Gilli

"Without magic, I'm a nobody. People think they can kick dirt in my face."

- Gilli to Merlin Gilli is a young warlock who entered the Decennial Tournament in which there are no rules. Despite the risk of his own excecution, he used magic to increase his chance of victory.

Early Life
Not much is known about Gilli's past or childhood. He was young when his father died so he had a hatred for Uther ever since and could never understand why his father who had all this power never used it to defend himself from the soldiers, making Gilli believe that his father was afraid of magic. After his father died, Gilli often used a ring which belonged to his father to use magic and to perform spells.

Arriving and Competing in the tournament
"You've seen the way people are now. They're showing me respect. And you don't know what that's like for me."

- Gilli

Gilli entered a special tournament held only once every ten years, in which there are no rules. On his way to Camelot he was teased by two men named Tindr and Nollar. When he arrived he met Merlin after he saved him from Tindr and Nollar, meanwhile Uther competed in the tournament which displeased Arthur.

In the first set of challengers Gilli, Uther, Arthur and Nollar all won. Merlin noticed Gilli was using magic and warned him about it and told him to withdraw but he refused and continued in the tournament. In the next stage of the tournament Gilli fought Nollar and killed him. Meanwhile Arthur threw the match and was defeated by Uther. Merlin again told Gilli to withdraw and he agreed that he should, but once everyone started showing him respect, he felt that he needed to stand up for those who use magic and chose not to withdraw. The next day, Gilli fought another opponent and defeated him. Merlin later confronted Gilli who argued that someone with magic should fight Uther after when Merlin revealed to Gilli that he also had magic.

The next morning Uther and Gilli fought in the finale. Gilli used magic once more to win but was thwarted by Merlin who used his magic to counter Gilli's. In the end Uther won and Gilli stormed off in anger. Merlin found him at the tavern and calmed him down and Gilli admited that he finally had a greater understanding of his father and the use of magic, realising that his father was only afraid of the power magic has to corrupt and not magic itself. Gilli apologised for his actions and Merlin commented that they would meet again. Gilli then left Camelot to return home.

Personality
Gilli was an obsessed and bitter person who was determined to achieve glory by participating in a tournament. His obsessed nature most likely contributed from his belief that his father was afraid of magic, and that he felt vunerable if he could not use his magic freely. He had a huge hatred for Uther ever since his father was excecuted, however, that hatred almost caused him to kill Uther, forcing Merlin to stop him. However, he proved to be a good man inside when he protected Merlin from the two thugs Nollar and Tindr. When he realised that his father was not afraid of magic as he thought, Gilli forgave Merlin for preventing him kill Uther, and accepted that magic would one day be permitted again and that their paths would cross one day.