Characters / Merlin – Others

Merlin Character Index
Main Cast (Merlin) | Others

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Knights of the Round Table

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In General

Five knights of Camelot led by Arthur, who played key roles in retaking the kingdom from Morgana's rule. They are counted as his most trusted and loyal friends. They are often aided by Merlin, who acts as their cook while secretly helping them with magic, while Guinevere and Gaius are considered honorary members for their role in helping Arthur. Series 5 would add several more members to the Round Table, but these are generally considered Knights of Camelot since it appears that Arthur made the Round Table something all knights and royals would sit at to symbolise that they were equals, while the true Knights of the Round Table are those original Knights. The sole exception is Mordred, who is welcomed into the group by Arthur and the other Knights.

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• Adapted Out: There are many more Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian Legend, a couple even appearing in the show, but in this version there are only five while the rest are simply knights of Camelot. However Series 5 does reveal that Arthur had a Round Table constructed which many of his knights would sit at while Mordred is accepted into the main group itself.
• The Fellowship Has Ended: Despite all the adventures, the knights are tragically broken apart as their members slowly die, leaving only two alive by the end of the show.
• Sole Survivor: Tragically there are only two survivors by the end of the show with Percival and Leon.
• True Companions: They aren't just knights serving a king, they are genuinely friends to each other and Arthur. They are also close friends with Merlin.

Members

Leaders

King Arthur

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Queen Guinevere

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Knights

Sir Lancelot

Lancelot

Portrayed By: Santiago Cabrera

"I would die for you one hundred times over. Live for me, or everything that I am has been for nothing."

A commoner who desires to become a knight of Camelot. He shares a brief romance with Gwen and becomes one of Merlin's long-term Secret Keepers.

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• Adaptational Backstory Change: He's usually raised by the Lady of the Lake after his father king Ban is killed. Here he's a commoner whose family were killed by bandits when he was a child.
• Adaptational Name Change: Because of his backstory change, his name goes from Lancelot du Lac to just Lancelot.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: His infamous affair with Gwen is instead given to the shade copy created by Morgana. As a result, he truly is the most noble of all of Arthur's knights.
• Action Hero: He's the most skilled of the knights, and the most textbook example of this bar Arthur himself.
• All Love Is Unrequited: For Guinevere. He stepped aside when he saw the love beteween her and Arthur.
• Back for the Finale: Of series three. And then he died at the start of series four.
• Badass Cape: Standard red for the Knights of Camelot.
• Badass Normal: Even more than Arthur, standing up to magical enemies with just his sword.
• Back from the Dead: In season four by Morgana. Although, Lancelot came back as a shade.

• Big Brother Instinct: Towards Merlin. Lancelot is seen to be highly protective of him.
• Big Brother Mentor: To Merlin.
• Big Damn Heroes: With Percival.
• Bodyguard Crush: With Gwen. But this pertains more to the original Arthurian legend although it can also apply to the series.
• Came Back Wrong: Deliberately so on Morgana's part.
• Catchphrase: In the three episodes named after him he utters the phrase: "My name is Lancelot". In all three cases, it's his first line of the episode.
• Conflicting Loyalty: Always between what he wants and what he thinks he deserves. In his first appearance it was between becoming a knight of Camelot and staying true to his ideals by not taking credit for something Merlin achieved; in later episodes it exists between his fealty to Arthur and his desire for Guinevere.
• Decomposite Character: The shade copy that Morgana created his firmly identified as being a distinct entity, despite having aspects of Lancelot's soul and character. It's the shade that ends up having an affair with Guinevere instead of the real Lancelot.
• Did Not Get the Girl: Guinevere. He accepted it.
• Dying as Yourself: When he dies the second time, he thanks Merlin for freeing him from Morgana's spell.
• Everything but the Girl
• Evil Costume Switch: When he comes Back from the Dead as Morgana's Unwitting Pawn, he's dressed in black. It's a wonder the good guys didn't notice...
• Expy: Of Oliver Queen.
• Failed a Spot Check: He did not, which is the reason he is aware of Merlin’s magic. He clearly overheard Merlin’s incantation that helped him kill the Griffin. Worthy of noticing that he has been the only character to come to this logical conclusion.
• The Fettered: Lancelot is such a gentleman and so noble.
• Foil: To Arthur. He adheres to the same knightly code of honour but is unfailingly nice and polite as opposed to Arthur's temper tantrums (especially early on in the series). And he's the accessible with open admiration suitor to Gwen in contrast to Arthur's Uptown Girl and hot-cold attitude.
• Good Is Not Dumb: Lancelot distinguishes himself as the sole knight in Camelot observant enough to notice Merlin's magic.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: As a very skilled knight.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Took Merlin's place to close the door to the spirit world.

• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Merlin. It helps that they both think the world of each other.
• Honour Before Reason: Rejects the offer of becoming a real knight of Camelot in favour of first being true to himself.

• Incorruptible Pure Pureness: The kindest, nicest and most noble of all the knights.
• I Gave My Word: In The Darkest Hour he promises Gwen that he'll protect Arthur, no matter what. He sacrifices himself to uphold the promise.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Leaves in Season 2 after realizing that Arthur is in love with Gwen, and he doesn't want to come in between them.
  • And again in The Darkest Hour in which he sacrifices himself to preserve the Arthur/Gwen relationship.
• Killed Off for Real: The writers have confirmed that his story arc is finished, and he won't return to life again.
• Knight Errant: After he leaves Camelot.
• Knight In Shining Armour: He's the best of the knights in both skill and nobility.
• Lady and Knight: With Gwen.
• Longing Look: His expression of choice whenever in the vicinity of Guinevere.
• Master Swordsman: He's better than Arthur, which takes some doing.

• Muggle Best Friend: To Merlin. He was also the first person outside of Gauis that discovered Merlin's magic.
• Nice Guy: Is he ever. Perhaps the nicest, kindest and noblest person in the entire series. Even Kilgharrah mentions this to Lancelot.
• Only One Name: His name is simply Lancelot in this version instead of Lancelot du Lac. However this was later used for the title of an episode, and is simply French for Lancelot of the Lake which makes sense since the shade copy of him rises from the lake.
• Perma-Stubble: His five o' clock shadow is a feature of his character design.
• Pretty Boy: Manages to be this and a Hunk. How is that even possible?

• Rags to Riches: Sort of. He goes from a poor commoner with no title to his name to a Knight of Camelot in season three.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Lancelot is the Blue to Arthur's Red. While Lancelot is more sensitive, calm, and compassionate, Arthur is more passionate, impulsive and hot-headed.
• Rescue Romance: Played straight and then subverted in Lancelot and Guinevere. The two of them bond extremely quickly due to the life-or-death situation they find themselves in, but it is actually Arthur who ends up saving both of them.
• Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: In the love triangle between himself, Arthur and Gwen. Lancelot is a commoner (Poor Suitor) and Arthur is a wealthy royal (Rich Suitor).

• Romantic False Lead: His reappearance causes some conflict to the Arthur/Gwen romance.

• Scars Are Forever: Subverted. In 2x04 he's given a scar on his cheek which has disappeared by his next appearance in series 3.
• Secret-Keeper: One of only two regular characters that knows Merlin's secret.
• Self-Made Man: Born a commoner.

• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Sensitive Guy to Arthur's Manly Man.
  • Also the Sensitive Guy to Gwaine and Percival's Manly Man.
• Soulless Shell: In 4x09, thanks to Morgana.
• Spanner in the Works: To Arthur and Guinevere's relationship.
• Starcrossed Lovers: With Gwen oh so much. In the Arthurian legends, their love affair is just, if not, even more tragic.

• True Companions: With Merlin, Arthur and the Knights at the Round Table.
• Unrelated in the Adaptation: Traditionally Lancelot is the adopted son of the Lady of the Lake while Elyan is the son of his cousin. In this version he's not related to Elyan and doesn't have any connection to Freya.

Sir Leon

Leon

Portrayed By: Rupert Young

A Knight of Camelot with a reoccurring role who ends up becoming a loyal ally of Arthur and one of the Knights of the Round Table.

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• Action Hero: He's a Knight of Camelot who uses combat to solve missions.
• Ascended Extra: Goes from being a background Knight to one of Arthur's closest friends.

• Badass Normal: It really shines in The Tears of Uther Pendragon.
• Bearer of Bad News: It's usually his job to inform people that evil forces are advancing on Camelot.
• Big Brother Instinct: Like the other knights, Leon is seen to be protective of Merlin.
• Canon Foreigner: On account of him starting as a Bit Character and becoming an Ascended Extra thanks to the actor's popularity among the rest of the cast, Sir Leon is the only knight of the Round Table that has no basis in Arthurian legend. However by coincidence his name has similarities with King Leodegrance and he has some similarities with Sir Lionel.
• Characterization Marches On: In one of his first appearances (The Witchfinder) he is shown tearing apart Gaius's study in an attempt to find evidence of magic, smashing bottles and overturning tables. It's difficult to imagine the later, more gentler, Leon doing such a thing.
  • Though in fairness, it was during a Witch Hunt that left tensions running high. After all, if he hadn't have searched everything and it later turned out that Gaius was a sorcerer, Leon could have been burnt at the stake as a collaborator.
• Connected All Along: While they didn't interact before, the series 3 finale revealed that Gwen's mother was a servant in his household and they grew up together. Presumably the same is true with Elyan.
• Childhood Friends: With Guinevere.
• Disguised in Drag: Guinevere disguises him as a woman in order to smuggle him out of Camelot after Morgana's coup.

• The Lancer: To Arthur.
• Like Brother and Sister: With Gwen. See Childhood Friends.
• Number Two: He seems to be this to Arthur among the Knights.

• Older and Wiser: Among the Knights. And it shows, as he is often calm, collected and sensible.

• Remember the New Guy?: Supposedly, he and Arthur have been friends for ages, but he first appears in series 2 with Arthur mentioning they had fought in a jousting competition last year. He also knew Gwen but this isn't revealed until series 3.
• Shirtless Scene: Which cemented his position as a major cast member.
• Unexplained Recovery: Known amongst fans for being "immortal". Got fried by a dragon at the end of one series, was completely fine at the beginning of the next. Later seemed to have died during an attack on his patrol but survived certain death by drinking from a magical cup given to him by the druids and returned to Camelot more or less unharmed. And now, contrary to all reasonable expectations, he has actually survived the whole series. Something Arthur didn't manage to do. He's even in one of the last shots.

Sir Gwaine

Gwaine

Portrayed By: Eoin Macken

"If there's one thing that I learned from my father's life is that titles don't mean anything. It's what's inside that counts".

A man who saves Arthur during a brawl at a town tavern, Gwaine is given hospitality at Camelot until his injuries heal. He resents nobles and is secretly the son of a knight. He helps Merlin in protecting Arthur from danger during the melee, and goes on to join Arthur as a Knight of the Round Table.

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• Adaptational Name Change: Traditionally his name is Gawain.
• Age Lift: He's the same age as Arthur in this version.
• The Alcoholic: Though not, by any means, in a bad way. Most of the time.

• Badass Normal: So, so badass.
• Big Brother Instinct: Seems to have adopted this stance toward Merlin and Elyan, the youngest of the new knights.
• Big Brother Mentor: To Merlin.
• Big Damn Heroes: Three times no less.
• Blue Blood: Gwaine comes from a noble family, although Gwaine never acknowledges it in the beginning.
• Boisterous Bruiser: Gwaine is friendly, extroverted, charming and fun-loving.
• Character Development: He started off as resenting all nobles, thanks to his history, and wanting nothing to do with them while he drifts from town to town looking for adventure. Then he comes across Merlin and Arthur who he saves in a bar fight. After coming to Camelot for his injuries to heal, he quickly make friends with Merlin who through some shenanigans comes to realize Aurthur isn't like the rest of the nobles. Fast forward sometime and you can see Gwaine slowly warming up to Arthur and eventually becoming a royal knight of Camelot under Arthur. You know, turning into the thing he use to hate most.
• The Charmer: Flirts with Gwen in a playful manner, but when he notices Gwen's feelings for Arthur, the two remain good friends. In fact, their "friendliness" is enough to rile Arthur's jealousy (and Merlin's amusement of said jealousy).
• Deadpan Snarker: He loves his Snark-to-Snark Combat with Arthur and Merlin.
• Demoted to Extra: He became this in series four and five - oddly enough, he got more screen-time and characterization as a guest star than as a series regular.
• Disappeared Dad: Which gives Merlin and Gwaine something to bond about.
• The Drifter: At least until he's knighted.
• Dual Wielding: And he makes it Badass.
• Foil: To Arthur. According to the creators, Gwaine shows the possible friendship between Arthur and Merlin had Arthur not been royalty and is genuinely nice to Merlin (this review says it best). He's also defiant to Camelot's elitism as opposed to Arthur, who upholds it. Last but not least, he's fun-loving, casual and a flirt as opposed to Arthur's formality.
• Freudian Trio: In the team of three consisting of himself (Strength), Merlin (Magic) and Arthur (Courage), Gwaine is The McCoy/Id (Fun-loving, roguish, carefree, rebellious, daredevil) to Arthur's The Spock/Superego (Stoic, serious, strategic, noble, courageous) and Merlin's The Kirk/Ego (Balanced, neutral, peacemaker, the mediator between the opposing personalities of Arthur and Gwaine, friends with both Arthur and Gwaine). See The McCoy.
• Guest-Star Party Member: Throughout series three, before becoming a regular recurring character in series four.
• Hair Flip: Reached Memetic Mutation status by the end of his first episode.

• Heterosexual Life-Partners: He's often seen with Percival, the two implied to have become close friends.
  • His friendship with Merlin.
• Hidden Depths: He seems like an alcoholic Pretty Boy, but he's an expert swordsman and smarter than he looks.
• Honey Trap: Falls into one at the hands of Eira in a subversion of the Rescue Romance. He does figure it out pretty quickly, though, and is able to use her to feed Morgana false information. He seems pretty shaken by the whole thing despite previous hints that he is something of a womanizer.
• Honour Before Reason: Refuses to expose his identity as the son of a knight out of his resentment towards nobles — when Gwaine's father, a knight, died, Gwaine and his mother were left penniless, and the king in their land refused to give them any compensation. Gwaine would later change his opinion of Arthur after Arthur defends him.

• Killed Off for Real: As of The Diamond of the Day Part 2.
• King Incognito: Gwaine isn't royalty, but secretly comes from a noble family, seeing as his father was a knight.
• Knight Errant: Gwaine is a knight but he's also a bit of a drifter.
• Knight In Shining Armour: Gwaine becomes knight of Camelot in season three.
• Knight in Sour Armour: A minor example. His friendship with Merlin seems to be wearing down his cynicism.
• Knight, Knave, and Squire: Gwaine is The Knave to Merlin's The Squire and Arthur's The Knight. They are also a trio of Magic (Merlin), Courage (Arthur) and Strength (Gwaine), according to Grettir.

• Man Hug: Gives one to Merlin in 3x08, being the first one to hug Merlin.
  • And again in 4x02 when Merlin comes back, healed and alive after the Dorocha attack.

• The McCoy/Id (Freudian Trio): In the trio between himself (Strength), Merlin (Magic) and Arthur (Courage), Gwaine is The McCoy to Merlin's The Kirk and Arthur's The Spock.

• Muggle Best Friend: To Merlin.
• Mythology Gag: Gwaine's strength is noted a few times, with Grettir even calling him Strength to Arthur's Courage and Merlin's Magic. He's even shown to be able to lift a heavy gate with one hand while Merlin struggled with two. In some versions Gawaine's strength varied depending on the time of day, typically being incredibly strong during the middle of the day.
• Noble Male, Roguish Male: Gwaine and Arthur with Gwaine as the Roguish Male to Arthur's Noble Male.
  • Interestingly enough, both Merlin and Gwaine are Roguish Males in comparison to Arthur who is a Noble Male.
• Odd Friendship: With Merlin. The two seem to have absolutely nothing in common, but bond fairly quickly.

• Plucky Comic Relief: Gwaine is one of the most humorous characters in the series, especially alongside Merlin.
• The Prankster: Enjoys teasing and playing jokes on Merlin and the other knights.
• Shirtless Scene: At least three in his introductory episode (oddly enough, titled Gwaine) — and if he is wearing a shirt, the collar of said shirt is at least hanging open enough to give the audience something to look at.
• The Slacker: Even after becoming a Knight of Camelot, he's the one most likely to be goofing off.
• The Snark Knight: Gwaine is the king of sarcasm and snark.

• Unrelated in the Adaptation: Gwaine is traditionally the son of Morgause, half-brother of Mordred, brother of Agravaine, and nephew of Arthur and Morgana, which isn't the case in this version.

Sir Elyan

Elyan

Portrayed By: Adetomiwa Edun

Gwen: "He's just one of those people, never settled down, never thinks about the future, just follows his heart wherever it leads him".

Guinevere's estranged brother and only sibling, who is eventually knighted by Arthur and becomes a member of the Round Table.

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• Aloof Younger Brother: Often away traveling from one place to another and never even visited Gwen when their father died.

• Big Brother Instinct: Like the other knights, he is protective of Merlin.
• Black Dude Dies First: Averted.
• Deadpan Snarker: On seeing the ruined castle that Arthur has brought them to, he comments: "It's gotta be better than that cave."
• Death in the Limelight: In the "The Dark Tower". In series 3, Elyan is introduced and knighted. The writers went on to do absolutely nothing with his character until mid-series 5, in an episode which explored his relationship to his sister, made him the key figure in a rescue mission, and gave him more lines than in any previous episodes. Any viewer could see the giant bullseye on his head from the very first scene. Elyan did get a Day in the Limelight episode in season 4 (that revolved around him being Brainwashed and Crazy and trying to murder Arthur) but he's still an excellent example of this trope.
• Demonic Possession: In 4x10
• Heroes Prefer Swords

• I See Dead People: In 4x10

• Long Lost Sibling: To Guinevere. Elyan is Gwen's younger brother.

• Now, Let Me Carry You: He pledges his fealty to Arthur in repayment for the rescue Arthur undertakes in The Castle of Fyrien.

• Race Lift: The legendary Elyan was known as "Elyan the White". In the series, he's played by a black actor. Granted, "the White" would have referred to his pure soul, but it's still pretty funny.
• Related in the Adaptation: He's Guinevere's brother in this version, making him the brother-in-law to Arthur.
• Remember the New Guy?: Partially justified in that he and Guinevere were estranged for years.
• Shipper on Deck: At the very least, he certainly isn't opposed to his sister Gwen dating the Prince of Camelot, judging by the smile on his face when they kiss at the end of The Coming of Arthur Part II.

• Unrelated in the Adaptation: Elyan in the Arthurian Legend was the son of Bors the Younger, who was the cousin of Lancelot. This is not the case in this version.

Sir Percival

Percival

Portrayed By: Tom Hopper

"Your enemies are my enemies."

A warrior who arrives with Lancelot in order to help Arthur and his loyalists take back Camelot. Because of this he becomes a Knight of the Round Table.

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• Adaptational Badass: In the original legends he is the epitome of Good Is Dumb and Idiot Hero; here, he is the strong, silent type and more than capable of holding his own.
• Adaptational Late Appearance: He appears after Arthur's quest for the Fisher King and the Cup of Life, which are both parts of his famous quest for the Holy Grail.

• Badass Normal: Percival is a knight of Camelot and a skilled swordsman. Bordering on Super-Strength.
• Big Brother Instinct: Was seen to be very gentle and caring towards Merlin in 4x02 when he carried him.
• Big Damn Heroes: With Lancelot.
• The Big Guy: Percival is the tallest of the knights. Tom is also the tallest member of the Merlin cast.

• Dark and Troubled Past: Merlin mentions that he hates Morgana since her army was responsible for killing his entire family. This is likely Cenred's army that she and Morgause made immortal.
• Decomposite Character: Typically the knight responsible for finding the Holy Grail in older versions prior to being replaced by Galahad, this aspect was instead given to Arthur since he went searching for the Cup of Life. He also has no connection to the Fisher King, with that storyline also being given to Arthur and in a way Merlin.
• The Disease That Shall Not Be Named: Gaius offstage cures him of something that was NOT “palsy”. “I was being polite.”
• Dog Pile of Doom: Though he throws it off pretty quickly.
• 11th-Hour Ranger: He turns up in the last episode of series 3 and throws his lot in with Arthur.

• Even the Guys Want Him: Bradley James has freely admitted to having a man-crush on Tom Hopper.
• Friend to All Children: His Establishing Character Moment in the first episode of season 4 is to endanger his own life to save three frightened children by carrying them all to safety in his arms.

• Heterosexual Life-Partners: He's often seen with Gwaine, the two implied to have become close friends.

• Last Episode, New Character: He's introduced in the last episode of series 3, and made a regular for the rest of the show's duration.

• Mysterious Past: Very little about his past is revealed, except that Morgana was responsible for killing his family when her army attacked his village.
• One Head Taller: He towers over the rest of the characters.

• Pietà Plagiarism: In 4x02 he carries Merlin in this manner.
• Shirtless Scene: He finally gets an extended one in 5x01 and 5x02.
• Sleeves Are for Wimps: As seen above, most of the time his armour is sleeveless, the better to show off Tom Hopper's rather extraordinary biceps.
• The Quiet One: Rarely says more than he needs to. For example, when Arthur is asking the other knights to join him in retaking Camelot, Percival's simple response? "My enemies are your enemies."
• Unrelated in the Adaptation: He's not the son of Pellinore or the nephew of the Fisher King.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: A mild one, since it's the last episode, but Percival is last seen tracking Arthur and Merlin. He's back at Gwen's coronation, though.

Other

Merlin

See his page for more

Gaius

See this page for more

Mordred

See this page for more

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Camelot

Royalty

Queen Ygraine

Ygraine Pendragon

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 Sins of the Father and The Tears of Uther Pendragon Part I and II.

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• Adaptational Consent: In the original story Ygraine was originally married to Gorlois, and Arthur was conceived when 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.
• Back from the Dead: Very temporarily.
• Balancing Death's Books: The cause of her death; in order to conceive Arthur, Ygraine was doomed to die in giving birth to him.
• Dead Person Conversation: Thanks to Morgause's spell, Ygraine appears to Arthur to tell him the truth of his birth.
• Death by Childbirth: This was the price she had to pay in order to bring Arthur into the world.
• Deceased Parents Are the Best: 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.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She has gold hair, and a kind, caring nature.
• The High Queen: Was this during her lifetime, as Queen of Camelot.
• Innocent Blue Eyes: 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.
• The Lost Lenore: To Uther, whose death triggered his hatred of magic.
• Mysterious Parent: 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.
• Ojou Ringlets: She has the two prerequisite ringlets, one on either side of her face, denoting both innocence and social status.
• Plot-Triggering Death: Her death is the reason for the Great Purge, which informs practically everything that follows.
• Posthumous Character: She's dead long before the start of the show.
• Present Absence: 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.
• Proper Lady: What little we see of her, she comes across as very soft-spoken and feminine.
• Regal Ringlets: She has ringlets curled over her forehead, demonstrating her high status.
• Sacrificial Lamb: She dies as part of the deal Uther made with Nimeuh to ensure Arthur's birth.
• Strong Family Resemblance: The casting nailed this one. Arthur is the spitting image of his mother.

Lord Agravaine de Bois

Agravaine de Bois

Portrayed By: Nathaniel Parker

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.

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• Affably Evil: He can put up a veneer of courtly manners when required.
• Age Lift: He's decades older than Arthur due to being his uncle, while the version from the Legend was younger due to being his nephew.
• All Love Is Unrequited: He seems to have a thing for Morgana. She couldn't care less.
• Arc Villain: 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.
• Aristocrats Are Evil: Played very straight.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He pretends to be Arthur's loving uncle while secretly plotting against him.
• Black Cloak: He frequently wears one (which you think would be a giveaway as to his true allegiences).
• Bridal Carry: Carries Morgana like this when he finds her injured in the forest in 4x05.
• The Chessmaster: Agravaine is very scheming and cunning.
• Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: He wears black, as does Morgana. That pretty much sums it up.
• Consummate Liar: He can look his nephew in the eye and swear on his dead sister's life that he isn't betraying him. (He is).
• Cool Uncle: What Arthur sees him as.

• Dark Is Evil: His dark clothes are pretty much a dead giveaway as to who he's really loyal to.
• Devil in Plain Sight: He's managed to ingratiate himself at court and goes completely unsuspected by everyone except Merlin and Guinevere.
• Dirty Old Man: 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.
• The Dragon: To Morgana during season four.
• Evil Chancellor: Plays this role to Arthur, giving him bad advice concealed as genuine concern.
• Evil Is Not Well-Lit: He is first introduced stepping out of the shadows.
• Evil Uncle: To Arthur, as the treacherous brother of Arthur's mother Ygraine.
• Good Angel, Bad Angel: The Bad to Merlin's Good.
• Handsome Lech: A sinister version.
• Hidden Agenda Villain: 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 Deleted Scene reveals that he's in love with Morgana.
• Hidden Depths: The end of 4x06 reveals that his feelings for Morgana run deeper than than we'd been led to expect.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: Agravine is much more capable that Morgana as a manipulator and user of Xanatos Speed Chess. In fact, if it where not for devotion towards Morgana, he would be a much better villain.
• Ignored Enamoured Underling: He's besotted with Morgana, who treats him with thinly-veiled contempt.
• In Name Only: 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.

• Karmic Death: Especially since no one really cares that he's dead.
• Killed Off for Real: By Merlin, in a rather badass fashion.
• Love Martyr: His devotion to Morgana is rather inexplicable considering she holds him in utter contempt.
• Manipulative Bastard: Oh so much.
• Mean Character, Nice Actor: While Agravaine is a bad guy, Nathaniel Parker is just absolutely adorable. Just listen to his laugh in the bloopers.
• The Mole: He plays the role of Morgana's spy in Arthur's court.
• Obviously Evil: Painfully so.
• Oh, Crap!: A fairly priceless one when Gwaine catches him about to slit Gaius's throat.
• Treacherous Advisor: Often feeds Arthur bad intel and even worse advice on the orders of Morgana.
• Promotion to Opening Titles: As of 4x04 after Uther's death in 4x03, he's credited as a main cast member.
• Regent for Life: Played with. Though Arthur is more or less running Camelot, he appoints his uncle regent in his absence.
• Related Differently in the Adaptation: 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.
• Remember the New Guy?: The writers take advantage of a year's Time Skip 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.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Dies unmourned and unburied in an underground cavern.
• Shoo Out the New Guy: After being introduced at the start of series 4 and 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 his death scene is all about Merlin.

• Thicker Than Water: Arthur's reason for trusting him so implicitly.
• Toxic Friend Influence: On Arthur.
• Unrelated in the Adaptation: He's Arthur's uncle through his mother in this version and he has no relation to Morgana, Morgause, Mordred or Gwaine.

• What Measure Is a Mook?: His Plot Armour eventually fails him, and he is killed alongside a bunch of Faceless Mooks.
• Xanatos Speed Chess: Especially throughout 4x6.

Knights

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.

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• Age Lift: He's seemingly the same age as Arthur.
• Demoted to Extra: A fairly significant character in the Arthurian Legend, Owain is reduced to a minor character killed by the Villain of the Week.
• Unrelated in the Adaptation: He's not the son of Morgana or the nephew of Arthur in this version. Though this is Truth in Television since this relation was first included in Le Morte d'Arthur and no connection was made between the two prior to this.

Pellinore

Pellinore

Portrayed By: Sean Francis

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

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• Adaptational Backstory Change: Has been changed from a king and ally of Arthur to just a knight of Camelot.
• Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: He had a rivalry of sorts with Arthur in the Legend, but here he is simply one of his knights.
• Demoted to Extra: A fairly significant character in the Arthurian Legend, Pellinore is reduced to a minor character killed by the 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.
• Race Lift: Is played by a black actor.
• Unrelated in the Adaptation: He's not the father of Percival in this version and he isn't the brother of the Fisher King.

Bedivere

Bedivere

Portrayed By: Unknown

A knight killed by the Questing Beast.

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• Decomposite Character: His role of throwing Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake after Arthur's death is given to Merlin.
• Demoted to Extra: 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 Monster of the Week.

Other

The Great Dragon

Kilgharrah

Voiced By: John Hurt

"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.

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• Androcles' Lion: Inverted - he befriends Merlin and guides him.
• Anti-Villain: Until his Heel–Face Turn, as he has very good reason to despise Uther.
• Audience Surrogate: 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.
• Because Destiny Says So: Practically his motto.
• Big Bad: The final episode of series two.
• Big Brother Instinct: 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.
• Big Damn Heroes: Comes to Merlin's rescue in The Tears of Uther Pendragon Part I, then again in The Darkest Hour Part II.
• Breath Weapon: He shoots fire from his mouth, mostly as a defence weapon.
• Characterization Marches On: 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.
• Demoted to Extra: In Series 5. With good reason, as he is dying of old age.
• Eccentric Mentor: For the first few episodes he would always talk to Merlin in riddles.
• Figure It Out Yourself: 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.

• Heel–Face Turn: When Merlin spares him despite his rampage on Camelot, the Dragon becomes a nicer though still cynical person.
• It Has Been an Honour: In 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.
• It's All About Me: 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.
• Karma Houdini: He was never really punished for his rampage on Camelot: merely banished on pain of death by Merlin.
• Last of His Kind: Not anymore due to the hatching of Aithusa.

• Morally Ambiguous Mentor: Often counsels Merlin to Shoot the Dog. Also see Treacherous Advisor.
• Mr. Exposition: Shares this trope with Gaius
• No Name Given: For the first two series at least. In the last episode of series 2, he was identified as "Kilgharrah" for the first time.
• Not So Omniscient After All: 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? Never happened.
• Omniscient Morality Licence: 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 Not So Omniscient After All, this is not entirely a surprise; more than a few of his pieces of advice to Merlin have severely adverse consequences - including causing the Face–Heel Turn of both Morgana and Mordred.

• Our Dragons Are Different: Can talk perform magic, have incredibly long life spans and be controlled by Dragonlords.
• Really 700 Years Old: He's at least a thousand years old, and claims to have seen civilizations rise and fall. Although he's about to die of old age when the series end.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: 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.
• Sapient Steed: Whenever Merlin hitches a ride.
• Secretly Dying: Although the secret's out in The Kindness of Strangers.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Mixed with Unwitting Instigator of Doom. 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.
• Seen It All: 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.
• Treacherous Advisor: Betrays Merlin twice, both by having him almost kill his mom, and then attacking Camelot after he was freed.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His prophecies sometimes have a self-fulfilling element to them, arguably causing/accelerating the falls of Morgana and Mordred to evil.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Merlin calls him out on some of his morally questionable decisions.
  • In 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.
• Would Hurt a Child: At least by omission: he tries to prevent Merlin from saving Mordred, when Mordred was a little kid and still very innocent.

Geoffrey of Monmouth

Geoffrey

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.

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• Awesome Moment of Crowning: He's usually present, considering he's the one who officiates over them.
• Bit Character: He turns up sporadically across the first four seasons, usually to drop some minor exposition.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He disappears completely after 4x02.
• Cool Old Guy: In all his appearances he comes across as reasonable and helpful.
• Ermine Cape Effect: He's nicely dressed in expensive fur-lined robes.
• Mr. Exposition: Usually when Gaius is unavailable for some reason.
• Mythology Gag: 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.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: He's a nice enough guy, who is important enough to sit on a council of the kingdom's decison-makers.
• Spooky Silent Library: He works in one.

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 The Mark of Nimueh and To Kill The King.

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• Adaptational Backstory Change: 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.
• Adaptational Job Change: His inspirations were a king and a knight, while he's nothing more than a blacksmith instead of a king.
• Adaptation Name Change: Guinevere's father is usually named Leodegrance, while in older Welsh legends he's named Ogyruan. Meanwhile Elyan's father is Bors the Younger.
• Black Guy Dies First: Averted and then played straight. He survives his first appearance, only to be killed by castle guards in his second.
• The Blacksmith: And a pretty darn cool one, since he forged Excalibur.
• Composite Character: 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.
• Forgotten Fallen Friend: 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.
• Killed Off for Real: Is executed on Uther's orders in To Kill The King.
• Only One Name: As with Guinevere, he's not given a second name.
• Mystical Plague: But is healed by Merlin.
• Sacrificial Lion: The first reoccurring character to get killed off.
• Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: He's killed off in the second episode he appears in.
• Unwitting Pawn: To Tauren, who was using his blacksmithing skills to experiment with alchemy.

Allies

Ealdor

Hunith

Hunith

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) older brother Gaius. She appears in The Dragon's Call, The Moment of Truth, Le Mort d'Arthur and The Sword in the Stone Part I.

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• Action Mom: She joins in the rest of the Ealdor villagers when defending their home from bandits.
• Back for the Finale: In series four.
• Berserk Button: To Merlin. Nothing gets him more riled or dangerous than if someone threatens his mother.
• Bring Help Back: In 1x10.
• Give Him a Normal Life: 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.
• Good Parent
• Let's Get Dangerous!: When her village is attacked by bandits, she insists that she's going to fight or die trying.
• Mama Bear: Towards Merlin of course. She's highly protective of him.
• The Ojou: Hunith is very kind, gentle, polite, maternal and soft spoken, despite not coming from wealth.
• Only One Name: Given that most non-royalty only had one name, this is Truth in Television. Certainly, if she does have a second name, it's never mentioned.
• Open-Minded Parent: She's very easy-going about the fact Merlin has magic, she just wants him to remain safe from harm.
• Parents in Distress: 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.
• The Pollyanna: Hunith has a very hopeful and optimistic nature. Seems that Merlin inherited that trait.
• Separated-at-Birth Casting: It's easy enough to buy her as Merlin's mother.
• Shipper on Deck: She seems to be a huge Arthur/Merlin shipper.
• So Proud of You: Says this ad verbatim at the end of The Moment of Truth.
• Team Mom: She appears to be maternal to everyone, including Arthur and Gwen.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: 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).

Will

Will

Portrayed By: Joe Dempsie

"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 Childhood Friend 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 The Moment of Truth.

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• Back-to-Back Badasses: With Merlin.
• Childhood Friends: With Merlin.
• The Complainer Is Always Wrong: 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.
• Forgotten Fallen Friend: He's never mentioned again after his one and only episode.
• Heroic Sacrifice: He takes a bullet (or rather, an arrow) meant for Arthur.
• Man Hug: With Merlin when he returns to Ealdor.
• Muggle Best Friend: Is Merlin's Childhood Friend who knows about his magic despite having none himself.
• Sacrificial Lamb: A semi-important character who dies heroically in defence of Arthur's life.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: On realizing that his village stands little chance of winning against the bandits, only to...
  • Changed My Mind, Kid: ... inevitably come back just in the nick of time.
• Secret-Keeper: 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.
• Unlucky Childhood Friend: In the platonic sense. (Maybe).

Other

Balinor

Balinor

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 The Last Dragonlord and The Diamond of the Day Part I.

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• Action Dad: He's quick to jump into combat situations if necessary.
• Back for the Finale: In the Grand Finale to instruct Merlin about the nature of his magic.
• Badass Longcoat: He wears one of these, which also has a practical purpose given his rough lifestyle.
• Barbarian Longhair: Having lived rough in the forest for many years, his hair has grown long.
• Beard of Sorrow: 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.
• The Beastmaster: 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 last Dragonlord in existence.
• Changed My Mind, Kid: After first rejecting Merlin's claims, he ends up following him and Arthur and trying to help.
• Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: 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.
• Disappeared Dad: Balinor was not aware of Merlin's existence till 2x13.
• Final Speech: He manages to impart some last words to Merlin about the nature of dragons.
• Functional Magic: Of the Language of Magic type — he chants a spell, and things happen.
• Healing Hands: He's able to heal Arthur's wound, even when Merlin himself couldn't.
• The Hermit: He'd been living by himself when Merlin and Arthur found him.
• I Have No Son!: Balinor says this to Merlin almost word for word in 2x13. He later discovers that Merlin is his son.
• In the Blood: Balinor says that the Dragonlord powers are a sacred gift which are passed down in the lineage from father to son.
• Jerkass Has a Point: 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.
• Killed Off for Real: He dies saving Merlin's life.
• The Last of His Kind: At least until he dies, at which point Merlin inherits his powers.
• Lineage Comes from the Father: Merlin's Dragonlord abilities have been passed onto him from Balinor.
• Long-Lost Relative: To Merlin, who is his long lost son.
• Luke, You Are My Father: Merlin has to tell Balinor that he's his son. He had no idea that Hunith was even pregnant when he left Ealdor.
• Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: He is a loner and isolated from others but Balinor essentially has a good heart and good intentions.
• Nature Hero: He lives as a hermit in the wilderness and gathers ingredients from nature for his spells.
• Negated Moment of Awesome: 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.
• No Social Skills: Before he met Merlin, Balinor was very anti-social and hated everyone.
• Only One Name: Like Merlin, we never learn of any last name.
• Summon Magic: Balinor was a Dragonlord, therefore, summoning dragons was needed in order to tame them.
• Taking the Bullet: For Merlin.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Balinor ends up dying in the same episode that he is introduced.

Freya

Freya

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 The Lady of the Lake, The Coming of Arthur Part II and The Diamond of the Day Part II. ^note Or at least her arm does

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• Adaptational Heroism: 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.
• Adaptational Name Change: The Lady of the Lake has many names in the Legend, but has never had the name Freya before.

• Back for the Finale: Of series three and five.
• Beauty Equals Goodness: Although she was cursed, Freya was a kind and good-hearted individual.
• Beauty to Beast: 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.
• Birds of a Feather: 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.

• Break His Heart to Save Him: Freya runs away so that Merlin doesn't lose his chance at a good life in Camelot.

• Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: 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.
• Cannot Spit It Out: Freya has a hard time expressing how she's feeling about everything basically.
• Chekhov's Gunman: She returns at the end of Season 3 in order to deliver Excalibur into Merlin's hands so that he can defeat the immortal army.
• The Cutie: Freya is very endearing.
• Dark and Troubled Past: 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.
• Dark Secret: Freya is cursed to turn into a Bastet, which is a winged panther.
• Decomposite Character:
  • 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.

• Disproportionate Retribution: 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.

• The Dulcinea Effect: 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.

• Emotionless Girl: Freya appears this way at first, but it turns out the reason for this is because Freya is hiding a deep, dark secret.
• Enigmatic Empowering Entity: In her second appearance. Freya becomes the Lady of The Lake and returns as a spirit to deliver Excalibur into Merlin's hands.
• First Love: For Merlin. Merlin fell hard for Freya, so much so that he wanted to run away with her and choose her over his destiny.
• Giant Flyer: In her winged panther form.

• Hero's Muse: For Merlin. Freya eventually becomes The Lady Of The Lake and assists Merlin, her First Love and The Hero, on his journey and his quests by retrieving Excalibur for Merlin whenever he or Arthur needs it.
• Hidden Depths: 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.

• Involuntary Shapeshifting: She transforms into a giant winged panther at the stroke of midnight.
• I Am a Monster: Freya thinks of herself as this.
• I Just Want to Be Normal: Which is understandable considering that she had her free will and her humanity taken away from her against her will.
• I Just Want to Have Friends: It was pretty obvious that Freya was lonely and yearned for love and friendship. Merlin gave that to her.
• Kill the Cutie: She's nice, sweet, and gentle. Guess what happens?

• The Lost Lenore: She's this for Merlin.
• Love at First Sight: With Merlin.
• Love Interest: For Merlin. Turns out that Freya is 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.

• Love Redeems: She's not evil, but Freya says that Merlin's love for her saved her in more than one way.

• Meaningful Look/Longing Look: Shares these with Merlin.
• Meaningful Name: 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, ''where half of those that die in battle go upon death.''
• Mix-and-Match Critter: Freya in her Bastet form has a panther's body and bat wings.
• Mysterious Waif: Very little is known about her background.
• One-Shot Character: With the exception of a cameo in Season 3.
• The One That Got Away: She represents this for Merlin.

• Panthera Awesome: The Bastet form.
• The Promise: Freya to Merlin: "Someday I will repay you." She does once she becomes the Lady of the Lake.
• Rescue Romance: With Merlin. Merlin rescues Freya from being captured as a slave.
• Satellite Love Interest: She gets one scene in which she's permitted to share details of her past (and even that is more of a Mythology Gag that establishes her affinity for lakes), the rest of the time she only exists so that Merlin can be her 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 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!
• Secret Identity: Freya was the Bastet, but nobody knew that at first.
• Secret-Keeper: One of the few characters who knew about Merlin's magic and secret identity.
• Secret Relationship: With Merlin. Nobody knew that Merlin was in love with Freya, not even Gaius.
• Shrinking Violet: Freya comes off as really shy and introverted.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: 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.
• So Happy Together: With Merlin. Sadly, it doesn't last.
• Spirit Advisor: For Merlin. Freya becomes the Lady of the Lake who will help Merlin.
• Starcrossed Lovers: With Merlin.
  • Her romance with Merlin was implied to have been known or destined according to the Fisher King in 3x08.
• The Quiet One: Doesn't talk very much, and when it does, it's often in a whisper.

• We Hardly Knew Ye: Dies after one episode.
• When the Clock Strikes Twelve: Freya turns into a Bastet.
• The X of Y: Freya as The Lady of the Lake.

Alice

Alice

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 Love In The Time of Dragons.

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• Bittersweet Ending: She escapes with her life, but she and Gaius are parted - presumably for good.
• Cute Witch: So what if she's over sixty? Look at her! She's still adorable.
• Healing Hands: It's stated that she has a gift for healing.
• Informed Ability: 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.
• The Medic: Her chosen career in life. though it's something of an Informed Ability.
• Mind-Control Eyes: When under the control of the Manticore, her eyes appear as totally black.
• New Old Flame: To Gaius.
• Pet Monstrosity: The Manticore.
• December–December Romance: With Gaius.

Gilli

Gilli

Portrayed By: Harry Melling

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

A young man with a Ring of Power who arrives in Camelot in search of honour and glory. After befriending Merlin, he goes through a surprisingly complex Story Arc over the course of his single episode appearance. He appeared in The Sorcerer's Shadow.

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• A Real Man Is a Killer: Suffers from this delusion. When he actually goes through with killing someone, he finds it's not at all to his liking.
• Broken Pedestal: 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.
• Casting Gag: Harry Melling is best known as playing a magic-fearing Muggle in the Harry Potter films.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: 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.
• I Just Want to Be Special: The second half of his motivation, in wanting to make a name for himself.
• It's All About Me: Zig-Zagging Trope. He makes plenty of decisions over the course of the episode, both selfish and unselfish.
• Magic Ring: This is the source of his abilities.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After killing Nollar.
• Secret-Keeper: To Merlin.
• Tears of Remorse: When Merlin demonstrates his magical powers to him.

Alator

Alator

Portrayed By: Gary Lewis

A High Priest 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 The Secret Sharer and The Kindness of Strangers.

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• The Atoner: He refers to his days as a torturer as "not something to be proud of" in his second appearance.
• Badass Long Robe: Wears a long robe that swishes dramatically as he walks.
• Bald Mystic: He's a bald, powerful wizard. Overlaps with Chrome Dome Psi because he specializes in mind control and psychic torture, but his ability is portrayed as more magical than an innate psychic power.
• The Bus Came Back: He returns in The Kindness of Strangers...
  • Back for the Dead: ... only to be killed by Morgana.
• Defiant to the End: Refuses to assist Morgana in her schemes right up until her death.
• Evil Sorcerer: Subverted. He's introduced as a sinister threat to Merlin, only to reveal himself as loyal to Emrys.
• Face Death with Dignity: 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.
• Heel–Face Turn: Sort of. He's actually a fairly neutral character, though we're initially led to believe that he's an Evil Sorcerer in league with Morgana. On finding out that Merlin is the mysterious Emrys, he declares his loyalty to him.
• High Priest: Identifies as the High Priest of a sect of wizards that specializes in mind control.
• Kneel Before Frodo: Or in this case, Merlin.
• Magic Staff: One of the few magical users on the show to wield a staff that doubles as a walking stick.
• Neck Snap: How Morgana kills him.
• Not Afraid to Die: Explicitly so.
• Playing with Fire: He can conjure up magical fireballs.
• Purple Is Powerful: He wears purple robes.
• Secret-Keeper: One of the few who discovers Merlin's secret and survives to keep it (at least until his second appearance).
• Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: His second appearance on the show ends with his death.
• Surprisingly Sudden Death: Morgana unceremoniously snaps his neck with magic.
• Torture Technician: Morgana hires him to extract information from Gaius.
• Violent Glaswegian: This goes without saying considering he's a Warrior Monk played by Scotsman Gary Lewis.
• Warrior Monk: He's a deeply religious man who also knows how to defend himself.
• We Will Meet Again: To Merlin. Inverted in that he doesn't mean it as a threat. And then subverted considering they never do.
• You Are Not Alone: Says this to Merlin.

Tristan and Isolde

Tristan and Isolde

Portrayed By: Ben Daniels and Miranda Raison

"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 The Sword in the Stone Part I and II.

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• Action Girl: Isolde fluctuates between this and a Faux Action Girl before being Killed Off for Real.
• Back-to-Back Badasses: See picture.
• Badass Longcoat: Tristan wears one.
• Battle Couple: They go into battle together and fight in tandem.
• Beta Couple: They serve as the catalyst for getting Arthur and Gwen back together..
• Cheshire Cat Grins: Each of them have rather unsettling smiles.
• The Cynic: Tristan.
• 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 Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).
• Good Bad Girl: Isolde, an outlaw and smuggler who still does the right thing when called upon.
• In Name Only: 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 Outlaw Couple.
• Lovable Rogues: They give this vibe.
• Outlaw Couple: They're a couple of smugglers who live outside the law.
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Comparatively speaking.
• Unexpected Characters: All things considered, their appearance in the show was a bit random.
• Vasquez Always Dies: Isolde.

Royalty

King Bayard

Bayard

Portrayed By: Clive Russell

The King of Mercia. He is falsely accused of trying to poison Arthur as part of an Evil Plan devised by Nimueh. He appeared in The Poisoned Chalice.

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• Clear My Name: Nimueh frames him for the crime of poisoning Arthur's wine goblet.
• Colour Coded Armies: He and the knights of Mercia wear blue, to contrast with the red-cloaked men of Camelot.
• Flat Character: We don't really learn much about him; he's just a pawn in Nimueh's plot.
• Frameup: Thanks to Nimueh.
• Honour Before Reason: He's prepared to drink from a (supposedly) poisoned goblet in order to prove his own innocence.
• The Good King: From what we see of him, there's no reason to believe he's not a fair and just ruler.
• One-Shot Character: Presumably one of the kings of the Five Kingdoms; this is his first and only appearance.
• Peace Conference: Attending this is the reason for him being in Camelot.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: He defends himself after being framed, but choses not to take the slight too far.
• Unwitting Pawn: Nimeuh uses his gesture of presenting matching goblets to Uther and Arthur against him.

King Odin

Odin

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 The Once And Future Queen and Another's Sorrow.

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• The Bus Came Back: In one of the most surprising displays of Continuity this show has ever done, Odin returns forty-one episodes after he was last seen to finish off a Story Arc that had lay dormant for three seasons.
• Cycle of Revenge: 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 Another's Sorrow.
• Duel to the Death: How his son was killed.
• Feuding Families: With the Pendragons.
• It's Personal: Subverted in that it's the villain who wants revenge on the hero.
• Meaningful Name: Named after the Norse God of War.
• Misplaced Retribution: 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.
• Revenge Myopia: Odin wants Arthur dead because he killed his son; but Arthur claims that he was just defending himself.
• Small Role, Big Impact: 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.
• Sympathetic Murderer: 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.
• You Killed My Father: Inverted. This is a father seeking revenge for his son.

King Olaf

Olaf

Portrayed By: Mark Lewis Jones

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 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 Sweet Dreams.

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• Boisterous Bruiser: He's quick to anger and fights his own battles.
• Bruiser with a Soft Centre: 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.
• Boyfriend-Blocking Dad: Even without Vivian acting strangely under the Love Potion, he's hypersensitive to anyone paying untoward attention to her. This is precisely what King Alined is counting on when he sets up his Batman Gambit.
• Duel to the Death: Challenges Arthur to one.
• Easily Forgiven: After spending the entire episode rampaging over his daughter's virtue, Arthur brings their duel to a close and Olaf becomes entirely amiable.
• Flaw Exploitation: His protectiveness of Vivian is exploited by King Alined.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: The mere suspicion of an insult will have him reaching for the nearest weapon.
• My Girl Is Not a Slut: In front of everyone, he calls Vivian "an innocent girl!" His daughter's reaction to this indicates that she's probably not.
• Papa Wolf: See above. No one, real or imagined, messes with his daughter.
• Throwing Down the Gauntlet: Literally.
• Unwitting Pawn: Alined takes advantage of his love for his daughter to cause discord at the peace summit.
• You Are Grounded!: A variation. Vivian is being taken home, presumably for good.

Lady Vivian

Vivian

Portrayed By: Georgia Moffett

"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 Doting Dad. She appeared in Sweet Dreams.

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• Alpha Bitch: She has no problem insulting Guinevere to her face.
• Beauty Is Bad: As noted by Arthur, she's very beautiful but her manners are appalling.
• Bratty Teenage Daughter
• Daddy's Girl: She clearly has her father wrapped around her little finger, as he's a Boyfriend-Blocking Dad that otherwise indulges her every whim.
• The Ditz: Whilst under a spell.
• I Kiss Your Hand: Uther does this on greeting her.
• Kissing Under the Influence: Once she's put under the love spell.
• Large Ham: Georgia Moffett chews the scenery like there's no tomorrow.
• Love Potion: Is the (permanent) victim of one.
• Missing Mom: Her mother is unaccounted for and presumed dead.
• Rich Bitch: And how! She's rude and unpleasant at every possible opportunity.
• Royal Brat: Though she's referred to as a "lady" instead of a "princess", her father is definitely a king, and she's definitely a brat.
• Satellite Love Interest: Deliberately an Invoked Trope, being a Royal Brat who only exists to flounce around in pretty clothes. She and Arthur are put under a Love Spell that makes them act like Sickening Sweethearts, much to the bafflement of everyone else.
• Sickening Sweethearts: With Arthur.
• Spoiled Brat: It's obvious that her father has given her free rein to do whatever she wants.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Informed Attribute. 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.
• Well, Excuse Me, Princess!: At the beginning and end of the episode, when he's not under the love spell, this is Arthur's attitude toward her.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Last we see of her, she's being carted off by her father. For all we know, she's still under the love spell, pining for Arthur.

Princess Elena

Elena

Portrayed By: Georgia King

"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 The Changeling.

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• All Girls Like Ponies: She has a great love of horses, and being an accomplished rider is one of the few things the Sidhe curse hasn't affected.
• Arranged Marriage: Godwyn and Uther organize one between her and Arthur.
• Bizarre Taste in Food: She eats live frogs and seems to thoroughly enjoy it.
• Bonding over Missing Parents: She and Arthur do this over their Missing Moms.
• Changeling Tale: Averted. Despite being in an episode called The Changeling, her condition is more akin to Demonic Possession than Switched at Birth.
• Cute Clumsy Girl: As she's introduced to Arthur for the first time, she immediately falls over her own feet.
• Daddy's Girl: Her father clearly adores her, and she him.
• Disposable Fiancé: Of the "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" variety.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold
• I Kiss Your Hand: Arthur does this as they farewell each other.
• Jabba Table Manners: Another Sidhe side-effect.
• Meaningful Name: Averted. Sure it sounds a lot like Elaine, but she never meets Lancelot.
• Messy Hair: As seen in her page image, her unkempt appearance is an indicator of her Sidhe possession.
• Satellite Love Interest: Subverted. She is brought to Camelot to join in an Arranged Marriage 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 Unwitting Pawn in The Fair Folks' attempt to take over Camelot.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: Once the pesky Sidhe is gone.
• Tomboy Princess: Subversion. All her tomboyish qualities are brought on by the Sidhe living inside her. Once it's gone, she's more like a Princess Classic.
  • Though she has a genuine love of horseback riding, which was never a Sidhe trait.
• invoked Unnecessary Makeover: 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, 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."
• Unwitting Pawn: To the Sidhe.

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 Arranged Marriage between their children. He appeared in The Changeling.

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• Cool Old Guy: An elderly man who doesn't seem too fussed by his daughter calling off her Arranged Marriage.
• Doting Parent: 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.
• Man Hug: With Uther
• Nice Guy: He's polite, kind, and just comes across as an all-round decent guy.
• Open-Minded Parent: When Arthur and Elena decide not to get married, he respects their decision with no drama.

Fisher King

Fisher King

Portrayed By: Donald Sumpter

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 The Eye of the Phoenix.

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• Adapted Out: 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.
• Age Lift: 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.
• Ancient Keeper: Is an immortal who has been waiting for Merlin to arrive so he can give him the vial of Avalon water.
• Elderly Immortal: It's implied that he's continued to live far beyond a normal human life span but appears as an old man.
• Mercy Kill: Asks Merlin to give him Morgana's bracelet in return for the vial of Avalon water, which allows him to finally die.
• Mysterious Past: 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.
• The Nameless: Is only known as the Fisher King and isn't given a name.
• Precursor Hero: 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.
• Unrelated in the Adaptation: He isn't the brother of Pellinore or the uncle of Percival in this version.

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 His Father's Son.

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• Bit Part Bad Guy: He only gets one scene in which he's caught trespassing on Camelot territory and promptly executed for his crime.
• Face Death with Dignity: He demonstrates not the slightest bit of fear when Arthur threatens to execute him — in fact, Arthur seems more perturbed about the whole thing.
• Honour Before Reason: Faced with a choice between signing a peace treaty and getting his head cut off, he chooses death.
• Idiot Ball: He practically grabs Arthur's sword and cuts his own head off.
• King Incognito: For a while, at least until Agravaine notices his medallion.
• Off with His Head!: How he dies at Arthur's hands.

Queen Annis

Annis

Portrayed By: Lindsay Duncan

"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 His Father's Son and Arthur's Bane Part I.

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• Apron Matron: A Cool Old Lady who commands unquestioning loyalty from her people.
• Badass Normal: She has no magical or sword-fighting abilities whatsoever, but is always in complete control of any given situation.
• Blood Knight: Gender Flipped and subverted when Arthur convinces her to declare peace.
• The Cameo: Appears briefly in 5x01 to grant safe passage to Arthur and his knights.
• Crusading Widow: Briefly wanted vengeance for her husband's death at Arthur's hands.
• Ermine Cape Effect: She wears a fur cloak around her shoulders.
• Evil Matriarch: 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.
• Fiery Redhead: 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.
• The High Queen: 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).
• Modest Royalty: Despite a fur cloak, she wears relatively practical and non-ornamental clothing.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Played with.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Delivers a particularly brutal one to Morgana, when she gives a "Not So Different" Remark 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.
• Proud Warrior Race: Her kingdom seems to be full of staunch, stoic, fur-clad warriors.

Princess Mithian

Mithian

Portrayed By: Janet Montgomery

"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 The Hunter's Heart and Another's Sorrow.

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• All Love Is Unrequited: Even by the end of Another's Sorrow, it appears that she still has a little bit of a crush on Arthur.
• Amicable Exes: With Arthur.
• Beauty Equals Goodness: She's a classic beauty with fair skin, and a genuinely lovely person.
• Big Entrance: She certainly makes an impression when she first arrives in Camelot.
• Birds of a Feather: With Arthur, a deliberate contrast to the Opposites Attract relationship he has with Guinevere.
• Bridal Carry: Leon carries her like this when she faints outside the castle.
• Burping Contest: When Merlin magically forces Arthur to burp repeatedly in front of her in an effort to turn her off and sink the ship, she instead interprets it as a challenge and happily fires back with an enormous belch of her own.
• Costume Porn: Her gold and white gowns.
• Decoy Damsel: Though she's coerced into luring Arthur into a trap after her father is taken hostage.
• Die for Our Ship: 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.
• Disposable Fiancé: Again, of the "Let's call it off" variety.
• Damsel in Distress: In her second appearance, her kingdom is overthrown and she's taken hostage by Morgana.
• Dramatic Unmask: Or rather, "unveil".
• Ermine Cape Effect: 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) Arranged Marriage with King Arthur - indeed, even down to the Raven Hair, Ivory Skin.
• Fainting: Of exhaustion in 5x04.
• Graceful Loser: She handles rejection well.
• Honey Trap: In 5x04, though more in the capacity of a Damsel in Distress than a Femme Fatale.
• Hourglass Plot: A slight one with Guinevere. They completely switch roles between The Hunter's Heart and Another's Sorrow.
• Impractically Fancy Outfit: She travels in a white fur coat and goes hunting in a gold silk dress.
• Minor Flaw, Major Breakup: 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.
• Mysterious Veil: On her first visit to Camelot she wears a veil, all the better for a Dramatic Unmasking.
• Nice Girl: 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.
• Nice to the Waiter: Somewhat ironically considering Merlin often complains about his treatment at the hands of nobles - but when this one is actually nice to him, 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.
• Politically-Active Princess: 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.
• Princess Classic: She looks, sounds and behaves like the quintessential fairytale princess, with one striking subversion: she Does Not Get The Guy.
• Princesses Rule: 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.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: At least in Another's Sorrow, in which Mithian's hair seems to be several shades darker than it was in The Hunter's Heart.
• Requisite Royal Regalia: She wears a coronet throughout The Hunter's Heart.
• Romantic False Lead: Briefly with Arthur, the two being royalty, Birds of a Feather, and set for an Arranged Marriage. He eventually rejects her for Gwen, though they remain on good terms.
• Romantic Runner-Up: In many ways she's better suited to Arthur than Guinevere, but the latter is his preferred choice.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: 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.
• Pretty in Mink: Wore a long white fur coat◊ when she arrived in Camelot.
• Proper Lady: She's well-mannered, well-groomed, and always impeccably polite.
• Satellite Love Interest: Notably subverted. She is brought to Camelot to join in an Arranged Marriage 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 Love Interest to Arthur, she was also a three-dimensional character who ended up being popular enough to return to the show in the next season.
• The Smart Girl: 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.
• Unknown Rival: She and Guinevere never meet.
  • They do eventually meet in 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.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: 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.
• What Does He See in Her?: She's flabbergasted when Arthur forsakes her for the blacksmith's daughter, though also seems rather impressed by his devotion.
• Woman Scorned: 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.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: 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 The Hunter's Heart acting like (and being treated as) the sole Romantic Love Interest, only to eventually learn she was the Romantic False Lead all along. Exit stage left.

King Rodor

Rodor

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 Another's Sorrow.

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• Cool Old Guy: He's definitely getting on in years, but has a chill personality and able to crack jokes under pressure.
• Distressed Dude: Morgana takes him hostage to lure Arthur out of Camelot.
• The Good King: He comes across as kindly and just.
• I Have Your Wife: Father in this case, Morgana uses this ploy on Mithian.
• I Will Only Slow You Down: Though the unanimous response is "not a chance".
• Living MacGuffin: What his role amounts to.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: He's a Nice Guy who commands respect and at one point orders the others to leave him behind as I Will Only Slow You Down.
• Still Got It: A variation; see his quote.

King Lot

Lot

Portrayed By: N/A

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

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• Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: He has nothing to do with Morgause or any of the characters he has a relationship with in the Legend.
• Demoted to Extra: He's demoted to being name dropped, despite being a fairly important character in the Arthurian Legend.
• The Ghost: Is only mentioned once in series 4.
• Unrelated in the Adaptation: He's not the father of Gwaine or Agravaine in this version.

Villains

Main Villains

Nimueh

Nimueh

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 The Mark of Nimueh, The Poisoned Chalice, Excalibur and Le Mort d'Arthur.

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• Arc Villain: In Series 1, where she would cook up various plans to get revenge of Uther.
• Badass Boast: She uses threats towards her opponents to scare them off and let them know just how powerful she truly is.
• Balancing Death's Books: 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.
• Best Served Cold: She waits twenty years to take her revenge on Uther.
• Big Bad: In Season 1.
• Black Magic: Seemed to practice dark magic the most.
• Breakout Villain: She was only suppose to be a one-shot villain but the production team liked the character enough to give her a bigger role.
• The Chessmaster: 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.
• Composite Character: 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 Bed Trick she used magic on Ygraine so she could conceive Arthur).
• Court Mage: It's implied that she was this for Uther, until her magic caused Ygraine's death and Uther to declare war on magic.
• Curbstomp Battle: Her 'duel' with Merlin is ridiculously one-sided - she No Sells 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.
• Deal with the Devil: Merlin makes a deal with her in Le Mort d'Arthur.
• Decoy Damsel: In The Poisoned Chalice.
• The Dreaded: Uther hates sorcerers with a passion - but he fears Nimueh. And with good reason, as it turns out.
• Evil Sorceress: She's an exceptionally powerful one at that, curbstomping Merlin before he taps into the full depth of his powers.

• Ice Queen: Nimueh is very icy, and doesn't show emotion most of the time - though she does in episode 9.
• In the Hood: In Excalibur.
• Killed Off for Real: By Merlin, in the most badass way ever.
• Lady of Black Magic: A very elegant witch.
• Older Than They Look: She was a High Priestess 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.
• Playing with Fire: She throws a fireball in Le Mort d'Arthur.
• Seen It All: Her response when Gaius comes to her to offer his life in exchange for Merlin's.
• Starter Villain: Quite powerful and gives Merlin quite a bit of grief but she's dispatched quite quickly compared to her successors.
• Tampering with Food and Drink: Inverted in the The Poisoned Chalice, in that it is the chalice that is poisoned, not the drink.
• Too Dumb to Live: 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 Berserk Button 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 Crowning Moment of Awesome in the entire show.
• Unknown Rival: 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 Decoy Damsel 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.
• Water Source Tampering: In The Mark of Nimueh to create a Mystical Plague.
• We Can Rule Together: She tries this with Merlin. It doesn't work.
• We Used to Be Friends: With Uther, believe it or not.
• Vain Sorceress: 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.

Mordred

Mordred

Portrayed By: Asa Butterfield & Alexander Vlahos

"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 Mordred and Morgana will be united in evil. He appears in the first, second and fifth series.

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• Adaptational Badass: He has magic powers in this version, while in most versions of the Legend he's just an ordinary knight.
• Ambiguously Evil: As a child. Later, he becomes more heroic, then falls into darkness.
• Arch-Enemy: He's prophesised to be Arthur's enemy and killer.
• Badass Cape: When Mordred became a knight.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: 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.
• Beware the Quiet Ones: 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.
• Big Bad: Eventually.
• Big Brother Worship: 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.
• Broken Pedestal: 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 has his beloved hanged. He considers the knights friends, and they let him down when he needed them the most.
• The Bus Came Back: He's been recast for series five.
• Child Mage: He's about eight when he first turns up.
• Child Prodigy: He's a very powerful mage even as a child.
• Children Forced to Kill: In his second appearance - though he doesn't seem all that bothered by it.
• The Chosen One: 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. He succeeds at the cost of his own life.
• Creepy Blue Eyes: His unblinking gray-blue eyes when he is a child can be quite unsettling.
• Creepy Child: As a child, he kills with a disquieting smirk.
• Cute Bruiser: As a child, he was a Druid with great strength and power.

• Dark and Troubled Past: His father, or at least his guardian, was killed while he was injured and sentenced to death; he saw his village destroyed; he was hunted down and forced to kill, and after the Time Skip 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.
• Deliberately Cute Child: Cultivates this impression.
• Designated Villain: 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.
• The Dreaded: To Merlin, who believes that he'll one day kill Arthur. Which he does, but only because the entire situation was a twisted Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.

• Evil Costume Switch: 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.
• Evil Counterpart: To Merlin. They are both born having powerful magic with grand destinies who are 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. 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.
• Evil Sorcerer: 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.
• Freudian Excuse: 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 Alvarr; then Merlin, someone he considers sort of an ally, sides with Camelot instead. Three episodes, and he already has a hell of a Freudian Excuse for the day he will be the Big Bad.
  • And now the girl he loved gets killed on Arthur's orders.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: 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.
• Future Badass: Mordred is nothing but a small and unsignificant Druid boy when first introduced, but he's destined to kill Arthur.
• Glass-Shattering Sound: Mordred's screaming is so powerful that it has literally broken and shattered a glass mirror.
• Heartwarming Orphan: Subverted. He did have traces of it at the start, but at the same time he was also a Creepy Child from Day One.
• Heel–Face Revolving Door: Though he's supposedly destined to kill Arthur, his loyalties are hard to determine, especially when he turns on Morgana and stabs her In the Back, saving Arthur's life in the process.
  • He has a Face–Heel Turn in 5x11.
• Hidden Agenda Villain: No one is quite sure what he's up to (if anything), least of all Merlin.
• I Know Your True Name: 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.
• In the Hood: Often wore hoods both as a child and as an adult.
• Innocent Blue Eyes: When he first appears.
• Innocence Lost: Probably because destiny says so: he has to kill Arthur, so a lot happens to make him change from a scared little boy to a vindictive kid.
• Kick The Son Of A Bitch: Whenever Mordred kills knights. It's sociopathic and Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour, 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 had children drowned in the past.

• Killer Rabbit: As a child, he was cute, adorable but very creepy and dangerous.
• Little Mister Badass: As demonstrated when he kicked the asses of a bunch of Camelot's guards with his magic in 2x03 and 2x11.
• Mage Species: Mordred is a Druid with magical abilities.

• Magic Knight: In 5x01, we see a prophetic vision of Mordred on the battlefield, wearing chainmail and wielding a BFS.
• Make Me Wanna Shout: When his father in Series 1 and girlfriend in Series 5 are killed, his scream shatters a mirror in the former case and breaks the prison door in the latter.
• Mirror Character: 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.
• Morality Pet: Serves as one to Morgana in season five, as the single character she hesitates before attacking and forgives for betraying her.
• My Significance Sense Is Tingling: He seems able to sense Merlin/Emrys' presence. He can also sense the deaths of his father and girlfriend.
• Mysterious Past: Particularly in the Time Skips. How'd he go from Iseldir's care to Aglaine's care to Alvarr's care to working with bandits?
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Mordred
• Now, Let Me Carry You: Mordred is glad to take care of an injured Morgana, in thanks for her previously caring for him.
• "Not So Different" Remark: 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.
• Only One Name: He has no family name.
• Oracular Urchin: 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.
• Parental Abandonment: His father died and his mother was never mentioned in the first place.
• Parental Substitute: Not very lucky with them: the first one was killed by Camelot's knights and the second was a Manipulative Bastard who wants to use him and Morgana to bring Uther down.
• Psychic Powers: As a child he communicates almost exclusively through his psychic abilities. It adds to his eerie nature.
• Puppy-Dog Eyes: Oddly, teen-Mordred seems a puppy who's trying to be loved much more than child-Mordred.
• Put on a Bus: 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.
• Reformed, but Rejected: Seems the case with Merlin: since his returning Mordred hasn't done anything evil or wrong, he actually saved Arthur life twice, once almost dying in the process, but Merlin doesn't trust him and basically wants him dead.
• Rule of Three: Has appeared three times in the first two seasons.
  • With the recasting he is in three seasons.

• Scarf Of Ass Kicking: And it's bigger than Merlin's.
• Schiff One-Liner/Wham Line: 1x08 when he reveals his identity — the above quote.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Suggested in Season 5; 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.
• Sonic Scream: His most distinctive attack as a child, using it against the knights attacking him.
• Start of Darkness: In 2x03 Mordred is forced to kill some soldiers in self-defence, but shows absolutely no remorse.
• The Team Wannabe: 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.
• This Is Unforgivable!:
  • 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 his lover is sentenced to death for (repeated) murder of Camelot's guards and attempted regicide.
• Time-Shifted Actor: Thanks to the 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.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: Merlin is shocked when he witnesses Mordred killing several knights with a Sonic Scream - even worse is the kid's reaction - he looks around at the bodies with a small smile and casually runs away.
• Truer to the Text: 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.
• Unrelated in the Adaptation: 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.
• The Voiceless: 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.
• Villain Ball Magnet: 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).
• Wild Card: Season 5. 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 his Face–Heel Turn in 2x11.
• Wise Beyond Their Years: Or so it would seem.
• You Are Not Alone: 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 chose Arthur not just because I Owe Him My Life but because he doesn't fully trust the only other two magic users on the show.

Morgause

Morgause

Portrayed By: Emilia Fox

"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.

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• Action Girl: 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.
• Adaptational Villainy: While this is nothing new, she was seemingly benevolent in early versions, but is more commonly depicted as a villainess nowadays.
• Adaptational Wealth: She was a queen in some of the legends, traditionally as the wife of King Lot. She's merely nobility here.
• Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Is fond of caressing Morgana's face. Morgana doesn't seem to mind. At all.
• Badass Boast: "The tears of Uther Pendragon have only begun to fall."
• The Baroness: The Rosa Klebb type.
• Beauty Is Bad: Very beautiful and very, very dangerous.
• Big Bad: Of season three, after being built up some during season two.
• Big Sister Instinct/Cool Big Sis: Towards Morgana. Seriously, what sister would give you a kingdom to reign over?
• Breakout Villain: She was only going to be around for a couple of episodes until the writers released how important she was to Morgana's Story Arc.
• Chainmail Bikini: Averted. She gears up for combat appropriately, since she was disguising herself as a man at first.
• The Chessmaster: Is shown repeatedly to be a master manipulator, examining her pawns through a crystal ball in her lair, like Nimueh.
• Composite Character: A minor example in her debut. She takes the role of the Green Knight of Arthurian legend who challenges the hero to place their head on a chopping block as a Secret Test of Character, though here it is Arthur rather than Gawain.
• The Corrupter: Seduces Morgana to her cause.
• Dark Action Girl: 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.
• The Determinator: 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.
• Enemy Mine: Morgause and Cenred seem to be allies over their mutual hatred for Uther.
• Eye Colour Change: When Morgause uses magic, her eyes become golden-coloured.
• Girly Bruiser: Morgause is reasonably feminine and she can kick some major ass.

• Hot Witch: 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.
• Impoverished Patrician: 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.
• Kick the Dog: 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...
• Killed Off for Real: By Morgana in the series 4 premiere. It's a Mercy Kill, with Morgause's full consent.
• Knight Templar Big Sister: Morgause is ruthless toward her enemies, but if you threaten Morgana she'll make your death painful.
• Lack of Empathy: Morgause shows no guilt or remorse for the people who get in the way of her revenge.
• Lady in Red: Wears a pretty slinky red dress at times.
• Lady of Black Magic: She's a powerful sorceress, very elegant and most definitely a Femme Fatale.
• Long-Lost Relative: To Morgana, who doesn't know of her half-sisters existence until she turns up in Camelot and challenges Arthur to a duel.
• Magic Knight: She's a witch and also a very skilled swordswoman.
• Master Swordsman: She can give Arthur a run for his money in a sword challenge or duel.

• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Morgause.
• Only Mostly Dead: 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.
• Only One Name: We never find out her last name.
• Pet the Dog: Morgause finds time to reunite with her half-sister Morgana while and give her a bracelet that would help her sleep. And help her take over Camelot...
• Related Differently in the Adaptation: 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 Ban on Magic.
• Remember the New Guy?: Partially justified in that she and Morgana were deliberately kept apart.
• The Reveal: She is Morgana's half-sister. Though it's not totally clear through which parent they're related, popular Fan Wank is that they share a mother: Vivienne.
• Samus Is a Girl: 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.
• Supernatural Gold Eyes: When using magic.
• Thanatos Gambit: She ensures that her death furthers Morgana's cause.
• Undying Loyalty: To her half sister, Morgana.
• Unkempt Beauty: When fully armoured. Otherwise, she seems to take time to style her hair and also dress very nicely.
• Unrelated in the Adaptation: 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.
• The Vamp: 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.
• Villains Never Lie: 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.
• Weak, but Skilled: 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 The Chosen One. 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.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: 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.

Cenred

Cenred

Portrayed By: Tom Ellis

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 The Tears of Uther Pendragon Part I and II, The Castle of Fyrien and The Coming of Arthur Part I.

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• Early-Bird Cameo: Was first mentioned in 1x10.
• Enemy Mine/Fire-Forged Friends: Morgause and Cenred seem to be allies over their mutual hatred for Uther.
• Even Evil Has Standards: He refuses to let his army die and withdraws the battle against Camelot once he realizes they can't win.

• Oh, Crap!: When he realizes Morgause is going to kill him, and there's nothing he can do about it.

• Ship Tease: 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.

• The Unfought: He barely interacts with any of the good guys, and is ultimately killed by Morgause. (He does briefly get in a Sword Fight with Arthur, but it's in a Deleted Scene for The Castle of Fyrien and occurs off-screen).

The White Dragon

Aithusa

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.

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• Ambiguous Gender: 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 Gender Flip.
• Break the Cutie: From season five, it is pretty evident that Aithusa was tortured and abused when he and Morgana were locked up and isolated for months.
• Breath Weapon: Aithusa shoots fire from his/her mouth as a defence weapon.
• Character Title: The episode in which he first appears is named after him.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Appears in the very last scene of series four in order to save Morgana's life.
• Cuteness Proximity: Merlin is moved to tears.
• The Cutie: Oh so cute in the beginning.
• Diabolus ex Nihilo: In the series four finale.
• Egg MacGuffin: When he's introduced as an egg.
• Face–Heel Turn: Aithusa joined the dark side with Morgana.
• Giant Flyer: Later on, when he grows up.
• Go Mad from the Isolation: 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.
• Hidden Agenda Villain: We're never given any clear idea why he sides with Morgana over Merlin and Kilgharrah.

• Kick the Dog: 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. 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.
• Licked by the Dog: Aithusa's affection toward Morgana performs this function.
• Living Emotional Crutch: To Morgana. As of series 5, Aithusa seems to be the only thing keeping her tenuously sane.
• Meaningful Name: Means "light of the sun" in the language of dragons.
  • Ironic Name: Due to Morgana being captured, he spent the first two years of his life trapped in a dark pit.
• Morality Pet: For Morgana in season four and five.

• Outside-Context Problem: No one yet knows why he chose to heal Morgana. And since he can't talk, he'll never be able to tell.
• Ridiculously Cute Critter: As a newborn dragon, he elicits plenty of "aww"s.
• Shoulder-Sized Dragon: In series 4. In series 5, not so much.
• Team Pet: For Morgana and her army.
• There Is Another: His birth means that Kilgharrah is no longer The Last of His Kind.
• Undying Loyalty: To Morgana.
• The Voiceless: Because apparently he's never learnt to speak.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Merlin sends Aithusa away from the battle in the Grand Finale, never to be seen or mentioned again for the rest of the episode.

Helios

Helios

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 The Hunter's Heart and The Sword in the Stone Part I and II.

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• Affably Evil: He can demonstrate manners and decorum when he feels like it.
• Badass Normal: He's a Master Swordsman 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.
• Bald of Authority: He's a warlord who fulfils every aspect of this trope.
• Barbarian Tribe: Subverted. When he wants to, he can be borderline Wicked Cultured.
• Bathe Her and Bring Her to Me: Implied between Helios and Guinevere.

• The Dragon: Seems to become this towards Morgana. Agravaine is smart enough to note that there is a big possibility that he's much more a Dragon with an Agenda. Then again, Agravaine may just be worried that he'll get replaced.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Although his intentions toward Guinevere were hardly pure, he avoids the Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil trope. Instead he seemed genuinely interested in her Back Story and lets her go without a fuss when she tells him that she's tired.

• It Amused Me: Unlike Morgana's Psychotic Smirk or Agravine's Smug Smiler 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.

• Reasonable Authority Figure: Helios is an Affably Evil version of this.
• Taking You with Me: Gets killed by Isolde, but uses his last energy to kill her in turn before dying.
• The Savage South: His mercenaries are referred to as "Southrons".

• The Unfettered: Devoted to Morgana in this sense, although we don't see much of him, and gives her his army. When she ends up not being able to use magic he calmly steps in to defend her without panicking or running.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: He's only around for three episodes before Arthur kills him.

Other Villains

Mary Collins

Mary Collins

Portrayed By: Eve Myles

"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 The Dragon's Call.

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• Acting for Two: Eve Myles played the elderly witch and the young woman she disguises herself as.
• Cobweb Jungle: Creates one when she casts her final spell.
• Colour Failure: What happens to her victims after she's breathed in their life-force — they're left grey and colourless.
• Compelling Voice: Her singing voice puts the whole court to sleep.
• Evil Diva: 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.
• Falling Chandelier of Doom: 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 Story Arc 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 Voodoo Doll).
• Glamour Failure: Whenever she steps in front of a mirror, her reflection is of her true self.
• Life Drinker: She appears to breath in the life-force of others, leaving them as a dissicated corpse.
• Magic Music: Her song puts the court to sleep.
• Mama Bear: Her motivation is to avenge the death of her son, executing at Uther's behest.
• The Mirror Shows Your True Self: 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.
• No Name Given: Except in the credits.
• Revenge by Proxy: She goes after Arthur in revenge for her own son's death.
• Starter Villain: The very first foe that Merlin has to face.
• Throwing Your Sword Always Works: With her last strength, she flings a dagger at Arthur but Merlin is able to push him out of the way.

Valiant

Valiant

Portrayed By: Will Mellor

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

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• The Brute: He's strong and violent and even without the help of magic, a challenge to defeat in battle.
• Card-Carrying Villain
• Colour Motif: Yellow is the colour of cowardice, and he gives himself an unfair advantage in the tournament.
• For the Evulz: He's given no discernable motivation for what he does... he's just a jerk, basically.
• Handsome Lech: He comes on pretty strongly to Morgana when meeting her at court.
• Knight In Shining Armour: Subverted
• Ironic Name: Valiant, he ain't.
• I Kiss Your Hand: To Morgana
• Reptiles Are Abhorrent: His shield has three poisonous snakes upon it that come to life and attack anyone who threatens to best him in combat.
• Rule of Three: Three snakes on his shield
• Poison Is Evil: That he uses magic to fight makes him a cheater; that he utilizes poison is clearly even more dishonourable in hand-to-hand combat.
• Shout-Out: Presumably his name is derived from Prince Valiant (an Arthurian comic strip).
• Starter Villain: Just as Mary Collins was a magical foe for Merlin to face, Valiant is Arthur's first enemy to defeat, mainly through combat.
• Villain Ball: Why would you feed your magical snakes with the door unlocked?

Edwin Muirden

Edwin Muirden

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 A Remedy To Cure All Ills.

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• Best Served Cold: 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.
• Creepy Long Fingers: There's an emphasis on his hands; before we ever see his face, we see his hands creeping like a spider across his desk.
• Creepy Physical: It's done with a lighter hand than most examples of this trope, but Edwin's examination of Morgana is still creepily intimate.
• Deadly Doctor: 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.
• Death by Secret Identity: It's only a matter of seconds between Edwin learning Merlin has magical abilitities and getting an axe to his face.
• Friend to Bugs: He controls the spiders that sends Morgana into a coma-like sleep.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: The evil kind.
• In the Hood: He wears a deep hood to hide his facial scarring.
• Manipulative Bastard: He sends flowers to Morgana with a sleep-inducing spider inside, then turns up to conveniently heal her of this affliction.
• Meaningful Name: Edwin Muir was the author of this Merlin-centric poem, one which also lent the title to the two-part Grand Finale.
• Playing with Fire: Creates a circle of fire around Gaius.
• Revenge: His entire motivation — to kill Uther for executing his parents.
• Secret-Keeper: To Merlin, very briefly.
• Villain with Good Publicity: He comes across as a helpful, mild-mannered physician, meaning people are even less likely than usual to believe Merlin's suspicions.
• We Can Rule Together: Tries this on Merlin.

Sophia

Sophia

Portrayed By: Holliday Grainger

"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 The Gates Of Avalon.

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• Beauty Is Bad: She's very beautiful, all the better to lure men to their deaths.
• Big "NO!": Before she dies.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
• Boom Stick: Her staff.
• Decoy Damsel: She and her father get themselves into Camelot by staging a Rescue Romance.
• The Fair Folk: Is a member, albeit an exiled one.
• Femme Fatale: Even before she magically enchants him, she's using feminine wiles on Arthur to get herself into the castle.
• Gold and White Are Divine: She wears gold and white gowns to denote her mystical status.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Merlin uses her own staff to destroy her.
• I Kiss Your Hand: Arthur when he first meets her.
• Kiss of Death: She kisses Arthur after enchanting him, which may or may not be a necessary part of the spell.
• Mind Manipulation: She uses magic to hypnotize Arthur.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Unlike the usual gold we see in Merlin's eyes, Sophia's glow red when she casts a spell.
• Ungrateful Bastard: 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.
• The Vamp: There doesn't seem to be any particular need to seduce Arthur (since she ends up hypnotizing him), but she does it anyway.
• Your Head Asplode: Merlin blows her up. It's a bit disconcerting.

Aulfic

Aulfric

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 The Gates Of Avalon.

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• As You Know: He relates the plan to his daughter (which she knew perfectly well) in order to fill the audience in to what they're doing.
• Boom Stick: His staff.
• Ludicrous Gibs: Merlin blows him to bits, for added irony, with his own staff.
• The Fair Folk: Is a member of this race, albeit an exiled one.
• Evil Laugh: Cackles to himself whenever his Evil Plan is going well.
• The Exile: He was banished from Avalon, along with his daughter for killing a fellow Sidhe.
• Knight Templar Parent: Everything he does is for his daughter, up to and including cold-blooded murder.
• Large Ham: He's certainly not the most subtle villain, even by this show's standards.
• Pet the Dog: 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.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Gaius gets a glimpse of these.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: The bandits that he pays to stage an attack on himself and his daughter. After Arthur dispatches them, Aulfric kills the sole survivor.
• Your Head Asplode: Merlin uses his own staff to simply blow him up.

Sidhe Elder

Sidhe Elder

Portrayed By: Michael Jenn

The ruler of the Sidhe. Appeared in The Gates Of Avalon and The Changeling.

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• Changeling Tale: 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. This poses some questions.
• The Fair Folk: Is the ruler of the Fair Folk of Avalon.
• Our Fairies Are Different: Blue, with pointed teeth and weird growths on their faces.
• Fangs Are Evil: Even though his size might qualify them as Cute Little Fangs.
• Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: Merlin kills him in his second appearance in The Changeling.
• Winged Humanoid: He has wings but (apart from a few weird facial features and a blue tint) otherwise looks human.

Tristan de Bois

Tristan de Bois

Portrayed By: Rick English/Christopher Fairbank

"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 Excalibur.

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• Animate Dead: Nimueh uses magic to bring him back from the dead.
• Back from the Dead: Uther killed Tristan years ago; now with Nimueh's help he returns as a wraith.
• Big Entrance: 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.
• Dynamic Entry: Rides a black horse through a stained glass window in the middle of a ceremony honouring Arthur.
• Black Knight
• Curse: With his dying breath he places a curse on Uther, promising to return.
• Dramatic Unmask: Or "unhelmeting".
• Duel to the Death: 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.
• Dying Curse: 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.
• The Faceless: Until The Reveal at the end of the episode. Then it's shown to be an eyeless, mummified skull.
• Forgotten Fallen Friend: Three seasons later, Agravaine never once brings up the subject of his dead brother.
• Implacable Man: Almost effortlessly kills Owaine and Pellinore, and only defeated by Uther due to some secret magical assistance.
• Our Zombies Are Different: 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.
• Revenant Zombie: 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.
• Shout-Out: His role is highly reminiscent of The Green Knight in Arthurian Legend.
• Throwing Down the Gauntlet: This is literally how he issues his challenge.
• Undeath Always Ends: He's finally defeated when Uther (unknowingly) uses Excalibur to defeat him.

Catrina

Catrina

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 Beauty and the Beast Part I and II.

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• Alien Blood: Troll blood is a strange green hue.
• Beauty Is Bad: Her attractiveness is often commented on, and part of the reason she's welcomed so warmly into Camelot.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She comes across as a kind and pleasant person, but has evil intentions to seduce and kill Uther.
• Elephant in the Living Room: Once she reverts back into her true form, and everyone but Uther can clearly see it.
• God Save Us from the Queen!: On marrying Uther she becomes Queen of Camelot and immediately starts to raise taxes.
• Hypno Trinket: How she controls Uther.
• Impostor Forgot One Detail: Gaius suspects her because the real Catrina had a rare bone condition.
• Love Potion: She uses on Uther to make him fall in love with her.
• Our Trolls Are Different: Ugly and preternaturally strong, they have an appetite for rotten food and subsequently have stinking breath.

Aredian

Aredian

Portrayed By: Charles Dance

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

A 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 One Shot Villains. He appeared in The Witchfinder.

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• Badass Longcoat: Fairly self-explanatory — he has one, and it makes him look badass.
• Disney Villain Death: He trips backwards and falls out of a high window.
• The Dreaded: Everyone cowers in fear when they learn of his arrival, especially Morgana.
• False Confession: He extracts them from his victims.
• Frameup: Of Gaius.
• Framing the Guilty Party
• 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.
• Manipulative Bastard: He's an expert at playing on people's fears and finding the chinks in their armour.
• Signature Headgear: He has a wide-brimmed and distinctly 17th century-looking hat (as you would expect from this character type).
• The Sociopath: Shows no empathy or remorse for any of his actions whether past or present.
• The Witch Hunter: Almost literally, though he refers to himself as a witch finder.

Alvarr

Alvarr

Portrayed By: Joseph Mawle

"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 The Witch's Quickening.

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• All Girls Want Bad Boys: He works this angle on Morgana.
• Almost Kiss: With Morgana. Later he kisses her on the cheek.
• Battle Couple: With his girlfriend, Enmyria.
• Becoming the Mask: Though he's clearly playing Morgana at first, director Alice Troughton (on the DVD Commentary) insists that Alvarr was genuine about his feelings for her by the end of the episode (though Katie McGrath didn't seem quite as convinced).
• Grey-and-Grey Morality: 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.
• Handsome Lech: He's good looking, but rather skeevy in his pursuit of Morgana, especially as the audience knows he's just manipating her.
• Manipulative Bastard: He clearly knows which of Morgana's buttons to press in order to enlist her help.
• Parental Substitute: To Mordred.
• Playing Possum: What he's doing the first time we see him.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Or possible Shoo Out the New Guy 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.

King Alined

Alined

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 Peace Conference, determined to stir up enough trouble to drive the kingdoms back into war. He appeared in Sweet Dreams.

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• Ambiguously Gay: He admits that he finds Arthur attractive, and there's rather a lot of Sub Text with his court jester.
• Bad Boss: To Trickler
• Batman Gambit: He orders his jester to place Arthur and Lady Vivian under a Love Potion, betting that the fallout from various factions will inevitably lead to war.
• Chessmaster: If it hadn't been for Guinevere's True Love's Kiss, he would have gotten exactly what he wanted.
• Chess Motif: He demonstrates his plans to Trickler using a chess set.
• Diplomatic Impunity: This is the reason he gets away with his schemes, despite relevant parties knowing he was behind the sabotage.
• Evil Counterpart: 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 Vitriolic Best Buds and genuinely considers him a friend. Alined however it outright abusive to Trickler, and only keeps him around since his magic can help him.
• Faux Affably Evil: He's relatively charming in an oily sort of way, and never raises his voice.
• Karma Houdini: He doesn't get what he wants, but he still leaves Camelot scot-free.
• Manipulative Bastard: Puts Arthur and Vivian under a love spell, knowing that her Boyfriend-Blocking Dad will immediately target Arthur for the percieved insult.
• The Matchmaker: Only in the sense that he wants Arthur and Vivian together in order to make trouble.
• Pretext for War: His entire plan is to create turmoil between the Five Kingdoms so he can go back to selling weapons to everyone.
• War for Fun and Profit: His key motivation; see above.

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.

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• Evil Counterpart: 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.

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 The Fires of Idirsholas.

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• BlackKnight
• The Dreaded: Their reputation is so fearsome that Uther immediately orders Arthur to investigate mere rumours that the Knights have reawoken.
• Fallen Hero: They were once some of Camelot's finest knights until being seduced to The Dark Side.
• Made of Iron: No weapon can harm or even slow them down.
• Malevolent Masked Men: The Knights wear iron face masks beneath hooded cloaks.
• Perpetual-Motion Monster: Once awoken, they never stop coming.
• Rule of Seven: The Knights number seven in total.
• Shout-Out: They bear more than a few similarities to the Ringwraiths in The Lord of the Rings.
• Slave Mooks: To Morgause. She reanimates them to help her kill Uther while Camelot is under a sleeping spell.
• Tin Tyrant: They wear full suits of dark armour.
• Undeath Always Ends: 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.
• The Voiceless: They only speak in growls and snarls.
• Was Once a Man: 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.
• Would Hit a Girl: 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).

Julius Borden

Julius Borden

Portrayed By: James Callis

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.

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• Affably Evil: He comes across as quite friendly and charming.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Not that we learn much about it.
• Deceptive Disciple: To Gaius.
• Left for Dead: Merlin leaves him to die in a Collapsing Lair.
• Manipulative Bastard: Easily manipulates Merlin into helping him gather the tools he needs to find the tomb.
• Never Found the Body: Thanks to this, there was some speculation that he might return (he doesn't).
• Perma-Stubble: Clearly hasn't had a shave in a while.
• Suffer the Slings: His main weapon of choice.
• Tampering with Food and Drink: He uses a slingshot to fire a satchet of poison into the knight's cooking pot.

Lamia

Lamia

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 Lamia.

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• Adaptational Villainy: In the myths, not all lamia were evil.
• Blood Magic: How the lamia were created.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: Her powers render the Knights as this.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She plays the part of the innocent victim, all the while fully intending to devour all the Knights.
• Character Title: Lamia
• Charm Person: Even without words, she uses some sort of inherent magical enchantment to charm the Knights.
• Eldritch Abomination: Lamia's true form.
• Decoy Damsel: She presents herself as a Damsel in Distress when the Knights come across her.
• Gone Horribly Right: The Priestesses made the lamias as a weapon, only to lose control of them.
• Hate Plague: Her magic infects the knights like this.
• One-Gender Race: There are only female lamia.
• Shapeshifting Seducer: Her true form is a tentacled Eldritch Abomination, though she can take on the disguise of a lovely young woman.
• Succubi and Incubi: Though nothing graphic happens on-screen (family show!), this is her modus operandi — to seduce, then destroy.
• The Vamp: Becomes more seductive and manipulative the more time she spends with the Knights.
• Turned Against Their Masters: The High Priestesses of the Old Religion created the lamia to be living weapons in their wars with the ancient kings, but the creatures developed such a love of killing they became impossible to control.
• Voluntary Transformation: After Merlin injures her with a telekinetically thrown sword, she transforms in a humanoid serpent creature.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Fakes weakness and fatigue when the Knights chance upon her in the forest.

Lancelot du Lac

Lancelot du Lac

Portrayed By: Santiago Cabrera

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 Lancelot Du Lac.

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• Back from the Dead: 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.
• Came Back Wrong: He's Back from the Dead, but clearly not the same Lancelot that his friends once knew.
• Dead Person Impersonation: He pretends to be the same Lancelot that once made a Heroic Sacrifice to save Camelot.
• Death Equals Redemption: In-Universe. Despite having committed treason, him taking his own life reaffirmed him being "a man of honour" in Arthur's eyes.
• Driven to Suicide: On Morgana's command.
• Due to the Dead: Despite being remembered as a traitor, Merlin takes his body for a cremation on the waters of Lake Avalon.
• Dying as Yourself: There's one last glimpse of the real Lancelot before Merlin cremates his body.
• Go Seduce My Archnemesis: Is what Morgana commands him to do (though she has no romantic/sexual interest in him herself).
• Handsome Lech: Under Morgana's spell, he's a lot creepier and subtly aggressive than he was as himself, especially in his interactions with Guinevere.
• Imposter Forgot One Detail: Merlin figures him out by framing a sentence that leads him to stating that he has no idea Merlin has magic.
• Kissing Under the Influence: With Guinevere.
• Lonely Funeral: Only Merlin attends.

• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: With Arthur, after his tryst with Gwen.
• Paint It Black: Morgana dresses him in matching black.
• Relationship Sabotage: As Guinevere's First Love, he's sent by Morgana to undermine her relationship with Arthur.
• Soulless Shell: He looks and sounds like Lancelot, but is completely under Morgana's thrall.

• Viking Funeral: Merlin sets his boat adrift on the Lake of Avalon.

Ruadan

Ruadan

Portrayed By: Liam Cunningham

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 Arthur's Bane Part I and Part II.

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• Dying Moment of Awesome: 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.
• Evil Sorcerer: Subverted in that he's motivated by the protection of his own people, and clearly loves his daughter very much.
• Flash Step: Pulls off one of these when Sefa comes to bring him information.

• Pet the Dog: His cold demeanour slips a bit when he talks with his daughter.
• Playing with Fire: Conjures up a line of fire to facilitate his escape.

• Travelling at the Speed of Plot: He gets around quickly.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: He's out to kill Arthur and destroy Camelot, but it's because the Druids have been relentlessly persecuted for over a decade.
• Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: He seems genuine about the nobility of his cause, clearly isn't taking sadistic enjoyment in taking lives, and truly loves his daughter.

Kara

Kara

Portrayed By: Alexandra Dowling

"It is not a crime to fight for your freedom. It is not a crime to fight for the right to be who you are."

A druid girl who joins forces with Morgana in order to destroy Camelot and free her people. After trying to assassinate Arthur she is sentenced to death, but her history with Mordred complicates matters. She appeared in The Drawing of the Dark.

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• Childhood Friend Romance: With Mordred.
• Defiant to the End: She refuses to repent of her crimes against Camelot, and on both occasions in which Arthur sentences her to death, she rejoices in his own impending doom.
• Disposable Woman: Ultimately, she's used as the reason for Mordred turning against Arthur and Merlin.
• Face Death with Dignity: She demonstrates no fear as she's marched to the gallows, but rather considers her death a necessary development in the fall of Arthur.
• Grey-and-Grey Morality: She honestly believes that Arthur is a tyrant and that what she's doing is right.
• Headbutt of Love: With Mordred.
• Honour Before Reason: She choses to die rather than repent of actions that she doesn't believe are crimes.
• I Kiss Your Hand: She kisses Mordred's hand before going to her death.
• In the Hood: She initally conceals her identity under a hood.
• Last-Second Chance: Arthur offers her one. She rejects it.
• Plot-Triggering Death: It begins the Disaster Dominoes that lead into the two-part Grand Finale.
• Public Execution: She's hanged in the courtyard outside the castle.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one to Arthur, reminding him of his maltreatment of her people.
• Small Role, Big Impact: She appears in one episode, yet is the impetus Mordred needs to turn on Arthur (and eventually kill him).
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: To get close enough to Arthur.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: She tries to assassinate Arthur because he's the king of a land that has relentlessly persecuted her people for over a decade.
• Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: How she sees herself.
  • Would Not Shoot a Civilian: Heavily averted. She considers everyone in Camelot to be a legitimate target and has no remorse over killing them. Arthur, a firm believer in The Laws and Customs of War considers this to be unforgiveable.
    • Though technically she never actually harms a civilian. She helps attack a convoy of soldiers that was delivering weapons to Camelot, and later kills a castle guard that was preventing her escape. See Grey-and-Grey Morality.

Eira

Eira

Portrayed By: Erin Richards

A devious woman (yeah, another one) who is sent by Morgana to infiltrate Camelot as a spy, using her feminine wiles and a show of helplessness to gather information. She appeared in The Diamond of the Day Part I and II.

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• Beauty Is Bad: She's lovely enough to catch Gwaine's attention, but is working for Morgana the whole time.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She pretends to be a Damsel in Distress in order to pass on secrets to Morgana.
• Decoy Damsel: Fakes her own distress in order to be granted access to Camelot.
• Femme Fatale Spy: She's a spy for Morgana and seduces Gwaine in order to get closer to the seat of power.
• Flat Character: She's given no motivation or depth whatsoever, and after five solid seasons of beautiful, treacherous women that use wiles to deceive the menfolk, she elicited more than few eye-rolls from the audience.
• Honey Trap: Uses her attractiveness to gain Gwaine's trust.
• Innocent Blue Eyes: Which she uses to great effect.
• Last Episode, New Character: She's introduced in the show's second-to-last episode (which is technically a two-parter).
• Public Execution: She's hanged on Guinevere's orders in the courtyard outside the castle.
• Rescue Romance: With Gwaine. Subverted as she's a Decoy Damsel.
• The Vamp: The honourable Gwaine completely falls for those no-good feminine wiles.

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