History Characters / MerlinOthers

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Whenever Mordred kills knights. It's sociopathic and TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour, especially for a kid that was raised by pacifists, but the people he was killing were intent on either killing a boy who was, from their perspective, a defenceless child, or dragging him off to Uther, who has [[WouldHurtAChild had children drowned in the past.]]

[[Characters/MerlinMainCast Main Cast]] ([[Characters/MerlinTheCharacter Merlin]] | '''Others''' ([[Characters/MerlinKnightsOfTheRoundTable Knights of the Round Table]])]]-]]]

[[Characters/MerlinMainCast Main Cast]] ([[Characters/MerlinTheCharacter Merlin]] | [[Characters/MerlinArthurPendragon Arthur Pendragon]] | [[Characters/MerlinMorgana Morgana]]) | '''Others''' ([[Characters/MerlinKnightsOfTheRoundTable Knights of the Round Table]])]]-]]]

-> See [[Characters/MerlinArthurPendragon his page]] for more

[[header:[-[[center:''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'' '''[[Characters/{{Merlin|2008}} Character Index]]'''\\
[[Characters/MerlinMainCast Main Cast]] ([[Characters/MerlinTheCharacter Merlin]] | [[Characters/MerlinArthurPendragon Arthur Pendragon]] | [[Characters/MerlinMorgana Morgana]]) | [[Characters/MerlinOthers Others]] ('''Knights of the Round Table''')]]-]]]

!!Camelot
!!!Royalty
[[folder:Queen Ygraine]]
!!Ygraine Pendragon
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ygraine_1865.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Alice Patten

[-"He sacrificed my life so the Pendragon dynasty could continue. It makes you no less my son, nor me any less proud of you."-]

Arthur's mother, Agravaine's sister, the late wife of Uther, and the former Queen of Camelot. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E08SinsOfTheFather}} Sins of the Father]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E01TheTearsOfUtherPendragonPartI}} The Tears of Uther Pendragon Part I]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E02TheTearsOfUtherPendragonPartII}} II]]''.

* AdaptationalConsent: In the original story Ygraine was originally married to Gorlois, and Arthur was conceived when [[BedTrick Uther magically disguised himself as Gorlois]] and slept with her. Here there's no indication that happened or that Ygraine was ever married to anyone except Uther.
* BackFromTheDead: Very temporarily.
* BalancingDeathsBooks: The cause of her death; in order to conceive Arthur, Ygraine was doomed to die in giving birth to him.
* DeadPersonConversation: Thanks to Morgause's spell, Ygraine appears to Arthur to tell him the truth of his birth.
* DeathByChildbirth: This was the price she had to pay in order to bring Arthur into the world.
* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Arthur idolizes his mother; so much that he even attacks his father when he finds out that he (Uther) is the cause of her death.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: She has gold hair, and a kind, caring nature.
* TheHighQueen: Was this during her lifetime, as Queen of Camelot.
* InnocentBlueEyes: She has a pair of these, and in her appearance to Arthur claims that she had no idea that her husband had made a deal with Nimueh to secure Arthur's birth.
* TheLostLenore: To Uther, whose death triggered his hatred of magic.
* MysteriousParent: Arthur often voices regret that he never knew her, and even in the two instances she ''does'' appear, it's unclear whether her spirit is truly manifesting, or whether it's just a spell or hallucination.
* OjouRinglets: She has the two prerequisite ringlets, one on either side of her face, denoting both innocence and social status.
* PlotTriggeringDeath: Her death is the reason for the Great Purge, which informs practically everything that follows.
* PosthumousCharacter: She's dead long before the start of the show.
* PresentAbsence: Her death casts a long pall over Camelot, especially in Series 1. Arthur thinks of her often, Uther is clearly still grieving for her, and the exact circumstances of her death are a big plot-point.
* ProperLady: What little we see of her, she comes across as very soft-spoken and feminine.
* RegalRinglets: She has ringlets curled over her forehead, demonstrating her high status.
* SacrificialLamb: She dies as part of the deal Uther made with Nimeuh to ensure Arthur's birth.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: The casting nailed this one. Arthur is the spitting image of his mother.

[[folder:Lord Agravaine de Bois]]
!!Agravaine de Bois
[[quoteright:199:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Agravaineblackclothes_pic_9130_9699.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/NathanielParker

[-'''Gaius''': "I suspect he's not as virtuous as he seems."-]

Arthur's uncle on his mother's side, Agravaine has been helping his nephew run the kingdom during Uther's sickness. It soon becomes clear that he's not a man to be trusted. He appears only in the fourth series.

* AffablyEvil: He can put up a veneer of courtly manners when required.
* AgeLift: He's decades older than Arthur due to being his uncle, while the version from the Legend was younger due to being his nephew.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: He seems to have a thing for Morgana. She couldn't care less.
* ArcVillain: Agravaine has a huge influence in season four due to being the uncle of Arthur. He's pretty much one of the main villains alongside Morgana throughout season four.
* AristocratsAreEvil: Played ''very'' straight.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: He pretends to be Arthur's loving uncle while secretly plotting against him.
* BlackCloak: He frequently wears one ([[EvilWearsBlack which you think would be a giveaway as to his true allegiences]]).
* BridalCarry: Carries Morgana like this when he finds her injured in the forest in 4x05.
* TheChessmaster: Agravaine is very scheming and cunning.
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: He wears black, as does [[spoiler: Morgana]]. That pretty much sums it up.
* ConsummateLiar: He can look his nephew in the eye and swear on his dead sister's life that he isn't betraying him. (He is).
* CoolUncle: What Arthur sees him as.
%%* CorruptPolitician
%%* CreepyUncle
* DarkIsEvil: His dark clothes are pretty much a dead giveaway as to who he's really loyal to.
* DevilInPlainSight: He's managed to ingratiate himself at court and goes completely unsuspected by everyone except Merlin and Guinevere.
* DirtyOldMan: Seems to be creepily fascinated by both Morgana and Guinevere, and enjoys standing behind their chairs with his hands close to their necks. Overlaps with {{UST}}, especially in Morgana's case.
* TheDragon: To Morgana during season four.
* EvilChancellor: Plays this role to Arthur, giving him bad advice concealed as genuine concern.
* EvilIsNotWellLit: He is first introduced stepping out of the shadows.
* EvilUncle: To Arthur, as the treacherous brother of Arthur's mother Ygraine.
* GoodAngelBadAngel: The Bad to Merlin's Good.
* HandsomeLech: A sinister version.
* HiddenAgendaVillain: He wants to sabotage Arthur's reign, but as of yet, we're not really sure ''why''. Unless his hatred of Uther extends to Arthur by proxy.
** A DeletedScene reveals that he's [[spoiler:in love with Morgana]].
* HiddenDepths: The end of 4x06 reveals that his feelings for Morgana run deeper than than we'd been led to expect.
* HypercompetentSidekick: Agravine is much more capable that Morgana as a manipulator and user of XanatosSpeedChess. In fact, if it where not for devotion towards Morgana, he would be a much better villain.
* IgnoredEnamouredUnderling: He's besotted with Morgana, who treats him with thinly-veiled contempt.
* InNameOnly: Except for being an antagonistic character, Agravain has no similarity to his literary counterpart. The Agravaine of the Arthurian Legend was a knight and the the son of Morgause, nephew to Morgana and Arthur, half-brother of Mordred and brother of Gawaine.
%%* {{Jerkass}}
%%* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk
* KarmicDeath: Especially since no one really cares that [[spoiler:he's dead]].
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: By Merlin, in a rather badass fashion.]]
* LoveMartyr: His devotion to Morgana is rather inexplicable considering she holds him in utter contempt.
* ManipulativeBastard: Oh so much.
* MeanCharacterNiceActor: While Agravaine is a bad guy, Nathaniel Parker is just absolutely adorable. Just listen to his laugh in the bloopers.
* TheMole: He plays the role of Morgana's spy in Arthur's court.
* ObviouslyEvil: Painfully so.
* OhCrap: A fairly priceless one when Gwaine catches him about to slit Gaius's throat.
* TreacherousAdvisor: Often feeds Arthur bad intel and even worse advice on the orders of Morgana.
* PromotionToOpeningTitles: As of 4x04 [[spoiler: after Uther's death in 4x03]], he's credited as a main cast member.
* RegentForLife: Played with. Though Arthur is more or less running Camelot, he appoints his uncle regent in his absence.
* RelatedDifferentlyInTheAdaptation: He's traditionally Arthur's nephew through his half-sister, but here he's his uncle through his mother Ygraine. This also makes him Uther's brother-in-law instead of his step-grandson.
* RememberTheNewGuy: The writers take advantage of a year's TimeSkip between series three and four to introduce him as though he's been present in the kingdom all along. Even though he's never been mentioned before, there are lines like: "I promised your mother I'd always be there for you," and "I've known him since I was a child," though there's no indication where he's been all this time.
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: [[spoiler:Dies unmourned and unburied in an underground cavern]].
* ShooOutTheNewGuy: After being introduced at the start of series 4 and [[PromotionToOpeningTitles promoted to the opening titles]] in episode 3, he's written out permanently at the end of that same season without really doing anything particularly memorable or important during his run. Even [[spoiler:his death scene is all about Merlin]].
%%* {{Slimeball}}
%%* SmugSmiler
%%* SmugSnake
* ThickerThanWater: Arthur's reason for trusting him so implicitly.
* ToxicFriendInfluence: On Arthur.
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: He's Arthur's uncle through his mother in this version and he has no relation to Morgana, Morgause, Mordred or Gwaine.
%%* VillainWithGoodPublicity
* WhatMeasureIsAMook: His PlotArmour eventually fails him, and he [[spoiler:is killed]] alongside a bunch of FacelessMooks.
* XanatosSpeedChess: Especially throughout 4x6.

!!!Knights
[[folder:Owain]]
!!Owain
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Kyle Redmond-Jones

A knight who was the first to accept the challenge by Tristan de Bois, which resulted in his death.

* AgeLift: He's seemingly the same age as Arthur.
* DemotedToExtra: A fairly significant character in the Arthurian Legend, Owain is reduced to a minor character killed by the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Villain of the Week]].
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: He's not the son of Morgana or the nephew of Arthur in this version. Though this is TruthInTelevision since this relation was first included in ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' and no connection was made between the two prior to this.

[[folder:Pellinore]]
!!Pellinore
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Sean Francis

A knight who accepted the challenge by Tristan de Bois, which resulted in his death.

* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Has been changed from a king and ally of Arthur to just a knight of Camelot.
* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: He had a rivalry of sorts with Arthur in the Legend, but here he is simply one of his knights.
* DemotedToExtra: A fairly significant character in the Arthurian Legend, Pellinore is reduced to a minor character killed by the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Villain of the Week]]. Noticeably he's killed several episodes before the appearance of the Questing Beast, which in the Legend is responsible for him and Arthur meeting.
* RaceLift: Is played by a black actor.
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: He's not the father of Percival in this version and he isn't the brother of the Fisher King.

[[folder:Bedivere]]
!!Bedivere
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Unknown

A knight killed by the Questing Beast.

* DecompositeCharacter: His role of [[spoiler:throwing Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake after Arthur's death is given to Merlin]].
* DemotedToExtra: The Knight of the Round Table responsible for returning Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake after Arthur's death, here he's reduced to a victim of the MonsterOfTheWeek.

!!!Other
[[folder:The Great Dragon]]
!!Kilgharrah
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bigger_dragon_9908.jpg]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/JohnHurt

[-"There is no right or wrong. Only what is and what isn't."-]

The last of the dragons who was captured during the time of the Great Purge and imprisoned in the dungeons under Camelot as an example of Uther's victory over magic. With an extensive knowledge of future events, the dragon introduces Merlin to his destiny and provides guidance over the course of his life.

* AndroclesLion: {{Inverted}} - he befriends Merlin and guides him.
* AntiVillain: Until his HeelFaceTurn, as he has ''very'' good reason to despise Uther.
* AudienceSurrogate: In a way, his knowledge of Merlin's destiny and the fates of the other characters makes him one for people who are already familiar with the Arthurian Legend and other adaptions.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: Practically his motto.
* BigBad: The final episode of series two.
* BigBrotherInstinct: To Merlin. Kilgharrah's treatment of Merlin in Series 2 is best described as a come and go fondness. In Series 3, after becoming spiritual brothers, Kilgharrah burns up Serkets trying to kill Merlin, doesn't want him to leave the cave until he's fully recovered, and allows him to ride him despite the fact that the series 3 finale shows he detests being used as a horse. He still occasionally treats him like an idiot, but given that we have only one talking dragon to draw references from, this could have been a normal big brother relationship among dragons.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Comes to Merlin's rescue in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E01TheTearsOfUtherPendragonPartI}} The Tears of Uther Pendragon Part I]]'', then again in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E02TheDarkestHourPartII}} The Darkest Hour Part II]]''.]]
* BreathWeapon: He shoots fire from his mouth, mostly as a defence weapon.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: He started out as rather flat character giving Merlin cryptic hints in riddles to defeat the monster of the week. When Mordred showed up around episode 8, he became a more darker and complex character.
* DemotedToExtra: In Series 5. [[spoiler: With good reason, as he is dying of old age.]]
* EccentricMentor: For the first few episodes he would always talk to Merlin in riddles.
* FigureItOutYourself: In the first few episodes of Series One, when Merlin came to him for help, the Dragon would often tell the answer in a riddle, that Merlin would have to figure out.
%%* GiantFlyer
* HeelFaceTurn: When Merlin spares him despite his rampage on Camelot, the Dragon becomes a nicer though still cynical person.
* ItHasBeenAnHonour: In ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E02TheDarkestHourPartII}} The Darkest Hour Part II]]'' this is his reaction to Merlin stating that he’s going to sacrifice himself to seal off the spirit world. You can clearly hear the fondness and grief in his voice at the notion of Merlin dying, but it’s also obvious that Kilgharrah is incredibly proud of Merlin’s conviction and good nature.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Originally his main motivation for helping Merlin was so that he would be free from his imprisonment. Later he developed a genuine fondness for the warlock.
* KarmaHoudini: He was never really punished for his rampage on Camelot: merely banished on pain of death by Merlin.
* LastOfHisKind: [[spoiler:Not anymore due to the hatching of Aithusa.]]
%%* ManipulativeBastard
* [[EvilMentor Morally Ambiguous Mentor]]: Often counsels Merlin to ShootTheDog. Also see TreacherousAdvisor.
* MrExposition: Shares this trope with Gaius
* NoNameGiven: For the first two series at least. In the last episode of series 2, he was identified as "Kilgharrah" for the first time.
* NotSoOmniscientAfterAll: Remember all his prophecies about how Arthur would legalize magic and unite Albion and rule over the Golden Age, with the white dragon Aithusa as a symbol of the world that he and Merlin would build together? [[spoiler:Never happened]].
* OmniscientMoralityLicence: He's advised/ordered Merlin to do some ''incredibly'' dodgy stuff, including letting a child die and killing a terrified woman. Given that he's NotSoOmniscientAfterAll, this is not entirely a surprise; more than a few of his pieces of advice to Merlin have severely adverse consequences - including causing the FaceHeelTurn of both Morgana and Mordred.

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Can talk perform magic, have incredibly long life spans and be controlled by Dragonlords.
* Really700YearsOld: He's at least a thousand years old, and claims to have seen civilizations rise and fall. [[spoiler: Although he's about to die of old age when the series end.]]
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: His attack on Camelot. Uther slaughtered his entire kind, and in response he attempts to raze the city to the ground, leaving Uther untouched as his subjects die. Well, it's the exact same thing that Uther did to him, but he was still killing innocents.
* SapientSteed: Whenever Merlin hitches a ride.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Although the secret's out in The Kindness of Strangers.]]
* SelfFulfillingProphecy: Mixed with UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom. Some of his prophecies have a distinct flavour of this - it's debatable whether Mordred or Morgana would have gone as bad as they did if he hadn't created or fuelled Merlin's mistrust.
* SeenItAll: There's very little he ''can't'' give Merlin a spell or solution for. As long as the threat or problem is magical in nature, personal problems not so much. Justified in that he's at least a thousand years old.
* TreacherousAdvisor: Betrays Merlin twice, both by having him almost kill his mom, and then attacking Camelot after he was freed.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: His prophecies sometimes have a self-fulfilling element to them, arguably causing/accelerating the falls of Morgana and Mordred to evil.
* WhatTheHellHero: Merlin calls him out on some of his morally questionable decisions.
** In ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E05TheCrystalCave}} The Crystal Cave]]'' he’s enraged at the fact that Merlin forces him to divulge a spell to heal Morgana by using his Dragonlord powers, considering it a serious breach of trust.
* WouldHurtAChild: At least by omission: he tries to prevent Merlin from saving Mordred, when Mordred was a little kid and still ''very'' innocent.

[[folder:Geoffrey of Monmouth]]
!!Geoffrey
[[quoteright:213:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/geoffofmonmouth_8674.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Michael Cronin

Camelot's court genealogist, though he also works as a librarian, is a member of the royal council, and officiates over weddings and coronations. He appeared in the first four series, but not the fifth.

* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: He's usually present, considering he's the one who officiates over them.
* BitCharacter: He turns up sporadically across the first four seasons, usually to drop some minor exposition.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: He disappears completely after 4x02.
* CoolOldGuy: In all his appearances he comes across as reasonable and helpful.
* ErmineCapeEffect: He's nicely dressed in expensive fur-lined robes.
* MrExposition: Usually when Gaius is unavailable for some reason.
* MythologyGag: Geoffrey of Monmouth was real person; a 12th century bishop who was one of the earliest writers of tales of King Arthur and his father Uther.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's a nice enough guy, who is important enough to sit on a council of the kingdom's decison-makers.
* SpookySilentLibrary: He works in one.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tom]]
!!Tom
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' David Durham

[-"We're on the up now. Things are going to be different."-]

Guinevere's father, the local blacksmith. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E03TheMarkOfNimueh}} The Mark of Nimueh]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E12ToKillTheKing}} To Kill The King]]''.

* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Leodegrance was a king that chose to be loyal to Arthur after he pulled the sword from the stone, while Bors was a knight and the son of another king who was loyal to Arthur. Tom is just a blacksmith living in Camelot.
* AdaptationalJobChange: His inspirations were a king and a knight, while he's nothing more than a blacksmith instead of a king.
* AdaptationNameChange: Guinevere's father is usually named Leodegrance, while in older Welsh legends he's named Ogyruan. Meanwhile Elyan's father is Bors the Younger.
* BlackGuyDiesFirst: {{Averted}} and then played straight. He survives his first appearance, only to be killed by castle guards in his second.
* TheBlacksmith: And a pretty darn cool one, since he forged ''Excalibur.''
* CompositeCharacter: Tom is the father of Guinevere and Elyan, who were the children of king Leodegrance and Sir Bors the Younger respectively. He also takes on some aspects of the Lady of the Lake by being the one to forge Excalibur, since in some versions the Lady is the one to give Excalibur to Arthur.
* ForgottenFallenFriend: Notable for its {{aversion}}. Plenty of other far more important characters have fallen prey to this trope, but despite dying in series 1, Tom is consistently mentioned all the way into series 5.
* KilledOffForReal: Is executed on Uther's orders in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E12ToKillTheKing}} To Kill The King]]''.
* OnlyOneName: As with Guinevere, he's not given a second name.
* MysticalPlague: But is healed by Merlin.
* SacrificialLion: The first reoccurring character to get killed off.
* SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: He's killed off in the second episode he appears in.
* UnwittingPawn: To Tauren, who was using his blacksmithing skills to experiment with alchemy.

!!Allies
!!!Ealdor
[[folder:Hunith]]
!!Hunith
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hunith-1_8152.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Caroline Faber

[-"It is every mother's fate to think her child is special, and yet I would give my life that Merlin were not so."-]

Merlin's mother, who sends her only son to Camelot at the start of the series in the hopes that he will learn to control his magical abilities under the guidance of her (much) [[WordOfGod older brother Gaius]]. She appears in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E01TheDragonsCall}} The Dragon's Call]]'', ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E10TheMomentOfTruth}} The Moment of Truth]]'', ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E13LeMortdArthur}} Le Mort d'Arthur]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E12TheSwordInTheStonePartI}} The Sword in the Stone Part I]]''.

* ActionMom: She joins in the rest of the Ealdor villagers when defending their home from bandits.
* BackForTheFinale: In series four.
* BerserkButton: To Merlin. Nothing gets him more riled or dangerous than if someone threatens his mother.
* BringHelpBack: In 1x10.
* GiveHimANormalLife: {{Inverted}}. Though she wants this for Merlin, she knows that he's exceptionally gifted. Rather than hide him away in Ealdor she sends him to Camelot to get tutelage for his abilities.
* [[GoodParents Good Parent]]
* LetsGetDangerous: When her village is attacked by bandits, she insists that she's going to fight or die trying.
* MamaBear: Towards Merlin of course. She's highly protective of him.
* TheOjou: Hunith is very kind, gentle, polite, maternal and soft spoken, despite not coming from wealth.
* OnlyOneName: Given that most non-royalty only had one name, this is TruthInTelevision. Certainly, if she does have a second name, it's never mentioned.
* OpenMindedParent: She's very easy-going about the fact Merlin has magic, she just wants him to remain safe from harm.
* ParentsInDistress: Hunith becomes gravely ill at the end of season one after Merlin makes a deal with Nimueh to save Arthur's life. Merlin does everything in his power to save his mother by sacrificing himself to Nimueh again.
* ThePollyanna: Hunith has a very hopeful and optimistic nature. Seems that Merlin inherited that trait.
* SeparatedAtBirthCasting: It's easy enough to buy her as Merlin's mother.
* ShipperOnDeck: She seems to be a huge Arthur/Merlin shipper.
* SoProudOfYou: Says this ad verbatim at the end of ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E10TheMomentOfTruth}} The Moment of Truth]]''.
* TeamMom: She appears to be maternal to everyone, including Arthur and Gwen.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: On two occasions she disappears abruptly from the episode; first when she falls sick (we're told that she recovers, but it happens off-screen) and second when mercenaries attack Ealdor at the end of series four (Merlin, Arthur and Gwen lead the attackers into the forest, and we're just left to assume that they left Hunith and the other villagers alone).

[[folder:Will]]
!!Will
[[quoteright:178:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/will_1826.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/JoeDempsie

[-"Are you telling me you'd rather keep your magic a secret for Arthur's sake than use it to protect your friends and family?"-]

Merlin's ChildhoodFriend who remains in Ealdor after Merlin travels to Camelot. He participates in the battle against the local warlord Kanen to defend his home. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E10TheMomentOfTruth}} The Moment of Truth]]''.

* BackToBackBadasses: With Merlin.
* ChildhoodFriends: With Merlin.
* TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong: Is the only Ealdor villager to insist they should leave their homes instead of defending their village, and the only main character to die by the credits.
* ForgottenFallenFriend: He's never mentioned again after his one and only episode.
* HeroicSacrifice: He takes a bullet (or rather, an arrow) meant for Arthur.
* ManHug: With Merlin when he returns to Ealdor.
* MuggleBestFriend: Is Merlin's [[ChildhoodFriends Childhood Friend]] who knows about his magic despite having none himself.
* SacrificialLamb: A semi-important character who dies heroically in defence of Arthur's life.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: On realizing that his village stands little chance of winning against the bandits, only to...
** ChangedMyMindKid: ... inevitably come back just in the nick of time.
* SecretKeeper: He knows all about Merlin's secret, and when Arthur suspects the use of magic in the defence of Ealdor, he takes the blame just before dying to protect said secret.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: In the platonic sense. (Maybe).

!!!Other
[[folder:Balinor]]
!!Balinor
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/balinor_9634.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' John Lynch

[-"You don't choose to become a Dragonlord. It's not something you're taught. It's a sacred gift. For thousands of years it's been handed down from father to son."-]

Merlin's father and the last of the Dragon Lords. In his youth he helped subdue the Great Dragon before Uther betrayed him and tried to have him executed. With Gaius's help he escaped to Ealdor where he was taken in by Hunith, only for Uther's men pursue him into the wilderness. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E13TheLastDragonlord}} The Last Dragonlord]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E12TheDiamondOfTheDayPartI}} The Diamond of the Day Part I]]''.

* ActionDad: He's quick to jump into combat situations if necessary.
* BackForTheFinale: In the GrandFinale to [[spoiler: instruct Merlin about the nature of his magic]].
* BadassLongcoat: He wears one of these, which also has a practical purpose given his rough lifestyle.
* BarbarianLonghair: Having lived rough in the forest for many years, his hair has grown long.
* BeardOfSorrow: As is often seen on characters played by John Lynch, he wears a beard to accentuate his hangdog expression, and the life of loneliness that Balinor has led.
* TheBeastmaster: Balinor was a Dragonlord who could command dragons. The gift was passed down from his father and when Balinor died, he passed the gift down to Merlin. Merlin then became the [[LastOfHisKind last Dragonlord in existence.]]
* ChangedMyMindKid: After first rejecting Merlin's claims, he ends up following him and Arthur and trying to help.
* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: Balinor tells Merlin that he left Ealdor and Hunith because he wanted Hunith to be safe. Balinor says that he had too much danger and too many enemies surrounding him for him to stay in Ealdor and live a normal life with Hunith.
* DisappearedDad: Balinor was not aware of Merlin's existence till 2x13.
* FinalSpeech: He manages to impart some last words to Merlin about the nature of dragons.
* FunctionalMagic: Of the LanguageOfMagic type -- he chants a spell, and things happen.
* HealingHands: He's able to heal Arthur's wound, even when Merlin himself couldn't.
* TheHermit: He'd been living by himself when Merlin and Arthur found him.
* IHaveNoSon: Balinor says this to Merlin almost word for word in 2x13. [[spoiler: He later discovers that Merlin is his son.]]
* InTheBlood: Balinor says that the Dragonlord powers are a sacred gift which are passed down in the lineage from father to son.
* JerkassHasAPoint: He initially refuses to help stop Kilgharrah's rampage on Camelot because Uther deceived him and he empathises with the dragon's fury after being incarcerated for decades.
* KilledOffForReal: He dies saving Merlin's life.
* TheLastOfHisKind: At least until he dies, at which point Merlin inherits his powers.
* LineageComesFromTheFather: Merlin's Dragonlord abilities have been passed onto him from Balinor.
* LongLostRelative: To Merlin, who is his long lost son.
* LukeYouAreMyFather: Merlin has to tell Balinor that he's his son. He had no idea that Hunith was even pregnant when he left Ealdor.
* MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold: He is a loner and isolated from others but Balinor essentially has a good heart and good intentions.
* NatureHero: He lives as [[TheHermit a hermit]] in the wilderness and gathers ingredients from nature for his spells.
* NegatedMomentOfAwesome: His entire episode leads up to him deciding to return to Camelot to stop Kilgharrah with his Dragonlord abilities. Then he dies before he gets there.
* NoSocialSkills: Before he met Merlin, Balinor was very anti-social and hated everyone.
* OnlyOneName: Like Merlin, we never learn of any last name.
* SummonMagic: Balinor was a Dragonlord, therefore, summoning dragons was needed in order to tame them.
* TakingTheBullet: For Merlin.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Balinor ends up dying in the same episode that he is introduced.

[[folder:Freya]]
!!Freya
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/freya_5160.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Laura Donnelly

[-"You already saved me. You made me feel loved."-]

Freya is a young Druid woman with a dark secret who Merlin protects from captivity. They develop a strong bond in the process. Freya becomes Merlin's first love. She appears in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E09TheLadyOfTheLake}} The Lady of the Lake]]'', ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E13TheComingOfArthurPartII}} The Coming of Arthur Part II]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E13TheDiamondOfTheDayPartII}} The Diamond of the Day Part II]].'' [[note]]Or at least her arm does[[/note]]

* AdaptationalHeroism: In some depictions, the Lady of the Lake learns magic from Merlin and eventually traps him in the trunk of a tree. Here, she helps save Camelot by advising Merlin and giving him Excalibur.
* AdaptationalNameChange: The Lady of the Lake has many names in the Legend, but has never had the name Freya before.
%%* AloofDarkHairedGirl
* BackForTheFinale: Of series three and five.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Although she was cursed, Freya was a kind and good-hearted individual.
* BeautyToBeast: Played straight due to her being cursed. When Freya transforms into the Bastet monster, she goes from being a fragile, beautiful girl to a huge, flying, and unattractive beast.
* BirdsOfAFeather: Merlin is able to develop such a strong bond with newcomer Freya because of the fact that they are both born of magic and must keep it a secret. In the process, they fall in love.
%%* BoyMeetsGirl
* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: Freya runs away so that Merlin doesn't lose his chance at a good life in Camelot.
%%* BreakTheCutie
%%* BrokenBird
* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: [[GenderInvertedTrope Gender-Inverted]]. Freya is the Brooding Girl to Merlin's Gentle Boy. Merlin manages to make brooding, isolated and cursed Freya feel happy and loved.
* CannotSpitItOut: Freya has a hard time expressing how she's feeling about everything basically.
* ChekhovsGunman: She [[spoiler:returns at the end of Season 3 in order to deliver Excalibur into Merlin's hands so that he can defeat the immortal army.]]
* TheCutie: Freya is very endearing.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Freya was attacked and almost raped by a man and she killed him in self defence. After the man's mother, who was a sorceress found out what Freya had done to her son, she cursed Freya to become the Bastet so that she was cursed to kill forever against her will.
* DarkSecret: Freya is cursed to turn into a Bastet, which is a winged panther.
* DecompositeCharacter:
** While Freya takes on the main role of the Lady of the Lake, Nimueh and Vivienne (names which are commonly used for the Lady) are instead used by an evil witch seeking revenge against Uther and the mother of Morgana respectively.
** Some versions of the Lady of the Lake have her give Arthur Excalibur after his first sword is broken. While Freya technically returns Excalibur to Merlin, the sword was forged by Tom the blacksmith.
%%* DiedInYourArmsTonight
* DisproportionateRetribution: Perhaps. Freya turns into a Bastet because she killed a man in self-defence and was subsequently cursed by his vengeful mother. That's Freya's version of events, and there's no in-show reason to disbelieve her.
%%* DistressBall
%%* DamselInDistress
%%* {{Druid}}
* TheDulcineaEffect: Merlin is immediately besotted by her, helps her at considerable personal risk to himself, and even decides to run away from Camelot with her before disaster strikes.
%%* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette
* EmotionlessGirl: Freya appears this way at first, but it turns out the reason for this is because Freya is hiding a deep, dark secret.
* EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity: In her second appearance. Freya becomes the Lady of The Lake and returns as a spirit to deliver Excalibur into Merlin's hands.
* FirstLove: For Merlin. Merlin fell hard for Freya, so much so that he wanted to run away with her and choose her over his destiny.
* GiantFlyer: In her winged panther form.
%%* TheGwenStacy
* HerosMuse: For Merlin. Freya eventually becomes The Lady Of The Lake and assists Merlin, her FirstLove and TheHero, on his journey and his quests by retrieving Excalibur for Merlin whenever he or Arthur needs it.
* HiddenDepths: Freya appears as a regular girl but she actually suffered a lot of trauma due to her dark and troubled past. She is also cursed with being a Bastet.
%%* TheIngenue
* InvoluntaryShapeshifting: She transforms into a giant winged panther at the stroke of midnight.
* IAmAMonster: Freya thinks of herself as this.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Which is understandable considering that she had her free will and her humanity taken away from her against her will.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: It was pretty obvious that Freya was lonely and yearned for love and friendship. Merlin gave that to her.
* KillTheCutie: She's nice, sweet, and gentle. Guess what happens?
%%* LadyInRed
%%* LittleDeadRidingHood
* TheLostLenore: She's this for Merlin.
* LoveAtFirstSight: With Merlin.
* LoveInterest: For Merlin. Turns out that Freya is [[SingleTargetSexuality the first and last girl that Merlin was ever in love with for the entire series.]] Since Freya died, Merlin hasn't shown that much romantic interest in another girl. Heartbreaking.
%%* LoveHurts
* LoveRedeems: She's not ''evil'', but Freya says that Merlin's love for her saved her in more than one way.
%%* MadeASlave
%%* MagicalGirl
* MeaningfulLook[=/=]LongingLook: Shares these with Merlin.
* MeaningfulName: Even though "Freya" isn´t one of the names given to the Lady of the Lake in the Arthurian legend, her name is Old Norse for "Lady", and alludes to Freyja, a goddess associated with love who rules over the fields of Fólkvangr, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalon ''where half of those that die in battle go upon death]].''
* MixAndMatchCritter: Freya in her Bastet form has a panther's body and bat wings.
* MysteriousWaif: Very little is known about her background.
* OneShotCharacter: With the exception of a cameo in Season 3.
* TheOneThatGotAway: She represents this for Merlin.
%%* OnlyOneName
%%* PainfulTransformation
* PantheraAwesome: The Bastet form.
* ThePromise: '''Freya to Merlin:''' "Someday I will repay you." [[spoiler: She does once she becomes the ''Lady of the Lake''.]]
* RescueRomance: With Merlin. Merlin rescues Freya from being captured as a slave.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: She gets ''one'' scene in which she's permitted to share details of her past (and even that is more of a MythologyGag that establishes her affinity for lakes), the rest of the time she only exists so that Merlin can be her [[TheCaretaker Caretaker]], enjoy openly using his magic in front of her, and experience manpain when she dies. It's especially glaring when he takes her to a lakeside in order to [[LetThemDieHappy Let Her Die Happy]] and she mutters: "you remembered..." Well of course he remembered -- her love of lakes is the only personal detail she ever shares with him!
* SecretIdentity: Freya was the Bastet, but nobody knew that at first.
* SecretKeeper: One of the few characters who knew about Merlin's magic and secret identity.
* SecretRelationship: With Merlin. Nobody knew that Merlin was in love with Freya, not even Gaius.
* ShrinkingViolet: Freya comes off as really shy and introverted.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Her relationship with Merlin. Although, she didn't seek to fall in love with Merlin. Merlin sought her out and fell HARD and she reciprocated.
* SoHappyTogether: With Merlin. Sadly, it doesn't last.
* SpiritAdvisor: For Merlin. Freya becomes the ''Lady of the Lake'' who will help Merlin.
* StarcrossedLovers: With Merlin.
** Her romance with Merlin was implied to have been known or destined according to the FisherKing in 3x08.
* TheQuietOne: Doesn't talk very much, and when it does, it's often in a whisper.
%%* UnkemptBeauty
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Dies after one episode.
* WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve: Freya turns into a Bastet.
* TheXOfY: Freya as The Lady of the Lake.

[[folder:Alice]]
!!Alice
[[quoteright:196:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alice_2263.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Pauline Collins

[-'''Gaius''': "Alice is the kindest and most compassionate person I've ever known."-]

A gifted healer who supplements her natural talent with magic. She and Gaius were once engaged to be married before the Great Purge forced her to flee Camelot. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E09LoveInTheTimeOfDragons}} Love In The Time of Dragons]]''.

* BittersweetEnding: She escapes with her life, but she and Gaius are parted - presumably for good.
* CuteWitch: So what if she's over sixty? Look at her! She's still adorable.
* HealingHands: It's stated that she has a gift for healing.
* InformedAbility: Gaius states that she's more powerful and naturally gifted than he is, but she spends the entire episode under the thrall of the Manticore. Furthermore, all her renowned healing abilities happen off-screen.
* TheMedic: Her chosen career in life. though it's something of an InformedAbility.
* MindControlEyes: When under the control of the Manticore, her eyes appear as totally black.
* NewOldFlame: To Gaius.
* PetMonstrosity: The Manticore.
* DecemberDecemberRomance: With Gaius.

[[folder:Gilli]]
!!Gilli
[[quoteright:209:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/GILLI_428.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Harry Melling

[-"I'm not going to apologize for who I am!"-]

A young man with a RingOfPower who arrives in Camelot in search of honour and glory. After befriending Merlin, he goes through a surprisingly complex StoryArc over the course of his single episode appearance. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E11TheSorcerersShadow}} The Sorcerer's Shadow]]''.

* ARealManIsAKiller: Suffers from this delusion. When he actually goes through with killing someone, he finds it's not at all to his liking.
* BrokenPedestal: {{Inverted}} in regards to his father. He begins by remembering him as a weak man who never used his abilities to their full extent, but eventually comes to a fuller understanding of how he lived his life.
* CastingGag: Harry Melling is best known as playing a magic-fearing Muggle in the ''Film/HarryPotter'' films.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: After being shunned and bullied all his life, this is his key motivation -- and he can't understand it when Merlin doesn't approve of his actions.
* {{Foil}}: To Merlin -- another young man with magic he's forced to keep a secret, but who choses to utilize his abilties in very different ways.
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: The second half of his motivation, in wanting to make a name for himself.
* ItsAllAboutMe: ZigZaggingTrope. He makes plenty of decisions over the course of the episode, both selfish and unselfish.
* MagicRing: This is the source of his abilities.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After killing Nollar.
* SecretKeeper: To Merlin.
* TearsOfRemorse: When Merlin demonstrates his magical powers to him.

[[folder:Alator]]
!!Alator
[[quoteright:234:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6_5_7721.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Gary Lewis

A HighPriest of the Catha, a sect of wizards who specialize in mind control and psychic torture. Alator is hired by Morgana to seek out the identity of the mysterious "Emrys." He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E07TheSecretSharer}} The Secret Sharer]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E10TheKindnessOfStrangers}} The Kindness of Strangers]]''.

* TheAtoner: He refers to his days as a torturer as "not something to be proud of" in his second appearance.
* BadassLongRobe: Wears a long robe that swishes dramatically as he walks.
* BaldMystic: He's a bald, powerful wizard. Overlaps with ChromeDomePsi because he specializes in mind control and psychic torture, but his ability is portrayed as more magical than an innate psychic power.
* TheBusCameBack: He returns in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E10TheKindnessOfStrangers}} The Kindness of Strangers]]''...
** BackForTheDead: ... only to be killed by Morgana.
* DefiantToTheEnd: Refuses to assist Morgana in her schemes right up until her death.
* EvilSorcerer: {{Subverted}}. He's introduced as a sinister threat to Merlin, only to reveal himself as loyal to Emrys.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: Morgana, despite all her efforts, never does manage to break him and he tells her to her face that no matter what she does, she will never find Emrys and he will pass to the other world happy in the knowledge that she will be defeated no matter what she does.
* HeelFaceTurn: Sort of. He's actually a fairly neutral character, though we're initially led to believe that he's an EvilSorcerer in league with Morgana. On finding out that Merlin is the mysterious Emrys, he declares his loyalty to him.
* HighPriest: Identifies as the HighPriest of a sect of wizards that specializes in mind control.
* KneelBeforeFrodo: Or in this case, Merlin.
* MagicStaff: One of the few magical users on the show to wield a staff that doubles as a walking stick.
* NeckSnap: How Morgana kills him.
* NotAfraidToDie: Explicitly so.
* PlayingWithFire: He can conjure up magical fireballs.
* PurpleIsPowerful: He wears purple robes.
* SecretKeeper: One of the few who discovers Merlin's secret and survives to keep it ([[BackForTheDead at least until his second appearance]]).
* SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: His second appearance on the show ends with his death.
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: Morgana unceremoniously snaps his neck with magic.
* TortureTechnician: Morgana hires him to extract information from Gaius.
* ViolentGlaswegian: This goes without saying considering he's a WarriorMonk played by Scotsman Gary Lewis.
* WarriorMonk: He's a deeply religious man who also knows how to defend himself.
* WeWillMeetAgain: To Merlin. {{Inverted}} in that he doesn't mean it as a threat. And then {{subverted}} considering they never do.
* YouAreNotAlone: Says this to Merlin.

[[folder:Tristan and Isolde]]
!![[Literature/TristanAndIseult Tristan and Isolde]]
[[quoteright:216:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/35-1_6632.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/BenDaniels and Creator/MirandaRaison

[-"Caught? Tristan and Isolde? I don't think so. We're too quick and too smart for the halfwit king in Camelot."-]

A pair of smugglers and lovers who don't think highly of Camelot or its King, but who decide to throw in their lot with Arthur after he and Merlin save Isolde's life. They appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E12TheSwordInTheStonePartI}} The Sword in the Stone Part I]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E13TheSwordInTheStonePartII}} II]]''.

* ActionGirl: Isolde fluctuates between this and a FauxActionGirl before being [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal]].
* BackToBackBadasses: See picture.
* BadassLongcoat: Tristan wears one.
* BattleCouple: They go into battle together and fight in tandem.
* BetaCouple: They serve as the catalyst for getting Arthur and Gwen back together..
* [[CheshireCatGrin Cheshire Cat Grins]]: Each of them have rather unsettling smiles.
* TheCynic: Tristan.
* [[EleventhHourRanger Eleventh Hour Rangers]]: Introduced at the end of season four, chose to team up with Arthur after he's proven his worth to them.
* {{Expy}}: According to writer Julian Jones, they are based on ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005''.
* GoodBadGirl: Isolde, an outlaw and smuggler who still does the right thing when called upon.
* InNameOnly: They have nothing in common with their literary counterparts. Instead of a knight and a princess who has a tragic love affair, they are two smugglers and a OutlawCouple.
* [[LovableRogue Lovable Rogues]]: They give this vibe.
* OutlawCouple: They're a couple of smugglers who live outside the law.
* UglyGuyHotWife: Comparatively speaking.
* [[UnexpectedCharacter Unexpected Characters]]: All things considered, their appearance in the show was a bit random.
* VasquezAlwaysDies: Isolde.

!!Royalty
[[folder:King Bayard]]
!!Bayard
[[quoteright:169:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bayard11_1470.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Clive Russell

The King of Mercia. He is falsely accused of trying to poison Arthur as part of an EvilPlan devised by Nimueh. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E04ThePoisonedChalice}} The Poisoned Chalice]]''.

* ClearMyName: Nimueh frames him for the crime of poisoning Arthur's wine goblet.
* ColourCodedArmies: He and the knights of Mercia wear blue, to contrast with the red-cloaked men of Camelot.
* FlatCharacter: We don't really learn much about him; he's just a pawn in Nimueh's plot.
* {{Frameup}}: Thanks to Nimueh.
* HonourBeforeReason: He's prepared to drink from a (supposedly) poisoned goblet in order to prove his own innocence.
* TheGoodKing: From what we see of him, there's no reason to believe he's not a fair and just ruler.
* OneShotCharacter: Presumably one of the kings of the Five Kingdoms; this is his first and only appearance.
* PeaceConference: Attending this is the reason for him being in Camelot.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He defends himself after being framed, but choses not to take the slight too far.
* UnwittingPawn: Nimeuh uses his gesture of presenting matching goblets to Uther and Arthur against him.

[[folder:King Odin]]
!!Odin
[[quoteright:168:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ODIN_8393.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Fintan [=McKeown=]

[-"I want you to kill the man who murdered my son. I want you to kill Arthur Pendragon."-]

The King of a land referred to only as "Odin's Kingdom". He has a vendetta against Arthur after his son was killed in a duel. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E02TheOnceAndFutureQueen}} The Once And Future Queen]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E04AnothersSorrow}} Another's Sorrow]]''.

* TheBusCameBack: In one of the most surprising displays of [[ContinuityNod Continuity]] this show has ever done, Odin returns ''forty-one'' episodes after he was last seen to finish off a StoryArc that had lay dormant for three seasons.
* CycleOfRevenge: Arthur attempts to stop this when Uther demands retribution from Odin after his attempt on Arthur's life. It doesn't appeared to have worked.
** A truce is finally agreed upon in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E04AnothersSorrow}} Another's Sorrow]]''.
* DuelToTheDeath: How his son was killed.
* FeudingFamilies: With the Pendragons.
* ItsPersonal: {{Subverted}} in that it's the ''villain'' who wants revenge on the ''hero''.
* MeaningfulName: Named after the Norse God of War.
* MisplacedRetribution: Perhaps. We know very little about what really happened between Arthur and Odin's son, save that the latter ended up dead at the former's hands.
* RevengeMyopia: Odin wants Arthur dead because he killed his son; but Arthur claims that he was just defending himself.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He's been on-screen for about two minutes back in series 2. In series 4 he sends an assassin to kill Arthur, who ends up fatally wounding Uther instead. He's also been mentioned frequently throughout the series.
** He returns in series 5 for an expanded role.
* SympatheticMurderer: His motivation is in avenging his son's death, who died at Arthur's hands in a duel gone wrong. He ends up killing Uther by proxy thanks to an assassin.
* YouKilledMyFather: {{Inverted}}. This is a father seeking revenge for his son.

[[folder:King Olaf]]
!!Olaf
[[quoteright:210:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/olaff_9792.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MarkLewisJones

[-'''Alined''': "Olaf is the most overprotective buffoon I've ever met. It would surely end the peace talks if anyone were to lay a finger on his daughter."-]

The ruler of one of the Five Kingdoms and father to Lady Vivian. He unknowingly [[UnwittingPawn plays into the hands of King Alined]] when his protectiveness of Vivian leads him to challenge Arthur to a duel, having been led to believe she's been seduced by him. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E10SweetDreams}} Sweet Dreams]]''.

* BoisterousBruiser: He's quick to anger and fights his own battles.
* BruiserWithASoftCentre: On being bested by Arthur, he accepts defeat graciously. He's also clearly wrapped around his daughter's little finger, and demonstrates genuine love for her.
* BoyfriendBlockingDad: Even ''without'' Vivian acting strangely under the LovePotion, he's hypersensitive to anyone paying untoward attention to her. This is precisely what King Alined is counting on when he sets up his BatmanGambit.
* DuelToTheDeath: Challenges Arthur to one.
* EasilyForgiven: After spending the entire episode rampaging over his daughter's virtue, Arthur brings their duel to a close and Olaf becomes entirely amiable.
* FlawExploitation: His protectiveness of Vivian is exploited by King Alined.
* HairTriggerTemper: The mere ''suspicion'' of an insult will have him reaching for the nearest weapon.
* MyGirlIsNotASlut: In front of everyone, he calls Vivian "an innocent girl!" His daughter's reaction to this indicates that she's probably ''not''.
* PapaWolf: See above. No one, real or imagined, messes with his daughter.
* ThrowingDownTheGauntlet: Literally.
* UnwittingPawn: Alined takes advantage of his love for his daughter to cause discord at the peace summit.
* YouAreGrounded: A variation. Vivian is being taken home, presumably for good.

[[folder:Lady Vivian]]
!!Vivian
[[quoteright:188:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/VivianSD_7874.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/GeorgiaMoffett

[-"''I'' am not ''most'' of your guests."-]

Lady Vivian is the bratty daughter of King Olaf. Accompanying him to the peace talks hosted at Camelot, she becomes the target of a love spell in an attempt to disrupt the proceedings by playing on the emotions of her [[DotingParent Doting Dad]]. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E10SweetDreams}} Sweet Dreams]]''.

* AlphaBitch: She has no problem insulting Guinevere ''to her face''.
* BeautyIsBad: As noted by Arthur, she's very beautiful but her manners are appalling.
* BrattyTeenageDaughter
* DaddysGirl: She clearly has her father wrapped around her little finger, as he's a BoyfriendBlockingDad that otherwise indulges her every whim.
* TheDitz: Whilst under a spell.
* IKissYourHand: Uther does this on greeting her.
* KissingUnderTheInfluence: Once she's put under the [[LovePotion love spell]].
* LargeHam: Georgia Moffett chews the scenery like there's no tomorrow.
* LovePotion: Is the (permanent) victim of one.
* MissingMom: Her mother is unaccounted for and presumed dead.
* RichBitch: And how! She's rude and unpleasant at every possible opportunity.
* RoyalBrat: Though she's referred to as a "lady" instead of a "princess", her father is definitely a king, and she's definitely a brat.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: Deliberately an InvokedTrope, being a RoyalBrat who only exists to flounce around in pretty clothes. She and Arthur are put under a [[LovePotion Love Spell]] that makes them act like SickeningSweethearts, much to the bafflement of everyone else.
* SickeningSweethearts: With Arthur.
* SpoiledBrat: It's obvious that her father has given her free rein to do whatever she wants.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: InformedAttribute. When she arrives in Camelot, Uther tells Vivian she looks just like her mother. Since we never see her, we just have to take his word for it.
* WellExcuseMePrincess: At the beginning and end of the episode, when he's not under the love spell, this is Arthur's attitude toward her.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Last we see of her, she's being carted off by her father. For all we know, [[FridgeHorror she's still under the love spell, pining for Arthur]].

[[folder:Princess Elena]]
!!Elena
[[quoteright:209:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Elenapic_5917.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/GeorgiaKing

[-"I'm not the perfect princess, am I?"-]

The Princess of Gawant and daughter of Lord Godwyn. Unbeknownst to her, she was possessed by a Sidhe fairy whilst just a baby, causing her to grow up with a variety of embarrassing traits and peculiarities. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E06TheChangeling}} The Changeling]]''.

* AllGirlsLikePonies: She has a great love of horses, and being an accomplished rider is one of the few things the Sidhe curse ''hasn't'' affected.
* ArrangedMarriage: Godwyn and Uther organize one between her and Arthur.
* BizarreTasteInFood: She eats live frogs and seems to thoroughly enjoy it.
* BondingOverMissingParents: She and Arthur do this over their [[MissingMom Missing Moms]].
* ChangelingTale: {{Averted}}. Despite being in an episode ''called'' ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E06TheChangeling}} The Changeling]]'', her condition is more akin to DemonicPossession than SwitchedAtBirth.
* CuteClumsyGirl: As she's introduced to Arthur for the first time, she immediately falls over her own feet.
* DaddysGirl: Her father clearly adores her, and she him.
* DisposableFiance: Of the "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" variety.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold
* IKissYourHand: Arthur does this as they farewell each other.
* JabbaTableManners: Another Sidhe side-effect.
* MeaningfulName: {{Averted}}. Sure it ''sounds'' a lot like Elaine, but she never meets Lancelot.
* MessyHair: As seen in her page image, her unkempt appearance is an indicator of her Sidhe possession.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: {{Subverted}}. She is brought to Camelot to join in an ArrangedMarriage to Arthur, but instead of being treated as a mere impediment to his happiness with Guinevere, she is a likable and developed character. Her importance to the narrative has less to do with her relationship to Arthur as it does her role as an UnwittingPawn in [[TheFairFolk The Fair Folks']] attempt to take over Camelot.
* SheCleansUpNicely: Once the pesky Sidhe is gone.
* TomboyPrincess: {{Subversion}}. All her tomboyish qualities are brought on by the Sidhe living inside her. Once it's gone, she's more like a PrincessClassic.
** Though she has a genuine love of horseback riding, which was never a Sidhe trait.
* [[invoked]] UnnecessaryMakeover: With the banishment of the Sidhe inside her, she's become a more refined and elegant princess by the end of the episode. Most people preferred her clumsy, messy persona, [[https://thebookluvrr1816.tumblr.com/post/660933588505821184/princess-elena-tumblr-tags-for-merlinbingo as in this comment]]: "honestly turning her into a dainty princess at the end of the ep was the greatest crime this show ever committed."
* UnwittingPawn: To the Sidhe.

[[folder:Lord Godwyn]]
!!Godwyn
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Simon Williams

[-"Maybe it's time things changed."-]

The ruler of Gawant and father of Princess Elena. Due to his old friendship with Uther, the two have organized an ArrangedMarriage between their children. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E06TheChangeling}} The Changeling]]''.

* CoolOldGuy: An elderly man who doesn't seem too fussed by his daughter calling off her ArrangedMarriage.
* DotingParent: Obviously cares very much about his daughter, and wants the best for her, even if he's somewhat annoyed by her less-than-ladylike qualities.
* ManHug: With Uther
* NiceGuy: He's polite, kind, and just comes across as an all-round decent guy.
* OpenMindedParent: When Arthur and Elena decide not to get married, he respects their decision with no drama.

[[folder:Fisher King]]
!!Fisher King
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fisherking_9.jpg]]
%%[[caption-width-right:200:some caption text]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/DonaldSumpter

A sorcerer and the former king of a land that fell to ruin after his injury and is now known as the Perilous Lands. He appeared in ''[[Recap/MerlinS03E08TheEyeOfThePhoenix The Eye of the Phoenix]]''.

* AdaptedOut: He has nothing to do with the Cup of Life, which is clearly the Holy Grail, while in the Legend he was it's guardian.
* AgeLift: He's an old man when appeared and it's implied that he's been alive for centuries. While in the Legend the Fisher King's age tends to vary, he's typically still lived a normal life span.
* AncientKeeper: Is an immortal who has been waiting for Merlin to arrive so he can give him the vial of Avalon water.
* ElderlyImmortal: It's implied that he's continued to live far beyond a normal human life span but appears as an old man.
* MercyKill: Asks Merlin to give him Morgana's bracelet in return for the vial of Avalon water, which allows him to finally die.
* MysteriousPast: All we know about the Fisher King was that he was injured and this caused his lands to fall into ruin. How he got the vial of Avalon water and learned about Arthur and Merlin is a mystery, as is his exact connection to Grettir.
* TheNameless: Is only known as the Fisher King and isn't given a name.
* PrecursorHero: Is hinted to have been this for Arthur, being the best ruler of his era and his death foreshadowing the era of the Once and Future King, as well as being this for Merlin since he's also a sorcerer. Strangely for this trope, the Fisher King appears to be aware that he is this in regards to Arthur's and Merlin's destiny, and has in fact been looking forward to it since it means that he can finally die.
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: He isn't the brother of Pellinore or the uncle of Percival in this version.

[[folder:King Caerleon]]
!!Caerleon
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Steven Hartley

[-"You did not choose anything, boy. It is I who choose to die, and I alone".-]

The King of Caerleon. After being caught trespassing in Camelot's territory he is caught and beheaded by Arthur. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E05HisFathersSon}} His Father's Son]]''.

* BitPartBadGuy: He only gets one scene in which he's caught trespassing on Camelot territory and promptly executed for his crime.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: He demonstrates not the slightest bit of fear when Arthur threatens to execute him -- in fact, ''Arthur'' seems more perturbed about the whole thing.
* HonourBeforeReason: Faced with a choice between signing a peace treaty and getting his head cut off, he chooses death.
* IdiotBall: He practically grabs Arthur's sword and cuts his own head off.
* KingIncognito: For a while, at least until Agravaine notices his medallion.
* OffWithHisHead: How he dies at Arthur's hands.

[[folder:Queen Annis]]
!!Annis
[[quoteright:211:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/AnnisQ_6614.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/LindsayDuncan

[-"There is something about you Arthur Pendragon. Something that gives me hope for us all."-]

The Queen of Caerleon. After her husband is executed at Arthur's hands, she is goaded by Morgana into seeking revenge. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E05HisFathersSon}} His Father's Son]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E01ArthursBanePartI}} Arthur's Bane Part I]]''.

* ApronMatron: A CoolOldLady who commands unquestioning loyalty from her people.
* BadassNormal: She has no magical or sword-fighting abilities whatsoever, but is always in complete control of any given situation.
* BloodKnight: GenderFlipped and {{subverted}} when Arthur convinces her to declare peace.
* TheCameo: Appears briefly in 5x01 to grant safe passage to Arthur and his knights.
* CrusadingWidow: Briefly wanted vengeance for her husband's death at Arthur's hands.
* ErmineCapeEffect: She wears a fur cloak around her shoulders.
* EvilMatriarch: {{Subverted}} despite first appearances (and surprisingly, given the show's track record with evil female characters ''and'' the fact that she shares her name with an evil spirit of English folklore).
* {{Expy}}: Bears more than a passing resemblance to Boudicca.
* FieryRedhead: She is indeed a redhead, and on meeting Arthur for the first time, she doesn't hestitate to slap him around the face for the death of her husband.
* TheHighQueen: After her husband's death, she becomes the embodiment of this trope: regal, calm and commanding (though a bit older than the trope usually implies).
* ModestRoyalty: Despite a fur cloak, she wears relatively practical and non-ornamental clothing.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Played with.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Delivers a particularly brutal one to Morgana, when she gives a NotSoDifferentRemark regarding Morgana and Uther. All things considered, it's a miracle that Annis left that tent alive, and this was probably only down to the fact that she unsettled Morgana so profoundly.
* ProudWarriorRace: Her kingdom seems to be full of staunch, stoic, fur-clad warriors.

[[folder:Princess Mithian]]
!!Mithian
[[quoteright:208:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/592px-Mithian_s5_2_5121.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/JanetMontgomery

[-"I would give up my own kingdom to be so loved."-]

The Princess of Nemeth. She comes to Camelot in order to wed Arthur as part of a peace settlement between their kingdoms. Though she finds herself genuinely falling for Arthur, he breaks off the engagement on realizing that his heart still lies with Guinevere. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E11TheHuntersHeart}} The Hunter's Heart]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E04AnothersSorrow}} Another's Sorrow]]''.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Even by the end of ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E04AnothersSorrow}} Another's Sorrow]]'', it appears that she still has a little bit of a crush on Arthur.
* AmicableExes: With Arthur.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: She's a classic beauty with fair skin, and a genuinely lovely person.
* BigEntrance: She certainly makes an impression when she first arrives in Camelot.
* BirdsOfAFeather: With Arthur, a deliberate contrast to the OppositesAttract relationship he has with Guinevere.
* BridalCarry: Leon carries her like this when [[{{Fainting}} she faints]] outside the castle.
* BurpingContest: When Merlin magically forces Arthur to burp repeatedly in front of her in an effort to turn her off and [[ShippingTorpedo sink the ship]], she instead interprets it as a challenge and happily fires back with an enormous belch of her own.
* CostumePorn: Her gold and white gowns.
* DecoyDamsel: Though she's coerced into luring Arthur into a trap after her father is taken hostage.
* DieForOurShip: ''[[invoked]]'' Merlin takes an irrational dislike to Mithian simply because he ships Arthur/Guinevere. He's notably much nicer to her when she returns to Camelot three years ''after'' Arthur and Gwen are safely married.
* DisposableFiance: Again, of the "Let's call it off" variety.
* DamselInDistress: In her second appearance, her kingdom is overthrown and she's taken hostage by Morgana.
* DramaticUnmask: Or rather, "unveil".
* ErmineCapeEffect: She's wearing a ''massive'' white fur coat for her arrival and departure scenes.
* {{Expy}}: There's some speculation that she was based on the more familiar characterization of Guinevere, being both high-born and in a (temporary) ArrangedMarriage with Myth/KingArthur - indeed, even down to the RavenHairIvorySkin.
* {{Fainting}}: Of exhaustion in 5x04.
* GracefulLoser: She handles rejection well.
* HoneyTrap: In 5x04, though more in the capacity of a DamselInDistress than a FemmeFatale.
* HourglassPlot: A slight one with Guinevere. They completely switch roles between ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E11TheHuntersHeart}} The Hunter's Heart]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E04AnothersSorrow}} Another's Sorrow]]''.
* ImpracticallyFancyOutfit: She travels in a white fur coat and goes hunting in a gold silk dress.
* MinorFlawMajorBreakup: Mithian's flaw is that she isn't Guinevere. In breaking off their engagement, Arthur ends up giving her the disputed lands between their kingdoms in order to avoid war.
* MysteriousVeil: On her first visit to Camelot she wears a veil, all the better for a [[DramaticUnmask Dramatic Unmasking]].
* NiceGirl: She's friendly with Arthur, and kind to Merlin despite the fact that he's a servant and the sort that her fellow nobles tend to step over without a thought.
* NiceToTheWaiter: Somewhat ironically considering Merlin often complains about his treatment at the hands of nobles - but when this one ''is'' actually nice to him, [[DieForOurShip he's too busy giving her the cold shoulder to appreciate it]].
** She's not just doing it for Arthur, either; she's just as nice to Merlin when she comes back in 5x04 and is visibly upset when her attempt to warn him about Morgana gets him nearly killed.
* PoliticallyActivePrincess: Despite having a vaguely mentioned father, she's the one who handles the negotiations and arranged marriage thing with Arthur over the disputed lands between their kingdoms.
* PrincessClassic: She looks, sounds and behaves like the quintessential fairytale princess, with one striking {{subversion}}: she [[DidNotGetTheGirl Does Not Get The Guy]].
* PrincessesRule: There's no sign or mention of her parents, yet she's a princess and not a queen.
** Though her second appearance expands on her background and reveals that she does in fact have a father.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: At least in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E04AnothersSorrow}} Another's Sorrow]]'', in which Mithian's hair seems to be several shades darker than it was in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E11TheHuntersHeart}} The Hunter's Heart]]''.
* RequisiteRoyalRegalia: She wears a coronet throughout ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E11TheHuntersHeart}} The Hunter's Heart]]''.
* RomanticFalseLead: Briefly with Arthur, the two being royalty, BirdsOfAFeather, and set for an ArrangedMarriage. He eventually rejects her for Gwen, though they remain on good terms.
* RomanticRunnerUp: In many ways she's better suited to Arthur than Guinevere, but the latter is his preferred choice.
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: {{Subverted}}. She and Arthur would be perfect for each other, were it not for the simple fact that he's in love with someone else.
* PrettyInMink: Wore [[http://oi45.tinypic.com/10e3dat.jpg a long white fur coat]] when she arrived in Camelot.
* ProperLady: She's well-mannered, well-groomed, and always impeccably polite.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: Notably {{subverted}}. She is brought to Camelot to join in an ArrangedMarriage to Arthur, but instead of being treated as a mere impediment to his happiness with Guinevere, she is a likable and developed characters. Though her function ''was'' simply as a LoveInterest to Arthur, she was also a three-dimensional character who ended up being popular enough to return to the show in the next season.
* TheSmartGirl: Unlike most nobles, who tend to ignore him, or regard him as a bumbling idiot, she very quickly catches on to the fact that Merlin is far more than he seems. Not the magic part, that is, but the fact that he's not just Arthur's manservant, being (informally) his closest adviser, whose opinion Arthur greatly values.
* UnknownRival: She and Guinevere never meet.
** They do eventually meet in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E04AnothersSorrow}} Another's Sorrow]]'', but although Mithian can now put a name and face to the mystery woman that she was passed over for, it's unclear if Guinevere knows whether Mithian is anything other than a visiting princess in need of help.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Narrowly {{averted}}. In a bid to impress Arthur, she shoots a young deer in the forest. Unbeknownst to her, the deer is actually Guinevere under an enchantment.
* WhatDoesHeSeeInHer: She's flabbergasted when Arthur forsakes her for the blacksmith's daughter, though also seems rather impressed by his devotion.
* WomanScorned: {{Subverted}}. Despite the snub, she remains on good terms with Camelot. In fact, she seems rather moved by Arthur's devotion to Guinevere - see her page quote.
* WrongGenreSavvy: She knows she's in a love story, but doesn't realize that it's not hers. As such, she spends the first half of ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E11TheHuntersHeart}} The Hunter's Heart]]'' acting like (and being treated as) the sole [[LoveInterest Romantic Love Interest]], only to eventually learn she was the RomanticFalseLead all along. Exit stage left.

[[folder:King Rodor]]
!!Rodor
[[quoteright:185:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/RODOR_9679.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' James Fox

[-"Don't look so surprised. I commanded an army in my time."-]

The King of Nemeth and father of Princess Mithian. When his kingdom is invaded by King Odin, he's held hostage and used as bait to lure Arthur into a trap. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E04AnothersSorrow}} Another's Sorrow]]''.

* CoolOldGuy: He's definitely getting on in years, but has a chill personality and able to crack jokes under pressure.
* DistressedDude: Morgana takes him hostage to lure Arthur out of Camelot.
* TheGoodKing: He comes across as kindly and just.
* IHaveYourWife: Father in this case, Morgana uses this ploy on Mithian.
* IWillOnlySlowYouDown: Though the unanimous response is "not a chance".
* LivingMacGuffin: What his role amounts to.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's a NiceGuy who commands respect and at one point orders the others to leave him behind as IWillOnlySlowYouDown.
* StillGotIt: A variation; see his quote.

[[folder:King Lot]]
!!Lot
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' N/A

A king who apparently took over Cenred's kingdom after his death.

* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: He has nothing to do with Morgause or any of the characters he has a relationship with in the Legend.
* DemotedToExtra: He's demoted to being name dropped, despite being a fairly important character in the Arthurian Legend.
* TheGhost: Is only mentioned once in series 4.
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: He's not the father of Gwaine or Agravaine in this version.

!!Villains
!!!Main Villains
[[folder:Nimueh]]
!!Nimueh
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nimueh_7083.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Michelle Ryan

[-"I have watched so many people I love die at your hands, Uther Pendragon. Now it is your turn."-]

The sorceress who cast the spell that allowed Uther and Ygraine to conceive Arthur. After Ygraine died in childbirth as per the conditions of the magic, it served as a catalyst for Uther's hatred of magic and the massacre that followed. Throughout the first season, Nimueh works against Uther from a distance in order to undermine his rule. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E03TheMarkOfNimueh}} The Mark of Nimueh]]'', ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E04ThePoisonedChalice}} The Poisoned Chalice]]'', ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E09Excalibur}} Excalibur]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E13LeMortdArthur}} Le Mort d'Arthur]]''.

* ArcVillain: In Series 1, where she would cook up various plans to get revenge of Uther.
* BadassBoast: She uses threats towards her opponents to scare them off and let them know just how powerful she truly is.
* BalancingDeathsBooks: She mastered this decades before the show, and it's how she ensured Arthur was conceived - she warned Uther it would come at a price, and Uther confirms that she was telling the truth. However, as she also points out, she had no way of knowing that Ygraine would be the one to die or what Uther would do, for if she had, she'd never have gone through with. It's still not entirely clear how much control she has over who'll die in the present, though the end of the first series implies that, at least by this point, she has absolute control.
* BestServedCold: She waits twenty years to take her revenge on Uther.
* BigBad: In Season 1.
* BlackMagic: Seemed to practice dark magic the most.
* BreakoutVillain: She was only suppose to be a one-shot villain but the production team liked the character enough to give her a bigger role.
* TheChessmaster: Nimueh is rather manipulative and cunning in nature, best demonstrated when she attempts to destroy two warring kingdoms' chances at a peaceful treaty while simultaneously giving Merlin a fatal dose of poison.
* CompositeCharacter: With Merlin. She's a mysterious sorceress who as it turns out used to be friends with Uther, a member of his court, and responsible for Arthur's birth (though instead of a BedTrick she used magic on Ygraine so she could conceive Arthur).
* CourtMage: It's implied that she was this for Uther, until her magic caused Ygraine's death and Uther to declare war on magic.
* CurbstompBattle: Her 'duel' with Merlin is ridiculously one-sided - she {{No Sell}}s an energy blast, mocks him, then nails him with her second fireball. Round 2, when he taps into his full strength, is even more one-sided, but in the other direction.
* DealWithTheDevil: Merlin makes a deal with her in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E13LeMortdArthur}} Le Mort d'Arthur]]''.
* DecoyDamsel: In ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E04ThePoisonedChalice}} The Poisoned Chalice]]''.
* TheDreaded: Uther hates sorcerers with a passion - but he ''fears'' Nimueh. And with good reason, as it turns out.
* EvilSorceress: She's an exceptionally powerful one at that, curbstomping Merlin before he taps into the full depth of his powers.
%%zce* HighPriestess: Of the Old Religion.
* IceQueen: Nimueh is very icy, and doesn't show emotion most of the time - though she does in episode 9.
* InTheHood: In ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E09Excalibur}} Excalibur]]''.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: By Merlin, [[ShockAndAwe in the most badass way ever.]]]]
* LadyOfBlackMagic: A very elegant witch.
* OlderThanTheyLook: She was a HighPriestess and adviser to Uther's court before Arthur and Merlin were born. Twenty years later, she looks more or less the same age that Merlin does, enough to flirt with him while undercover as a servant. Whether this is achieved via illusions or the semi-immortality of the High Priestesses of the Old Religion is unknown - either way, Gaius isn't particularly surprised at her appearance.
* PlayingWithFire: She throws a fireball in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E13LeMortdArthur}} Le Mort d'Arthur]]''.
* SeenItAll: Her response when Gaius comes to her to offer his life in exchange for Merlin's.
* StarterVillain: Quite powerful and gives Merlin quite a bit of grief but she's dispatched quite quickly compared to her successors.
* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: {{Inverted}} in the ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E04ThePoisonedChalice}} The Poisoned Chalice]]'', in that it is the ''chalice'' that is poisoned, not the drink.
* TooDumbToLive: Granted, Merlin can't seem like much of a threat. But she decided that, rather than avoid angering Merlin by choosing a victim he would not know, she would go for his mother which she knows is a BerserkButton of his. And then she lures him to the Isle of the Blessed for a face-off. And when he gets up unscathed from a ''fireball to the chest'', she just smirks at him patronizingly. The worst part? Unlike most villains, she actually knew she was fighting the greatest wizard of all time, and it doesn't even occur to her that this might be a really bad idea - though, granted, she ''had'' just effortlessly curbstomped him. Merlin proceeds to show the audience just why this was a bad idea: by exploding her with lightning in what some fans consider the best [[Awesome/{{Merlin|2008}} Crowning Moment of Awesome]] in the entire show.
* UnknownRival: Though she is a formidable opponent, most of her evil plans are done from a distance, and Prince Arthur never discovers who she truly is after she pulls a DecoyDamsel on him. She interacts only once with King Uther (who would be her major foe) but then dies in the season finale without having any sort of confrontation with either Uther or Arthur. In fact, it's unclear whether they even know that she's dead.
* WaterSourceTampering: In ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E03TheMarkOfNimueh}} The Mark of Nimueh]]'' to create a MysticalPlague.
* WeCanRuleTogether: She tries this with Merlin. It doesn't work.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: With Uther, believe it or not.
* VainSorceress: Quite possibly, since she's very young looking considering she's roughly Uther's age. That, or it's just another oddity surrounding the High Priestesses of the Old Religion, who can only be killed by magic or magical weapons.

[[folder:Mordred]]
!!Mordred
[[quoteright:229:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Senza_titolo-3_7351.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/AsaButterfield & Creator/AlexanderVlahos

[-"My name is Mordred."-]

Mordred is a young Druid boy who Morgana grows instantly attached to. According to the Great Dragon, Mordred will one day kill Arthur. Merlin's desire to help Mordred becomes heavily strained because of this. Also, another prophecy states that [[spoiler:Mordred and Morgana will be united in evil]]. He appears in the first, second and fifth series.

* AdaptationalBadass: He has magic powers in this version, while in most versions of the Legend he's just an ordinary knight.
* AmbiguouslyEvil: As a child. Later, he becomes more heroic, then falls into darkness.
* ArchEnemy: He's prophesised to be Arthur's enemy and killer.
* BadassCape: When Mordred became a knight.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: This is most likely the cause of Mordred's loyalty towards Morgana.
** He also wants to save Arthur 'cause Arthur saved him when he was a child.
* BewareTheQuietOnes: When Mordred was a child, he didn't talk much, if ever. But he smashed a mirror with his powers when he was angry and upset over one of his kind being executed. That was a clear sign to not mess with this kid.
* BigBad: Eventually.
* BigBrotherWorship: Towards Arthur. Ironic, considering Mordred is his son in the legends.
** Considering that Mordred was originally just another foe of Arthur's in the earliest tellings (who was upgraded to major villain and Arthur's incestuous spawn in later tellings - ''Le Morte D'Arthur'' by Sir Thomas Mallory can probably be credited for this), one can argue that this is Mordred's character being brother full-circle.
* BrokenPedestal: All the time. He idolized Merlin, who's like the magic world's greatest rockstar, but who keeps trying to kill him for no reason. He has a special bond with Morgana, who was sweet and caring, and she became a vengeful woman driven by hate. He worships Arthur, and he [[spoiler:has his beloved hanged]]. He considers the knights friends, and they [[spoiler:let him down when he needed them the most]].
* TheBusCameBack: He's been recast for series five.
* ChildMage: He's about eight when he first turns up.
* ChildProdigy: He's a very powerful mage even as a child.
* ChildrenForcedToKill: In his second appearance - though he doesn't seem all that bothered by it.
* TheChosenOne: A dark example, but he's destined to kill Arthur and Series 5 reveals that the Druids believe that one of their own is meant to kill him, meaning that Mordred's destiny is as well known as Arthur's. [[spoiler:He succeeds at the cost of his own life.]]
* CreepyBlueEyes: His unblinking gray-blue eyes when he is a child can be quite unsettling.
* CreepyChild: As a child, he kills with a disquieting smirk.
* CuteBruiser: As a child, he was a Druid with great strength and power.
%%zce* CuteWitch: When he was a young child.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: His father, or at least his guardian, was killed while he was injured and sentenced to death; he saw his [[DoomedHometown village destroyed]]; he was hunted down and forced to kill, and after the TimeSkip he said he learned to keep a low profile to not be burned to the stake or sold out. Also, considering how clueless he is about the Old Religion, he probably didn't meet other sorcerers after leaving Alvarr.
* DeliberatelyCuteChild: Cultivates this impression.
* DesignatedVillain: ''[[invoked]]'' He is prophesied to be the one who will kill Arthur. When he was still a child and apparently did no harm, the Great Dragon bluntly told Merlin to leave him to his death. Later Merlin himself adopts the belief that Mordred will be up to no good, which ends up driving him to evil.
* TheDreaded: To Merlin, who believes that he'll one day kill Arthur. [[spoiler:Which he does, but only because the entire situation was a twisted SelfFulfillingProphecy.]]
%%zce* {{Druid}}
%%* EnfanteTerrible
* EvilCostumeSwitch: Like when Lancelot comes back as a shade and wears all black. When Mordred runs away from Camelot and join Morgana his costume changes to a darker colour scheme. At Wales Comic Con in 2017 Alexander Vlahos, Rupert Young, and Tom Hopper joked about Mordred going into the dark chain mail store on his way to Morgana.
* EvilCounterpart: To Merlin. They are both born having powerful magic with grand destinies who are [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife searching for their place in the world]], and believe that serving Arthur is the best way to find acceptance and help magic become legal again, dreaming of the day that they can admit to being sorcerers. [[spoiler: They also both lose their love interests at Arthur's hand, but while Merlin forgives Arthur for failing to live up to expectation, Mordred does not and swears revenge.]]
* EvilSorcerer: A very young one.
* {{Foil}}: To Merlin and Morgana. He represents what they would have been like if they were raised by the Druids and had to live on the run.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: He will someday kill Arthur.
** Right now there is a proper vision of him killing/wounding Arthur.
* FreudianExcuse: Mordred's storyline starts with him seriously injured by Camelot's guards and his father executed by Uther; then he is imprisoned and sentenced to death. He returned to his people only to have his mentor killed, his village destroyed by Arthur and he's forced to leave Morgana to save himself. After that he's openly hostile to the Pendragons, plus his caretaker is [[ManipulativeBastard Alvarr]]; then Merlin, someone he considers sort of an ally, sides with Camelot instead. Three episodes, and he already has a hell of a FreudianExcuse for the day he will be the BigBad.
** And now [[spoiler:the girl he loved gets killed on Arthur's orders]].
* FromNobodyToNightmare: In his first appearance he was just a helpless kid. With each subsequent episode he displays considerably more power, until he returns as an adult, and is one of the few villains who not only unnerves Merlin, but genuinely terrifies him.
* FutureBadass: Mordred is nothing but a small and unsignificant Druid boy when first introduced, but he's destined to kill Arthur.
* GlassShatteringSound: Mordred's screaming is so powerful that it has literally broken and shattered a glass mirror.
* HeartwarmingOrphan: {{Subverted}}. He did have traces of it at the start, but at the same time he was ''also'' a CreepyChild from Day One.
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Though he's supposedly destined to kill Arthur, his loyalties are hard to determine, especially when he [[spoiler:turns on Morgana and stabs her InTheBack, saving Arthur's life in the process.]]
** [[spoiler:He has a FaceHeelTurn in 5x11]].
* HiddenAgendaVillain: No one is quite sure what he's up to (if anything), least of all Merlin.
* IKnowYourTrueName: He constantly (but telepathically) refers to Merlin as "Emrys"; in fact, he's the first person in the show to mention that name to Merlin.
* InTheHood: Often wore hoods both as a child and as an adult.
* InnocentBlueEyes: When he first appears.
* InnocenceLost: Probably [[BecauseDestinySaysSo because destiny says so]]: he has to [[BigBad kill Arthur]], so a lot happens to make him change from a [[TheWoobie scared little boy]] to a [[EnfanteTerrible vindictive kid]].
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Whenever Mordred kills knights. It's sociopathic and TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour, especially for a kid that was raised by pacifists, but the people he was killing were intent on either killing a boy who was, from their perspective, a defenceless child, or dragging him off to Uther, who has [[WouldHurtAChild had children drowned in the past.]]
%%* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal]]
* KillerRabbit: As a child, he was cute, adorable but very creepy and dangerous.
* [[LittleMissBadass Little Mister Badass]]: As demonstrated when he kicked the asses of a bunch of Camelot's guards with his magic in 2x03 and 2x11.
* MageSpecies: Mordred is a Druid with magical abilities.
%%* MagicIsEvil
* MagicKnight: In 5x01, we see a prophetic vision of Mordred on the battlefield, wearing chainmail and wielding a {{BFS}}.
* MakeMeWannaShout: When his father in Series 1 and [[spoiler: girlfriend]] in Series 5 are killed, his scream shatters a mirror in the former case and [[spoiler: breaks the prison door]] in the latter.
* MirrorCharacter: To a lesser extent than Morgana, to Merlin himself. Both were born having powerful magic and have to hide their talents to non-magical people.
* MoralityPet: Serves as one to Morgana in season five, as the single character she hesitates before attacking and forgives for betraying her.
* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: He seems able to sense Merlin/Emrys' presence. He can also sense the deaths of his father and [[spoiler:girlfriend]].
* MysteriousPast: Particularly in the [[TimeSkip Time Skips]]. How'd he go from Iseldir's care to Aglaine's care to Alvarr's care to working with bandits?
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: NamesToRunAwayFrom/{{Mor}}[[TheDreaded dred]]
* NowLetMeCarryYou: Mordred is glad to take care of an injured Morgana, in thanks for her previously caring for him.
* NotSoDifferentRemark: To Merlin. Both were born having powerful magic and have to hide their talents to non-magical people. Lampshaded by Mordred himself.
--> '''Mordred''': We are not so different. You and I.
* OnlyOneName: He has no family name.
* OracularUrchin: It would seem so, as Alvarr says Mordred is the only one powerful enough to use the Crystal of Neahtid. Considering even ''Merlin'' had trouble with it, this would suggest great power indeed.
* ParentalAbandonment: His father died and his mother was [[MissingMom never mentioned in the first place]].
* ParentalSubstitute: Not very lucky with them: the first one was killed by Camelot's knights and the second was a ManipulativeBastard who wants to use him and Morgana to bring Uther down.
* PsychicPowers: As a child he communicates almost exclusively through his psychic abilities. It adds to his eerie nature.
* PuppyDogEyes: Oddly, teen-Mordred seems a puppy who's trying to be loved much more than [[CreepyChild child-Mordred]].
* PutOnABus: Unfortunately, Asa Butterfield (Mordred) wasn't in Season 3 and 4 because of scheduled filming conflicts. He ran off into the forest at the end of season two and isn't seen until season 5.
* ReformedButRejected: Seems the case with Merlin: since his returning Mordred hasn't done anything evil or wrong, [[spoiler:he actually saved Arthur life ''twice'', once almost dying in the process]], but Merlin doesn't trust him and basically wants him dead.
* RuleOfThree: Has appeared three times in the first two seasons.
** With the recasting he is in three seasons.
%%* TheRunaway
* ScarfOfAssKicking: And it's ''bigger than Merlin's''.
* SchiffOneLiner[=/=]WhamLine: 1x08 when he reveals his identity -- the above quote.
* SelfFulfillingProphecy: Suggested in Season 5; [[spoiler:looking at how his storyline ended, it's not hard to argue that he only defected to Morgana in the end because Merlin's inability to trust him drove him to turn against Camelot as a whole]].
* SonicScream: His most distinctive attack as a child, using it against the knights attacking him.
* StartOfDarkness: In 2x03 Mordred is forced to kill some soldiers in self-defence, but shows absolutely no remorse.
* TheTeamWannabe: Looks like Mordred really wants to be part of ''something'', and he's trying really hard to gain Merlin's trust and friendship.
* {{Telepathy}}: Has contacted several characters -- including Merlin and Morgana -- with his thoughts.
* ThisIsUnforgivable:
** When Merlin attempts to prevent Mordred from escaping the Camelot knights in 2x11, Mordred ends up killing the knights and warning Merlin telepathically that he will not forgive Merlin nor will he forget this betrayal. Averted when it looks like he did forgive him eventually though: some things he said seems to imply that Mordred considers his old attitude a result of being a child, not fully understanding what was going on and all the implications.
** Harming his beloved is an entirely different thing. To be more specific [[spoiler: his lover is sentenced to death for (repeated) murder of Camelot's guards and attempted regicide.]]
* TimeShiftedActor: Thanks to the [[TimeSkip Time Skips]] between seasons, it's been seven years since Mordred was last seen, thus allowing Alexander Vlahos to step in as an older version of the same character.
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour: Merlin is shocked when he witnesses Mordred killing several knights with a SonicScream - even worse is the kid's reaction - he looks around at the bodies with a small smile and casually runs away.
* TruerToTheText: Mordred isn't Arthur's son through his sister in this version, which was actually a later addition to the story. Originally Mordred was mentioned as a knight who died in the same battle as Arthur, then a foe he was fighting, and then his nephew before being made his son.
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: Morded isn't the son of Arthur and Morgause in this version, meaning he has no relation to Morgana or Uther. He also isn't the half-brother of Gwaine or Agravaine either.
* TheVoiceless: Played straight in 1x08, where Morgana start to wonder if he's too afraid to speak or he can't. In later episodes Mordred is more verbal, but still seems to prefer telepathy over voice.
* VillainBallMagnet: Despite his attempts to do good as an adult, Merlin (and some of his allies) distrust him because of the prophesy, resulting in him being left for dead on several occasions. While this frustrates him, it doesn't break him to turn into a villain until...(see this is unforgivable).
* WildCard: Season 5. [[spoiler: Stabs Morgana in the back, joins the knights, shows kindness to the prisoners, doesn't use his magic, and doesn't reveal Merlin's identity to either Arthur or Morgana.]] The show's been doing a very good job not letting us know if he's heel or face until [[spoiler: his FaceHeelTurn in 2x11.]]
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Or so it would seem.
* YouAreNotAlone: He tries this on Merlin ''and'' Morgana in 5x02, only to be cold-shouldered by Merlin and on the receiving end of a crazy rant from Morgana. One gets the sense that he [[spoiler:chose Arthur]] not just because [[IOweYouMyLife I Owe Him My Life]] but because he doesn't fully trust the only other two magic users on the show.

[[folder:Morgause]]
!!Morgause
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/morgause_9619.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/EmiliaFox

[-"Arthur Pendragon, a great destiny awaits you. The battle for your soul is about to begin."-]

A mysterious sorceress who has a connection to Morgana, Morgause desires the doom of Uther and Camelot. She appears in the second, third and fourth series.

* ActionGirl: So much that she can best ''Arthur'', the best swordsman in Camelot, in a duel. She's one of only four villains in the series to be more powerful than Merlin, the others being Nimueh, Cornelius Sigan and the troll who masquerades as Lady Catrina.
* AdaptationalVillainy: While this is nothing new, she was seemingly benevolent in early versions, but is more commonly depicted as a villainess nowadays.
* AdaptationalWealth: She was a queen in some of the legends, traditionally as the wife of King Lot. She's merely nobility here.
* AffectionateGestureToTheHead: Is fond of caressing Morgana's face. Morgana doesn't seem to mind. At all.
* BadassBoast: "The tears of Uther Pendragon have only begun to fall."
* TheBaroness: The Rosa Klebb type.
* BeautyIsBad: Very beautiful and very, very dangerous.
* BigBad: Of season three, after being built up some during season two.
* BigSisterInstinct[=/=]CoolBigSis: Towards Morgana. Seriously, what sister would [[spoiler:give you a kingdom to reign over?]]
* BreakoutVillain: She was only going to be around for a couple of episodes until the writers released how important she was to Morgana's StoryArc.
* ChainmailBikini: Averted. She gears up for combat appropriately, since she was disguising herself as a man at first.
* TheChessmaster: Is shown repeatedly to be a master manipulator, examining her pawns through a crystal ball in her lair, like Nimueh.
* CompositeCharacter: A minor example in her debut. She takes the role of the [[Literature/SirGawainAndTheGreenKnight Green Knight]] of Arthurian legend who challenges the hero to place their head on a chopping block as a SecretTestOfCharacter, though here it is Arthur rather than Gawain.
* TheCorrupter: Seduces Morgana to her cause.
* DarkActionGirl: A formidable fighter, military and political strategist and powerful magic-user, who is portrayed as an antagonist and doesn't care if innocent people are killed in the pursuit of her goals.
* TheDeterminator: She won't rest until Uther and Camelot are overthrown and magic is returned to the land, to the point that she's willing to sacrifice her life to tear the veil between worlds. She passes her ruthless determination onto the decidedly less competent Morgana.
* EnemyMine: Morgause and Cenred seem to be allies over their mutual hatred for Uther.
* EyeColourChange: When Morgause uses magic, her eyes become golden-coloured.
* GirlyBruiser: Morgause is reasonably feminine and she can kick some major ass.
%%* GoodScarsEvilScars: The evil kind.
%%* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Morgana.
%%* HighPriest: Of the Old Religion.
* HotWitch: Is played by the very good-looking Emilia Fox and is depicted as very attractive to most people who meet her. Katie [=McGrath=] on the audio commentary remarks on Emilia's attractiveness.
* ImpoverishedPatrician: It's not said which of Morgana's parents she's related to her through, but she is nobility by birth, but was raised in poverty.
* KickTheDog: Putting a spell on Morgana to make her the vessel to summon the Knights of Medhir in order to destroy Camelot ''without'' telling Morgana probably wasn't Morgause's best idea in the world...
* KilledOffForReal: By ''Morgana'' in the series 4 premiere. It's a MercyKill, with Morgause's full consent.
* KnightTemplarBigSister: Morgause is ruthless toward her enemies, but if you threaten Morgana she'll make your death ''painful''.
* LackOfEmpathy: Morgause shows no guilt or remorse for the people who get in the way of her revenge.
* LadyInRed: Wears a pretty slinky red dress at times.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: She's a powerful sorceress, very elegant and most definitely a FemmeFatale.
* LongLostRelative: To Morgana, who doesn't know of her half-sisters existence until she turns up in Camelot and challenges Arthur to a duel.
* MagicKnight: She's a witch and also a very skilled swordswoman.
* MasterSwordsman: She can give Arthur a run for his money in a sword challenge or duel.
%%* MsFanservice
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: NamesToRunAwayFrom/{{Mor}}gause.
* OnlyMostlyDead: [[spoiler:Apparently killed in the season 3 finale, but she comes back in season 4. Given her mutilated face, it's clear that she and Morgana went to extreme lengths to keep her alive.]]
* OnlyOneName: We never find out her last name.
* PetTheDog: Morgause finds time to reunite with her half-sister Morgana while and give her a bracelet that would help her sleep. [[spoiler:And help her take over Camelot...]]
* RelatedDifferentlyInTheAdaptation: Morgause is still Morgana's sister, but they're maternal half-sisters rather than full sisters and Morgause has no biological connection to Arthur here (due to Morgana becoming Uther's daughter rather than Gorlois'). Upon learning her sister has a claim to the throne, Morgause plots to make Morgana queen to get rid of Uther and undo his BanOnMagic.
* RememberTheNewGuy: Partially justified in that she and Morgana were deliberately kept apart.
* TheReveal: She is Morgana's [[LongLostRelative half]]-[[SeparatedAtBirth sister]]. Though it's not totally clear through which parent they're related, popular FanWank is that they share a mother: Vivienne.
* SamusIsAGirl: Her badass debut sees her walking into Camelot covered head to toe in armour and assumed to be male, before revealing that she's a woman.
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: When using magic.
* ThanatosGambit: [[spoiler:She ensures that her death furthers Morgana's cause]].
* UndyingLoyalty: To her half sister, Morgana.
* UnkemptBeauty: When fully armoured. Otherwise, she seems to take time to style her hair and also dress very nicely.
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: Morgause isn't Arthur's half-sister nor is she Uther's stepdaughter since Morgana was changed to be Uther's daughter from an affair. She isn't the mother of Mordred or Gwaine either. Some versions have her be the mother of Agravaine too, but he's Arthur's uncle here, and significantly ''older'' than her.
* TheVamp: She can be very seductive, especially if Morgana or Cenred are in the room, though it's just a manipulative ruse in the case of the latter.
* VillainsNeverLie: Everything she tells/shows Arthur about his mother is the truth, and it's ''Merlin'' that has to coax Arthur back into believing the lies surrounding the circumstances of his birth.
* WeakButSkilled: Downplayed, as Gaius mentions that her magic ''is'' very powerful, but her magic is nowhere near as strong as Merlin's or her half-sister Morgana's, who are both some variety of TheChosenOne. However, she has a lifetime of experience and training, and her cunning and political maneuvering make her an enemy who can't be be dealt with through sheer force. In fact, in the Season 3 finale, she's easily defeated when Gaius ambushes her and throws her into the wall.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: In series 2 she's mostly focused on assassinating Uther to end his genocidal regime against magic. It's only after those attempts are repeatedly thwarted by Merlin that she begins planning a full-scale war on Camelot.

[[folder:Cenred]]
!!Cenred
[[quoteright:223:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Cenred-merlin-on-bbc-16891208-1600-12001211_2858.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/TomEllis

The ruler of the rivaling kingdom of Cenred (named after himself), Cenred seeks the downfall of Uther and Camelot by becoming an accomplice of Morgause's. He appears in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E01TheTearsOfUtherPendragonPartI}} The Tears of Uther Pendragon Part I]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E02TheTearsOfUtherPendragonPartII}} II]]'', ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E07TheCastleOfFyrien}} The Castle of Fyrien]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E12TheComingOfArthurPartI}} The Coming of Arthur Part I]]''.

%%** BadassNormal
%%* BarbarianLonghair
%%* CurtainsMatchTheWindow
* EarlyBirdCameo: Was first mentioned in ''1x10''.
* EnemyMine[=/=]FireForgedFriends: Morgause and Cenred seem to be allies over their mutual hatred for Uther.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He refuses to let his army die and withdraws the battle against Camelot once he realizes they can't win.
%%* KilledOffForReal
* OhCrap: When he realizes[[spoiler: Morgause is going to kill him]], and there's nothing he can do about it.
%%* OnlyOneName
* ShipTease: There seems to be ''something'' going on between Cenred and Morgause. According to Morgause, Cenred only wishes to please her.
-->'''Cenred:''' You are very beautiful when you're angry.
-->'''Morgause:''' Is that why you continue to defy me?
-->'''Cenred:''' You wouldn't like it if I made it easy for you.
** And this:
--->'''Morgause''': Of course you do. After all, you stand to gain much from Arthur's death.
--->'''Cenred''': I don't deny it. But I'm rich and powerful already. I do this only to please you.
--->'''Morgause''': (with a seductive look) Is that so? Then please me.
%%* TallDarkAndHandsome
%%* TallDarkAndSnarky
* TheUnfought: He barely interacts with any of the good guys, and is ultimately [[spoiler:killed by Morgause]]. (He does briefly get in a SwordFight with Arthur, but it's in a DeletedScene for ''The Castle of Fyrien'' and occurs off-screen).
%%* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness

[[folder:The White Dragon]]
!!Aithusa
[[quoteright:211:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/big_dragon_3903.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' N/A

[-"The white dragon bodes well for Albion, for you and Arthur, and for the land you will build together."-]

A white baby dragon that Merlin hatches from a long-dormant egg, and said to be a good omen for the coming Golden Age of Arthur's reign. The events of the series four finale throw this into some doubt. He appears in the fourth and fifth series.

* AmbiguousGender: At his birth Kilgharrah identifies Aithusa as a "he", yet later interviews with the cast refer to the dragon as a "she". It's either a RetCon or a GenderFlip.
* BreakTheCutie: From season five, it is pretty evident that Aithusa was tortured and abused when he and Morgana were locked up and isolated for months.
* BreathWeapon: Aithusa shoots fire from his/her mouth as a defence weapon.
* CharacterTitle: The episode in which he first appears is named after him.
* ChekhovsGunman: Appears in the very last scene of series four in order to save Morgana's life.
* CutenessProximity: Merlin is moved to tears.
* TheCutie: Oh so cute in the beginning.
* DiabolusExNihilo: In the series four finale.
* EggMacGuffin: When he's introduced as an egg.
* FaceHeelTurn: Aithusa joined the dark side with Morgana.
* GiantFlyer: Later on, when he grows up.
* GoMadFromTheIsolation: Not as much insane as very severely rattled, but at an attempt to attack Merlin and an inability to speak seem to indicate he's not all there.
* HiddenAgendaVillain: We're never given any clear idea why he sides with Morgana over Merlin and Kilgharrah.
%%* IntellectualAnimal
* KickTheDog: [[spoiler:By all appearances, he went through a lot of crap between series 4 and 5. He's emaciated, limping, and can't talk (either because he was never taught or because of some injury). He seems pretty loyal to Morgana, so it seems unlikely that she's responsible.]]
** Finally explained in 5x08. [[spoiler: He was trapped in a oubliette with Morgana for over 2 years and was left horribly crippled when he eventually outgrew his prison. According to his captor, his screams were even ''worse'' than Morgana's.]]
* LickedByTheDog: Aithusa's affection toward Morgana performs this function.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: To Morgana. As of series 5, Aithusa seems to be the only thing keeping her tenuously sane.
* MeaningfulName: Means "light of the sun" in the language of dragons.
** IronicName: [[spoiler: Due to Morgana being captured, he spent the first two years of his life trapped in a dark pit]].
* MoralityPet: For Morgana in season four and five.
%%* OnlyOneName
%%* OurDragonsAreDifferent
* OutsideContextProblem: No one yet knows why he chose to heal Morgana. [[spoiler:And since he can't talk, he'll never be able to tell.]]
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: As a newborn dragon, he elicits plenty of "aww"s.
* ShoulderSizedDragon: In series 4. In series 5, not so much.
* TeamPet: For Morgana and her army.
* ThereIsAnother: His birth means that Kilgharrah is no longer TheLastOfHisKind.
* UndyingLoyalty: To Morgana.
* TheVoiceless: Because apparently he's never learnt to speak.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Merlin sends Aithusa away from the battle in the GrandFinale, never to be seen or mentioned again for the rest of the episode.

[[folder:Helios]]
!!Helios
[[quoteright:211:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6400530697_b802a70d97_o-1_1768.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Terence Maynard

[-"Were you expecting something different? Perhaps campfires and raw meat."-]

A womanizing warlord that Morgana enlists in her crusade against Camelot and whose army attacks it at the end of series four. He appears in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E11TheHuntersHeart}} The Hunter's Heart]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E12TheSwordInTheStonePartI}} The Sword in the Stone Part I]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E13TheSwordInTheStonePartII}} II]]''.

* AffablyEvil: He can demonstrate manners and decorum when he feels like it.
* BadassNormal: He's a MasterSwordsman who defeats ''Arthur'' in a one-on-one duel. There's only a few other characters in the entire ''series'' who could claim that honour.
* BaldOfAuthority: He's a warlord who fulfils every aspect of this trope.
* BarbarianTribe: {{Subverted}}. When he wants to, he can be borderline WickedCultured.
* BatheHerAndBringHerToMe: Implied between Helios and Guinevere.
%%* TheBrute
* TheDragon: Seems to become this towards Morgana. Agravaine is smart enough to note that there is a big possibility that he's much more a DragonWithAnAgenda. Then again, Agravaine may just be worried that he'll get replaced.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Although his intentions toward Guinevere were hardly pure, he avoids the RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil trope. Instead he seemed genuinely interested in her BackStory and lets her go without a fuss when she tells him that she's tired.
%%* EvilOverlord
* ItAmusedMe: Unlike Morgana's PsychoticSmirk or Agravine's SmugSmiler attitude when things are going their way, Helios' smiles and chuckles are more of genuine amusement. There are hints of him being a bit of a {{Troll}}.
%%* OnlyOneName
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Helios is an AffablyEvil version of this.
* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler: Gets killed by Isolde, but uses his last energy to kill her in turn before dying.]]
* TheSavageSouth: His mercenaries are referred to as "Southrons".
%%* ScaryBlackMan
* TheUnfettered: Devoted to Morgana in this sense, although we don't see much of him, and gives her his army. When [[spoiler: she ends up not being able to use magic]] he calmly steps in to defend her without panicking or running.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: He's only around for three episodes before Arthur kills him.

!!!Other Villains
[[folder:Mary Collins]]
!!Mary Collins
[[quoteright:171:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MaryMerlin_2534.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/EveMyles

[-"I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears."-]

A witch whose son is executed at Uther's behest. She decides to take her revenge by assassinating Prince Arthur, disguising herself as a singer due to arrive in Camelot. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E01TheDragonsCall}} The Dragon's Call]]''.

* ActingForTwo: Eve Myles played the elderly witch and the young woman she disguises herself as.
* CobwebJungle: Creates one when she casts her final spell.
* ColourFailure: What happens to her victims after she's breathed in their life-force -- they're left grey and colourless.
* CompellingVoice: Her singing voice puts the whole court to sleep.
* EvilDiva: Quite literally. After murdering a singer and taking her place at court, Mary uses her voice to lull the entire court into a deep sleep so she can more easily assassinate Arthur.
* FallingChandelierOfDoom: What does for her in the end, though she still has enough strength left in her to make a last attempt to kill Arthur.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Her forty-five minute appearance is Morgana's entire StoryArc in a nutshell, right down to her motivation (revenge), the focus of her anger (Uther and therefore Arthur by proxy) and the magical implements she uses (glamour, a whirlwind and a VoodooDoll).
* GlamourFailure: Whenever she steps in front of a mirror, her reflection is of her true self.
* LifeDrinker: She appears to ''breath in'' the life-force of others, leaving them as a dissicated corpse.
* MagicMusic: Her song puts the court to sleep.
* MamaBear: Her motivation is to avenge the death of her son, executing at Uther's behest.
* TheMirrorShowsYourTrueSelf: Whenever she looks into a mirror while in her disguise, her true face is revealed. This is how Merlin realizes that she's an imposter.
* NoNameGiven: [[AllThereInTheManual Except in the credits]].
* RevengeByProxy: She goes after Arthur in revenge for her own son's death.
* StarterVillain: The very first foe that Merlin has to face.
* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: With her last strength, she flings a dagger at Arthur but Merlin is able to [[DivingSave push him out of the way]].

[[folder:Valiant]]
!!Valiant
[[quoteright:183:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/valiant_8135.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Will Mellor

A knight who enters a tournament at Camelot with a magical shield that will ensure his victory.

* TheBrute: He's strong and violent and even without the help of magic, a challenge to defeat in battle.
* CardCarryingVillain
* ColourMotif: Yellow is the colour of cowardice, and he gives himself an unfair advantage in the tournament.
* ForTheEvulz: He's given no discernable motivation for what he does... he's just a jerk, basically.
* HandsomeLech: He comes on pretty strongly to Morgana when meeting her at court.
* KnightInShiningArmour: {{Subverted}}
* IronicName: Valiant, he ain't.
* IKissYourHand: To Morgana
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: His shield has three poisonous snakes upon it that come to life and attack anyone who threatens to best him in combat.
* RuleOfThree: Three snakes on his shield
* PoisonIsEvil: That he uses magic to fight makes him a cheater; that he utilizes ''poison'' is clearly even more dishonourable in hand-to-hand combat.
* ShoutOut: Presumably his name is derived from ''ComicStrip/PrinceValiant'' (an Arthurian comic strip).
* StarterVillain: Just as Mary Collins was a magical foe for Merlin to face, Valiant is Arthur's first enemy to defeat, mainly through combat.
* VillainBall: Why would you feed your magical snakes with the door unlocked?

[[folder:Edwin Muirden]]
!!Edwin Muirden
[[quoteright:193:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Edwin_8776.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Julian Rhind-Tutt

[-"I want my face to be the last face you ever see. You took my childhood from me. And now finally, I take my parents' revenge."-]

A physician whose parents were burnt at the stake at Uther's command and who returns to Camelot years later to seek his revenge. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E06ARemedyToCureAllIlls}} A Remedy To Cure All Ills]]''.

* BestServedCold: As a child, his parents were burnt at the stake by Uther. As an adult, he's returned to exact his revenge.
* {{Blackmail}}: He gets rid of Gaius by threatening to reveal Merlin's secret.
* CreepyLongFingers: There's an emphasis on his hands; before we ever see his face, we see his hands creeping like a spider across his desk.
* CreepyPhysical: It's done with a lighter hand than most examples of this trope, but Edwin's examination of Morgana is still creepily intimate.
* DeadlyDoctor: He gains Uther's trust by anonymously sending flowers to Morgana with a deadly beetle concealed inside, and then healing her from the near-fatal haemorrhage it causes.
* DeathBySecretIdentity: It's only a matter of seconds between Edwin learning Merlin has magical abilitities and getting an axe to his face.
* FriendToBugs: He controls the spiders that sends Morgana into a coma-like sleep.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: The evil kind.
* InTheHood: He wears a deep hood to hide his facial scarring.
* ManipulativeBastard: He sends flowers to Morgana with a sleep-inducing spider inside, then turns up to conveniently heal her of this affliction.
* MeaningfulName: Edwin Muir was the author of [[http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/merlin/ this Merlin-centric poem]], one which also lent the title to the two-part GrandFinale.
* PlayingWithFire: Creates a circle of fire around Gaius.
* {{Revenge}}: His entire motivation -- to kill Uther for executing his parents.
* SecretKeeper: To Merlin, very briefly.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: He comes across as a helpful, mild-mannered physician, meaning people are even ''less'' likely than usual to believe Merlin's suspicions.
* WeCanRuleTogether: Tries this on Merlin.

[[folder:Sophia]]
!!Sophia
[[quoteright:196:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SophiaMerlin_8982.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/HollidayGrainger

[-"For a moment, I felt what it would be like to die a mortal death."-]

The daughter of a renegade Sidhe, Sophia is desperate to gain immortality and return to Avalon by offering up Arthur as a human sacrifice to her people. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E07TheGatesOfAvalon}} The Gates Of Avalon]]''.

* BeautyIsBad: She's very beautiful, all the better to lure men to their deaths.
* BigNo: Before she dies.
* BitchInSheepsClothing
* BoomStick: Her staff.
* DecoyDamsel: She and her father get themselves into Camelot by staging a RescueRomance.
* TheFairFolk: Is a member, albeit an exiled one.
* FemmeFatale: Even before she magically enchants him, she's using feminine wiles on Arthur to get herself into the castle.
* GoldAndWhiteAreDivine: She wears gold and white gowns to denote her mystical status.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Merlin uses her own staff to destroy her.
* IKissYourHand: Arthur when he first meets her.
* KissOfDeath: She kisses Arthur after enchanting him, which may or may not be a necessary part of the spell.
* MindManipulation: She uses magic to hypnotize Arthur.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Unlike the usual gold we see in Merlin's eyes, Sophia's glow red when she casts a spell.
* UngratefulBastard: When Arthur saves her from a stray bolt from a crossbow, she's not remotely grateful - only bitter that she needed rescuing in the first place.
* TheVamp: There doesn't seem to be any ''particular'' need to seduce Arthur (since she ends up hypnotizing him), but she does it anyway.
* YourHeadAsplode: Merlin blows her up. It's a bit disconcerting.

[[folder:Aulfic]]
!!Aulfric
[[quoteright:209:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Aulfic_7595.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Kenneth Cranham

[-"It is my fate to live a mortal life."-]

A member of the Sidhe who was exiled from Avalon, Aulfric promises his people the blood of Prince Arthur if they agree to return immortality to his daughter. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E07TheGatesOfAvalon}} The Gates Of Avalon]]''.

* AsYouKnow: He relates the plan to his daughter (which she knew perfectly well) in order to fill the audience in to what they're doing.
* BoomStick: His staff.
* LudicrousGibs: Merlin blows him to bits, for added irony, with his own staff.
* TheFairFolk: Is a member of this race, albeit an exiled one.
* EvilLaugh: Cackles to himself whenever his EvilPlan is going well.
* TheExile: He was banished from Avalon, along with his daughter for killing a fellow Sidhe.
* KnightTemplarParent: Everything he does is for his daughter, up to and including cold-blooded murder.
* LargeHam: He's certainly not the most ''subtle'' villain, even by this show's standards.
* PetTheDog: It's clear by the end that everything he's done has been to save his daughter's life, and is prepared to sacrifice himself in the process.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Gaius gets a glimpse of these.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: The bandits that he pays to stage an attack on himself and his daughter. After Arthur dispatches them, Aulfric kills the sole survivor.
* YourHeadAsplode: Merlin uses his own staff to simply blow him up.

[[folder:Sidhe Elder]]
!!Sidhe Elder
[[quoteright:201:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sidheeld_9177.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Michael Jenn

The ruler of the Sidhe. Appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E07TheGatesOfAvalon}} The Gates Of Avalon]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS03E06TheChangeling}} The Changeling]]''.

* ChangelingTale: He initiates one by sending one of his subjects into the body of the infant Princess Elena.
* {{Chessmaster}}: Has organised for a Sidhe to possess Princess Elena, thus ensuring that a Sidhe Queen will one day sit on the throne of Camelot. [[FridgeLogic This poses some questions]].
* TheFairFolk: Is the ruler of the Fair Folk of Avalon.
* OurFairiesAreDifferent: Blue, with pointed teeth and weird growths on their faces.
* FangsAreEvil: Even though his size might qualify them as CuteLittleFangs.
* SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: Merlin kills him in his second appearance in [[{{Recap/MerlinS03E06TheChangeling}} The Changeling]].
* WingedHumanoid: He has wings but (apart from a few weird facial features and a blue tint) otherwise looks human.

[[folder:Tristan de Bois]]
!!Tristan de Bois
[[quoteright:245:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Tristanwraith_7882.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Rick English/Creator/ChristopherFairbank

[-"Who will take up my challenge?"-]

Queen Ygraine's brother, who blamed Uther for her death and challenged him to a duel. Though he was killed, he swore with his dying breath that he would return to Camelot to have his revenge. Years later, Nimueh resurrects him so that he might fulfil this vow. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS01E09Excalibur}} Excalibur]]''.

* AnimateDead: Nimueh uses magic to bring him back from the dead.
* BackFromTheDead: Uther killed Tristan years ago; now with Nimueh's help he returns as a wraith.
* BigEntrance: He leaps on horseback through a stained glass window whilst Arthur is undergoing a ceremony to become crown prince.
* {{BFS}}: His weapon of choice is a greatsword.
* DynamicEntry: Rides a black horse through a stained glass window in the middle of a ceremony honouring Arthur.
* BlackKnight
* {{Curse}}: With his dying breath he places a curse on Uther, promising to return.
* DramaticUnmask: Or "unhelmeting".
* DuelToTheDeath: His whole purpose is to keep challenging the Knights of Camelot to this until either Arthur or Uther face him.
** He died in one of these to Uther 20 years earlier, after challenging Uther due to blaming him for the death of Tristan's sister, Ygraine.
* DyingCurse: After being mortally wounded by Uther in their duel, Tristan swore he'd return to one day and wreak his revenge on Camelot. At the time, his words were dismissed as a dying man's ravings.
* TheFaceless: Until TheReveal at the end of the episode. [[FacialHorror Then it's shown to be an eyeless, mummified skull]].
* ForgottenFallenFriend: Three seasons later, Agravaine never once brings up the subject of his dead brother.
* ImplacableMan: Almost effortlessly kills Owaine and Pellinore, and only defeated by Uther due to some secret magical assistance.
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: Tristan is referred to as a wraith; he's impervious to all weapons and can only be killed by a weapon imbued by dragonfire, otherwise, he'll continue killing until he slays the target of his revenge.
* RevenantZombie: He's risen as this via necromancy, though he's referred to as a wraith. He can ambulate perfectly and is driven by desire for revenge on Uther, but he's really a a dessicated corpse underneath that suit of armour.
* {{Revenge}}: His motivation, though as he's working under Nimueh's control, it's impossible to say how cognizant he is of this.
* ShoutOut: His role is highly reminiscent of ''[[Literature/SirGawainAndTheGreenKnight The Green Knight]]'' in Arthurian Legend.
* ThrowingDownTheGauntlet: This is literally how he issues his challenge.
* UndeathAlwaysEnds: He's finally defeated when Uther (unknowingly) uses Excalibur to defeat him.

[[folder:Catrina]]
!!Catrina
[[quoteright:182:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cat_3928.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Sarah Parish

[-"Uther's so stupid, so blinded by pretty things. Already he falls for me. It's only a matter of time before he is completely under my control."-]

A hideous troll that takes on the visage of an old friend of Uther in order to seduce him. On becoming Queen of Camelot, she uses her newfound power to accumulate her deepest desires: riches and dung. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E05BeautyAndTheBeastPartI}} Beauty and the Beast Part I]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E06BeautyAndTheBeastPartII}} II]]''.

* AlienBlood: Troll blood is a strange green hue.
* BeautyIsBad: Her attractiveness is often commented on, and part of the reason she's welcomed so warmly into Camelot.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: She comes across as a kind and pleasant person, but has evil intentions to seduce and kill Uther.
* ElephantInTheLivingRoom: Once she reverts back into her true form, and everyone but Uther can clearly see it.
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: On marrying Uther she becomes Queen of Camelot and immediately starts to raise taxes.
* HypnoTrinket: How she controls Uther.
* ImpostorForgotOneDetail: Gaius suspects her because the real Catrina had a rare bone condition.
* LovePotion: She uses on Uther to make him fall in love with her.
* OurTrollsAreDifferent: Ugly and preternaturally strong, they have an appetite for rotten food and subsequently have stinking breath.

[[folder:Aredian]]
!!Aredian
[[quoteright:173:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aradien_8359.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/CharlesDance

[-"It's all around us, the foul stench of sorcery. It's infected your great city like a contagion."-]

A [[TheWitchHunter Witch Finder]], who comes to Camelot at Uther's invitation in order to root out any witches or wizards in the kingdom. Due to Charles Dance's performance, he ended up being one of the show's most memorable [[OneShotCharacter One Shot Villains]]. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E07TheWitchfinder}} The Witchfinder]]''.

* BadassLongcoat: Fairly self-explanatory -- he has one, and it makes him look badass.
* DisneyVillainDeath: He trips backwards and falls out of a high window.
* TheDreaded: Everyone cowers in fear when they learn of his arrival, especially Morgana.
* FalseConfession: He extracts them from his victims.
* {{Frameup}}: Of Gaius.
* FramingTheGuiltyParty
* {{Irony}}: While he framed his victims, it is quite ironic that the three people he framed, Gaius, Merlin and Morgana were actually wizards. A false witch finder was actually the closest one of finding true wizards.
* ManipulativeBastard: He's an expert at playing on people's fears and finding the chinks in their armour.
* SignatureHeadgear: He has a wide-brimmed and distinctly 17th century-looking hat (as you would expect from this [[TheWitchHunter character type]]).
* TheSociopath: Shows no empathy or remorse for any of his actions whether past or present.
* TheWitchHunter: Almost literally, though he refers to himself as a witch ''finder''.

[[folder:Alvarr]]
!!Alvarr
[[quoteright:209:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Alvarr_5043.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/JosephMawle

[-"To be an enemy of Camelot is no crime."-]

The leader of a group of Druids that desires the downfall of Uther and who manipulates Morgana (and Mordred) into joining his cause. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E11TheWitchsQuickening}} The Witch's Quickening]]''.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: He works this angle on Morgana.
* AlmostKiss: With Morgana. Later he kisses her on the cheek.
* BattleCouple: With his girlfriend, Enmyria.
* BecomingTheMask: Though he's clearly playing Morgana at first, director Alice Troughton (on the DVDCommentary) insists that Alvarr was genuine about his feelings for her by the end of the episode (though Creator/KatieMcGrath didn't seem quite as convinced).
* GreyAndGreyMorality: He's genuinely devoted to his cause, and seems legitimate in his fondness for Enmyria and Mordred, but is obviously not above manipulating everyone for his own ends.
* HandsomeLech: He's good looking, but rather skeevy in his pursuit of Morgana, especially as the audience knows he's just manipating her.
* ManipulativeBastard: He clearly knows which of Morgana's buttons to press in order to enlist her help.
* ParentalSubstitute: To Mordred.
* PlayingPossum: What he's doing the first time we see him.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Or possible ShooOutTheNewGuy considering Alvarr is set up as a fairly important figure in the conflict between Druids and Camelot, but is never seen or referred to again.

[[folder:King Alined]]
!!Alined
[[quoteright:209:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alined_9120.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' David Schofield

[-"If Olaf kills Arthur, then Uther will start a war. If Arthur kills Olaf, then ''his'' men will start a war. We cannot lose!"-]

The ruler of one of the Five Kingdoms. He comes to Camelot as part of a PeaceConference, determined to stir up enough trouble to drive the kingdoms back into war. He appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E10SweetDreams}} Sweet Dreams]]''.

* AmbiguouslyGay: He admits that he finds Arthur attractive, and there's rather a lot of SubText with his court jester.
* BadBoss: To Trickler
* BatmanGambit: He orders his jester to place Arthur and Lady Vivian under a LovePotion, betting that the fallout from various factions will inevitably lead to war.
* {{Chessmaster}}: If it hadn't been for Guinevere's TrueLovesKiss, he would have gotten exactly what he wanted.
* ChessMotif: He demonstrates his plans to Trickler using a chess set.
* DiplomaticImpunity: This is the reason he gets away with his schemes, despite relevant parties knowing he was behind the sabotage.
* EvilCounterpart: To Arthur. Alined's entire relationship with Trickler is a evil and twisted reflection of Arthur's friendship with Merlin. While Arthur can at times be unnecessarily mean to Merlin, this is just part of their dynamic as VitriolicBestBuds and genuinely considers him a friend. Alined however it outright abusive to Trickler, and only keeps him around since his magic can help him.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's relatively charming in an oily sort of way, and never raises his voice.
* KarmaHoudini: He doesn't get what he wants, but he still leaves Camelot scot-free.
* ManipulativeBastard: Puts Arthur and Vivian under a love spell, knowing that her BoyfriendBlockingDad will immediately target Arthur for the percieved insult.
* TheMatchmaker: Only in the sense that he wants Arthur and Vivian together in order to make trouble.
* PretextForWar: His entire plan is to create turmoil between the Five Kingdoms so he can go back to selling weapons to everyone.
* WarForFunAndProfit: His key motivation; see above.

[[folder:Trickler]]
!!Trickler
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Kevin Eldon

The court jester to King Alined, and a secret sorcerer who helps him in his plans to drive the Five Kingdoms into war by enchanting Arthur and Vivian.

* EvilCounterpart: To Merlin. Trickler's entire entire relationship with Alined is a evil and twisted reflection of Merlin's friendship with Arthur. While Merlin fears Arthur finding out about his magic, they are genuinely friedns and he uses it to protect him both out of loyalty and to complete their respective destinies. Trickler lives in fear of Alined however, and only uses his magic to help him to avoid further abuse.

[[folder:The Knights of Medhir]]
A warband of seven dark knights, they were originally Camelot's finest warriors before they were seduced into becoming the minions of a sorceress, wreaking havoc until their mistress was killed. Sleeping in the ruined castle of Idirsholas, Morgause awakes them to serve her. They appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS02E12TheFiresOfIdirsholas}} The Fires of Idirsholas]]''.

* {{BlackKnight}}
* TheDreaded: Their reputation is so fearsome that Uther immediately orders Arthur to investigate mere rumours that the Knights have reawoken.
* FallenHero: They were once some of Camelot's finest knights until being seduced to TheDarkSide.
* MadeOfIron: No weapon can harm or even slow them down.
* MalevolentMaskedMen: The Knights wear iron face masks beneath [[InTheHood hooded cloaks]].
* PerpetualMotionMonster: Once awoken, they never stop coming.
* RuleOfSeven: The Knights number seven in total.
* ShoutOut: They bear more than a few similarities to the Ringwraiths in Film/TheLordOfTheRings.
* SlaveMooks: To Morgause. She reanimates them to help her kill Uther while Camelot is under a sleeping spell.
* TinTyrant: They wear full suits of dark armour.
* UndeathAlwaysEnds: The only way to stop the Knights is to either kill the one controlling them or force them to end the spell directing the Knights.
* TheVoiceless: They only speak in growls and snarls.
* WasOnceAMan: Formerly some of Camelot's finest knights, they're now mindless undead warriors who only stir to action at the command of a powerful necromancer.
* WouldHitAGirl: Subverted; one of the Knights is about to kill Morgana but checks his blow at the last moment (though it's left open to discussion whether the Knight spares her because of her connection to Morgause or because he recognizes Morgana as the source of the sleeping curse on Camelot).

[[folder:Julius Borden]]
!!Julius Borden
[[quoteright:186:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brd_5497.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/JamesCallis

An old pupil of Gaius who left his tutelage under murky circumstances. Since then, he gradually collected the three pieces of a golden triskelion that is said to open the Tomb of Askanar where the final dragon egg was hidden centuries ago.

* AffablyEvil: He comes across as quite friendly and charming.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Not that we learn much about it.
* DeceptiveDisciple: To Gaius.
* LeftForDead: Merlin leaves him to die in a CollapsingLair.
* ManipulativeBastard: Easily manipulates Merlin into helping him gather the tools he needs to find the tomb.
* NeverFoundTheBody: Thanks to this, there was some speculation that he might return (he doesn't).
* PermaStubble: Clearly hasn't had a shave in a while.
* SufferTheSlings: His main weapon of choice.
* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: He uses a slingshot to fire a satchet of poison into the knight's cooking pot.

[[folder:Lamia]]
!!Lamia
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ThisLamia_937.bmp]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Charlenne [=McKenna=])

[-'''Gaius''': "They could control the mind of a man, suck the life from him with a single embrace."-]

A creature of dark magic, created by the High Priestesses of the Old Religion as a weapon against the Ancient Kings by mingling the blood of a girl and a serpent together. She appeared in ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E08Lamia}} Lamia]]''.

* AdaptationalVillainy: In the myths, not all lamia were evil.
* BloodMagic: How the lamia were created.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Her powers render the Knights as this.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: She plays the part of the innocent victim, all the while fully intending to devour all the Knights.
* CharacterTitle: ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS04E08Lamia}} Lamia]]''
* CharmPerson: Even without words, she uses some sort of inherent magical enchantment to charm the Knights.
* EldritchAbomination: Lamia's true form.
* DecoyDamsel: She presents herself as a DamselInDistress when the Knights come across her.
* GoneHorriblyRight: The Priestesses made the lamias as a weapon, only to lose control of them.
* HatePlague: Her magic infects the knights like this.
* OneGenderRace: There are only female lamia.
* ShapeshiftingSeducer: Her true form is a tentacled EldritchAbomination, though she can take on the disguise of a lovely young woman.
* SuccubiAndIncubi: Though nothing graphic happens on-screen (family show!), this is her modus operandi -- to seduce, then destroy.
* TheVamp: Becomes more seductive and manipulative the more time she spends with the Knights.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: The High Priestesses of the Old Religion created the lamia to be [[LivingWeapon living weapons]] in their wars with the ancient kings, but the creatures developed such a love of killing they became impossible to control.
* VoluntaryTransformation: After Merlin injures her with a telekinetically thrown sword, she transforms in a humanoid serpent creature.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: Fakes weakness and fatigue when the Knights chance upon her in the forest.

[[folder:Lancelot du Lac]]
!!Lancelot du Lac
[[quoteright:216:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_lvmli8guq01r16r9jo1_500_1190.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/SantiagoCabrera

A shade resurrected from the dead by Morgana in order to tear Arthur and Guinevere apart. Though it bears an exact resemblance to Lancelot, his will is entirely controlled by Morgana. Appeared in ''[[Recap/MerlinS04E09LancelotDuLac Lancelot Du Lac]]''.

* BackFromTheDead: Morgana uses a magical coin to raise him from the dead.
* {{Brainwashed}}: He's completely under Morgana's thrall, with no real idea of who he is.
* CameBackWrong: He's BackFromTheDead, but clearly not the same Lancelot that his friends once knew.
* DeadPersonImpersonation: He pretends to be the same Lancelot that once made a HeroicSacrifice to save Camelot.
* DeathEqualsRedemption: InUniverse. Despite having committed treason, him taking his own life reaffirmed him being "a man of honour" in Arthur's eyes.
* DrivenToSuicide: On Morgana's command.
* DueToTheDead: Despite being remembered as a traitor, Merlin takes his body for a cremation on the waters of Lake Avalon.
* DyingAsYourself: There's one last glimpse of the real Lancelot before Merlin cremates his body.
* GoSeduceMyArchnemesis: Is what Morgana commands him to do (though she has no romantic/sexual interest in him herself).
* HandsomeLech: Under Morgana's spell, he's a lot creepier and subtly aggressive than he was as himself, especially in his interactions with Guinevere.
* ImposterForgotOneDetail: Merlin [[BluffTheImposter figures him out]] by framing a sentence that leads him to stating that he has no idea Merlin has magic.
* KissingUnderTheInfluence: With Guinevere.
* LonelyFuneral: Only Merlin attends.
%%* NakedOnArrival: Presumably.
%%* NewOldFlame: To Guinevere.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: With Arthur, after his tryst with Gwen.
* PaintItBlack: Morgana dresses him in matching black.
* RelationshipSabotage: As Guinevere's FirstLove, he's sent by Morgana to undermine her relationship with Arthur.
* SoullessShell: He looks and sounds like Lancelot, but is completely under Morgana's thrall.
%%* SpotTheImposter
* VikingFuneral: Merlin sets his boat adrift on the Lake of Avalon.

[[folder:Ruadan]]
!!Ruadan
[[quoteright:195:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mer_-_Copy_9409.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/LiamCunningham

A powerful druid who allies himself with Morgana in order to topple the Pendragon regime, informing her of a mysterious entity called the Diamir that holds the key to all knowledge. He appeared in ''[[Recap/MerlinS05E01ArthursBanePartI Arthur's Bane Part I]]'' and ''[[{{Recap/MerlinS05E02ArthursBanePartII}} Part II]]''.

* DyingMomentOfAwesome: He has a magnificent death scene, perhaps one of the best on the entire show, in which he single-handedly rescues his daughter from a guarded citadel before succumbing to his wounds.
* EvilSorcerer: {{Subverted}} in that he's motivated by the protection of his own people, and clearly loves his daughter very much.
* FlashStep: Pulls off one of these when Sefa comes to bring him information.
%%* GreatEscape: Pulls one off for Sefa.
* PetTheDog: His cold demeanour slips a bit when he talks with his daughter.
* PlayingWithFire: Conjures up a line of fire to facilitate his escape.
%%* StormingTheCastle: All by himself.
* TravellingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: He gets around quickly.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He's out to kill Arthur and destroy Camelot, but it's because the Druids have been relentlessly persecuted for over a decade.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: He seems genuine about the nobility of his cause, clearly isn't taking sadistic enjoyment in taking lives, and truly loves his daughter.