Modern works
Uther Pendragon remains a widely used character in modern Arthurian literature and other fiction.
In T. H. White's The Once and Future King, Uther the Conqueror is the Norman King of England.
Mary Stewart's first two books in her Arthurian saga, The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills, feature Uther Pendragon as Merlin's uncle, Merlin being his brother Ambrosius' illegitimate son. Uther is depicted as a mostly decent but rather oversexed character, who becomes impotent in later life because of a groin injury, a Fisher King figure.
In Bernard Cornwell's The Warlord Chronicles, Uther is the King of Dumnonia as well as the High King of Britain. In these novels, Arthur is his illegitimate son and Morgan is his illegitimate daughter. At the start of the trilogy's first novel The Winter King, Uther is old and in failing health. His son Mordred has been killed during a battle with the Saxons, leaving behind a pregnant wife. Uther blames Arthur, who was at the battle, for his son's death and banishes him to Armorica. His daughter-in-law, Princess Norwenna, gives birth to a son, whom Uther names Mordred after his father, and who he proclaims his heir. However, the decision is controversial as the child will not come of age before Uther's death and has a clubfoot, a bad omen for the superstitious British. Uther dismisses these concerns and proclaims that Mordred will succeed him, enlisting the support of the other kings of Britain to ensure it. However, in response to his allies' concerns and his own people's demand, he reluctantly appoints Arthur to be Mordred's guardian until he comes of age. Uther dies soon after and, although he only appears at the start of the first novel, his final decision is the catalyst for most of the conflicts of the trilogy.
In Jack Whyte's The Camulod Chronicles, Uther is King of the Pendragon, the Celtic people of South Cambria, cousin to Caius Merlyn Britannicus and Ambrose Ambrosianus Britannicus. Whyte's novel Uther, written in 2000, revolves around a fictionalised version of Uther's life.
In contrast to traditional versions, Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle makes Uther's brother Aurelius, whose widow (Ygerna) he marries, Arthur's true father.
In Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon, Uther is the nephew of Aurelianus instead of his brother; while Aurelianus is the son of a Roman Emperor, Uther has no Roman blood.
In Valerio Massimo Manfredi's The Last Legion, Uther is himself the last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus. While the real Romulus Augustus disappeared from history after being deposed by Goths, in the novel he escapes to Britain, where he adopts the name Pendragon and eventually sires Arthur.
In John Boorman's film Excalibur, Gabriel Byrne plays an ambitious but somewhat obtuse Uther Pendragon, whose uncontrollable lust for Igrayne, while necessary for the birth of Arthur, proves also his own undoing.
In the 1998 miniseries Merlin, Uther is portrayed by Mark Jax. He is the son of King Constant (John Gielgud) who seeks to succeed his father's murderer Vortigern (Rutger Hauer) as King. Merlin (Sam Neill) helps him achieve his goals, but Uther's lust for Ygraine causes Merlin to realises Uther is not the good king he supposed him to be, and takes both Uther's son Arthur, and the sword Excalibur from him. Uther later dies, insane and choking on his own vomit.
In the BBC television series Merlin, Uther, played by Anthony Head, has banned magic in Camelot and slaughtered any who openly practise the art. It is revealed his wife Ygraine was unable to conceive, so Nimueh, a sorceress and friend, helped in the conception of Arthur. However, to keep balance in the world, a life had to be taken in exchange. Thus, Ygraine died at Arthur's birth, and Uther's guilt spurred him to purge all magic from Camelot. His wanton cruelty eventually causes his ward Morgana, who possesses magic herself, to turn against him. She is later revealed as his illegitimate daughter, and covets control of Camelot from then on. In series 4, Uther is wounded when protecting Arthur from an assassin. Merlin tries to heal him but due to Morgana's meddling, the spell instead kills him.
In the television series Camelot, Uther is poisoned by his daughter Morgana in the first episode.
In Guy Ritchie's 2017 film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Eric Bana plays Uther Pendragon, betrayed and murdered by his brother Vortigern for control over Camelot.
Sebastian Armesto plays Uther Pendragon in the 2020 Internet TV series Cursed.
