Dragonlord

"There were once men who could talk to the Dragons, tame them."

- Gaius to Merlin

Dragonlords are men who are able to speak to and tame their spiritual brothers, the Dragons. This is an innate, hereditary ability passed down from father to son.

History
"Uther believed that the art of the Dragonlord was too close to magic. So he had them all rounded up and slaughtered."

- Gaius to Merlin

Near the end of the Great Purge, Uther convinced Balinor to summon the Great Dragon to Camelot so he could make peace with it. He betrayed him, however, and imprisoned Kilgharrah in a cavern beneath the citadel. He then proceeded to round up and slaughter the remaining Dragonlords, as he believed that their abilities were too close to magic.

Aided by Gaius, Camelot's court physician, Balinor escaped the genocide of his people and sought refuge in the village of Ealdor. He stayed with Hunith, a friend of Gaius's with whom he fell in love, but was forced to leave her when Uther discovered his whereabouts and sent men to capture him.

Balinor eluded Uther's men and made his home in a cave at the foot of Feorre Mountains. Twenty years later, he discovered that he and Hunith had a son named Merlin when he and Arthur Pendragon asked him to deal with the Great Dragon, who had escaped captivity and was attacking Camelot. Upon Balinor's death, Merlin became the last Dragonlord and used his new abilities to tame Kilgharrah and order him away from Camelot (The Last Dragonlord).

Merlin's decision to show Kilgharrah mercy earned the dragon's loyalty and they became good friends. Merlin often summoned Kilgharrah when he was in need and the dragon never failed to answer his call (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Darkest Hour, The Sword in the Stone, The Kindness of Strangers, The Diamond of the Day).

Merlin gained another dragon to command when he retrieved the last dragon egg from the Tomb of Ashkanar. Though the hatchling, a white dragon he named Aithusa, later allied itself with Morgana, it bore him no ill will and never failed to heed his commands (Aithusa, Arthur's Bane, With All My Heart, The Diamond of the Day).

Abilities
"When you speak to him as kin, he must obey your will."

- Balinor to Merlin

Upon inheriting their gift, Dragonlords were able to speak to dragons in their shared language. This ability was primarily used to tame and control dragons, who were unable to resist their commands (The Last Dragonlord, The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Crystal Cave).

This communication appeared to be at least partially telepathic, as Merlin and Kilgharrah were able to hear one another across great distances (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Darkest Hour, The Sword in the Stone, The Kindness of Strangers, The Diamond of the Day). It could also be used to command Wyverns, who were distantly related to dragons (The Eye of the Phoenix, The Darkest Hour).

By forcing a dragon to submit to their will, Dragonlords gained access to their knowledge, magic, and natural might. Merlin, for example, was able to ride Kilgharrah and command him to share his knowledge of spells (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Crystal Cave).

Dragonlords also had the ability to hatch dragon eggs. They accomplished this by giving the hatchling a name and calling it into the world (Aithusa).

Appearances

 * Series 2
 * The Last Dragonlord


 * Series 3
 * The Tears of Uther Pendragon
 * Goblin's Gold
 * Gwaine
 * The Crystal Cave
 * The Changeling
 * The Castle of Fyrien
 * The Eye of the Phoenix
 * Love in the Time of Dragons
 * Queen of Hearts
 * The Sorcerer's Shadow
 * The Coming of Arthur


 * Series 4
 * The Darkest Hour
 * The Wicked Day
 * Aithusa
 * His Father's Son
 * A Servant of Two Masters
 * The Secret Sharer
 * Lamia
 * Lancelot du Lac
 * A Herald of the New Age
 * The Hunter's Heart
 * The Sword in the Stone


 * Series 5
 * Arthur's Bane
 * The Death Song of Uther Pendragon
 * Another's Sorrow
 * The Disir
 * The Dark Tower
 * A Lesson in Vengeance
 * The Hollow Queen
 * With All My Heart
 * The Kindness of Strangers
 * The Drawing of the Dark
 * The Diamond of the Day

Trivia

 * It is unknown how the first Dragonlords gained their powers, or whether dragon eggs could hatch without them before their creation.
 * It is unknown whether all Dragonlords were sorcerers. However, as both Merlin and Balinor are known to have magic, it is likely that at least some of them were (The Last Dragonlord).