User blog:Waterwecna/Smallville and Merlin

As some of you may know, the creators of Merlin got the idea to create the show after the american show Smallville which talks about the adventures of a young Clark Kent and his journey of becoming Superman, the greatest hero on Earth. Lately, I have started to watch Smallville a lot myself, and have noticed some quite striking similarities with Merlin, although the shows are mostly very different. In this post I will discuss some of the most noticeable similarities between the shows and will analyze how Smallville in general could have influenced the creators of Merlin. These aren't nearly all of the similarities and differences between the two shows, just the main ones, as otherwise this post would be as long as a book usually is. Also, before I start, I would like to thank Ḡwẵine Ḹٍٍkƨ Ĺiĸe Ͼềлȑềd for helping me a lot with this blog post. Thanks a lot, Alfons! :)

WARNING: This is a very long blog post.

Similarities:

 * Both of the shows focus on a young character with a big destiny.
 * Both are based on a previously written story. Smallville is based on the comic books of Superman, while Merlin is based on the Arthurian legends.
 * Most of the episodes of both shows focus on one character (usually a minor villain) who creates a problem which then the main characters have to solve.
 * Both of the shows also have a similar storyline structure: the main character becomes more and more what he is supposed to be as the series continues; the main villain transforms from good to evil etc.

Differences:

 * More than half of Smallville takes place in the small city of Smallville. In Merlin, most of the show takes place in a much bigger location which is Camelot.
 * Smallville got its name after a location, while Merlin got it after a character.
 * Smallville has much storter time jumps than Merlin. They usually are as long as a few months or shorter, while the time jumps in Merlin can be from one year to three years.
 * Smallville has had much more individuals with supernatural powers than Merlin.
 * Smallville takes place in the modern world, while Merlin takes place in the middle ages. Also, the story of Smallville takes place in America, while the story of Merlin takes place in medieval England.

Differences and similarities between the characters
The biggest differences and similarities between the two shows are most noticeable when it comes to characters. Both shows feature strong and interesting characters that can be much more alike than it seems at first.

Similarities:

 * Both are main protagonists of the show.
 * Both have short black hair and wear pretty much the same clothing for most of the series. In Merlin's case it is a brown jacket with a shirt and a scarf and brown pants, while for Clark it is a blue shirt and jeans, and a red jacket.
 * Both are individuals that have been gifted with supernatural powers.
 * Both of them have great destinies. It is Merlin's destiny to help Arthur unite the lands of Albion and be the greatest sorcerer, while it is Clark's destiny to save the world and be it's greatest hero.
 * Both of them have mentors who they constantly ask advice from. In Clark's case it is his biological father Jor-El, while for Merlin it is the Great Dragon Kilgharrah.
 * Superman.png of them have been befriended with the individual who ultimately becomes their greatest enemy. In Merlin's case it is Morgana, and in Clarks it is Lex Luthor.
 * Both of them have a second name, which is used by those who know about their secret. Merlin is known amongst Druids as Emrys, and Clark is called Kal-El by the Kryptonians.
 * Both of them move from a smaller location to a bigger one. Merlin moves from his home village Ealdor to Camelot, and Clark moves from Smallville to Metropolis.

Differences:

 * Both of them have different powers. As a sorcerer, Merlin uses his abilities to do all sorts of things, whether it is telekinetically opening the etiquette book or create fire. Clark cannot use his powers to do as many different things as Merlin can, but has a certain number of powers which are: superhuman strength, speed, stamina, invulnerability, freezing breath, super hearing, multiple140px-Merlin-Emrys.jpg extrasensory and vision powers, longevity, flight, intelligence and regeneration. Although Merlin can do many different things with his powers, it is certain that Clark would win the fight already because he is much faster.
 * Merlin is a darker character, because he has killed much more often. Clark mostly refuses to kill his opponents, even monsters such as Doomsday, but Merlin kills four individuals (if not more) already in the first season. Merlin also decided to go through with poisoning Morgana, while Clark went to great lengths to find a way to not kill his friend Chloe when she was possessed.


 * Clark is a much more romantic character than Merlin is. Throughout the ten seasons of Smallville, he has quite a lot of romances from which some have lasted for a really long time. Merlin at the same time has just one short romance and doesn't even show romantic feelings towards anyone after the second season.

Similarities:

 * Both of them are good characters in the beginning, and become darker as the series continues.
 * Both of them have been befriended with the main character of the series before they turn evil.
 * Both are the main villains of the show.
 * Both of them have issues with their father and both of their fathers have a big part to play in them becoming evil.
 * Both of them have caused their fathers to die.
 * Both of them are from a powerful family. Lex is the son of Lionel Luthor, the owner of the very powerful company LuthorCorp, and Morgana is the daughter of Uther Pendragon, the king of Camelot.

Differences:

 * Morganas goals have all been fixed on a certain location, which is Camelot. While she tries to2morgana.jpg conquer it and have her revenge on its inhabitants, Lex has much broader goals which go further from Smallville and even Metropolis. Lex doesn't also try the same strategy twice, but always has a new project up in his sleeve.
 * Lex is a more romantic character than Morgana. Throughout the show he has various romances and is married three times, while Morgana hasn't so far been together with anyone.
 * Morgana is of royal blood, but Lex isn't.
 * Morgana has magical powers, which makes her a powerful enemy to Merlin. Lex however has no powers whatsoever, but uses technology and Kryptonite against his enemy Clark.

Similarities:

 * Both of them are good friends with the main character of the show.The-green-arrow.jpg
 * Both of them have short blonde hair.
 * Both of them are straightforward and honest. They have both also been bullies sometime in their life.
 * Both of them have been leaders of a team of heroes. Oliver lead the Justice League, and Arthur has lead both the Knights of Camelot and Knights of the Round Table.
 * Both of them have been deceived by a female they were close to. Arthur was betrayed by Morgana, and Oliver was deceived by Tess Mercer.
 * Both of them have no supernatural powers.
 * Both of them are rich and powerful.

Differences:

 * Both of them use different weapons in battle. Oliver uses a bow and an arrow and a crossbow, while Arthur always uses a sword.
 * Oliver is labeled a vigilante, while Arthur is called a hero.
 * Oliver is a more humorous character as he often makes jokes and funny comments. Arthur is much more serious most of the time.
 * Oliver isn't of royal blood while Arthur is.
 * Arthur is superior to Merlin, while Clark becomes greater than Oliver was in the beginning.

Similarities:

 * Both are sweet and friendly characters and have been good friends with the main character for many years.
 * Both of them have had romantic feelings towards the main character.
 * Both of them have played an important part in the main character becoming the hero.
 * Both of them have been good friends of the main villain, and have also worked for them as well.
 * Both of them have also battled the main villain.
 * Both are women who dare to speak their mind.

Differences:

 * Guinevere eventually marries Arthur and becomes the Queen of Camelot, while Lana gains superpowers and leaves Smallville forever.
 * Although both have had feelings for the main character, Lana is the only one who has been together with him, while Guinevere and Merlin were never a couple.
 * Lana leaves Smallville numerous times, while Gwen only leaves once when she is banished by Arthur.
 * Lana is a much more experienced fighter than Gwen is. She has gotten training in the martial arts and has superpowers, while Gwen has never really had much training with the sword and was very easily defeated by Morgana.

Similarities:

 * Both of them were bad characters in the beginning of the story.
 * Both of them had issues with at least one of their children. In Uthers case it was with his daughter Morgana, and in Lionels case it was with his son Lex.
 * Both them had an illegitimate child. Morgana was the illegitimate daugther or Uther and Lucas Luthor the illegitimate son of Lionel.
 * Both of them treated their child wrongly which caused him/her to eventually turn evil. Lionel threw Lex to an asylum and did many other bad things to him, and Uther punished Morgana when she disobeyed him by throwing her in jail.
 * Both of them were eventually killed by their children. Lex pushed his father Lionel out of the window and Morgana enchanted a pendant which helped kill Uther.
 * Both of them were rich and powerful men.
 * Both of them have (or will) appeared after death.
 * Both of them eventually saw the error of their ways.
 * Their names rhyme!

Differences:

 * Uther was of royal blood while Lionel was not.
 * Uther was a better fighter than Lionel was. Uther is a very skilled swordsman, while it hasn't been shown that Lionel has any skills in the martial arts.
 * Lionel found out Clarks secret, but Uther did not know that Merlin was a sorcerer.
 * Lionel eventually became a father figure for Clark, while Merlin and Uther weren't nearly as close.

Similarities:

 * Both Nimueh and Zod have a mark that they can be recognized by.
 * Both of them are of the same kind as the main character. That means that Nimueh is a magician like Merlin, and Zod a Kryptonian like Clark.
 * Both of them have tricked the main character into thinking that they are good.
 * Both of them wish to rule the world.
 * Both of them have lived for a longer time than the main character, and are therefore more experienced and stronger than the main character (at first).
 * Both of them don't realise at first what a threat the main character poses for them.
 * Both of them have been the main villains of a season.

Differences:

 * Nimueh was killed by Merlin, while Zod was banished to the Phantom Zone by Clark.
 * Nimueh always worked alone, while Zod has numerous followers who work for him.
 * Zod managed to almost kill Clark, while Nimueh doesn't damage Merlin so much that he is not able to continue fighting after a while.

Similarities:

 * Both are sisters of the main villain. Tess is the sister of Lex Luthor, and Morgause the half-sister of Morgana.
 * Both are daughters of powerful men. Tess is the daughter of Lioner Luthor, and Morgause the daughter of Gorlois.
 * Both Tess and Morgause have worked together with one of the main villains: Morgause with Cenred and Tess with Zod.
 * Both have possessed an artifact that the main characters wished to have. Morgause had the Cup of Life, while Tess was in possession of the Book of Rao.

Differences:

 * Tess eventually turns good, while Morgause remains evil until the end.
 * Morgause has supernatural powers, while Tess does not. Thus Morgause is much more powerful and poses a much greater threat to the main character than Tess does.
 * Morgause plays a great part in Morgana turning evil, while Tess doesn't impact the process of Lex turning evil and appears after his brother has died.
 * Tess plays a much bigger part in Smallville than Morgause does in Merlin.
 * The biggest goal of Morgause has been to conquer Camelot together with Morgana, while Tess wishes to save the world instead.

Similarities:

 * Both are friendly women and very good mothers. Both are also the mother of the main character.
 * Both of them have had an imporant part to play in their son becoming the hero.
 * Both Martha and Hunith live far away from their son.
 * Both of them have been infected because of the actions of their son, and have also eventually been cured for the same reason.
 * Both of them have advised the main character to keep his secret.
 * Both of them have lived in a smaller location for a long time. Martha has lived in Smallville for about twenty years or more, while Hunith might have lived in Ealdor for a longer time (it is not certain).

Differences:

 * Martha Kent isn't the biological mother of Clark, while Hunith is the biological mother of Merlin.
 * Martha has gone to much greater lengths than Hunith to protect her son.
 * Hunith has participated in a battle while Martha has not.
 * Martha eventually leaves Smallville and comes in a position of power, while Huniths life changes little during the series.

Similarities:

 * Gaius and Jonathan have both been amongst the main mentors of the main character.
 * Both of them have also held back the main character from doing something many times.
 * Both of them have been willing to sacrifice their life for the main character.
 * Both of them have advised the main character to keep his secret.
 * Both of them have suspected the main villain of being up to no good.
 * Both of them have been trusted a lot by the main character, and have been one of the few people he confides in.
 * Both of them have helped the main character to develop their powers.

Differences:

 * Jonathan is the husband of Martha, while Gaius is neither a husband nor even a relative of Hunith.
 * Jonathan is the adoptive father of the main character, while Gaius is not.
 * Gaius has worked for Uther Pendragon, while Jonathan has never worked for Lionel Luthor.
 * Gaius is also much more loyal to Uther, while Jonathan has said more than once how he can't stand Lionel Luthor.
 * Gaius finds out that Merlin has magic in the first episode of the series, while Jonathan already knows about Clarks powers before the series.
 * Gaius has been working in the court of Camelot for a long time, while Jonathan has only been working in his farm and never in LuthorCorp.

Similarities:

 * Both have been a mentor of the main character.
 * Both of them have been in a separate location where the main character often goes to ask for their help. Jor-El has been in The Fortress of Solitude and Kilgharrah has been locked in the dungeons of Camelot.
 * Both of them have been thought of as the villain by the main character. In the first seasons of the show, Jor-El was often thought of as the villain by Clark, and Merlin thought of Kilgharrah that way in towards the end of the first two seasons.
 * Both of them have given the main character advice that he has not followed, and which has ulimately had really bad consequences for him.
 * Both of them usually use a different name to call the main character with rather than their original name. Jor-El calls Clark Kal-El, and Kilgharrah often calls Merlin young warlock.
 * Both of them know about the destiny of the main character, and they know very well what his actions can do.

Differences:

 * Kilgharrah is a much darker character than Jor-El. He tried to destroy Camelot, while Jor-El wasn't responsible for the destruction of Krypton and hasn't tried to destroy any location on Earth.
 * Kilgharrah isn't in any way related to Merlin, while Jor-El is Clark's biological father.
 * Jor-El is dead, while Kilgharrah is not.

Justice League and the Knights of the Round Table
Similarities:
 * Both of them were both formed by one leader. Justice League was formed by Oliver Queen, and the Knights of the Round Table by Arthur Pendragon.
 * Both of them are a team fighting for good.
 * Both of them have characters with interesting backgrounds.
 * Both of them mainly fight against one villain. The Knights of the Round Table fight against Morgana and Justice League against Lex.
 * Both of them were introduced roughly in the middle of their TV shows' entire series.

Differences:
 * Knights.jpg people have joined Justice League since it was formed, while (to date) the Knights of Camelot have only lost Lancelot and have not gained any new members since then.
 * Justice League began with 5 members, while the Knights of the Round Table began with 6.
 * Each member of Justice League possesses a special super-human ability (except Batman when he joins one day).
 * Each member wears a different colour uniform in Justice League, while the Knights of the Round Table all weart the same clothes.
 * The Knights of the Round Table often bully Merlin, while the rest of Justice League regularly look up to Clark.

Various other characters with similarities
And many more!
 * Lois Lane and Mithian
 * Kara/Supergirl and Aithusa
 * Whitney Fordman and Arthur Pendragon (Series 1 Arthur only)
 * Granny Goodness and Alice
 * Davis Bloome/Doomsday and Mordred.
 * Martian Manhunter/John Jones and Alator.
 * Carter Hall/Hawkman and Lancelot
 * Bart Allen/Flash and Gwaine
 * Pete Ross and William
 * Arthur Curry/Aquaman and Percival

So these are some of the main differences and similarities of the two shows. If you have any questions about Smallville or you wish to know even more differences and similarities, do not hesitate to contact me or Ḡwẵine Ḹٍٍkƨ Ĺiĸe Ͼềлȑềd, as we are both really big fans of Smallville.

And we can confirm that Smallville was a wide inspiration for Merlin. 

If you are interested in watching the pilot episode of Smallville click here:

Have a nice day,

ฬคtєгฬєςภค 16:38, September 3, 2012 (UTC)