| Sontarans | |
|---|---|
| Doctor Who race | |
.jpg) The 2008 redesign of the Sontarans, as displayed at theDoctor Who Experience in 2008. | |
| First appearance | The Time Warrior (1973) |
| Created by | Robert Holmes |
| In-universe information | |
| Home world | Sontar |
TheSontarans (/sɒnˈtɑːrən/son-TAR-ən) are an alien species that appear in the Britishscience fiction television programmeDoctor Who and its spin-off seriesThe Sarah Jane Adventures. In-universe, they are aclone race bred to fight a never-ending war against a species known as theRutans. They first appeared in the 1973 serialThe Time Warrior, where a Sontaran usestime travel technology to try and return to his home planet. The Sontarans have gone on to be recurring antagonists within the series. A Sontaran namedStrax serves as a supporting character and as a member of thePaternoster Gang.
The Sontarans were created by writerRobert Holmes, who conceived of the Sontarans after reading the 1832 war treatiseOn War. He was also inspired by the history of theVietnam War. The Sontarans' design would change throughout the years, with different Sontarans being portrayed by a variety of different actors.
Some critics found the Sontarans to be among the more successful and popular alien species on the show, while others thought they were under-used or taken less seriously in the series.
Doctor Who is a long-running Britishscience-fiction television series that began in 1963. It stars its protagonist,The Doctor, an alien who travels through time and space in a ship known as theTARDIS, as well as their travellingcompanions.[1] When the Doctor dies, they are able to undergo a process known as "regeneration", completely changing the Doctor's appearance and personality.[2] Throughout their travels, the Doctor often comes into conflict with variousalien species and antagonists.[3][4]
The Sontarans are aclone race that hail from the planet Sontar, and are bred for war from birth. They are engaged in a constant, never-ending war against a species known as theRutans. They have a culture dedicated almost solely to war, where dying in battle is the ultimate honor among their race, as is entering a battle without a protective helmet. They also have awar chant consisting of the phrase "Sontar-ha!"[5][6] Sontarans only have a single weak point: a "probic vent" on the back of their neck, through which they receive energy. A single hit here can result in heavy damage. Sontarans are physically shorter than humans due to their homeworld planet having high gravity.[5] Sontarans are capable of genetically modifying themselves, even allowing them to producebreast milk. Sontarans only have one gender[7] and are also sexist against women by nature, associating womanhood with weakness.[6]
The Sontarans first appear in the 1973 serialThe Time Warrior, where a Sontaran named Linx crash lands on Earth in the past and attempts to usetime travel technology to fix his ship and return to combat. A Sontaran named Styre appears in the 1975 serialThe Sontaran Experiment, where in the far future he seeks to test the strength of humans left to survive on an Earth ravaged by solar flares. TheFourth Doctor kills Styre and stops a further Sontaran invasion. The Sontarans then appear in the 1978 serialThe Invasion of Time, where the Sontarans, under commander Stor, lead an invasion ofGallifrey, the Doctor's home planet; they are defeated by the Doctor. They next appear in the 1985 serialThe Two Doctors, where a pair of Sontarans named Stike and Varl plan to obtain more powerful time travel technology from human scientists, but end up being killed by their allies, the Androgums.[5]
In the show's 2005 revival, the Sontarans appear in the two-part story "The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky" (both 2008). They try toterraform Earth into a new cloning planet, but theTenth Doctor destroys their ship, halting the invasion. The Sontarans make subsequent cameos in the episodes "The End of Time" (2009–2010), "The Pandorica Opens" (2010),[5] and "Face the Raven" (2015).[8] They later appear as antagonists inDoctor Who: Flux, the 2021 series of the revival, first appearing in "The Halloween Apocalypse" (2021).[9] As part of a scheme to conquer Earth from all points in time in "War of the Sontarans" (2021), they change the timeline of theCrimean War, but are defeated by theThirteenth Doctor and her allies.[10] The Sontarans later invade Earth again during "The Vanquishers" (2021),[11] where they use humans to pinpoint the location of the flux, a destructiveanti-matter wave. The Sontarans aim to use the flux to wipe out theDaleks andCybermen but end up being destroyed by it and the Doctor.[12]
A former Sontaran commander named Kaagh, a survivor of the invasion of Earth from "The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky", appears inThe Sarah Jane Adventures serialsThe Last Sontaran andEnemy of the Bane. In the former serial, he tries to return to Sontar, but later ends up allying with antagonist Mrs. Wormwood to conquer the universe in the latter serial. Kaagh later sacrifices himself after he realises Wormwood will betray him.[13][14] Another Sontaran namedStrax appears as a supporting character in the main television series. Debuting in the 2011 episode "A Good Man Goes to War", Strax was punished for cowardice by his people, who forced him to serve as a nurse.[5] Strax would later join theSilurianMadame Vastra and humanJenny Flint as part of thePaternoster Gang, serving in a comedic role as their butler.[15] Strax subsequently appears in "The Snowmen" (2012),[16] "The Crimson Horror" (2013),[17] "The Name of the Doctor" (2013),[18] and "Deep Breath" (2014).[19]
The Sontarans appear in several media spin-offs for the series, including novels, comics, audio dramas, and video games. The Sontarans also appear in thespin-off filmsMindgame andShakedown: Return of the Sontarans.[20]
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The Sontarans were originally created for the 1973 serialThe Time Warrior by writerRobert Holmes. Holmes conceived of the Sontarans after reading the 1832 war treatiseOn War, and was additionally inspired by the history of theVietnam War. In the script, the Sontaran is described as being "squat", wearing armour resembling that of a medieval knight.[21] The Sontarans' physical appearance in the serial was created by costume designerJames Acheson and make-up designer Sandra Exelby.[22] Linx, the Sontaran in this serial, was portrayed by actorKevin Lindsay. Lindsay wore a prosthetic mask, make-up, and occasionally a helmet, which was a challenge during filming due to his heart condition.[21]
Holmes wished to re-use the Sontarans in the1974–1975 season.[23] This would allow him to collect a fee and make it possible for the production team to make use of Linx's costume again. Holmes briefed the serial's writers,Bob Baker andDave Martin on the Sontarans' lore and history to ensure an accurate depiction in the serial (dubbedThe Sontaran Experiment). Holmes re-wrote dialogue in the final script to fit his vision for the species. Styre, the Sontaran in the serial, was modeled onNazi generals in terms of his behavior and actions.[24]
Although the production team had hoped to re-use the Linx costume and prosthetic mask, the mask was in poor condition, requiring a new one to be made.[24] The new head of the Sontaran was much larger, with a different skin tone compared to the Sontarans' prior appearance.[25] Despite his heart condition, Lindsay returned for the serial to portray Styre, the Sontaran commander.[23] To alleviate the strain Lindsay experienced in the previous serial, he wore less intensive makeup and prosthetics[26] and only wore the Sontaran helmet for a single scene. Lindsay also portrayed the Sontaran Marshal with whom Styre communicates in the serial, characterised by an insignia on the costume's collar. StuntmanStuart Fell filled in for Lindsay in several intensive scenes.[24]
The 1978 serialTheInvasion of Time had a troubled production, and its original antagonists, a race of cat people, could not be used as adversaries due to complications during development. ProducerGraham Williams decided that since no returning antagonists had been used in the1978 season at that point, the Sontarans could be used, as Williams was fond of them. Holmes agreed to let the production team use the Sontarans, knowing they were in a tough spot in production, but was uncomfortable about other writers using the character. Since Lindsay had died in 1975, the role of Sontaran commander Stor was portrayed by actorDerek Deadman. New costumes were created for the serial,[27] with the Sontarans having another change in skin-tone and dark rims placed around Styre's eyes to show that he was stressed by his leadership role as commander.[25]
For the 1985 season of the show, producerJohn Nathan-Turner wanted the Sontarans to return. Though several Sontaran serials had been pitched before this time, this serial was the only one that was produced. Holmes had recently returned to writing for the series, but he disliked bringing back returning monsters. He was convinced to write the serial as it would allow him to make up for what he saw as the mishandling of the Sontarans in their prior two appearances. New masks and costumes were developed, with the masks custom-made for the two Sontarans, Stike and Varl. The masks and costumes were based on those used in previous Sontaran appearances. ActorsClinton Greyn and Tim Raynham portrayed Stike and Varl, respectively. This version of the Sontarans was much taller than in previous appearances. As part of the publicity for the serial, a special segment featuring the Sontarans, titledA Fix With Sontarans, aired on the showJim'll Fix It.[28]
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For the show's 2005 revival, showrunnerRussell T Davies had wanted to bring back the Sontarans for some time, eventually electing to bring them back in the 2008 two-part story "The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky". Davies believed the Sontarans' culture and personality had more potential for strong dialogue than other returning antagonists such as theDaleks andCybermen, and also felt they would be easy for children to draw, as well as visually striking. This version of the Sontarans was designed byNeill Gorton of Millennium FX, with a pitch to make the Sontarans resemble their original appearance with a modern update.[29] The Sontarans' armour was re-colored blue, while the Sontarans themselves were designed with a more furrowed brow, giving them an "angrier" look.[25] Davies believed that shorter actors should portray the Sontarans, akin to their older appearances. The costumes were modelled on actorChristopher Ryan, who portrays the Sontaran commander Staal in the story. The production team found other actors who would fit within Ryan'sbody cast to perform in the role of other Sontarans in the episode.[29]
Phil Ford, a writer for the spin-off seriesThe Sarah Jane Adventures, was keen on adapting the Sontarans into the series, resulting in their appearance inThe Last Sontaran, the first serial of the show's second season. Though many Sontaran props and objects could be re-used from the main show in the serial, Kaagh (portrayed by actorAnthony O'Donnell), the Sontaran who appears in the episode, had a new cast taken for his armour instead of re-using the old one. Kaagh was later brought back for the season finale,Enemy of the Bane.[14] In an unused script for writerGareth Roberts's later serialDeath of the Doctor, a Sontaran named Skorm would have appeared; Skorm's concept would later be adapted into Strax (portrayed byDan Starkey) in the 2011 episode "A Good Man Goes to War". Strax would go on to serve as a recurring character in the mainDoctor Who series.[30]Steven Moffat, the creator of Strax, said that his continued appearances came about due to his popularity among fans, particularly alongsideMadame Vastra andJenny Flint, who had debuted in the same episode.[31]
For their re-appearance inDoctor Who: Flux, then-showrunnerChris Chibnall aimed to return the Sontarans to a level of threat with audiences that they had not been at in some time.[15] Costume designer Ray Holman and prosthetics expert Danny Marie Elias worked together on the new design. Compared to the 2008 design, these new Sontarans were built to be "dirtier" to convey their experience in battle. The design took inspiration from the Sontarans' appearance in the classic era, particularly from their appearances in the 1970s.[22] According to Sontaran actorJonathan Watson, who portrays the Sontaran commander Skaak, the Sontarans were originally intended to be written out ofFlux after "War of the Sontarans", with scripts re-written during filming to facilitate a later return.[32]
Graham Sleight, writing in the bookThe Doctor's Monsters, regarded the Sontarans as a success. Despite being an "average" monster conceptually, the Sontarans had a thoroughly well-defined culture.[5]Radio Times identified the Sontarans as among the more iconic monsters within the series that are popular with fans, with their design and culture a fan favorite.[33] Adi Tantimedh, writing forBleeding Cool, observed that the Sontarans symbolised the constant warfare linked tofascism, with their tactics and plans more akin toCold War-era fears. She viewed the Sontarans as a species who only improved with further appearances, as budget increases allowed their design to become more detailed.[34]
Sleight felt the Sontarans' subsequent appearances were less in-depth than their first, and that their culture was often less well-defined, reducing them to unremarkable antagonists. Sleight saw the appearance of the Sontarans in the revival as a step-up from classic era appearances, with the improved visual quality of the Sontarans and expanded culture.[5] The bookInside the TARDIS argued that the Sontarans' return in the revival was a failure compared to other returns, as the Sontarans were taken less seriously as antagonists and were described as an "embarrassment".[35] Mick Joest, writing forCinemaBlend, remarked that following the Sontarans' appearances in the show's revival, the race had largely been reduced to comic relief instead of as a genuine threat.[36]Radio Times agreed, stating that because of their limited appearances compared to other monsters like the Daleks and Cybermen, the Sontarans were unable to capitalise on their story potential; additionally due to Strax's increased comic relief prominence in the series, the Sontarans came off in a more comedic fashion than they did before.[33]
The bookThe Science of Doctor Who analysed the Sontarans' cloning technology and feeding via probic vent in terms of real-world feasibility. The book noted that for their manner of cloning and feeding to work, Sontarans would need to be much more complicated biologically than they are depicted on-screen.[7]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
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