History Characters / MerlinMainCast

* UndyingLoyalty: He will never turn his back on his friends. [[spoiler: To the point where he's still alive, hanging in there after centuries, just so he can be there when Arthur returns.]]

** BadassBookworm: Merlin is incredibly smart, intelligent and book smart.
** BadassNickname: In a sense, "Emrys". The Druids hold this name in reverence, and it strikes fear into Morgana's heart every time she hears it.

* TheNicknamer: Merlin has nicknames for Arthur which include "Dollophead" and "Clotpole".

* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Although since he's unsure of even his own powers, its justified that he can get away with this.

---->'''Mordred:''' Everything I do, you think of the worst

* YouHaveToBelieveMe: His usual line of argument, though no one ever believes it.

* KickingAssAndTakingNames: Merlin can take out or take down many people all at the same time without breaking a sweat.

* PrettyBoy

** Merlin and the various knights also count, since they generally have very little in common but all seem to like him quite well.

* ButtMonkey: So much that he is TheWoobie.

* CategoryTraitor: Has been accused of this by other magic users because he works for Camelot.

* WhatTheHellHero: He's been called out by Arthur (5x02), and Gaius (5x05) for his ruthlessness towards Mordred. Mordred himself confronts him in 5x09: "Everything I do, you think of the worst".

* InnocentlyInsensitive: He doesn't realize that it is rude to refuse Hunith's breakfast in ''The Moment of Truth'' and his stay inconveniences Gwen in ''The Once and Future Queen''. Gwen calls him out on both cases.

* TheCuckoolanderWasRight: A bit of a subversion in that he's not completely a CloudCuckoolander, but since nearly everyone else believes he is, this happens nearly OnceAnEpisode. Arthur eventually catches on to this and starts consulting Merlin on everything.
* CursedWithAwesome: Merlin was born a warlock. He was born with magic.

* UnresolvedSexualTension: With Gwen.

* WhatTheHellHero: He's been called out by Arthur (5x02), and Gaius (5x05) for his ruthlessness towards Mordred.

* FascinatingEyebrow

* SecretKeeper

* StockPunishment: A lot in series one. It was used as a RunningGag in [[MerlinS01E07TheGatesOfAvalon The Gates Of Avalon]].

* AntiHero:

* TheChosenOne

* GoodIsNotDumb: If there was a trope named GenreBlindIsNotDumb, he would be this. Best demonstrated in these two lines from ''The Coming of Arthur''. Justified in that most of his smarter moments stem from being a tactician, which makes sense since he leads an elite army.

* WouldntHitAGirl: Unlike [[CombatPragmatist Merlin]] or his father.

* [[CuteClumsyGirl Cute Clumsy Boy]]/{{Dojikko}}: [[GenderFlip Gender-flipped]]. Merlin's clumsiness is a defining characteristic.
* DoomMagnet: Merlin can never ever catch a break.

* MoralDissonance: Merlin and Morgana have a huge NotSoDifferent thing going on. Anything she's done, he's done as well. Attempt to murder an innocent to prevent a prophecy, take away free will, betray a close friend, the works.

** SuperStrength

** PsychicPowers

* SuperStrength: Emrys carries Arthur (in full armour) from the battle ground. Later (as Merlin) he can only drag him around.

* WeirdnessMagnet / DoomMagnet: With all the stuff going on, one has to wonder if it's Merlin as a person or just the whole of Camelot that's attracting it.

* AntiHero: Type III

* TheDutifulSon

* BlowYouAway: Gaius calls Merlin's magic "elemental". Thus far, he favors wind and fire.

* DeathSeeker

* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Depending on how he's being portrayed
* ElementalPowers: Merlin has the ability to control various elements.

* HopeBringer: Merlin is this to everyone around him, but especially to Arthur. Merlin was the ONLY person who could make a cynical, hopeless Arthur believe himself to be a worthy King.

* TheMasquerade

* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Merlin is often instinctively aware of magical activity around him, most notably in ''[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MerlinS01E12ToKillTheKing To Kill The King]]'' with the {{Expy}} of the Philosopher's Stone, and in "The Tears of Uther Pendragon" when he recoils in the same moment that Morgana drives the staff into the ground in order to raise the dead (and even [[BreakingTheFourthWall breaks the fourth wall]] while he does it, considering he seems to be staring straight at the camera). He also seems to sense that there's something a bit off about the bracelet that Arthur is wearing when he leaves for his quest in "Eye of the Phoenix."

* PlayingWithFire / {{Pyrokinesis}}: As with BlowYouAway, Merlin's elemental powers are usually based in fire or air.

* PoisonousFriend: [[spoiler: In a very literal sense.]]

* ShockAndAwe: Uses lightning to blow up Nimueh. [[spoiler:Also against the entire Saxon army in the finale.]] It seems to be his go-to magic for serious battles.

* SuperpowerLottery: To be expected with the most powerful warlock ever. Pretty much the only thing he can't do within the limits of human sorcery is predict the future.
** PlayingWithFire / {{Pyrokinesis}}
** MindOverMatter

** ElementalPowers
** TimeMaster
** {{Telepathy}}

** BlowYouAway
** MakingASplash
** ShockAndAwe

** MySignificanceSenseIsTingling

* SwordAndSorcerer: Merlin with Arthur, although throughout the series, Arthur doesn't know it.

* TimeMaster: Merlin is occasionally shown to be able to alter the flow of time at will.

* TheMentor

* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Merlin is often instinctively aware of magical activity around him, most notably in [[MerlinS01E12ToKillTheKing ''To Kill The King'']] with the {{Expy}} of the Philosopher's Stone, and in "The Tears of Uther Pendragon" when he recoils in the same moment that Morgana drives the staff into the ground in order to raise the dead (and even [[BreakingTheFourthWall breaks the fourth wall]] while he does it, considering he seems to be staring straight at the camera). He also seems to sense that there's something a bit off about the bracelet that Arthur is wearing when he leaves for his quest in "Eye of the Phoenix."

* ThePowerOfTrust: ArbitrarySkepticism to Merlin's claims aside, he's the most trusting person in the whole cast and that makes him sympathetic. Unfortunately for him, just about every loved one in his life betrays him one way or another.

* LimitedWardrobe