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Draconian (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
The Draconians are a fiction
al extraterrestrial
race from the British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
. Their only television appearance to date was in the 1973 serial Frontier in Space
. Unlike many "monster" races in Doctor Who, the Draconians were articulate and portrayed as having a sophisticated and advanced culture not unlike that of feudal Japan. In later interviews, Jon Pertwee
cited the Draconians as his favourite of all the monsters he had encountered during his time as the Doctor.
The Draconian Empire was a vast spacefaring feudal
civilisation of reptilian humanoid
s, centered on the planet Draconia, with a society stratifed along class and gender lines (for example, females were not permitted to speak in the presence of the Emperor) that was bound by a strong code of honour. The Draconian Empire dated back to at least the 21st century, when a space plague that afflicted their world was dealt with by the Doctor
. For his services, the 15th Emperor made the Doctor a noble of Draconia.
The Earth
Empire's first contact with the Draconian Empire was in the year 2520. The ship sent by the Draconians for the peace mission was a battlecruiser, as befitted a noble of Draconia, although (as agreed) its missile banks were empty and it was otherwise unarmed. However, both Draconian and Earth ships were caught in a neutron storm, damaging the Earth ship and destroying the Draconian ship's communications systems. As a result, the Draconian ship was unable to respond to the Earth ship's signals. The commander of the Earth ship saw what he perceived to be a battlecruiser bearing down on his crippled vessel and gave the order to attack, destroying the battlecruiser and triggering off a brief but bloody war in which millions of lives were lost. An uneasy peace was negotiated in the end, leading to two decades of cold war
and the carving out of a frontier between the two empires.
In 2540, several incidents involving attacks on cargo freighters along their respective borders nearly led to the war turning hot once more, with both sides accusing the other of piracy and violating the frontier. These attacks turned out to be the work of Ogron
mercenaries under the orders of the renegade Time Lord
known as the Master
, who was using a sonic hypnosis
device to make the Earth crews see the Ogrons as Draconians and vice versa. The Master had allied himself with the Dalek
s, who were launching another bid for galactic conquest and hoped to pick up the pieces after a new Earth-Draconia War. The plot was revealed by the Third Doctor
, and instead of going to war against each other, the two empires united against the Daleks.
media, including comics, novels and audio plays
, in which they were players in the galactic politics surrounding the Earth Empire period of human history. The Draconians also featured in Reeltime Pictures
' Mindgame video series, and are a major presence in the Bernice Summerfield
audio adventures and books, including The Draconian Rage
. In 2007, a Draconian ambassador called Kothar became a regular character in the Bernice Summerfield range. He made his first appearance in The Judas Gift
. They meet the Sixth Doctor
in the audio story Paper Cuts
.
The Virgin New Adventures
novel Love and War
by Paul Cornell
mentions that the Draconians call the Doctor "Karshtakavaar", or "The Oncoming Storm". In the 2005 series episode "The Parting of the Ways
" the Ninth Doctor
mentions this name, but says that it is what they call him in Dalek legend. Subsequently, Rose sarcastically calls the Tenth Doctor
"the Oncoming Storm" in "The Girl in the Fireplace
".
In the 2006 series episode "The Satan Pit
", the Tenth Doctor
says that Draconia, in common with other planets, has myths of a horned beast being the ultimate embodiment of evil. "Draconian space" is mentioned in the New Series Adventure The Price of Paradise
.
The Draconians are mentioned in the Sarah Jane Adventures serial Secrets of the Stars
the Draconians are said to have their own celestial zodiac.
A clip of the Season 5 episode The Pandorica Opens on the Doctor Who official website has the Draconians mentioned alongside other Doctor Who alien races. And, although they do not appear in the episode, River Song
mentions them.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
race from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. Their only television appearance to date was in the 1973 serial Frontier in Space
Frontier in Space
Frontier in Space is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from February 24 to March 31, 1973...
. Unlike many "monster" races in Doctor Who, the Draconians were articulate and portrayed as having a sophisticated and advanced culture not unlike that of feudal Japan. In later interviews, Jon Pertwee
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
cited the Draconians as his favourite of all the monsters he had encountered during his time as the Doctor.
The Draconian Empire was a vast spacefaring feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
civilisation of reptilian humanoid
Reptilian humanoid
Reptilian humanoids comprise a common motif in mythology, folklore, science fiction, fantasy, conspiracy theories, ufology, and cryptozoology.-Male:...
s, centered on the planet Draconia, with a society stratifed along class and gender lines (for example, females were not permitted to speak in the presence of the Emperor) that was bound by a strong code of honour. The Draconian Empire dated back to at least the 21st century, when a space plague that afflicted their world was dealt with by the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
. For his services, the 15th Emperor made the Doctor a noble of Draconia.
The Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
Empire's first contact with the Draconian Empire was in the year 2520. The ship sent by the Draconians for the peace mission was a battlecruiser, as befitted a noble of Draconia, although (as agreed) its missile banks were empty and it was otherwise unarmed. However, both Draconian and Earth ships were caught in a neutron storm, damaging the Earth ship and destroying the Draconian ship's communications systems. As a result, the Draconian ship was unable to respond to the Earth ship's signals. The commander of the Earth ship saw what he perceived to be a battlecruiser bearing down on his crippled vessel and gave the order to attack, destroying the battlecruiser and triggering off a brief but bloody war in which millions of lives were lost. An uneasy peace was negotiated in the end, leading to two decades of cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and the carving out of a frontier between the two empires.
In 2540, several incidents involving attacks on cargo freighters along their respective borders nearly led to the war turning hot once more, with both sides accusing the other of piracy and violating the frontier. These attacks turned out to be the work of Ogron
Ogron
Ogrons are a fictional extraterrestrial race from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The name may be derived from the mythological ogres....
mercenaries under the orders of the renegade Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
known as the Master
Master (Doctor Who)
The Master is a recurring character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is a renegade Time Lord and the archenemy of the Doctor....
, who was using a sonic hypnosis
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
device to make the Earth crews see the Ogrons as Draconians and vice versa. The Master had allied himself with the Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s, who were launching another bid for galactic conquest and hoped to pick up the pieces after a new Earth-Draconia War. The plot was revealed by the Third Doctor
Third Doctor
The Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
, and instead of going to war against each other, the two empires united against the Daleks.
Other appearances
In addition to Frontier in Space, the Draconians have appeared in spin-offDoctor Who spin-offs
Doctor Who spin-offs refers to material created outside of, but related to, the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
media, including comics, novels and audio plays
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
, in which they were players in the galactic politics surrounding the Earth Empire period of human history. The Draconians also featured in Reeltime Pictures
Reeltime Pictures
Reeltime Pictures is a British multimedia film and video production company founded in 1984 by Keith Barnfather.It is known for its many documentaries about the long-running television series Doctor Who and in particular for The Myth Makers, a series of interviews with people associated with the...
' Mindgame video series, and are a major presence in the Bernice Summerfield
Bernice Summerfield
Bernice Surprise Summerfield is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length Doctor Who novels, the New Adventures...
audio adventures and books, including The Draconian Rage
The Draconian Rage
The Draconian Rage is a Big Finish Productions audio drama featuring Lisa Bowerman as Bernice Summerfield, a character from the spin-off media based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
. In 2007, a Draconian ambassador called Kothar became a regular character in the Bernice Summerfield range. He made his first appearance in The Judas Gift
The Judas Gift
The Judas Gift is a Big Finish Productions audio drama featuring Lisa Bowerman as Bernice Summerfield, a character from the spin-off media based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.- Plot :...
. They meet the Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
in the audio story Paper Cuts
Paper Cuts (Doctor Who audio)
Paper Cuts is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. -Cast:*The Doctor - Colin Baker*Mila - India Fisher*Prince/The Red Emperor in His Youth - Anthony Glennon...
.
The Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
novel Love and War
Love and War (Doctor Who)
Love and War is an original novel written by Paul Cornell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and introduces a new companion, Bernice Summerfield...
by Paul Cornell
Paul Cornell
Paul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield....
mentions that the Draconians call the Doctor "Karshtakavaar", or "The Oncoming Storm". In the 2005 series episode "The Parting of the Ways
The Parting of the Ways
"The Parting of the Ways" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 18 June 2005. It was the second episode of the two-part story that featured Christopher Eccleston making his last appearance as the Ninth Doctor...
" the Ninth Doctor
Ninth Doctor
The Ninth Doctor is the ninth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by Christopher Eccleston....
mentions this name, but says that it is what they call him in Dalek legend. Subsequently, Rose sarcastically calls the Tenth Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
"the Oncoming Storm" in "The Girl in the Fireplace
The Girl in the Fireplace
"The Girl in the Fireplace" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 6 May 2006, and is the only episode in the 2006 series written by Steven Moffat...
".
In the 2006 series episode "The Satan Pit
The Satan Pit
"The Satan Pit" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the second part of a two-part story, following "The Impossible Planet". With the TARDIS seemingly lost, Rose and the remaining humans are trapped on the base with the possessed Ood, while the planet...
", the Tenth Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
says that Draconia, in common with other planets, has myths of a horned beast being the ultimate embodiment of evil. "Draconian space" is mentioned in the New Series Adventure The Price of Paradise
The Price of Paradise
The Price of Paradise is a BBC Books original novel written by Colin Brake and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on September 21, 2006, alongside The Nightmare of Black Island and The Art of Destruction...
.
The Draconians are mentioned in the Sarah Jane Adventures serial Secrets of the Stars
Secrets of the Stars
Secrets of the Stars is a story of The Sarah Jane Adventures which was broadcast on CBBC on 20 and 27 October 2008. It is the third serial of the second series.-Part 1:...
the Draconians are said to have their own celestial zodiac.
A clip of the Season 5 episode The Pandorica Opens on the Doctor Who official website has the Draconians mentioned alongside other Doctor Who alien races. And, although they do not appear in the episode, River Song
River Song
"River Song" may refer to:* "River Song" , the opening track of Dennis Wilson's 1977 album Pacific Ocean Blue* River Song , a recurring character in the Doctor Who TV series...
mentions them.