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''Merlin'' is a television miniseries from Hallmark Entertainment released in 1998 that retells the legend of Myth/KingArthur from [[PerspectiveFlip the perspective of the wizard]] Myth/{{Merlin}}. The series stars Creator/SamNeill in the title role, Creator/MirandaRichardson as the antagonist Queen Mab, Creator/MartinShort as her henchman Frik, Creator/IsabellaRossellini as Nimue and Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter as Morgan le Fay.

The story covers not only the rise and fall of Camelot, but the phase in the legendary history in Britain that precedes it. Unlike the traditional version where he suffers from MentorOccupationalHazard, Merlin stays active throughout the entire reign of King Arthur, with some details altered to fit the story more from his point of view.

The series is also influenced by other Myth/{{Celtic|Mythology}}/European legends and folklore. It introduces Queen Mab, a fairy first attested in ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', as the leader of TheFairFolk and the BigBad of the Arthurian legend who manipulates traditional villains Morgan le Fay and Mordred. Other magical creatures like gnomes, griffins and even a talking mountain appear.

The series was followed by a novelization in the form of a trilogy in 1999. In 2006 it received a sequel, ''Merlin's Apprentice'', which had less to do with traditional Arthurian legend, had some {{Continuity Snarl}}s and was not as popular as the first movie.

[[SimilarlyNamedWorks Not related to]] the [[Series/{{Merlin2008}} 2008 series of the same name]], besides the source material.

----
!!Provides examples of:

* AbsurdlySharpBlade:
** Excalibur. So sharp that just parrying a regular sword will cut the lesser weapon in two, which makes you wonder what Mordred's axe was made of/how heavily enchanted it was.
** [[AllThereInTheManual According to the novelization,]] Mordred's axe was a form of the black sword Caliban, an ArtifactOfDoom that Mab helped Mordred retrieve, which shapeshifted to become a weapon more suitable to Mordred's desires and is an Absurdly Sharp Axe.
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Vortigern has a small chuckle after Merlin encourages him not to worry about lacking patience when the king possesses so few other virtues.
* AdaptationExplanationExtrication: Several scenes were deleted for the VHS version. Among them, a description of the workings of magic. This makes it difficult to understand Frik's later comment about Merlin never progressing past being a Hand Wizard. (In case you were wondering, the first level is magic via incantation, the second level is magic via hand gesture, and the third level is magic via thought alone.) Back in for the DVD, thankfully.
* AdaptationalVillainy: The few references to Queen Mab in English literature make her out as a benevolent fairy queen. Here, she is a dark pagan goddess (the counterpart of the good pagan goddess, the Lady of the Lake). [[JustifiedTrope It is justified though]], as [[WellIntentionedExtremist Mab is driven to using unscrupulous means to try and save herself and the other]] FairFolk. Ambrosia even mentions that Mab used to be loving and benevolent, but that her desire to survive has made her cold and without love in her heart.
** Also King Constant, when he appears at all, is usually a good king in Arthurian stories.
* AlasPoorVillain:
** It is a bit hard not to feel for [[spoiler:Queen Mab as she fades from existence, along with the last of the world's magic and the Old Ways, crying out for Merlin and Frik to look at her, rasping that she loves Merlin as a son while her voice grows increasingly thin and hoarse]].
** [[spoiler: Morgan le Fay]] as well. Sure, she [[spoiler: seduced Arthur and concieved [[TheSociopath Mordred]]]], but she had been grievously wronged by [[spoiler: Merlin and Uther]], and really was just a lonely, miserable girl underneath it all.
* AllMythsAreTrue: In addition to the usual Arthurian mythos, more than the usual amount of Celtic folklore is mixed in, mostly in the form of Queen Mab.
* AllThereInTheManual: The novelizations; one big explanation exclusive to them is that the version of the story Merlin tells doesn't have Mab in it (which is what Frik is commenting on at the end), which helps resolve the apparent contradiction that Merlin is actively trying to get everyone to forget about her existence...by telling stories about her.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Morgan le Fay is largely motivated by getting herself closer to the throne, with a dollop of revenge for what happened to her parents on the side. After Frik proves he can do magic by making her beautiful, her first thought is to demand he get her the crown.
* AnachronismStew:
** The setting is closer to the period of the late Roman Empire than most adaptations of the legend, with Iron Age costumes, armor and weapons. However, the terms "knight" and "Sir" are still used.
** The setting is called "England" too early, as the term came into being after the UsefulNotes/AngloSaxons were established as the dominant power in the British Isles instead of the Britons or Celts (now the Welsh). The Saxons are here only stated to be recent arrivals.
** Normandy is also mentioned as the place where Uther gathers his armies against Vortigern. The area gained this name only after year 911, when the Viking Chieftain Rollo was granted the lands to protect them from the rest of the marauding Norsemen.
** Not unlike ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'''s Genie, some of Frik's disguises seem to reflect the future; for example, his dashing swashbuckler-character wears 18th-century clothes and wields a smallsword (yes, a smallsword, not "a small sword") that isn't going to be invented in centuries. But then, Mab does mention that the fairykind sometimes see into the future.
** One of the doctors/astrologers mentions the planet Uranus, which wasn't discovered until 1781.
* AntagonisticOffspring: Mordred to Arthur. He's also quite dismissive to his mother Morgan.
* AnyoneCanDie: By the end [[spoiler:Merlin, Nimue, Frik, Guinevere and Lancelot are pretty much the only characters left standing.]]
* ApologeticAttacker: "I'm sorry, Mordred", Arthur gasps during the final battle, seemingly apologizing not only for the wound he's about to inflict, but for all his mistakes that led them to this point.
* {{Arcadia}}: Merlin and Arthur's childhood homes, and the dream-like sanctuary created [[spoiler:for Nimue and Merlin by Mab]] appear to be the forest version of this - a small cottage with plentiful friendly animals all around, allowing a simple, peaceful life at home with nature.
* ArchnemesisDad: Lot to Gawain, temporarily, when Lot challenges Arthur's kingship and is prepared to go to war with him but Gawain has sworn loyalty to Arthur.
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Mordred.
* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Early on, a thrown Saxon axe is seen, remaining level and upright as it travels through the air.
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning:
** Vortigern makes a horrible subversion early on, by beheading King Constant, picking up the crown and putting it on his own head while smiling in a prideful, self-satisfied way as his soldiers cheer.
** Uther later delivers a more true moment - although it, too, is undercut by Merlin's voiceover, and it is when he first sees and lusts for Igraine.
** Curiously averted with Arthur who is not actually crowned onscreen, but has an Awesome Moment of Recognition instead - he draws Excalibur from the stone, Merlin presents him to the lords, then the film cuts to gathering armies because some lords have challenged him for the throne. But Arthur averts a war by giving their leader Excalibur to strike him down if he can. The rebel leader feels the magic of the sword and declares Arthur to be the true king, leading to cheers and embraces all around.
* BadBoss: Vortigern has killed several soothsayers and architects for the problems constructing his castle. When he dismisses the current set after Merlin points out the real problem (an underground river undermining the foundation) they make a run for it before he changes his mind.
* BadassBoast
** Vortigern apparently (and amusingly appropriately) didn't seem to think his through:
--->'''Vortigern:''' You're too slow, like my enemies. They think before they act. I act before I think! That is my advantage!
** The Rock of Ages does better:
--->'''The Rock of Ages:''' I '''cannot''' die. I am the Rock of Ages. I will live forever...on the edge of dreams...
** Mordred, in typically chilling fashion.
--->'''Mordred''': I'm sorry, Father, but I'm going to destroy you. And this time, your pet wizard won't save you.
** Merlin even manages to get one in.
--->'''Merlin''': I'll kill you any way I can Vortigern...but I ''will'' kill you.
* BadassNormal: Arthur, Uther, Vortigern, Lancelot, [[spoiler:Frik after he loses his powers]]. Special mention also goes to Ambrosia, who declares that if Mab harms Merlin in any way, "Magic or no magic, I'll have her guts for my bootlaces." Arthur in particular goes up against Mordred, a bonafide SuperSoldier, [[spoiler:and still manages to handily defeat him, only getting killed in the process because he hesitates to land the final strike]].
* BaritoneOfStrength: The Rock of Ages, to be expected when voiced by James Earl Jones.
* BastardBastard: Mordred, so very much.
* BattleHaltingDuel: It's not really much of a duel, but when Merlin and Vortigern face off and [[spoiler:Merlin splits the lake ice with Excalibur, sending Vortigern to a frozen, watery grave]], it certainly catches everyone's attention. Some combatants literally pause in mid-swing to stare at what just happened.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Very, very strongly averted when [[spoiler:Nimue is disfigured with an enormous scar across her face that Merlin cannot heal, after narrowly escaping a dragon]]. ''Ouch''.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: The Lady of the Lake accepts her impending doom because "It's fate."
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: A villainous example. Morgan le Fay converts to the Old Ways simply because they were the only people ever to show her kindness.
* BedTrick: Arthur and Mordred are both conceived in this way. First, Merlin makes Uther look like Igraine's husband, the Duke of Cornwall, so that she'll sleep with him. Later, Morgan seduces Arthur while posing as a Celtic queen named Marie come to pay her respects, with him unaware that they're half-siblings.
* BetaCouple: Frik and Morgan le Fay.
* BigNo: Mab lets out a pretty epic [[spoiler:"Morrrrdreeeeed!!!" when Arthur deals him a fatal wound]], echoing magically throughout her immense cavern, complete with dramatic zoom.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Mab and Mordred are defeated, Merlin and Nimue get to spend the rest of their days together but Arthur is still killed in battle.]]
%%* BlackMagic
* BloodForMortar: An example from NoManOfWomanBorn; Vortigern consults a soothsayer to find out why his castle keeps falling. The Soothsayer (taking false information from Mab) tells him to mix the blood of a man with no mortal father into his mortar and the castle will stand. Merlin, who was the only candidate found, knows that [[spoiler:there's a spring under the castle, so he's basically building on water]].
* BloodOath: Merlin swears not to use his powers except to defeat Queen Mab. To ratchet up the significance, he cuts his hand and lets the blood drip to the ground, in front of Ambrosia's grave, while swearing, "On Ambrosia's grave, and on the grave of my mother." It takes several years, but eventually Mab figures out a way to make him break his oath...
* BodyToJewel: Mab's crystal tear which she gives to Vortigern to protect him in battle. [[spoiler: It doesn't help.]]
* BrotherSisterIncest: Intentionally pulled by Morgan le Fay, who seduces her half-brother Arthur in the guise of a Celtic queen, with the encouragement of Mab and Frik.
* BroughtDownToNormal: [[spoiler:Frik is stripped of his magic when he turns on Mab.]]
* BullyingADragon: Ambrosia pulls this on Mab, despite being seriously ill at the time. Mab does not take kindly to it.
-->'''Mab''': Where's Merlin?
-->'''Ambrosia''': You've lost him! Well, I must say that's typical. You've been sliding down the ladder of success so quickly these last few years, you must have splinters in your backside! ''[Mab furiously uses her magic to make Ambrosia's medicinal drink scalding hot]''
-->'''Mab''': ''[[DoNotTauntCthulhu Don't]]'' [[DoNotTauntCthulhu provoke me, Ambrosia!]] I'm in ''no mood'' for your jibes!
* CanonForeigner: Roots in literature aside, Mab is otherwise a completely original creation for the film.
* CarryABigStick: Frik wields a fairly hefty club at the battle of Camlann; he is briefly seen smashing in the head of one of Mordred's knights with it.
* CastingGag: Guinevere's father is played by Nicholas Clay, who was Lancelot in ''Film/{{Excalibur}}''.
* TheChessmaster:
** While not a ManipulativeBastard, Merlin is manipulative. He [[GuileHero shapes the politics of Britain, putting Uther and Arthur on the throne, and plotting to ensure the latter's birth.]] Sir Rupert calls him out on it, insinuating that he and Mab are alike.
** Mab is a brilliant one; always two steps ahead of everyone right till the very end.
* ChekhovsSkill: [[spoiler:"I think I have one last trick."]]
* TheChosenOne: Arthur and [[spoiler:Galahad]].
* ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: If people stop believing in magic, fairies and magical beings, they can no longer affect you.
* CompositeCharacter:
** As in many adaptations, Morgan le Fay is a composite of the legendary sorceress of that name and Morgause, Morgan's sister who is the mother of Mordred in the Arthurian Cycle. Every one of Morgan's defining aspects in medieval tradition (her healing powers, her magical studies under Merlin, her unhappy marriage to King Urien and the resulting lovers she takes from among the knights of Camelot, her rule over the magical island of Avalon and her taking of Arthur there after the Battle of Camlann) are gone. The character is really Morgause in all but name.
** Lancelot's wife Elaine also counts, as she has traits of two women from Arthurian Mythology who were both named Elaine. On the one hand, she's Lancelot's wife (Elaine of Corbenic) and on the other, she's given the fate of the ''other'' Elaine (The Lady of Shalott) what with her vision of Lancelot in a magic mirror and her body floating past Camelot on a funeral barge.
* CoolHorse: Sir Rupert, a talking horse that Merlin uses as a mount for most of the story. He's still alive by the DistantFinale.
* CoolOldGuy: The Rock of Ages, a pagan elemental deity inexplicably named after an 18th century Christian hymn.
* CoolSword: Excalibur, naturally. Absurdly sharp and blessed by the Lady of the Lake.
* CourtMage: Merlin. Mordred derisively refers to him as Arthur's "pet wizard".
* CoversAlwaysLie: Oddly, the sword on the DVD box cover doesn't resemble Excalibur at all, though viewers will probably assume it is that.
* CruelMercy: A case where it is the ''villain'' doing it to a much less evil character. [[spoiler:Mab takes Frik's magic, leaving him to wander the world as a powerless gnome, with his true love dead, having nothing but his misery and pain, unable to do anything about it. When asked why she didn't kill him, she responds, "Because that's what he wanted me to do."]] This backfires on her, though. [[spoiler:Frik takes up arms against Mordred and, as he is no longer a magical being, outlives her and the rest of the Old Peoples]].
* CurbStompBattle: [[spoiler:Vortigern vs. Merlin]] in Part One's action climax.
* DamselInDistress: Nimue, several times. Inverted in one occasion where she [[spoiler:gets Merlin out of Vortigern's prison with only persuasiveness and the use of her political leverage, while being kept as a hostage herself.]]
* DarkActionGirl: Mab largely avoids taking part in combat but when Merlin comes to confront her she puts up a damn good fight.
* DeadpanSnarker: Ambrosia. Merlin, Frik and Mordred also get in on it at times.
* DecapitatedArmy: Vortigern's army surrenders and fighting stops after their king is killed. Of course, he ''was'' killed by a [[JustifiedTrope freakin' wizard using a magical sword to seal him under the surface of a frozen lake]].
* DecompositeCharacter: Nimue and the Lady of the Lake are two different people here.
* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Several examples. Merlin has no father, as his mother Elissa was impregnated magically by Mab. Elissa dies in childbirth, and Merlin's adoptive mother Ambrosia is later killed by Mab. Arthur's father Uther descends into madness and commits suicide, but not before killing Morgan Le Fay's father Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall.
* DeathByChildbirth: Merlin's mother Elissa.
* DemotedToExtra: Galahad and Gawain. The former is a child during the story and, as a result, only appears briefly and is left at home when Lancelot goes to court.
* DialogueReversal: Played for a laugh. Merlin is asked by Morgan Le Fay, eight years old at the time, to show her a magical effect. He performs a coin-behind-the-ear trick. Morgan Le Faye says it isn't real magic, which it usually wouldn't be, and Merlin challenges her to perform it. When she is successful, Merlin's response to her success is to admit: "you're right, ''anyone'' could do it." Interestingly, calling Merlin's coin "just a trick" is itself a MeaningfulEcho of his explanation of the moon trick to Nimue.
* DirtyCoward: Lailoken, Vortigern's soothsayer. Somewhat justified in that he has seen many of Vortigern's previous soothsayers executed.
* DontExplainTheJoke: One of Frik's many quirks.
-->I'll tell you from personal experience that elves are so short, that when it rains...they're the last to know. ''[he and Morgan burst out laughing]'' Because of their size, you see...
** When Mab and Frik come crashing through the entrance to Tintagel:
-->'''Mab:''' We thought we'd come in the traditional way...through the door.
-->'''Merlin:''' It's traditional to open it first.
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Merlin's ability to tell the future comes in either visions or in dreams.
* DrivenToVillainy: The decline of the Old Ways has forced Mab to abandon her compassion in the desperate struggle to preserve herself and her people.
* EarnYourHappyEnding [[spoiler:Merlin and Nimue spend years thinking the other to be dead, and almost everyone else ''is'' dead, but they are eventually reunited. Merlin uses the last of his magic to restore their youth, allowing them to spend the rest of their lives together.]]
* ElementalEmbodiment: The novelization explicitly says that there are four elemental beings: Mab (Air), The Lady of the Lake (Water), the Rock of Ages (Earth) and the Great Dragon (Fire).
* EleventhHourRanger: [[spoiler:Frik accompanies Merlin to confront Mab at the end.]]
* EnemyMine: When Vortigern allies with Mab, Merlin figures that the enemy of the friend of his enemy is his friend, and thus allies himself with Uther, admitting upfront to Uther that this is his reason for joining him.
* EnfantTerrible: Mordred, as a young boy, attempts to throw a knife at Merlin. According to Morgan, it's his way of demanding attention.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: For all her flaws, Mab does show some love for Merlin, however twisted. In a private confrontation with Nimue, a frustrated Mab makes it clear that she both loves and hates the son she created. A more straightforward example being her relationship with Mordred who becomes her next surrogate son and one that happily does as she wishes, she shows genuine grief at his death.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Duke of Cornwall is referred to simply as "Cornwall." In the actual mythology, his name was given as Gorlois or Hoel.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: It takes a while for Mab to realise that Merlin will never fulfil the destiny she'd planned for him. She even admits at a late juncture that she had, despite ''everything'', held out hope that Merlin would come around and reconcile with her. Considering all the damage she'd done to him and Nimue by this point, not to mention Merlin telling her, to her face, that he would stop at nothing to destroy her for it, it was never on the cards.
* EvilMatriarch: Mab. She's essentially the matriarch of the "family" consisting of her, Frik, Morgan le Fay, and Mordred.
* EvilSoundsRaspy: Mab has a low, raspy voice in contrast to the Lady of the Lake's smoother tones.
* EvilTwin: Miranda Richardson is ActingForTwo as both Queen Mab and her sister, the Lady of the Lake.
* ExcaliburInTheStone: Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are portrayed as the same weapon, though both the myth of it being given by a Lady of the Lake and Arthur pulling it from the stone are true. Merlin was given the sword by the Lady of the Lake first, and later plunged it into the Rock of Ages to keep it from Uther, where Arthur eventually drew it from.
* ExcessiveEvilEyeshadow: Mab wears a lot of heavy makeup.
* FaceHeelTurn: Lord Lot.
* FailedASpotCheck: The structural problems in Vortigern's castle are caused by a stream under the building site that you can clearly see from the base camp. Somehow nobody working on the project noticed this until Merlin came around and spotted it immediately.
* TheFairFolk: The Fey, of whom Mab is the queen.
* FatalFlaw: For Vortigern, it's his {{Pride}}. For Uther, it's {{Lust}}.
* FauxAffablyEvil: As an adult, Mordred is just ''dripping'' with glib charm and hammy speeches.
* FlatEarthAtheist: Vortigern takes this approach both to the Christian {{God}} and magic, despite the abundant evidence of the supernatural, and an actual pagan god, staring him in the face. Although it's not that he doesn't ''believe'' in them, he just [[NayTheist doesn't ''care'' about either]].
* ForTheEvulz:
** The only time Mab does something for this reason is when she shows Elaine that Lancelot is committing adultery against her with Guinevere. Frik comments on it, earning a physical rebuke despite Mab admitting to it.
-->'''Mab''': ''[talking to Mordred]'' I've made sure Elaine knows that Lancelot and Guinevere are lovers!
-->'''Frik''': Isn't that rather... ''unworthy'' of us?
-->'''Mab''': Yes, it ''is'' unworthy...but I don't like to be told, Frik!
** Any happiness Mordred is seen having on-screen relates to the misery of others.
* FountainOfYouth: One of Merlin's explicit powers.
* FreezeFrameBonus: If you slow down the video during the flashing transition between the scene where Merlin confronts Arthur about Morgan and the one where Mab meets Nimue in Avalon, you will see three frames of Mab leaving Camelot after her and Frik's celebratory dance there and just one of Frik sitting alone in the castle afterwards looking sad. (Presumably because he has just handed over Morgan to Arthur.)
* FunctionalMagic: It's explained quite a bit more in the novelizations than in the movie.
* GeniusBruiser: Merlin.
* GildedCage: Vortigern keeps Nimue in one to make sure her father stays loyal to him.
* GlamourFailure: Uther's magical disguise doesn't affect Morgan, and she realizes who he is almost immediately.
* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: Queen Mab's main motivation. If the old faith continues to decline, she and the rest of her people will die.
* {{Goth}}: While not technically one, Mab's appearance is very much reminiscent of [[Film/TheAddamsFamily Morticia Addams]].
* GreenThumb: The first magic that Merlin uses, to pull Nimue out of a mud hole. He later uses the same power again to [[spoiler:defeat a dragon]]!
* GuileHero: Merlin. Nimue also gets into it, managing to convince Vortigern to release Merlin ''while'' being kept as a hostage herself.
* HairTriggerTemper: King Vortigern.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Merlin.
* TheHecateSisters:
** Though not mentioned in the series, the novelization repeatedly brings up the triple nature of the Celtic goddesses, going so far as to mention that Mab is the only remaining aspect of a triad that was made up of Maiden, Mother and Warrior.
** And when Merlin attempts to make contact with the Maiden aspect, Mab is no longer able to hear, so he instead reaches Nimue. This is before he meets Nimue in person.
** Also present in the women in Merlin's life, Nimue being the Maiden, Elissa the Mother and Ambrosia the Crone.
* HeelFaceTurn:
** Nimue's father turns against Vortigern and joins Uther when Vortigern attempts to have Nimue sacrificed.
** Lord Lot eventually sees the error of his ways and acknowledges Arthur as king.
** [[spoiler: Frik turns against Mab after she kills Morgan.]]
* HeroicBastard: Arthur.
* HeroicBSOD: Merlin, after he [[spoiler:loses Nimue and Arthur]]. He gets better shortly after.
* HotBlooded: Mordred
* HumansAreFlawed: A recurring theme.
** Merlin comments about how his largest problem with judging men was that he always expected too much from them and always saw the good in them without seeing the bad. Later, the Lady of the Lake makes a short speech to Merlin after he learned that [[NiceJobBreakingItHero he picked the wrong person to be the guardian of Camelot]]. "It's human to make mistakes, Merlin, and part of you is human...the best part."
** When Merlin asks the Rock of Ages to hold Excalibur "until a good man comes to take it from you," the Mountain King says, "Then I will be holding it forever...if not longer." Arthur manages to impress him enough to take it, many years later.
* HypocriticalHumor:
** The Christian ban on killing unless it's a "holy cause", at least according to Vortigern and his court.
-->"How very convenient, they kill when it suits them."
** When young Merlin is given a vision of old Merlin, the older version advises him to not start giving advice and immediately starts chuckling at his own joke. Although given all that would come later he probably should have listened...
* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: As Vortigern kills King Constant and takes his crown in the prologue, Merlin makes some commentary to this general meaning. "One tyrant smoothly passed the crown to another, even worse."
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Mab frequently says this about her ruthless actions to survive. Given how sadistic some of the things she does are, other characters don't buy it.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness:
** Subverted, as no one is without their faults and entirely pure. When the Lady of the Lake tells Merlin that he needs to find "a man pure in heart" to protect the throne from Mordred, he quips, "I've tried to find him before. He doesn't exist."
** It turns out this was Galahad, who only appears briefly as a child. The epilogue and novelization say he led the rebuilding after the war and found the Grail.
* [[ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder I'm a Soothsayer, Not an Architect]]
* InstantOracleJustAddWater: The Lady of the Lake.
* IronicEcho: A couple between generations of kings:
** King Constance is introduced with the line "Kill the prisoners!," emphasizing his madness. Uther utters the same line after becoming corrupt and losing Merlin's trust and aid.
** When Merlin tells Uther his selfish lust will lead to war, Uther confidently tells him "so be it, I have Excalibur" [[spoiler:- prompting Merlin to take it away and drive it into The Stone.]] As Merlin leaves Uther's son King Arthur while he is preparing for another war, Arthur hopefully tells him not to worry; "I've still got Excalibur". Merlin's only response is to blink and walk away.
* JerkassHasAPoint: None of Mordred's accusations of Arthur's hypocrisy are ''wrong'', but are definitely made just to stir up unrest instead of making any kind of moral point. And he may be correct about the law saying that Guinevere's adultery is treason because the husband she's betraying is the king, but that's a very unjust law.
* JustIgnoreIt: [[spoiler:How Mab is defeated.]]
* KickTheDog: All of the villains have their moments.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Elissa, Ambrosia, Vortigern, Uther, Elaine, the duke of Cornwall, Morgan le Fay, Lord Lot, Arthur, Mordred, Mab.]]
* KnightTemplar: Mab. According to the novelizations, King Constant was one during his reign.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: Mab to a tee: the elegant goth aesthetic and the most powerful magic user in the series. Morgan has ambitions of being this but never even gets close.
* LastKiss: Between [[spoiler:Frik and Morgan le Fay]].
* LastOfHisKind: Merlin, as he [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] himself, is the last of the wizards.
* LikeASonToMe: Merlin sees Arthur this way.
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Lancelot. Mordred also looks like this, or at least he would if he weren't scowling or smirking all the time; he acts more like he has BarbarianLongHair.
* LoveHurts: Merlin says it best: "Oh, they hurt, memories. Memories of love, they hurt."
* LoveTriangle: The traditional one between Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere also involves Elaine, who is in a relationship with Lancelot when he is first introduced and eventually dies of heartbreak as a result of his relationship with Guinevere.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Merlin summons one [[spoiler:during the final battle against Mab]]. The shield is simple and sturdy; the summoning is whip-fast and looks awesome.
* LukeYouAreMyFather: Mordred, when he shows up in Camelot.
* {{Lust}}: Uther's lust for Igraine is a rather extreme case. Merlin puts it best. "Hundreds are dead because you have an itch."
* MagicalGesture: Used by intermediate wizards, called hand wizards. Merlin never progresses beyond this level and continues to use gestures to cast his spells.
* MagicalIncantation: A beginner's stage of magic use, before they move on to being hand wizards.
* MagicKnight: Merlin isn't just a spell caster, but can also kick ass with a sword, as proven when he [[spoiler:wields Excalibur]].
* MagicLand: The Land of Magic.
* MakingASplash: Merlin puts this power to great use. Even just a little strengthening of a waterfall can work wonders.
* MamaBear: Ambrosia. Merlin describes her as being "like a tiger" in protecting him.
--> '''Ambrosia:''' And you can tell Her Royal High and Mighty Queen Mab that magic or no magic, if she harms you in any way, I'll have her guts for my boot laces.
* ManipulativeBastard: Mab, Frik, Morgan.
* MasterOfIllusion: One of the most frequently used spells in the series. Frik uses them to make himself and Morgan le Fay look beautiful, while Mab creates an illusory world to trap Nimue and Merlin in.
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Uther and Guinevere are both [[LoveAtFirstSight immediately taken]] with the paramours that will [[LoveRuinsTheRealm prove their undoing]], but it's worth noting that Mab has a hand in each incident. Was it purely their lust that damned them, or might they have kept it in check without Mab's supernatural influence stoking the fire? Uther in particular is so madly bewitched by Igraine that one is left to wonder. [[TurnOutLikeHisFather But then, madness ''is'' in his blood...]]
* TheMentor: Merlin becomes this for Arthur.
* MerlinAndNimue: Here, of all places, this trope is subverted and inverted. Aside from demonstrating a few illusions that he insists are "tricks," Merlin doesn't teach Nimue any magic, and neither of them betrays the other out of malice, although she ''does'' use [[spoiler:his love for her to entrap him]]. At the duress of Mab, yeah, but it's the thought that counts. Then, towards the end, [[spoiler:''Nimue'' is the one who ends up trapped by magic in a cave.]] Finally, an aged Merlin [[spoiler:comes back to Nimue and uses the last of his magic to restore their youth so they can live happily ever after]].
* MirrorCharacter: Mab tells Merlin that she is fighting and causing evil because she must save her people, and the ends justify the means. Merlin later gives the same excuse after helping Uther seduce Igraine, causing Sir Rupert to grumble, "Now, where have I heard that before?"
* MonsterShapedMountain: The Rock of Ages is a sentient mountain resembling a man lying half-buried in the ground. Merlin asks it to hold Excalibur [[ExcaliburInTheStone until a worthy wielder appears]].
* MundaneUtility: Vortigern demands some. What good is a soothsayer if he can't tell you why your tower keeps falling down?
* MurderTheHypotenuse: As part of his FaceHeelTurn, King Uther has the Duke of Cornwall killed in order to claim his wife.
* MutualKill: [[spoiler:Arthur and Mordred.]]
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Arthur's reaction when Merlin [[WhatTheHellHero informs him]] that the woman he slept with was Morgan le Fay.
** Merlin has his own such reaction when he realizes that Uther had Cornwall killed, especially in the novel.
* NamedWeapons: Excalibur, obviously.
* NecessarilyEvil: Mab claims, "With evil all around me, I can do nothing but evil, to survive." Nimue shortly after tells her, "That's too easy."
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Merlin chooses Lancelot to defend King Arthur's throne, but this ultimately leads to Lancelot's affair with Guinevere, and Arthur's downfall.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Mab intended to create a powerful wizard who would lead the people back to the Old Ways. What she does is create a powerful wizard who hates her and will do everything he can to destroy the Old Ways.
* NoOntologicalInertia: [[spoiler:Mab's spells slowly lose their power after she vanishes, and eventually fail.]]
* OffWithHisHead: King Constant's execution in the prologue, not seen thanks to GoryDiscretionShot.
* OhCrap: [[spoiler:Vortigern's last expression.]]
* OnlyTheChosenMayWield: The Rock of Ages will only let a truly good man draw Excalibur.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: On Mab's advice, Vortigern attempts to have Merlin and Nimue sacrificed to the Great Dragon of the North, a Celtic-looking dragon with antlers, wings, and six legs. Despite its strange appearance, it's a fairly standard fire-breathing western dragon which tries to devour Nimue before Merlin defeats it with magic.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: They're small, short, quick and the target of some of Frik's jokes.
* OurFairiesAreDifferent: In addition to TheFairFolk, the smaller winged variety also exists.
* OurGnomesAreWeirder: Frik. He claims that gnomes come in all shapes and sizes, and he's "the tall kind."
* OurGryphonsAreDifferent: Their bodies resemble those of dogs and their wings are more like the "patagium" of flying squirrels. Their weakness is bees.
* OutGambitted: Merlin completely pulls the rug out from under Vortigern when he hears exactly what he is planning, and then brings the knowledge of his plans to Uther, allowing the latter to prepare for the attack and win the coming battle handily.
* ParentalSubstitute: Ambrosia, to Merlin, as he notes in his narration. Sir Hector and his wife fulfill this for Arthur, on Merlin's insistance. (Though Hector's wife only appears in the novelization.)
* PerspectiveFlip: The story is told from Merlin's point of view.
* PerspectiveMagic: Merlin plucks the moon out of the sky and it becomes a glowing coin that [[CoinWalkFlexing he rolls around his fingers]]. He then says something about appearances being deceiving and points at the sky to show the clouds pulling back from the moon.
* PetTheDog: It's buried deep, but Mab seems to have legitimate familial feelings for both Merlin and Mordred. Likewise for Mordred toward "Auntie Mab."
* ThePowerOfLove: As pointed out by Ambrosia, this is one of the attributes that Mab no longer possesses, having presumably lost it in her struggle to survive. Merlin also explicitly states that magic cannot create love.
* ThePhilosopher: Merlin, even as he narrates.
* PlayingWithFire: Mab
* PluckyComicRelief: Frik is an unusual villainous example of this. As Part Two progresses, his BetaCouple romance with Morgan le Fay reveals HiddenDepths, [[spoiler: and figures into his HeelFaceTurn]].
* PluckyGirl: Nimue demonstrates this trope in getting Merlin out of Vortigern's dungeon.
* PragmaticVillainy: Mab's master stroke has some elements of this: She heals Nimue's scars and enchants an idealised space for her and Merlin to live happily together within. All things considered, this is a remarkably kind way to keep Merlin out of the war between Arthur and Mordred, but also extremely effective.
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: Merlin, to Vortigern:
-->'''Vortigern''': (taunting) Are you going to use some of your magic on me, Merlin?\\
'''Merlin''': I'll kill you any way I can, Vortigern, but I ''will'' kill you.
* {{Pride}}: Vortigern's FatalFlaw, noted by both Mab and Merlin. [[spoiler:"Only one tear was shed for Vortigern, and his pride had cast it away. He paid for it with his life."]]
* PrettyBoy: Galahad, his feminine-sounding voice also contributes.
* PropheciesAreAlwaysRight: The Lady of the Lake prophecies that the ideal, pure-hearted defender of Arthur's throne can be found at Joyous Gard, where Merlin finds Lancelot. [[spoiler:Subverted when it turns out Lancelot fails in his task, and then Double Subverted when it turns out that his son Galahad was truly the pure-hearted one that the Lady of the Lake sensed]].
* ProphecyTwist: Merlin takes what the Lady of the Lake says about finding the right man on a certain island a bit too literally.
* PutOnABus: Lancelot and Guinevere disappear from the story after he carries her away from Camelot. Merlin acknowledges this.
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: Merlin gets an ''epic'' rant against Mab after [[YouKilledMyFather the deaths of his mother and Ambrosia]] and [[spoiler:[[BeautyIsNeverTarnished the scarring of Nimue]]]], and then again right after [[spoiler:Arthur is born]]. Though he's addressing Mab, the feel of both scenes, on the beach with the tide coming in the first time and on a rocky bluff in the middle of a rainstorm the second time, seems to specifically invoke this. Of course, given that Mab is a [[TheFairFolk Fey]] ''[[PhysicalGod Goddess]]'' and Merlin very much hopes to destroy her religion and utterly erase her from existence, it's pretty literal as well.
* RankScalesWithAsskicking: Vortigern may be aging, but he is still a deadly force on the battlefield as the king.
* RapePillageAndBurn: Vortigern's forces, as he takes over England.
* RelatedDifferentlyInTheAdaptation: Gawain is Arthur's nephew in the legends, and his father Lot is Arthur's brother-in-law, but here, Lot is instead Arthur's first-cousin once-removed through Uther, and Gawain his second cousin.
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: The novelization makes Guinevere Lot's daughter and Gawain's sister, which is very much not the case in either the film or the legends.
* ReligionOfEvil: By the time the story starts, the Old Ways have been reduced to this, thanks to Mab's desperation and loss of touch with the world; it's pretty outright stated by Ambrosia that even Mab used to be kinder when she was more prosperous.
* RequestForPrivacy: Merlin has received a vision of Arthur and Morgan le Fay's night together. He rushes to Camelot and storms into the Round Table room during a meeting between Arthur and the lords. "Out, my lords. OUT! And close the door behind you," he commands, not wanting to embarrass his king in public.
* RescueRomance: Merlin and Nimue. They'd met earlier in the day but become much closer after he pulls her out of a bog.
* RoyalBlood: Arthur is quite surprised to learn he has it.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Uther, Arthur.
* SameLanguageDub: Agnieszka Koson, who plays the teenaged Nimue, was dubbed by Isabella Rossellini who plays Nimue as an adult. The only time Koson's voice is heard is her screams when Nimue is trapped in the bog.
* SamusIsAGirl: In ''Merlin's Apprentice''.
* SapientSteed: Sir Rupert, Merlin's horse.
* ScaryStingingSwarm: A heroic version: [[spoiler: when Mab unleashes a pack of griffins to try and kill Arthur, Merlin, seeing a beehive in the branches of a nearby tree, uses his magic to direct the insects to attack the monsters. The stinging proves too much for the griffins, forcing them to retreat]].
* SealedGoodInACan: [[spoiler:Nimue spends several decades trapped inside the cave after it seals itself because Merlin left.]]
* ScarsAreForever: Nimue's disfiguring scar cannot be healed, even by Merlin's magic, though Mab is able to make it vanish temporarily. [[spoiler:Subverted right at the end, when Merlin finally manages to heal it and simultaneously restore both their youth.]]
* ScrewDestiny: Both Mab and Merlin take this approach.
* SheIsAllGrownUp: Frik's reaction upon meeting Morgan for the second time.
* ShootTheDog: Merlin assisting Uther in seducing Igraine with his magic.
* ShoutOut: Elaine's death scene is a recreation of ''Art/TheLadyOfShalottWaterhouse'', with her riding on a boat and slowly dying for her TragicDream.
* SmoochOfVictory: Merlin gets this from Nimue twice. The first time, it's his "reward" for giving her and her party directions. The second time, it's part of the aforementioned RescueRomance. Nimue's companions find it amusing, and Nimue herself [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it the second time.
* ServileSnarker: Frik
* SmugSnake: Mab and Mordred.
* TheSociopath: Mordred is a pretty good example, being an outwardly charming, charismatic young man who wants to conquer Britain and who [[spoiler: laughs upon seeing his mother murdered by Queen Mab.]]
* SoProudOfYou: Merlins says this to Arthur just before the final battle with Mordred.
* SpellConstruction: The less construction needed, the stronger the wizard. The best wizards do it by pure thought.
* TheSpock: Frik
* StabTheSky: Arthur, after pulling Excalibur from the stone.
* StupidEvil: King Vortigern, who is puritanical, distrusting, and uncompromising, often to his own detriment; both Mab and Merlin call him stupid to his face. However, to his credit, Vortigern is not ''entirely'' unwilling to take advice that goes against his beliefs, and allows the imprisoned Merlin free rein of his encampment when it is pointed out to him that the wizard needs fresh air and sunlight to use his powers.
* SuperScream: Mab does this when Ambrosia refuses to send Merlin back to her. Ambrosia was already sick and dying and this is enough to finish her off. The novelizations aptly mentioned that Mab was the inspiration for the banshee.
* SuperStrength: Implied with Mordred.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Vortigern. "Why is it that I surround myself with a bunch of incompetent fools?"
* TakingYouWithMe: King Constant has all of the prisoners killed right before Vortigern takes his castle. "Let the whole world die, if I die."
* TalkToTheFist: [[SmugSnake Mordred]] grandiosely accuses King Arthur of tyranny, and is about to make a speech about how the assorted nobles should depose him. Arthur responds with a [[ShutUpHannibal well-deserved backhand]].
* TheMagicGoesAway: [[spoiler:At the end of the series, after performing his final act of magic to restore his and Nimue's youth, Merlin states, "That's the end of magic."]]
* TheTimeOfMyths: A constant theme. The whole thing that Mab is battling against is the slow, lingering death of magic.
* ThisIsReality: Merlin, at the beginning of the narration. "''Once upon a time''... No, no, that's not the way to start. You'd think this is a fairy tale, and it isn't."
* TimeAbyss: The Rock of Ages claims his memory goes back to before the dawn of time.
* TricksterMentor: Frik, to Merlin.
* TurnOutLikeHisFather: Subverted by Arthur. Mab claims that he will be damned because of his father's sins, that his reign will only bring bloodshed. However, Arthur proves to be a much better man and ruler than Uther was. Doubly subverted by Uther himself, who at first was a much better and more merciful ruler than King Constant, but [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope went the same way in the end]].
* TheUnchosenOne: Deconstructed. Merlin recruits Lancelot, believing him to be the perfect knight who will be best fit to guard the throne while Arthur is away. However, it turns out, Merlin picked the wrong knight, and it was actually Lancelot's son Galahad who would have been the perfect knight, with the result that Lancelot only makes things worse with his adulterous relationship with Guinevere. Oops.
* UngratefulBastard: The kings of Britain have a serious tendency to mistreat their allies and vassals in spite of loyal service.
** Vortigern takes Nimue captive on the suspicion that her father might possibly betray him to Uther, despite him being nothing but loyal and pledging his entire army to Vortigern's service. After Merlin shows him why his castle kept collapsing, Vortigern rewarded him by knocking him out and throwing him in a cramped dungeon, only releasing him when he became so ill that Vortigern worried he might die, which Vortigern didn't want...because Merlin [[ItsAllAboutMe hadn't finished giving him a prophecy that might help Vortigern defeat Uther]].
** Uther, likewise, betrays one of the dukes who helped him defeat Vortigern and become king, simply because he wanted Cornwall's wife for himself. When Merlin helps him get Igraine without combat (in order to stop him from killing hundreds more in his siege of Tintagel), Uther betrays Merlin's request and has Cornwall and his men killed ''anyway.'' Because he didn't immediately hand over his wife to Uther, apparently.
* UnreliableNarrator: According to Frik, and by Merlin's own admission, a few things were omitted from the story. Merlin claims he didn't think anyone would believe it if they heard it the way it really happened.
** Some observers have used this theory to allow the sequel ''Merlain's Apprentice'' to fit into continuity. Whether this is FanWank or not is open to interpretation.
*** Unless Merlin somehow figured out how to "conveniently leave out" the part where [[spoiler:he got his head chopped off and died]], not even that can make ''Merlin's Apprentice'' fit continuity.
** The novelization clears this up, we are seeing the story as it really happened in Merlin's memories, the story Merlin is telling his audience is leaving out a significant detail, Queen Mab, so as not to undo the {{Unperson}} gambit that caused her death.
* {{Unperson}}: How Queen Mab is finally beaten, by simply ignoring her and not even looking at her, her power wanes in seconds and she fades from existence, the novelization explains that Merlin is telling his story to his audience whilst, somehow, leaving her role out of it to enforce it, implying she could come back if enough people heard the true story.
* UnstoppableRage: Frik, when Morgan le Fay is killed. [[spoiler: After joining Arthur's army he can be seen during the battle viciously bludgeoning Mordred's soldiers with a mace despite being depowered and mortal.]]
** Likewise, Merlin when he hears that Arthur slept with Morgan le Fay.
* VillainousDemotivator: Mab
* VillainousValour:
** Vortigern very nearly wins the war through the sheer audacity of his winter attack and is always shown leading from the very front. He also refuses Mab's mystical protection, although Merlin dismisses that as stubborn pride.
** All the villains display this, except Frik. Uther (though he's initially a hero) and Vortigern are bold warriors who lead their battles from the front, Mordred seems to enjoy combat as though it's a thrilling game, and Queen Mab and Morgan le Fay enact some pretty audacious schemes to defeat Merlin and Arthur.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: According to Mab, though, it's only an illusion. Frik's favorite trick, by the way.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
** It's not clear what, exactly, the stone in the crib actually did other than ominous foreshadowing and an excuse to spend more time with child Morgan le Fay. Its purpose was explained more thoroughly in the novelization. (It cursed Arthur with impulsiveness, which ultimately led to his ill-fated quest for the Holy Grail, and thus Guinevere's affair with Lancelot.)
** The purpose of the magical tear Mab gives to Vortigern is also left unanswered; although in this case, it's because Vortigern himself had rejected the aid of magic in his battle against Uther and Merlin, believing only in his own ability to win.
*** It's implied that it protects him from harm. At one point, several of Uther's soldiers mob him, drag him off his horse, and stab him repeatedly with daggers. He survives it, presumably due to the tear. Merlin [[spoiler:dropping him in the lake is fatal, either to the mystical nature of Excalibur or because the tear's protection is limited]].
* WhatHaveWeEar: When a young Morgan le Fey first meets Merlin and aks him to show some of his magic, Merlin performs this trick. Morgan immediately calls him out for the fact that this is just a sleight of hand trick, and reveals she knows how to perform it herself.
* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Mab has ended up like this, as pointed out by Ambrosia.
* WhatTheHellHero: When Merlin hears about what happened with Morgan le Fay, he lets Arthur have it. He does it again, to Guinevere and Lancelot, after their affair.
* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou: "Now see what you made me do!"
* WilliamTelling: The first we see of Mordred is him practicing archery with a group of servants standing with apples on their heads. "If you gentleman don't stop trembling, I might miss and kill you all!" He misses on the last servant.
* WizardBeard: Merlin, in the present when he is old. Averted through most of the series.
* WizardDuel: [[spoiler:The climactic final battle between Merlin and Mab.]]
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: In their final conversation, the Lady of the Lake comforts Merlin over his guilt that his choice of Lancelot [[ItsAllMyFault brought about the death of Arthur and the ruin of Camelot]].
-->'''The Lady of the Lake''': It's human to make mistakes, Merlin, and part of you is human...the ''best'' part.
* YouCantFightFate: The Lady of the Lake's attitude to fading away with the changing times. Queen Mab [[DefiedTrope disagrees]]. The Rock of Ages falls somewhere in the middle, uninterested in Mab's quest to renew faith in the old ways but secure in the belief that he, at least, will live on forever.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Mab pretty much says this twice, first for Merlin's mother Elissa, then again for [[spoiler:Morgan le Fay]]. [[spoiler:She lets the former die, and kills the latter directly.]] Apparently, all she needed them for was to give birth to the child she wanted.
* YouKilledMyFather: Thanks to her ruthless policies, Mab manages to give Merlin ''three'' separate excuses to go against her, all relating to her harming the people he loves. Uther wish to kill Vortigern who killed his father and Morgan hates Uther because he killed her father.
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