The Sorcerer's Apprentice poem's story is alluded to in several episodes of the fairy-tale drama "Once Upon a Time", especially in "The Apprentice". A variation of the Dukas piece also plays in certain scenes. The apprentice himself is a recurring character, while the sorcerer is shown to be Merlin. The "Fantasia" version appears in the video game series "Kingdom Hearts", with the sorcerer Yen Sid serving as an adviser to the heroes, teaching Mickey, Sora, and Riku the Keyblade skills needed to guard the universe from his former friend Xehanort's plan. A world based on the "Fantasia" version also appears throughout the series,
The Mask of the Sorcerer head when Vashtem inexplicably murders his wife and daughter, leaving his son Sekenre to seek vengeance and understanding with the aid of a Sybil who has her own agenda. A quest through the Underworld brings son and father to their reckoning, with justice meted out to Vashtem only at the cost of Sekenre taking on his curse. In killing a sorcerer, one takes on his power and immortality, absorbing his soul and knowledge, along with those of all those previously killed by that sorcerer and his predecessors. And one takes on their enemies, as well. Physically frozen at the age