all I’m saying is that if Morgana really was ‘the darkness to Merlin’s light and the hatred to his love’ then we should’ve seen the beginnings of a redemption arc (not a full one but the beginnings of one) as Merlin became more and more cynical and cold and not believing in his and Arthur’s shared destiny so much as he was depending on it to the point where it was really more about Arthur than bringing about an era of peace and uniting the kingdoms and any warming in Arthur’s attitude towards magic happening more in spite of, rather than because of, Merlin (pretty sure the last time Merlin tried to do anything like this is when he tried to kill Uther but then it backfired because of Morgana. Which would make this change in dynamics even more interesting and seems like a natural turning point for the both of them).

how interesting would that have been if the more Merlin lost himself the more Morgana would’ve began finding herself again? One thing that Morgana’s corruption arc accomplished was of convincing Merlin that destiny is etched in stone (because what other than destiny could have possibly have changed Morgana of all people to be so cruel and heartless, the same way that her corruption arc convinced Arthur of the evil of magic) so if we could see that as Merlin slowly became more cold and so focused on Arthur and the big picture and destiny that he forgets why he was fighting for that destiny in the first place, then we could also see hints of Morgana remembering why she turned against Camelot in the first place in parallel to that. That way Morgana can continue to carry out one of her largest narrative roles from the early seasons, interrogating the concept of destiny. I know that her relationship with Aithusa could be considered to be the counterweight that I’m talking about (and possibly Mordred as well, though I personally wouldn’t consider that relationship in season 5 to be a source of light to anybody), but it doesn’t feel like enough light to balance out Merlin’s darkness in season 5 to me.

I have read some great fics that have done this, but they usually turn it into a complete role reversal and make Morgana the good guy and Merlin the bad guy but I don’t want Morgana to stop being morally dark grey. I like her as the bad guy. She’s my favorite character. I just wish that she was able to reach her potential as a complex and nuanced character who makes people ask difficult questions instead of having her core characterizations of kindness and advocating for the powerless ripped away from her with no explanation. Not just anger, but her righteous anger as well. Her fear, hatred, desire for love and acceptance, and enjoyment of power are all still there (i would say that her desire to be queen of Camelot, at least initially, stems more from her desire for love and acceptance than her desire for power). But why is her compassion and sense of justice also completely gone instead of diminished or twisted? (Would’ve made the show too complex and too confusing over who the bad guy is supposed to be ig)

I’m such a slut for Arthur occasionally catching a glimpse of Merlin’s darker side. A calculating glint to those guileless blue eyes, a measured cunning on that impish face, a touch of venom in that warm voice. Flashes of a fierce intelligence, of hidden cleverness, of sharp insight, of wisdom beyond his years. Never momentous enough to comment on, but enough to stick in Arthur’s mind, enough to drive him to distraction on nights he can’t sleep, wondering what secrets his maddeningly obtuse servant is hiding, wondering why he plays the fool when clearly he’s capable of being more. I think Arthur should be obsessed with Merlin not just as the bumbling friend who needs protection but also the cunning little freak Arthur knows he secretly is

I had this idea since July and I got better at drawing just to be able to draw it 😭

This is the sketch from 10/07/2025

can i offer you some modern au fem merthur in these trying times

Merlin season 6 is looking good

“Darling, darling. I live in you, and you would die for me. I love you so.”

carmilla (stone) lithograph | prints here

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