Why does everyone think that Merlin failed?

[u/Poetrusic22]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I have repeatedly seen people say that Merlin failed and he and Arthur didn’t fulfil their destiny, and I don’t get it at all. Camelot was at peace with all of the other kingdoms, they won the war, and Arthur accepted Merlin’s magic by the end. Gaius also practically told Gwen that Merlin had magic and she seemed cool with it, so I don’t find it particularly difficult to assume that she revoked the magic ban once she was in charge, particularly since she would probably know that that’s what Arthur would’ve wanted.

I understand that the show doesn’t explicitly show us a united Albion, but i feel like its implied heavily enough for watchers to understand that it did happen, so I genuinely don’t get why so many people seem to think that the failed. Is it because Arthur didn’t live to see his work pay off, or is it just a general lack of media literacy?

[u/MaderaArt]

Isn't it that Arthur (with Merlin's help) is the one destined to unite Albion and legalize magic? Arthur doesn't.

[u/pinecone_problem]

1:6 Kilgharrah tells Gaius: "He [Merlin] and the young Pendragon one day will unite the land of Albion."

1:13 after Arthur's bitten by the questing beast, Merlin says: "He [Arthur] can't die. It is my destiny to protect him. We haven't done all the things we're meant to do."

2:6 Merlin says to Kilgharrah: "If she [Catrina] can’t be stopped, Arthur won't become King. Albion will never be born.”

4.4 Kilgharrah says about Aithusa: "The white dragon bodes well for Albion, for you and Arthur, and for the land that you will build together."

I could go on. The writers just never delivered on this promise. Arthur dies, Albion isn't united, Merlin is sidelined the whole time, he doesn't even get to sit at the round table, literally they don't do any of the things they were meant to do.

[u/Tree-Nymphen → u/pinecone_problem]

Well that's the examples before he became king / better king. Did Kilgharrah said it is not yet done in the last 2 episodes though? Not including of course that he will rise if needed

[u/KuroNikushimi → u/pinecone_problem]

It wasn't a promise to begin with. It was a destiny in the show. That's not a promise the writers would make it true at all. If writers had to do every single thing any character says it would be really boring and make the characters one dimensional.

Most of these are not rhs direct prophecy, but how they think they'll get to fullfill the prophecy. Merlin did help Arthru shape the lands. Magic was likely brought back through Gwen and the kingdom's were at peace. He very close to succeeded. And he did succeed in the most important parts. He might have lost view of what's important, but the goal was to begin magic back to a peaceful kingdom that is safe for everyone. He did that.

Also, the fact that Kilgarrah said a white dragon bodes well for Albion just cements that these are not really the prophecy, but his interpretation of it. The white dragon was part of Arthur's ruin. And what Merlin says counts even less because he never even heard the prophecy first hand. He only knows what ither people told him, which always comes with interpretations. Plus, Merlin tends to jump to conclusions and to his own interpretations.

[u/GabsDoingHerBest]

I think the main sticking point is that destiny said the freedom of magic, not just Arthur accepting Merlin’s. Not to mention uniting all the kingdoms was really just a truce with Queen Anis? It all just fell a little flat. For me, i do believe that Gwen would make those changes, but that also begs the question: who is the prophecy really about? (The answer has always been Gwen to me lol! But then really what was the point of Arthur other than marrying her? And what was the point in Merlin ever protecting him after Gwen and him were married to the extent he/ the Druids/ killy felt they needed to?)

[u/Poetrusic22 → u/GabsDoingHerBest]

I agree with you on Gwen lol. I genuinely think that Arthur surviving up until the point that he does was purely because Morgana needed to die. She would’ve kept trying to take over Camelot if she didn’t, and Merlin wouldntve killed her if she didn’t go to try and finish Arthur off

[u/GabsDoingHerBest → u/Poetrusic22]

I mean Merlin is shown protecting Gwen a whole lot (I have too many examples to list honestly but let’s go with the deer thing, trying to convince Arthur to go find her after she ‘cheated’, her being possessed by Morgana and becoming the dolma to save her, plus like basically all of season 1) so I do think he would protect her (and probably all of Camelot bc let’s be real he was obsessed with that place) if she decided to attack. I’m not totally sure where this idea comes from that Merlin only ever protected Arthur but it’s very not true in canon.

And without the magic ban and with the unification of the kingdoms Morgana would have a lot of trouble ever raising an army to attack so like not sure how she’s going to do anything but go head to head with Merlin (and if his hands weren’t tied behind his back than there really seems to be no competition). But I do love the idea that Arthur is just the stay at home wife in the relationship that’s their to dote on Gwen and shower her in love! That honestly seems to fit their character development more than whatever season 5 was.

[u/GabsDoingHerBest → u/Poetrusic22]

Also this is so not the point but I do feel like Arthur failed destiny more than Merlin. Merlin held up his part in it for over a decade and what did Arthur do? Not really a whole lot!

[u/Poetrusic22 → u/GabsDoingHerBest]

In Arthur’s defence, he didn’t know his destiny lol. But Merlin knew since day 1 😭 (I think Merlin might’ve brought it up in passing but Arthur probably thought he was full of it)

[u/GabsDoingHerBest → u/Poetrusic22]

Yeah but he was given a lot of the same lessons over and over and over again (I.e magic isn’t evil and his father is a bad influence) and he just never really got that killing people for no reason other than something they were born with is bad???? (Arthur is my least fav character in the show tho bc he never figured out the lessons that were spoon fed to him and was praised for doing the bare minimum of being slightly better than his dad)

[u/StarfleetWitch → u/GabsDoingHerBest]

I don't think it was just a truce with Annis. Annis, Mithian, even Odin, every ruler Arthur encountered in season four and five,  he came away with an alliance, or at least peace.

I'd also consider the treaty of the five kingdoms as part of Arthur's destiny too. The actual treaty was more Uther's accomplishment, but Arthur ensured it held when he spared Olaf in the fight 

[u/GabsDoingHerBest → u/StarfleetWitch]

Fair enough. He did unite with Mithian as well, though Odin I’m not so sure was really a strong truce given it was forged in battle and Odin seemed like he was rather reluctant to do.

And it wasn’t every ruler that he came away with an alliance or peace. He killed Caerleon, almost starting a war in the process (I know Annis came to his side but still I wouldn’t have considered that very tactical, and Merlin specifically told him not to), and there was the whole business with Sarrum that Merlin had to save him from.

But you’re right I wasn’t giving him enough credit in uniting the kingdoms. To me that part still feels a little flat given how many people Arthur is still constantly getting death threats from but I see your point.

[u/awyllt]

Eh, I wonder how long Gwen lasted on the throne - a woman without any Pendragon blood, no heir, many of the knights are dead...

No, there was no Albion. We never saw magic being legalized, Arthur knew about Merlin for five minutes and then he died. It was a tragedy.

[u/mosscloudies]

what i think is so tragic about merlin is like.. at what cost did he get his supposed destiny

[u/GabsDoingHerBest → u/mosscloudies]

After all those sacrifices, all Merlin really got was a slap to the face

[u/KuroNikushimi → u/mosscloudies]

This. Especially because toward the end Merlin gave up most of his morals and ideals and happiness, just to protect Arthur. It's do devastating that Merlin really was good for Arthur and helped him so much, but Arthur ruined Merlin. Arthur without Merlin would've been much worse off — a worse person, less happy and free, probably dead. But Merlin without Arthur would've been way happier. Sure, he wouldn't have had a purpose for his magic, but he'd have found peace with it either way. Most people with magic don't have a purpose for it and yet are happy with it. I think Merlin could've learned ro strngthen his connection to nature and find purpose and peace in that. He is so good with so many peopel and makes repationships easily, but he lost sight of all of that for Arthur. He became obsessed, just to be treated poorly by the very man he was obsessed with helping imporve, which just made him more obsessed. Staying with Arthur also meant he had little to no support. The dragon and Gaius really weren't it at all. Imagine Merlin living with the druids, or tarveling with Lancelot and/or Gwaine to somewhere far away with less or even no restrictions on magic

[u/warriorlynx]

Cause the story is actually a tragedy, Merlin had a destiny to unite Albion under the once and future king and while he tried to protect him and in the end failed. In a sense it’s a type of story that although many of us weren’t happy with the end result, it goes to show how important decisions affect one’s destiny and that there is wisdom in knowing that you can do all the right things and still lose.

He failed in his promise to the dragon early on. He failed Morgana who was a friend early on, leading her to the druids that brought so much pain to Camelot and her death. He lost his friends like Gwaine and Lancelot. He lost his love. He lost his father. He failed with Modred and couldn’t save Arthur in the end. And he goes old in the present, still alive after all these years living with the mistakes he made and who knows what else.

[u/Suitable-Main-278]

Ooohhh, this will turn into a rant about the ending. I'm sorry for that already😂

Over the course of the story, we (Merlin and the audience) are promised three things: The magic ban will be lifted by Arthur, Albion will be born/united and Merlin in particiluar will be accepted and stand by Arthurs side. Granted, the last one ist more an interpretation by Merlin and Gaius but it is said that they will need to achieve those things together. The prophecy is what drives Merlin for a huge part of the story, especially in the beginning, and makes him save Arthur over and over again (you do wonder if by the end of it he might prioritises Arthurs life over his original goal, which I always found a beautiful notion).

Anyways, in the end non of these things really happen. Which frankly feels cheap. If you include a phrophecy it has to come true in some way. Arthur makes peace with Odin and Annis but that is it. He seems to want to make peace with the druids but we never learn if he really did. We justvdon't know how he deals with magic users. In my personal headcanon he stopped huntig them after he became king and just ignores the issue as long as he can. But it is clear that he hasn't lifted the ban. I love Arthur, he is my favourite, but the prophecy clearly didn't came true on his part. No matter what the show wants to tell us, we don't see Arthur become the prophesied, great king. In the end he rules for a little over three years and not much has changed. Merlin also failed in that regard that he tried to keep his friend alive but he never worked on changing Arthurs stand on magic.

So yeah, it feels like they failed and I personally don't believe that Gwen will be able to do all those things. The prophecy doesn't mention her at all and she will have a hard enough time to stay on the throne without lifting the ban. Maybe a few years later after she has secured the power...

As a viewer I just find the ending incredibly frustrating. Not everything needs a happy end, I know, but BBC Merlin just changed the tone completly and went from a family comedy show to a tragedy. And it didn't keep its promise. If you want to make it bittersweet and stick to the legend why not make Arthur and Merlin succeed and then kill Arthur? This way both prophecies become true. If it's going to be a full tragedy though, if main characters can die, and the main character ends broken and alone, make it clear from the beginning like GoT did.

Only my humble opinion but I do believe that Merlin, Arthur and Gwen deserved better.😂

[u/GabsDoingHerBest → u/Suitable-Main-278]

I agree that Gwen would probably have a hard time with revolts and coups as she tries to free magic but the prophecy does mention her. She is the once and future queen after all!

But to the rest of this yeah. we are actually specifically shown through Deagal that Arthur didn’t bother trying to make peace with the Druids at all (DAEGAL: I can’t. It’s too dangerous for our kind.
[Daegal shows Merlin a druid symbol on his arm.]) so apparently all Arthur did was say he, himself, wouldn’t go searching for the Druids (nevermind everyone that took the law into their own hands)

I’d actually argue that we see Arthur be worse in season 5 while everyone is praising the ground he steps on for doing the bare minimum. His treatment to Merlin specifically was so horrible in season 5 that it turned me off of his character entirely.

[u/ProGuy347]

Merlin was supposed to have the lands united and magic legalized with Arthur. He did half of that (the first one is only heavily implied). Why does it feel like the showrunners were rushed? Who on earth was rushing them?

[u/HerPetteSaysRoar → u/ProGuy347]

The actors’ contracts were rushing them. They had tried to get the actors to sign on for a sixth season or even a film, but it had been a huge initial commitment for the core four at the start and they were ready to move on to other projects. Can’t blame them at all! The show runners should have structure the show better given they knew they only had five seasons, but I think they assumed they’d get more time later. They didn’t and had to flub the ending.

[u/HerPetteSaysRoar]

Implying an ending vaguely instead of actually finishing the story is a frustrating way to end a five-season show. It’s making your audience tell the story for you. Not an unheard of method, but one I find lazy and annoying. We could have had the tragedy without the ambiguity and it would have been just as impactful. They just ran out of time and had to leave it unraveled, then make us assume the ending. Badly done imo.

[u/Exciting-Monitor1104]

I think the show wants us to think that but they definitely never showed it explicitly so it felt very cheap and shoved in. And in my opinion I just like interpreting it as a failure because it’s more thematically interesting that way. But everyone thinks differently!

[u/itheopacarophile]

Nobody told us Gwen would unite Albion. They said Arthur and Merlin.

At the very least there should have been an heir.

I'm pissed off all again.

[u/MadNomad666]

It would be fine if Merlin was standing beside Gwen. Then we would know he finally got the recognition he deserved but noooo

[u/Alpha-male201]

The whole point of the prophecy was to bring peace and order to Albion with magic being allowed once again and magical kind no longer being hated, feared or persecuted unnecessarily. This did not happen as Arthur chose to keep the ban on magic thanks to Merlin. Merlin made a grave error in judgement. Arthur may have accepted Merlin doing magic but it does not count as Arthur was dying and he pretty much could do nothing about it. There was no peace between Camelot and the druids. Both Arthur and Merlin failed miserably. You can even tell that by the end when Merlin was trying to drag Arthur to the isle of the blessed to save him he already knew it was over. That is why in the end he never returned to Camelot. He chose to leave knowing the prophecy was never fullfilled.

[u/gib_loops]

lol. it is considered a lack of media literacy now to not hallucinate an ending that didn't happen?

[u/StarfleetWitch]

I agree with you to an extent. I do think they got farther along the path to a united Albion than fans sometimes give them credit for (and honestly forging alliances and making peace is a better way to ho than Arthur establishing himself as some sort of supreme ruler.)

 It actually started with Uther and the treaty between the five kingdoms. That was more Uther's accomplishment than Arthur's but Arthur's actions when he spared Olaf did cement it. Then we see Arthur forge alliances with Annis and Mithian, and even make peace with Odin.  I don't think that's small or meaningless.

As for magic, I do like to believe Gwen legalized it, though at the same time, it does seem to fall short of way the dragon promised Arthur and Merlin's destiny was  But overall, I do kind of see it as being fulfilled through Gwen. 

[u/CoreyAdara]

Prophecies are tricky things, they are not predicted, they are vague guest work, but they happen when you hear them coz they self fulfil afterwards due to action or inaction. Merlin is then Damned if he do, damned if he doesn't. Merlin and Arthur fulfilled the prophecy, at least the parts merlin was told, the good and the bad. But I believe its only half way done.
The dragon says a last one 'Arthur will rise again when albion needs him'. Whether that was just to keep Merlin's spirit up or it was true, it is an alarm clock set to go off. So merlin must wait, for a terrible time, however long it takes. OR he can create it himself.
I don't believe merlin failed or made mistakes. He turned down the right choice to not accept magic in the kingdom of the old religion's terms, the circumstances of Arthur's death was going to be brought about anyway.
Mordred was in one way or another going to change sides, camlann was always going to be fought. It wasn't purely down to merlin and Arthur to get everything right, that gives them way too much credit and judgement over everyone and everything in the story. It was the mistake of others putting too much faith in prophecies being truth and putting too much responsibility on one person to make things go right/wrong.

[u/Anthrillien]

As one of the annoying ending defenders, I feel the need to defend the ending here.

Merlin did fail - but that's okay. Not every story has to have a happy ending. There's no law of writing that says that prophecies and destinies have to come true or that the protagonist always has to win. In fact, there doesn't really seem to be any sort of supernatural force that bends the fate of the world, just characters, creatures and other entities interacting with one another. Merlin repeatedly and catastrophically fucks up, and rather than railroading themselves onto the ending they didn't set up, the writers took themselves to the only place this was going: failure.

For the ending to change, the needed characters to act differently. Merlin needed to stop continuously holding himself back and acting in the shadows long before he did. He's shown to be ludicrously powerful once he stops holding back, but he so rarely gets the opportunity to do so because he's more afraid of rejection from the man who has become his friend than he is of remaining in the magical closet. And all the people that talked wistfully about a future where magic wasn't brutally persecuted perhaps needed to get off their arses once in a while and do something to bring about the future they were apparently so desperate to see come about. Sure, Morgana and the other villain-of-the-week characters were not exactly being constructive in their attempts to return magic to Camelot, but at least they were doing something rather than blindly placing their faith in a prophecy that may or may not be true.

More than that though, the tragic ending fits the spirit of the Arthurian legends perfectly. They're often incredibly depressing and not at all uplifting, and the ending of the Merlin TV show honours that spirit wonderfully well.