They have sexual tension from the first second they meet. “Hey. That’s enough.” “What?” … “You can’t speak to me like that.” “Oh, sorry; how long have you been training to be a prat, my lord?”
The sexual tension does not decrease; it very much does the opposite. I don’t know about you guys, but I do not look my friends in the eye for 30 long unblinking seconds, before alternating between meeting their (also long and longing) gaze, and staring at their lips. Perhaps I’m doing friendship wrong?
They banter, they have fun, they mock each other, they pull each other up, they argue, they challenge each other: to summarise, they have an actual multi-dimensional human relationship. Most love interests in media consist of (typically) a man and a woman haphazardly slapped into a couple of scenes together, and they ‘fall in love’ within ten seconds because She Is Hot And Blonde (or alternatively: Brunette And Not Like Other Girls!) and he… has muscles and wears a V-neck shirt? Idk. Anyway, the point is, we don’t normally see a friendship built up so realistically between two characters the way we see it happen between Arthur and Merlin. It feels very real and compelling.
Also, on that note, the actors just are insanely good, and also they have insane on-screen chemistry. I don’t think we would have felt quite the same way about Merthur if it had been a different pair of actors. They really nailed that dynamic.
There’s also the storyline. Very few love stories rival that of BBC Merlin. Kudos to them, lmao. The love story is SO layered and so compelling.
Firstly, we have the “opposites attract”, almost enemy-to-lovers type arc. Merlin is a peasant, and absolutely bursting with magic. Arthur is the prince, and the son of the medieval, magic-hating equivalent of Hitler. It’s a Romeo and Juliet trope — they’re not meant to grow close, but they inevitably do.
Secondly we have the whole destiny thing. The BBC really said “they’re soulmates” and dropped the mic. Two sides of the same coin, “he needs you; and you need him”, both weighed down by the same destiny, both needing the other in order to fulfil what they were born to do—but also, choosing each other, again and again, even if it means forsaking that destiny.
Thirdly, while they come from different classes (peasant vs royalty) they’re actually equals; Merlin is more Arthur’s equal than anyone else in the show, because Merlin has immense magical power (while Arthur has immense political power) and they’re both trying to navigate how to use their powers the right way. They’ve both been born into huge expectation (Merlin as Emrys, Arthur as the future king) and had pressure placed on their shoulders that is often unbearable.
They also just keep trying to die for each other. Peak romance. 11/10
We also have the “you are magic itself, Merlin” and “you were born of magic, Arthur” thing. Another romantic parallel, connecting them.
Also, and I really feel like screaming right now, when it comes down to it, they both want nothing more than to be with each other. Arthur’s private impossible dream is to live a simple life on a farm, where no-one knows who he is, except for Merlin. Merlin wants Arthur alive above all else; he gives up the chance for magic to be allowed in the kingdom, because he wants Arthur to live rather than allowing Mordred to survive and potentially kill him. He thinks he’s failed at the end, when Arthur is dying, but Kilgarrah tells him he hasn’t — and Merlin’s response is “he’s my friend, I can’t lose him”. That’s what really matters to Merlin; not their destiny, not anything else. It is meaningless to him without Arthur there beside him.
On top of all this, the tragedy of their love story is also what makes it so compelling. There are a million ways they could have averted disaster; number one, being honest with each other. But because of who they are, and because Merlin can’t bear to risk Arthur dying, they end up sealing their own fate. (This is actually their mentors’ fault. Gaius, Kilgarrah, Uther, and even Hunith—each of them teach their child/protégée to be fearful, to be secretive, to be distrusting. Merlin would have told Arthur about his magic, if Gaius, his mother and Kilgarrah hadn’t constantly warned him against it. Arthur would have accepted magic much sooner, if he wasn’t trying to live up to his father’s expectations.)
Their characters are also just really compelling, and they match each other really well. Merlin is outgoing, makes friends easily, isn’t afraid to start a street fight at the drop of a hat, talks back to the prince, literally So Feral it’s insane. Arthur — who puts on a macho act about being cocky and confident — is actually touch-starved, feels insecure and inadequate due to decades of daddy issues, and has never really had a genuine friend until Merlin turns up and starts treating him like a human being.
And yeah, just… the writing of the show. It’s romantic AF. The “I haven’t seen you smile these past three days”. The touch-starved prince asking “just hold me, please” as his best friend desperately tries to save him one final time. The romance of Arthur saying “you’re my only friend and I couldn’t bear to lose you”, and giving Merlin the last thing he has of his mother’s. Merlin saying “I do this because you’re my friend, and I don’t want to lose you”, while he tenderly touches Arthur, stroking his brow and hair. Merlin sacrificing whatever it takes, including his principles, if it means keeping Arthur alive.
And then: ARTHUR DIES IN MERLIN’S ARMS. Merlin HOLDS HIM while he DIES. And then he waits A THOUSAND YEARS, ALONE, for Arthur to come back to him. That is A LOVE STORY, a story of enduring yearning. Unparalleled.
