Merlin Forums

Due to proofing changes and additional formatting, this is now considered an ORIGINAL WORK. Permission is granted to anyone wishing to use any part of the Encyclopedia as long as you give credit to the sources listed in this thread, BBC One, and Shine Ltd.

Please feel free to request additions/changes to the entries. This will prove as a full encyclopedia of all characters and creatures. If I have missed any (most should be recorded, but there may be more) please let me know.

As of 4-3-2012, this version is complete up to episode 3x04 "Gwaine".

Posts have been deleted to accommodate the required space to the entries. Space should no longer be a problem.

**PLEASE READ**

Submission guidelines can be found in post 104.

Master list of updates:
Character - Needed updates - Who they're currently assigned to - Current status

EXISTING ENTRIES that need updated

Merlin - POST 3x04 "Gwaine", includes 3x05, 3x06, 3x07, 3x08, 3x09, 3x10, 3x11, 3x12, 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x04, 4x05, 4x06, 4x07, 4x08, 4x09, 4x10, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13
Arthur - POST 3x04 "Gwaine", includes 3x05, 3x06, 3x07, 3x08, 3x09, 3x10, 3x11, 3x12, 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x04, 4x05, 4x06, 4x07, 4x08, 4x09, 4x10, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13
Gaius - 3x04 "Gwaine" onwards, includes 3x05, 3x06, 3x07, 3x08, 3x09, 3x10, 3x11, 3x12, 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x04, 4x05, 4x06, 4x07, 4x08, 4x09, 4x10, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13
Morgana - POST 3x07 "The Castle of Fyrien", includes 3x08, 3x10, 3x11, 3x12, 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x05, 4x06, 4x07, 4x09, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13 - dpebbleson - Compiling
Gwen - S3 onwards, includes 3x05, 3x06, 3x07, 3x08, 3x10, 3x11, 3x12, 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x05, 4x06, 4x07, 4x08, 4x09, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13
Kilgharrah - S3 onwards, includes 3x06, 3x07, 3x08, 3x09, 3x10, 3x11, 3x12, 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x04, 4x05, 4x06, 4x07, 4x08, 4x09, 4x10, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13
Geoffrey of Monmouth - 4x02 "The Darkest Hour Pt. 2", 4x03 "The Wicked Day"
Cenred - POST 3x01/3x02 "The Tears of Uther Pendragon", includes 3x07, 3x12
Morgause - S3 onwards, includes 3x07, 3x08, 3x10, 3x12, 3x13, 4x01 (Dies) - dpebbleson - Compiling
Sir Lancelot - S3 onwards, includes 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x05, 4x09
Sir Gwaine - S3 onwards, includes 3x04, 3x08, 3x12, 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x04, 4x05, 4x06, 4x07, 4x08, 4x09, 4x10, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13 - LizzyGlue - Compiling
Sir Leon - POST 3x04 "Gwaine", includes 3x12, 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x04, 4x05, 4x06, 4x07, 4x08, 4x09, 4x10, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13
The Fisher King - reference 3x08 "The Eye of the Phoenix"
Freya - 3x13 "The Coming of Arthur Pt. 2"
Uther - POST 3x04 "Gwaine", includes 3x05, 3x06, 3x07, 3x08, 3x09, 3x10, 3x11, 3x12, 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x03 (Dies)
Hunith - 4x12 "The Sword in the Stone Pt. 1"

NEW ENTRIES that need added

Aithusa - 4x04 "Aithusa", 4x13
Alfhild - 3x08 "The Eye of the Phoenix"
Agravaine - 4x01 "The Darkest Hour Pt. 1" onwards, includes 4x02, 4x03, 4x04, 4x05, 4x06, 4x07, 4x08, 4x09, 4x10, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13 (Dies)
Taliesin - 3x05 "The Crystal Caves"
Sidhe Elder - 3x06 "The Changeling"
Princess Elena - 3x06 "The Changeling"
Grunhilda - 3x06 "The Changeling"
Lord Godwyn - 3x06 "The Changeling"
Sir Percival - 3x13 "The Coming of Arthur Pt. 2" onwards, includes 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x04, 4x05, 4x06, 4x08, 4x09, 4x10, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13
Sir Elyan - S3 onwards, includes 3x07, 3x12, 3x13, 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x04, 4x05, 4x06, 4x08, 4x09, 4x10, 4x11, 4x12, 4x13
Evoric - 3x09 - AC - Submitted
Evoric - 3x11
Fermin - 3x07 "The Castle of Fyrien"
Voice of the Manticore - 3x09
Sir Ethan - 3x04 "Gwaine" (Dies) - Esther - Submitted
Sir Oswald - 3x04 "Gwaine" (Dies) - Esther - Submitted
Cylferth - 3x04 "Gwaine" - Esther - Submitted
Dagr - 3x04 "Gwaine" - Esther - Submitted
Ebor - 3x04 "Gwaine" - Esther - Submitted
Mary - 3x04 "Gwaine" - Esther - Submitted
The Innkeeper - 3x04 "Gwaine"
Gilli - 3x11 "The Sorcerer's Shadow"
Tindr - 3x11 "The Sorcerer's Shadow"
Nollar - 3x11 "The Sorcerer's Shadow"
Iseldir - 3x12 "The Coming of Arthur Pt. 1", 4x04
Jarl - 3x12 "The Coming of Arthur Pt. 1"
Rider - 3x12 "The Coming of Arthur Pt. 1"
Druid Boy - 3x12 "The Coming of Arthur Pt. 1"
Bandit - 3x12 "The Coming of Arthur Pt. 1"
The Cailleach - 4x01 "The Darkest Hour Pt. 1", 4x02
Audrey - 4x01 "The Darkest Hour Pt. 1", 4x06 "A Servant of Two Masters"
Ferryman - 4x01 "The Darkest Hour Pt. 1", 4x02
Drea - 4x01 "The Darkest Hour Pt. 1"
Rescued Children - 4x01 "The Darkest Hour Pt. 1"
Vilia - 4x02 "The Darkest Hour Pt. 2"
The Gleeman - 4x03 "The Wicked Day"
Geldred - 4x03 "The Wicked Day"
Guard - 4x03 "The Wicked Day"
Julius Borden - 4x04 "Aithusa"
Queen Annis - 4x05 "His Father's Son"
Caerleon - 4x05 "His Father's Son"
Alator - 4x06 "The Secret Sharer"
Orn - 4x06 "The Secret Sharer"
Lamia - 4x08 "Lamia"
Mary Howden - 4x08"Lamia"
John Howden - 4x08 "Lamia"
The Dochraid - 4x09 "Lancelot du Lac"
Ghost of Druid Boy - 4x10 "A Herald of the New Age"
Helios - 4x11 "The Hunter's Heart", 4x12, 4x13 (Dies)
Princess Mithian - 4x11 "The Hunter's Heart"
Eoghan - 4x11 "The Hunter's Heart"
Helios' Servant - 4x11 "The Hunter's Heart"
Tristan - 4x12 "The Sword in the Stone Pt. 1", 4x13
Isolde - 4x12 "The Sword in the Stone Pt. 1", 4x13 (Dies)

Things to come: Links for episode references/actors, symbols indicating character status (thanks to ACDiNosey for this wonderful idea!), and a complete proofing in preparation for conversion to PDF format. COMPLETE UP TO SEASON 3x04, "Gwaine.". Last Updated 4-3-2012

**THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND ASSISTANCE!**

The following people have contributed to this encyclopedia: boom-moo, PCDSA, dpebbleson, ACDiNosey, LizzyGlue, and of course myself.

All stories, records, and accounts of Merlin are property of BBC One and Shine Ltd., copyright 2008.

Main Characters Part 1:

Prince Arthur Pendragon

Arthur Pendragon (portrayed by Bradley James) is the Prince of Camelot, heir to the throne, and will one day be "The Once and Future King who will unite the Land of Albion." Arthur is 21 years old, and in the first series he officially becomes Crown Prince of Camelot at his coming of age ceremony.

Arthur is the son of King Uther Pendragon and has the same domineering attitude as his father. He is initially described as a bully by Merlin and Gwen, and beats Merlin twice in battle in "The Dragon's Call." Merlin and Arthur both have an instant dislike to one another, although Arthur notes that there is something about Merlin that he "just can't put his finger on" and believes he is special in some way. When Merlin saves his life, Merlin is rewarded with a job in the Royal household as Arthur's manservant. Eventually they become good friends. Their friendship is characterized by banter and insults, with them often playing tricks on each other, but there is a bond. This is more obvious when they are alone as Arthur becomes friendlier and more open, something that never occurs around others. In "The Poisoned Chalice," Arthur undertakes a life-endangering quest to find the antidote to the magical poison that is killing Merlin, but he is unaware that Merlin is a wizard and has saved his life numerous times using magic.

In "Excalibur" it was revealed that Arthur was conceived using magic, as his mother (Ygraine Pendragon, Uther's wife) was barren. She died during his birth as a result, as according to the Old Religion, for a life to be saved/created one must be taken. This lead to his father's hatred of all magic, especially the witch Nimueh, who cast the spell and chose Ygraine as the one to pay the Old Religion's bounty. Few know this (Uther, Gaius and Nimueh) and all have sworn to secrecy or have no way of telling him. It is not known if Arthur takes his father's stance on magic and reports any use of sorcery in Camelot, although he typically carries out his father's orders faithfully. He believes himself to be a "big disappointment" to his father due to his father's attitude towards him, something Uther proclaims as his fault, not Arthur's.

Arthur is a master swordsman, being the reigning Champion of Camelot and Leader of the Knights of Camelot. He is also the only one who can wield Excalibur, due to his destiny as King Arthur (Merlin however breaks this prophecy and allows Uther to wield it in "Excalibur" to save Arthur). He is rather proud of his physical prowess, so much so he swears Merlin and Gaius to secrecy when he is made to believe that Merlin knocked him out in "The Gates of Avalon." He also adamantly denies that Morgana beat him in sword fights when they were children. In Series 2, when he believes the Knights are letting him win due to his position as Crown Prince, he disguises himself as a commoner to ensure a fair fight at a jousting tournament to prove once and for all that he truly deserves the title.

Although he is shown to be rather arrogant and stubborn when he doesn't get his way as well as becoming particularly hostile when his honor or skills are questioned, Arthur has put his own standing and life in jeopardy for what he believes is right. He once freed Lancelot from prison after producing false documents of nobility in "Lancelot" after realizing Lancelot's noble nature, despite his lack of noble birth. On another occasion he drank what he believed to be poison in "The Labyrinth of Gedref" to save Merlin and break a curse he had unintentionally unleashed upon the kingdom. In "Le Morte d'Arthur," Arthur gets stricken by the questing beast to save Merlin. After Merlin saves Arthur by bartering his own life away, Arthur and Uther talk, and Arthur confesses he feels there's someone watching over him, though he doesn't realize it to be Merlin.

Series 2 brings the development of Arthur's feelings for Gwen. They have little interaction in Series 1, but he is surprised when she speaks up to him on occasions. He notes how Gwen never fails to surprise him after she saves his life from the gargoyles in "The Curse of Cornelius Sigan." In "The Once and Future Queen," whilst staying at her home undercover, Gwen becomes angry with him over his inconsiderate attitude and treating her as a servant when he is a guest in her home. She challenges Arthur to give up his spoilt and lofty ways. Determined to show Gwen that he considers her feelings, he does his best to show her some humility. He impulsively kisses her when she gives him a good luck token, but then later explains that his father would not approve and a relationship would be impossible.

When Gwen is abducted in "Lancelot and Guinevere," he defies his father and along with Merlin sets out to rescue her. When questioned by Merlin on his motives, he asks how he can admit that he thinks about her all the time, that he cares for her more than anyone and that he wouldn't know what he would do if any harm came to her. He is clearly tormented as nothing can ever happen between them. Merlin tries to reassure him that when he is crowned king he will be able to change that. Arthur however does not think it fair to ask Gwen to wait for him. When he reaches Gwen, he finds her with Lancelot who is also there to rescue her. He observes a tender moment shared between Gwen and Lancelot and is hurt by this. When Lancelot asks why Arthur defied his father's orders, Arthur lies and says he only came because "Morgana begged him," upsetting Gwen. He and Gwen remain tense around one another and exchange wounded glances, as they clearly still care deeply for each other but are now even more unwilling to admit to this as both Arthur and Gwen have had their pride dented by the other. It becomes clear that despite Lancelot's departure and Arthur's acceptance of his feelings for Gwen, all is not well between the two. He does not often visit her, as being close to her and knowing that he can never have her pains him. He thinks it is best to avoid more heartache by trying not to be around her too much, although some of that heartache is the result of his refusal to be honest and tell Gwen how much she means to him.

When his father remarries in "Beauty and the Beast," Arthur opens up to Gwen when he is feeling insecure over his abilities to be a good king. He listens to the advice she gives him, and is cheered up by her visit. His willingness to confide in Gwen and listen to her opinions, and her need to seek him out and be as equally open (and on this occasion help restore his confidence) hint that they still crave the closeness that they once shared. They seem to be on the way to getting it back. They do not appear to have talked about past problems but clearly both care enough not to allow it to come between them or taint their feelings any further, which allows them to move forward to a new level in their young relationship. Despite Merlin and him becoming closer friends he refuses to believe Merlin when he is told that his father's new bride is a troll; however, when Uther issues an order to arrest Merlin, Arthur warns him in advance. This gives Merlin enough time to escape and avoid capture and Arthur the chance to deliberately make 'mistakes' to avoid having to hunt Merlin down. The enchanted Uther starts to treat the people of Camelot badly, and soon Arthur refuses to carry out his father's harsh orders and stands by his own convictions, even ordering the guards to leave an old man alone after confirming that the man cannot pay any kind of tax. Uther disinherits him and Arthur is deeply hurt by his father's unkind behavior. Eventually he realizes the truth about Lady Catrina, and he, Gaius, and Merlin unite to bring down the new 'Queen' of Camelot. When the spell is broken Arthur once again becomes the Crown Prince. Despite Uther's poor treatment of Arthur, he forgives his father easily, and teases Uther about being married to a troll. He also thanks Merlin for his help and apologizes for not believing him in the first place. They share an awkward half hug/handshake before rushing away from each other in opposite directions embarrassed.

When Gaius is sentenced to death by Arthur's father in "The Witchfinder," he thinks that Uther is wrong and obviously feels sorry for both Merlin and Gaius. However, he does nothing to try and stop the execution; he is spurred into action at the last minute by Gwen. She reminds him that he has not only the power to stop proceedings but that it's his duty as both Merlin's friend and the fact he is Crown Prince. He is unconvinced of his ability to go against Uther even though she tells him Merlin has evidence of Gaius' innocence. Finally, when she reminds him that he has stood by and watched an innocent man die once before at Uther's hands (referring to her father Tom in "To Kill the King") he seems to wake up and halts the execution. This gives Merlin the chance to present his evidence to Uther, leading to Gaius being freed and cleared of all charges.

After spending a long time thinking that Gwen was not in love with him, Gwen tells Arthur that she finds it hard to express how she truly feels. Since Gwen more or less acknowledges to Arthur that she feels the same way, Arthur is seemingly more comfortable acting affectionately toward her in public. As of the end of Series 2, Merlin, Lancelot and Gaius are the only people who know of the feelings between the two. Gaius witnessed Arthur and Gwen sharing a moment following his injury when he saved Gwen from the Great Dragon in "The Last Dragonlord," and approved of their relationship. When Arthur returned safely to Camelot following the fight with the Dragon, Gwen ran relieved into his arms (not caring about who saw) and whispered that she thought she'd lost him. Also relieved, Arthur walks happily with Gwen back to the castle together.

At the beginning of Season 3, Arthur shows signs of maturity. In "The Tears of Uther Pendragon (Part 1 and 2)", when he is asked by Gaius to take the place of the king when Uther is incapacitated by terrifying visions, he first refuses what he perceives to be his taking over the throne of Camelot. Soon he relents and takes his father's place on the throne, albeit temporarily, and organizes Camelot's siege, urging his knights to fight "for the love of Camelot". Arthur is a "hands-on" ruler and is seen at the forefront of the battle throughout the siege.

Arthur is also shown to be a fair prince, going beyond what traditions suggest his behavior should be to save people. In "Gwaine," he first intervenes when the tavern owner is threatened by bandits, then again when saving Gwaine from Uther's execution orders twice, mediating on behalf of commoners to the king and fellow knights.

His relationship with Gwen is kept at arm's length, as Gwen repeatedly puts some distance between them on the grounds that their union would be seen by all as foolish and against all principles.

However, Arthur's relationship with Merlin is growing closer, and the Prince is seen spending more time discussing matters with Merlin, such as in "Gwaine." They are seen discussing the code of nobility, the importance of tournaments in the making of a king. He also more frequently admits that Merlin is indeed wiser than he looks and praises him more often on his achievements.

Main Characters Part 2:

Gaius

Gaius (portrayed by Richard Wilson) is Camelot's court physician and Merlin's guardian and mentor. He soon discovers that Merlin has magical powers and gives him a book of sorcery to study from in secret, warning him not to be caught using magic. Gaius himself used to be a sorcerer, a fact that Uther is aware of, although he is satisfied that Gaius has forsaken his old magical abilities. While Gaius has not directly accused or persecuted any of the magical folks, it is heavily implied within the series that he stood by watching as Uther executed them. A good reference to this fact occurs in "A Remedy to Cure All Ills," when Gaius' supposed indifference from the past produces a revenge by Edwin Muirden. However, Gaius did in fact help several magical people; he aided in smuggling Morgause out of castle, and was responsible for providing a hiding place for Balinor the Dragonlord. Furthermore, he has helped his love, Alice, escape Camelot, and when she returned again, in the episode "Love in the Time of Dragons," he was able to rescue her from the dungeons where she was awaiting her execution.

Gaius acts as both Merlin's mentor and surrogate father, and considers Merlin the only person for whom he would sacrifice. Twice he tries to sacrifice his life in order to preserve Merlin's. This first occurs in "Le Morte d' Arthur" when Merlin offers his life in order to save his mother. Having learned of this, Gaius goes to the sorceress, Nimueh, to exchange his life for Merlin's. Ultimatey he is saved by Merlin, when he refuses to join forces with Nimueh, resulting in a magical duel which kills her. The second time this happens is in "The Witchfinder", where the titular villain Aredian tricks Gaius into confessing that he is a warlock, in return for not telling Uther about Merlin being a warlock himself. In the end Aredian is exposed as a fraud, and meets an 'untimely' death.

Gaius is aware that Merlin's destiny far surpasses his own. He is also very familiar with the Great Dragon. He is often called upon to get Merlin out of trouble or to remind him not to be reckless with the use of magic. Although his magical abilities are limited when compared to Merlin's, his greater experience is nevertheless a huge benefit to Merlin as he learns how to control and refine his abilities. His knowledge of other such topics as mythology and medicine commonly provide Merlin and his friends with vital information in dealing with their current threat. To further this, his good friendship with Geoffrey of Monmouth provides Gaius a wealth of history and lore to draw from during the first season. Gaius also has a valued place in Uther's council, being one of the few (if not the only) who dares to speak out against Uther's actions on crucial occasions. However, Uther's prejudices against magic commonly blind him to Gaius' good advice.

Although having not used magic years before Merlin's arrival in Camelot, he has used spells four times since Merlin came into his life; first while using a spell to prepare an antidote to cure Merlin, next to throw a weapon at Edwin Muirden (although Edwin's magic proved more powerful than his own), again when in "Love in the Time of Dragons," he used it to destroy an inter-dimensional portal, effectively killing the Manticore, and finally in the finale for the third season, "The Coming of Arthur, Part 2," when his magic is strong enough to push Morgause and stop her from harming Merlin. Even without magic, Gaius has shown exceptional talent as a physician, regularly treating injuries in the court, and even preparing a draught that precisely duplicates the taste of a troll potion without any access to the original recipe.

Gaius' role as Merlin's father figure and council seems to become less prevalent in the third season. In "The Tears of Uther Pendragon," he reassures Merlin about the potential revelation by Morgana of his attempt to poison her. In "Gwaine," he noticed with pride and a certain surprise that Merlin has learnt a great deal from him.

In "Goblin's Gold," Gaius is accidentally possessed by a goblin, who takes over his identity and uses his body to cause mischief. After turning the king bald, giving Arthur donkey's ears, inducing flatulence throughout the castle and plaguing knights with an unpleasant illness, Gaius insults about every inhabitant of the castle and accuses Merlin of sorcery, sending his ward to the dungeons. In order to expel the goblin, he is later poisoned by Merlin who then administers an antidote on time for Gaius to regain control over his body and soul.

Guinevere

Guinevere (AKA "Gwen", portrayed by Angel Coulby) is Morgana's personal servant. Morgana and Gwen are more like best friends, however, as Morgana describes Gwen as "the most kind and loyal person you would ever meet" in "Lancelot and Guinevere."

She first notices Merlin when he stands up to Arthur, who is taunting a servant. When she introduces herself she admits that she thinks Merlin is both brave and heroic. This is the beginning of a crush that develops over Series 1. In "The Mark of Nimueh," Merlin makes her laugh and she admits she likes that. Though she kisses him in "The Poisoned Chalice," Merlin only loves her platonically, and Series 2 sees them as good friends; Merlin is seen to be a strong advocate in her blossoming relationship with Arthur. Merlin trusts her and often enlists her help in various ventures, most notably in Lancelot's quest to become a knight in "Lancelot," hiding Arthur in "The Once and Future Queen," and in saving Gaius in "The Witchfinder." Gwen is imperative in saving Arthur's life in "Sweet Dreams," and it is due to Merlin's actions that she agrees to help. Because of Gwen's status she has a tendency to be subservient, but she is not be afraid of standing up for her beliefs and speaking her mind.

Initially she has little interaction with Prince Arthur and describes him as a bully, questioning the mind of whoever would marry such a person. Following her father's death in "To Kill the King" and her friendship with Merlin, Gwen's view of Arthur begins to slowly change. Gwen has openly expressed her faith in Arthur's ability to triumph over the odds and lead the people into a new age of Camelot. Most notably, she did so as she tended to an unconscious Arthur in "La Morte d'Arthur." She later becomes embarrassed when Arthur tell her he heard what she had said. "The Once the Future Queen" again displays Gwen's ability to stand up to Arthur as stays at her house pretending to be a commoner. Gwen becomes aggravated when Arthur is nothing but rude to her, prompting Arthur to be more considerate. This leads to Arthur ultimately kissing her just before he goes to joust in the finals. Arthur explains at the end of the episode that his father would never approve of their relationship, something which Gwen understands.

In "Lancelot and Guinevere", Gwen is abducted, only to be reunited with her old flame, Lancelot. She states that he represents everything that is right in the world and admits that she never knew she could feel so strongly for someone. They share a kiss before Lancelot goes to fight a seemingly losing battle against bandits. When Arthur arrives to save Gwen, he realizes that the flame between Gwen and Lancelot has been reignited, and he is hurt. Gwen appears to feel guilt over Arthur's obvious reaction, and Lancelot sees that Arthur loves Gwen, so he leaves at the end of the episode, stating he won't come between Arthur and Gwen. She returns to Camelot with Arthur and Merlin, where she is reunited with Morgana.

As the series continues, Gwen continues to be charmed and impressed by the changing nature of Arthur. She witnesses him blatantly defy his father's orders in "Beauty and the Beast" when told to impose unnecessary taxes and admires his tenacity in this instance. When she visits Arthur to thank him for his kindness, she finds him doubting his father's love for him. Gwen advises him that Uther cares greatly for him and that Arthur will one day become a great King. She restores his confidence by telling Arthur he has a good heart and that he shouldn't change for anybody. Apart from Merlin at times, Gwen seems to be one of the only people whose opinion Arthur respects. Despite past problems and outside interference ("Sweet Dreams," Lancelot and Guinevere," "To Kill the King") their relationship continues to flourish.

In "Sweet Dreams," when kings from rival kingdoms come to Camelot to sign a peace treaty, King Olaf brings his daughter Vivian. In search of war, King Alined uses magic to make Arthur and Vivian fall in love. Around this time, Gwen starts to regain faith in Arthur's feelings for her, but is left heartbroken when she sees Arthur with Vivian. Gwen ultimately kisses Arthur to break the enchantment he is under, confirming she is his one true love. Arthur then waits in Gwen's house for her, where he apologizes for his enchanted acts and states that Gwen is the only woman he loves. Gwen accepts this, but also realizes that she cannot be Arthur's queen. Arthur refuses to believe their relationship is impossible and promises things can change when he is King.

Towards the end of Series 2, Gwen and Arthur become slightly more comfortable around each other in public. When Arthur is injured trying to save her from the Great Dragon in "The Last Dragonlord," they share a tender moment which only Gaius notices as Gwen sees to his wound. She tells Gaius when he notices her fear that they can never be, but Gaius comforts her by telling her to never underestimate the power of love. When Arthur returns from fighting at the end of the episode, Gwen runs to him and hugs him tightly. She whispers that she thought she'd lost him, her open affection surprising him slightly. They embrace, not caring about Merlin and Gaius being there, and happily walk back to the castle together.

Kilgharrah (The Great Dragon)

The Great Dragon (voiced by John Hurt) is a legendary creature of the Old Religion that was imprisoned in the caves beneath Camelot by King Uther Pendragon. Twenty years prior to the events of the series, Uther had outlawed magic in Albion and killed every dragon but one, whom he spared to serve as an example. Merlin, while looking for the source of a voice that has been haunting him at night in "The Dragon's Call," is led down to the cave where the Great Dragon is imprisoned. The Great Dragon becomes Merlin's mentor in magic, and tells him that Arthur is part of his destiny and if he does not follow it, then destiny will choose him. The Great Dragon is also on familiar terms with Gaius, although neither Merlin nor Gaius were initially aware that the other had met him. In "Le Morte d'Arthur," the Great Dragon tells Merlin that he was only thinking of his own freedom when helping Merlin. However, because the Dragon's machinations nearly killed Merlin's mother, Merlin vows that he will never be freed. Merlin turned his back on the Great Dragon, but was later forced to return to the Great Dragon for aid in "The Curse of Cornelius Sigan." The Dragon grants Merlin a spell of ancient magic in return for Merlin's promise that he would free the Dragon in the future. This also reveals that Gaius is aware of Merlin's visits to the Dragon, recognizing that the two are creatures of the old magic.

Although the Great Dragon appears callous, such as when (on numerous occasions) he orders Merlin not to help Morgana and Mordred based on his apparent knowledge of their future destinies, he has shown a capacity for compassion at times. Such compassion is noted in "The Witchfinder," when he apologizes for his inability to help Merlin save Gaius. A large part of his lack of action is, by his own words, dictated by his apparent concern about future events. He shows compassion yet again in "Beauty and the Beast" when he helps Merlin free Uther from a troll's enchantment, despite both hating Uther and the old magical ties between the Great Dragon and trolls. He has also demonstrated a sense of humor, initially laughing upon learning of Uther and Arthur's magically-induced love for the Ladies Catrina ("Beauty and the Beast") and Vivian ("Sweet Dreams"), respectively.

In "The Witch's Quickening," upon gaining access to a crystal with the ability to see the future, Merlin sees a future in which the Dragon will destroy Camelot once he is freed; Gaius assures him that the future he saw is just one of many, yet Merlin is clearly haunted by his vision. Nevertheless, in return for helping Merlin defeat the Knights of Medhir in "The Fires of Idirsholas," the Great Dragon holds the young warlock to his word. He forces Merlin to use his magic in combination with a sword of Medhir to break the chains holding him captive. As Merlin looks on hopelessly, the Great Dragon flies off in an obvious rage, subsequently attacking the castle at night for the next three days in revenge for his imprisonment.

In "The Last Dragonlord," with no other way to save the kingdom (conventional weapons and Merlin's magic both proving useless against the Dragon), Uther is forced to agree with Gaius' suggestion that they call on the aid of the presumed-dead last dragonlord, Balinor. Both are unaware however that Merlin is Balinor's son. According to Balinor, the Great Dragon is known to all deceased Dragonlords as Kilgharrah. After inheriting Balinor's power when he dies in an ambush, Merlin is able to tame the Dragon (and, it is implied, gains the necessary magic to hurt him). Instead of killing him, Merlin orders the Dragon to leave Camelot and never to attack it again, under pain of death. Noting Merlin's clemency, the Dragon agrees to this demand, although he speculates that their paths will cross again, possibly hinting at a return in the future.

It should be noted that The Great Dragon is entirely original to the television series, not existing in any previous Arthurian legend, despite existence of several tales of Merlin associating with dragons; particularly Dinas Emrys.

Main Characters Part 3:

Merlin

Merlin (portrayed by Colin Morgan) is a young sorcerer who comes to Camelot from his small hometown of Ealdor. When he arrives, he soon discovers that magic is forbidden in Camelot and anybody who is caught using it will be executed. He meets Gaius, the court physician and his own future guardian and mentor. Gaius soon discovers the truth of Merlin's powers. and with a warning to keep his magic hidden, gives Merlin a book of sorcery to study. Merlin befriends the maidservant Gwen, who initially likes him romantically, though he doesn't notice or return her affections. Merlin often finds himself in trouble, such as being thrown into the stocks for minor disobedience, and Gaius usually has to come to his rescue.

A magical voice leads Merlin to the Great Dragon and he is told of his destiny to protect Prince Arthur and unite Albion. Merlin initially dislikes Arthur for his apparent arrogance, insulting and fighting with him, unaware that Arthur is a prince. However, after saving Arthur's life from sorceress Mary Collins, Merlin is appointed Arthur's manservant. Though Merlin keeps his magic hidden from Arthur, the two gradually grow much closer, often risking their lives for one another and working together to help Camelot. In "Valiant," Merlin saves Arthur's life and honor by revealing that the knight Valiant is using magic to kill opponents during a tournament. In "The Mark of Nimueh," Merlin helps Arthur kill a magical creature contaminating the city water supply. Merlin covers up for Arthur on several occasions, and is typically punished for it. He saves Arthur from being sacrificed by drowning in "The Gates of Avalon," and saves Uther in both "Excalibur" and "To Kill the King." On the other hand, in "The Poisoned Chalice," Arthur disobeys his father and risks his own life to find an antidote for Merlin after Merlin is poisoned by the witch Nimueh. Arthur also drinks poison in Merlin's place during his final test in "The Labyrinth of Gedref," although unknown by him it was just a sleeping draught. He also helps Merlin protect his hometown of Ealdor from raiders in "The Moment of Truth." In "Le Morte d'Arthur," Merlin saves Arthur from imminent death by attempting to sacrifice his own life for Arthur's. Nimueh instead decides to take Hunith's life instead of Merlin's. Merlin eventually manages to save both Arthur and his mother, while killing the High Priestess Nimueh.

Merlin seems to have a connection with the Druids, a magical race persecuted by Uther. This is especially true with the Druid boy Mordred, who the Great Dragon warns will kill Arthur with Morgana's help. Merlin is the first to hear Mordred's telepathic cry for help, and helps the boy escape the guards despite knowing nothing about him. Mordred calls him Emrys (the Welsh form of Ambrosius, the name of a historical figure who has, in legend, been partially merged with Merlin), and the Great Dragon confirms this as one of Merlin's names. He claims he and Merlin are the same and will meet at some future point. Despite the Great Dragon prophesying Mordred killing Arthur, Merlin still saves his life when he hears him call for help telepathically a second time. They also appear similar physically, with black hair and blue eyes. Only Merlin and Morgana, who also has a protective interest in him, can hear him when he speaks in their minds.

The actual nature of Merlin's magical abilities is unclear, as is whether he needs to learn the magic words at all. In "The Dragon's Call" he states to Gaius "I could move objects like that since before I could talk," which he does without speaking or moving. However, in later episodes, he uses audible spells when using most kinds of magic, including moving objects. His knowledge of magic seems to be in part innate, as he effortlessly uses a Sidhe staff and other magics without learning how to do so. He must learn certain more complex spells from the book, though. He also seems to have faster reflexes and senses than others, or possibly unknowingly slows time around himself to cause this effect. His eyes glow golden (they are usually blue) when using any type of magic, but do not stay that color for the duration of the spell. He also seems to have some kind of subconscious mental link with Arthur, as during "The Poisoned Chalice" he mutters constantly about Arthur's situation, though Arthur is miles away and Merlin himself is unconscious at the time. He is also able to send a light to Arthur subconsciously, so it seems he does not need to be awake or coherent to use his magic.

In "Le Morte d'Arthur," both the Great Dragon and Nimueh mention that Merlin is born of the Old Religion just as they are. It is from the Old Religion that he draws his power and owes his allegiance. He is able to instinctively harness the power of Life and Death to save Gaius's life and stop Nimueh.

In "The Once and Future Queen," Merlin loses his temper at the heavy burden placed on him. This is because when he's not serving Arthur or helping Gaius, he's fulfilling his destiny by saving Arthur's life, and without recognition he has to keep his magic secret or suffer death.

In "The Nightmare Begins," Merlin starts to feel pity for Morgana, as she does not know she has magical powers and is frightened by her prophetic dreams. He argues with Gaius that he remembers how lonely and frightening it was when it happened to him. He believes she should be told, but Gaius is unwilling to tell her at the risk of Merlin and Morgana's lives. The Dragon also warns Merlin that it would be better if 'the witch' never found out the extent of her powers. Determined to help Morgana he tells her about the Druids, stating they may be able to help her. When she sneaks away Uther assumes she has been kidnapped and orders the arrest and execution of everyone who is under suspicion of using magic, unless Morgana is returned. Horrified, Merlin follows Morgana and tries to convince her to return for the sake of the villagers. Morgana refuses, feeling as though she has found someplace where she belongs. Even so, he helps her and the Druids escape when Arthur and the Knights arrive at their camp, but ultimately fails. Back in Camelot, Merlin visits Morgana and tells her that he will keep her secret. He does not confide in her that he also has magical abilities, however. Arthur assumes he has feelings for Morgana but Merlin refutes this belief multiple times.

In "Lancelot and Guinevere," Merlin is quite willing to go rescue Gwen, and is able to get Arthur to admit his feelings for Gwen. As usual when they are alone, their friendship shows through. Arthur is willing to open up to Merlin and explains why he cannot admit his feelings, as it would hurt him too much. He also apologizes for risking his life. However, things revert to normal when they meet Guinevere and Lancelot.

In "The Witchfinder," Merlin's secret almost becomes exposed when he uses magic to shape smoke into a horse. This is seen and reported to Uther by a villager, and a witchfinder named Aredian was called in to find the sorcerer. He soon suspects Merlin of being a sorcerer, and to prove this, Aredian asks to search his chambers. When doing so, they find a magical amulet, in which Gaius took the blame for owning. In the end, it was learned that Aredian had placed the amulet there, and to prove this, Merlin set a trap, which made Aredian look like a sorcerer in front of Uther even though he was not.

In "The Fires of Idirsholas," Merlin is forced to poison Morgana to save Camelot after she was tricked into being a carrier for one of Morgause's spells. Though he succeeds, he agrees to let Morgause save her in return for ending her spell and stopping the Knights of Medhir.

In "The Tears of Uther Pendragon," it is a rather scared Merlin who takes the destiny of Camelot in his hands. He is clearly afraid of the repercussions of his acts after poisoning the Lady Morgana and releasing the Great Dragon Knowing this, he saves at great cost Uther from his own madness, despite previous warning from Kilgharrah. By unveiling Morgana's evil schemes and risking his own life he is aware Morgana will become ever more fervent in destroying him. He confronts Morgana on her magic and the use she makes of it, but falls short of revealing his own. Following the events of "The Last Dragonlord", Merlin has also built a new relationship with the Great Dragon, who comes to save him from the Serkets when commanded to do so. Merlin's relation with Arthur has clearly changed into a more equal one, where Merlin is allowed to impart some wisdom on Arthur but also to tease and joke with him more freely. He also starts to respect the Prince a lot more, and to fully appreciate his fairness, bravery and concern for Camelot, and is happy to vouch for his master's qualities, as demonstrated in "Gwaine". In the same episode, Merlin gets to reflect on the death of his father, indicating the event has affected him far more than we've seen.

Concerning Merlin's Destiny

Merlin was born in the small village of Ealdor in Albion. His mother is Hunith and his father is unknown until "The Last Dragonlord," where is it discovered to be Balinor (the only living Dragonlord). This is where he inherited his magical gifts. Merlin was born with a strange power that enables him to slow down the movement of time, both mentally and physically, and move objects to wherever he wishes with his mind. Merlin, like his father, is also a Dragonlord.

According to The Great Dragon, Merlin's birth has been prophesied by many cultures. For example the Druids refer to him as "Emrys" (Meaning "Immortal"), which is also the name Mordred calls him by in "The Beginning of the End."

The Dragon states that it is Merlin's destiny to protect Arthur Pendragon and aid him in uniting the kingdoms of Albion so magic can return to the land.

Main Characters Part 4:

The Lady Morgana [Seasons 1 & 2]

The Lady Morgana (portrayed by Katie McGrath) is the ward of Uther Pendragon by way of a promise to her father and close friend Gorlois that he would protect her after his death. Arthur and Morgana care about and look out for one another despite frequently bickering and teasing one another, much like brother and sister. Gwen comments in "The Dragon's Call" that Morgana is born to be a queen, with the royal court sharing that sentiment. Morgana is best friends with Gwen, her maidservant.

Morgana disagrees with Uther executing anybody who uses magic. In "The Mark of Nimueh" she pleads unsuccessfully for Uther to spare Gwen after she is detained due to suspicion of being a witch. She later persuades Arthur to assist Merlin in destroying the source of the magic, thus saving Gwen's life. It is soon revealed that Morgana has the gift of prophecy through her dreams, and may unknowingly be a sorceress. It should be noted that sorceress typically practices supernatural power through the aid of evil spirits; in contrast, Morgana never uses magic and is terrified by her dreams. She often turns to Gaius for help to stop them, but his sleeping draughts fail to stop them. Through such dreams Morgana has saved Arthur's life at least twice. In "Valiant" she foresees in a dream that he will be in grave danger when fighting Knight Valiant. In "The Gates of Avalon" she dreams Sophia will try to drown him.

In "The Beginning of the End," she hides Mordred, a druid boy Uther intends to execute, in her chambers shortly after he arrives in Camelot. Together with Gwen and Merlin she tries to escape with the boy, but is caught by Arthur. Although Uther is infuriated at her betrayal, she holds firm and tries to convince him to let Mordred go, since he is only a child. She later manages to convince Arthur to assist her and Merlin in making sure the boy escapes Camelot. She repays her debt to Merlin in "The Moment of Truth" by traveling with Arthur and Gwen to help defend his hometown of Ealdor. She reveals that she has ample skill with a sword, and professes to having beat Arthur during several sword fights as children. Although she is generally seen as having a kind heart, her anger over Uther ordering the death of Gwen's father, Tom, in "To Kill the King" leads her to conspire with Tauren to have him assassinated. While at her father's grave, however, Uther becomes grieved and admits he feels truly sorry for his mistake. Morgana saves his life from the planned ambush, having developed a change of heart.

At the beginning of Series 2, in "The Curse of Cornelius Sigan," Morgana's nightmares return after a prolonged absence. She dreams of a terrifying creature in the shape of a raven. The raven is infamously known as the sign of the great sorcerer Cornelius Sigan and she fears he will return to destroy Camelot. She would continue to have prophetic dreams, and in "The Nightmare Begins," unintentionally causes a fire in her chambers. In search of answers, Morgana takes Merlin's advice and visits the druids deep in the Forest of Acestir. While there, she meets a druid who explains that she does possess magical powers but will not be able to control them for many years to come. It is here that she is also reunited with Mordred. Uther, mistakenly under the belief that Morgana has been kidnapped, orders that all those under suspicion of being involved be arrested and executed unless Morgana is returned. Knowing the truth, Merlin sets out to bring Morgana back, but Morgana refuses to return with him. Meanwhile, after Arthur discovers Merlin's trail leading to the Forest of Acestir, Uther orders they send out knights to the forest. Uther has long suspected Druids live in the forest, and switches his suspicions to them, ordering an attack on their camp led by Arthur. The Druids flee along with Morgana but she is 'rescued' by the knights after being unable to flee with them due to a leg injury. Merlin promises not to tell anyone that she has magic, and although he says he understands Morgana, he does not reveal that he also has magical powers. The Great Dragon warns Merlin that she is a 'witch' and cannot be trusted, due to a prophecy that she will form an alliance with Mordred leading to Arthur's death. In "The Sins of the Father" it was revealed that she has a half sister, Morgause, who was smuggled out of Camelot by Gaius at birth. Which parent they share or the reasons for Morgause's 'exile' are unknown.

Morgana's path to villainy appears certain after "The Witch's Quickening," in which she willingly (albeit secretly) betrays Uther by helping Mordred and the bandit sorcerer Alvarr gain access to the Crystal of Neahtid hidden deep within the vaults of Camelot. She later helps Alvarr escape execution, openly stating her anger towards Uther while not openly admitting her deeds. Alvarr is charismatic enough to convince Morgana to help him, and she remains in Alvarr's thrall even after learning of his plot to destroy Camelot and it's citizens, the royal court included. In "The Fires of Idirsholas" she meets with Morgause and agrees to help her defeat Uther. Morgause uses her as the living host for a spell that puts all of Camelot to sleep, without informing her of the enchantment. At the same time, the Knights of Medhir (resurrected by Morgause) ride into Camelot to kill Arthur and Uther. Merlin then learns from the Great Dragon that the only way to stop the spell is to kill the host, Morgana. Merlin succeeds and poisons her at the last possible moment. Ultimately he bargains with Morgause, agreeing to give her the poison only if she stops the Knights of Medhir. Morgause complies, and vanishes with Morgana. Although the royal court is concerned for Morgana as they have no knowledge of what happened, Gaius assures Gwen he is confident Morgana is doing well, wherever she is.

King Uther Pendragon

Uther Pendragon (portrayed by Anthony Head) is the king of Camelot. He despises and denounces the use of magic and orders the execution of anyone caught using sorcery, thus forcing Merlin to hide the use of his powers. He is father to Arthur Pendragon, the legal guardian of the Lady Morgana, and has a deceased wife named Ygraine. He was also good friends with Gorlois, Morgana's birth father, which lead to him becoming her legal guardian. Although tyrannical at times he is essentially a good, if not misguided, King. In "The Dragon's Call," Mary Collins warns Uther that since he executed her son, so shall he lose his son. She then nearly kills Arthur at his coming of age banquet, but Merlin saves him in the end. King Uther, in honor of this act, makes Merlin Arthur's manservant. His hatred for magic is so strong that he has condemned countless people to death. During the Series, he has executed Mary Collins' son, a Druid, and various unnamed people simply for having knowledge of magic, despite not having ever used it to cause harm. He has also executed Gwen's Father, Tom, for suspicion of consorting with the sorcerer Tauren. In addition, he has also sentenced both Gwen (in "The Mark of Nimueh") and Gaius (in "The Witchfinder") to death, only to later absolve them of their 'crimes'.

His hatred of magic is especially apparent with Nimueh. In "Excalibur" it is revealed that his wife Ygraine was barren, so he asked Nimueh (his friend and official court sorceress) to use magic to give him a son. His wife died during Arthur's birth as a consequence. By the rules of the Old Religion, a life could not be given without another life being taken in return. Nimueh chose to take Ygraine's life in exchange for Arthur being born. His wife's brother, Tristan, blamed him for her death, and was killed in mortal combat after challenging Uther to a duel. As a result of these events, he ordered the death of all dragons, Dragonlords, and magic users. This period is referred to as "The Great Purge." He did, however, spare the Great Dragon to serve as an example to everyone. While he is proud of his son, Uther worries for Arthur's future as king. He typically hides this behind overly controlling and critical behavior towards Arthur; Arthur often feels he is a "big disappointment" due to this. Uther personally thinks very little of Merlin (since he is simply a manservant), but is grateful for his loyalty towards Arthur. He then tells Merlin to "look after him" when goes to entire a futile duel with the Black Knight, Tristan De Bois. Merlin ultimately goes against the Great Dragon's warning (that Excalibur would be tainted if used by Uther) and gives him Excalibur; Uther consequently succeeds in defeating Tristan.

Though he swore to protect Morgana and seems quite fond of her, he states in "The Beginning of the End" he will break his promise to protect her without a second thought if she betrays him any further. In "To Kill the King" he has her arrested for treason after she speaks out against murdering Tom. Uther later comes to his senses when they visit Gorlois' grave together, admitting he was wrong and telling her she is the daughter he never had. He apologizes and tells her that he highly values her friendship, council, and love.

Although Uther is aware of Gaius' past use of magic, he regards Gaius as his ally in the fight against magic. Uther regularly confides in Gaius about various issues, even if his prejudice against magic commonly blinds him to Gaius' wisdom.

In "Beauty and the Beast" Uther is enchanted by a troll posing as the Lady Catrina. While enchanted he follows her every whim without thinking twice about it. He imposes excessive taxes on Camelot, despite Arthur's protests that the people cannot pay them. He disinherits Arthur and names 'Catrina' the new heir to throne, ultimately marrying her as well, despite her secret having been revealed by Gaius and Merlin. He later proves his true intent when he cries tears of remorse for Arthur, believing he was dead due to a potion Gaius concocted. His tears of true remorse end the troll's spell and make him see her for what she truly is. Jonas and the troll are both killed shortly thereafter. In "The Witchfinder" Uther calls for the help of Aredian, the 'Witchfinder' when it is reported that magic was seen used in the kingdom. After Aredian falsely convicts Gaius of sorcery, Uther confines him and orders his execution. Merlin ultimately intervenes and makes Aredian look like a sorcerer, leading to Aredian's death. Afterwards, Uther appears genuinely regretful towards Gaius, and he goes to Gaius' chambers personally to apologize for believing that Gaius was still using magic. Gaius' recounts telling Uther that his vendetta against magic would lead to trouble in the future; he reminds Uther that he likely would have reacted violently to any other man for speaking to him in such a manner. In "The Sins of the Father" Uther discovers that Gaius had smuggled Morgause, Morgana's half-sister, out of Camelot after her birth despite an order to kill her. Uther listens to Gaius' justification for hiding Morgause rather than punishing him for his defiance.

Although he tries his best to keep tight control over Camelot and those around him, he remains oblivious to the fact that Morgana possesses magic and is now actively in league with Morgause to kill him; that his son Arthur has fallen in love with a servant (Gwen), and is becoming close friends with a warlock (Merlin); and that his trusted friend Gaius is protecting all of these facts from reaching Uther.

Uther shows a great level of desperation at the disappearance of the Lady Morgana, sacrificing hundreds of men on her account. Soon after her return, Uther is seen expressing his fatherly love for his ward, but is soon plagued by sudden madness which causes him to see his late wife and other victims of his actions during the Great Purge, including children. Cared for by Merlin and Gaius, he recovers at the start of the siege of Camelot and gets to the front line to protect his kingdom, showing how important his duties are to him.

In "Goblin's Gold", Uther is temporarily bald and plagued by flatulence, and shows how keeping appearances in order to be respected is very important to him. However, Uther shows in "Gwaine" that his mindset with regards to servants and commoners has changed very little in spite of numerous examples of false accusations, and his ruthlessness is once more highlighted by his command to have Gwaine executed.

Supporting Cast Part 1, Villains [Part 1]:

Alvarr

Alvarr (portrayed by Joseph Mawle) is the charismatic leader of a group of outlaws determined to overthrow Uther. When he was a child, his parents (who had magic just as he has) told him of a crystal (The Crystal of Neahtid) that was captured from the sorcerers of the Old Religion in the last days of The Great Purge and has since been locked in the vaults beneath Camelot's castle. When wielded by the right person, the Crystal of Neahtid holds the secrets of time; that is, knowledge of the past, present and future. Alvarr believes that the crystal will help him to succeed in overthrowing Uther in hopes that Mordred will master it's use. He first he has to acquire it, however. In "The Witch's Quickening" Alvarr and his men ambush a convoy heading for Camelot and disguise themselves using the knights' clothes to enter Camelot at night. They sneak into the castle, and Mordred, through telepathy and knowledge of the castle from his last visit to Camelot, guides Alvarr to Morgana's chambers where they convince her to get the crystal for them. Morgana steals Arthur's key to the vault, takes the crystal and rides out to Alvarr's camp where she hands it over to him. Alvarr charms Morgana such that she agrees to his plans of destroying Uther and bringing down Camelot. Merlin, who had overheard the telepathic conversation the night Alvarr arrived in Camelot, grows suspicious of Morgana. He follows her to Alvarr's camp and observes everything that happens between them. When Uther discovers that the crystal is gone he sends Arthur to recover it. Morgana returns to Alvarr's camp to warn him but there is not enough time to escape. Arthur and his knights, guided by Merlin, reach the camp and defeat Alvarr's men. Arthur arrests Alvarr and recovers the crystal, and ultimately Alvarr is imprisoned and sentenced to death by Uther. Before the execution takes place, Morgana drugs the prison guards with a sleeping draught, allowing Alvarr to use his magic to escape. It is not known where or with whom he has fled.

Aglain

Aglain (portrayed by Colin Salmon) was a druid who lived in the Forest of Acestir. Morgana went to look for the druids on Merlin's advice in "The Nightmare Begins," wanting to find out the truth about her hidden magical powers. She was stricken by a giant scorpion though, and Aglain saved her after Mordred (with whom Morgana has a telepathic connection) warned Aglain that she was in danger. Aglain treated Morgana's injuries and later told her that she does have a magical gift, but it will be many years before she can understand these powers and learn to use them. He advised her that magic can be a force for good as well as evil. When Arthur and the royal guard attacked the druid's camp, Aglain helped Morgana and Mordred escape, but was shot (presumably fatally) by Arthur's men.

King Alined

King Alined (portrayed by David Schofield) is one of the five kings who arrive in Camelot for a series of peace talks in "Sweet Dreams." Knowing that peace will make him poor, he instead plots to bring war on Camelot. With the help of his jester Trickler, Arthur and Lady Vivian are enchanted to fall in love with each other so that when they are caught together, her over-protective father, King Olaf, will declare war on Camelot. The plan succeeds and Alined is delighted to witness a duel to the death between Arthur and Olaf. Alined believes if Arthur is killed then Uther will declare war and if Olaf is killed his men will declare war, so he cannot lose. Just when Arthur's defeat looks certain, Gwen breaks the enchantment on him with a kiss, being she is his true love. Arthur wins the final stage of the duel but refuses to kill King Olaf because it will not bring peace, much to Alined's fury. As the kings leave Camelot having signed the peace treaty, King Alined pretends to be delighted but punishes Trickler by shackling him and making him run all the way home. Uther comments on Alined's dismay towards Trickler, but Alined tries to play it off as he leaves, discontented.

Aredian

Aredian (portrayed by Charles Dance) is a freelance sorcerer hunter notorious for his effective methods, nicknamed 'The Witchfinder'. He was hired by Uther in "The Witchfinder" to search Camelot for sorcerers after a smoke manipulation spell, performed by Merlin, was witnessed and reported by a citizen. After interrogation of several suspects he accused Merlin of sorcery. Upon searching Gaius' workshop he found an enchanted bracelet which he intended to use as evidence for Merlin's guilt. However, Gaius, in an attempt to protect Merlin, admited that the bracelet was an old keepsake of his, resulting in Merlin's release and Gaius' conviction. After intense interrogation Aredian blackmailed Gauis into falsely confessing that he was the sorcerer, by promising to convict Merlin and Morgana of sorcery. Uther reluctantly sentenced Gaius to death. After an emotional goodbye with Gaius, Merlin discovered that the bracelet was planted and that Aredian had orchestrated the whole event. Merlin and Gwen gathered (and planted) evidence of Aredian's crime to present to Uther and persuaded Arthur to postpone Gauis' execution. After having his chambers searched and the evidence discovered, Aredian panicked and fell out a window while resisting arrist.

Aulfric

Aulfric (portrayed by Kenneth Cranham) arrived in Camelot after he and his daughter, Sophia, were rescued from bandits by Arthur in "The Gates of Avalon." He and Sophia were secretly magical creatures known as Sidhe, but were banished from Avalon (the land of immortal life) because Aulfric killed another Sidhe. He was then forced to live as a mortal but Sophia could return to Avalon if she sacrificed a mortal prince to the Sidhe elders. Merlin prevented them from killing Arthur, and he killed Aulfric and Sophia using Sophia's magical staff. Merlin kept the Sidhe staff, and hid it under his bed.

Lady Catrina (The Troll)

Lady Catrina (portrayed by Sarah Parish) is a noble of the House of Tregor. She was impersonated by a troll in "Beauty and the Beast: Part One" and "Beauty and the Beast: Part Two." The troll created a potion that would temporarily allow her to take the form of Lady Catrina and, along with her servant Jonas, infiltrated Camelot in search of wealth and power. After enchanting Uther, causing him to fall in love with her, she married him and became queen of Camelot. Merlin and Gaius realized that she was an impostor when she rejected a tonic Gaius had prepared for her, having diagnosed the true Lady Catrina with an incurable bone disease when she was a child. As the enchantment grew in power she created a rift between Uther and Arthur and eventually persuaded Uther to disinherit Arthur, leaving her next in line to the throne. Merlin discovered that the troll was taking potions to maintain the appearance and asked Gaius to replicate the potion without the magical effect. The troll took the fake potions and her true form was exposed, but her hold over Uther was so strong that he did not see her any differently even though everyone else saw her true appearance. After visiting the Great Dragon, Merlin discovered that the only way to break the enchantment was to have Uther cry tears of true remorse. Arthur took a tincture to simulate death while Gaius went to get Uther, who then wept, having believed his son committed suicide. The troll tried to pull Uther away but the enchantment was already broken. The troll was ultimately killed by Arthur.

Cedric

Cedric (portrayed by Mackenzie Crook) was a conman who sets out to usurp Merlin as Arthur's personal servant in "The Curse of Cornelius Sigan." He wanted to gain access to Arthur's personal rooms and steal the keys to an underground burial chamber, where Uther had discovered treasure. When Merlin used magic to spear a wild boar that attacked Arthur during their hunting trip, Cedric took credit for throwing the spear and was rewarded by being appointed to the royal household. He then put Merlin to sleep as he mucked the stables, and let Arthur's horses escape so that Merlin would be blamed. Arthur sent Merlin home for the mistake and appointed Cedric in his place. That night, Cedric took the keys and went down to rob the burial chamber. He attempted to steal the jewel set into the tomb of Cornelius Sigan, and was possessed by Sigan's spirit. Sigan's magic brought to life the Gargoyles in the city, and summoned a terrifying raven, threatening Camelot. They were stopped by Merlin, who used a spell the Great Dragon granted him. Merlin refused to abandon Arthur and join Sigan, so Sigan left Cedric's body in an attempt to possess Merlin's. Merlin used the new magic to imprison Sigan in the jewel once again. It is unclear what happened to Cedric after this.

King Cenred

Cenred (portrayed by Tom Ellis) is the king at the head of one of Camelot's neighboring kingdom. His coat of arm represents a black snake with red spots over a white background.

Cenred is a warmongering king whose kingdom lies to the east of Camelot. Compared to other kings who have visited Camelot, he is relatively young and very powerful. His castle towers over a barren land, in contrast with the forests and villages surrounding Camelot.

His kingdom is first mentioned in "The Moment of Truth," when Hunith tells King Uther that Cenred cares little for outlying villages of his kingdom, to which Ealdor belongs. On that occasion, Uther is very careful to avoid war with Cenred, indicating that an accord was signed with Cenred, which took years to establish. This shows that Cenred's relations with Camelot are very tense already, and is furthered by Cenred's absence at the peace gathering in "Sweet Dreams," during which five neighboring kings (including Uther) gather to sign a peace treaty.

Cenred's kingdom is later mentioned in "The Last Dragonlord," and Uther explains that any intruder from Camelot would be killed if found, indicating a further deterioration of relations between Cenred and Camelot.

Cenred himself first appears in "The Tears of Uther Pendragon," where he has struck an agreement with Morgause to invade Camelot, provided insider help is given to take Camelot down. Cenred clearly has a special relationship with Morgause but the origin and depth of their acquaintance is unknown. He is an arrogant king who leads from afar, seldom leaving his castle, and is accused by Morgause of being a coward because of his reluctance to come and meet her at the border with Camelot. He shares Morgause's hatred for Uther, and wants to take over Camelot, but believes Camelot is impregnable. In order to invade Camelot and seizing the opportunity offered by Morgause, he raises an army of 20,000 soldiers, although many amongst those are mercenaries as well as heavy weapons and fire catapults. His army is thus said to be twice the size of Uther's an can reach Camelot within 2 days.

His ruthlessness is highlighted by the fact that he is expected to destroy all villages on his way to Camelot, yet, he pulls out of the battle early upon seeing that a victory is unlikely, stating that he "would rather fail [Morgause] then watch thousands of men die".

Cornelius Sigan

Cornelius Sigan (portrayed by Mackenzie Crook) was a legendary sorcerer who lived at the time Camelot was built. It was said that his magic made the construction of Camelot possible. He was eventually executed for practicing evil magic, and cursed Camelot, swearing to return one day and destroy the city he helped to create. His fabulous wealth was buried with him and Uther had the burial chamber excavated in "The Curse of Cornelius Sigan," unaware that the glowing jewel set into Sigan's tomb contained the sorcerer's soul, waiting to avenge his death. Sigan's spirit possessed Cedric after Cedric removed the jewel on his tomb and unleashed a deadly creature in the shape of a raven (Sigan's name means "raven" in the language of the Old Religion). Merlin destroyed this creature and halted the Gargoyles that Sigan had brought to life as well using a spell the Great Dragon granted him. Merlin was then asked by Sigan to join him. Merlin refused and Sigan attempted to possess him, but his soul was imprisoned inside the jewel again by Merlin's magic. The jewel was set back within the tomb and the burial chamber is sealed off by Uther's orders.

Edwin Muirden

Edwin Muirden (portrayed by Julian Rhind-Tutt) was a sorcerer who went to Camelot under the guise of a physician in "A Remedy to Cure All Ills." His aim was to avenge the death of his parents, who were executed during The Great Purge. His face was disfigured in his childhood because he tried to save his parents from being burned at the stake. He was treated by Gaius, who later recognizes the burn. Edwin's parents were old friends of Gaius but Gaius knew they had turned to dark magic, and could not bring himself to save them; because of this, Edwin blamed Gaius for their deaths. After secretly planting a magical Elanthian Beetle in Morgana's ear, he appeared in Camelot claiming to have an all-cure. He removed the beetle and cured her, and went on to unsuccessfully usurp Gaius' position as court physician. He then placed an Elanthian Beetle in Uther's ear to eat his brain and attempted to kill Gaius. Edwin was slain by Merlin in a magical duel. He tried to throw an axe at Merlin using magic but Merlin stopped it and threw it back using his own magic.

Evan

Evan (portrayed by Richard Riddell) appears as a peasant in "The Labyrinth of Gedref" and is involved in two of the tests set by Anhora that Arthur has to pass in order to lift a curse placed on Camelot. The curse befalls Camelot after Arthur kills a unicorn on a hunting expedition. The curse causes famine and turns water supplies into sand. As Arthur and Merlin stand guard over the grain reserves one night, they discover Evan stealing some grain. He pleads desperately to Arthur to let him go; he explains that his starving family has no food left and he needs to feed them. Despite Uther's order to execute all looters, Arthur takes mercy on him and lets him go with a small supply. A grateful Evan tells Arthur that his kindness will bring its own reward. The next day, the water returns to the reservoir and Merlin suggests that releasing Evan might have been one of Anhora's tests. In the hopes of finding Anhora, Arthur and Merlin return to the forest where the unicorn was killed and Evan is found again. Evan turns out to be a thief in possession of a large hoard of food, and taunts Arthur, stating that he is a failure to Uther as a son and is unworthy of the throne. Infuriated, Arthur attacks him and as he strikes the deathblow, Evan vanishes into thin air and Anhora appears. Anhora explains that since Arthur is willing to kill a man to defend his pride, he has failed the test, hence prolonging the curse. As a consequence, the food rations rot and Arthur has to pass a final test to undo the curse.

Halig

Halig (portrayed by Richard Ridings) is a bounty hunter who arrives in Camelot during a stormy night in "The Lady of the Lake" with a Druid girl named Freya. Attracted by Uther's handsome reward to those who capture anyone involved in magic, he intends to turn in the girl the following day. During the night, however, Merlin helps Freya escape and harbors her in one of the tunnels under of Camelot. After Halig discovers she is gone, he requests an audience with Uther. He informs Uther of the Freya's escape and warns him that she is cursed and dangerous. He also shares his suspicions that someone helped her escape. Uther orders his guards to search for her and the accomplice. During one of Merlin's trips to visit Freya, Halig apprehends and questions him about the girl. He doubts Merlin's claims of innocence and decides to torture him to get the truth. Arthur intervenes before he starts though, and states that Merlin has his complete trust. He instructs Halig to come to him if he has any complaints about Merlin. Halig reluctantly agrees. Freya, not wanting Merlin to get into trouble over her or cause him any harm, tries to escape Camelot. She is caught by Arthur, Halig, and a group of knights. As midnight strikes, she transforms into a bastet (per her curse) and rips Halig apart. She is then fatally wounded by Arthur, and retreats. Merlin follows her, and after her death, send her body off in the lake in which he hid Excalibur.

Hengist

Hengist (portrayed by James Cosmo) is the brutal leader of a group of Mercian bandits that appear in "Lancelot and Guinevere." He plots the kidnapping of the Lady Morgana in order to obtain a generous ransom from Uther. When his men, lead by Kendrick, bring Morgana to his castle he imprisons her in the dungeons unaware that she is actually Gwen. Hengist becomes suspicious when he receives no response from Uther about the ransom. He confronts Kendrick and when he discovers the truth has Kendrick killed. Meanwhile Lancelot, who won Hengist's fight to the death, was witnessed by Gwen and later rescues Gwen from the dungeons. Hengist orders his men to pursue them and when they are captured Hengist sentences them to death in the fighters' cage. A wilddeoren is released into the cage just as Arthur and Merlin arrive to rescue Gwen. Jumping into the cage, Arthur frees Lancelot and Gwen. Hengist attempts to kill Arthur but is thwarted by Merlin's use of magic. Merlin then jumps into the cage but is followed by Hengist. Arthur and Gwen escape down the tunnels and are shortly followed by Lancelot and Merlin, after Merlin uses magic to trap Hengist inside the cage where he gets killed by the wilddeoren.

Supporting Cast Part 1, Villains [Part 2]:

Jonas

Jonas (portrayed by Adam Godley) is the servant of a troll who takes the human form of Lady Catrina of Tregor in "Beauty and the Beast." Together they devise a plot to ransack Camelot for wealth and power. He provides his mistress with the potion that makes her transformation temporarily possible. Uther welcomes them to Camelot as they pretend to be the only survivors of an attack at their home. The troll hates the clean comfortable surroundings and the delicious food provided for her and so Jonas improvises an alternative dwelling of manure underground the castle and provides her with rotten food. Merlin grows suspicious and soon sees Jonas' tail and Catrina's troll appearance. Jonas notices Merlin spying on them, so his mistress decides to enchant Uther to speed up their plans. Under the enchantment Uther becomes engaged to the troll posing as Catrina. Merlin uses powerful magic to reveal Catrina's true identity in front of the king but fails because the troll's enchantment is stronger. Jonas realizes Merlin's attempt to ruin their plans and informs his mistress, who then orders him to trap Merlin. Jonas convinces Merlin he is an abused slave and that the only way to stop his mistress is to steal the potion that she needs to stay human from her underground dwelling. Merlin follows Jonas' advice but gets trapped by the troll. When he finally breaks free he rushes to stop Uther's wedding but is confronted by Jonas, who attacks Merlin, but Merlin's magic knocks Jonas out. Merlin arrives too late though. He then sneaks into Jonas' room, steals the potion and replaces it with an innocuous one made by Gaius. Even though Catrina takes the fake potion and her true identity is revealed, the troll's enchantment proves stronger and Uther remains oblivious. Following the Great Dragon's advice that Arthur must cry tears of true remorse to break the enchantment, Gaius and Merlin convince Arthur to take a potion that will make him appear dead. Once the plan is carried out and Uther is finally aware of the ploy, Merlin rushes to bring the antidote to Arthur but he is attacked by Jonas. After Merlin recovers he revives Arthur with a drop of the antidote. Arthur gets knocked unconscious by the troll and Jonas tries to kill him but the prince recovers in time to kill Jonas instead.

Kanan

Kanan (portrayed by Alexander Siddig) was the ruthless leader of a band of raiders. He and his men attacked Merlin's hometown of Ealdor in "The Moment of Truth" and demanded the harvest; so Merlin, Arthur, Morgana and Gwen came to help the villagers fight. The raiders were driven away with the use of magic and Kanan was then fatally wounded by Prince Arthur. Kanan used his dying moments to fire a crossbow at Arthur, but Arthur was saved by Merlin's old friend William, who admitted to having used the magic that saved them.

Kendric

Kendrick (portrayed by Michael Nardone) leads a band of outlaws in "Lancelot and Guinevere" who ambush Morgana and Gwen in the forest. Kendrick kidnaps Morgana for Hengist, who wants Uther to pay a handsome ransom for her. The women plot their escape and attack Kendrick and flee with Kendrick and his men chasing behind. Gwen falls and injures herself, so she urges Morgana to leave her and get help. Kendrick's men capture Gwen and return her to Kendrick, who is furious that Morgana has escaped. Kendrick forces Gwen to wear Morgana's clothes and impersonate her mistress since Hengist has never seen the lady before. Kendrick takes Gwen to Hengist's castle, where she is imprisoned. However, the lack of response from Uther makes Hengist suspicious and he confronts Kendrick about it. He sets a wilddeoren to kill Kendrick after he admits that the girl is actually Morgana's servant Gwen.

Mary Collins

Mary Collins (portrayed by Eve Myles) was a sorceress who, after her son Thomas was executed for using magic in "The Dragon's Call," threatened to kill Prince Arthur as revenge against the king. She killed Lady Helen, who was visiting Camelot to perform for Uther during an annual festival celebrating the end of magic, and assumed Lady Helen's appearance. However, her true form could be revealed in any reflection. Her singing put the entire royal court, save Merlin, into an enchanted sleep. Merlin stopped her from killing Arthur by causing a chandelier to fall on her head. As everybody awoke, her true form was seen, and she threw a dagger at Arthur. Merlin saved him and Mary Collins died from her injuries.

Mordred

Mordred (portrayed by Asa Butterfield) is a young Druid boy. His master is executed on Uther's orders in "The Beginning of the End," but Morgana and Merlin protect the boy. Morgana claims to feel an inexplicable link with the boy which drives her to keep him safe. The Great Dragon later tells Merlin that Mordred will one day kill Arthur together with Morgana. Mordred is telepathic and calls Merlin "Emrys," claiming he knows who Merlin is and that they are "the same." Despite the Dragon warning Merlin not to save Mordred, Merlin eventually helps Arthur to escape with the boy and return him to the Druids. He returns again in "The Nightmare Begins" when Morgana goes in search of the Druids. By way of her telepathic connection to Mordred, he is able to sense that she has been stricken by a scorpion and needs medical help. It is also shown that Mordred's magic is powerful enough to kill four or five armed soldiers with a single spell, and Merlin, who was also present, appears to show concern over this. He returns again in "The Witch's Quickening" when he and a group of renegades seek an ancient crystal with the ability to show the future. He is forced to flee when the bandits are discovered, however. As he escapes, Merlin attempts to stop him by causing a branch to trip him up, but Mordred retaliates by impaling two knights in the back with spears, grimly informing Merlin that he will not forgive or forget this.

The Lady Morgana [Seasons 3 and Beyond]

In the two part season 3 premiere, "The Tears of Uther Pendragon," Morgana (portrayed by Katie McGrath) is welcomed home after a year long search by Uther to find her. Things are not as they first seem, however; though she preaches of repentance and good will to Uther, Arthur, and Merlin, she has secretly teamed up with her half-sister Morgause in a plan to destroy Camelot. She has become even more bitter and vengeful during her time with Morgause, and her resolve to destroy Uther is stronger than ever.

The core of their plan revolves around Morgause enchanting a Mandrake root, then using Morgana's access to the castle to hide it in Uther's chambers each night. This causes him to experience severe hallucinations and nightmares, effectively rendering him incapable of ruling the kingdom. Afterwards, Morgana uses a magical staff once used by those of the Old Religion, given to her by Morgause, to raise an army of the dead from the crypts beneath Camelot. Concurrently, Morgause then prompts Cenred to attack Camelot from the outside. Her plans are again thwarted by Merlin, who finds her in the crypts beneath the castle and breaks the magical staff, knocking Morgana unconscious. However, Morgana manages to convince Uther that she is to be credited for saving Camelot from disaster, knowing that not only does Uther hold no respect for Merlin, he cannot reveal his powers.

Morgana appears briefly in "Goblin's Gold," when we are given a further insight into her soul provided by the goblin who possessed Gaius. Goblins have the power to peer into the hearts of men, and in doing so the goblin reveals to Morgana that he sees in her a cold heart as well as the intent to kill Uther and rule Camelot. In "The Crystal Cave," while on a quest to the crystal caves, Merlin sees Morgana on the throne of Camelot with the crown on her head. He also sees her stabbing Uther with a knife, and while trying to prevent what he has forseen Merlin knocks her down the stairs, causing her a serious head injury. While in bed, unconscious, Morgana overhears a conversation between Uther and Gaius in which Uther reveals that he is in fact her father. This fuels her revenge even more, and although warned by Morgause not to act rashly, she decides to stab Uther in his sleep with the knife given to her by Arthur as a birthday gift. Merlin again intervenes, stopping Morgana from killing Uther.

Morgana's love at this point seems to be reserved only for Morgause, while her hatred extends beyond Uther. She despises Uther for reasons already known, Merlin because he poisoned her in "The Fires of Idirsholas," is jealous of Arthur, and appears completely indifferent towards Guinevere. This is especially evident in "The Castle of Fyrien" in which Morgana is willing to sacrifice both her brother, Arthur, and her loyal friend, Guinevere to Cenred for the purpose of obtaining the crown of Camelot.

Supporting Cast Part 1, Villains [Part 3]:

Morgause

Morgause, (portrayed by Emilia Fox) Morgana's half-sister (which parent they share is unknown) was smuggled out of Camelot by Gaius after her birth for unknown reasons. She was raised by the priestesses of the Old Religion, learning powerful magic during her time with them. Returning to Camelot many years later in "The Sins of the Father," she challenged and defeated Arthur in a duel. She promised to spare his life if he came to meet her later and accept her challenge. She intended to test his honor by having Arthur willingly place his head on a block while Morgause held an axe as though she would behead him. Arthur followed through, so Morgause summoned an apparition of what appeared to be Arthur's mother, which revealed that Uther had used magic to ensure Arthur's birth. Morgause had apparently hoped that this revelation would drive Arthur to kill Uther (her precise motives for desiring Uther's death are as of yet unknown) but Merlin was able to halt their fight by claiming that the apparition was nothing but a deception. Despite the fact that Uther's death would have made his own life easier, the lie has only increased Arthur's own hatred of magic. Morgause was furious that her plan had failed.

In "The Fires of Idirsholas," Morgause revived the deadly Knights of Medhir, and used them in her plans to destroy Uther. This plan included casting a spell to put the whole of Camelot to sleep, which required a host. Morgause, unknowing to Morgana, used Morgana as the host. She was forced to abandon this plan when Merlin (based on instructions from the Great Dragon) poisoned Morgana in order to break the spell. Merlin provided Morgause with the poison he used on Morgana so that she could be cured in exchange for Morgause abandoning the attack and ending the spell. Morgause's current whereabouts after retreating Camelot are unknown.

Myror

Myror (portrayed by Adrian Lester) was an assassin sent to kill Arthur by King Odin in "The Once and Future Queen." Arthur had killed Odin's son in a duel, so Odin hired Myror to assassinate Arthur as revenge. Arthur pretended to leave Camelot on a journey, with the plan of entering a fake "knight" into Camelot's jousting tournament and then taking his place in the final, so as to win by Arthur's own skill and not just because the knights were holding back against him. However, Myror deduced that Arthur had returned to Camelot, and soon tracked him to Gwen's house, where Arthur was staying. He was about to shoot Arthur but was interrupted when an armed guard passed by, looking for the assassin who had been sent after Arthur. When Myror discovered that Arthur had secretly entered the tournament, he killed Arthur's opponent and went to battle Arthur by himself. He injured Arthur with a spike hidden inside his lance but Arthur returned to the field so as not to forfeit the tournament. Merlin found the body of the dead knight and worked out that it was Myror whom Arthur was fighting. Myror pulled out the spike again so Merlin used magic to cut a strap on his armour and saddle, distracting him so that Arthur could win, killing him. Arthur chose to let the fake "knight," who had secured Arthur's place in the final, take the glory. Continuing with his story that he had left Camelot before the tournament, he pretended to have killed Myror during an ambush on the way back.

Nimueh

Nimueh (portrayed by Michelle Ryan) was an antagonistic, yet beautiful witch. She first appears in "The Mark of Nimueh" and again appears in "The Poisoned Chalice." It is revealed in the episode "Excalibur" and through interviews with Michelle Ryan that Nimueh was once the personal witch of the Pendragon family, and was called upon to help Uther's queen conceive. She was forced to let Arthur's mother die in childbirth in order to protect the balance of life and death. As a result Uther banished her from Camelot, banned magic from the kingdom and swore to execute all those caught using sorcery. It is suggested that Nimueh's beautiful features are an illusion brought about by her powerful magic; she can change her appearance at will (such as when she disguises herself as the servant girl 'Cara' in "The Poisoned Chalice"), looking no older than the now 21-year-old Arthur despite having been in service to his family long before his birth.

In "Le Morte d'Arthur," Nimueh offers to revive Arthur from a fatal magical wound if Merlin offers up a life in exchange; he agrees, thinking she will take his, but instead she takes the life of his mother. To stop Merlin from sacrificing himself again, Gaius goes in his place and Merlin becomes involved in a magical battle with Nimueh after refusing her offer to unite with him. Merlin defeats her in the duel, saving Gaius' life.

King Odin

Odin (protrayed by Fintan McKeown) is king of a kingdom which neighbors Camelot, mentioned in "The Once and Future Queen." His son challenged Arthur to a fight in an attempt to prove himself a skillful warrior, despite there being no existing quarrel between the kingdoms. Arthur killed him in the duel, so Odin in his grief and quest for revenge, hires Myror to assassinate Arthur. Arthur, aided by Merlin's magic, later kills Myror during a jousting tournament. Uther demands Odin pay for his actions but is dissuaded by Arthur, who suggests they should send condolences instead of spilling more blood.

Sophia

Sophia (portrayed by Holliday Grainger) was a beautiful young woman who appeared in Camelot with her elderly father, Aulfric in "The Gates of Avalon." Morgana had a terrifying dream of Arthur dying at Sophia's hands. It was discovered by Merlin that Sophia and Aulfric were Sidhe, magical creatures exiled from the land of eternal life. In order for Sophia to return, she had to sacrifice the soul of a mortal prince to the Sidhe elders. Sophia bewitched Arthur and nearly killed him, but was herself killed (along with Aulfric) by Merlin using her own magical staff. Merlin kept Sophia's staff, and hid it under his bed.

Tauren

Tauren (portrayed by Cal Macaninch) was a sorcerer who led a gang of renegade wizards with the aim of bringing down Uther Pendragon. He enlisted the help of Gwen's father, Tom in "To Kill the King," as he attempted to perform alchemy with the use of a magical stone. He escaped when Tom was caught by the royal guards with the chunk of gold. He later conspired with Morgana to bring Uther to her father's grave where he could be killed by Tauren. Morgana was angered at Uther's recent execution of Tom simply for participating in alchemy when he had no way of knowing what he was involved in. However, Morgana had a change of heart as Uther apologized to her for ordering Tom's execution. Tauren then attacked Uther and was fatally wounded by Morgana after Merlin thinned out Tauren's band with the stolen Sidhe staff. Most likely, Uther would have executed him for sorcery.

Trickler

Trickler (portrayed by Kevin Eldon) is King Alined's jester, and accompanies him to a series of peace talks held in Camelot in "Sweet Dreams." However, his master does not want peace due to poverty in his kingdom. Trickler implements King Alined's plan to enchant Arthur to fall in love with Lady Vivian so that when they are caught together, the over-protective King Olaf will declare war on Camelot. During the feast Uther hosts for his guests, Trickler entertains everybody with his tricks. During his final trick, he makes butterflies appear from nowhere; he then secretly steals a lock of Vivian's hair as he pulls a butterfly from behind her ear. He uses this to prepare a love potion for Arthur. He then sneaks into Arthur's chambers at night and lets a single drop of the potion fall onto Arthur's eye as he sleeps. Arthur wakes up completely besotted with Lady Vivian but she refuses all his advances. Trickler realizes that he must also enchant Lady Vivian, and sneaks into Arthur's room at night taking a lock of his hair, then prepares a love potion for Lady Vivian. The following morning he checks that the potion has worked on Vivian and encourages her to seek Arthur out. He then informs King Olaf that his daughter was seen in Arthur's chambers. King Olaf barges into Arthur's room but Vivian is not to be found, as Merlin has hidden her. Olaf apologizes to Arthur and is furious with Trickler. Eventually though, the plan succeeds when Olaf discovers Arthur and Vivian kissing passionately in her room. He challenges Arthur to a fight to the death. Trickler is delighted that he has pleased his master. Ultimately, though, Arthur wins the fight and refuses to kill Olaf. Alined is infuriated. As the kings leave Camelot having signed the peace treaty, Alined shackles Trickler and makes him run all the way home, much to Uther's chagrin.

Tristan De Bois (The Black Knight/Wraith)

Tristan De Bois (portrayed by Rick English and voiced by Christopher Fairbank) was Uther Pendragon's brother-in-law and Arthur's uncle. He blamed Uther for his sister's death in childbirth and was killed by Uther in a duel to the death. His final words swore vengeance on Uther. Nimueh later used necromancy in "Excalibur" to bring him back as an undead wraith, harnessing the power of De Bois' suffering while he was alive. This form of De Bois was also killed by Uther, using the sword Excalibur, which had been blessed by the Great Dragon and was intended for Arthur's use only. Gaius had drugged Arthur per Uther's orders, then Uther took his place, forcing Merlin to dispose of the 'tainted' sword until the time came for Arthur to wield it himself.

Valiant

Knight Valiant (portrayed by Will Mellor) was a knight who came to Camelot in "Valiant" to battle in the annual sword-fighting tournament. Unknown to others, he had cheated by using a magical shield covered with painted snakes, which came to life at Valiant's command. He planned to kill Prince Arthur with the snakes, then take the title of champion and win the heart of Morgana. However, his use of magic was revealed by Merlin and Arthur killed Knight Valiant in the finale of the tournament.

Supporting Cast Part 2, Allies and Miscellaneous Characters [Part 1]:

Alice

Alice (portrayed by Pauline Collins) is a great healer whose magical abilities were once renowned across the land. Before the Great Purge, she worked with Gaius and was romantically engaged with the physician. When Gaius learnt that her name was on the list of people to be found and executed during the Great Purge, she left Camelot whilst Gaius remained. She dabbled with all aspects of magic, and may even have tried her hand at dark magic. In "Love in the Time of Dragons," she comes back to Camelot and sets shop as a healer, curing terminally ill patients, such as Evoric, the innkeeper. She keeps a Manticore in a big wooden box, but the creature has a hold over her, and she uses its poison to try and kill the King. She is arrested after Merlin accuses her and is sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Merlin and Gaius work together to defeat the Manticore and help her escape before her execution, however.

Anhora

Anhora (portrayed by Frank Finlay) is the guardian of the kingdom's unicorns. When Arthur kills one while hunting, Anhora tells him that a curse has been unleashed upon Camelot and cannot be lifted until Arthur makes amends. Anhora then sets various "tests" for him which Arthur fails when he kills the thief Evan, for insulting his pride and honour. Merlin sees how agitated and desperate Arthur has become to protect his subjects so he goes to Anhora, and asks if Arthur could have a second chance. Anhora tells Merlin to make Arthur go the Labyrinth of Gedref, a maze. Arthur goes but unbeknownst to him, Merlin has followed. Anhora kidnaps Merlin, ensnaring him in vines. Arthur and Merlin are both are sat a table and two chalices filled with a liquid are there. One of them is poisoned, the other one normal. Arthur and Merlin pour both liquids into one goblet, but, although Merlin believes that he should drink it as Arthur has more to offer the kingdom as a whole than he does, Arthur drinks the chalice by distracting Merlin. As it turns out, the poisoned chalice was simply laced with a harmless sleeping draught and Arthur will eventually recover. As he proved he was willing to die for Merlin, Arthur makes amends to the killing of the unicorn, restoring the crops and water once again.

Lord Bayard

Lord Bayard (portrayed by Clive Russell) is the ruler of the neighboring kingdom of Mercia, with whom Uther signs a peace treaty. When Merlin is poisoned at the celebratory feast, Uther believes the poison was meant for Arthur, and has Bayard and his entire royal court thrown into the dungeons. Soldiers from Bayard's own kingdom are dispatched to start a war, but are stopped when Gaius tells Uther that the poisoning was the work of Nimueh. It is mentioned in series two that Bayard sent his congratulations at the news of Uther's engagement to "Lady Catrina."

Balinor

Balinor (portrayed by John Lynch) was the last dragonlord in existence, who are known to have the power to tame dragons. He was also known to be Merlin's father, having hidden with Merlin's mother after his initial departure from Camelot before Uther's soldiers force him to flee. He lived alone in a cave and didn't like anybody. When Merlin and Arthur found him, he refused to help them tame the great dragon, bitter at Uther's past treatment of him. After learning that Gaius was one of the people under threat, however, he was reminded of those in Camelot who had helped him, and agreed to return. Learning of his connection to Merlin, he taught Merlin about the power of the dragonlord, passed down to each descendant. During an attack by the knights of the ruler of the kingdom where Balinor had been hiding, Balinor sacrificed himself to save Merlin. With his death, this made Merlin the last remaining dragonlord in existence.

Ewan

Ewan (portrayed by Keith Thorne) is a royal knight of Camelot. During the kingdom's annual sword-fighting tournament, he is bitten by the snakes on Knight Valiant's magical shield. Gaius manages to procure an antidote but Valiant finds out that Merlin had discovered his scheme. He sends his snakes after the injured Ewan and he is bitten again, this time fatally.

The Fisher King

The Fisher King (portrayed by Donald Sumpter) is a sorcerer who lived many hundreds of years ago and is kept alive by magic. Legend has it that he was wounded in battle and the wound festered making the infection spread not just through his body, but through his lands as well. His great kingdom was reduced to a wasteland and is now known as the Perilous Lands, since very few entering them ever return alive.

In [episode reference needed], following an ancient tradition to prove himself worthy of the throne, Arthur decides upon a quest that he must fulfil alone and unaided. His quest is to enter the realm of the Fisher King and find The Dark Tower to retrieve the Golden Trident, spoken of in the legends of the Fallen Kings. When Merlin discovers that Morgana and Morgause have plotted to prevent Arthur from succeeding, Merlin seeks the help of Gwaine to follow Arthur and keep him safe. Before entering the Perilous Lands, Grettir, keeper of the bridge to the lands, tells Merlin that he is not only helping Arthur but has a quest of his own which involves granting whatever the Fisher King's wishes. On reaching the Dark Tower, Merlin saves Arthur's life by removing the deadly Eye of the Phoenix bracelet (which had been given to him by Morgana as a 'good luck charm') from his unconscious body.

Later trapped alone in the throne room, Merlin meets the Fisher King. The king has been waiting for the time of the Once and Future King who will unite the land of Albion. Arthur's quest for the Golden Trident is merely a symbolic prize of something far greater that he will achieve with Merlin's help. To help Merlin fulfil his destiny, the Fisher King presents him with an hourglass that contains water from the Lake of Avalon. Merlin was chosen to claim it. When Albion's time of need arrives and all hope seems lost, Merlin alone will be able save her with the help of the water, which will show him the way.

Certain that the Once and Future King's time is near, the Fisher King believes his time can now finally come to an end. He asks Merlin for a gift in return; that is, to end his suffering. Merlin hesitates but the king kindly encourages him to proceed. Merlin takes a respectful bow, kneels down and places the Eye of the Phoenix bracelet on the king's wrist. The bracelet shines and the king vanishes leaving a 'thank you' behind.

Freya

Freya (portrayed by Laura Donnelly) was a druid girl who lived in a village near mountains and a lake. She was cursed by a sorceress after killing her son for self-defence to become a magical monster that resembled a large panther with bat-like wings on the stroke of midnight, with an insatiable desire to kill that she would be unable to control. Under unspecified circumstances, Freya was captured by the bounty hunter Halig and taken to Camelot, only to be freed by Merlin. Hiding Freya in the underground catacombs, Merlin brought her food and told her about his magic, the two being drawn together due to Merlin's relief at having someone who understood him and Freya's gratitude at meeting someone who didn't consider her a monster. Unfortunately, her curse resulted in the deaths of at least four people when she transformed during her two nights in Camelot, prompting an increased hunt for her. Although Merlin had planned to leave Camelot with her, Freya attempted to escape on her own, not wanting Merlin to abandon his life for her, only to be cornered by Halig and Arthur's knights just before her transformation. Although she killed Halig, Arthur was able to fatally wound her beast form, the creature only escaping after Merlin caused a distraction by causing a gargoyle statue to fall over, retreating down to the catacombs where she met Merlin again. Although beast-Freya appeared calmer around Merlin, not even attempting to attack him, the wound Freya had sustained proved to be mortal, staying alive only long enough for Merlin to take her to the nearby lake. As she died, she thanked Merlin for making her feel loved again, promising to repay his kindness one day. Merlin put her body on a boat and gave her a Viking-like funeral, clearly mourning his inability to save her. It was revealed in Merlin: Secrets and Magic Episode 9 that Freya will somehow return and aid Merlin on his adventures.

Geoffrey of Monmouth

Geoffrey of Monmouth (portrayed by Michael Cronin) is Uther's court genealogist and an old friend to Gaius. He is first introduced in 'Lancelot' as the keeper of the library which Merlin visits in order to produce Lancelot's fake seal of nobility. Uther, suspicious of Lancelot, has the seal checked by Geoffrey, who later proves it is a forgery. His vast knowledge of ancient records makes him an authority of the dark past of Camelot. In 'A Remedy to Cure All Ills' he breaks the rules to help Gaius discover the true identity of Edwin Muirden by giving him the sealed records from the Great Purge. In 'Excalibur' he lists to Merlin fables from the ancient chronicles which give Merlin the idea of using a sword burnished by a dragon to kill the wraith, Tristan de Bois.

One of Geoffrey's other duties is to preside over official ceremonies. In 'Beauty and the Beast Part 1' he performs the ancient rite of handfasting, the wedding between Uther and Lady Catrina and in 'Beauty and the Beast Part 2' he performs the ceremony to name Queen Catrina as the rightful heir to the throne of Camelot. Geoffrey also has a thorough knowledge of the laws and customs of the kingdom. In 'The Sins of the Father' he informs Uther that according to the Knight's Rules, Morgause's challenge to face Arthur in combat is perfectly valid.

In 'Goblin's Gold' Geoffrey's library is noticeably extended. It even contains a secret chamber that Merlin comes across from where he accidentally releases the goblin. In 'The Changeling' Geoffrey presides over the wedding of Arthur and Princess Elena which is cancelled half way through. Then, in "Love in the Time of Dragons" Geoffrey's wisdom is once again shown in his knowledge of mythical creatures when he tells Merlin about the Manticore, despite only believing that the beast is a product of imagination.

Grettir

Grettir (portrayed by Warwick Davis) is the keeper of the bridge that leads to the land of the Fisher King. He is a magical creature who can appear and disappear into thin air. He zealously guards his bridge by questioning those who want to cross it. Grettir's ultimate wish is to see the now perilous land of the Fisher King restored to its former prosperity.

When Arthur turns up telling him he is a knight on a quest to find the trident of the Fisher King, Grettir identifies Arthur as 'Courage'. Perplexed Arthur introduces himself as the prince of Camelot. Grettir tells him that as 'Courage' he will need 'Strength' and 'Magic' to complete his quest. Arthur responds by saying that he does not condone the use of magic but Grettir advises him that he should not dismiss magic so freely. Arthur thanks him for his advice and as Grettir lets him pass he recognises the bracelet Arthur is wearing as the Eye of the Phoenix. Arthur says someone very dear gave it to him hoping it would bring him good luck. Grettir cynically questions this before vanishing.

When Merlin reaches the bridge, Grettir reappears and immediately identifies Merlin as 'Magic', the second member of the trio. Grettir shocks Merlin with the revelation that not only is his presence essential for Arthur to succeed in his quest but he has also a mission of his own. He tells Merlin that he is fulfilling his destiny by following Arthur. His last piece of advice, before letting Merlin cross, is that the Fisher King has waited many years for this day and that Merlin should not deny him his wishes.

When Gwaine arrives, Grettir identifies him as 'Strength' who completes the trio. Gwaine reacts by drawing his sword towards Grettir who uses magic to turn it into a bunch of flowers. Grettir reassures them that he means them no harm and hopes for the same from them. Gwaine asks for his sword and Grettir says it will be returned to him once he has crossed to the other side of the bridge.

Hunith

Hunith (portrayed by Caroline Faber) is the mother of Merlin. She sends him to Camelot hoping that he will be able to develop his magical talents, but he soon discovers that the use of sorcery there is expressly forbidden and punishable with death. Hunith is Gaius' sister and so she wrote to him asking him to take care of her son. Merlin later returns to her when their village is attacked by raiders.She also appears in the last episode when Nimueh breaks a deal with Merlin to take his life and tries to take Hunith's instead. This fails when Merlin slays Nimueh with magic. It is revealed in The Last Dragonlord, she cared for fugitive dragonlord Balinor, who is the father of Merlin.

Lady Helen

Lady Helen of Mora (portrayed by Eve Myles) was a famous singer who was on her way to Camelot to perform at King Uther's festival, until she was killed by Mary Collins using poppet magic. Collins then assumed Lady Helen's appearance in an attempt to kill Prince Arthur.

Sir Lancelot

Lancelot (portrayed by Santiago Cabrera) first appears in "Lancelot" when he rescues Merlin from the Griffin. In the process he gets injured and Merlin takes him back to Camelot where he is treated by Gaius. Once recovered, Lancelot tells Merlin his background and his dream of becoming a knight of Camelot. However the law states that only those of noble birth can become knights. Merlin, wanting to show his gratitude to Lancelot, uses magic to produce a false certificate stating that Lancelot is the fifth son of Lord Eldred. Guinevere then provides clothes of a nobleman; upon their meeting emotions spark between the two.

Lancelot uses the certificate to ask Arthur to train him as one of his knights. After a slow start, Lancelot passes all the tests set by Arthur and is pronounced a knight by Uther. However Uther is suspicious of him and asks Geoffrey of Monmouth to check the records for Lancelot's birth. When Uther discovers the truth he has Lancelot arrested.

Meanwhile Camelot is about to be attacked by the Griffin. Uther orders Arthur to kill the Griffin but before he does so he visits Lancelot and tells him though he does not sound or look like a knight he surely fights like one and wishes he could help in his fight with the Griffin. Arthur releases Lancelot and tells him to leave the kingdom, then departs to fight the Griffin. Lancelot finds Merlin soon after and they both set out to help Arthur. Before leaving to fight the Griffin, Lancelot visits Guinevere at her home, where she begs him not to leave. But he tells her that he has no choice, and after a tight hug, he sets out.

Lancelot and Merlin arrive to find Arthur badly wounded by the Griffin. Lancelot charges at the beast, while at the same time Merlin enchants his spear, allowing it to pierce and defeat the Griffin. Arthur is grateful and insists that Uther reinstates Lancelot as a knight. Uther is adamant that the law cannot be changed. Lancelot is upset that he is receiving all the credit for saving Arthur and tells Merlin he heard him use magic to help him kill the griffin. He promises to keep Merlin's secret. He also stops Arthur and Uther from arguing by stating his intention to leave and prove himself worthy to become a knight of Camelot in the future.

Lancelot next appears in "Lancelot and Guinevere" where he has become a fighter for hire. He fights in front of Hengist, his men and Guinevere who is abducted and is posing as the Lady Morgana. He wins, but refuses to kill his opponent. He learns that Guinevere has been mistaken for Lady Morgana and is a hostage of Hengist. He tries to rescue Guinevere, and they share a kiss, rekindling their relationship. They are caught by Hengist's men, however, and sentenced to death. They are put in the fighters' cage ready to be killed by Hengist's pet wilddeoron. Arthur, together with Merlin, rescue them from the cage though and they all escape. A love triangle ensues between Arthur, Gwen, and Lancelot. Lancelot expresses his thanks to Arthur and discovers that Arthur too has feelings for Guinevere. In a knightly manner, he chooses not to interfere, and leaves in the dead of the night.

Supporting Cast Part 2, Allies and Miscellaneous Characters [Part 2]:

Sir Leon

Sir Leon (portrayed by Rupert Young) is one of Camelot's bravest and most loyal knights. In "The Once and Future Queen" he jousts against Arthur. During practice, he has the opportunity to unhorse Arthur but doesn't. He admits to Arthur that he was afraid to hurt him because he is heir to the throne. Arthur questions if Sir Leon allowed him to win the jousting tournament the year before. Sir Leon denies it but Arthur is remains doubtful. Later Arthur, disguised as Sir William of Dera, defeats Sir Leon in the jousting tournament. One of Sir Leon's duties is to deliver messages from Uther. He is there when Gaius examines the body of the guard that Myror has killed and reports to Uther that a stranger was seen in the lower town. The king orders him to search for the stranger, thought to be an assassin.

In "The Nightmare Begins," Sir Leon delivers to Arthur the list of people suspected of practicing sorcery and who may have been involved in the kidnapping of Morgana. In "Beauty and the Beast Part 2," he follows Uther's orders to arrest Merlin for the theft of Lady Catrina's family seal. He informs Arthur that Uther requests his presence and witnesses Uther disinheriting Arthur. He is the first to applaud, albeit reluctantly, Uther's announcement that his wife Catrina is the new heir to the throne. He supports Gaius when he tries to convince Uther that he is married to a troll. Uther threatens them both with treason if they insult his wife again. He questions Uther's decision to impose more taxes on his people saying that they have given all that they can. Uther gets angry but Sir Leon persists, stating that the people will starve. Uther threatens to behead Sir Leon if he doesn't follow his orders. Sir Leon remains loyal though, and tries to save Uther from further embarrassment by stopping Bayard of Mercia's planned visit in honor of Uther's marriage. Uther dismisses Sir Leon's excuse that there is a lack of trust in Bayard as nonsense.

In "The Witchfinder," Sir Leon is involved in the search of Gaius' room for any evidence of magic and he finds a magical bracelet which he hands over to Aredian, the witchfinder. In "The Sins of the Father," Sir Leon informs Uther that the search party for Arthur after he set out to meet Morgause was unsuccessful. Uther is furious and orders him to double his efforts. When Arthur returns to Camelot after meeting his mother, he finds Uther dispatching papers to Sir Leon in the council chambers. Uther orders Sir Leon to leave the room and forbids anyone to enter. Sir Leon stops Merlin from entering but when Merlin pleads that Arthur and Uther will kill each other, Sir Leon relents. He hears the secret of Arthur's birth and Uther's denial of it.

In "The Fires of Idirsholas," he tends to Uther when he becomes sick.

In "The Last Dragonlord," he fights the Great Dragon with Arthur and the other knights. In Arthur's absence he leads the knights in the fight and he is the first to volunteer to join Arthur in facing the dragon on open field when all hope is lost. The dragon knocks him off his horse and he is last seen lying unconscious.

Sir Leon becomes more important at the start of Season 3. As Uther is incapacitated and Arthur takes over from his father, Sir Leon is seen becoming the Prince's second in command, effectively replacing Arthur as the king's right-hand man. Throughout "The Tears of Uther Pendragon", he is seen on the frontline, fighting on two fronts and helping Arthur organizing defenses. He is also the one seen helping Arthur to take the King away after Uther starts acting madly in the Great Chamber.

Sir Leon's sense of nobility is also demonstrated in "Goblin's Gold", when he is repeatedly insulted by Gaius. He however soon withdraws his challenge to Gaius, assuring him that he has forgotten the physician for his insolence. Along with the other knights, he is later plagued with an unpleasant disease as Gaius spikes their drinks.

In "Gwaine", he is the first one to enter Sir Oswald's chambers when he hears a fight in the knight's quarters.

King Olaf

King Olaf (portrayed by Mark Jones), accompanied by his beautiful (but spoilt) daughter Lady Vivian, is one of the five kings who arrive in Camelot for a series of peace talks in "Sweet Dreams." King Alined, however, plots to bring war on Camelot so that he can obtain riches from the war. With the help of his jester Trickler, Arthur and Lady Vivian are enchanted and fall in love with each other. Alined knows that if Arthur is caught with Vivian, King Olaf will be furious and declare war. Trickler, after encouraging Vivian to visit Arthur, informs King Olaf that his daughter was seen in Arthur's chambers. Olaf barges into Arthur's room and confronts Arthur who denies the accusation. A search of the room yields no Vivian since Merlin has hidden her. Olaf apologizes to Arthur and is furious with Trickler for making him look like an idiot. He also orders his men to check on his daughter and stand guard outside her room. After the peace negotiations are completed King Alined comments that both Arthur and Vivian are running late for the signing ceremony of the peace treaty. Olaf becomes suspicious and seeks his daughter out only to find Arthur and Vivian passionately kissing each other in her room. Outraged, he challenges Arthur to mortal combat, which Arthur accepts. Arthur narrowly survives the first two stages since the enchantment diminishes his combat skills and concentration. However, Merlin persuades Gwen to unenchant Arthur by kissing him, since she is his true love. Arthur disarms Olaf in the final stage but refuses to kill him, stating that it is no way to achieve peace. Olaf is filled with admiration for Arthur and after the kings sign the treaty, leaves in peace. His daughter remains enchanted, however.

Sir Owain

Sir Owain (portrayed by Kyle Redmond-Jones) was a royal knight of Camelot. He died while fighting the mysterious "Black Knight", who was in fact the reanimated form of Uther Pendragon's late brother-in-law Tristan De Bois, brought back as an immortal wraith by Nimueh's magic.

Sir Pellinore

Sir Pellinore (portrayed by Sean Francis) was a royal knight of Camelot who died in mortal combat with the "Black Knight", who was really the undead form of Tristan de Bois.

Tom

Tom (portrayed by Keith Durham) was Guinevere's father. He worked as a blacksmith in Camelot. When Nimueh poisoned the city's water supply, he fell victim to the magical plague which had killed many others. Merlin cured him using magic, resulting in Gwen being blamed for causing the plague. She was arrested for witchcraft but later released, and joyfully reunited with her father. Tom made the sword which became Excalibur when the Great Dragon gave it magical powers for Arthur's use. He later became involved in a plot by a sorcerer, Tauren, to perform alchemy using the legendary Philosopher's Stone. Tom was arrested and put on trial for treason in unwittingly assisting a known enemy of Camelot, because Uther believed that Tom was supplying weapons to Tauren. Morgana suspected that the trial was a formality and Uther planned to have Tom executed anyway just to make an example of him. He was then killed by soldiers after she helped him to escape from the dungeons.

Vivian

Lady Vivian (portrayed by Georgia Moffett) is the daughter of King Olaf, who came to Camelot with three other kings to sign a peace treaty. Taking advantage of her paranoid and almost insanely overprotective father, another king arranged for Arthur and Vivian to be enchanted to fall in love with each other, hoping that the subsequent duel between Arthur and Olaf when Olaf discovered this 'insult' to his wishes would result in the death of one and the subsequent declaration of war. Although Merlin and Gwen were able to break Arthur's enchantment, Vivian apparently remained in love with Arthur as she departed Camelot; it is unknown if the spell will wear off over time.

William

William (portrayed by Joe Dempsie) was a childhood friend of Merlin. He had an extreme distrust for nobility because his father died in service to a royal army. When Prince Arthur came to defend Merlin's home village from raiders, William initially accused him of using the villagers as cannon fodder but eventually saw that Arthur was not afraid to risk his own life in battle. William died defending Arthur from being hit by a crossbow, fired by the leader of the defeated raiders. Arthur knew that magic had been used to drive the raiders away, and the dying William took responsibility for this in order to protect Merlin.

Sir William of Daira

Sir William (portrayed by Alex Price) appears in the episode "The Once and Future Queen," as farmer from one of the outer villages. His purpose is to pretend to be a knight taking part in the tournament, when in reality Arthur will be jousting in his place so that they will not "go easy" on him as Arthur believes they have in the past. He does not look the part, despite Merlin and Gwen's best efforts, but manages to act the part after he is given advice on nobility and arrogance from Arthur. When Arthur wins the tournament, he lets the farmer posing as 'Sir William' take the glory as Arthur feels it is a time for humility.

Ygraine Pendragon

Ygraine Pendragon (portrayed by Alice Patten) was the wife of Uther Pendragon and mother of Arthur. She and Uther called upon Nimueh to help her conceive an heir to the throne, as a result of which Ygraine had to die in childbirth so as to preserve the natural balance of life and death. Her brother, Tristan De Bois, swore revenge on Uther and Nimueh later brought him back from the dead as a wraith in order to wreak vengeance. Her death also left Uther with a grudge against all magic, leading to The Great Purge and institution of laws against magic. An apparition of Ygraine appears in "The Sins of the Father", in which Arthur learns the secret of his birth, claiming that Uther went to Nimueh without her knowledge and in full awareness of the price that would be paid for Arthur's birth, but given the presumably false nature of this vision this information is suspect at best.

Monsters and Magical Creatures: Arranged by Order of Appearance

Afanc

The Afanc is a beast which can only be conjured up by the most powerful of sorcerers. It is a medium size beast with a strong jaw, sharp teeth and a thick hide. Nimueh brings it to life in "The Mark of Nimueh" by modeling a tiny creature from clay which she then places inside an egg and casts a spell on. She drops the egg in a water current and it surfaces and hatches in Camelot's reservoir, where the freed beast poisons the water supply. While taking a sample of the contaminated water from the reservoir, Gaius and Merlin discover the beast and Gauis later identifies it as an Afanc. Merlin is advised by The Great Dragon to use the elements to destroy the beast. After consulting with Gaius about elements used in magic, he learns that since it is born out of earth and water, air and fire are required to kill it. Merlin has Morgana convince Arthur of the true problem and they go to confront it; Arthur subsequently defeats the Afanc with his torch when Merlin uses wind magic to sway the flames in the beast's direction.

Cockatrice

The Cockatrice, which appears in "The Poisoned Chalice," guards the caves beneath the Forest of Balor, across the mountains of Isgaard. It is part reptile, part dragon; having a forked tongue and wings. A single drop of its venom is deadly. In his quest to find the Morteaus flower to save Merlin's life, Arthur fights and defeats the Cockatrice by slaying it with his sword, to Nimueh's dismay.

Giant Spiders

The Giant Spiders are found in the caves deep beneath the Forest of Balor, where the Morteaus flower grows. They try to kill Arthur in "The Poisoned Chalice" as he climbs the walls of the caves in search of the flower, but he escapes with the help of Merlin's magical guidance.

Griffin

The Griffin is an enormous creature that has the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle, making it fast both on land and air. It was thought to be only a creature of myth until it is seen roaming the forests around Camelot in "Lancelot." The beast takes no livestock, only human victims from the nearby villages, so it has a taste for human flesh. Since it is born of magic (though it's precise origin unknown), it can only be killed with magic; thus Arthur's weapons prove useless when the beast arrives in Camelot. The Griffin only flies off when confronted with fire. Following Uther's orders, Arthur and his knights lure the Griffin and attempt to defeat it a second time; at the same time, Merlin (knowing magic must defeat the creature) and Lancelot ride after them to help, but the beast slaughters the knights and wounds Arthur badly. When Merlin and Lancelot arrive and find the prince still alive, Lancelot charges at the beast, while Merlin enchants his spear with a spell from his magic book. Lancelot's enchanted spear pierces the creatures torso, defeating it. Consequently, Merlin tells Arthur that Lancelot alone killed the beast to keep from revealing his secret.

Elanthia Beetles

The Elanthia Beetles are brought to life by magic and can be enchanted to enter a person's brain and feed on it, thus resulting in that person's death; resultant of this, they can also only be removed by magic. In "A Remedy to Cure All Ills," Edward Muirden arrives in Camelot professing to have a "cure-all" after using a Beetle to put Morgana to sleep indefinitely. After removing the beetle from Morgana, he usurps Gaius' position as Court Physician, and then abuses this position to use them on Uther. Merlin ultimately kills Edward after Gaius confronts him with the truth behind his identity, and saves Uther by removing the beetle.

The Manticore

The Manticore is a magical creature with the head of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. It's venom is deadly and very potent. The Manticore is thought to be a legend but in fact lives in the spirit world, and can only stay a short time in the real world once summoned. Sidhe

The Sidhe are masters of enchantment. They live in Avalon, the land of immortal life, which mortals are only supposed to glimpse at their moment of death. They are tiny fairy like creatures that have blue skin, wings, sharp teeth and pointy ears. The Sidhe Elders punished Aulfric after he killed another Sidhe, closing the Gates of Avalon to him forever and banishing him to a mortal life. However, his daughter Sophia may be granted access if the soul of a mortal prince is offered up to the Sidhe. In their human form, the Sidhe channel their magical power using staffs. Both Aulfric and Sophia are killed by Merlin in "The Gates of Avalon" when he incants a spell and uses a Sidhe staff to channel their magic back at them as they are in the middle of offering up Arthur as the sacrifice.

Wraith

A Wraith is the spirit of a dead man brought back to life, using powerful magic that harnesses the grief and rage of its demented soul. Since a Wraith is already dead, it cannot be harmed by any mortal weapon. It can normally only be stopped when it achieves its ultimate goal. Ancient records like the Chronicle of Beltain refer to swords begotten in a dragon's breath that can destroy anything, whether alive or dead however. In "Excalibur" a Wraith kills two of Camelot's knights in challenged combat (Sir Owain and Sir Pellinor), prompting Arthur to challenge the Wraith to mortal combat. With Arthur facing certain death, Merlin gets The Great Dragon to burnish the best sword Tom has ever made. The sword becomes known as Excalibur, and although Kilgharrah strictly warns Merlin the sword has been forged to be wielded by Arthur alone, Uther drugs Arthur and uses it to slay the Wraith. Kilgharrah proclaims the sword tainted due to this, and orders Merlin to hide the sword where no one will ever find it.

Unicorn

Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures that are pure of heart. Eternal bad fortune comes to those who slay one. When Arthur kills a Unicorn on one of his hunting expeditions for it's horn, Camelot is befallen with famine and drought. The only way to lift the curse and bring the Unicorn back to life is for its killer to prove, by passing a series of tests set forth by Gedref (keeper of the Unicorns), he is also pure of heart. Arthur ultimately proves this, and returns the Unicorn's horn to the forest, where it is brought back to life.

Questing Beast

The Questing Beast is a creature conjured from the Old Religion and carries the power of life and death. Its appearance foreshadows a time of great upheaval; when it last appeared Ygraine Pendragon died the very same night. It has the head of a cobra and the body of a leopard. Its bite is said to result in death, to which there is no cure; not even magic can overturn it. Merlin and Arthur first encounter it in "Le Morte d'Arthur" while hunting and run for their lives to escape it. Uther orders Arthur to kill it and the prince together with Merlin and some knights trace the Questing Beast to a cave. The knights search one way while Arthur and Merlin search the other, where they run into the beast. Arthur tries to kill it, but the beast takes a swipe at him, knocking him unconscious and subsequently biting him before Merlin enchants Arthur's sword, killing the beast.

Giant Boar

The Giant Boar is found in the forests of Camelot. It is strong and aggressive. Unharmed by Arthur's spear in "The Curse of Cornelius Sigan," it is killed by Merlin who uses the same spear, but enchanted by his magic through a spell. When asked who killed the beast, Cedric takes the credit in Merlin's place.

Gargoyles

The ornamental stone gargoyles in Camelot Castle are brought to life when summoned by Cornelius Sigan in "The Curse of Cornelius Sigan." Bound by his magic and power, they follow his every command, and become fearsome winged monsters that wreck havoc and terrorize the people of Camelot. Arthur and his knights fight them, only for several lives to be lost in the attempt. Arthur, badly wounded, is left unconscious and Merlin arrives just in time to destroy a gargoyle by incanting a spell. He also uses his powerful new magic (received from The Great Dragon) to defeat Sigan, putting an end to the living gargoyles at the same time.

Serkets

Serkets are giant scorpions that dwell near the Forest of Ascetir. As Morgana searches for the druids' camp in "The Nightmare Begins," she is encircled by the Serkets and is stung by one on her leg. Aglain, a druid, saves her life as she passes out, by using magic to drive the Serkets away. He then brings Morgana to the camp to tend to her wound.

Wilddeoren

The Wilddeoren dwell in the Tunnels of Andor, close to the Vale of Dinaria. They are blind giant rodents that feast on human flesh and hunt by the sense of smell. Arthur and Merlin use Gaia berries to put them off the scent when they encounter a Wilddeoren in "Lancelot and Guinevere" as they take a short cut through the tunnels in their quest to rescue Gwen from Hengist. Hengist keeps a Wilddeoren in his castle and uses it to kill and feast on the defeated warriors of his sport fights. Lancelot and Guinevere, sentenced to death by Hengist after he discovers Gwen is not Morgana, are saved by Arthur and Merlin just as they are about to be devoured.

Troll

Trolls are hideously ugly and dirty with disgusting habits: they feast on rotten food (even manure) and enjoy putrid environments. They are strong and possess powerful magic, and are also extremely greedy, desiring wealth and power. With the appropriate potion, they can look human for several hours, although they need a strong will and considerable effort to conceal their true nature. This is because other than external looks, every other troll feature remains. It is said they have old magical ties with dragons. In "Beauty and the Beast: Part 1" and "Beauty and the Beast: Part 2," a Troll posing as the Lady Catrina comes to Camelot in search of such wealth and power.

Bastet

The Bastet is a gigantic, winged black cat. It is a bloodthirsty and vicious beast that attacks and kills humans by ripping them apart. If cursed by a sorcerer, a person becomes a Bastet every night at midnight and will kill forevermore. Freya, a Druid girl brought to Camelot by a bounty hunter in "The Lady of the Lake" is one of such cursed people, and as the beast kills at least four people in Camelot before being fatally wounded. Merlin puts her to rest at the very same lake which he tossed Excalibur in.

Knights of Medhir

The Knights of Medhir are seven of Camelot's Knights who 300 years ago were seduced by an unnamed sorceress' spell. They succumbed to her power and become a terrifying and brutal force under her command. They cannot be killed by mortal weapons. It was only when the sorceress was killed that the Knights turned still. Legend has it that when the fires of Idirsholas burn, the Knights of Medhir will ride again. In "The Fires of Idirsholas," a shepherd witnesses smoke rising out of the citadel of Idirsholas when Morgause makes a fire to perform a magical ritual to bring the Knights back to life. Sworn to her service, they ambush Merlin, Arthur and his men, slaughtering Arthur's men and leaving Arthur and Merlin to run for their lives. The Knights of Medhir then ride out to bring destruction over Camelot. Eventually, Merlin forces Morgause to break the enchantment, turning the Knights motionless again. The sword of one of the Knights is required to release The Great Dragon. Since the blade has been conjured by the Old Religion, Merlin can harness its power with his own to break the chain holding the dragon captive, which Kilgharrah demands in exchange for helping him stop the knights in the first place.

Goblin

A Goblin is a magical creature known for being mischievous and very keen on gold, which they like to taste. They primarily exist in two forms. One of these is a short, thin and mostly green pixie-like creature with goggled eyes and pointy ears; the other resembles a small golden sphere which also grants the Goblin the ability to fly. While in their spherical form they can enter a person through their ears and possess them. They also possess magical abilities to some extent and have limited knowledge of magical potions. Goblins also have the ability to peer into the hearts of others and see what they truly feel, most likely resultant of their magical ties. They are notoriously hard to trap as well, and can only be kept in containers lined with lead.

In "Goblin's Gold," Merlin unknowingly releases a Goblin (voiced by Mark Williams) which then goes on to possess Gaius. The Goblin then takes advantage of Gaius' position as court physician to sell "remedies" to cure certain ailments which he himself inflicts through the use of potions. Merlin tries unsuccessfully to purge the Goblin from Gaius' body, until later discovering that if their host dies, then the goblin dies with them; the Goblin can only survive if it forfeits the body before death. Along with the help of Gwen, Merlin successfully poisons Gaius, purges and captures the Goblin, then administers an antidote to Gaius which saves his life.

Eric, I have made a fool of myself as you will realize when you check your pm box I tried to send you links to all the episodes but there is no way for me to send them without html working its magic and displaying the links instead of the html behind them. It should have been obvious to me from the very beginning but hey, that's silly me

I'm gonna need your email address to provide you with them. I do also have a link for "Merlin" as a show, which will help make a distinction between Merlin (show) and Merlin (character).

PCDSA has expressed some confusion with tenses; if you run into this please copy the sentence(s) in question and pm me with the suggested changes. Please also list which entry/entries the sentence(s) come from.

Arthur and Kilgharrah have been cleaned up as per PCDSA's suggestions. I am assigning Morgana to PCDSA as of now.

Dpebbleson, there is no way to edit my posts, but I assign final proofing of Arthur, Kilgharrah and Gwen to you, as well as Uther.

I will be taking care of Merlin myself. Gaius' entry will remain as is for the time being.

EDIT: Also, I realize that the entries will grow and eventually require that more posts be used and the current organization redone since less characters will fit per post as Series 3 continues; I will do this when the time comes. At that time I will also be removing relationship references (Arwen for instance) from character entries and will start a new entry for those alone. For instance, I will remove the Arwen sections from Arthur and Gwen and start a new Arwen entry, which I will post those sections in. I also need someone to start working on an Argana (Arthur/Morgana) entry to be added to this section when it's posted, as they shared a lot of moments in Series 1 before Arwen began. The same goes for Merwen (Merlin/Gwen) from Series 1.

Again, thank you all for the tremendous help so far.