What’s up with Merlin?

[Hobbe]

So what's the deal with Merlin?

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So the first time we see Merlin he is living in Radiant Garden and is in possession of the 100 Acre Wood storybook, a most interesting example of an actual world within a book (hearts contained somehow in paper?! Cool!). He trains the three keybladers in something or other (never actually had the chance to play the game, only watched the scenes and we can all agree that was the least important one…).

Now, when next we see him, he is in Traverse Town. Now, here’s a muddy point. At this point in time, is his mind completely blown that there are other worlds and that he managed to escape to a crazy outer space refuge for lost world people on a groovy space ship made by Cid and the gang, just regular Radiant Gardeners?

Or did he already know about other worlds, being the greatest wizard of all time (with Time Magic!) and somehow in possession of a very special book (one which he clearly knows the value of and has probably been inside of before...)? Was he just some great and powerful wizard residing in the humble Borough home of the capital [only?] city of the capital world of the Realm of Light? Why wasn’t he the world leader’s right hand advisor? Was he just ‘not meddling with the world order’? Couldn’t this shit have all been avoided? Oh Merlin, you kook!

I don’t even want to get in to when or where Arthur’s story takes place in this guy’s outrageous Kingdom Hearts timeline. That’s a funny thought all on its own.

OK, so he’s definitely a world hopper. He was Donald’s magic teacher, right? Pre-KH1. This obviously had to occur at Disney Castle (or the Musketeer’s world, and it is a separate world from Disney Castle or why would it be asleep? But that’s an even funnier point I won’t get into.). So was that his true home? How was he getting around? No Gummi ships, because the meteor shower thing [caused by Xehapprentice opening the door, right?] had not yet occurred. So, corridors of darkness, then? Hmm, probably not that… Crazy Disney Magic? Well, he is Merlin!

But then what’s his deal? He just hops from world to world teaching destructive magic to ducks? Where is he really from? What is his purpose, really? Just a crazy old dude living it up, passing on some skills and generally [ineffectively] looking out for the worlds? Well he may have at least been an advisor for Mickey if not for Ansem the Wise. It’s my guess that Merlin and the Three Good Fairies and other such characters knew about Yen Sid long before the events of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, meaning they probably were also well aware of keyblades, although I admit that the Fairies at least may have begun their meddling post-BbS with the destruction of their world.
Can anyone figure this guy out? And most importantly, what could he possibly end up doing in KHIII?

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[Launchpad]

Oh trust me, he'll only create more questions for you in the next installment. He'll also provide a way for you to visit The Hundred Acre Wood.


The most important question here--
Who was his lead animator in that film? Fan fucking tastic.

 

[Hobbe]

Right? Finding those GIFs made me want to watch that film, badly. 101 Dalmations too, since his pipe puffing reminds me of Roger's.

 

[kuraudoVII]

Oh trust me, he'll only create more questions for you in the next installment. He'll also provide a way for you to visit The Hundred Acre Wood.


The most important question here--
Who was his lead animator in that film? Fan diddlying tastic.

Completely agree.

Anyway, in regards to the OP, I get the feeling that Merlin was mostly aware of some of the stuff that's been going on since he IS a Disney wizard that seems capable of doing whatever he felt like. As already suggested, he may have been somewhat loosely trying to keep the World Order intact while initially staying at Radiant Garden. It really wasn't until after Radiant Garden fell that he most likely felt the need to simply do more, I guess.

Actually, there is another thing to consider here now that this has been brought to light. Scrooge McDuck has been wandering around Radiant Garden during that time as well, even selling Sea Salt Ice Cream to Isa and Lea. On top of that, I think it was once stated that Scrooge went around world-hopping with Mickey as well. Is it possible that Donald was only able to learn magic in the first place because Scrooge and Mickey crossed paths with Merlin somewhere?

 

[Hobbe]

Scrooge is a good point that I was considering after I typed all that up. He's definitely a world hopper, he even explicitly states that he knows the BbS trio are too and that he's not from Radiant Garden either (obviously, since he's Donald's uncle and Donald's from... Country of the Musketeers?)...

I'm thinking he probably tagged along with Merlin when he came to Radiant Garden. It seems the people who are allowed to meddle with the world order by traveling around are like some kind of club, which is strange because it's like... what makes Scrooge so important that he should be allowed access to other worlds? His entrepreneurial genius? Hmmm...

Donald is Disney Castle's court wizard, and we have to wonder if he maybe took that position off of Merlin's hands when Merlin and Scrooge perhaps 'retired' to Radiant Garden...

Lots to think about, for sure. Is Disney Castle some kind of wacky world where all its members of government are aware of other worlds?

 

[Face My Fears]

I think Scrooge being on the team of world hoppers makes sense. He's a salesman. That's a good cover for them. He's a wandering salesman from a far away part of the world.

 

[robvandam111]

He's usually vacationing in Bermuda