Uther Pendragon was King of Camelot and the father of Arthur and Morgana Pendragon. He was seen as an immutable ruler, with his laws upholding duty and tradition while defying the use of magic. It was his hatred of magic and severe punishment of those who used it that ultimately caused Morgana to turn against him. Her subsequent betrayal proved to be an emotional blow that Uther never overcame, leaving him a broken man in the final stretch of his reign. He later died at her hand after having been mortally wounded by an assassin, with Dragoon the Great's healing spell backfired by Morgana's enchantment. He was portrayed by actor Anthony Head.
Biography
Early life
As a young man, Uther conquered Camelot and became its King. Uther's new dominion was allied with Gawant, the kingdom of his old friend Lord Godwyn. Sometime after becoming King, Uther married Ygraine De Bois, making her his Queen. When Gorlois was away on the Northern Plains, Vivienne had a brief affair with Uther, resulting in the birth of Morgana Pendragon. She let Gorlois believe that he was the father of her second child. It is uncertain whether Uther and Vivienne's affair occured before or after Arthur's birth.
After discovering that Ygraine was unable to have children, Uther sent Gaius to the Isle of the Blessed to ask the High Priestess Nimueh for advice. She used magic to allow Ygraine to conceive an heir. Unfortunately Uther was unaware that by using magic to create a life, another life had to be taken in order to protect the natural balance of the world. As a result, Ygraine died giving birth to their son, Prince Arthur. Filled with grief over the loss of his beloved wife, Uther turned on Nimueh, accusing her of treason and banishing her from Camelot. He then began the Great Purge, ordering the executions of hundreds of sorcerers, regardless of how they used their magic. The Knights of Camelot hunted down and killed anyone caught using magic in Camelot.
Despite the fact that she possessed magic, Uther likely chose not to have Vivienne executed because she was the mother of his daughter. Though he spared Morgana, Uther gave orders for Vivienne's eldest daughter to be drowned. Morgause escaped because Gaius smuggled her from Camelot to the Isle of the Blessed; Uther was led to believe that Morgause had died shortly after her birth. At the end of the Purge, Uther approached the Dragonlord Balinor and asked him to bring theGreat Dragon to Camelot so he could make peace with it. Uther reneged on his promise and imprisoned the Dragon beneath Camelot to serve as an example to all magic users. All the Dragonlords were then rounded up and killed, save for Balinor. Gaius saved Balinor from execution by hiding him with his friend Hunith.
Some ten years later, Uther sent Gorlois into battle and promised him reinforcements. He later failed to send the reinforcements, resulting in Gorlois's death. Uther promised Gorlois that he would look after Morgana and subsequently took her in as his ward. Gorlois's resting place is near the Darkling Woods just outside the citadel of the palace. It is on a hill where a special stone was placed for him.
At some point in the past, war broke out between Caerleon and Camelot. He was defeated by Uther at the Battle of Denaria, but he retreated to the Castle of Fyrien. Victory would have been denied to Camelot if Uther had not known of a secret labyrinth beneath the castle. He took advantage of this weakness to defeat the other king.
Ruler of Camelot
Uther could be a tyrannical ruler who would stop at nothing to set things right in his eyes, especially if magic was involved. He believed that all magic was evil, and that all those who practiced magic were evil. Despite his paranoia, Uther sometimes did not realise when sorcery was being practised, even when presented with evidence (Valiant).
When he believed that magic was being used, he would deal with it decisively, such as when he sentenced Gwen to death after she was suspected of creating a plague with dark magic, despite having no proof (The Mark of Nimueh). Similarly, he executed the Druid Cerdan and attempted to kill Cerdan's young apprentice, Mordred (The Beginning of the End); he believed that the Druids were plotting his downfall.
Because of his crusade against magic, Uther found himself, his family, and his kingdom under constant threat by enemies who were out to take their revenge against him. He barely escaped death on three occasions during the first series (A Remedy to Cure All Ills; Excalibur; and To Kill the King).
Despite his often harsh and tyrannical display of temper, Uther displayed a caring and softer side. When he realised that Arthur was going to fight a wraith, a creature that could not be killed by any mortal weapon, Uther decided to sacrifice himself and fight the wraith in Arthur's stead so that his son would live. He also cared deeply for Morgana. While he locked her in the dungeons when she defied him and pushed his temper too far, he later apologised to her, admitting he was wrong, and told her that she was like his daughter. He also cared for the well being of common people, even those outside his kingdom. He sympathized with Hunith when she asked for his help in protecting Ealdor against raiders, but would not send his Knights to help the village as King Cenred would have interpreted any rescue attempt by him as a declaration of war.
Uther grew darker in Series 2. A troll used magic to cause Uther to become infatuated with and marry her; when presented with evidence of the troll's plans he refused to believe it. Eventually Merlin, Gaius and Arthur faked Arthur's death and Uther's tears broke the spell, causing him to realise that his wife was a troll (Beauty and the Beast).
When Gaius was accused of being a sorceror by the Witchfinder Aredian, Uther refused to believe it until Gaius confessed. He sentenced his old friend to death but was clearly reluctant and upset about the thought of killing Gaius, even though he had told him he was a sorcerer. When Merlin later proved that Gaius was framed by Aredian (whom Uther now believed to be the sorcerer due to Merlin's intervention) he went to apologise to Gaius for the suffering he endured at Aredian's hands.
Gaius pointed out politely, but coldly, that he had not suffered at Aredian's hands, but had suffered at Uther's because Aredian had been following his orders. Shocked, the King told Gaius that he had been tricked, but Gaius quickly retorted that his hatred of magic and obsession with destroying it caused him to strike out at anyone in his path, leaving his friends to become foes and his servants to become sorcerers. As a stunned Uther stared at him, Gaius stated that he had not been the first person to be wrongly accused of magic by Uther and that he was one of the lucky ones (unlike Gwen's father, Tom, in To Kill the King). He then asked Uther to leave him alone and the King left without further question, clearly shaken by Gaius' words and the thought of the many other innocents he had put to death in his quest to destroy magic.
Morgause and Morgana Rebel
When Arthur was defeated in combat by a woman named Morgause, he was spared only on the condition that he come to her and accept another challenge. When Uther learned that Morgause knew something of Ygraine, he refused to allow Arthur to go, fearing that what she knew was the secret of Arthur's birth. With Merlin's help, Arthur managed to break out of Camelot and go to Morgause. Uther later learned that Morgause was the daughter of Gorlois and Morgana's half-sister. Uther wanted this kept from Morgana to prevent her loyalties from being divided.
Arthur and Merlin reached Morgause's castle, where they learned that Ygraine had died in childbirth because Uther had turned to magic to conceive an heir. Arthur was furious and returned to Camelot to confront his father. After a heated shouting match Arthur challenged Uther to mortal combat in the throne room. When Uther refused, Arthur said he would simply kill him where he stood if he didn't defend himself. Uther said Arthur would never do it and was shocked when Arthur proved him wrong by attacking. Uther was forced to fight his son, but was ultimately disarmed and at his mercy. Before Arthur could deal the death blow, Merlin managed to convince him that Morgause had lied to him.
Uther's guards later captured Alvarr, a sorcerer who was plotting against him. Uther tried him and had him condemned to death. Morgana, who had secretly been swayed to Alvarr's side, furiously disowned him and told him he "will go to hell." This left Uther stricken. Morgana then freed Alvarr and Uther suspected her, but had no proof so he had to let it drop.
Morgana was later taken from Camelot by Morgause after her half-sister attempted to destroy the kingdom. Uther was devastated and became determined to find his ward. He remained unaware that Morgana was part of Morgause's conspiracy and that she had completely turned against him.
Finding Morgana
Morgana collecting Uther's tears in a handkerchief.
Uther vowed to find Morgana and spent almost a year sending soldiers to look for her; he refused to give up no matter how many Knights died. She was eventually found one day in a bandit's camp by Merlin, Arthur and his men.
Around the same time Gaius told Uther that ,after an entire year he should call off the search and accept that she was gone. Uther retorted that he would never give up.
After Morgana recovered she went to see Uther; the King was overjoyed. Morgana thanked him for taking care of her as if she was his own daughter and apologised for her previous attitude towards him. However, Morgana was, in fact, lying. During her year away from Camelot she had turned to Morgause's allegiance.
Morgana later met up with Morgause and confirmed that Uther didn't suspect her true loyalties. She handed Morgause a handkerchief that contained his tears. Morgause dropped it in a cauldron filled with black liquid along with a mandrake root which emitted a piercing scream as it was thrown in; Morgause explained that the scream could only be heard by those with magic. For those without magic, it could pierce someone's soul and bring their worst fears to life. Morgause pulled out the mandrake root, covered in the black liquid. She handed it to Morgana, who later placed it under Uther's bed.
Uther held a celebration party, toasting Morgana's return; on the surface she was polite and smiling, but in private scowled in disgust at having to be pleasant to Uther. He went outside for some air nad heard a noise in the well. Thinking that Arthur was playing a trick, he walked over to it. Suddenly a withered arm grabbed him; Uther looked down and saw Ygraine in the well, begging him for help. Uther backed away and fell to the ground, screaming in terror, where he was found by guards. He was taken to his room, where he was to rest at Gaius's orders. Everybody except Morgana left, she smiled evilly as she stood over him.
Morgana then informed Morgause that rumours of Uther's condition had already began to spread through the court. Cenred was notified of Uther's condition and that Camelot was defenseless against assault. But Cenred was unsure, stating that even with Uther incapacitated, an assault on Camelot was not to be taken lightly. Morgause reminded him of their ally in the city; when Cenred expressed doubt about the loyalty of traitors, Morgause assured him Morgana could be counted on until the end, convincing Cenred to take the fight to Camelot.
Arthur and Sir Leon alerted Uther to the fact that mercenaries were flooding into Cenred's kingdom; they feared he was raising an army. Suddenly, Uther saw a dripping wet boy, one of the many child sorcerers he had drowned during the Great Purge, but nobody else could see him. He shouted at the boy to leave, and everybody believed he was going mad. He was taken to his room.
As Cenred's army entered Camelot in their thousands, Gaius and Merlin went to Uther's chamber, not knowing that Morgana was there before them and had used the enchantment to worsen the curse; when Gaius and Merlin entered Uther's chamber, they found him curled up in a corner crying, tormented by ghosts of Ygraine and several drowned children staring at him. Acting quickly, Merlin removed the mandrake root causing the enchantment from under Uther's bed and threw it into the fire, immediately breaking the enchantment and restoring Uther's sanity. After leaving Uther to sleep and recover from his ordeal, Merlin insisted they must tell Uther Morgana was responsible, but Gaius replied that Uther would never believe their word against his beloved ward.
During the siege of Camelot, Uther, despite his less than perfect condition, threw himself into the battle but was injured by an arrow which hit him in the leg. Camelot's army was then attacked from behind by skeletons summoned by Morgana but Merlin managed to thwart her.
In the battle's aftermath, Morgana told Uther and Arthur that she destroyed the staff and stopped the skeletons. At a ceremony to recognise her bravery and that of all those who fought and died in the battle, Uther again asserted vigilance in Camelot against magic.(The Tears of Uther Pendragon).
Uther bald.
When a Goblin was set free by Merlin, Uther was cast a spell by the creature and become bald. He then suffered of flatulences in front of the entire court, because he had drunk a potion given him by Gaius. When the Goblin, while possessing the court physician, accused Merlin of being a sorcerer, Uther sentenced the young warlock to death (Goblin's Gold).
Revelation of Morgana's heritage
Uther reveals he is Morgana's father. (The Crystal Cave)
When Morgana's birthday arrived the whole of Camelot celebrated. However when Morgana left Camelot to visit Morgause, Merlin accidentally used magic to send her falling down a flight of stairs badly wounding her. Uther was frantic and even went so far as to suggest using magic in order to cure her. He finally told Gaius a secret that he had been hiding for many years; he was Morgana's true father. Unfortunately Morgana, despite being near deaths door, overheard him. When Morgana recovered Uther was overjoyed. However Morgana was furious that Uther had lied to her all her life, thinking he cared more about his reputation than he did about her. She attempted to murder her father in his sleep but was stopped by Merlin who woke Uther by smashing the window of his chamber. Morgana hastily dropped the knife she'd been holding and kicked it under the bed before telling Uther about the fire in her bedroom (which she had started) and saying he was the only person she felt safe with.
Morgana's Manipulations
Morgana later received visions of a future where Gwen was crowned queen of Camelot. Seeing this as a threat to her and Morgause's plans, Morgana revealed to Uther that Arthur and Gwen were courting. Uther, thinking that Arthur was merely having a fling, told his son to break off his relationship with Gwen. However, Arthur insisted that he truly loved Gwen. Upon realizing this, Uther banished Gwen from the kingdom.
Morgana later learned that Arthur planned on leaving Camelot with Gwen and he planned to return once Uther was dead so he and Gwen could reign. Morgana, determined to stop Gwen from becoming queen, suggested to Uther (who was incapable of understanding why Arthur was in love with a serving girl) that Arthur was under an enchantment, planting false evidence in Arthur's room to prove it. Uther sentenced Gwen to death in an unfair trial, and his resolve only strengthened when Arthur furiously objected. Fortunately, Merlin managed to once again stop Morgana's plans: using an ageing spell to disguise himself, he declared that he had enchanted both Arthur and Gwen to fall in love in a plot to bring shame upon Camelot. Convinced, Uther released Gwen.
Fall of a tyrant
Uther eventually sent Arthur to retrieve the Cup of Life from King Cenred's kingdom. His treacherous daughter, Morgana, overheard him and told Morgause. Arthur and Merlin failed in their mission and Morgause created an army of immortal soldiers out of Cenred's army. Morgause (after killing Cenred) launched an invasion of Camelot. When Leon returned and reported that the soldiers in Morgause's army couldn't be killed, Uther realized that Arthur had failed in his quest. Uther asked Gaius how Cenred could've known about the Cup, and Gaius said the only explanation is that there was a traitor in Camelot.
Morgause's army overwhelmed Camelot's defences and captured the once unconquerable city. Those who weren't killed in the battle were imprisoned, including Uther. The fallen tyrant was later dragged into the throne room where Morgause removed his crown. Uther furiously declared that Morgause had no right to the throne, only for Morgana to reveal herself and declare that she did. Uther was both horrified and devastated to learn that the traitor Gaius spoke of was his own daughter, and was forced to watch as Morgana was crowned Queen of Camelot.
Uther was chained in a dungeon cell that had a window to view the courtyard. About a week after Morgana's coronation, Uther watched as she had her soldiers slaughter a crowd of innocent bystanders in an attempt to get the remaining knights of Camelot to swear loyalty to her. He was later visited by Morgana who mockingly called him father. Uther told Morgana that the people she had just killed were innocent but Morgana retorted by saying that he had been just as bad, perhaps worse, when he was ruling the kingdom. Uther said that if Morgana wanted to kill someone than it should be him. Morgana said that she was going to execute him, but only after she was satisfied that he has had endured the same amount of pain he had inflicted upon his victims, especially those with magic. As she left, a broken Uther asked his daughter if she truly hated him so much as to torture him like she was doing and was further devastated when Morgana coldly stated that he could never know how much she hated him.
Uther was later freed by Arthur but was so devastated by his daughter's betrayal that he didn't even try to defend himself from Morgause's army of immortal soldiers. He only survived because Arthur, Elyan, Gwaine, Percival, Lancelot, Leon and the other surviving Knights of Camelot were protecting him. Uther is currently no longer capable of ruling, so Arthur looks poised to ascend the throne.
A Broken Man
As a result of Morgana's betrayal, Uther, over a year, grew ill due to his depression and was reduced to a broken man. Because he was still unable to rule Camelot, Arthur took over the kingdom and trusted Gwen to look after Uther. When Morgana attempted to take revenge on Camelot again by summoning creatures known as the Dorocha, Arthur intended to sacrifice himself to defeat them and despite Uther begging him not to leave, he tearfully said goodbye to him.
Uther, unaware that Arthur planned to sacrifice himself to defeat the Dorocha, asked Gwen if she knew where Arthur was but Gwen reasurred him by telling him that Arthur went on a hunting trip and would be back in a few days. Arthur eventually returned to Camelot after Lancelot sacrificed himself to defeat the Dorocha. (The Darkest Hour)
Killed By His Own Daughter
Upon Arthur's birthday, Uther began to recover from Morgana's betrayal. He joined them all in the great hall for Arthurs birthday feast and festivities, and enjoyed the acts' performances. Later that night, under the influence of a sleeping drug, Arthur was attacked while visiting him. Unable to fight due to the drug, Arthur fell. As Arthur's attacker was about to kill him however, Uther recovered upon realising the danger his son was in. He leapt to Arthur's defence and attacked the assassin with his sword. The two duelled, and still unwell Uther was knocked off balance and fell to the floor. Uther however, driven by the urge to save his son, continued the fight and ultimately disarmed the attacker and won. However just before he delivered the killing blow, the attacker pulled out a knife and stabbed him, at the same time as Uther killed the attacker. Uther told Arthur that his time had come, and he hoped he had been a good father, as he had always put being king first, but he loved Arthur.
Fatally wounded, Arthur decided to use magic to heal him, and Merlin seeing a chance to convince Arthur that not all magic is evil, helped while disguised as an elderly sorcerer. However Morgana hearing of this plot, enchanted a necklace that would cause Merlin's healing spell to backfire and magnify the effect of the spell tenfold. Merlin performed the spell for Uther and he awoke for a second, and in happiness saw his son, only to die moments later. Arthur spent the next night mourning over his passing, saddened at his loss of both his parents to magic. After Uther's death, Arthur became king.
Legacy
As magic was involved in Uther's death, Arthur began to hate magic more than ever, calling it pure evil and he vowed never to forget it (The Wicked Day). Arthur also began to follow Uther's ways which was shown when he learnt of a dragon egg which he chose to destroy to wipe magic out of the kingdom, only for Merlin to get there first and protect it (Aithusa). However when Arthur learnt from Gaius that "Dragoon the Great" did not actually kill Uther as he thought, his hatred towards magic decreased once more but showed no sign of wanting to return magic to Camelot (The Secret Sharer).
Personality
When it came to any form of magic, Uther was very much a tyrant. His hatred for it was caused by the death of his beloved wife, Ygraine. Ygraine died in childbirth after magic was used to allow her to give birth to their son, Arthur. Uther refused to tolerate magic at all and executed anyone found using it. However he was known to have difficulty realising when a person was using magic, unable to believe that Valiant or Aredian were using magic until he saw actual evidence and refused to believe Gaius was a sorcerer until Gaius confessed to him, even though he knew Gaius had been a sorcerer in the past. Sometimes however, in desperation to protect his kingdom, Uther would have people executed simply for being suspected of sorcery which has almost resulted in the death of Guinevere on at least two occasions. His hatred for magic sometimes is so potent that he is willing to extent his witch hunting to other kingdoms beyond of his own, despite acknowledging that such acts could cause dire consequences to his realm. Uther was also shown to have some measure of guilt about what happened to Ygraine, who's death was partly a result of his own greed for an heir. This is proven when he sees visions of his wife when Morgana was driving him insane. The fact that he had innocent children drowned also vexes Uther he even said as much to Gaius after he recovered from his bout of madness.
When Arthur discovered Uther asked Nimueh to use magic to make Ygraine pregnant, he furiously called his father a hypocrite and a liar. Further evidence of Uther's hypocrisy was that he was willing to let Gaius use magic to save his daughter, however when Gaius asked him to spare his love Alice's life because she had been controlled by the manticore Uther refused saying that the use of magic couldn't be condoned under any circumstance. Uther also never revealed that he was Morgana's true father until Morgana was a fully grown adult and even then Morgana only knew about her heritage because she overheard him telling Gaius.
Despite his attitude towards magic, Uther genuinely cared about his kingdom and tried to be a good ruler. He cared very much for his people and wanted to ensure that peace and stability remain in Camelot. He also cared for people outside his kingdom, as shown when he wanted to help Hunith defend her village from raiders and only refrained from doing so because it would be considered an act of war on the kingdom Hunith's village resides in.
Uther was a very proud man and hated admitting when he was wrong. However he swallowed his pride to tell Gaius that he was wrong to assign Edwin Muirdun as Court physician. (A Remedy to Cure All Ills) He later admitted to Morgana that he was wrong to have Guinevere's father, Tom killed. (To Kill the King) However he didn't apologise to Gaius for causing his suffering at the hands of Aredian and sentencing him to death, even though this act was far worse than assigning a new Court physician, instead trying to blame it on Aredian. Gaius firmly told him that it was Uther, not Aredian, that caused his suffering and told him that Uther had had other innocent people killed because of his paranoia of magic. This left Uther very shaken but he still didn't directly say sorry to Gaius for what he'd done, though he did imply it. (The Witchfinder)
Uther was stubborn, independant and strong willed. However his willpower was weakened by an enchantment Morgana put on him. For a time he was plagued by visions of his dead wife and people he had executed during the Great Purge. These visions caused people to think that Uther was going mad, and he even cried on a couple of occasions. However he still retained some of his old willpower and, even though he was not in perfect condition, he fought against King Cenreds soldiers during the siege of Camelot.
After discovering Morgana's true allegiances, Uther had a nervous breakdown. He was so miserable and depressed that he didn't even attempt to defend himself from Morgause's immortal army when Arthur rescued him and only survived because Arthur and his allies were protecting him. Morgana's betrayal and hatred for him had hit him so hard that he lost much of the confidence and willpower he had before. Uther, however, started to recover from Morgana's betrayal after a year of mourning and he sacrificed himself to protect Arthur from an assasin. This shows that despite his breakdown, he still retained his willpower throughout his whole life even though he never fully recovered from his emotional ordeal.
Relationships
Arthur
Uther was very critical of Arthur, spending a great deal of time ordering him around like a second-in-command or scolding him. As a consequence, Arthur routinely believed himself to be "a big disappointment". However Uther cared about Arthur more than anyone except Morgana, saying that he meant more to him than the entire Kingdom and certainly more than Uther's own life. (Excalibur) After discovering the truth about his birth, Arthur made a serious attempt to kill his father but was snapped out of his rage by Merlin. Arthur was devastated after trying to kill his father and both of them were crying about the death of Ygraine. (The Sins of the Father)
Arthur clearly loved his father a great deal as he was devastated when Uther was driven mad by Morgana. Even though he frequently disagreed with Uther, Arthur was willing to risk his life to protect his father and when Camelot was captured by an immortal army he tried to find Uther even though he was wounded and the enemy soldiers couldn't die. When Uther was emotionally broken after discovering Morgana's betrayal, Arthur was worried that Uther would not recover but Merlin suggested that he would have to take over Camelot as a Regent King.
Arthur then took over the kingdom and when Morgana attempted to take revenge on Camelot again he informed Uther that he intended to sacrifice himself to foil her plan despite Uther begging him not to leave. When Uther was wounded by an assassin, Arthur was willing to use magic to save him. However, despite getting a sorcerer (who was Merlin in disguise) to save Uther, he failed to save him because Morgana had a necklace planted on Uther's neck to reverse healing spells and Uther died. Arthur was devastated when his father died and Uther's death increased his hatred of magic. What Arthur doesn't know is that he was indirectly involved in his father's death. He told Agravaine that he would use magic to heal his father, who in turn told Morgana, who enchanted a necklace to repel healing magic.
Merlin
Uther was the one who appointed Merlin to be Arthur's servant, meant as a reward for saving Arthur's life (The Dragon's Call). He was unaware that Merlin secretly disliked him due to his views and persecution of magic and it's practitioner's. When Merlin disguised himself as an old man, he got the oppurtunity to secretly show his dislike of Uther, criticising and insulting him. Uther was also unaware that Merlin was a warlock because of Merlin and Gaius' constant cover-ups, which had given Uther the idea that Merlin was incompetent and even mentally deranged (The Gate of Avalon). However, he was very grateful and even impressed at Merlin for his devotion to Arthur, which he noticed went beyond that of a regular servant, and trusted Merlin to look after him (Excalibur). In The Sin of the Father, he thanks Merlin for saving him from being slain by Arthur in his fit of anger and even states that Merlin is a trusted ally in fight against magic. However, whenever Merlin's life was in danger, Uther was indifferent and sometimes believed that Arthur's life was more important than Merlin's as he was the future king while Merlin was just a servant. (The Poisoned Chalice)
Morgana
Uther had a somewhat strained relationship with Morgana, his daughter. While he did care for her, his constant executions of people who use magic often put him at odds with Morgana. He was also unaware that she was a witch. After Morgana was found hiding a Druid boy he was trying to locate, Uther told her that he would not hesitate to break the promise he had made to Gorlois if she ever betrayed him again. On the occasion he executed Gwen's father for supposedly conspiring with a warlock and having her chained in the dungeons for speaking out against him, Morgana conspired to have him killed, though she changed her mind at the last minute when she realized that Uther honestly regretted his actions. However, Morgana eventually sided with Camelot's enemies, and no longer saw Uther as her family. Uther had no idea that his ward had magic and that she sided with her half sister.
Uther and Morgana
After Morgana was "kidnapped" by Morgause, Uther became obsessed with finding her, to the point that he has nearly destroyed his army by sending them on repeated searches. It was eventually revealed that he was Morgana's true father after Morgana was badly wounded from falling down a flight of stairs. Despite the difficulties of their relationship, and the fact that Morgana secretly hated him, Uther loved his daughter very much, though Morgana was either unaware, or simply ungrateful, about how much he cared about her as she attempted to kill him in his sleep. Morgana was enraged that Uther had never told her the truth about her heritage and thought that he cared more about his own reputation than he did about her. In fact, Uther loved Morgana so much that he was even hypocritically willing to use magic in order to save her.
Uther discovered Morgana's treachery when Morgause successfully conquered his kingdom. When Morgause took his crown from him, Morgana revealed that she was working with her half-sister to dethrone him so she could become Queen and also told him that she hated him beyond understanding. Morgana than proceeded to torture him by forcing him to witness her slaughter innocent people, saying she was merely mirroring his own actions, and that she was going to execute him once she was done torturing him. Uther was so devastated by Morgana's betrayal that when Arthur rescue him from the dungeons he didn't even attempt to defend himself from Morgause's army and only survived because Arthur and his allies were protecting him.
In Series 4, Morgana's betrayal had broken Uther to the point that he was ill and possibly beyond the ability to recover. When Morgana learned that Uther was mortally wounded, she rejoiced and hoped that her face would haunt him in his final moments. She also willingy caused her father's death when she was informed that Arthur was using magic to save Uther. She enchanted a necklace that would reverse any healing spell and make the wounds 10 times worse. Despite causing Uther's death, she was unsatisfied and said that there would only be a celebration when she seizes control over Camelot.
Gaius
Gaius was a good servant to Uther and Uther looked on him as a friend, probably his closest since Morgana's father died (A Remedy to Cure All Ills, Excalibur). Despite this, Uther still sentenced him to death when he was accused of using magic by the Witchfinder, Aredian. Nevertheless Uther felt regret at the thought of killing his old friend and refused to believe that Gaius would use magic until Gaius told him so. Uther was too proud to admit that he was the one who had caused Gaius' suffering until Gaius told him so. Gaius wasn't afraid to stand up to Uther and was one of the few people brave enough to argue with him when necessary. Despite the creases in their relationship Gaius still remained loyal to the king and Uther's trust in him strengthened after discovering he was innocent. (The Witchfinder) Uther trusted Gaius so much that he even suggested allowing Gaius to use magic to cure Morgana after she was seriously injured falling down a flight of stairs.
Ygraine
Uther loved his queen very much and when she died giving birth to Arthur, he was devastated. His sorrow was so strong that he began persecuting the thing that he believed caused her death: magic. Twenty years after her death he stills mourns her, saying to Nimueh that Ygraine was his heart and soul. It is likely that Ygraine was also very much in love with him.
Though Uther truly did love Ygraine he had a brief relationship with Vivienne the wife of Gorlois, while Gorlois was away fighting a battle. This one time adultery resulted in the birth of Morgana. He felt guilty for having a relationship with Vivienne, not only because he had betrayed his wife but his closest friend as well.
Interestingly, when Morgause summoned Ygraine's spirit to speak with Arthur, she claimed that Uther betrayed her by knowingly sacrificing her so Arthur could be born through magic. While the authenticity of this is debatable because Morgause was attempting to manipulate Arthur into killing Uther for her, it is entirely possible that Ygraine does believe this.
Vivienne
Uther had a brief relationship with Vivienne, the wife of Gorlois, while Gorlois was fighting in a war. This resulted in the birth of Morgana. Uther felt guilty about betraying Ygraine by making Vivienne concieve and therefore didn't reveal Morgana's true heritage until many years later. But the thing that made Uther feel worse was that he also betrayed his best friend.
This affair would prove to ultimately be Uther's undoing since Morgana, the product of his crime, destroyed him.
Gorlois
Uther claimed that Morgana's father, Gorlois, was the greatest man he'd ever known. Uther said that Gorlois was extremely dedicated to defending his kingdom and unafraid to question his judgement, a trait that he had passed on to his step-daughter Morgana. When Gorlois died, Uther promised to take care of Morgana. However he once threatened to break this promise. Considering Morgana was actually his daughter and not Gorlois' he was almost certainly bluffing.
Uther once secretly betrayed Gorlois: while Gorlois was away from Camelot, fighting during the war against Magic, his wife grew lonely and turned to Uther, the result of which was Morgana. Whether Gorlois ever discovered this is unknown, however Morgana viewed him as her father until he died in battle when she was ten.
It is also speculated that Uther demanded that Gorlois kill his other step-daughter, Morgause, because she had magic. But whatever happened, Gorlois had Morgause smuggled out of Camelot and outright lied to Uther by saying that she had died.
Nimueh
Uther sees Nimueh
Before the Great Purge, Uther was friends with Nimueh and welcomed her into his kingdom. He asked Nimueh to use magic to allow his wife, Ygraine, to concieve a child resulting in the birth of Arthur. However after Ygraine died, Uther thought that Nimueh had betrayed him, though Nimueh actually hadn't intended for Ygraine to die and they had a heated dispute about this. Nimueh was furious with Uther for banishing her and killing so many people she cared about and became Uther's most dangerous enemy until her death at the hands of Merlin.
Abilities
Uther was a knight before becoming king and was a powerful warrior. He was a skilled swordsman and this was proven when he managed to slay Tristan De Bois' Wraith using the sword Excalibur. However Arthur teased that Uther needed to improve on his footwork, saying that it had always been his weakness. Uther was also unable to defeat Arthur when he attempted to kill him though it should be noted that Arthur had the advantage of being younger and fitter and he was fuelled by rage over the death of his mother. Uther also fought during the siege of Camelot despite being weakened by a mandrake root placed by Morgana. However he did receive a wound and was taken to the infirmary.
Uther was also able to easily defeat all his opponents in a tournament, with the exception of Arthur (who allowed Uther to win) and Gilli (who was using magic). (Sorcerer's Shadow)
However, Uther lost all his abilities after being broken by Morgana, as shown when he was unable to defend himself from the immortal army before Arthur rescued him.
Just before his fatal wounding, upon seeing his son was in danger, Uther was able to regain some of his lost skills, and take on The Gleeman in sword combat. Although he won his footwork weakness was once again displayed in this duel as he lost his balance a few times. Just before he killed the Gleeman he was fatally wounded by a knife.
Legend
Uther Pendragon - was the youngest son of Constantine and a brother of Aurelianus. As a one of the two younger brothers of the murdered King Constans, Uther apparently fled at a young age, to the Royal Court of his cousin, King Budic I of Brittany and here he was raised. As a young man, Uther returned to Britain with his elder brother, Ambrosius, and together they fought for their ancestral rights, eventually defeating the usurping Vortigern and placing Ambrosius on the throne.
Uther sitting on his throne
Throughout Ambrosius' reign, Uther was his brother's staunchest ally. He commanded the King's forces in Ireland when, with Merlin, he acquired the "Giant's Ring" as a memorial to the dead of the "Night of the Long Knives". Later, it was Uther who was victorious over the rebellious King Pasgen of Buellt & Gwerthrynion at St. Davids
Uther took the crown under the title of "Uther Pendragon" after a dragon-shaped comet appeared in the sky at the time of his brother's death. Most of his reign was taken up with campaigning against Saxon and Irish invaders in the North of Britain, where he held court at Pendragon Castle in Westmorland. He was, at first unsuccessful against the Angles of Bernicia. Osla, allied with the Jutish Octa, defeated Uther's armies at York. However, he soon turned the tables at the ensuing Battle of Mount Damen. Uther later travelled even further north to help the Kings of Strathclyde pacify the Scots.
It is at this point that the most famous episode in Uther's life is related. Returning to London, he met Igraine, the gorgeous wife of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, and fell instantly in love with her. Determined to see her again he invited the Duke to return to the Royal Court, but Gorlois could see what was going on and flatly refused. The two quarrelled and Gorlois and his wife fled to Cornwall. Uther invaded the Duke's lands, but still impatient to be with his new love, he persuaded Merlin to use his powers to magic him into Igraine's bed. Thus, while Gorlois was being killed at nearby St. Dennis, Uther was transformed into his likeness. He walked straight into the lion's den at Tintagel Catsle and seduced the lovely Duchess. The price for this deception was that Uther's son, the future King Arthur who was conceived on that night, had to be given to Merlin to be brought up as he saw fit.
In old age, the sick and aging Uther was drawn into a renewed war with the Northern Angles. When his commander, King Lot of Lothian was unsuccessful, the King was carried to St. Albans to besiege the Anglian Princes himself. He won through, but the Germans poisoned the water-supply and Uther, along with many of his men, died in the days that followed.
| Pendragon Family |
|---|
|
Uther Pendragon † • Ygraine Pendragon (née de Bois) † • |
| Kingdom of Camelot |
|---|
| Queen: Guinevere Pendragon Court Physician: Gaius Keeper of the Royal Library: Geoffrey of Monmouth Knights: Sir Leon • Sir Percival • Sir Brennis • Sir Cador • Sir Geraint Other Allies: Merlin • Annis • Odin • Rodor • Mithian • Godwyn • Bayard • Elena • Alined • The Diamair • Vivian • Olaf Former Allies: Morgana Pendragon † • Nimueh † • Cedric † ? • Cornelius Sigan † • Tristan de Bois † • Lady Catrina † • Edwin Muirden † • Uther Pendragon † • Agravaine de Bois †• Sefa• Mordred † |
| Series 1 Enemies |
|---|
| The Dragon's Call: Mary Collins † • Lady Helen (indirect) † Valiant: Valiant † • Devlin • Serpent Shield The Mark of Nimueh: Nimueh † • Afanc † The Poisoned Chalice: Nimueh † • Balorian Spiders • Cockatrice Lancelot: Griffin A Remedy to Cure All Ills: Edwin Muirden † • Elanthia Beetles The Gates of Avalon: Sophia † • Aulfric † • Sidhe elder The Beginning of the End: Uther Pendragon † Excalibur: Nimueh † • Tristan de Bois † The Moment of Truth: Kanen The Labyrinth of Gedref: Arthur Pendragon (indirect) † To Kill the King: Tauren • Morgana † • Uther Pendragon † Le Morte d'Arthur: Nimueh † • Questing Beast • Kilgharrah |
| Series 2 Enemies |
|---|
| The Curse of Cornelius Sigan: Cedric † • Cornelius Sigan † • Living Gargoyles The Once and Future Queen: King Odin • Myror The Nightmare Begins: Serkets • Uther Pendragon † Lancelot and Guinevere: Kendrick • Hengist • Wilddeoren Beauty and the Beast: Troll † • Lady Catrina (indirect) † • Jonas • Uther Pendragon (indirect) † The Witchfinder: Aredian • Uther Pendragon † The Sins of the Father: Morgause † • King Odin • Uther Pendragon † The Lady of the Lake: Halig • Freya (indirect) † Sweet Dreams: King Alined • Trickler • Lady Vivian (indirect) • King Olaf The Witch's Quickening: Alvarr • Morgana † • Mordred † • Enmyria • Kilgharrah The Fires of Idirsholas: Morgause † • Morgana † • Knights of Medhir • Kilgharrah The Last Dragonlord: Kilgharrah • Asgerd |
| Series 3 Enemies |
|---|
| The Tears of Uther Pendragon: Morgause • Cenred • Morgana • Serkets • Undead Skeletons • Ghost Boy Goblin's Gold: Goblin • Gaius (indirect) Gwaine: Dagr • Ebor • Cylferth • Sir Oswald (indirect) • Sir Ethan (indirect) The Crystal Cave: Morgause • Morgana The Changeling: Sidhe elder • Grunhilda • Elena (indirect) The Castle of Fyrien: Morgause • Cenred • Morgana • Fermin The Eye of the Phoenix: Morgause • Wyvern • Morgana Love in the Time of Dragons: Manticore • Alice (indirect) Queen of Hearts: Morgause • Morgana • Uther Pendragon • King Odin The Sorcerer's Shadow: Gilli • Tindr • Nollar • Morgana The Coming of Arthur: Morgause • Morgana • Cenred • Jarl |