The Time Warrior ( TV story ) The Time Warrior was the first story in the eleventh season of " Doctor Who " . It marked the first appearance of the Sontaran s , along with Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith , the Third Doctor ' s new companion . The story also finally revealed the name of the Doctor ' s home planet as Gallifrey . Script editor Terrance Dicks gave Robert Holmes the task of writing a story set in a medieval castle , which was believed to be a difficult task . Holmes reversed the roles in giving Dicks the setting of a lighthouse for " Horror of Fang Rock " in 1977 . ( DOC : " Beginning the End " ) Synopsis . When scientists start to go missing in the 20th century , the Doctor is called in by the Brigadier to investigate . His investigations lead him to deduce that they are being kidnapped through time , and he sets off in pursuit , unknowingly kidnapping journalist Sarah Jane Smith in the process . Arriving in the middle ages , the Doctor and Sarah find themselves caught up in the machinations of the robber baron Irongron and his man from the stars . The alien , a Sontaran named Linx , is arming him with modern weapons in return for helping him repair his damaged ship , and it ' s up to the Doctor and Sarah to stop him from ruining the Earth ' s timeline . Plot . Part 1 . In the Middle Ages , the bandit Irongron and his aide Bloodaxe , together with their rabble of criminals , find the crashed spaceship of a Sontaran warrior named Linx . The alien claims Earth for his empire then sets about repairing his ship , offering Irongron " magic weapons " that will make him a king in return for shelter . They strike a bargain , though Irongron remains suspicious . The Third Doctor and Brigadier Lethbridge - Stewart are investigating the disappearance of several scientists from a top secret scientific research complex . They do not know Linx has used an osmic projector to send himself forward seven hundred years and has kidnapped the scientists , then hypnotised them into making repairs on his ship . The projector only lets him appear in another time for a brief period . While the Doctor investigates , he meets an eccentric scientist called Rubeish and a young journalist called Sarah Jane Smith , who has infiltrated the complex by masquerading as her aunt . Later that evening Rubeish disappears , and the Doctor uses the data he has gathered to pilot the TARDIS back to the Middle Ages , not realising new companion Sarah has stowed away on board . Irongron is a robber baron who has stolen his castle from an absent nobleman , and relations with his neighbours are appalling . Indeed , the mild Lord Edward of Wessex has been provoked into building an alliance against him and , when this is slow in developing , sends his archer Hal on an unsuccessful mission to kill Irongron . When Sarah follows the Doctor to Irongron ' s castle , she is seized by one of his guards , while the Doctor witnesses Linx removing his helmet . Part 2 . Irongron is in a foul mood when a captured Sarah is brought before him . His mood improves when Linx presents him with a Robot Knight which is then put to the test on a captured Hal . The archer is only saved when the Doctor intervenes from afar , shooting the robot control box from Irongron ' s hands . The ensuing confusion lets both Hal and Sarah flee , and they head for Wessex Castle . There , Sarah concocts a plan to kidnap the Doctor , who she thinks is working for Irongron rather than against him . Meanwhile the Doctor has realised that Sarah is in the time period and has been captured . He finds Linx ' s lab , where the kidnapped scientists have been hypnotised except for Rubeish . He is caught by Linx , who restrains him using a head device , but Rubeish frees him when Linx leaves . The Doctor then leaves to search for Sarah , but is chased by Irongron and his men . When the Doctor stumbles , Irongron raises his axe . Part 3 . Hal shoots the axe out of Irongron ' s hand , allowing the Doctor to escape . The Doctor is able to convince Sarah and Edward that he was trying to stop Linx and agrees to help construct a defence against an attack on Wessex Castle by Irongron ' s men . The next morning , the robber baron and his troops assault the castle using rifles supplied by Linx , scarcely fooled by dummies the Doctor has made to make it appear as though the castle has more soldiers than they do . As they march forward , the Doctor unleashes smoke bomb s , which scare them away . The failure further sours the relationship between Linx and Irongron , which has deteriorated since the robot knight fiasco and the point at which the robber saw the Sontaran ' s true visage beneath his helmet . The Doctor now decides to lead an attack on Irongron ' s castle , and he and Sarah enter dressed as friars . He offers to help Linx if he sends the scientists back home , but Linx refuses and shoots the Doctor . . . Part 4 . The Doctor isn ' t harmed , and Linx is rendered immobile when Rubeish , acting on a hint from the Doctor , hits his probic vent ( a Sontaran refuelling point on the back of their necks which is also their main weakness ) . Rubeish and the Doctor use the osmic projector to send the scientists back to the twentieth century . Sarah now inveigles herself into Irongron ' s kitchen , using the opportunity to drug the food , thereby knocking out Irongron ' s men . A recovered Linx now determines his ship is repaired enough to effect a departure . Once more he encounters the Doctor , and they wrestle in combat . A crazed and half drugged Irongron arrives and accuses Linx of betraying him ; the Sontaran responds by killing him . As Linx enters his spherical vessel , Hal arrives and shoots him in the probic vent , and the Sontaran warrior falls dead over his controls , triggering the launch mechanism . Knowing the place is about to explode when the shuttle takes off , the Doctor hurries the last of his allies out of the castle . It explodes moments before the Doctor and Sarah depart in the TARDIS . Home video and audio releases . DVD releases . This story was released as " Doctor Who : The Time Warrior " . Released : Region 2 3 September 2007 , Region 4 3 October 2007 and Region 1 April 2008 . Contents : Also , go to page two and press left from the back button to see Terrance Dicks talking about his relationship with Barry Letts . Notes : Box set release : This story was released in the " Bred for War " DVD box set on 5 May 2008 along with the other classic series Sontaran stories . The DVD is the same as the one sold separately . It was later released in Australia on 8 July . It was released as issue 53 of " Doctor Who DVD Files " . Digital releases . This story is available :