The Aztecs ( TV story ) The Aztecs was the sixth story of season 1 of " Doctor Who " . It was the first story to address the issue of altering the course of history and the first to involve a romantic subplot concerning the Doctor . " The Warriors of Death " was the first episode of the programme recorded at BBC Television Centre , following a pitched battle on the part of Verity Lambert and several allies for better studio accommodations . The move to Television Centre was brief , though , since the production team had to return to Lime Grove Studios by the end of the serial . ( DWM 266 ) Synopsis . The arrival of the TARDIS in 15th century Mexico leads the crew to the doomed Aztec people , a mixture of high culture and brutal savagery . Matters are further complicated when Barbara is mistaken for a god and the Doctor becomes engaged to be married . Plot . The Temple of Evil ( 1 ) . The TARDIS crew arrive in Mexico in the 15th century in the inner sanctum of an Aztec tomb . Barbara and Susan leave the TARDIS first and begin to explore the crypt . Barbara , whose specialist knowledge is on the Aztecs , finds a bracelet and absentmindedly puts it on . Susan finds a door in the wall , which Barbara goes through . Susan goes back to the TARDIS for the others . Barbara is met by a man who , thinking she is a trespasser , fetches warriors . When the warriors come for her , however , he sees the bracelet on Barbara ' s wrist and his opinion changes . When the First Doctor and Ian go through the trap door , they find Barbara gone . Even more worrisome , once all of them are through , the door closes behind them and refuses to open . The Doctor says that it would have been built to allow the gods out , but not allow grave robbers in . Soon the man that accosted Barbara returns and introduces himself as Autloc , the High Priest of Knowledge , and says that Yetaxa seeks an audience with them . The travellers go to meet this deity . On their way they encounter the High Priest of Sacrifice , Tlotoxl . When the travellers are taken to Yetaxa they are surprised to see that it is Barbara . Once they are alone , she explains that as she was wearing Yetaxa ' s bracelet when she was captured , the Aztecs believe her to be a reincarnation of the deceased high priest , and therefore a god . Barbara demands the Aztecs give the Doctor and Ian free run of the civilisation . Although they agree , Tlotoxl has ideas of his own . He convinces Autloc that Ian should be the leader of their army , to which Ian begrudgingly agrees . While Ian goes to meet Ixta , his rival for command , the Doctor is taken to the Garden of Peace . Here he meets Cameca , a local sage and philosopher , of whom he quickly becomes very fond . This does not stop him from smooth - talking her into a meeting with the son of the designer of the temple Topau , to find a way of retrieving his TARDIS from the centre of the tomb . Ian meets up with the Doctor again and tells him that in order to prove himself to Autloc and Ixta , he needs to escort the person to be sacrificed to the god of rain to put an end to a drought . Ian is reluctant , but the Doctor says that he has to do this to not blow their cover . The Doctor tells Barbara of this , and Barbara refuses to allow it . She believes that if she stops human sacrifices , the Aztecs will not become extinct and will live on as a better civilisation . The Doctor tells her that she cannot change history . Barbara remains obdurate . Just before the sacrifice takes place , Barbara puts a stop to it . Both Ixta and the first victim are outraged . The sacrifice , furious that he has not had the chance to prove himself , is encouraged by Tlotoxl to throw himself from the top of the tomb , which he does . The rains soon come . Triumphant , Tlotoxl says that this proves that sacrifices are necessary . Barbara denies this and says that sacrifices shall no longer be practised . This infuriates Tlotoxl , who vows that he will unmask Barbara as the fraud that she is . The Warriors of Death ( 2 ) . The Doctor berates Barbara for interfering . Tlotoxl now suspects that she is not a real god , and Susan has been taken to a seminary after her outburst . However , the Doctor soon brightens up when he recounts to Barbara his encounter with Cameca and the chance he could learn more about the construction of the tomb . Meanwhile Ian and Ixta are practising for their showdown . Ian is irritated by Ixta ' s boasting and states that he could kill Ixta with just his thumb . He soon proves this by applying his thumb to a pressure point at the back of Ixta ' s neck that renders him unconscious . Tlotoxl enters to this sight and is shocked to see that Ian is gaining the upper hand over his favoured candidate . Autloc says that as Ian has disarmed Ixta , he is the rightful commander of the Aztec army . Desperate to prevent this , Tlotoxl convinces the next human sacrifice , the Perfect Victim ( whose last days are spent in total control of those around him ) , to order that another , more equal contest be held . This is agreed to . Tlotoxl offers Ixta untold riches if Ian is killed in their battle . Meanwhile in the Garden of Peace , the Doctor and Cameca share stories and flirt . He convinces her he should meet the son of the tomb ' s designer by saying that he is only called the Doctor because he is " a scientist , an engineer . I ' m a builder of things . " When Cameca leaves to ask the son , it is clear that the Doctor is smitten by her . Tlotoxl visits Barbara and warns her that he is getting more people to believe that she is not the real Yetaxa . He begins to question her on knowledge of their ways , but she counters that such should be done by the High Priest of Knowledge . He says that Autloc will question her later . Until then she is confined to the tomb . To tease her , he tells her of the fight that is to take place between Ian and Ixta . This clearly distresses her . Ixta is elsewhere , practising for his fight . Cameca visits him and tells him the " older servant of Yetaxa " wishes to see him . Realising the Doctor doesn ' t know his name or his rivalry with Ian , he will meet him and try to destroy the travellers from within . All this time Susan has been receiving tutoring from Autloc and Tonila on how to be a good wife ; whilst successful in learning the kowledge , she struggles with some of the more antiquated views of a woman ' s role in this society . Ixta goes to the Garden of Peace to meet the Doctor . He says he would love to show the Doctor some drawings that his father made of the tomb , but he is to be in a fight that evening and he must do well . If he loses , he will be dishonoured and not allowed to speak with anyone for days . The Doctor suggests that they can help each other . The Doctor goes to a plant he has been studying and draws a pin through it . Presenting it to Ixta , he states that one scratch from this needle will render his opponent weak and unable to fight anywhere near his true capability . Ixta accepts this gratefully and says that he will meet the Doctor there the following day . At the tomb , Autloc questions Barbara on why she deems it so important to stop the sacrifice . She claims to prophesy the downfall of the Aztec civilisation with such barbaric acts of butchery . This affects Autloc . She asks Autloc to see to it that the fight between Ian and Ixta remains a non - fatal one , as it was intended to be . Later the Doctor goes to visit Barbara , who immediately tells him he should not be there . She is supposed to be in isolation whilst she is being questioned . However , the Doctor has enough time to recount his encounter with Ixta , only for his pride to be spoilt when Barbara informs him that Ian is the adversary against whom the Doctor has aided Ixta . As the Doctor leaves the tomb , he is arrested by Tlotoxl for talking to Barbara . Barbara demands that the fight between Ian and Ixta not go ahead , but Tlotoxl insists that this is something that cannot be quibbled about . The fight between Ian and Ixta begins . Ian is clearly winning until Ixta scratches him with the needle . As he flags , Ixta strangles Ian . Tlotoxl bays for Ian ' s death whilst Autloc says that Yetaxa forbids human sacrifice . Barbara tries to break up the fight . Tlotoxl says she should not have left the tomb but then states that if she is truly Yetaxa she would be able to stop the fight herself . An unsure Barbara approaches the pair of men . The Bride of Sacrifice ( 3 ) . Barbara responds to Tlotoxl ' s demand by unsheathing his knife and holding it to Tlotoxl ' s neck , saying that if the fight continues she shall kill Tlotoxl . Tlotoxl reluctantly stops the fight . Back at the tomb , Barbara further tries to convince Autloc that the ritual of sacrifice is one that will soon see the end of the Aztec civilisation . She seeks his support in stopping the coming sacrifice . Tlotoxl finds the Doctor in the Garden of Peace to ask why he gave Ixta the needle that would weaken Ian . The Doctor says that he didn ' t know whom Ixta was fighting and that he did it to get the plans of the tomb . He convinces Tlotoxl that the only way for him to prove if Yetaxa is real is by also finding his way into the centre of the tomb . Back at the scene of the fight , Ixta wakes Ian and tells him what has happened . He is more amiable with Ian now , assured that , come the next fight , he can beat him . Tlotoxl asks Ixta if he can see the plans that he promised the Doctor . Ixta informs him there never were such plans . He was using the information that Cameca gave him to get the draft from the Doctor . As Ian and Ixta leave , Ian overhears Tlotoxl trying to convince Tonila that the only way to prove Yetaxa a god is by poisoning her . If she dies she is a fake , but if she lives she is a god , as poison would not affect her . Tonila seems convinced by this argument . In the Garden of Peace , Autloc asks Cameca why she has been so happy of late . Cameca confides in him that she is in love with the Doctor and intends to get him to drink cocoa with her , an Aztec symbol of committing to marry someone . Cameca spills the cocoa beans she is holding in front of the Doctor . Unaware of the symbolism , he asks her to join him in a cup of cocoa . Meanwhile , Ian sneaks into the tomb to warn Barbara that Tlotoxl is plotting against her and her plans to save the Aztec nation are futile . She had earlier thought that all Aztecs were like Autloc and that Tlotoxl was a bad apple . In reality , he tells her , it is Autloc who is the exceptional man , while the rest of the society feels as Tlotoxl does . This conversation is interrupted by Tlotoxl and Tonila , who present Barbara with wine in the guise of friendship . Ian , who has hidden behind a column when the men came in , gestures to her not to drink it . Barbara asks Tlotoxl to drink first . When he refuses , Barbara denounces it as poison and throws the cup to the ground . She shouts at Tonila to leave , and then confides to Tlotoxl that she is indeed a fake , but that if he tells anyone she will get the Aztecs to destroy him . At the Garden of Peace the Doctor and Cameca are sharing their cocoa when Cameca says that she is happy they are getting married . The Doctor is shocked . Meanwhile Autloc and Tonila are talking about Susan ' s impressive progress as their student , but they recount the headstrong ideals she holds about a woman choosing whom she wishes to marry . Tlotoxl overhears them and decides to use this against Barbara in order to unmask her as a fraud to the rest of civilisation . Again he enlists Tonila to help him . Later that day , during Susan ' s studying , Tonila brings the Perfect Victim to her , who demands that Susan marry him . She refuses . Tonila jumps on this defiance and says that Susan must be punished for such a breach of conventions . Back in the Garden of Peace , Cameca shows the Doctor a brooch that belonged to Ixta ' s father , with whom she was once in love . She says that it was found in the Garden of Peace , from whence he went missing years ago . Tlotoxl and Tonila tell Barbara that someone has been defying conventions . According to the law she must be punished . Barbara reluctantly agrees , anxious not to further blow her cover . Whilst this is happening , the Doctor goes to Ian to show him the brooch that belonged to Ixta ' s father , who he suspects had escaped into the tomb . He plans to find out if there is a secret entrance anywhere . Ian says he ' ll meet him at the Garden of Peace that night . The Doctor also tells Ian about his " fiancée " , which Ian finds most amusing . Autloc goes to see Barbara and says that he plans to stand with her in her objections to sacrifice . This pleases Barbara , but her joy is short lived when he informs her that the person to be punished is Susan . Barbara says that both the sacrifice and the punishment have to be stopped . Autloc is unsure , asking Barbara whether she would sacrifice the civilisation to spare one girl pain . Later that night , Ian sneaks out of his dormitory to meet the Doctor . He is followed by Ixta . When they get to the Garden of Peace , the Doctor has discovered that one of the panels in the wall can slide . Ian slides it away and goes in . He leaves the Doctor behind , saying it might be too dangerous . Whilst Ian explores the passage , Ixta shows himself . Feigning ignorance that he saw Ian go in , he tells the Doctor that the stone must be put back . It forms part of a dam . Unless the stone is replaced the garden will be flooded . He does this , much to the Doctor ' s discomfort , as inside the water begins to puddle around Ian ' s feet . The Day of Darkness ( 4 ) . As the water rises , Ian finds a loose slab over his head which he moves aside . He crawls through tunnels and finds his way back to Yetaxa ' s tomb and the TARDIS . He ties a rope to an ornament on the door and opens it , bringing the other end of the rope with him to leave some purchase to open the door later . Barbara is shocked to see him as he exits the tomb . As she questions him as to how he got there , they hear someone coming . Ian hides . It is the Doctor , worried that Ian has been killed . Ian reveals himself and shows the Doctor his plan for getting back into the tomb . Ian decides to free Susan from the warriors so they may leave . Meanwhile , Tlotoxl is congratulating Ixta on his murder of Ian and tells him that he must guard Susan . Susan is brought in to him . Ixta tells Susan that he killed Ian ; Ian , approaching him from behind , knocks him out and escapes with Susan . When Ian and Susan return to the tomb , the foursome try to open the door but the rope breaks . Meanwhile , Ixta has regained consciousness and an irate Tlotoxl berates him for his loss of Susan . Worried that Autloc will take Ian ' s seeming resurrection as yet another sign of Yetaxa ' s powers , Tlotoxl has Ixta frame Ian by using Ian ' s club to knock Autloc unconscious and put the blame on the travellers . To gain access to the tomb again , Ian returns to the hatch in the Garden of Peace . He takes Susan with him to watch for others . When they get there , they find Autloc unconscious on the ground . Ian finds the club and realises he ' s being set up , but it is too late . Ian is arrested . As Autloc regains consciousness , he proclaims Yetaxa a false goddess . With his plan falling into place , Tlotoxl plans with Tonila a way of getting rid of Barbara . He will lock her away in a room during the eclipse so that those around them think that she vanished . Meanwhile in the Garden of Peace the Doctor is making a pulley to open the door . Cameca says she will do anything for the Doctor for Ian to be saved . He says that the only thing that might help is by Autloc going to talk to Barbara . Barbara convinces Autloc that it wasn ' t Ian . However , he says that the situation is out of his hands . He can find a way to free Susan , but not Ian . After his talk with Barbara , he goes to the Garden of Peace . He is in a state of confusion and doubt of his faith . He gives Cameca his badge of honour , symbolising his position as High Priest of Knowledge , his house , and all his possessions . He asks her to give it to Susan ' s guard as a bribe to liberate Susan . Autloc leaves to go into the wilderness . As the Doctor and Susan put the finishing touches on the pulley system , Tlotoxl tells Barbara that the sacrifice is preparing outside . Tlotoxl also tells her that Autloc has left forever , and that there is no hope for her friends . Meanwhile , Autloc ' s plan to free Susan works better than expected . While Cameca shows the guard the badge , Ian uses the distraction to knock him out . Susan escapes with Cameca and Ian takes the guard ' s head dress as a disguise . Tlotoxl lays out his plan to Tonila . He says that if it works , Tonila will take over from Autloc as the High Priest of Knowledge . Back at the tomb Susan is reunited with her grandfather and Barbara . The Doctor thanks Cameca and they say their goodbyes to one another . Cameca gives the Doctor a seal to remember her by . Tonila finds the guard unconscious and a furious Tlotoxl orders Tonila to kill him . Tlotoxl rushes off to ensure that the travellers do not disrupt the sacrifice . As the sacrifice begins , Tlotoxl , blinded by rage , tries to kill Barbara . Ian stops him , and Ixta and he fight . Ian kills Ixta by throwing him off the top of the tomb during the fight . By this time , the door has been opened and the travellers escape through it . Tlotoxl watches them go and then performs the sacrifice . Hearing all this , a desolate Barbara asks what the point of travelling through time and space is if they can ' t change anything . The Doctor reassures her that even if she hadn ' t changed a civilisation , she changed Autloc ' s life and made him see the truth . Barbara goes back into the TARDIS . The Doctor is about to leave Cameca ' s seal behind , but turns back to pick it up again . Later in the TARDIS the Doctor looks bemused and tells his companions that half of his controls are telling him the TARDIS is stationary and the other half that it ' s moving . Ian wonders if they have landed on something ; a worried looking Barbara asks if they could have landed " in " something . Home media releases . DVD releases . This story was released as " Doctor Who : The Aztecs " . Released : Contents : Rear Credits : Notes : As with most serials released on DVD pre - 2006 , " The Aztecs " was chosen for a special edition release . It was coupled with the rediscovered episode of " Galaxy 4 " . It was released on 11 March 2013 . It was also released as issue 122 of " Doctor Who DVD Files " . Digital releases . This story is available : VHS releases . This story was released as " Doctor Who : The Aztecs " , and was originally going to be available exclusively from Woolworths to tie - in with a special promotion . However , at the last minute , the company decided on " The Twin Dilemma " instead — feeling that a colour " Doctor Who " story would sell better than one in black and white . Released : Notes : The " Next Episode " caption had been removed from " The Day of Darkness " . A slight cut has also been made to the episode during the scene of Ian in the flooded tunnel beneath the Tomb of Yetaxa , possibly due to film damage .