Merlin

"Not all wizards have long, white beards."

- Merlin to David Nolan

Merlin, better known as the Sorcerer and briefly known as the Usher and Disembodied Voice, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the nineteenth episode of the fourth season. He is voiced by co-star Jonathan Adams in Season Four, and is portrayed by guest star Elliot Knight in Season Five.

Merlin is based on the character of the same name from the Arthurian Legend and the Disney film The Sword in the Stone, and on the Sorcerer from the poem "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and the Disney film Fantasia.

Trivia

 * -|Character Notes=

Character Notes

 * Merlin's tree is featured in the title card for "The Price.
 * According to Rumplestiltskin, he is thousands of years old. However, that is an exaggeration, as Merlin has been immortal for a thousand of years at most.
 * The Darkness claims that Merlin is the oldest person in all the realms. However, "Mother's Little Helper" and "The Black Fairy" clearly establish that the Black Fairy is thousands of years old due to being banished to the Dark Realm. Moreover, "Flower Child" establishes that Gothel/Eloise Gardener is also thousands of years old.


 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * The casting call describes him as "an African American in his early 30s to early 40s and boasting a natural British accent to play a man with great wisdom and intelligence beyond his years, someone who has always put duty in front of his own desires, even at great personal cost".
 * According to Adam Horowitz, the idea of exploring Merlin has been cogitated since 2013, just not immediately.
 * Elliot Knight's interpretation of the character is inspired by Sam Neill's portrayal of Merlin in the 1998 television miniseries of the same name.
 * Interestingly, the official ABC promo picture of Merlin uses almost exactly the same font as the cover of the 1998 region 2 DVD release of the miniseries.


 * -|Cultural References=

Lost

 * Merlin picks up an Apollo bar at Granny's Diner, a fictional brand on Lost.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.