Editing Merlon

{{distinguish|Mervin}}
{{character infobox
|image=[[File:NS Merlon Sprite.png|200px]]<br>Sprite from ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' (Nintendo Switch)
|first_appearance=''[[Paper Mario]]'' ([[List of games by date#2000|2000]])
|species=[[Shaman]]
|latest_appearance=''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)|Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' ([[Nintendo Switch]]) ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])
}}
{{quote|Where to begin...? My name...is Merlon. I am a wizard. When I was reading the stars the other day, an oracle came to me. What I discovered is very important, and it concerns you.|Merlon|Paper Mario}}
'''Merlon''' is a wizard from the [[Paper Mario (series)|''Paper Mario'' series]]. Although he is often depicted as stubborn and comical, Merlon's integral wisdom inherently shines through, especially in ''[[Super Paper Mario]]''. He is named after the wizard of Arthurian legend, {{wp|Merlin}}, as are most of his relatives. In the first three games in the ''Paper Mario'' series, Merlon's mustache is longer than in the previous one, but while his overall appearance changes, the clasp of his cloak always resembled a [[Star Point]].

According to [[Wonky]] in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', Merlon's tribe would name people based on their job, and if multiple people had the same job, then they would be given the same name, implying that the Merlons that appear in the ''Paper Mario'' series are possibly separate individuals.

==History==
===''Paper Mario''===
Merlon first appears as a supporting character in ''[[Paper Mario]]''. Most of the time, he can be found in his house, which has a spinning roof and is located in front of the gates to [[Peach's Castle]] in [[Toad Town]].

Merlon's help is required when several black [[Toad (species)|Toad]]s block the way to the [[Koopa Bros. Fortress]]. When [[Mario]] first tries to enter his house, Merlon knocks him unconscious for a brief moment when he slams open the door. Inside, Merlon attempts to relay a story to Mario, though puts him to sleep with his rambling. After this, Mario can guide him to the Toads, prompting Merlon to use his magic to blow away their disguises, revealing their true identities as the [[Koopa Bros.]], at which point they retreat to their fortress.

[[File:Paper Mario Merlon Exposes Koopa Bros.png|thumb|left|Merlon uses magic to expose the [[Koopa Bros.]]]]
During Chapter 3, Merlon can be found standing outside of his house. If Mario speaks to him, he tells Mario of an oracle that spoke to him in his sleep, telling him to walk around a red palm tree. This serves as a hint toward obtaining the [[Quick Change]] [[badge]], as doing this in [[Dry Dry Outpost]] prompts a nearby [[Dryite]] to inform Mario of a dream they had, indicating the badge's existence in Merlon's own house. Once the badge is revealed, Merlon tells Mario he was unaware of the badge being in his attic, and recommends he put it on.

When Mario returns to Merlon's house after Chapter 6, he and a [[Ninji]] request that he visit Merlon's son [[Merle]] in [[Starborn Valley]]. Merlon instructs Mario to travel to [[Shiver City]] first via the [[Toad Town Tunnels]].

Throughout the game, Merlon can predict Mario's next path for five [[coin]]s using his crystal ball.

There is a [[List of letters in Paper Mario#Normal Letters|letter]] addressed to Merlon from his granddaughter [[Merlee]] on [[Mt. Rugged]]; delivering this letter with [[Parakarry]] rewards Mario with a [[Star Piece (Paper Mario series)|Star Piece]].

Merlon often states that he is not at home. At the beginning of Chapter 1, he is actually lying (because he is later seen in). But at the end of the game, this is truth, as he is seen in [[Peach's Castle]] attending the party with Merle, Merlee, his grandson [[Merlow]], and his other granddaughter [[Merluvlee]].

;Merlon's predictions
:''For story predictions, see [[List of story predictions in Paper Mario]].

{{br}}

===''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''===
[[File:Merlon.png|thumb|Merlon in ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'']]
[[File:PMTTYD Merlon Power Up.png|thumb|left]]
In ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', Merlon is the neighbor of [[Professor Frankly]] in [[Rogueport]]. Mario can visit Merlon to have him upgrade one of Mario's partners for three [[Shine Sprite]]s. Initially, Mario's partner can be upgraded to Super Rank. After Mario collects the [[Sapphire Star]] in [[Keelhaul Key]] and returns to Rogueport, he finds Merlon just outside his house. Merlon informs Mario about a portentous sign he saw for him upon consulting his star charts, but has no idea what it meant. The sign goes as follows:
<blockquote>"In the house of the [[Hooktail|dragon]] that flew through the air... Beyond the reversible stair... Near the empty [[black chest]] that [[Black Chest Demon|cursed]] you...lies a clue to help your allies learn..."</blockquote>
Seeing its importance to Mario and his partners, Merlon asks Mario to figure out the mystery before going back into his house. To help Merlon, Mario must travel to [[Hooktail Castle]] in [[Petal Meadows]] and make his way to a room where he earlier uncovered a [[Black Key]] to find a crack in the rightmost wall. Using [[Bobbery|Admiral Bobbery]]'s ability to blast a hole in the wall, Mario discovers a secret room, where he must hit a blue ! Block to reveal a chest containing an [[Up Arrow]]. Afterward, Mario must return to Rogueport and give the Up Arrow to Merlon, who then floats up until he crashes into the ceiling, releasing an [[Ultra Stone]] that falls to the floor. Merlon then realizes that the star sign was referring to the Ultra Stone, which he earlier picked up from a flea market but had forgotten that it was in the attic. With the Ultra Stone, Merlon can upgrade Mario's partners from Super Rank to Ultra Rank. 
{{br}}

===''Super Paper Mario''===
{{quote|To feel sadness is to live, but as long as you are alive, the future is a blank page.|Merlon|Super Paper Mario}}
[[File:SPM Merlon and Nolrem.png|thumb|left|Merlon and [[Nolrem]] on [[Flopside Tower]]]]
Merlon appears again in ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'', living in the town of [[Flipside]]; like most residents of this town, Merlon has a rather angular, disjointed appearance. In this game, Merlon has a larger role than in the previous installments. He tells Mario the prophecy of the [[Light Prognosticus]] and provides the first [[Pure Heart]] of the game. He has a distant cousin living in [[Flopside]] called [[Nolrem]]. He also gets a quick mention when [[Tippi]] is tattling [[Bestovius]].

According to [[Garson]], Merlon once fell in love with [[Saffron]], the owner of [[Sweet Smiles]]. He went to her restaurant each day and wooed her constantly. Saffron agreed she would date him if he was able to finish her Saffron Special Galactic Meal, one of the most filling dishes ever made; it was said that Merlon finished all but a bit of parsley left on the plate when he received word that a [[Tippi|poor, injured girl]] had mysteriously appeared in Flipside. Saffron suspended the challenge for Merlon to go help her, and he became engrossed in his studies ever since, never having the chance to return to complete it. As well as wooing Saffron, Merlon spent some of his free time at the [[Flipside Arcade]], where he has a high score of 400000 in [[Forget Me Not]].

Merlon was responsible for saving Tippi's life when she apparently wandered into Flipside by turning her into a [[Pixl]]. He is able to revive her after she falls unconscious following Chapter 4 and makes it clear that he cares a great deal for her and her well-being, as he requests that Mario and his friends be sure to take care of her and reminds Tippi to return to him in one piece prior to her trip to [[Castle Bleck]]. Following the defeat of the [[Super Dimentio|final boss]] and the restoration of all worlds, Merlon questions Peach as to whether Tippi is happy where she is now, and Peach responds by assuring him she is.

In [[Castle Bleck Foyer|Chapter 8-2]], [[Mimi]], one of [[Count Bleck]]'s minions, disguises as Merlon and tells the heroes that the Light Prognosticus says to hit a "totally unsuspicious block". Upon doing so, a trapdoor opens from underneath the heroes and they fall into a trap.

If the player visits Merlon's house after purchasing [[Tiptron]], he will initially mistake her for Tippi before dishearteningly realizing she is only one of [[Francis]]'s creations. After recounting the love many felt for Tippi, he will request that Mario and Co. take good care of her replica. Merlon's Catch Card can be found on the first floor of the Flipside Outskirts, at the bottom of a hidden hole.

If Mario refuses the first [[Pure Heart]] three times when Merlon offers it to him at the beginning of the game, he will receive a [[Game Over]] before the player is even given control of Mario.

==Profiles==
===''Paper Mario''===
*'''Tattle:''' "''He's a stubborn and mysterious old man. His name is Merlon. He uses magical powers to look into the future. I've listened to his stories before and they're really long. I try to pay attention but... sometimes I fall asleep. Still, his fortune-telling is supposedly right on. I don't know personally, but [[Goompa]] told me."''

===''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''===
*'''Tattle:''' "''That's Merlon. He's this odd old man who says really bizarre things sometimes. He helps power up your allies here. For three [[Shine Sprite]]s, he raises a partner one rank."''

===''Super Paper Mario''===
*'''Tattle:''' "''That's Merlon... He's a descendant of the Ancients who led us here... He toils to protect the world from destruction, the Light Prognosticus as his guide... He's the source of knowledge in Flipside. Most people here put their trust in him..."''

{| class="wikitable" align=center width=100% cellspacing=0 border=1 cellpadding=3 style="border-collapse:collapse; background: #f9f9f9; color:black"
|-
!colspan=2|[[Catch Card]]
|-
|[[File:SPM Merlon Catch Card.png|center|70px]]
|
*'''Card Type:''' Uncommon
*'''Card Description:''' ''This wizened old sage is a descendant of the Ancients. He helps Mario to decode the Light Prognosticus.''
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
PM Merlon.png|Merlon in ''Paper Mario''
Paper Mario First Meet Merlon.png|Merlon finds [[Mario]] outside of his house in ''Paper Mario''
Paper Mario Merlon Tells a Story.png|Merlon begins to tell Mario his story in ''Paper Mario''
SPM Merlon.png|''[[Super Paper Mario]]''
PMTTYD NS Merlon Artwork.png|Artwork from ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' (Nintendo Switch)
Nintendo Magazine Summer 2024 TTYD Relationship Chart.png|Merlon on the Nintendo Magazine for summer 2024, showing a relationship chart featuring many characters from ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=デアール
|JapR=Deāru
|JapM=From「である」(''de aru''), a more formal variation of「だ」(''da'', "to be"), which is most commonly seen in formal writing such as literature and encyclopedias; following the format of「スペール」(''Supēru'', "[[Shaman#Names in other languages|Shaman]]")
|ChiS=莫隆<ref>From [[iQue]]'s localization of ''[[Paper Mario]]'': {{cite|date=November 9, 2019|url=www.bilibili.com/video/BV1CE411v7oT?t=2264.3|title=神游纸片马力欧速通|publisher=Bilibili|language=zh|accessdate=April 27, 2024}}</ref>
|ChiSN=''Paper Mario''
|ChiSR=Mòlóng
|ChiSM=From the English name
|ChiS2=德亚儿
|ChiS2N=''The Thousand-Year Door'' remake
|ChiS2R=Déyàer
|ChiS2M=From the Japanese name
|ChiT=德亞兒
|ChiTR=Déyàer
|ChiTM=From the Japanese name
|Dut=Merlon
|Fre=Merlon
|Ger=Merlon
|Ita=Merlocchio
|ItaM=Portmanteau of ''Merlino'' ("Merlin") and ''occhio'' ("eye")
|Kor=라네르
|KorR=Ranereu
|KorM=From "라네" (''-rane''), a polite ending to a sentence commonly used by elderly people or in literature, and his Japanese name
|Spa=Merlón
|SpaM=Merlon
}}

==Trivia==
*In ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'', Merlon plays a similar role to [[Professor Frankly]] from ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'', as they are both wise old men who aid Mario in his adventure and bear some relation to his [[Tattle]] partner.
*In some localizations of ''Super Paper Mario'' and its [[Super Paper Mario Memory Match|advergame]], Merlon is stated to be the mayor of Flipside.
*In his artwork for the Nintendo Switch remake of ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'', Merlon has three feet as a result of being rendered in the equivalent of a T-pose as opposed to his idle state. This error has yet to be corrected.

==References==
<references/>

{{Shamans}}
{{PM}}
{{PMTTYD}}
{{SPM}}
[[Category:Magicians]]
[[Category:Psychics]]
[[Category:Mayors]]
[[Category:Mentors]]
[[Category:Parents]]
[[Category:Paper Mario characters]]
[[Category:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door characters]]
[[Category:Super Paper Mario allies]]
[[Category:Super Paper Mario characters]]
[[Category:Super Paper Mario trading cards]]
[[de:Merlon]]
[[it:Merlocchio]]