Arthur Pendragon

King Arthur Pendragon is the only son of Uther Pendragon and Ygraine de Bois, the husband of Queen Guinevere, brother-in-law to Sir Elyan, the half-brother of Morgana and the current King of Camelot. Arthur was initially seen as a spoilt and arrogant bully but eventually matured and befriended the young sorcerer Merlin, who was destined to protect him until he became king. Arthur tended towards different opinions regarding his father's policies and hatred towards magic which caused him to challenge Uther frequently. He finally became king when Uther died of a fatal injury received protecting him from an assassin.

Early Life
Arthur was born to Uther and Ygraine Pendragon with help of magic by the sorceress Nimueh. Ygraine was barren and incapable of giving birth so Uther, who was desperate for her to concieve an heir, went to Nimueh and persuaded her to use her magic to help Ygraine. However, as Nimueh used the power over life and death for Arthur to be born, a sacrifice had to be made for a life to given and Ygraine died in the process after Arthur was born. As a result her death, Uther despised magic and had its practitioners excecuted but kept the true nature of her death secret from Arthur. Arthur also had a half-sister named Morgana, who was born from an affair Uther had with her mother Vivienne some time before or after Ygraine's death. Arthur grew up with Morgana but remained unaware of her true paternity.

Meeting Merlin


Arthur first encountered Merlin while he was doing target practice with his friends and bullying the servant who was carrying the target. Merlin, unaware of Arthur's identity, stood up to him. Arthur had Merlin thrown in prison and subsequently into the stocks. They later fought again in town where Merlin used his magic to try and get the better of Arthur.

Later, at a feast celebrating twenty years since magic was banished from Camelot, Mary Collins took the guise of Lady Helen with the intent of killing Arthur as revenge for Uther killing her own son. Using his magic, Merlin managed to save Arthur and, in return, Uther made Merlin Arthur's manservant. (The Dragon's Call) At first two of them wanted nothing to do with one another but quickly became close friends, though Arthur remained ignorant of Merlin's powers.

Early Adventures with Merlin
Arthur frequently found himself in danger and, though he did not often realise it, was rescued by Merlin on several occasions. These have included drinking a poisoned chalice that was supposedly for Arthur (The Poisoned Chalice) and saving him from being killed by a young Sidhe named Sophia after she enchanted him into believing he was in love with her. (The Gates of Avalon)



Arthur sometimes avoided taking blame for things. He allowed Merlin to be sent to the stocks twice when he abandoned his duties to see Sophia and once more when he forced Merlin to lie about where he had been. (The Gates of Avalon)

Arthur aided other characters when they needed it. He travelled to the Forest of Balor to retrieve an antidote when Merlin was poisoned by Nimueh despite the fact he was putting his life in danger and going against his father's orders to let Merlin die. Through his experience he was nearly killed by giant spiders and was locked in the dungeons by his father for disobeying him, only getting the antidote to Merlin through the quick thinking of Gwen. (The Poisoned Chalice) Arthur also spoke out for the druid boy Mordred when he was being pursued by Uther. He later helped Merlin and Morgana sneak Mordred out of Camelot after they were caught the first time and returned him to his people. (The Beginning of the End)

When Nimueh brought his uncle Tristan de Bois, "The Black Knight", back to life Arthur attempted twice to challenge him only for the gauntlet to be picked up by Sir Owain and then Sir Pellinore. After Pellinore was killed Arthur threw down his own gauntlet and challenged Tristan. However Uther had Gaius drug Arthur and fought Tristan himself with a sword intended for Arthur given to him by Merlin. (Excalibur)



Arthur travelled with Merlin, Gwen and Morgana to Ealdor to aid Merlin's village against a group of bandits led by Kanen and trained the men of the village to fight. However he only let the women fight after he was reproached by Gwen -- a moment that sparks their closer involvement. (The Moment of Truth)



Camelot was cursed with lack of food and water after Arthur killed a unicorn. He refused to admit that it was his fault and only came to terms with it after he failed the second test, supposedly leaving Camelot without food forever. When Merlin asked the keeper of the unicorns, Anhora to give Arthur a second chance he found himself a part of the test. When Arthur demonstrated he was willing to give his life for another person the curse was lifted as he proved that he was "pure of heart" like a unicorn. (The Labyrinth of Gedref)

Bitten by the Questing Beast


On a quest to kill the Questing Beast Arthur was bitten by it and was on his deathbed, While Gwen and Gaius nursed him in Camelot, Merlin travelled to the Isle of the Blessed to offer his own life to Nimueh to save Arthur since the law of magic insisted that for one life to be spared, another must be taken. When Merlin gave Arthur water from the Cup of Life, he recovered, soon finding the energy to flirt with Gwen, teasing her about what she said to him whilst he was unconscious. When it was revealed that it was Hunith's life that Nimueh intended to take through the means of a terrible illness, Merlin decided to return to Nimueh to offer his life for hers. Before he left he teased Arthur about being a prat, but then grew solemn and told Arthur he was a great warrior and would become a great king, though he also advised Arthur to learn to listen as well as he fought (Le Morte d'Arthur).

Relationship with Guinevere


Arthur came to believe that the knights of Camelot were allowing him to win at jousting and wondered about his own skills. When a jousting tournament was coming up, Arthur decided to disguise himself so no one would go easy on him. He acted like he would be away from Camelot during the tournament, but in reality he was secretly living with Gwen. During this time, he and Gwen grew closer which ultimately led to the two sharing a kiss before the final joust, cementing their feelings for each other. Arthur emerged victorious in the tournament. But he later sadly told Gwen that he couldn't be with her because his father wouldn't approve.

When Morgana's magic began to reveal itself, Arthur was clueless to what was really going on. Arthur noticed Merlin's constant attempts to comfort Morgana, and came to believe Merlin had fallen in love with her. After Morgana was returned to Camelot from the Druids, Arthur cornered Merlin and, despite the fact that he is in love with Gwen, advised Merlin to stick to girls on his level because Uther would "have his head" for trying to woo Morgana.

Gwen was later kidnapped by a group of bandits; they had taken her for Morgana had escaped them and they intended to ransom Gwen in her place. Uther refused to do anything, so Arthur and Merlin left on their own. Arthur's behaviour aroused Merlin's suspicion, and Arthur eventually confessed that he was in love with Gwen. But he also said that nothing could ever happen between them because his father would never allow it. Merlin said that he could change that when he becomes king, and assured him that Gwen would wait for him if she felt the same way.



Arthur and Merlin eventually arrived at the bandits hideout, where they found that Gwen and Lancelot (who had attempted to free Gwen) were going to be killed. They managed to stop the attempted execution and freed the two. On the journey back to Camelot, Arthur noticed that Gwen and Lancelot had feelings for each other and became jealous. Lancelot left after he found out about Gwen and Arthur's feelings for each other, deciding that he wouldn't come between them. Despite Lancelot's departure and Gwen's safe return, Arthur's heart was broken.

Throughout the second series their love for each other grew though it remained largely unspoken between the pair. Their main problem (apart from the class difference) was that they were reluctant to talk to each other about their relationship. After Arthur was enchanted he realized that Gwen was in love with him, so he went to her house and told her he loved her too, Gwen then apologized to Arthur about what happened with Lancelot, Arthur seemed to be able to forgive her. The conversation ended when they disagreed about their future, Gwen was adamant that although she loved him, he would one day love someone else (as she could never be his queen). Arthur disagreed and thinks that once he becomes king he will have the freedom to marry her. Although they disagreed, the air between them was cleared as a result of this conversation.



In season 3, their love becomes a bit more obvious. The episode where their love is shown the most is Queen of Hearts. They finally give into their feelings and admit their love for each other. Uther and Morgana find them laying down and kissing on a blanket in the woods, and Uther forbids them from seeing each other, and later banishes Gwen. Morgana tricks him into believing Gwen has enchanted Arthur, and Arthur must save her before her execution. Merlin pretends to be an 80 year old sorcerer and lies and says he enchanted them both, and Uther lifts all charges from Gwen. Arthur and Gwen are both positive that their love is real and that the old man was lying, which was really Merlin lying about the whole thing.

Also, in The Coming of Arthur, Arthur and Gwen kiss publicly in front of his knights. First, in their hiding spot preparing for battle, and in the end of the second part, in the square, in front of all the townspeople. It is unknown whether Uther himself witnessed their embrace, for he was in deep emotional anguish.

Troll Stepmother
When Uther married Lady Catrina (who was actually a troll in disguise) Arthur at first attempted to be supportive although he was clearly shocked by his father's hasty nuptials. He told a doubtful Merlin that Uther was happy and that was all that mattered. Merlin was later falsely accused of theft by the new queen and Arthur warned him that Uther was after him, thus giving him time to escape capture. Uther, under the magical influence of his new wife, expressed doubt that Arthur possessed the abilities to be a strong king of Camelot. Arthur was bewildered by his father’s change in opinion regarding his capabilities, unaware that Uther had been enchanted by Catrina, and started to doubt himself. He disagreed with Uther’s new taxations, arguing that the people of Camelot could not afford it and would starve if they were forced to pay any more. He returned tax money to the peasants in the town and intervened when he saw guards punishing a peasant who had not paid his tax. The people looked on him in gratitude, among them Guinevere, though he did not spot her in the crowd.

Arthur soon went to Uther and refused to carry out his orders any further, deeming them unfair and believing he could be both King and friend to the people of Camelot. He commented to Uther that they were servants to Camelot’s people just as much as Camelot’s people were servants to them. Uther disagreed and Arthur left, confused by Uther’s changed attitude.

Arthur was pleasantly surprised when Gwen came to his private chambers to thank him for his kindness towards the people of Camelot. He confided in her, allowing her to see his growing doubts over what kind of king he should and could be, thanks to Uther’s unkind words. She disagreed with him and told him that they both knew his doubts were unfounded. She also reassured him when he questioned Uther’s love for him. She told him that he had a kind heart that ought never to change to please anyone, which seemed to touch him. They ended their conversation when Sir Leon summoned Arthur to his father, though he and Gwen appeared to have started to regain the closeness they shared before Lancelot came between them. Uther then informed Arthur that he was disinherited, leaving Catrina the sole heir to the throne. Shocked and upset, Arthur stormed out, utterly confused.

Having initially doubted Merlin when he told him Catrina was a troll, Arthur soon began to accept that his father had been put under a spell. Merlin proved himself right by blocking Catrina's passage to a private room when she began to transform into her troll form, leading to an incredulous confrontation between Arthur, Morgana and Uther, the latter of whom was utterly oblivious to the truth. Arthur therefore agreed to Merlin and Gaius’ plan to bring down the new Queen of Camelot. He drank a potion that would bring him to the brink of death so that Uther would cry tears of regret over his treatment of Arthur, since this was the only way to break the powerful troll magic. They were successful and Arthur subsequently killed the troll. He did not hold a grudge against Uther and teased his father about marrying and sleeping in the same bed as a troll. He also thanked Merlin for his help and they shared a brief half-hug handshake.

The Witchfinder
When the Witchfinder, Aredian, came to Camelot, Arthur did not take a liking to him but under his father's orders he was put at the Witchfinder's services. When Merlin was accused of sorcery, Arthur was shocked and didn't believe it, and when Gaius said it was him, Arthur protected Merlin and gave him a few moments with Gaius. When Merlin and Gwen tried to prove Gaius was innocent, they nearly arrived too late but Gwen convinced Arthur to stop Aredian from burning Gaius at the stake. He then convinced his father with Merlin and Gwen that the Witchfinder was guilty, Aredian tried to escape by taking Morgana hostage but Merlin used magic to make Aredian's knife burn forcing him to drop it. Aredian then fell out of a window to his death while Arthur and Uther watched.

Morgause
Arthur was challenged and defeated in a sword-fight by a woman named Morgause. As Morgause had Arthur at her mercy, he was spared only on the condition that he agreed to come to her and accept another challenge. As she was leaving, she told Arthur that she knew something about his mother. This aroused the prince's curiosity, and he decided to go and visit her. After having to break out of Camelot with Merlin's help, they journeyed to Morgause's castle. Once there, she challenged him to put his head on a chopping block so she could kill him. Though hesitant, Arthur did so, and Morgause said this had been a test of his character. As his reward for passing, Morgause used her magic to summon the apparition of his deceased mother, allowing him to meet her for the first time.



From his mother, Arthur learned the truth about his birth: Uther wanted an heir, but Ygraine was unable to conceive. Therefore, Uther turned to Nimueh for help, and she used her magic to create him, but Ygraine had to die because of this. Arthur was horrified by this, and realized that Uther's anti-magic laws and the Great Purge were the result of Uther being unable to blame himself for Ygraine's death.

Furious, Arthur returned to Camelot and confronted the king. Arthur then challenged him to mortal combat, something that he gave his father no choice but to accept. Arthur eventually disarmed his father, but before he could kill him, Merlin managed to convince him that Morgause had tricked him. This encounter appears to have deepened Arthur's own hatred of magic.

Princess Vivian


When Arthur was put under a spell to fall in love with a princess named Vivian (Sweet Dreams) only Gwen could break the spell as she was Arthur's true love.

Gwen had never been vocal about her true feelings for Arthur, but when he was put under enchantment Gwen showed that she really was in love with him. She told him she found it difficult to express what was truly in her heart. After their problems with Lancelot, Arthur now knew that Gwen loved him as much as he loved her.

Gwen also acknowledged the pain she caused him with Lancelot. She still thought she could never be his queen, Arthur did not agree and hoped that they could marry when he became king. They both know that they would never be allowed to marry whilst Uther is king, but Merlin believes Arthur can change that once he becomes king.

Revenge of the Great Dragon
Arthur was later forced, along with his knights to defend Camelot from The Great Dragon who was freed by Merlin (though Arthur didn't know it) and attacked Camelot every night as revenge for his imprisonment and the near extinction of his kind. After realizing that the Dragon was too powerful for them to defeat, Arthur and Merlin went on a mission to find Balinor, a Dragonlord and (unknown to Arthur) Merlin's father.

They found Balinor who at first refused to return to Camelot, believing that it was perfectly fair that The Great Dragon should have revenge for everything Uther had done to him. Balinor was eventually convinced to return when he realized that Gaius, whom he owed a life debt, was in danger. Arthur told him he would be rewarded but Balinor replied that he sought no reward. Unfortunately the Dragonlord was fatally injured by an enemy king's knights and died in Merlin's arms. Arthur watched but couldn't understand why Merlin was so upset as he still didn't know Balinor was Merlin's father.



Arthur and Merlin arrived back at Camelot and reported the death of the last Dragonlord. Then they went out with Arthur's knights to make one last attempt to kill The Great Dragon. The Dragon presumably killed all of Arthur's knights but Arthur rolled under a stream of fire and managed to land a blow on the Dragon with his sword. The Dragon retaliated by smashing him with one of its huge front legs, knocking him unconscious. Merlin, who had gained the powers of a Dragonlord thanks to his father, banished the Dragon from Camelot and then told Arthur that the wound he had given the Dragon was fatal.

Return of Morgana


On the orders of his persistent and relentless father, Arthur, Merlin and the knights of Camelot spent almost a year searching for Morgana. One day whilst looking for her in a forest, Merlin asked Arthur if what they were doing was a good idea, due to what he did to her, but Arthur as usual disregarded him. They soon found a deserted camp in a forest, and it wasn't not before long they were attacked by the bandits occupying the camp. After a short battle (in which Merlin used magic to save himself and Arthur several times), they were victorious. In the battle's aftermath, they saw one final figure approaching; as they got closer, the group saw that it was a bloodied and dishevelled Morgana, shocking Arthur and Merlin. After she slept Morgana tells Arthur about her year, and how she lived in a cave for the entire time. They share a passionate hug, and Morgana notices Merlin standing there. Just as Arthur and Merlin leave, Morgana asked to speak to Merlin. She told Merlin how she understands why he tried to poison her, and that she would have done the same if it came to it. She forgives Merlin, and he worries a bit less.

In Arthur's chambers, Arthur noticed Merlin was very cheerful and wondered why, Merlin replied because Morgana was back. Arthur was just about to walk across the room, but Merlin didn't wish to as he had just washed the floor. Arthur wondered why that was such a problem, as Merlin had a simple job to do. However, in the end, Merlin ended up with a bucket of water on his head. Later on, Arthur was out training, whilst blindfolded. Merlin, of course, winded him up, and he does the same, mocking his seeming hiding at the bandit camp. As Arthur trained some more, Merlin made Arthur lose his sword, and he was hit in the chest with a small mace and left lying face down in the mud, much to Merlin's amusement.

At a party celebrating Morgana's return, Uther went outside. He saw a something in the well, terrifying him. Arthur asked Gaius what may have made Uther go mad. Gaius said he had no idea, but he told him that when he found Uther, he was crying, calling out Ygraine's name. Arthur and Sir Leon caught wind that mercenaries were flooding into Cenred's kingdom; they feared he was raising an army and informed Uther. Suddenly, Uther saw a dripping wet boy, one of the many child sorcerers he had drowned during the Great Purge, but nobody but he could see him. He shouted at the boy to leave, and everybody believed he was going mad. He was taken out of the chamber by Arthur and Leon and taken to his room. All of a sudden, the warning bells sounded; the body of the a wounded sentry had been found. Gaius told Arthur that the knife used to injure the man was marked with the sigil of the Blood Guard, an order of warrior priests who protected the High Priestesses of the Old Religion; Gaius voiced his fear that there was a traitor in Camelot (who was Morgana). He also stated that the man was still alive and would soon identify his attacker, however Morgana finished the job and poisoned him.

The next day, Arthur was angry at Merlin for not showing up to work. Merlin had in fact been chained up by Morgause and left to die at the hands of Serkets. Merlin used his powers as a Dragonlord and called out to Kilgharrah, who saved him. On returning to Camelot, Merlin burnt the mandrake root causing Uther's insanity, therefore breaking the enchantment. However, Uther was still weak from the ordeal and unfit to rule.

The following day, a patrol of Camelot knights, led by Sir Leon discovered Cenred's army and raced back to alert Arthur, who finally took charge of the city from the weakened Uther. Leon reported that Cenred's army numbered at least 20,000, outnumbering Camelot's forces two to one. Gaius suggested they negotiate with Cenred, if only to buy them time to prepare, but Arthur, knowing Cenred would not be easily satisfied, ordered Camelot to prepare for a siege, insisting that the castle had never been taken, thereby giving them the advantage. He also ordered that the people of Camelot's outlying villages take shelter within the city. When Leon argued they'd be leaving behind their homes and livestock, Arthur replied at least they'd have their lives. With Cenred's army only hours away, preparation began in full; weapons and armour were distributed, barricades and defences were erected and the knights of Camelot prepared for battle. As night fell and Cenred's army surrounded the city, Merlin helped Arthur into his armour; as he did so, Merlin for the first time spoke openly about Arthur's destiny to be Camelot's greatest king and assured him that the victory he would win would be remembered forever. Arthur seemed touched by Merlin's faith in him and shown a grudging respect for Merlin's wisdom, though he was quick to disguise it with his usual abrasiveness.



At the urging of Morgause, Cenred began the attack; as catapults bombarded Camelot, Cenred's army broke through the city gates and battle erupted in the streets. Arthur and his men defended the walls and barricades, holding Cenred's men from advancing, and Uther, ignoring the advice of Gaius, Leon and Arthur, donned armour and joined the battle, fighting against the invaders. Arthur pulled him back despite his protests that he would let Camelot fall, a crossbow bolt hit him in the leg. With their king injured and Cenred's men overrunning the barricades, Arthur ordered a retreat back to the castle, leaving the lower town to the attackers. As Cenred's men advanced on the retreating Camelot soldiers, Merlin assisted Arthur by using magic to block their path with fire. Despite Gaius' attempts to keep an eye on Morgana, she went down to the crypts with the hawthorn staff given to her by Morgause where she drove the staff into the stone floor, awakening the dead.



As the knights of Camelot fought a desperate battle to keep Cenred's men from breaking into the castle, to their horror; skeleton warriors began to emerge from the castle and attack Camelot's army from behind. Arthur, Merlin, Leon and a number of knights tried to hold the skeletons off, but their weapons couldn't kill the undead warriors, only slow them down. As Arthur and his men fought a losing battle on two fronts to hold off Cenred's men and the undead, Arthur insisted that they must evacuate Uther, but Gaius replied that with the lower town lost, there was no way to escape; this was now a fight to the death. Eventually, the army of the dead suddenly returned to a truly dead status, as a result of Merlin destroying the hawthorn staff Morgana had used to cause the enchantment.

In the battle's aftermath, Merlin tried to tell Arthur what happened in the crypt, but Morgana had gotten there ahead of him, having told Uther and Arthur that she destroyed the staff and stopped the skeletons. After Camelot was safe, Arthur demanded that Merlin attend to his chores.

Gaius Possessed


When Gaius was possessed by a goblin, Arthur was forced to arrest Merlin for apparently using magic, though while he did this he avoided looking Merlin in the eye. He also looked shocked when he heard that Merlin would be executed, presumably because he would have thought, since Merlin had saved his life on many occasions, Uther would go easier on him. The next day, Arthur grew suspicious of Gaius' strange behaviour when he spoke out of turn in council. He tricked Gaius into saying he would be glad to see Merlin hang, and to keep Arthur quiet, the Goblin cast a spell on Arthur to give him the ears and voice of a donkey. Gwen and Merlin were the only two people to know about this, and when he saw her after Merlin had undone all the Goblin's work, he told Gwen that he thought it best to forget the events of the last few days. However, Merlin had left Arthur with a donkey's laugh for one extra day. (Goblin's Gold).

The Princess' Birthday


After being shot by bandits and later healed by Taliesin, Arthur returned from the Valley of Kings with Merlin, who, unbeknownst to Arthur, had seen a vision of Morgana killing the king in the Crystal Cave with a bejewelled dagger. Therefore, when Arthur told him he had bought Morgana a dagger for her birthday, Merlin was greatly panicked until it was revealed that the dagger Arthur had bought was plain, unlike that in Merlin's vision. To cover up his surprise, Merlin remarked that he thought girls preferred 'pretty things,' unknowingly bringing about the future he sought to avoid by inspiring Arthur to change his mind and switch the plain dagger for a jewel-encrusted one. As a result, in yet another attempt to prevent the future, Merlin caused Morgana's accident and fetched Arthur, who brought Morgana to Gaius where it was revealed that her head injuries would be fatal. Arthur was devastated by the knowledge that Morgana would die, commenting he would give up his throne to allow her to live, and was later seen taking out his violent rage on a training dummy. Seeing Arthur's grief at Morgana's worsening condition added to Merlin's dilemma on whether to allow Morgana to die to prevent her dark future or to save her and ultimately helped persuade him to use magic to heal her.

The Golden Trident


To prove his worthiness to become King of Camelot, Arthur was sent on a quest to retrieve the Golden Trident of the Fisher King, alone and unaided. Unaware of what it was, he was given a Phoenix Eye by Morgana, who pretended it was a gift for good luck, hiding the fact that the bracelet actually consumed the life force of its bearer. Travelling alone to the Perilous Lands, his energy was therefore slowly sapped. Upon meeting Grettir, the dwarf warlock who guarded the bridge to the Fisher King's kingdom, Arthur was confused when he referred to him as "Courage" and asked where "Strength" and "Magic" were, and was troubled when told he would need "Magic" more than he knew since he did not condone its use. Grettir noticed the Phoenix Eye on Arthur's wrist and at once knew its true nature, but did not warn Arthur of its harmful effects.

Fighting his way to the Fisher King's tower, he was attacked by two wyverns whilst the remainder of his life force was consumed. After being found and revived by Merlin and Gwaine he was angered, feeling that since they had helped him, his quest was meaningless, though he continued to search for the trident. After being separated from Merlin in the Fisher King's throne room, he took the Trident from where the king had dropped it and brought it back to his father. Morgana was shocked to see he had made it back alive, though Gwen and Uther were greatly relieved.

Arthur later deliberately lost a one-on-one sword fight with his father out of respect, allowing Uther to keep his title as Camelot's best warrior. Uther was aware that Arthur had lost the duel on purpose and was grateful for it, calling it a mark of his readiness to be king and stating his hope that his own children would show him the same respect.

Discovering Morgana's Betrayal
Arthur and Merlin later went on a search for the Cup of Life and once again met up with Gwaine. A slave trader forced him to duel with Gwaine but thanks to Merlin's magic all three of them escaped. They found the druids and retrieved the cup off them, but lost it as it literally fell into the hands of one of King Cenred's warriors. Arthur meanwhile was wounded by a poisoned arrow.

When they returned to Camelot, Arthur, who still hadn't recovered from his injury despite Merlin's use of magic, met Elyan in Guinevere’s house. He, Merlin, Gwaine and Elyan infiltrated Camelot, which had been taken over by Cenred's now immortal army. Sending Gwaine and Elyan to find Uther and Gwen, Arthur and Merlin went to Gaius’ chambers to find a cure for his injured leg. Gaius was revealed to be hiding in a cupboard and Arthur told him to give him something to keep him going before leaving to find his father. He watched in horror as Morgana’s treachery was revealed by Morgause and he, Merlin and a captive Uther, were forced to watch as Morgana was crowned Queen of Camelot.



Devastated by his half sister's betrayal, Arthur spent a week brooding on Morgana's treachery while Merlin sent word to Lancelot, requesting aid. When Gwen and Sir Leon arrived, Arthur was delighted to see Gwen but they had accidentally led Morgause's immortal knights right to them. Percival and Lancelot arrived in time to stop the knights, causing a rock slide that allowed the group to escape. Arthur later uncovered the Round Table and knighted Elyan, Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival.

With the help of his allies, Arthur infiltrated Camelot and freed his father as 'if the King was free, then Morgana will never command the peoples loyalty' and the remaining knights from prison. Morgause's army discovered them and they ended up fighting for their lives but the army was destroyed when Merlin poured blood out of the Cup of Life. Morgana fled, taking a wounded Morgause with her.



The next day, Arthur discussed Camelot's recovery with Merlin, who said that, with Uther in his emotionally unstable state due to Morgana's betrayal, Arthur may have to become a Regent King. When the Knights of the Round Table returned with Gwen, he pulled her off her horse and kissed her for the world to see.

The Darkest Hour
Over a year after Morgana's betrayal, peace was restored to Camelot, although Arthur took over the kingdom as Uther was still broken due to Morgana's betrayal and had help from his uncle Agravaine who was secretly loyal to Morgana although Arthur was unaware of that. Meanwhile, Morgana attempted to take revenge on Camelot again by tearing open the veil between the living world and the spirit world, and summoning creatures known as the Dorocha.



The Dorocha started killing people across a village and Camelot and they could not be defeated but fire and light could repel them. Arthur learned from Gaius that the only way to defeat the Dorocha would be to make a sacrifice. Arthur planned to sacrifice himself and said goodbye to Uther and Gwen before leaving with Merlin and the knights. However before Arthur could sacrifice himself to the Dorocha, Merlin sacrificed himself and was apparently killed. Merlin had actually survived that attack by the Dorocha but was dying from his wounds. Arthur planned to return Merlin to Camelot so that Gaius would cure him but Sir Leon and Lancelot told him that they should not abandon the quest to the Isle of the Blessed as more people would get killed by the Dorocha. Lancelot then decided to return merlin to Camelot while Arthur and the other knights continued going to the Isle of the Blessed. They took a shortcut though a cave infested with Wilddeoren creatures and they narrowly escaped them. Lancelot then returned with Merlin, who was cured by Vilia creatures, and they continued the journey to the Isle of the Blessed.

Once they arrived, they were attacked by Wyvern but with Merlin, Elyan and Percival's help they escaped. Arthur and the others then encountered The Cailleach who demanded a sacrifice to defeat the Dorocha. Arthur told her that he would sacrifice himself but before he could do so, Merlin knocked him unconscious with his magic. Merlin told the Cailleach of his plan to sacrifice himself but Lancelot took the sacrifice and was killed. When returning to Camelot, a funeral was held for Lancelot and Arthur expressed that Lancelot was one of the most noble knights Camelot had ever had while Gwen tearfully told him that Lancelot sacrificed himself to fulfil his promise to her on protecting Arthur with his life. (The Darkest Hour)

A New King
When actors came to Camelot for Arthur's birthday they drugged the prince so that they would be able to kill him on orders from Odin as revenge for Arthur killing his son. This is the second time Odin has tried to do this. With Arthur drugged, he was not able to fight and was saved by his father however the king was mortally wounded. Desperate not to lose his father Arthur went looking for Dragoon to help him with magic, not knowing that it was in fact Merlin. Arthur agreed to lift the ban on magic if his father was saved. However, Morgana learnt of this plot and planted a necklace that reversed the effects of the healing magic, resulting in Uther's death and Arthur's heart hardening against magic even further. Arthur was then crowned King of Camelot. (The Wicked Day)

Hunting for the Dragon's Egg
Arthur was later informed that a Dragon's Egg had been stolen, but was unaware that Merlin aided the thief, Julius Borden (only to be betrayed). Believing dragons should be extinct, Arthur, along with the knights and Merlin, journeyed on a quest to find the traitor and destroy the egg. He and the knights were later poisoned after Borden spiked their food, but Merlin cured them and pursued Borden himself. Merlin eventually knocked Borden out, gained hold of the egg and escaped the tomb as it collapsed (leaving Borden for dead), and told Arthur that the egg had perished with the tomb, something he believed.

At War With Caerleon


Upon the discovery and capture of King Caerleon in Camelot's territory, Arthur was told by Agravaine that he should offer an ultimatum to Caerleon - either accept the terms of a severe treaty or be put to death. Arthur, having succeeded to the throne only recently and keen to assert his authority, was swayed by Agravaine's advice. Merlin tried to convince Arthur otherwise, telling him it was unlike him not to show mercy towards a defeated enemy, but Arthur ultimately ignored him and presented Caerleon with the treaty, knowing that he could not accept the terms. Arthur then killed Caerleon in cold blood, causing his wife, Queen Annis, to declare war upon Camelot. Morgana went to Annis's court and offered allegiance, seeking to destroy Arthur and seize the throne of Camelot.

Arthur was later convinced under Agravaine's advice to end his relationship with Gwen, stating that her low status as a servant rendered their relationship inappropriate now he was King of Camelot. The next morning, Camelot set out for battle, and Arthur was overtaken by serious doubts about his course of action, knowing that the conflict could have been avoided. Seeing the loyalty and willingness of his men to die for him, Arthur was prompted to visit Queen Annis late at night, seeking to prevent the impending war and bloodshed. Annis apprehended Arthur, striking him, but eventually agreed to hear him out. Arthur pleaded with her to concede the right to single combat between two champions from each side instead of a full out war between the two armies, accepting responsibility for the unjust killing of Caerleon. Merlin was caught eavesdropping and Arthur saved him from being killed, but he later questioned Merlin's inability to leave things be, to which Merlin replied that he was Arthur's friend. Arthur put himself forwards to be the champion for Camelot at once, despite his knights' protests, claiming that the whole situation was the result of his own error of judgement and therefore none of his men but he ought to risk his life for it. Annis was initially suspicious of his decision, but Morgana sardonically reassured her that to offer his own life was well within Arthur's character, and so Annis accepted the terms.

The two champions set out to fight, Morgana concealed among the enemy ranks. During the battle, in which Arthur and Caerleon's champion are reasonably matched, Morgana enchanted Arthur's sword to vastly increase its weight, making it virtually unusable. Caerleon's champion immediately took the upper hand, but Merlin intervened to allow Arthur to snatch the victory. Arthur defeated the champion but did not kill him, having learnt his lesson about mercy. Annis approached him and the two made peace, with Annis commenting that she had misjudged Arthur and that he offered hope to them all as king. Arthur then returned to Camelot where he retracted his earlier words to Gwen and reinstated their relationship.

Merlin Kidnapped


While on an excursion with the Knights of Camelot and Merlin, Arthur was ambushed by mercenaries and leaving Merlin wounded. Arthur and Merlin were then separated from the rest of the knights and were forced to spend the night in the forest. The next morning, Arthur carried Merlin in an attempt to escape, but they were once again ambushed by the mercenaries. Merlin sacrificed his own safety to protect Arthur by using magic to cause a rockfall, blocking the mercenaries' route to Arthur but trapping himself with them in the process. Arthur, yelling out Merlin's name but powerless to help, went on to organise search parties for his friend though Agravaine informed him that Merlin was most certainly gone. Arthur was then by Leon that there was a traitor in Camelot giving away their secrets. The next morning he was introduced to a new manservant, George, who was infinitely more efficient and competent as a servant than Merlin, but Arthur, fond of Merlin and disliking the change, quickly rebuffed him.



Arthur continued to search for Merlin in the morning with Gwaine, eventually stumbling across him in the woods. They returned to Camelot, unaware that Merlin had been held captive by Morgana who had inserted a Fomorroh leaving Merlin with the sole intent of trying to kill Arthur. Arthur, however, remained oblivious to Merlin's clumsy attempts to assassinate him and confronted Agravaine, asking if he was the traitor but believing him when he claimed he was not. Arthur continued to be unaware of Merlin's attempts on his life, leaving Gaius and Gwen to have to knock Merlin out in order to paralyse the Fomorroh and give Merlin back his mind so he could kill the beast. Arthur, however, believed that Merlin had been spending time in the tavern in his absence and therefore ordered him to be trained by George, the manservant Arthur dubbed utterly "boring".

Gaius Abducted


Arthur continued to be concerned by the presence of a traitor among his inner circle. Agravaine and Morgana schemed to use the opportunity to be rid of Gaius, planting doubts in Arthur's head about his loyalty. Arthur therefore decided to allow Agravaine to questio Gaius about his views on magic and whether he knew more about the sorcerer, Dragoon the Great, who had 'killed' Uther Pendragon. Though Arthur was unhappy at treating Gaius in this way, he sensed that Gaius was hiding something.

When news of Gaius' disappearance reached him Arthur took it as evidence that Gaius was the traitor and was now fleeing because of it. Arthur, though he showed sympathy and understanding to a deeply upset Merlin, argued with him when he suggested that Agravaine was not to be trusted. However, when it became clear that Gaius had been kidnapped and was not the traitor in Camelot, Arthur went to him and apologised profusely. He also asked Gaius why he had not told the truth about Dragoon the Great, to which Gaius answered that he had been protecting him from Arthur's punishment since he had truly tried to save Uther. Arthur accepted this explanation and seemed to have calmed over the situation, no longer as wrathful towards Dragoon the Great.

The Lamia Crisis
When Gwen's old friend Mary came to Camelot asking for the King's aid as her hometown of Longstead was being ravaged by an incurable disease, Arthur felt honour-bound to help and sent Merlin, Gwen and a detachment of his knights to investigate. After a few days Arthur became worried when his friends did not return and decided to lead a group himself to investigate, taking Gaius and Agravaine with him. Arthur grew even more concerned when Gaius informs him that a Lamia might be on the loose. The King was therefore determined to save his friends, ignoring Agravaine's objections. After a long search, Arthur arrived at the castle to which the Lamia had lured her victims, just in time to kill it and save Merlin and Gwen from their fate. Back in Camelot, Arthur expressed his admiration for Gwen's courage during the ordeal.

Exiling Guinevere
Prompted by the incident with the Lamia, Arthur decided it was time to propose to Gwen. When he told the news to his uncle, Agravaine seemingly respected Arthur's choice but notified Morgana soon afterwards. Determined not to be usurped as Queen of Camelot by her former maidservant, Morgana planned to break up the pair and disgrace Gwen, thus preventing the marriage. She resurrected the shade of Sir Lancelot and used him to trap Gwen into adultery, with Agravaine ensuring Arthur caught Lancelot and Gwen in an embrace. All goes according to plan for Morgana and, in blind fury, Arthur attacked Lancelot, both coming close to killing one another. Their fight was only halted when Gwen begged them to stop. Arthur then had both imprisoned to await his jurisdiction, and the shade Lancelot killed himself on Morgana's orders while in the dungeon. Arthur interpreted this as being due to Lancelot's nobility and great sense of right and wrong, commenting that he had been a man of honour "in all ways but one". He then banished Gwen from Camelot forever, no longer trusting her nor wanting to see her on a daily basis in the castle. Merlin attempted to plead on Gwen's behalf, but Arthur, though deeply grieved by the idea of banishing her, did not change his mind.

Elyan Possessed
On a routine excursion with his most trusted knights, Merlin and Arthur stumbled upon a Druid shrine, erected for the spirit of a person condemned to an unjust death. Merlin was quickly disturbed by the strange presence lingering, and so warned the others that the shrine was an ominous place in which they ought not to linger. The group soon departed, but unbeknownst to the others Elyan remained, drawn in by a small well due to his thirst. Taking a drink, Elyan unwittingly disturbed the spirit, which latched onto him as he returned to Camelot. Meanwhile, Arthur appeared preoccupied with intermittent periods of melancholy, presumably due to his choice to banish Gwen.

Elyan suffered increasingly with the spirit's presence and ultimately ended up possessed entirely by the young Druid boy, who appeared deathly pale and dripping wet. The spirit was in his state of unrest due to his unfair death, and therefore demanded that Elyan kill the King to avenge him. Elyan, under the spirit's influence, subsequently made an attempt on Arthur's life, charging into his rooms at night and engaging in combat. However, Arthur's superior swordsmanship prevented Elyan from carrying out the murder, and Elyan fled as the guards arrived. Agravaine arranged search parties and demanded that Arthur sentence Elyan to death upon capture, which Merlin contested due to the fact that he believed Elyan not to be acting of his own accord. This left Arthur conflicted and questioning the just course of action.When Elyan was captured and imprisoned by the Knights of Camelot, Merlin planned to exorcise the spirit and so broke him out of the dungeons, planning to sedate him. However, the spirit warned Elyan and so he knocked Merlin out and was once again out to claim Arthur's life. Arthur was therefore put under heavy guard.

Gaius confirmed Elyan's possession upon seeing a circle of salt at the foot of Elyan's bed, which had been his attempt to ward off evil spirits. Gaius presumed the spirit's death had been due to Uther's actions during the Great Purge, and that his hold on Elyan would be too strong to break. He therefore suggested that Arthur had no choice but to put Elyan to death. However, Arthur knew otherwise and, in the dead of night, crept from Camelot, only to be tailed by Merlin. Arthur allowed Merlin to accompany him to the site of the Druid shrine. Once there, Arthur summoned the spirit and, throwing his sword aside and on his knees, beseeched the spirit to listen. Arthur explained that it had not been Uther who had caused the boy's death, but rather he himself. With great remorse, Arthur spoke of the raid he had led when he was young and inexperienced and desperate for approval, and how he had known some of his men had disobeyed his command to spare the women and children. In a rare moment of complete vulnerability, Arthur said he was still haunted by the memory, and swore that in the future the Druid people would be treated with the respect they deserved. The spirit, accepting Arthur's sincere remorse, embraced and forgave him, at last able to find peace.

Princess Mithian
At some point Arthur had entered into negotiations with the kingdom of Nemeth regarding disputed claims on the lands of Gedref. To cement a settlement, he agreed to marry the Princess Mithian of Nemeth, thus securing a friendship between their kingdoms. Mithian arrived in Camelot some days before their due marriage and made an immediate impression on Arthur, who was visibly struck by her beauty. The two got along well from the off, spending the feast together and forming an easy rapport despite Merlin's attempts to intervene and cause potentially awkward situations for Arthur. Arthur seemed somewhat nervous in Mithian's company, though she seemed very poised and gracefully overlooked his clumsier antics. The two went on a breakfast picnic where they were shown to have much in common, seemingly making a good match.

Some time later, Mithian went on a hunting trip with Arthur, Merlin and various other knights. When Merlin caused Arthur's shot to miss, Mithian instead fired her crossbow and shot what was presumed to be a deer, but was actually an enchanted Gwen who had been transformed by Morgana. Despite his good relations with Mithian, when Arthur found the ring he had given to Gwen while searching for the injured deer, he found he could not relinquish his old feelings for her. He therefore called off the marriage to Mithian, offending and slighting her in the process, but he also gave up Camelot's claim to the disputed lands as recompense. Mithian, asking who it was that could trump a princess, learned of Arthur's attachment to Gwen and reacted generously, commenting that decisions should not be made hastily, and returned to her own kingdom (The Hunter's Heart).

Morgana's Second Conquest
During the feast of Beltane, Camelot was attacked by Morgana and Helios’ army with the help of Agravaine, thus revealing the latter's treachery. Entering through the siege tunnels, the invaders toppled the lower town immediately and quickly managed to seize most of the city, forcing Arthur, Merlin, Elyan and Percival to flee, leaving the others behind. The knights put up a brief fight but were forced further and further back, leaving Arthur injured and confined to a small room which would soon be reached by Morgana's men. Knowing Arthur would not leave his people but recognising that he would be killed if he stayed in Camelot, Merlin cast an enchantment on Arthur to cause him to lose his wit, thus making him utterly compliant to Merlin's instruction.

Morgana, having taken over the throne room and hell-bent on capturing Arthur, set off in pursuit of the King's party, catching up with them on horseback. However, the Knights and Merlin managed to keep Arthur safe, but in the process Percival disappeared and Elyan was captured by Morgana's men. Merlin and the enchanted Arthur therefore continued on their journey to the safe haven of Ealdor. Along the way, Merlin advised Arthur to change his clothing as he was immediately identifiable in his armour and royal insignia. Arthur therefore donned the clothing of a peasant farmer. As they continued, the pair encountered a gang of smugglers led by Tristan and Isolde. Tristan allowed Merlin and Arthur to travel alongside them in exchange for gold, unaware of Arthur's true identity as King of Camelot. Merlin, persuading everyone that Arthur was a mere simpleton, took advantage of Arthur's compliant state and persuaded him to do the chores he would usually make {C Merlin do. However, the next morning, the spell wore off, leaving a furious Arthur demanding an explanation. Merlin informed Arthur about the whole situation and how Tristan and Isolde thought he was a 'simpleton'. Arthur, reflecting on Agravaine and Morgana's treachery, asked why the people he cared about continued to betray him, brooding on whether it was his own failure as a king. Merlin refuted this, stating that they merely sought his power.

When Agravaine's troop ambushed the smugglers, Arthur abandoned his simpleton guise and fought to protect them all, saving an injured Isolde's life in the process. Arthur, Merlin, Tristan and Isolde fled, finally arriving at Ealdor to the welcome of Merlin's mother. While in Ealdor, Arthur was reunited with a heartbroken Gwen who had been residing there in her exile. However, Agravaine soon reached Ealdor and so they were forced to flee once again (The Sword in the Stone).

Reclaiming Camelot
Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, Tristan and Isolde fled into a cave near Ealdor. Knowing that Agravaine would follow, Merlin went back to distract Agravaine in a bid to protect Arthur, despite his protests. Arthur, growing worried about Merlin, went back to try and find him and encountered him after he had dealt with Agravaine. The group set up camp in the nearby forest, where Arthur, steeped in self-doubt, commented that he thought of himself as a worthless king without the support of his people. In an attempt to convince him otherwise, Merlin went into the forest and found Camelot's survivors, among whom were Percival and Leon. Hoping to restore Arthur's faith, Merlin told him the story of the sword Excalibur, which could only be pulled from the stone by a true King of Camelot. With a great crowd gathered around the stone, Arthur struggled to remove the sword with Merlin quietly telling him to have faith. After some trouble, Arthur finally pulled Excalibur out with ease and his faith in himself as a king was restored.

Shortly after, Arthur launched a counter-attack on Morgana to reclaim Camelot. Arthur and his followers fought their way into the castle, making their way to the throne room in which Morgana and Helios were waiting. Arthur and Morgana had their first highly tense confrontation since she left Camelot, with Arthur commenting sadly that he had thought they were friends, to which Morgana, conflicted, replied "as did I". However, bitterness returned and Morgana accused Arthur of being too much like his father in his treatment of magic, to which Arthur responded that she too resembled Uther in her cruelty. Morgana then attempted to use magic to attack them, but Merlin had placed a spell on her to inhibit her powers. Helios therefore pushed Morgana back and took up arms, his soldiers entering the throne room to attack. Morgana fled, chased by Guinevere and Merlin, while Arthur engaged with Helios.

Arthur was defeated and about to be killed by Helios, but Isolde stabbed him from behind to protect Arthur. However, Isolde was fatally wounded in return by Helios while Morgana escaped Camelot. With Camelot reclaimed and his throne once again secure, Arthur was restored as King of Camelot. Seeing the tragedy of Tristan and Isolde, Arthur confessed to Gwen his feelings for her, expressing that he could not be apart from her. He therefore asked her to marry him and she accepted. Some time after, Arthur had Guinevere crowned Queen of Camelot.

Personality


Arthur is portrayed as being highly courageous, honourable, dutiful and just. Having matured and succeeded to the throne as King of Camelot, Arthur is no longer shown as the spoilt and self-serving character he once was, and is far more bound by the kingly responsibilities he must fulfil. Where once he was somewhat juvenile and described by Gwen as a "rough, tough, save the world" kind of person (The Dragon's Call), his progression from boyish prince to adult king have seen a maturation in his personality.

Arthur's fairness is a particularly noteworthy element of his character. Always portrayed as seeking to do the right thing, Arthur is at times conflicted when presented with difficult moral dilemmas, such as being torn between loyalty to his father and protection of the innocent. Arthur considers his decisions very deeply and is never happy to be the reason others suffer, as shown by his offer to fight one-on-one to avoid war with Queen Annis and his offer to sacrifice himself to repair the veil. Arthur takes counsel from his trusted friends, family and advisors, among those Merlin, Agravaine, Gwen and formerly Morgana, and is shown to be more lenient in his policies than his father.

Arthur is ultimately very brave and willing to take risks even at the cost of his own safety, such as being willing to give his own life to save Merlin's (The Poisoned Chalice), Gwen's (Lancelot and Guinevere) and Camelot's as a whole (The Darkest Hour). During his father's lifetime he was also willing to act against his father's decisions, particularly when reasoned with by Morgana Pendragon (The Mark of Nimueh, The Poisoned Chalice, Lancelot et al). Arthur has a great love for the people of Camelot, frequently acting to ensure their safety and wellbeing, and was stricken when he realised a curse had fallen upon them because of his actions (The Labyrinth of Gedref). He was also unwilling to allow other people sacrifice themselves for him to fix problems he himself had caused (The Poisoned Chalice, The Labyrinth of Gedref, The Darkest Hour, et al).

Arthur is a talented and charismatic leader, capable of inspiring great loyalty in people, though at times he doubts whether or not he deserves such devotion. However, since he would never ask his men to do anything he would not do himself, loyalty is generally forthcoming. Many characters have remarked on Arthur's good nature, including Morgana, who named him "a better man" than his father and Queen Annis, who felt Arthur inspired hope. The lengths Arthur goes to for the sake of people he cares about or is indebted to allow him to reap great loyalty in return from people in all walks of life.

Arthur is adept at hiding his true feelings, having been accustomed to carrying out orders that he disagreed with for his father. He also finds it somewhat difficult to express himself emotionally, leading to initial difficulties the progression of his relationship with Guinevere and an awkward start with his one-time betrothed, Princess Mithian. As a result, open expressions of adoration were uncharacteristic and usually signs of enchantment (The Gates of Avalon, Sweet Dreams). At times, Arthur is shown to reveal deeper emotion, such as when seeking forgiveness from the Shrine Boy, after which Merlin commented he had never seen Arthur cry before.

Arthur still retains some of the boyish elements of his personality, particularly regarding Merlin, whom he frequently teases and joins his knights in playing practical jokes on. He also seems to lack patience with Merlin and continually remarks on his servant's apparent incompetence, though at times Arthur also reveals sharper insight and comments that Merlin seems somehow "wise". Arthur does however have a habit of ignoring Merlin's advice and acting of his own - or Agravaine's - accord, sometimes heatedly telling him to be silent.

Unlike his father, Arthur was more capable of letting go of the past. He had a less extreme attitude towards sorcery and was prepared to accept that not all sorcerers were as evil as his father claimed, even assisting Morgana in saving a Druid boy's life. He grew to deeply distrust magic after Morgause caused him to nearly kill his father, but gradually returned to his old neutrality and unlike Uther he showed signs of believing that magic could be used for good as well as evil, even going so far as to seek magical intervention to save his father's life (The Wicked Day). However, when this backfired and Uther died seemingly because of Dragoon the Great, Arthur deeply regretted giving magic a chance and denounced it as pure evil. However after Gaius told him that Uther was already dying and that Dragoon really had done his best to save him, Arthur softened though he was still wary of magic and has not lifted the ban on sorcery. (The Secret Sharer) Later, Arthur revealed that some time ago, he led a raid on a Druid village, inadvertently causing a boy's death which meant that his spirit possessed Elyan. Arthur, deeply remorseful to the point of weeping, swore to treat the Druids with respect in the future, progressing his more moderate policy towards magic-users.

Despite his good nature, Arthur also has a hot temper and can at times become violent and aggressive, particularly when loved ones are threatened. This was especially shown when he learned the truth of his mother's death, when he believed Morgana was dying, when his father was dying and when he saw Gwen kissing Lancelot. In each of these cases Arthur flew into a rage and reacted violently, though stopped short of ever actually killing someone out of anger, usually because someone else intervened before he went too far.

Merlin
On their first meeting, Arthur and Merlin got off on the wrong foot. Merlin, not knowing who he was, stood up for a servant Arthur was bullying, and the two then had a brief tussle. Nonetheless, from early on Arthur acknowledged that Merlin was "an idiot", but a "brave one". To both their chagrin, Uther appointed Merlin as Arthur's manservant as a 'reward', which led to Arthur considering him an incompetent and insolent servant, though they quickly developed a grudging affection for one another. Very soon in their friendship, they were openly willing to risk their lives against the advice and orders of others, even knowingly sacrificing for the other (The Poisoned Chalice). They had also saved each other from peril numerous times, though often Arthur remained unaware of Merlin's secret intervention. They frequently bickered and played tricks on each other, though they rarely truly fell out. Arthur saying "shut up, Merlin" whenever the latter pointed out inconvenient truths or made poor attempts at humour became something of a catchphrase. He also often called Merlin an "idiot" and scolded him for being seemingly thick and clumsy, but at the same time seemed to be aware that there was far more to him beyond his happy-go-lucky personality.

Although Arthur frequently teased and abused Merlin, occasionally claiming they could not be friends as he was a servant, the two of them become very close and Arthur was often grateful for Merlin's company, loyalty, help and advice. Princess Mithian also stated that during her stay in Camelot she noticed that Arthur valued Merlin's advice above all others (The Hunter's Heart). Arthur entrusted Merlin with most of his secret activities and missions, and often required his help (The Gates of Avalon, The Beginning of the End, Le Morte d'Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere). The rest of Arthur's secrets, particularly his romantic feelings, could easily be deciphered by Merlin, who seemed highly in tune with his true nature and emotions. However, Arthur in turn was predominantly highly unsuccessful in guessing Merlin's intentions, believing him to be in love with Gwen, Morgana and even Lady Catrina as a result of Merlin's many secret investigations and odd behaviour.

Merlin was also one of the only people besides Gwen who could, despite the class divide, reprimand Arthur when he was being unfair or arrogant, and tell him truthfully what he was thinking without fear of severe punishment. He had often insulted Arthur, calling him a "prat", "dollophead", and a "clotpole," as well as "supercilious" and "patronising." Arthur in reality trusted and appreciated Merlin, although he had sometimes confessed that he thought that Merlin was hiding something. Arthur refused to believe that Merlin was a sorcerer, reacting with incredulity and doubt whenever he was accused of it, and saved Merlin from the suspicions of Uther several times by making up stories (The Mark of Nimueh, The Witchfinder, Goblin's Gold). Although Arthur did not always immediately believe Merlin's warnings, he defended and rescued his friend even when he had doubts himself (The Labyrinth of Gedref, Beauty and the Beast). However, though Arthur trusted Merlin, he would still often side with his family members and higher-ranked advisers over him, refusing to believe Merlin informing him of Agravaine's treachery (The Hunter's Heart), and would flat-out tell him to be silent when he pushed too far.

Arthur and Merlin, though they would deny it, were close to the extent where Merlin was often one of the few able to reach him when others could not. However, Merlin continued to hide his powers from Arthur, knowing that it was too dangerous to reveal it after the time spent together. Despite Merlin's status as a servant, Arthur displayed great trust in him and appreciated his opinion and wisdom, sometimes even enough to uncharacteristically thank him for it (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Changeling, The Coming of Arthur – Part 2). However, Arthur was still well aware of his status as prince and was angry at Merlin when he and Gwaine came to help him on his quest for the Golden Trident, though this anger did not last long and he ended up appreciative of the assistance (The Eye of the Phoenix). Before the retaking of Camelot, Merlin was able to shake Arthur out of his despair and inspire him to continue, leading to the retaking of Camelot from Morgana.



Merlin was offered a place at the Round Table, showing how Arthur valued him on the same level as his most trusted knights, and even commented that he was somehow "wise" on at least two occasions. In spite of this appreciation for Merlin's virtues, however, Arthur made sure to continue reaffirming his status as a manservant by constantly setting him endless chores (The Coming of Arthur – Part 2).

Before Arthur was crowned king, he finally called Merlin his friend, showing how close he had become to Merlin despite their differences. Arthur even hugged Merlin after finding him in the forest when he was kidnapped by Morgana, which is a notable display of affection since Arthur was unwilling to hug him when Merlin helped him prove to his father that his wife was a troll (A Servant of Two Masters, Beauty and the Beast – Part Two).



Morgana
Morgana and Arthur grew up together in the court of Camelot and for many years their relationship was strong. On the surface they seemed like siblings, teasing one another mercilessly and trading sarcastic comments, but there was also a much deeper connection between them. Morgana proved to be Arthur's advisor and moral compass early on as she was the only one who could get him to confront and defy his father by doing what he knew in his heart was right. Despite being raised together almost as siblings, Arthur and Morgana developed romantic feelings for one another at some point. Whenever any of the knights charmed Morgana it irked Arthur, while he openly accused her of being jealous when she tried to dissuade him from pursuing Sophia. They shared a number of tender moments where it was clear that the love they had for each other went much deeper than attraction, and the prophetic dreams that terrified Morgana most were ones of Arthur's death (The Gates of Avalon, Le Morte d'Arthur). Each time she would desperately try to save him and prevent her prophecies from being realised, on one occasion running to plead with him in front of the assembled knights when she knew he would not return safely from a quest. And just as Morgana was fiercely protective of Arthur, he in turn did everything in his power to keep her safe and happy. He defended her interests against his father, securing her release from the dungeons (To Kill the King) and agreeing to defy Uther and smuggle Mordred out of Camelot solely for her sake.

However, Arthur's sudden interest in Guinevere caused his relationship with Morgana to suffer. Caught up in his new romantic problems, he failed to realise that Morgana was struggling with something serious and unintentionally left her even more isolated as she wrestled with her growing magic. When she was "kidnapped" by the druids, however, Arthur mounted a rescue and brought her back safely to Camelot, although he did not realise this was not what she wanted. The more he became infatuated with Gwen, the more his relationship with Morgana shifted towards that of brother and sister, while when Uther married Catrina, the two were horrified to discover their new stepmother was a troll. Morgana grew more defensive and less open with Arthur, for instance believing her magic to be the reason she was immune to the sleeping plague while feeling unable to risk telling him the truth. Although Arthur undoubtedly loved and cared for Morgana, she recognised that his position would be one of severe conflict due to his inherited suspicion of magic and therefore could not seek his help.

After Morgause disappeared with Morgana, Arthur demonstrated his devotion to her by spending a year searching for her, feeling that he had failed to protect her. Finding her stumbling through the forest on one such patrol, with great relief Arthur brought her back to Camelot where he tenderly listened to her recount her escape and promised her that she was safe now. When Uther fell ill and Arthur was faced with the burden of ruling, he sought comfort from Morgana, embracing her and telling her how glad he was that she was there with him. Unbeknownst to Arthur, Morgana was, in fact, responsible for Uther's decline, and she continued to plot against the king in secret. When Merlin inadvertently caused a fatal head wound in Morgana in an attempt to stop her from killing Uther, Arthur was utterly grief-stricken at the thought of losing her, ironically telling Merlin he would "sacrifice [his] place on the throne for her to see another sunrise" (The Crystal Cave). For a time, Morgana's hatred was directed solely at Uther, and largely she showed no animosity towards Arthur, but after the discovery that Uther was her father, Morgause pointed out that Arthur was all that stood between Morgana and the crown, despite her being illegitimate and unrecognised. After this, Morgana began to plot against her half-sibling while he remained a doting brother, even risking his life to go back into Cenred's stronghold to rescue her, unaware that it was a trap to get him killed (The Castle of Fyrien). It was not until Morgause's army overtook Camelot and Morgana crowned herself queen that Arthur learned of her treachery and her true paternity. Arthur reeled in the face of this knowledge and spent a whole week struggling with it, only recovering when Merlin rallied him to take back his kingdom from her Arthur lamented that he had known Morgana all his life and could not understand her betrayal, but in the end led his knights against her to take back Camelot.

Over a year after he learned of her treachery, Morgana was now fully estranged from Arthur, plotting against him and bringing about Uther's death from afar which resulted in Arthur being crowned King of Camelot. Morgana therefore continued in her attempts to take Arthur's throne, eventually succeeding in conquering Camelot once again. Her first confrontation with Arthur since leaving came when he stormed the castle to take back the kingdom (The Sword in the Stone). The reunion was visibly tense with Morgana's expression conflicted as Arthur lamented that he "thought we were friends", to which she replied "as did I" with an element of regret at the deterioration of their relationship. However, the two could not reconcile and Morgana accused Arthur of being too much like his father, leading Arthur to remark that she too resembled Uther more than she realised.

Guinevere
Arthur's relationship with Guinevere has been difficult and slow burning. Arthur became gentle and kind in his dealings with Gwen, he listened to her opinions, and didn't react with anger when she reprimanded him. (The Moment of Truth, The Once and Future Queen) Arthur cared about her deeply and they enjoy being in each other's company. With Gwen, it became clear that despite his faults and hard demeanour, he was capable of deep love, risking his life to save her,(Lancelot and Guinevere) against his father's wishes. He proclaimed to Merlin how thinking about her "hurt" because he knew they could not be together, and he didn't know what he'd do if anything happened to her. He went on to tell Merlin that he cared about her more than anybody else, leaving Merlin shocked at Arthur's openness, and saddened by his unlucky situation. Arthur is a lot more caring when it comes to Gwen. When it became clear she had feelings for Lancelot too, he reverted back to his hard demeanour, telling harsh lies and pushing Gwen away, though when she was gone it appeared he was quite heartbroken. Their relationship was fixed when Gwen freed him from a love spell, though they still could not publicly act on their feelings.



Unlike most people Arthur usually called Gwen by her full name.

At the beginning of series 3, the development of their relationship was at a stand still because of the search for Morgana, but when Uther went mad, Gwen went to see and support Arthur before he went off to battle. Gwen stated that she trusted him more then any man but still calls him Sire, even though Arthur told her that she didn't have to. He did however feel more confident after her visit.

Later Arthur was turned into a donkey which only Gwen saw. This embarrassed him and after the goblin had been detained they were both more than happy to forget the recent events that had occurred. (Goblin's Gold) He showed his jealousy of Gwaine when he saw him flirting with Gwen. (Gwaine) They were a comfort to each other when Morgana was badly injured. (The Crystal Cave)

When Uther tried to force Arthur into marriage, the prince was adamant that he wouldn't marry Princess Elena because he didn't love her. Both he and Gwen were distressed at the thought, and they both had their first heart-to-heart about the future. Arthur didn't fully realise how much Gwen loved him until this but she couldn't stop the marriage as she was a servant. In the end Arthur couldn't go through with it, much to his, Gwen's and Elena's relief, and they both shared a moment on the stairs after the ceremony.

Arthur was also willing to risk his life for her and her brother. Riding to the castle where an enemy king, Cenred was waiting, Arthur publicly told her that she wouldn't have to worry about being scared as she has him, which made her smile. When Gwen told him that if anything happened to him she would never forgive herself, Arthur reassured her that it wouldn't. They shared a tender moment in the woods and almost kissed, but Morgana interrupted them. Arthur made Gwen promise to ride for Camelot when he feared she would die, but Gwen disobeyed and waited for him outside to make sure he was safe which surprised Arthur. At the end of their adventure she thanked him for saving her brother and he replied "It's what you do when you love someone".

Before he left on his quest for the Fisher King's Trident Gwen went to visit him to make sure that he'd be safe. He reassured her and kissed her goodbye. She was greatly relieved when he returned seemingly unharmed.

When Camelot is taken by Morgana, Arthur is driven by the hope of reaching Gwen and his father, even when he learns the citadel has been taken and both are likely dead. He is delighted when she escapes to come to him and he offers her a place at the Round Table. Though he leaves her with Gaius to prepare for treating the wounded, he openly admits their relationship, saying he doesn't care who sees in case he never comes back. After the battle, he reunites with her, kissing her in front of all his knights.

Following Arthur being made king, Arthur and Gwens relationship became more openly known.

Arthur temporarily ended their relationship, following the advice of Agravaine, who told him that as king he had to apply to certain standards. However, following his realisation of the mistakes he had made, after ending the war with Queen Annis, he went home and apologised to Gwen.

Eventually Arthur decided to marry Gwen, and after proposing, he held a great tournament to celebrate, and show his affection. However, upon Lancelot's return, and Morgana's love spell, Gwen was strongly drawn towards with him, and ended up kissing him in the royal court. Where Arthur, led by Agravaine, caught them. Angered and heart broken Arthur had Gwen thrown in the dungeon for disloyalty, but decided not to execute her. Instead he had her exiled, although he admitted to Merlin he still loved her and he would likely soon find a way to forgive her. However, he now felt he could never trust her again. (Lancelot Du Lac)

Uther
Uther and his son had a somewhat turbulent relationship by the time Arthur was old enough to start questioning his father's decisions. Uther frequently scolded Arthur and treated him harshly, demanding a lot from him. Despite this, however, Arthur was the most important thing in the King's life since his wife Ygraine died, and the two shared a close bond. Believing Arthur was about to die, Uther once said that to him, Arthur was worth "more than this entire kingdom and certainly more than my own life" (Excalibur). Arthur had often felt the need to prove himself to his father, believing that he was a "huge disappointment", which Uther denied and asserted that he was extremely proud of his son. Yet the two were often at odds with each other, since Uther, as a more experienced and heavy-handed king, frequently chose only to do what was for the greater good of the kingdom even if it caused others to suffer. Arthur on the other hand was far more reluctant to cause anyone harm and abhorred unjust punishment. Though they often fell out over this, for the most part Arthur obeyed his father and was more conscious of his duty to his father than Morgana, who pushed the limits of her favour with Uther much further. Since Morgana was very dear to Arthur, at times he would defy his father for her sake, such as smuggling Mordred back to the Druids and getting her out of the dungeons (The Beginning of the End, To Kill the King).

On less serious occasions, Arthur and Uther behaved like a normal, affectionate father and son, such as when Uther feigned kicking Arthur for doubting his "footwork" and when Arthur expressed childish disgust at the sight of his father courting Lady Catrina (Excalibur, Beauty and the Beast – Part One). Uther also seemed amused when Arthur proclaimed his love for Sophia, entertained by his son's display of puppy love. Arthur and Uther frequently clashed over Arthur's romantic life, such as when he disagreed with his father regarding his arranged marriage to Elena, claiming he could not marry someone he did not love. This further exhibited the differences between father and son since Uther was solely concerned with the political good of the kingdom while Arthur felt he would be a better king with the support of a woman he loved. Uther later found out about his relationship with Guinevere and was furious with him for considering such a low-born woman.

Still, Arthur genuinely loved his father and was devastated when he was driven mad (The Tears of Uther Pendragon). When Camelot was invaded by immortal soldiers, Arthur attempted to find his father despite the fact that he was injured and the soldiers were immortal. Despite the difficulties of their relationship, Arthur and Uther were largely all one another had with the addition of Morgana, who was revealed to be blood-related to both. However, when Arthur discovered that Uther had caused the death of his mother, albeit accidentally, he tried to kill him and was only stopped by Merlin who told him that it was a lie, despite it being at least partially the truth (The Sins of the Father). When Morgana revealed her true parentage, Arthur was devastated by the knowledge that Uther had lied to him his entire life. Eventually, with Merlin's encouragement, he decided to return to Camelot and was willing to die in order to rescue Uther. When Uther was emotionally broken due to Morgana's betrayal, Arthur was worried that Uther would not recover but he listened to Merlin's suggestion of taking over Camelot as regent.

When Uther was wounded by an assassin, such was the extent of Arthur's desperation to save him that he was willing to seek magic to save him. Yet Uther's own hatred of magic meant that Arthur was deeply conflicted over the matter, but ultimately decided that saving Uther was worth it. However, despite getting a sorcerer (who was Merlin in disguise) to use magic to heal Uther, he failed to save him and Uther died. Arthur was devastated when his father died, feeling he had betrayed his father in using magic and caused his death.

Gwaine
Gwaine helped Arthur and Merlin at the tavern when they were in danger, and as a result Gwaine was badly injured. Arthur requested that he be sent to Camelot to be cared for after he saved his life. Gwaine states that if he knew Arthur was a prince he wouldn't have helped to save him. Once healed, Gwaine starts causing trouble at another tavern when he doesn't pay for his drinks and 4 dozen pickled eggs. Arthur pays, but makes him and Merlin clean the boots for the entire army. Arthur sticks up for Gwaine when he assaulted two 'knights' but he is still banished from Camelot. However, Gwaine grew to like Arthur enough to help him in the melee. Once Arthur realises who he is he says 'I should have known, no one fights like you do'. Even though he saved Arthur's life twice, he still had to leave Camelot and Arthur is genuinely sorry. Before leaving, Arthur spots Gwaine flirting with Guinevere and becomes jealous. (Gwaine)

When Arthur searches for the Fisher King's Trident, Merlin goes to Gwaine to help save Arthur. In the task, he was Strength. On completing the Quest, Arthur thanks Gwaine, and tells him he'll remember what he did for him. Gwaine also showed that he wasn't afraid of criticizing Arthur's father, saying that he'd come back when Camelot had a half decent king. They later met while they were prisoners of Jarl, and Arthur and Gwaine were forced to fight each other but thanks to Merlin's magic they were able to escape. Despite still being banned from the kingdom, Gwaine returned to Camelot with Arthur and Merlin when it was invaded by an immortal army, and was knighted by Arthur.

Lancelot
Arthur first met Lancelot when he wanted to become a Knight of Camelot. Arthur was willing to let Lancelot become a knight even though it was revealed that Lancelot lacked noble birth and was a commoner. However after killing a Griffin with Merlin's help, Lancelot declined when he was offered a chance to become a knight again. Arthur met Lancelot again when he was forced to rescue Gwen when she was captured by Hengist along with Lancelot. Arthur was heartbroken when he discovered that Gwen had a relationship with Lancelot as he had feelings for Gwen as well while Lancelot chose to leave when discovering that Arthur had feelings for Gwen, promising never to come between them. Despite this, Lancelot returned on Merlin's request to help them again when they were almost captured by an immortal army. Lancelot saved them before they were captured by triggering a rockfall along with his friend Percival. Arthur was grateful that Lancelot saved them and he finally made Lancelot a Knight of Camelot. After Lancelot died to sacrifice himself to defeat the Dorocha, Arthur expressed that Lancelot was one of the most noble and brave knights Camelot had ever had.

Gaius
Arthur respected Gaius as a physician and stopped him from being executed by the evil witchfinder Aredian. At first he didn't believe that Gaius was, or ever had been, a sorcerer. Arthur knew Gaius well enough to realise that a goblin was controlling his body when the goblin said it was looking forward to Merlin's execution; the Gaius Arthur knew would never have wanted Merlin to be executed no matter what he'd done. (Goblin's Gold)

When Gaius was framed by Agravaine, Arthur thought he was a traitor but because he still felt some affection for his old friend he ordered Agravaine to allow Gaius to flee unaware that Gaius had actually been kidnapped. When Gaius returned Agravaine claimed that he had made a mistake and Arthur apologised to the physician. Gaius actually told Arthur that he loved him after he was rescued be Merlin and Gwaine and Arthur probably thought of Gaius as a member of his family (though presumably not a father figure since his current father figure is Agravaine as Arthur is unaware of Agravaine's true loyalties). (The Secret Sharer)

Agravaine
Arthur's maternal uncle, Agravaine arrived in Camelot to support Arthur when Uther was broken by Morgana's betrayal. Arthur trusted Agravaine greatly and was grateful for the support he gave him. However, unknown to Arthur, Agravaine was in fact loyal to Morgana and was helping her bring Camelot's downfall and it was not until Morgana captured Camelot for the second time, that he learned of his true nature. Upon discovering Agravaine's true loyalties, Arthur was temporally consumed by rage, before later coming down with melancholy, and started questioning himself, and wondering if it was his fault, that two of the people he had loved and cared about, had betrayed him.



Ygraine
Arthur's mother Queen Ygraine died when he was born, so he grew up without his mother but always had a great respect and admiration for her. Arthur finally met her 20 years later when she returned as a spirit brought by Morgause, and for the first time mother and son hugged happy when they saw each other. Arthur apologized for causing her death, but she tells him the real circumstances of his birth. Ygraine also tells him that she is very proud of him and would willingly give her life for him again.

Leon
Sir Leon was Arthur's second in command and his right hand man among the Knights of Camelot. Leon was very loyal to Arthur and Arthur trusted Leon greatly though because of Agravaine he briefly grew to distrust all his knights, including Leon but quickly regained his trust in all of them, saying he would vouch for each and every one of them.

Abilities
Arthur was an expert sword fighter as he has demonstrated on many occasions. He was the champion sword fighter in Camelot (Valiant) and is head of the Knights of Camelot. (Lancelot) Arthur was a swift and precise swordsman, and was known to dart out of the way of his opponents' attacks, but he was by no means lacking in physical strength either, able to ward off blows from strong and aggressive opponents such as Valiant on several occasions. Arthur's proficiency with a sword allowed him to fight several opponents, at once. He was also capable of throwing the weapon accurately as proven when he was attacked by a Cockatrice. (The Poisoned Chalice) Only three known people have been able to defeat Arthur in combat, Lancelot, Morgause and Helios though it has been suggested that Morgana may have beaten him too, though this is unconfirmed as Arthur said "that never happened" (possibly out of embarrassment) when Morgana mentioned it (The Moment of Truth).

Arthur has been shown to be extremely resilient, as even when his life force was drained by the Eye of the Phoenix, he was able to journey to the realm of The Fisher King, kill two bandits who preyed on him in his sleep and fend off against two Wyverns (The Eye of the Phoenix). Also, even after receiving a sword blow that broke a few of his ribs, Arthur was still able to defeat his attacker. (The Sword in the Stone)

In addition Arthur was skilled with a mace though this was not his preferred weapon. He was also capable of throwing knives accurately even when he was throwing them at a moving target. (The Dragon's Call). In addition Arthur was very skilled with a lance, and his skill with the weapon even impressed the assassin Myror (The Once and Future Queen).

Arthur was also an excellent leader and a talented strategist. Many people felt that he could become a great king.

He has also been shown to be aware when Merlin is putting his life in danger for him. They appear to have some kind of psychic link as Merlin was able to summon a light to guide Arthur to safety when Arthur went to find the cure to a deadly poison even though Merlin was both seriously ill and unconscious at the time. (The Poisoned Chalice) This link was also shown when Arthur was bitten by a Questing Beast because when Merlin went to the Isle of the Blessed to save Arthur's life, Arthur sensed that Merlin was danger as he became a bit agitated even though he was unconscious similar to when Merlin was poisoned. (Le Morte d'Arthur)

Since he met Merlin, Arthur has had the distinction of fighting against many creatures of magic, both alone and aided by his knights. He held off a Griffin, animated gargoyles, undead skeletons, the dragon Kilgharrah and two Wyverns. He also killed a Cockatrice single-handedly and slew a Troll with help from Merlin, and later a Lamia.

Trivia

 * Before Bradley James was chosen to play Arthur, Ben Mansfield auditioned for the role, he was spotted by the casting director for Primeval and was later cast as Captain Becker.
 * Under the influence of Merlin's spell, it is shown that Arthur is a tree-hugger (The Sword in the Stone).

Historicity
King Arthur is the central figure of the Matter of Britain, a collection of legends concerning the Celtic and legendary history of Great Britain, especially those focused on Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. He was married to Guinevere.

The Arthur of historical-legend was born the son of Uther Pendragon and Lady Igraine; he was taken away at birth by Merlin Ambrosius, who became his tutor, and was raised by Ector and his son Kay, who became Arthur's most trusted knights. Arthur only took his rightful place as king after he was given Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake (although some adaptations of the tale say Arthur withdrew the sword from a stone).

His greatest enemy was his half-sister, Morgan le Fay. Arthur ultimately killed and was killed by Medraut (Mordred), who was alternately his nephew or his son, at the Battle of Camlann in 537 CE.

Arthur is also the central character in Edmund Spenser's unfinished epic poem The Faerie Queene, in which his destiny in the otherworldy faerylond would appear to be to consummate his love with Gloriana, the titular Fairy Queen. He appears in every book of the poem, often saving the other heroes. Although in book II, he reads up on the history of England up to Uther (and codedly, of the future of England up until Elizabeth in the Rolles of Elfin Emperours), it is unclear to what extent he is aware of his future as the legendary King of England.