Gwaine

This article is about the knight, Gwaine, for the episode he is introduced in, see: Gwaine (episode)

“And that's Sir Gwaine to you!”
— Gwaine to Elyan^[src]

Sir Gwaine was a Knight of the Round Table and a good friend of Merlin.

Biography

Early life

Gwaine was born to a knight and his wife. His father died fighting for Caerleon. When his mother went to plead help from the king he refused, leaving Gwaine's family penniless. All he had left of his family heritage was a gold ring and a dragon scale necklace with his family crest hidden in it. Gwaine's opinion of the nobility was forever altered; he thought all nobles were blinded by power and greed. He eventually left home and began living a vagabond lifestyle, traveling the world with his sword.

Meeting Merlin and Arthur

Gwaine first met Arthur and Merlin after he used his fighting skills to aid them in a tavern brawl against Dagr and his thugs. Gwaine was badly wounded while protecting Arthur from Dagr, and he was brought back to Camelot to be treated by Gaius.

"Bar_Fight"_an_introduction_to_Gwaine_Merlin_S03E04_"Gwaine" — "Bar Fight" an introduction to Gwaine Merlin S03E04 "Gwaine"

Upon his recovery, Gwaine was dismayed to learn he had saved a prince and was prepared to leave as soon as possible, even refusing a congratulatory ceremony in his honour from Uther Pendragon. Gwaine explained due to his previous experiences with the nobility, he chose to avoid them. Gwaine later revealed to Merlin, while he did not specifically hate all nobility, he had yet to find one with inner nobility "worth dying for."

However, Gwaine decided to stay when he caught sight of Camelot's splendour from a window of the castle. Unfortunately, his relaxed vagabond lifestyle got him in to trouble with the locals and Arthur. Nonetheless, Merlin found Gwaine's enjoyment of life amusing and refreshing, telling him later: "You livened things up!". The two developed a bond over their lack of a paternal figure. According to Gwaine, his father's life taught him one important lesson: titles do not define nobility, it is the person's true character and their actions.

Merlin later discovered two of the knights, Sir Oswald and Sir Ethan, were planning to kill Arthur in the Mêlée Camelot was hosting. He found their swords to be Stulorne Blades appearing blunt to the naked eye, but dangerously sharp.

On further investigation, Merlin discovered Oswald and Ethan were Dagr and Ebor, the two thugs from whom Gwaine had saved Arthur, in disguise. When Dagr and Ebor caught Merlin in their chambers, Gwaine intervened to protect Merlin from them. Gwaine quickly dispatched both of them with his sword fighting skills, but was caught by Sir Leon and brought before the king.

Gwaine was accused of attacking two knights. Uther sided with the supposed knights who claimed Gwaine attacked them without cause, provoking a passionate response from Gwaine about the deeper meaning of nobility. Uther was prepared to execute Gwaine for breaking the knight's code of a peasant attacking a knight but Arthur vouched for Gwaine since he had saved his life. Uther decided to banish Gwaine instead and warned Gwaine would be killed should he be caught in Camelot. Gwaine was unbothered by this despite Merlin telling him he should reveal his true identity to the court. Gwaine refused, saying he never remained in one place for too long, he did not want to serve a king such as Uther, and told Merlin to help Arthur.

Gwaine took a liking to Gwen when he first saw her in the market and attempted to charm her by giving her a daisy. However, she politely refused his attentions. The pair later saw each other again after Uther exiled Gwaine from Camelot. He quickly realised Gwen was in love with Arthur. Her words, together with Arthur's protests and Merlin's vouches, reinforced Gwaine's belief Arthur was indeed a noble man. Gwaine then appears to leave Camelot.

However, Arthur's kindness compelled Gwaine to return and Gwaine secretly entered the Mêlée and dueled alongside Arthur against his assassins. Some time during the tournament, Gwaine was injured on his left shoulder, and was on the ground for a bit. However, when Arthur needed help, he got up and walked toward the assassins. Soon, Arthur, with Gwaine's help, defeated the assassins. Merlin and Arthur guessed Gwaine's identity due to his fighting style and Arthur allowed him the victory in the tournament as a thank you for aid in the battle. Uther had other ideas and Gwaine was soon arrested with a demand Gwaine be executed immediately for killing two knights. Gaius however showed Uther that Gwaine had once again saved Arthur, by removing the blood crystals from the corpses of Sir Oswald and Sir Ethan to show their deception as the thugs from the tavern. Nonetheless, Uther did not lift his banishment, forcing Gwaine to leave once again. Arthur tells Gwaine his father is a stubborn man, but if it were up to him, Gwaine would be welcome as a friend. Before leaving again, Merlin asked Gwaine to reveal himself, as it would mean he would be absolved and allowed to stay. Gwaine refused, saying he could not serve under someone like Uther but agreed with Merlin's observation he fought well with Arthur and said perhaps he may someday return to Camelot when Arthur had become king (Gwaine).

Strength

Gwaine was later reunited with Merlin in another tavern brawl, and helped him save Arthur from being killed by Morgana's Eye of the Phoenix, as well as a pair of Wyvern. When Merlin found Gwaine, he was being chased by a bunch of thugs who were threatening him. Merlin seemed to find it slightly amusing and almost fun as they ran for their lives.

206px-Merlin308 1801 — Gwaine and Merlin on the Perilous Lands

When Merlin asked what Gwaine had done, Gwaine simply replied, "When you make a man a fool, he calls you a liar.' Gwaine was referred to as 'Strength' by the guardian of the bridge (Grettir) into the Fisher King's kingdom, while Arthur was named 'Courage' and Merlin 'Magic'. Gwaine and Merlin traveled through the Perilous Lands until they reached the Fisher King's palace, and they came to Arthur's aid when he was nearly attacked by the Wyvern. With Gwaine and Merlin's help, Arthur retrieved what he was seeking: the Golden Trident. They headed back to Camelot together, but since Gwaine was still banned from entering the kingdom he bade farewell to Arthur and Merlin at the border (The Eye of the Phoenix).

Retrieving The Cup of Life

Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine were later reunited a second time, after being captured by Jarl, the slave trader. They met in Jarl's dungeon, where Gwaine summed up his capture by saying: "wrong place, wrong time, wrong drink". To save Merlin, Arthur put himself forward to face Jarl's champion, only to discover that Jarl's champion was in fact Gwaine. The two faked a fight, but soon found themselves in trouble when they were ordered to fight to the death, or else both be killed. Merlin managed to save them by starting a fire, after which Gwaine joined them on their quest for the the Cup of Life. Later they obtained it from the Druids but were ambushed by Cenred's men. Gwaine remained with Merlin while Arthur was injured. After Arthur improved somewhat with Merlin's intervention, Gwaine continued with them into Camelot only to find it captured. After finding Elyan and Gaius, Arthur sent Gwaine and Elyan to accompany Gaius to the woods while he and Merlin tried to save Uther (The Coming of Arthur).

Knight of The Round Table

Gwaine, along with the others, lived in the cave for a week until they were joined by Sir Leon and

Guinevere. They were ambushed by Morgana's soldiers, but were saved by Lancelot and Percival. Gwaine went with them to the castle of the ancient kings of Camelot, promising his allegiance to Arthur in the fight to retake the kingdom. He noted that, while he believed they had no chance, he wouldn't miss the fight for the world, and was subsequently knighted by Arthur. Afterwards, Gwaine joined them in their attack on Camelot to save Uther and the other knights. Gwaine, Arthur, and the other knights went to the dungeons to save the king, while Merlin and Lancelot went after the Cup of Life, claiming to be disabling the warning bell. During the battle with Cenred's immortal men, Gwaine disappears. Once the army is defeated the men disappear. Everyone begins to celebrate, then they notice that Gwaine is not there. Elyan looks around and calls for Gwaine saying, "Gwaine...Gwaine? You still alive?". Gwaine's voice replies, "What do you think?" The knights all smile as Gwaine adds, "and that's Sir Gwaine to you!" Gwaine is later shown riding into Camelot with the other Knights of the Round Table, now wearing armour and a Camelot cloak.

A year later, Gwaine remained serving as a Knight of the Round Table and stayed with Arthur in Camelot. Merlin caught him and Percival attempting to steal a chicken leg from the castle kitchens. Later, Gwaine accompanied Arthur on the journey to the Isle of the Blessed. Despite the danger of the Dorocha, Gwaine kept his sense of humour throughout the quest, making comical remarks and complaining about the lack of food. Gwaine narrowly escaped being attacked by a swarm of bees and attacked by a Wilddeoren while he was traveling through a cave with the rest of the men. Later, when Merlin was attacked by the Dorocha, Gwaine helped the other knights take care of him before Lancelot volunteered to return him to Camelot. When Merlin returned unharmed, he was greeted by Gwaine with a hug (The Darkest Hour).

He along with all the knights were at Arthur's coronation all chanting 'long live the king' (The Wicked Day).

Upon learning of the existence of a live dragon egg and the fact that Julius Borden was seeking it, Arthur took the knights with him to find and destroy it. While on the trip, Gwaine joined the others in playing a joke on Merlin and was subsequently poisoned by Julius, only to be saved by Merlin's magic (Aithusa).

Gwaine was also present during the knights' ambush on King Caerleon's raiding party. Upon the declaration of the war by Caerleon's wife, Queen Annis, he joined Elyan and the other knights to inform Arthur of their readiness to die for him, and later volunteered to take part in the duel for victory (His Father's Son).

Searching for Merlin

When Arthur and his knights were ambushed by Morgana's mercenaries, Gwaine fought against them but was separated from Arthur and Merlin, leading to Merlin later being badly wounded, and then captured by Morgana.

When Arthur decided to search for Merlin himself, Gwaine accompanied him. As they were riding their horses through the woods, Gwaine continuously complimented Merlin, saying:

"You know what I like about Merlin? He never expects any praise. All these things he does just for the good of doing them."

Soon they found Merlin, who was muddy and tired. The three then returned to Camelot, unaware that Merlin was now under Morgana's control (the implantation of a Fomorroh). When Merlin went to serve Arthur's food, Gwaine tried to steal some and was surprised at how rude Merlin was to him.

Merlin surrounded — meeting Dragoon the Great

Later, Gwaine, along with Elyan, Leon, and Percival, caught Merlin while disguised as Dragoon the Great as he ventured to Morgana's hut to find the Mother Fomorroh. The four of them recognised him and tried to apprehend him, but Merlin's magical power bested them, much to his glee (A Servant of Two Masters).

Rescuing Gaius

Following Gaius' apparent treason and disappearance, Gwaine visits Merlin to see how he was coping. Gwaine agreed with Merlin when Merlin said he suspected Gaius was abducted, and agreed to help Merlin find Gaius. Gwaine told Merlin the substance Merlin had found on Agravaine's boots was iron ore. Gwaine also told Merlin the only location in which he had seen iron ore on his many travels through Camelot. Gwaine then travelled with Merlin to the mines.

While at the mines Gwaine caught Agravaine with a knife poised to kill Gaius. However, Agravaine persuaded Gwaine he had simply come to find Gaius, as the guards at the gate informed him Merlin and Gwaine had left Camelot. Agravaine claimed he was using the blade to check if Gaius was breathing. Gwaine, though suspicious, made no further comment but his presence forced Agravaine to abort his plans to kill Gaius and together the two of them took Gaius to Camelot, where Gwaine informed Arthur Gaius had been kidnapped (The Secret Sharer).

Lamia

On the journey back to Camelot from a village suffering from a strange disease, Gwaine, the other knights, Merlin and Gwen came across a group of bandits who had captured a young girl. The knights attacked the bandits and saved the girl, who was apparently terrified and particularly distrustful of Merlin. Identifying herself as Lamia, she soon began to exert a power over the knights, making them aggressive and irrational towards each other. The knights became possessive of Lamia and obsessed with her well-being, forgetting the original purpose of their journey, to save the village. Elyan and Percival break up a fight between Gwaine and Leon which occurred as a result of Lamia's influence. Lamia transfers the disease which attacked the village to Elyan with a kiss, leaving him so the knights would find him the next morning. The knights brought Elyan to Gwen and Merlin, who began to suspect Lamia of enchanting the knights. Gwaine and the others would not hear of it. Merlin tried to convince the knights to get Elyan back to Camelot for treatment, but the other knights, under Lamia's influence, insisted on going to a deserted castle where she began to pick off each of them until Arthur rescued them. When Lamia disappears, and Gwaine goes out to look for her, Merlin starts to worry, saying he should have been back by now. When Merlin finds Gwaine, he has caught the disease. Merlin confronts Lamia and embeds a sword into her, at this point Lamia turns into a monster and chases Merlin through the castle. Gwen sees this and when Merlin is snatched by the monster she attacks it with a sword. This is to no avail and the monster attacks again, until Arthur kills it. Once Arthur rescues them, Gwaine, Elyan, Leon and Percival were rushed to the village, where Gaius treated them. Percival is the first to recover, since he was the last to be affected. He looks over at an unconscious Gwaine, Leon and Elyan in concern, but Gaius confirms they will be alright (Lamia).

Imprisonment by Morgana

When Morgana and Helios launched a surprise attack on Camelot, Gwaine and the other knights tried to fight off the invaders. Gwaine and Gaius helped Merlin escape with Arthur, but stayed behind to give him time. Gwaine and Gaius were caught and thrown into the dungeons by Morgana. They were soon joined by Elyan, after he was tortured by a Nathair. Gwaine demanded that Morgana give them food as they were starving, pleading particularly on behalf of the weakening Gaius. Morgana therefore forced Gwaine to fight, or "sing for his supper", for her and her men's entertainment in return for food. After defeating his first opponent, he was thrown just a small piece of bread. Morgana informed him that he would have to fight better than that if he wanted more. Two more men were then sent to fight Gwaine.

Morgana unchaining Gwaine
Morgana: "I thought I might make it a little harder." Gwaine: "Seems fair."
"Aw, but you can't fight with your bare hands."
Gwaine mumbles "What the hell?"

Gwaine remained with Elyan and Gaius in the cell all week. All three were soon starving, with Gwaine worn from fighting. When Morgana's guards came to fetch him to fight again, Elyan grew angered on his behalf, and attempted to punch one of them, but was easily brushed aside. Gwaine was dragged out of the cell to fight again. In the throne room, Morgana released him and gave him only a small wooden sword to fight with. Morgana says, 'Oh, but you can't fight with your bare hands.' When he was thrown back into the cell, Morgana told him to enjoy his meal as it would probably be his last, implying that next time he fought the match would be so unfair that he could not win.

However, outside Camelot, Arthur was preparing to retake Camelot. Percival and Leon came to rescue Gwaine, Gaius, and Elyan from the dungeons. They were weakened but greatly relieved and soon recovered from their ordeal, later able to attend the wedding of Arthur and Gwen, and Gwen's Coronation (The Sword in the Stone).

As Morgana's Prisoner

Gwaine promo pic s5 (1) — Gwaine leads a patrol through the North.

While patrolling along with Percival and sixty knights of Camelot, Gwaine is attacked by a magical wolf that appears to be under the control of Morgana. He, along with the other knights, is defeated and brought to Morgana, who enslaves him, forcing him to dig for her in order to find what she is looking for. Percival and Gwaine discuss the situation while they are working in a large cavern. All they know is that Morgana is looking for some kind of key, and she will do anything to get it. Gwaine then states that 'if she wants it so much, they must not find it'.

Exhausted from work, Gwaine, along with Percival, notices a bright light in the cave. Gwaine goes to look, telling Percival to cover for him. However, he is ambushed by Morgana's men and knocked unconscious. A strange, glowing creature comes close to him and chants a spell (Arthur's Bane: Part One).

Arthur's Bane Images of Gwaine Euchdag (8) — Gwaine and The Euchdag

When Gwaine wakes, he sees the creature, who tells him that he has nothing to fear. Gwaine thanks her for saving him, to which she replies "I know that you are worthy of my help". She tells him that she is the last of her kind. Gwaine shows his kind nature, grateful for her help. The creature tells Gwaine to rest, so he can fully heal. When the creature hears someone approaching, she wakes Gwaine up to warn him. He struggles to stand up and picks up a torch, telling his new friend that he will protect her. He prepares to attack when Arthur and Merlin appear. Gwaine introduces Arthur and Merlin to the creature as friends. They help Gwaine through the cave as they, along with Percival, rescue the other knights (Arthur's Bane: Part Two).

Fight against Odin

When Morgana and Odin form an alliance, the knights of Camelot set out with King Arthur to rescue Princess Mithian's father and the kingdom of Nemeth. When Mithian tries to warn Merlin that Morgana was forcing her to lead the knights into a trap, Morgana catches him before he is able to warn Arthur. When Merlin is brought to Gaius unconscious, Arthur tells Gwaine to stay with Gaius and Merlin while he takes the others to King Odin. Gwaine is clearly concerned for Merlin, and is glad to stay with him. A while later Gaius tells Gwaine that Merlin was getting cold, and that he needs more firewood. Gwaine, eager to help, rushes off immediatly. When he returns, Merlin is awake. The two hurry to Arthur's aid (Another's Sorrow).

When Merlin and Gwaine arrive at the tomb, where King Rodor is being held, Arthur and his men have already been captured. Merlin goes into the tomb to rescue Arthur and Percival, while Gwaine stays outside to help the rest of the knights. As soon as Merlin is gone, Gwaine sees a guard urinating next to a tree. Gwaine strikes and takes the man's crossbow. Quickly, and silently, he shoots several guards surrounding the knights of Camelot. The knights take the opportunity to free themselves (Another's Sorrow).

Killing Osgar

When Arthur hears that his friend, Sir Ranulf was killed by a sorcerer, he and all the knights go after him. Gwaine and Elyan find him, and threaten him. They fight him,and Gwaine managed to give the mortal blow. Osgar eventually died from his wounds. Later, when they all went to the Disir's cave, Gwaine threatened the Disir, but the Disir attacked, and sent Gwaine flying (The Disir).

Rescuing Guinevere

Arthur Poisoned

Restoring Guinevere

Hunting for Finna

Sir Mordred's Fall from Grace

Meeting Eira and The Battle of Camlann

Death

Gwaine and Percival, after Eira's execution, rode off to find and kill Morgana. They killed all her Saxon bodyguards and Percival stabbed Morgana in the back, but she survived and defeated them. She tied Gwaine to a tree and tried to extract information of Arthur's whereabouts from him using a Nathair. Gwaine was tortured to the brink of death, and was forced to tell Morgana. His screams gave Percival the incentive to break free from his bonds, and he rushed to his friends side. Gwaine died in Percival's arms, telling him he had failed.

Personality

Gwaine28 — Gwaine, a skilled warrior of noble heart and blood

Gwaine was portrayed as a fun-loving, laid-back and highly loyal character, wholly dedicated to doing what he believes is right. He believes any can be of noble heart, and that whether you have noble blood or not, you can have a noble heart. His introduction showed him to be a rather reckless and carefree man who thought about little more than ale and women, though Arthur and Merlin soon learned that he respected honour and loyalty above all else. Gwaine displayed his selflessness and courage by saving Arthur's life twice, despite having been banished by Uther Pendragon. Gwaine also proved to have a humble nature since he refused to reveal his noble heritage, telling Merlin his lifestyle had taught him that titles were not important. Gwaine values respect earned through actions over prestige inherited through a title, and also prefers the freedom of the vagabond lifestyle. Gwaine generally dislikes people of noble blood, seeing them as corrupt, selfish and power-hungry. However he proved an astute judge of character, seeing the fairness and honesty of Arthur, even referring to him as a friend at one point. He showed his defiant streak and refusal to bow to authority by criticising Uther Pendragon in front of Arthur, saying that he might one day be able to return to Camelot when it was ruled by a half decent king. Gwaine had a very trusting nature, largely seeing the best in people and forming a fast friendship with Merlin. Gwaine also had a good sense of humour, frequently seen to be the orchestrator of jokes among the knights, talks constantly on quests, was well known for his mindless and endless chatter and is ever-cheerful and optimistic.

Gwaine was shown to have a fairly extensive knowledge of magic, even though he couldn't use it himself. This was shown in his recognizing and telling Merlin the creatures in the distance were Wyvern. He seemed to be quite accepting of magic, unlike most of Camelot's Knights, and although he threatened Dragoon the Great this was only because the other Knights had informed him about Dragoon's supposed crimes. Gwaine was grateful to the Euchdag because it had healed him and made friends with it telling Arthur he owed it his life.

Relationships

Arthur Pendragon

“He may not be of noble birth, but I can vouch that he has a noble heart”
— Arthur on Gwaine

When Gwaine met Arthur for the first time, he was unaware of his noble birth. Upon awakening in Gaius' chambers and realising that Arthur was nobility, his opinion of him was immediately lowered due to his previous experiences with royalty. He told Merlin that if he had known who Arthur was he wouldn't have saved him. However, when Arthur begged his father

to let Gwaine live, Gwaine realised not all nobles were blinded by power. He returned to Camelot to save Arthur, and later called him friend. He was also willing to travel to the Perilous Lands to help Arthur, despite the dangers. He did, however, agree to fight with Arthur when Jarl told them to, though this was only because Jarl would have killed both of them if one refused. Gwaine was later knighted by Arthur and fought alongside him to rescue Uther and the Knights of Camelot from Morgause and Morgana.

A year later, Gwaine had become one of Arthur's most trusted knights. Although Arthur frequently complained about Gwaine's "mindless chatter" he also enjoyed Gwaine's company and together they often made fun of Merlin along with Leon and Percival. Gwaine tended to be much kinder to Merlin than Arthur was.

Merlin

“Merlin: Why do you want to do this? Gwaine: Same reason as you. To help a friend. Merlin: Arthur's lucky to have us. Gwaine: Not Arthur. ”
— Merlin and Gwaine

Gwaine liked Merlin immediately on meeting him, and after Merlin stood up to Arthur about Gwaine's tavern debt and volunteered to pay for it, he grew to trust Merlin enough to tell him the truth about his birth (making Merlin the only other person with the knowledge of Gwaine's noble birth). Gwaine immediately agreed to come with Merlin when Arthur was on his quest to find the Trident of the Fisher King, and enjoyed being on the run with his friend. Gwaine later met Merlin and Arthur while he was a prisoner of Jarl. Merlin was delighted to see him, despite their predicament.

Although, once Gwaine was knighted some distance grew between the two they remained close friends, with Gwaine frequently making fun of Merlin. The strength of their bond was shown when Gwaine visited Merlin to see how he was coping after Gaius disappeared. Gwaine did not hesitate to help Merlin rescue the physician. Gwaine was also the only knight who was not openly hostile towards Merlin when the knights were controlled by Lamia, which implies Merlin's friendship with Gwaine was stronger than his friendships with Leon, Percival and Elyan.

There have been many implications that Gwaine discovered Merlin's magic, although this is only implied and not confirmed within the show.

Gwen Angel Coulby and Gwaine Eoin Macken-1

Guinevere Pendragon

Gwaine was attracted to Guinevere when he met her in the streets of Camelot, but although she was uninterested, she liked that he tried yet knew when to give up. She gently rebuffed his attempts at cheerful flirtation, and was the last person he spoke to when leaving Camelot after his banishment. Arthur and Merlin were watching Gwaine's exit from a castle terrace and Arthur scoffed when Gwaine flirted with Gwen. Merlin questioned why, even thought he knew already, and Arthur quickly denied this. Later, Gwaine was pleased to see her and afterwards was one of the knights who went to bring her back to Camelot after the battle (The Coming of Arthur). He later looked on with his fellow knights, Merlin, Gaius and the rest of Camelot as Gwen was crowned queen by Arthur. When he became a knight of Camelot he no longer showed any romantic interest in her, although this was probably because she was in love with Arthur and Gwaine didn't want to get in the way of their relationship.

Morgana Pendragon

Sing supper 3 — Morgana tortures and ridicules Gwaine

During Gwaine's first visit to Camelot, Morgana was surprised at how skillful he was with the sword, managing to save Arthur from two thugs who attempted to kill him (Gwaine). Morgana appeared to find Gwaine physically attractive, but was brutally antagonistic towards him, evidently considering him yet another enemy as he was among Arthur's best knights. She appeared to derive a sadistic pleasure from watching him fight increasingly unfair battles with Helios's men, rewarding him with scraps of food each time he won. He in turn appeared unafraid of Morgana, taking each of her challenges with characteristic flippancy. Morgana did not seem at all concerned for Gwaine's welfare, treating him in a dry and sarcastic sort of way, commenting that his next meal would likely be his last as her challenges for him were growing ever more brutal (The Sword in the Stone). When Gwaine was captured and brought before Morgana three years later, he cheerfully said that they should "stop meeting like this" and was still unafraid of her, despite knowing that she was a very powerful sorceress. (Arthur's Bane) In the end, Morgana tortured and killed Gwaine with a Nathair after the final battle for Camelot, leaving him to die in Percival's embrace. (The Diamond of the Day)

Leon

Sir Leon is one of Gwaine's fellow knights. He and Gwaine are good friends and work well together. Gwaine seems to have added a little humour to Leon's personality, as they often joke with each other and with others. For example, in the episode Aithusa, all of the knights play a joke on Merlin and appear to eat all of his dinner, then soon reveal that they had saved a bowl for him. Leon is very patient with Gwaine and his jokes. The only time they ever fight is when they are both enchanted by Lamia, the result of which was Gwaine slashing Leon in the arm.

Elyan

Elyan is another one of Gwaine's fellow knights, and his good friend. Elyan is occasionally annoyed by Gwaine's sense of humour. During a patrol, when Gwaine drinks all of his water, Elyan is annoyed. Gwaine and Leon laugh, as Percival looks serious and says that he shares with his friends, and he starts to hand him his water. Then he grins and tosses it to Merlin, making Elyan even angrier. Later in the episode, Gwaine shows his care for Elyan by rushing in to help him when he is being haunted by the spirit from the shrine. Elyan and Gwaine make a great team together (A Herald of the New Age). When Leon and Percival break him, Gaius, and Gwaine out of the dungeons, Elyan is asked if he's alright. He replies in a good-natured bitterness that he's been locked up with Gwaine for a week (The Sword in the Stone). Gwaine was present at Elyan's funeral.

Percival

Percival was Gwaine's close friend, and the two faced many dangers together. Percival is probably the most mischievous knight, besides Gwaine, and loves to joke around with him. In the beginning of The Darkest Hour, Merlin catches and aids the two stealing a chicken leg from the palace kitchen, smiling like little boys. Merlin smiles back and shakes his head. The only time Gwaine and Percival have argued is when they were enchanted by the Lamia. Gwaine took only Percival with him on his quest for revenge against Morgana. The two worked well in taking down Morgana's henchmen. When Percival heard Gwaine's tortured screams, it gave him the strength to break his bond. However, Percival arrived too late, and Gwaine died in his arms. Percival tried to assure Gwaine in his final breaths, telling him that he had not failed Arthur and that Morgana had forced the information out of Gwaine. He gently kissed Gwaine as the life left his body as Lancelot was dead by now so would never find out. After Gwaine passed, Percival was deeply saddened, bowing his head in respect and shaking in anger and sorrow over the loss of his dear friend and fellow knight. When Gwen was pronounced queen, Percival's expression was one of sorrow and despair as he may have been mourning for Gwaine.

Mordred

Both being knights of Camelot, Gwaine and Mordred were close friends until Mordred betrayed him. Gwaine would often tease Mordred, along with the other knights, treating him like a little brother (in the same way they treated Merlin). When Mordred is trapped in the forest, pleading with Arthur to allow him and Kara go free, Gwaine is the first he turns to, asking for help. Gwaine hesitates for a moment, unsure, but then he sets his feelings aside and remains loyal to Arthur.

The Euchdag

Gwaine met the Euchdag after she healed him when he was injured by Morgana's warriors when they were looking for the key to all knowledge. Gwaine and the Euchdag quickly became friends, the Euchdag having known that Gwaine is worthy of her help and Gwaine being grateful that she had healed him. Even though he must have guessed that she was a creature of magic, Gwaine never displayed any distrust or hostility; on the contrary he is shown to be protective of his new friend since he warned her to hide when he heard people coming and prepared to fight in order to defend her. When Arthur asked what she was, Gwaine admitted that he wasn't sure, having never learned that she was the "key" Morgana had been searching for. However Gwaine also told Arthur that he owed her his life.

It is interesting to note that Gwaine is the only main character, apart from Merlin and Morgana, who has befriended a creature of magic, not including those who have befriended Merlin or other human magic users.

Eira

Gwaine first met Eira when she was being attacked by a Saxon in Camelot. He rescued her and then took her back to Camelot where Merlin treated her leg wound. Gwaine then told her that she was the only survivor

of the area he had saved her from. He then fell in love with her, only to discover that she had been using him to get information to Morgana. Hurt and betrayed, Gwaine watched her as she sent a message, using a raven, to Morgana, telling Morgana where Gwaine had told her Arthur and Merlin were headed. Gwen then came in and explained to Eira that the location had been false a trap set for her. The next day Gwaine watched Eira's execution from a window in the castle, with only Percival to comfort him.

Abilities

“Nobody fights like you do”
— Arthur to Gwaine

Gwaine revealed his knowledge of magic when he listened to Merlin describe a pair of Stulorne Blades he came across in the room of two thugs disguised as the knights Sir Oswald and Sir Ethan who had arrived in Camelot for the Mêlée. Gwaine informs Merlin that he had encountered the swords before and Merlin was lucky to come out of it with an injured finger only. He also revealed that he knew about Wyverns, the distant cousins of Dragons. However, Gwaine had never displayed the ability to actually use magic.

Gwaine was also an exceptionally skilled swordsman and Merlin noted that he'd never seen anyone use a fighting style that was like Gwaine's, which meant that Merlin was able to recognise him even while he was in armour. Gwaine's swordsmanship skill was such that he became the champion of a slave trader named Jarl and held his own against Arthur in a duel (though neither he nor Arthur were trying to hurt each other). He was also skilled in unarmed combat and was frequently engaged in tavern brawls. During his duel with Arthur they wrestled each other after using swordplay. His skill at hand to hand combat is so great that he was able to defeat one of Morgana's armed warriors, when he himself was unarmed. The only person who had defeated Gwaine in combat so far was Orn, the henchman of Alator, who would have killed Gwaine if Merlin didn't use his magic to save him. Even when Gwaine was held prisoner by Morgana and forced to fight without any food or water, he was able to defeat his enemies.

Name

Gwaine is a masculine name of Welsh origin. The name is a variant of the name Gavin, which means "white hawk".
Other spellings of Gwaine include Gawain, Gawaine, Gauvain, Gawayn, Gawayne, Gawen, and Gwayne.

Appearances

Series 3: Gwaine; The Eye of the Phoenix; The Coming of Arthur: Part One; The Coming of Arthur: Part Two
Series 4: The Darkest Hour: Part One; The Darkest Hour: Part Two; The Wicked Day (cameo); Aithusa; His Father's Son; A Servant of Two Masters; The Secret Sharer; Lamia; Lancelot Du Lac (cameo); A Herald of the New Age; The Hunter's Heart (cameo); The Sword in the Stone: Part One; The Sword in the Stone: Part Two
Series 5: Arthur's Bane: Part One; Arthur's Bane: Part Two; The Death Song of Uther Pendragon; Another's Sorrow; The Disir; The Dark Tower; A Lesson in Vengeance; The Hollow Queen (cameo); With All My Heart; The Kindness of Strangers; The Drawing of the Dark; The Diamond of the Day: Part One; The Diamond of the Day: Part Two (Death)

Trivia

Gwaine is the third knight to have an episode named after him, after Valiant and Lancelot.
"Gwaine" derives from the Welsh "Gwyar", meaning bloodshed.
Other than Arthur, Gwaine is the main knight who always gets himself into trouble, i.e. Tavern brawls and almost always drags Merlin and Arthur into it.
The ring seen on Gwaine's necklace is actually his portrayer, Eoin Macken's father's wedding ring.
Gwaine is seen to have an 'evil love interest' in the finale named Eira, whose is a spy for Morgana.

In the Legends

It is believed that Gwaine is loosely based on a Arthurian Legend knight by the name of Sir Gawain. Gawain was one of the greatest heroes in the Arthurian legend. Gawain himself is based on Arthur's nephew and knight from theMabinogion, called Gwalchmai. Gwalchmai is considerate, calm and polite and is said to achieve more with kindness and understanding than most knight do with the sword. On a few occasions Gawain exhibits these traits, who are not characteristic for the reckless, bold and playful Gwaine. Gwalchmai is almost forgotten in favour of Gawain. No other knight appeared in more tales, yet he is not often the chief hero in most of these medieval romances.

Earlier tales of Gawain showed that he was the ideal or the perfect knight, against whom other knights were measured. However, in the French romances, he was supplemented by other heroes, such a

s Lancelot, Tristan, Percival and Galahad. The French writers tend to portray Gawain as an anti-hero and a womanizer; nonetheless, in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur he remains furiously loyal to Arthur and is most beloved by him. Interesting note about Gawain in Malory's work: the character exhibits honor, loyalty and bravery but a times he is ruthless, vengeful and guileful. Scholars are split about this Gawain - some think that he is just inconsistently written, while others find him to be a complex, realistic (e.g. flawed) character.

In many legends Sir Gawain was the first son of King Lot and, after his death, he went on to be the Orkney clan leader. He is featured in many Arthurian Legends, often as one of King Arthur's main knights. He is generally portrayed as either the principal or secondary hero with much courtesy, chivalry, and nobility. Throughout all of his trials and tales he is considered very well respected, loyal, and honest. However, in his goal to maintain these traits to the highest esteem, he is faced with many problems and trials along the way. In one of his most well-known texts, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain experiences a brief fall from this tower of perfection as he struggles with his inner demons. Gawain's greatest traits are also his greatest weaknesses in that he follows these to the letter rather than to the spirit.

Gawain was also known as "The Maidens' Knight" because of his defence of women. He not only appears as a main character in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", but also in "The Wedding of Gawain and Princess Madeleine," the French princess. Gawain was made Prince of France and, later, King of France. In the legends he has five children: Jonathon, Caprice, Aqua, Amethyst, and Opal.

In the Prose Tristan and the French novels, he was sometimes portrayed as a villain and a murderer. This version, for the most part, was not popular and is not prevalent in most later works. More recently, many writers went back to the old English and Welsh sources and turned him back into the hero many know him as.