Who Is Merlin (Myrddin)?
The far-seeing wizard and prophet behind King Arthur
Merlin is the wizard and prophet of the Arthurian legend. Able to see the future and change shapes, he secretly guided Arthur from his birth to his crowning. He became widely known through the 12th-century writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth and is thought to be based on Myrddin, a poet from Welsh tradition.
In the manga's flashbacks, Merlin disguises King Uther as the Duke of Tintagel and sends him to Igraine, then takes the child born of that night, Arthur, and gives him to Sir Ector. Appearing before Arthur in the likeness of a boy or an old man, he reveals the secret of Arthur's birth and warns him: "The child you have fathered with your sister will destroy you and your kingdom." He also foretells Balin's tragedy and announces in advance the marvels of the king's wedding.
In Episode 5, Merlin falls in love with Nimue, a maiden of the lake. Though he knows his own fate, he will not leave her side, and she seals him beneath a great stone using the very magic he taught her.
Episodes featuring this character5
NEWEpisode 1
The Errand Boy Who Pulled the SwordThe Sword in the Stone
Episode 1 of the series. Young Arthur only wanted a spare sword for his brother, Sir Kay. So he pulls one from a stone in a churchyard, a sword that every lord in the land had failed to budge. When his foster father, Sir Ector, kneels before him, Arthur learns the truth about his family and must decide for himself whether to step toward the crown.
19 pages
NEWEpisode 2
The Day the Boy King's Sword BrokeExcalibur and the Lady of the Lake
Fresh from victory over the rebel kings, the boy king Arthur is riding high, until he learns of a terrible sin he committed without knowing it. Then, in a duel with the knight of the spring, King Pellinore, the sword from the stone shatters. The Lady of the Lake grants Arthur a new blade, Excalibur, and Merlin asks him one question: which matters more, the sword or the scabbard?
19 pages
NEWEpisode 3
The Sword Will Kill the One He Loves MostBalin, the Knight with Two Swords
Balin le Savage, a penniless knight fresh out of prison, draws a sword no one else could pull free and refuses to give it up, even after hearing it will make him kill the one he loves most. Every blow he strikes in the name of what's right costs him more: the king's forgiveness, three kingdoms, and finally his beloved brother Balan.
20 pages
NEWEpisode 4
The Mistake That Wrote the Knights' CodeGawain and the Pentecostal Oath
Knighted on King Arthur's wedding day, young Gawain is desperate to win glory. When his hounds are killed, he flies into a rage, refuses a beaten knight's plea for mercy, and the lady who throws herself between them dies by his hand. He doesn't run. He carries his shame back to the court, and the vow he swears there becomes the oath of every Knight of the Round Table.
19 pages
NEWEpisode 5
He Saw His Doomand Loved Her Anyway — Merlin and Nimue
Sealed away by the maiden he loved, Merlin leaves one last warning: "The woman you trust most will steal your sword and scabbard." Armed with the "Excalibur" his kind sister sent him, young King Arthur rides into a duel to the death—only to find his opponent swinging the king's own true sword.
19 pages