History Main / MerlinAndNimue

-->-- '''Merlin''' tells Tim Hunter how much it sucks when YouCantFightFate, ''TheBooksOfMagic''

* Merlin is a character in the {{Nightside}} series. The legend is presented as truth here, with Nimue betraying Merlin and stealing his heart, causing him to be trapped beneath the world's oldest bar. Then [[spoiler:protagonist John Taylor goes back in time to when Merlin and Nimue were still together. Taylor needs strong magic to get even ''further'' back in time, so he winds up being the one who actually steals the heart. He kills accidently Nimue in the process, too, which explains why no one in the present can manage to find out where she hid the heart. It's in a Roman garbage dump.]]

* Merlin is a character in the {{Nightside}} series. The legend is presented as truth here, with Nimue betraying Merlin and stealing his heart, causing him to be trapped beneath the world's oldest bar. Then [[spoiler:protagonist John Taylor goes back in time to when Merlin and Nimue were still together. Taylor needs strong magic to get even ''further'' back in time, so he winds up being the one who actually steals the heart. He kills Nimue in the process, too, which explains why no one in the present can manage to find out where she hid the heart. It's in a Roman garbage dump.]]

The TropeNamer and probable TropeMaker is [[KingArthur the Arthurian Mythos]], where {{Merlin}} had a habit of teaching magic to younger women. In the oldest stories his pupil/lover's name was Nynave, (but this is often changed to Nimue and sometimes changed again to other names, with Vivien/Vivianne being the most common) and she eventually betrayed him and [[SealedGoodInACan bound Merlin in a tree, a rock or a cave]], depending on the version of the story you're reading or watching. (As a small note, if you're not an expert on Arthurian legend and are wondering why you don't hear about this character all that often, these days she is [[CompositeCharacter often combined]] with Morgan Le Fay/Morgause, the mother of Mordred.)

** This also comes up in regards to Wardens Lucio and Morgan, whose relationship was very similiar, [[UnresolvedSexualTension one-sided UST and all.]] Also of note is Ebenezer McCoy and [[spoiler: Margaret Dresden, Harry's mother.]]

* In the first movie to CardCaptorSakura, it is revealed that Clow Reed had a student known only as "Madoushi" ("Sorceress"), who was also [[HotForStudent his girlfriend]]. They had a good relationship, until [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope she decided]] [[HeelFaceTurn she wanted more power]] and [[MoralEventHorizon began practicing dark magic]]. He couldn't allow her to continue to do this, so he [[WhatTheHellHero called her out on this]] and told her that she was no longer his student (and no longer his girlfriend), despite her protests and promises that they could rule the world together. She continued to practice her dark magic, so he [[SealedRoomInTheMiddleOfNowhere sealed her up in an alternate dimension he created and left her there]]. [[FridgeHorror (It is not known when or even ''if'' he ever intended to let her out.)]] She died in there, [[GhostlyGoals still waiting to be set free]], and causes problems for Sakura and her friends.

* In the ''{{Hellboy}}'' comicbooks, it's eventually revealed that the Queen of Blood, the genocidal new leader of TheFairFolk, is Nimue herself. As it turns out, she turned to evil back in the Arthurian days due to the whisperings of [[EldritchAbomination the Ogdru Jahad]].

-->''Nimue will come along and I'll go panting after her like a dog-fox in heat. I'll teach her too little magic to do her any good, and too much for my safety, all while trying to get into her petticoats. And then she'll entice me into a cave, and bind me with my own magic, and leave me to rot.''
-->--Merlin in ''TheBooksOfMagic'' discussing with Tim Hunter how much it sucks when YouCantFightFate.

* About as thoroughly averted as possible in BBC's ''{{Merlin}}'', as A) Nimueh is older and more experienced than Merlin, B) Nimueh starts out evil, C) there's no attraction between the two and D) [[spoiler: Merlin apparently kills Nimueh at the end of Series 1]].

The TropeNamer and probable TropeMaker is [[KingArthur the Arthurian Mythos]], where Merlin had a habit of teaching magic to younger women. In the oldest stories his pupil/lover's name was Nynave, (but this is often changed to Nimue and sometimes changed again to other names, with Vivien/Vivianne being the most common) and she eventually betrayed him and [[SealedGoodInACan bound Merlin in a tree, a rock or a cave]], depending on the version of the story you're reading or watching. (As a small note, if you're not an expert on Arthurian legend and are wondering why you don't hear about this character all that often, these days she is [[CompositeCharacter often combined]] with Morgan Le Fay/Morgause, the mother of Mordred.)

* In ''TheWheelOfTime'', Moiraine has this relationship early in the series with Rand. In the later books, Cadsuane takes up the older mentor role in Moiraine's place.

* {{Safehold}} has an amusing twist. Because the world has regressed and Women are viewed as the weaker sex, Nimue becomes Merlin.

[[caption-width-right:319:Now that we're lovers, I'll teach her everything I know. WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong?]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Merlin_and_Nimue.jpg
[[caption-width:319:... now that we're lovers, I'll teach her everything I know. WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong?]]

* Gorynel Desse and [[spoiler Cailet]], although he doesn't act on his feelings.

* ''YuGiOh'' example: the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, both the cards and their Ancient Egyptian counterparts. They are rather closer in age than most, with there being only about a 10 year age difference.

* About as thoroughly averted as possible in BBC's {{Merlin}}, as A) Nimueh is older and more experienced than Merlin, B) Nimueh starts out evil, C) there's no attraction between the two and D) [[spoiler: Merlin apparently kills Nimueh at the end of Series 1]].

* In ''ArthurKingOfTimeAndSpace'', Merlin's "betrayal" by Nimue, despite being [[http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com/0062.htm heavily foreshadowed]], is actually [[http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com/2005.htm a complete accident on her part]]. The betrayal aspect gets played straight with [[http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com/0444.htm Morgan]], though.