Kilgharrah

Kilgharrah is a major character in the BBC series Merlin. He is the oldest and wisest of the dragons who was in present beneath the caverns of Camelot 20 years prior to the series. He serves as Merlin's mentor and closest friends who believes in the Prophecy of the Once and Future King and the kingdom he and Arthur Pendragon will create and bring magic back to the land. 
He is voiced by the late John Hurt, who portrayed Garrick Ollivander in the Harry Potter film series and voices the Horned King in The Black Cauldron.
== Powers and abilities==
===Powers===
*Flight: Like all dragons, Kilgharrah can fly at incredible speeds and over long distances. For example, he was able to fly a fully recovered Merlin from his cave to Camelot, only taking half of the night to return when Morgause and Cenred we're planning to strike against the Kingdom (The Tears of Urther Pendragon) and half a day to get him to the lake of Avalon ("The Coming of Arthur").
*Fire breathing: He has the ability to breathe fire and Kilgharrah seems to control it on his own. In "Excalibur," Kilgharrah can enchant weapons with his fire. He used it to enhance the sword Excalibur (a weapon powerful enough to kill something that is already dead). The weapon was purpose for Arthur and Arthur alone. However, Merlin used the sword during the Battle for Camelot and emptying the cup of life.
*Magic Immunity: Kilgharrah is mostly immune to any magic or enchantment. In "The Knights of Medher" he resisted Morgause's sleeping spell when Morgana was the vessel for her sister's sleeping curse. He also resisted Merlin's magical attacks when he enchanted a spear with his magic. However, Kilgharrah tells Merlin in "The Tears of Uther Pendragon" he cannot ignore the command of a Dragonlord, even if he wants to.
*High level intelligence/Vast knowledge of magic: Kilgharrah is one of the oldest and wisest character in all the lands of Camelot and the Five Kingdoms. The dragon knows his history of magic, and uses this to help Merlin when he cannot find ways to solve magical problems on his own. He has the ability to transfer that knowledge to another person, granting it to Merlin on two occasions: how to defeat a powerful sorcerer, Cornelius Sigan in "The Curse of Cornelius Sigan", and healing Morgana in "The Crystal Cave." ). Kilgharrah shared knowledge with Merlin on being a dragon Lord and how to hatch a dragon's egg. During the events of "The Crystal Cave," it was revealed that Kilgharrah was aware that Morgana was the king's biological daughter. How he came to disastrous knowledge is unknown but he most likely discovered it through his gift of foresight.
*Foresight: Like Morgana in her dreams, the dragon has a limited ability of seeing into the future. He informed Merlin of his and Arthur's destiny to create Albion (the greatest kingdom). Kilgharrah saw the magic within Morgana and the potential evilness her powers came from, as well as Mordred's destiny to one day kill Arthur and Morgana and Mordred's alliance. Kilgharrah also used this power to see Lancelot as one of the most noblest and bravest knights Camelot has ever known.
*Healing: Kilgharrah apparently has the power to heal others if they have had wounds inflicted on them due to Magic. He used it to heal Merlin of the gigantic scorpion's poison and his sword wound during "The Kindness of Strangers."
*Enhanced Agility: Kilgharrah is very agile. In "The Last Dragonlord," He was able to avoid most of the arrows fired at him and counterattack most of Arthur's attacks (but only managed to wound the dragon)
*Longevity: Kilgharrah can live for thousands of years. However, he is not ageless, as over time, even The Great Dragon can die. In "The Kindness of Strangers," Merlin took notice of this and even Kilgharrah said he feared he was running out of time and no magic could heal him.
*Mental powers:
*Telepathy: Kilgharrah is able to communicate with other people via mind reading. Like Merlin and Morgana, who both had magic, he could hear the druid voice speak to him in his mind as well. Through his bond with Merlin, Kilgharrah can hear him calling wherever Merlin speaks in the dragonlord's language no matter what the distance.
*Telekinesis: Kilgharrah lifted Excalibur up in the air as he furnished its blade with his fire-breathing.
==Role in Merlin==
===Series 1===
====The Dragon's Call ====
====Valiant====
==== The Mark of Nimueh====
====A Remedy to Cure All Ills====
====The Beginning of the End ====
====Excalibur====
====To Kill the King====
==== Le Morte d'Arthur====
===Series 2===
====The Curse of Cornelius Sigan====
====The Nightmare Begins====
====Beauty and the Beast: Part Two ====
====The Witchfinder ====
====Sweet Dreams====
====The Witch's Quickening====
====The Fires of Idirsholas====
==== The Last Dragonlord====
===Series 3 ===
====The Tears of Uther Pendragon: Part One====
The dragon appears in the end of the episode, where he answers Merlin's call. He saves the young wizard from the Serkets and its poisonous stings.
====The Tears of Uther Pendragon: Part Two====
====The Crystal Cave====
====The Sorcerer's Shadow====
====The Coming of Arthur: Part Two====
===Series 4===
====The Darkest Hour: Part Two====
====Aithusa====
====The Sword in the Stone: Part Two====
===Series 5===
====Arthur's Bane: Part One====
==== The Disir====
====The Kindness of Strangers====
====The Diamond of the Day: Part Two====
==Personality ==
Kilgharrah is one of the wisest dragons. However, some of Kilgharrah's advice sometimes goes the wrong way. Despite this, he cares much for Merlin, especially after learning they are spiritual brothers when Merlin inherited his father's Dragonlord abilities. 
==Relationships==
===Merlin===
By "The Coming of Arthur," Kilgharrah and Merlin have fully reconciled, as the dragon says his loyalty is, and always will belong to the warlock. He carried him to the lake of Avalon to retrieve Excalibur from it's waters. Kilgharrah reminded Merlin of the warning he gave him about the sword doing great evil if put in the wrong hands. He asked Merlin to put it back so none could weils it after it served it's purpose. After Morgana's and Morgause (BBC)'s defeat, Merlin heeded the dragon's warning and placed the sword in the stone so none could wield it until the right time. 
At least one year later, Merlin called for Kilgharrah's help against the Dorocha (murderous ghosts) attacking him and Lancelot. He announced his plans too sacrifice himself to repair the tear between the veil of the worlds living and the dead. Kilgharrah understood that the broken veil must be repaired and told Merlin it would be a sorrowful world without him. (The Drawing of the Dark). 
===Balinor===
Balinor was one of Kilgharrah's oldest friends and had known him twenty years prior to the series. The dragon knew Balinor enough that he would sacrifice and do anything to save the latter. He was also the only one who knew of the dragon's true name and how they were bonded as brothers. During the Great Purge, Uther tricked Balinor to summoning Kilgharrah, while feigning the need for peace. Instead, the King betrayed them both by imprisoning Kilgharrah below the caverns of Camelot and labeling Balinor a fugitive. Balinor took offense to this lie, holding a grudge against Uther for the offense he did both Kilgharrah and himself. In "The Last Dragonlord," Balinor understood the dragon's anger and his right to making Uther and Camelot suffer. However, the man changed his mind when Merlin mentioned Gaius and reminded of the Dragonlords' noble reputation and the few friends he had in Camelot. Balinor believed he could tame Kilgharrah; unfortunately, Balinor was killed saving his son and leaving Merlin to inherited his father's Dragonlord powers. Knowing this was a gift past from father to son when the father passed made Kilgharrah realize Balinor was gone but Merlin remained. 
In "Aithusa," it was discovered that the last dragon egg had survived the Great Purge. The Great Dragon asked Merlin, in the name of his father, to save a dragon egg when Gaius forbade him to saving it. This shows Kilgharrah's awareness that Balinor would do the same thing, if he had been in Merlin's shoes. 
==Trivia==
*The Last Dragonlord was the only episode Kilgharrah served as antagonist. To be fair, he had been imprisoned and Uther had killed all his dragons. 
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