- “What's done is done, my apprentice”
- ―The Sorcerer to The Apprentice
Merlin (also known as The Sorcerer) is a character who appears in the ABC fantasy-drama series Once Upon a Time. He is a powerful entity and the master of the Apprentice
He is based on the character of the same name from the Arthurian legend tales.
Biography[]
Before the First Curse[]
Merlin is first referenced in season three as a citizen of a realm called Camelot, where he enchanted the sword Excalibur and hid it in Camelot. When Snow White tried to find it in the hope that she would be able to overcome the Evil Queen, Prince Charming made a trade with Rumplestiltskin in order to get to Excalibur. He is later revealed to Snow White by Rumplestiltskin that the sword is false, but that the real sword is hidden in Camelot.
After a series of references to a powerful, possibly immortal mage known as the Sorcerer, it was revealed that he and Merlin are one and the same. In the fifth season, Merlin appears in the form of a young man in his early twenties, contrary to his usual depiction as an old wizard. Centuries ago, it is revealed, Merlin fought a demon known as the Dark One, who imprisoned him in a tree until he is released by the current Dark One, Emma Swan, in the fifth season episode "Dreamcatcher". For eons, it was the responsibility of Merlin and his apprentice to choose a person to become The Author and record the stories within a book.
Merlin has his Apprentice guard his magical hat which holds strong magic.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice later retires in an old cottage where he continues to guard his master's hat. Rumplestiltskin sends a girl named Anna to retrieve the hat from him, however, she quickly outwits Rumplestiltskin and takes the hat with her which is then obtained by her aunt, Ingrid the Snow Queen. Ingrid asks the Apprentice, on the behalf of Merlin, to help her find someone. He accepts her deal and opens a door to A Land Without Magic to help Ingrid find the one she is looking for in exchange for his hat.
After having chosen a man named Isaac to be the Author, they discover he has been manipulating events to create more interesting stories and when he forces them to fill Maleficent's child with darkness, they punish him by entrapping him within an illustration in the book.
The Apprentice later tells his master about what has been done with Maleficent's child. He asks whether there is a way to undo this but the Sorcerer says no. Merlin then goes on to tell his apprentice the girls will now and forever remain entwined together.
At some point in 1989 Merlin appears to Emma, disguised as an usher in a cinema showing The Sword in the Stone. He gives the young girl a cryptic warning, that she would not understand until 30 years later: "Do not take the sword."
After the Second Curse[]
After the second curse is cast, Belle discovers a mansion in Storybrooke where she spends her honeymoon in with Mr. Gold. He later discovers the Sorcerer Hat inside the mansion.
After Mr. Gold discovers the hat, he tries to use its power to free himself of the dagger that controls him and traps within it, the fairies and the Sorcerer's Apprentice.
After Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff discover the portal to Arendelle and return to their homes, Henry Mills discovers a hidden room full of blank storybooks. He shows Emma Swan and Regina Mills the secret room, leading them to believe that Merlin and The Author are the same people. This, however, is clarified by Mother Superior, who tells them that they are two different beings.
The Apprentice reveals Merlin to be The Sorcerer.
After Isaac's plan to allow villains to win fails miserably, it is revealed that Rumplestiltskin is dying, which would end his curse but allow the Darkness to be released from him. To counter this, the Apprentice tries to imprison the Darkness in Merlin's hat, thereby saving Rumplestiltskin's life. However, the plan backfires, and the Darkness almost consumes the Apprentice until he is saved by Emma Swan. It is then advised by the Apprentice that the only man who can stop the Darkness is his master: Merlin himself. Shortly upon realizing this, Emma sacrifices herself, becoming the next Dark One in order to save Regina from the Darkness.
Before the Third Curse[]
Following Emma becoming the Dark One, her friends and family track her down in Camelot, where they search for Merlin in the hopes that he can remove the Darkness from her. Unfortunately, they have to work against the wishes of the realm's king, Arthur, who has grown obsessed with finding the Dark One, so that he may reunite her dagger with the Excalibur, a weapon which would allow one to either snuff out the Darkness forever or snuff out the light. However, Arthur has another nefarious plot: he wants to kill Merlin, who is still trapped inside a tree after his long-ago conflict with the Darkness.
Emma frees Merlin from the tree.
Working against the wishes of King Arthur, Emma and Regina work together, finding the secret ingredient that will release Merlin: a tear of lost love, which they retrieve from their son, Henry. While Regina holds off Arthur's men with her dark magic, Emma performs the spell - a combination of light and dark magic - which releases the Sorcerer. Once Merlin has been freed, he denounces Arthur, expressing his disappointment in the once and future king. Then he releases Snow and Charming from Arthur's enchantment and agrees to help free Emma from the Darkness if she is ready to be free.
Eventually, Arthur aligns himself with Zelena, and they cast a spell on Excalibur causing Merlin to be controlled by the sword just like Emma is controlled by the dagger. They kidnap Emma's family and friends in hopes that Emma will hand over the dagger. Under the sword's control, Merlin is forced to fight Emma, who convinces him to fight the power of the sword. Merlin breaks the connection from the sword, allowing him to turn against Arthur and Zelena and fight them off.
Later Merlin joins up with the rest of the group at Granny's Diner. He tells Emma what to do to fuse the dagger and the sword back together. As the sword is forged, Killian grabs his neck, as a previously closed wound reopens. In a panic, Emma decides to tether his life to Excalibur. Merlin advises against this, as it would make Hook a Dark One. Emma refuses to listen and teleports herself and Killian to a field. Emma transfers the Darkness from Merlin into Killian. Merlin's name disappears from Excalibur and is replaced with Hook's name. Hook disappears from the field and is seen rising from the Dark One's Vault.
After Hook becomes a Dark One, he starts plotting revenge. Merlin, realizing how dangerous Emma and Hook have become, leaves a message for the group, instructing them to find Nimue, as she is the one who can save Emma and Hook. His message is cut short when Hook arrives in the diner, pulls out Merlin's heart and states that he wants to create a Dark Curse to take everyone back to Storybrooke. Merlin explains that Hook will be unable to cast the curse without crushing the heart of the thing he loves most. Rumplestiltskin's memory form appears and states that he won't be crushing the heart, but someone who still has feelings for Merlin will, and changes into Nimue. She explains that she lives in all Dark Ones allowing her to act through Hook to crush Merlin's heart. Emma arrives to stop Hook but fails. Hook drops the remnants of Merlin's heart into the pot, causing the third Dark Curse to start. Emma knocks Hook out and gets rid of Merlin's body. She then brings everyone into the diner in a comatose state and erases all of their memories as the Curse takes effect.
Gallery[]
Promotional[]
Screenshots[]
See also[]
- Merlin
- Merlin (King Arthur)
- Merlin (The Sorcerer's Apprentice)
- Miles
- Merlin (Legend of the Three Caballeros)
- Yen Sid
