People are still out there thinking Arthur wasn’t devoted to Merlin the way Merlin was devoted to Arthur 😭 besties, he thought Merlin was some random useless servant, he didn’t know shit about their destiny, and he STILL risked his life and his kingdom for that boy again and again, what show are ya’ll watching
arthur was born of magic, a deal forged in the old religion. we know the story-- his mother, through no lack of want or trying, could not bear life, and so his father bargained with life itself to have a son.
without magic, arthur would not be alive.
now we take that sentence-- without magic, arthur would not be alive-- and we see shades of its meaning throughout the show. time and time again, we are shown that magic is the force that saves arthur's life from harm, and so arthur would have surely died several times had magic not intervened.
and, quite literally, arthur would not have been born without magic.
but with the first meaning-- magic has saved arthur's life-- is easily interpreted as "merlin has saved arthur's life". and it's true, we get that in canon, it's the foundation of a good majority of the show. merlin saves arthur's life using his magic, time and time again. without merlin, arthur would not be alive.
without merlin, arthur would not be alive.
now here is where it gets interesting.
because merlin is magic itself. merlin goes beyond being a human who employs magic in order to accomplish goals or do as he wills. merlin is magic itself. his human iteration has been foretold for as long as the old religion has known it. he has existed long before his body, his mind existed. magic has been a part of the fabric of the universe since its creation-- so, too, has merlin, because merlin is magic itself.
so we get the obvious-- merlin saves arthur's life using magic.
but.
magic is what created arthur. magic is what gave arthur life. without magic, arthur would not be alive.
merlin is magic itself.
so that means, long before merlin was even a thought, magic breathed life into arthur. and because merlin is magic itself, the very source that is channeled through merlin, the very thing that makes merlin who he is, created arthur.
without merlin, arthur would not be alive.
and there's the destiny in it all. before i was even born, i made you for me. you were mine from the moment i gave us life.
and merlin is the one who gives him life, time and time again. and merlin is the one who gives him the rest that will allow him to live again, and is the one who will find him when life enters his body once more.
merlin is magic itself. and, after all, without magic, arthur would not be alive.
yknow a take on morgana pendragon's story i see often is that if merlin had told morgana about his magic in that moment where they were in his chambers alone that she wouldn't have turned to become evil,, i disagree,, i think that morgana as a character would have eventually turned to become evil and bitter even with merlin as a mentor if she'd learned his secret early in season 2.
let's not forget merlin himself is NOT the most stable of mentor options (not that gaius or kilgahrah or ANY of the druids were a great help either) but he didn't know what the fuck he was doing,, just trying his best consulting that outdated spell book and had cryptic messages from a conniving dragon who MIND YOU still wanted morgana dead and was manipulating merlin the whole time and gaius was a traitor to most magic people like,, he literally was pro-gaslight morgana
merlin also loved arthur, however you view that love (romantic, platonic, brotherly, whatever) merlin loved arthur more than he did magic. we see this multiple times with merlin choosing what kept arthur safe and happy over him doing what would be best for the old religion (fuck them too but that's another post),, major example being the episode with the disir where he straight up tells him there is no place for magic in camelot (which is crazy considering he IS magic made flesh but anyways)
morgana HATED. uther, she hated everything about him and for awhile she disgusted that hate as righteous fury, raining down terror and pain onto innocents (even other magic users) and justifying it as payback. she hated arthur as an extension of uther because that's what uther raised them both as (again another post for another time) and tried to kill him without even asking what his stance was on magic (i believe arthur would have immediately done some introspection and realized he was wrong but thats imo)
i think that eventually,, their two stances would have come to blows (merlin's love for arthur above his magic/morgana's hatred for uther above all else) and morgana would still go to immeasurable heights to murder uther once more, merlin would have stopped her (or tried) because he knew the pain it would cause arthur even if he hated uther too, and morgana would've hated merlin for getting in her way,, her anger triumphing her love for arthur (see: s1ep12: to kill the king)
i feel like often times i just see morgana painted as someone who just needed a little love and light,, when in reality she's been heavily abused and pit against arthur since she was like 10/11 (however old she came to Camelot) and is now a grown woman who is realizing she hates her abuser and everything he's done and wants to destroy him and everything he loves !!
likewise merlin was manipulated and gaslit and forced to become a compulsive liar and would've NOT !! been good for morgana and eventually everything would've gone to shit !!
'#not gonna pay mind to a 15 year old who just started the show a month ago im sorry' YES THANK YOU. i'm happy new people are still joining the merlin fandom but like, we did all this discourse years ago stop writing full length essays on why you hate arthur lmao
I'm very happy to see the show being watched so much, esp since it got on netflix a few years ago. But this means having to get used to the twitter/tik tok people getting into the fandom. And bringing their shit with it. I have to check many Merlin tags a day because i queue a lot of shit to my blog and my Merlin sideblog so you know, i read stuff. And i'm here like..... who hurt you? Why dedicate your entire blog to just hate on Arthur and/or a Merlin ship? Do you really get off on just hating on shit because your non existent ship doesn't have any content? I'm sorry hunny, this isn't the way to fandom. We are all tired of your cults and hot takes and *Arthur critical* posts. You're getting a big fat block from me and good riddance. I've been through Merthur vs. Arwen in 2012 you think you're doing something powerful here? That shit was brutal then. I came back in the fandom after many years to have fun, gif what i love, spread positivity and just post beautiful things. I'm sorry to those people who their only talent is spamming the tags with hate posts but i'm different. And too old for this shit.
it’s about how arthur has to say “it’s too late” 3 times, each time softer and more out of breath, before merlin finally stops trying to get up. its about how merlin says “i’m not going to lose you” to arthur saying that all of merlin’s magic can’t save his life. it’s the fact that arthur wants the memory of his death in merlin’s mind to be the fact that merlin gave him everything he wanted - that there was no failure in merlin not saving his life. because the only thing that arthur requested was to be held and his last words were that of gratitude. it’s about when merlin says “you would have done it without me” and arthur replies “maybe”, he slowly faces the sky and his eyes blank, as if he’s imagining a life where he did everything without merlin by his side and the thought of living a life without merlin makes him say “i want to say something i’ve never said to you before”. it’s about how before saying the words, he clears his throat and swallows twice, makes sure he is directly facing merlin, and takes a moment to look at him with a smile on his face. it’s about how he clicks his tongue fondly. it’s about how despite being originally touch-averse, both the gesture of love he receives and the gesture of love he gives as his last action before dying is affection that is shown in touch. it’s about the different languages of love and how they’re so subtly communicated
- You don’t just get over something like the Great Purge. Gaius still sometimes dreams about what he saw back then. About all the lives he couldn’t save. In some circles, he might be considered a hero - for saving Morgause’s mother, or buying Alice some time to run away. But he thinks of himself as a coward, and hates himself for that.
- Fear has become a second nature. Gaslighting is an instinctive, first response. Gaius’ mind is divided. There is one part of his brain that knows about Merlin’s magic, or that Morgana’s nightmares aren’t really nightmares, but the other part would deny it, and it would be an honest denial. A golden rule for the times of terror: if you don’t see it, it doesn’t exist. Gaius often chooses not to see. That’s why, when Morgana comes to him to ask about her visions, or when Gwen shares her suspicions about Morgana, Gaius’ first reaction is denial.
- In the early days, he sometimes hates Merlin. And he doesn’t even care if it shows. The boy is so optimistic, so happy-go-lucky with his magic, so careless! Merlin hasn’t seen rows of pyres, or dozens of children drown in wells. For Gaius, this is a flaw. Over years, Gaius learned that a sense of security is not a right, but privilege. Why should Merlin have it, if Gaius was denied it when he was younger? That’s why he sometimes feels satisfaction when Merlin gets put in stocks, or passes out from tiredness. He enjoys giving him extra chores. Maybe that’d teach him.
- He feels resentful of Merlin’s relationship with Arthur. Gaius lived with Uther for years, an he only became a free man after the incident with Edwin, and only after Uther nearly discarded him.
- Over the years, Merlin becomes more and more like him. And Gaius sometimes thinks that maybe it’s not a right thing after all. He sees his own reflection in Merlin’s resigned eyes, and he gets scared. Yet again.
- Despite everything, he’d still readily admit that he loves Merlin. He just doesn’t know how to show this love. Nobody has ever told him.
- He finds it hard to feel empathy for people. No matter how much suffering he sees, he still thinks he suffered more. Morgana might have magic, but she’s privileged. Arthur is a golden boy. Gwen might suffer, but what is her suffering when compared to the suffering of someone who has to hide their nature? And Merlin… well, I’ve already written in length about Merlin.
- Gaius’ fear doesn’t pass when Arthur becomes king. He might have known Arthur since birth, but he’s still the King. It’s simply not possible for Gaius’ brain to think about the King with anything other than trepidation.
- Books and potions are his only solace. They keep the memories at bay, let his mind rest. Finding a solution to a problem - no matter if mundane or magical - is probably the only thing that keeps him sane.
Fandom often ponders the nature of Merlin’s powers, given how little we truly see of them. He uses certain spells repetitively, like his telekinesis, but we are told this can be learned with practice or a conduit (such as Gilli’s ring). So what powers distinguish Merlin as “the most powerful sorcerer ever to walk the earth” and why does he use them so little?
1. Ability to use magic with no physical conduit or verbal components
While we see many magic users throughout the series express this power (Morgana, Nimueh, Mordred, and Finna, to name a few), that number is disproportionate to the general population of sorcerers. There are so few who can that Gaius doesn’t believe they exist until he meets Merlin. Even so, Merlin is possibly the only one who could do this “since before [he] could talk.”
Before the Purge, it is likely that sorcerers with the innate ability became initiates of the Priesthood early in life and kept this power secret, which would also explain why Gaius didn’t know it was possible, despite apparently studying for years let’s discuss the implication of wizard schools later though
Theory: born-sorcerers act as a conduit for magic, and learned sorcerers use spells or objects to direct their focus. Merlin is different from both because he is “magic itself,” therefore no conduit (verbal or physical) is needed. He can simply will it into being. However, conduits can help him control how much force is used. Note the difference between his spells and his reflexive magic against the serkets in 3x01.
2. Taming, summoning, and hatching dragons + understanding the dragon tongue + other dragonlord abilities
Merlin’s dragonlord abilities are established in “The Last Dragonlord” and “Aithusa.” He is obviously not the only person to have this ability, but he is the last known dragonlord in Albion, ranking him higher in power than most other figures of magic.
Not so fun fact: Gaius knows for years prior to Merlin’s arrival in Camelot that he is the son of a dragonlord, but doesn’t seem to know much about their powers beyond the obvious. Balinor is not surprised that Merlin uses reflexive magic, which means it must be seen among his people, Balinor included. However, most knowledge of dragonlord culture would have died with Balinor and Kilgharrah, assuming they were as secretive as the High Priestesses on the Isle of the Blessed.
3. Senses when an object has magic and when powerful magic is used
This includes the alchemy stone, the staff Morgana used to unleash an army of the dead, the eye of the phoenix, the cup of life, the marks Finna leaves, and more. This power is expressed in other magic users, but it is still incredibly rare and only appears amongst the most powerful, such as Morgause.
4. When magic is strong in a particular location, Merlin can feel the effects on the surrounding environment
Merlin easily idenitifies the sacred grounds of the Disir because he can feel the liveliness of “every tree, every leaf, every insect,” and is shocked to find that Arthur cannot do the same. This implies much about Merlin’s relationship to nature and how deeply his magic is connected to his personhood, as he is under the impression that his experience is the universal standard for humans well into his twenties. Merlin has understood nature in this way since birth. It can be inferred that, given Arthur’s shock, Morgana did not share in this trait of Merlin’s. It is unheard of.
Genuine question: if nature responds to powerful magic, does that mean plants and animals respond to Merlin in the same way? And if Merlin has such an intricate form of communication with plants and animals, does this explain his “funny feelings” in cursed places and when he’s being watched?
5. Ability to slow or stop time
Merlin slows time twice in “The Dragon’s Call,” once to save Gaius and then to save Arthur, and does so again in “The Gates of Avalon” to watch the fae. It is unclear if this is a conscious decision or if he relies on instinct to do it. This is a considerably rare power we see from no one else in the series. In fact, we never see Merlin use it past season 1. This makes sense from a plot standpoint as it vastly overpowers him (though it is dependent on Merlin’s reaction time) and with the theory that it is a purely reflexive ability.
6. Eavesdrops on Druids’ telepathy
Those capable of telepathy can only communicate directly one-on-one, never suspecting that they can be overheard (“The Nightmare Begins” and “The Witch’s Quickening”). Merlin does not listen in by choice, merely hearing it within a certain range.
7. Sees through certain transformation or illusion spells
Merlin identifies Gwen through the animal transformation spell that Morgana used in “The Hunter’s Heart.” It is unclear whether other magic users can do this, but people without magic cannot.
Deduction from canon material: Merlin likely saw through the spell because he sensed that the “deer” was human. This may mean that the reason he can’t see through aging spells is because there are few vital differences between an older and younger version of oneself. However, he also didn’t see through troll Catrina’s disguise—maybe he learned to recognize the feeling, which is why it takes a moment to realize it’s Gwen? Or perhaps the spell on Gwen was more of an illusion than a transformation (as opposed to the one the goblin uses on Arthur), which would mean he sees through illusions but not transformations. Luckily, he saw and heard Donkey Arthur clear as day.
Actual fun fact: silver represents purity, which is why a mirror shows a person’s true image (think Mary Collins in 1x01). Merlin also represents purity and, whether it’s instinctive or not, carries on the theme of seeing a person’s true self when others cannot.
8. Witnesses the future and the past
In the Crystal Cave, where the Crystal of Neahtid was hewn from, Merlin sees uncontrolled visions. Very few can use the crystals, only the most practiced and powerful. Using the crystals visibly pains Merlin (beyond emotional damage). However, he learns to control and actively choose what the crystals show.
9. Scries in his mind
When we see other sorcerers scrying, they usually accomplish it with a magical crystal or in the surface of water. Merlin, though, scries subconsciously (and possibly without a spell) in “The Poisoned Chalice” to locate Arthur and send him a light. He presumably has no memory of doing this when he wakes.
10. Controls the weather
Whether this entails creating a wind (“The Mark of Nimueh,” “The Moment of Truth,” and “A Servant of Two Masters”), calling down a lightning storm (“The Questing Beast” and “The Diamond of the Day p2”), or creating a fog (“The Nightmare Begins”), Merlin appears to be the only person besides Cornelius Sigan (who purportedly “turned day into night”) that can change the weather. It is another aspect of his instinctive/elemental powers, as he can do so with no verbal or physical conduit, though he typically uses one anyway.
11. Immortality
Merlin is referred to by the Druids as “Emrys,” which translates to “Immortal One.” He apparently dies multiple times, or should have died, but comes back. There is usually some plausible deniability for this, as confirmation of Merlin’s immortality only happens in the finale (though it is implied as early as his mistaken death in “The Poisoned Chalice”).
Balinor says to Merlin, “[…] You have always been, and always will be,” though it is not confirmed whether Merlin understood this was a reference to eternal life (Balinor says he himself, as a spirit, will “always be,” so Merlin may have misinterpreted it). However, it is revealed that Merlin lives into the modern day, making him over 1,500 years old.
Other sorcerers seek immortality and longevity, but none are naturally immortal like Merlin is. Sigan impants his soul into a crystal, for example, and possesses living human bodies. Had he actually managed to possess Merlin, perhaps he would have achieved immortality after all. Too bad.
12. Classifiable as a creature of magic, but not so much as a human
A person can be both a human and a creature of magic, but Merlin’s status as the former is debatable.
Merlin is the human personification of “magic itself,” though what this implies is initially unclear. However, the fact that Merlin “always has been” (he existed long before his human form) and is not bound by the rules of mortality may mean he is beyond human. In Celtic legend, Merlin is considered a nature deity, closely mirroring many of his characteristics, like his sensitivity to nature and control of the elements.
Merlin as a deity has greater implications for world-building and creates more questions than it answers, but that’s half the joy of it.
13. Immense Power
While this is not a power in and of itself, Merlin’s sheer, innate power also influences his place on the scale of most to least powerful among sorcerers.
Merlin defeats sorcerers who are deemed untouchable, such as Nimueh and Cornelius Sigan. He is able to hold an aging spell, which quickly tires Morgana and Morgause, for extended periods—in fact, he has more difficulty turning himself back. He even holds an aging spell while summoning a goddess, despite the exhaustion it would cause a less powerful sorcerer. Additionally, he wields the Sidhe’s staff weapon, though it is unknown if sorcerers like Gaius or Morgana can do the same.
Merlin may also overextend his powers at times, such as when he tries to warm Arthur’s bath but sets it to a boil, though this may be attributed to other factors. He consistently underestimates his ability to perform powerful spells, only to use them with ease later on (like the spell he uses on the Griffin, which he uses on the Questing beast and the dragon as well).
Why don’t we see more variety in Merlin’s powers?
As Merlin learns more spells, his reflexive magic becomes far easier to control, which means he no longer uses it unintentionally not often, anyway and therefore becomes reliant on a limited number of learned spells instead of instinct.
Is this an extended metaphor for how Merlin loses his sense of self because he is guilted into believing that magic (remember that Merlin is magic itself) should only be used as a tool? Probably.
Furthermore, Merlin is a sorcerer who is employed in Camelot, which means he cannot practice his magic as often or as freely as Morgana can in her woods hut or revamped castle ruins. Merlin tells Arthur in 5x13 (as well as Lancelot in a deleted 4x02 scene) that he forgets to use magic sometimes out of “habit,” since he will be burned to death if he is caught. Merlin’s concern about using magic in Ealdor is that he won’t be able to protect Arthur anymore if he’s discovered, which doesn’t weigh on most sorcerers’ consciences.
Is this also an extended metaphor for how Merlin loses his sense of self because he is guilted into believing that magic should only be used as a tool? Probably.
And, of course, Merlin’s resources for learning magic in Camelot comes down to what Gaius has to offer. There’s not much opportunity for learning magic in Camelot, though it seems there was a multi-kingdom education system in place before Uther’s Purge. Gaius tell us about your wizarding school challenge.
Is this an extended metaph- what’s that red dot on my chest for?
to this day i still believe that arthur is firmly agnostic and when uther told him “yeah you need to dress in white robes and sit in the throne room for 8 hours and wait a vision to come through” he’s just like. “that sounds like magic but sure i guess” and then pretended to meditate while also choosing the hardest quest he could ever undertake because if his middle name isn’t Drama Queen then what is it
second thought actually. he’s so??? nonchalant of magic in this episode??? because like. sir your map just burnt to the ground and you meet a man who is not human and he tells you that you’re courage and that you’ll need the help of magic and sure you say you don’t condone it but then when he defends it you just go “thank you for your help”. like sir???? what????
OK BUT THIS IS SO INTERESTING ACTUALLY because there’s a deleted scene in this episode where arthur encounters a group of knights from another kingdom dragging behind them a person that looks like a prisoner on his way to the fisher king’s lands.
and then the prisoner notices him hiding in the tall grasses but doesn’t say anything to the knights that have captured them.
and i feel like you can see arthur going “i want to help him but i’m outnumbered and on a quest and i don’t know if i even should help him because i don’t know what exactly he’s been captured for”. he doesn’t help them in the end, just watches them pass by while hiding.
and like. i feel this captures arthur’s essence so much with his whole conundrum with magic in later seasons? it’s a bit of “maybe not everyone who has magic is evil but almost literally everyone i know who has magic is evil how do i know it doesn’t corrupt” and a bit of “i am currently fighting a war with people who have magic and i can’t dedicate myself to the political and social consequences of actually lifting a magic ban right now” and he’s just stuck in this liminal space of both condemning magic and reconsidering magic (especially after the dolma healed gwen) and he remains stuck there until the war ends but before he can actually do anything he dies. the prisoner has passed. and its fascinating
love how most fanfics have merlin revealing his magic after getting caught by arthur or after saving arthur but then in canon he voluntarily reveals his magic after failing to save arthur. the irony is *chef's kiss*
To lose her now, like this… I’ve grown up with her, she’s like a sister to me.
I’d sacrifice my place on the throne for her to see another sunrise.
Sam Levenson // BBC Merlin 1.02 // BBC Merlin 1.10 // Hanya Yanagihara, A Little Life // Merlin official books, Valiant // BBC Merlin official script 1.09 // @/pencap, Please, let him be happy // BBC Merlin 5.02 // Richard Siken, War of the Foxes // BBC Merlin 4.13 // @/beetlejuices // BBC Merlin 4.13 // Anne Sexton // @/frenchtoastlesbian // BBC Merlin 4.05 // Steven Sufjans, The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us! // BBC Merlin deleted scene 5.06 // unknown // BBC Merlin 5.02 // unknown // Ocean Vuong, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous // BBC Merlin 5.02 // Ava Dellaira, Love Letters to the Dead // Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper // BBC Merlin deleted scene 5.06 // Frank Ocean, White Ferrari // Wandavision // Fortesa Latifi // BBC Merlin 5.13 // BBC Merlin 5.13 // @/thependragons // BBC Merlin 5.13 // Langston Hughes
HE DIDNT EVEN LIVE TO SEE HIS OWN GOLDEN AGE. HE DIDN'T SEE THE PEACE AFTER THE WAR. HE WAS DOOMED FROM THE START, TIED TO THE DARK AND DESTINED NEVER TO SEE THE SUN SHINE ON THE PEOPLE HE LOVED
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