Merlin

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“

Long before your stories began, the Sorcerer battled the darkness. He was able to keep it from consuming the realms.

”

—The Apprentice to Emma ^src

Merlin, better known as the Sorcerer, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts, with his only appearance, in the nineteenth episode of the fourth season. He is voiced by co-star Jonathan Adams in Season Four, and will be portrayed by Elliot Knight in Season Five.

Merlin is based on the character of the same name from the King Arthur legend, and on the Sorcerer from the poem, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice".

History

Before First Curse

At one point, the Sorcerer named Merlin battles the darkness at the place which will become the Vault of the Dark One and, in order to be free of it and protect the realms, he tethers it to a human soul. In turn, that soul becomes the Dark One, who is bound to the control of a cursed dagger. ("Operation Mongoose Part 2," "Quiet Minds")

For eons, the Sorcerer and his Apprentice have chosen a person, whether male or female, to become an Author, whose sole responsibility is to witness and record stories in a magical storybook. ("Best Laid Plans")

At a moment of his life, Merlin creates Excalibur, a magic sword. With the weapon embedded in stone, legends claim whoever can pull it out is the kingdom's true ruler. The sword, whether it has been freed or not, is not known. ("Lost Girl")

Merlin is also the creator of a box, which contains a hat that can absorb and accumulate magic. As a safeguard, the hat is also protected by an enchantment so that only someone who has not succumbed to the darkness in their heart can open it. For every person that has obtained the Dark One's powers, each has tried and failed to harness the hat in order to keep their magic while gaining freedom from the dagger. ("The Apprentice")

While watching over the hat, the Sorcerer's Apprentice successfully stops the most recent Dark One, Zoso, from stealing the relic. Many years later, the Sorcerer's fate is not known, but his Apprentice has since retired to a cottage and hidden the hat in a basement. The current Dark One, Rumplestiltskin, poisons the Apprentice to transfigure him into a mouse. Before the man turns, Rumplestiltskin manipulates a girl, Anna, by making her believe he wants her to kill the Apprentice with a tonic. Due to her pure heart, she cannot do it, and is further coerced into killing Rumplestiltskin. Pushed to her breaking point, Anna stops herself before she can act on her dark wish. As she sheds tears in frustration, Rumplestiltskin collects one of them and uses it to retrieve the hat. Later, he is outsmarted by Anna, who leaves for home with the hat, and then Ingrid takes the item for herself. On her terms, Ingrid promises the Apprentice that she will return the hat only if the Sorcerer helps locate someone. Presumably, the Sorcerer learns of this from the Apprentice, who reappears to Ingrid and fulfills her asking price for retrieval of the hat. ("The Apprentice", "Smash the Mirror")

The Apprentice speaks with the Sorcerer having banished the current Author, Isaac, into the book after he made him harm Maleficent's child. The Sorcerer, however, cannot undo what has already been done and remarks that the fate of the child, along with the fate of Snow White and Prince Charming's child, are bound together as they always have been. ("Best Laid Plans", "Lily")

During Second Curse

When the second curse is cast, the Sorcerer's mansion manifests in Storybrooke. Inside, the house contains his hat, a hidden door portal to Arendelle and a secret room containing blank storybooks. ("A Curious Thing," "A Tale of Two Sisters," "Heroes and Villains")

After Second Curse

In the Sorcerer's mansion, Mr. Gold discovers the hat and begins using it to free himself from the dagger. Amassing power in the hat, he traps the Apprentice as well as the nuns, before his plans are halted by his banishment out of Storybrooke. Finding the mansion's secret room, Henry leads Emma and Regina there to show them the blank storybooks. This causes Regina to mistakenly believe the Author is the Sorcerer, although Mother Superior later clarifies they are two different people and that the Sorcerer has not been seen for a very long time. ("A Tale of Two Sisters," "Heroes and Villains," "Darkness on the Edge of Town")

After the Apprentice's failed attempt to trap the darkness from the current Dark One, he tells Emma about the darkness's history with the Sorcerer, Merlin, who they must find in order to contain it. ("Operation Mongoose Part 2")

Trivia

• Character Notes
• Production Notes

Character Notes

• The name "Merlin" is of Welsh origin and is derived from from the name "Myrddin", meaning "sea fortress".
• According to Rumplestiltskin, he is thousands of years old. This makes him one of the two oldest known residents of Fairy Tale Land, with the other one being the Apprentice. ("The Apprentice")

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.

Appearances

Once Upon a Time: Season Three
"The Heart of the Truest Believer":	"Lost Girl":	"Quite a Common Fairy":	"Nasty Habits":	"Good Form":	"Ariel":	"Dark Hollow":	"Think Lovely Thoughts":	"Save Henry":	"The New Neverland":	"Going Home":
Absent	Mentioned	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"New York City Serenade":	"Witch Hunt":	"The Tower":	"Quiet Minds":	"It's Not Easy Being Green":	"The Jolly Roger":	"Bleeding Through":	"A Curious Thing":	"Kansas":	"Snow Drifts":	"There's No Place Like Home":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent

Once Upon a Time: Season Four
"A Tale of Two Sisters":	"White Out":	"Rocky Road":	"The Apprentice":	"Breaking Glass":	"Family Business":	"The Snow Queen":	"Smash the Mirror":	"Fall":	"Shattered Sight":	"Heroes and Villains":
Mentioned	Absent	Absent	Mentioned	Absent	Absent	Absent	Mentioned	Absent	Absent	Mentioned
"Darkness on the Edge of Town":	"Unforgiven":	"Enter the Dragon":	"Poor Unfortunate Soul":	"Best Laid Plans":	"Heart of Gold":	"Sympathy for the De Vil":	"Lily":	"Mother":	"Operation Mongoose Part 1":	"Operation Mongoose Part 2":
Mentioned	Absent	Absent	Mentioned	Mentioned	Absent	Absent	Appears	Absent	Mentioned	Mentioned

Once Upon a Time: Season Five
"The Dark Swan":	"The Price":	"Siege Perilous":	"The Broken Kingdom":	"Dreamcatcher":	"The Bear and the Bow":	"Nimue":	"Birth":	"The Bear King":	"Broken Heart":	"Swan Song":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Souls of the Departed":	"Labor of Love":	"Devil's Due":	"The Brothers Jones":	"Our Decay":	"Her Handsome Hero":	"Ruby Slippers":	"Sisters":	"Firebird":	"Last Rites":	"Only You":	"An Untold Story":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent