Merlin (Disney)

Merlin, voiced by Karl Swenson, is a main character in the 1963 animated Disney film "The Sword in the Stone", based on T. H. White's novel of the same name. Based on Merlin of Arthurian legend, Disney's (and White's) version of the character aides and educates King Arthur about various things. He was animated by several of Disney's Nine Old Men, including Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and John Lounsbery. Kahl also designed the character, refining the storyboard sketches of Bill Peet.

He owns a pet owl named Archimedes who has the ability to speak.

The Sword in the Stone

Merlin is first seen in the film The Sword in the Stone, when "Wart" (the future King Arthur), heads off into the woods to search for a lost arrow. Sensing potential in the boy, Merlin decides to give Wart a "proper" education, which consists of the ability to read, science, the true shape of the world (round, not flat), and so forth. Merlin uses magic to transform both himself and Wart into various animals (such as fish and squirrel) for the more important "life lessons"; such as brains not brawn are the real power, the facts of life, etc.

It is during one of these lessons that Wart (who had taken on the form of a sparrow, during a lesson in flying from Archimedes) is captured by Madame Mim. After Archimedes fetches Merlin to save Wart, Merlin and Madame Mim engage in a duel in which each seeks to defeat the other by transforming into various creatures. Though Mim's dragon form seemed to gain the upperhand at the climax of the duel, Merlin managed to defeat her by transforming into a germ and infecting her.

When Arthur announces that he will begin his service as a squire to Kay, his older foster brother, Merlin is both angry and disappointed that Wart still preferred war games over education and transports himself to the 20th-century Bermuda.

Merlin appears a final time at the end of the film, when Wart/Arthur calls to him for advice on how to be a King (having by this time pulled the Sword from the Stone). Merlin reassures him by telling him that he will one day rise and lead an order of heroes (the Knights of the Round Table) and reveals to him that in the 20th century, he is a famous figure with a large visual prescence (in both movies and television).

In other media

House of Mouse

Merlin made frequent appearances in the "House of Mouse" television series, voiced by the late Hamilton Camp.

=Disney Parks=

Merlin frequents the Disney Parks, the only character from Sword in the Stone appearing for meet-and-greets at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. He also appears as part of the opening unit of Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams at Disneyland Park.

Kingdom Hearts

Merlin is a supporting character in the Kingdom Hearts series.

In "Kingdom Hearts", Merlin lives in an abandoned shack in Traverse Town with his friend, the Fairy Godmother (from "Cinderella"), the two of them having been sent by King Mickey to aid Sora, Donald and Goofy in the art of magic. He also owns an old book which features the world of The Hundred Acre Wood, home of Winnie the Pooh. The book's pages, however, have been torn out and scattered across the universe, and Merlin asks Sora to retrieve them for him.

He reprises the same role in "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories", as a figment of Sora's memories.

In "Kingdom Hearts II", Merlin is now voiced by Jeff Bennett, and has moved to Hollow Bastion to live with Leon, Yuffie, Cid, Cloud and Aerith as part of the town's Restoration Committee. He again instructs Sora, Donald and Goofy in the art of magic, and once again requests that they retrieve the stolen parts of the Pooh storybook. At one point in the game, he is summonned to Disney Castle by Queen Minnie to counter the threat of Maleficent, and he constructs a door leading to Disney Castle's past (Timeless River) for the trio to explore and stop Maleficent and Pete's plans. Here, he is constantly at odds with Cid, who prefers his own computer expertise rather than Merlin's magic.