the Day). He was also proficient in the use of magical weapons such as Sophia's Sidhe staff, which he could use to fire blasts of raw magical power (The Gates of Avalon). Merlin later learned to fire similar blasts of energy with his bare hands. However, these blasts could be deflected by powerful sorcerers such as Nimueh, or endured by creatures with a natural resilience for magical attacks such as pixies (Le Morte d'Arthur, The Changeling). Merlin faced and defeated many magical creatures over the years, including an Afanc, a Griffin, and the Questing Beast (The Mark of Nimueh, Lancelot, Le Morte d'Arthur). He also helped kill a Troll who was disguised as the Lady Catrina; outmatched a Goblin, though he was unable to kill it while it was possessing Gaius; defended himself against a Lamia; and overpowered the Dochraid with Excalibur (Beauty and the Beast, Goblin's Gold, Lamia, With All My Heart).
Magical Resilience & Immortality
“Believe what your heart knows to be true. That you have always been, and always will be.” — Balinor to Merlin Merlin was shown to possess considerable magical resilience. He was able to survive a number of attacks meant to kill him, both magical and otherwise. Examples include withstanding the effects of Nimueh's magically accelerated poison long enough for Arthur to return with an antidote; the force of his own killing spell when it was reflected back at him by the Mage Stone; and the touch of a Dorocha, though he was still badly injured and likely would've died if the Vilia hadn't healed him (The Poisoned Chalice, To Kill the King, The Darkest Hour). Merlin also possessed some degree of immortality, as evidenced by his survival into the modern age, and could only be killed by a sword forged in a dragon's breath. His immortality appears to be intrinsic to his magic, a view supported by Balinor's remark that he had always been and always would be, though it's also possible that he discovered or created some kind of immortality spell to stop himself from aging. If so, Merlin may not have discovered or created this spell until he was around 80 years old (The Diamond of the Day).
•Merlin is a masculine name of Welsh origin. The meaning of the name is "sea fortress" or "of the sea fortress".
•Other spellings of Merlin include Merle, Merl, Meryl, Murl, Murle, Merlen, Merlinn, Merlyn, Merlynn, and Merlino.
•Merlin was able to move items with his mind before he could talk (The Dragon's Call).
•Merlin is originally from Cenred's Kingdom (The Moment of Truth).
•Apples are his favorite fruit (The Hollow Queen).
•Merlin may worship some form of polytheistic religion, as he once assured his mother that "the gods would look after him" (Le Morte d'Arthur).
•Merlin is the only sorcerer in the entire series to be referred to as a warlock.
•Merlin's Druid name, Emrys, means "immortal" and is derived from Myrdinn Emrys, his name in the Welsh legends.
•Hundreds of actors auditioned for the role of Merlin. The producers felt that it was important to find someone with a broad acting range capable of drama, comedy, and performing in front of a green screen. They also wanted someone likable, so that the audience would tune in again after the first episode.
•Before auditioning for the role of Merlin, Colin Morgan was sent the script for Arthur by mistake and prepared with that role in mind. It was only right before the audition that he received the scenes for Merlin and he only had about 5 minutes to read over them. He ended up getting the role.[citation needed]
•The original script for the first episode stated that Morgana is around Merlin's age. It read: "She is about the same age as MERLIN, but her obvious sophistication makes her seem slightly older."
•In order to keep his role as Merlin, Colin Morgan was ordered to stay out of the sun and to wear strong sunblock because the character of Merlin must stay pale.
Merlin is based on the famous wizard of the same name who served as an adviser to King Arthur in the Arthurian legends. Merlin is said to have been the child of a human woman who was impregnated by a demon, specifically an incubus. Other legends state that his father was a fairy, an angel or the devil.
Because he had no known mortal father, he was feared from a young age by people who believed him to be the son of a devil. However, he was baptized at birth and blessed by God with the ability to see the future. He is credited at having been present at Arthur's birth. He predicted Arthur's greatness and became his tutor and most trusted adviser, ultimately aiding him in becoming King by helping him win wars against the kings who opposed his succession.
The mother of a sorcerer Uther recently executed comes to Camelot for revenge in the guise of a pretty girl, charming the court to sleep with her singing. Only Merlin sees what is happening and, staying awake, saves the situation without exposing himself as a warlock.
The Hollow Queen. 8/13 As a deadly net closes in around Arthur, Merlin finds himself far from Camelot. A Lesson in Vengeance. 7/13 King Arthur is the target of a dangerous assassin - his wife...
The epic fifth and final series of Merlin sees Camelot at the height of its golden age. With Queen Guinevere and the Knights of the Round Table at his side, Arthur has never felt stronger. But even as Camelot flowers, the seeds of her destruction are being sown...
