Merlin, also known as Principal Merlin, is a powerful wizard and the deuteragonist in Disney's 1963 animated film The Sword in the Stone, where he is the mentor and friend of Arthur. Merlin is also the magical rival of Madam Mim. He was the founder and the principal of Merlin Academy.
Merlin is a powerful wizard who, after meeting a pre-teen orphan named Arthur, commonly known as Wart, offers to be his tutor, because he senses that he will be someone important in the future. Merlin uses his magic to show Wart different lessons about life. However, when Wart shows enthusiasm for becoming a squire, Merlin becomes enraged as he hopes for a better future for him, causing the wizard to leave. But finally, after Wart extracts the famous Sword in the Stone, he is named king, becoming known to everyone as King Arthur, which leads the boy to call Merlin after feeling under pressure. Merlin, happy that Arthur has become someone who will go down in history, stays by his side during his reign.
It is mentioned that in the past Prince Phillip, for his Senior Quest, had slain a dragon, although it was an illusion crafted by Merlin.[1] He appears as the representative of Camelot in the National Association of Far Far Away, were when the members of the council argued that the goods of their respective kingdoms were the most valuable, he comments that the magic potions from Camelot are far more valuable than the diamonds from Charmington that Grumpy mentions in the reunion.[2]
Merlin appears inside his namesake academy where he finds Chloe Charming and Red and believes them to be late for their class, he meets up with them as Chloe attempts to explain their situation as Red phrases Chloe's sentence differently to prevent her from explaining that they are both from the future though when Red insists they are transfer students, Merlin notes that he would have known about the transfer due to his Principal status and goes through his robe in search for the papers to no luck though believes they would appear eventually as he takes the two to his office for their lesson in Honors Alchemy. There, he asks Bridget and Ella to split up and help Red and Chloe with their assignment as the two comply. Throughout the class, Merlin asks the class to focus on their work and to not be so loud with their conversations just before the class ends.
The night before Castlecoming, Red and Chloe break into Merlin's office in order to retrieve the Sorcerer's Cookbook to prevent Uliana and her group from taking it first. Merlin is then summoned by one of the enchanted owls when the enchantment on the book is then activated, after entering his office, he finds Uliana, Hades, Maleficent and Hook in their frozen states where he gives them a longtime detention for attempting to take one of the forbidden books.
Trivia
He is one of the few characters originally from Disney animated films to have appeared in the Descendants film series (in a non-cameo role) without a descendant of them also appearing.
