When it comes to the fictional world of witchcraft and wizardry, one can only think of two famous wizards or male witches – Merlin and Harry Potter. Aside from the obvious fact that these two characters came from different periods of time – Merlin fighting side by side with King Arthur, while Harry Potter practicing wizardry in the era of computers and high technology – each has a unique appeal and character that make them stand out and become legendary in their own right. Here’s a quick glimpse of how Merlin and Harry Potter, while both are powerful wizards, differ from one another.
General Description
Harry Potter fanatics may see Professor Dumbledore as the contemporary counterpart of Merlin – because of the traditional wardrobe and long beard that both of them wear fashionably. But aside from their physical appearance which spells a lot of difference, there is a major difference on how they were able to achieve exceptional greatness as wizards. Merlin started out humbly, but with a natural ability for practicing magic, which he was able to enhance and use to help King Arthur usher in the Golden Age for Camelot. Harry Potter, on the other hand, was destined from the start to fight the greatest dark magician, Voldemort, so he has already been popular since birth.
Magical Spells
Probably owing to the fact that the two characters were developed in different eras, they also have a unique set of specialty spells used to protect themselves and fight enemies. Harry Potter’s spells are more direct; aiming to disarm the enemies or directly protect himself from dark forces. Merlin, on the other hand, excels in confusing his enemies by manipulating time or distance through telekinesis. Harry Potter’s unique spell, Patronus, is defensive in nature and focuses on one goal, while Merlin’s greatest spell is to conjure a great dragon which provides all sorts of magical tools to fight his enemies.
Fighting Techniques
A great story is boring without challenging battles and formidable foes, and both Merlin and Harry Potter had their hands full battling dark forces and equally powerful sorcerers with corrupted intentions. The difference is that Harry Potter was trained and destined to fight enemies head on, using offensive spells or disarming spells during battle. Merlin, on the other hand, rarely engages on a direct battle, but rather works magically to bend the will of his enemies. Harry Potter uses magic and spells without caution, even sometimes in front of normal people, while Merlin usually works in an unseen fashion.
Although these things make Harry Potter very different from Merlin, they share some things in common. Both depend on a magical tool – Harry Potter depended on his wand while Merlin depended on his sidhe staff – to conjure magic and execute powerful spells. Although Harry Potter has some predisposition to the dark side as evidenced by his ability to speak to serpents and use spells developed by dark magicians, both have the sincere intention to preserve good magic and protect humanity from the destruction and despair that will be brought about by dark forces. This is what makes them possibly the most legendary wizards of all time.
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