The tale of King Arthur and his sorcerer Merlin has been told time and time again. Yet, no version of the tale was as unique as the BBC's Merlin. Lasting five seasons and sixty-five episodes, it followed the intertwining lives of Merlin, Prince Arthur, and Guinevere long before they gained their legendary status.
Intriguing, fun, and heartfelt, this medieval-fantasy series quickly became a fan-favorite. Part of the show's success was due to its incredibly talented cast. While most fans remember the lead actors, there are a few familiar faces on the series that fans may have forgotten.
Mackenzie Crook
Mackenzie Crook is one of those iconic British character actors. Best known for playing Gareth Keenan on the British Office, Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and Orell in Game of Thrones, Crook always takes weird and interesting roles.
Appearing in season two episode, he played the thief Cedric who worked his way into Arthur's good graces in order to steal a large jewel. Unbeknownst to him, the jewel actually contained the soul of the powerful dark sorcerer, Cornelius Sigan. Unfortunately for Cedric, his greed got the better of him and he was possessed by Sigan.
Santiago Cabrera
Santiago Cabrera has been on our screens a lot lately. From Big Little Lies, Salvation to Star Trek: Picard, the Chilean actor has been keeping himself busy. Fans of Merlin may remember him as one of Camelot's most noble knights, Lancelot.
Although only appearing for six episodes, he had one of the show's most compelling character arcs. Lancelot wanted nothing more than to be a knight and when he eventually got it, he bravely sacrificed himself to save Camelot. Notably, fans couldn't get enough of his relationship with Guinevere and were absolutely heartbroken when he returned as a Shade.
Erin Richards
Fans of Merlin may have forgotten that Gotham actress Erin Richards had a small but significant role in the show's finale. Playing one of Morgana's spies, Eira not only infiltrated Camelot but also Gwaine's heart.
At first, appearing to be a heartbroken refugee who had lost her family, she manipulated her way into Arthur's inner circle through Gwaine. She both revealed Arthur's battle plans to Morgana and the whereabouts of a powerless Merlin. Fortunately, Merlin was able to regain his powers and help win the final battle. Eira's treachery was easily revealed and she was sentenced to death by Gwen.
Liam Cunningham
Merlin can be described as a more child-friendly Game of Thrones and it is not surprising that they share a lot of the same actors. This includes Liam Cunningham. Known for his role as Ser Davos, Cunningham appeared in the fifth season of Merlin as a fearsome druid sorcerer Ruadan.
He joined forces with Morgana to overthrow Arthur and together went searching for the key to all knowledge, the Diamair. Ruadan was highly dedicated to his cause and the only other thing that he cared about was his daughter Sefa. Powerful and wise, Ruadan was a formidable and intriguing villain who sadly didn't last too long on the series.
Sophie Rundle
From Peaky Blinders to Jamestown, Sophie Rundle has been in a steady stream of popular TV shows. Appearing in Merlin as the daughter of the powerful sorcerer Ruadan, Rundle had a short but noteworthy appearance as Sefa. Sefa acted as a spy for her father while working as one of Gwen's handmaidens in season five.
Unlike many of the other villains on the series, fans really felt for Sefa. She was only following her father's orders and fans could sense her struggle with her love for her father and the need to do what is right.
Charles Dance
Best known for his role as the Lannister patriarch on Game of Thrones, Charles Dance has a knack for playing powerful and menacing characters. In Merlin, he played the ruthless Witchfinder, Aredian. Appearing in the season two episode, "The Witchfinder", Aredian hunted down sorcerers for profit.
However, he was nothing more than a fraudster who would trick people into thinking that there were magic users among them and then murdered the fake sorcerers. In one of the show's more heart-racing episodes, he framed Gaius and even went after Merlin and Morgana. Thankfully, Merlin was able to figure out his plan and reveal it to Uther.
Asa Butterfield
Currently starring as one of the leads in Sex Education, Asa Butterfield is one of the most recognizable young faces of the last few years. Butterfield started his career at a very young age and first garnered fame for his role as Bruno in The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas in 2008.
It was also around that time that he starred in Merlin as the young druid Mordred. He was prophesied to be the cause of Arthur's death and therefore Merlin and the viewers were justifiably wary of him. While at first appearing to be an innocent child, the extent of his powers and cruelty made it clear that he would be someone to watch out for.
Tom Ellis
Before Tom Ellis played the literal Devil on Lucifer, he had a multi-character arc as King Cenred on Merlin. Appearing in season three, he worked with Morgause and Morgana to take over Camelot.
As a long time enemy of the kingdom, he both attacked Camelot and kidnapped Gwen and Elyan. Notably, he was instrumental in getting Morgana to take over the Pendragon throne through the Cup of Life and his immortal forces. Unfortunately for Cenred, he was betrayed by Morgause before he could see Camelot's tragic, albeit brief, fall.
Harry Melling
Since his iconic role as Harry's bratty cousin Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Melling has had a range of interesting roles, including playing Gilli on Merlin. Appearing in the episode, "The Sorcerer's Shadow", he played a young and scrawny sorcerer who entered one of Camelot's most dangerous dueling tournaments.
The episode saw Merlin trying to dissuade Gilli from using magic to get ahead in the tournament before he was either discovered or, at the very worst, killed someone. By the end, Gilli was able to realize the true power of his magic and that he shouldn't use it for fame and glory.
Tom Hopper
Long before Tom Hopper was playing the hulking Luther Hargreeves on The Umbrella Academy, he played the towering and kind Sir Percival. First appearing at the end of season three, Percival became one of Camelot's most loyal knights
While known for his incredible strength and skill as a warrior, Percival was also a gentle soul that was eager to help anyone in need, especially his fellow knights. Therefore, it was so emotional to see Gwaine die in his arms in the show's finale with him unable to do anything about it. In the end, he returned to Camelot as one of the last remaining Knights of the Round Table.