The Master

All televised incarnations of The Master

### Aliases

Koschei, Colonel Masters, Emil Keller, Martin Jurgens, Victor Magister, Carl Thascalos, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, The Commissioner of Sirius IV, Melkur, Tremas, The Portreeve, Kalid, Sir Gilles Estram, Field Marshall Bentley, Michael of Sarte

## Behind the Scenes

### Main Actor/Actress

Roger Delgado (1971-73)Peter Pratt (1976)

Geoffrey Beevers (1981)

Anthony Ainley (1981-95)

Jonathan Pryce (1997-)

### Latest Appearance

The Dark Path

**The Master** — known at times by various other aliases — was a renegade Time Lord, a power-hungry "lover of chaos" who served as both a friend and the arch nemesis of the Doctor.

Friends from childhood and schoolmates at the Time Lord Academy, he divide between the Master's lust for power and the Doctor's empathy for "lesser species" would eventually pull the two farther and farther apart — to the point that the Master often sought to kill the Doctor. Despite this enmity, however, the two would on occasion act as allies, and both continued to yearn for their old friendship.

Like the Doctor, the Master fled from Gallifrey in a TARDIS of his own under the alias of **Koschei**, as a kindly man. However, after being betrayed, he grew more unhinged, and gained a desire to take over the universe. Having fully embraced his darker nature, his later self would go on to pit himself against the Third Doctor and UNIT during the Doctor's exile on Earth. Later, having expended his original regeneration cycle, the Master survived in the ghastly form of a living cadaver, in which form he fought the Fourth Doctor, before exploiting the powers of the Source on Traken to steal the body of Tremas. However, Tremas' body began to age and became less usable under the effects of the Cheetah virus. Eventually, the Master was forced to dispose of the body after Tremas' mind battled against his under the effects of the Mind Wrest.

## Biography

### Early Life

The Master's real name was "mellifluous" and, as per the Gallifreyan custom, could never be revealed to a non-Time Lord. (PROSE: *Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons*) The Master developed a strong bond with the Doctor, (TV: *The Sea Devils*, *The Domesday Book*) with the Third Doctor telling Jo Grant that the two were "inseparable" due to their shared interests, such as a desire to break the non-interference policy. (PROSE: *Doctor Who and the Sea-Devils*)

#### Academic Upbringing

The Master and the Doctor enjoyed building "time flow analogues" to disrupt each other's experiments. (TV: *The Time Monster*)

One account claims he gained the nickname of "the Master" in his Academy days because he was a bully to less domineering students than himself. (PROSE: *The Legacy of Gallifrey*)

At the Academy, the Master earned a higher degree in cosmic science than the Doctor, (TV: *Terror of the Autons*), though he was not skilled in practical matters, (PROSE: *The Legacy of Gallifrey*) and the Doctor's grades were overall better than his. Because of this, the Doctor received the prizes and praise that the Master so desperately wanted. The Seventh Doctor theorised that this may have been the cause of the Master's hatred towards him. (PROSE: *Survival*)

In one of his earliest schemes at the Academy, the Master befriended one of his professors, Salyavin, to gain access to Gallifrey's most restricted libraries and find *The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey*. The Master himself failed to find the book, and ended up letting the innocent Salyavin bear the consequences of his breach of Gallifrey's laws; Salyavin ended up stealing the book anyway, reasoning he might as well if he was to be blamed for it, (PROSE: *The Legacy of Gallifrey*) and was imprisoned on Shada, from which he later escaped, renaming himself "Professor Chronotis". (TV: *Shada*)

#### Life on Gallifrey

After graduating, the Master was involved in "field work" studying historical interplay and temporal structures. However, he was reprimanded for various minor breaches of the non-interference policy. The agreed that Gallifrey should be more interventionist, although the Master's theories in this regard seemed excessive even to the Doctor.

Following the Morbius Crisis, however, the Master was recalled to Gallifrey and assigned to the Prydonian Academy as a teacher of mathematics and computer science. (PROSE: *CIA File Extracts*)

### Leaving Gallifrey as Koschei

After he left Gallifrey the Doctor's old friend originally travelled under the name of "Koschei", having yet to take on the name of "the Master" and embark on his crusade of evil and conquest.

Koschei would ultimately lose his moral grip, and take on the name of "the Master", having been betrayed by his companion Ailla and then left to die in a black hole by the Ninth Doctor after he tried to abuse the power of the Darkheart. (TV: *The Dark Path*)

When they believed that the Decayed Master had died, the Fourth Doctor explained to Borusa and Engin, who were surprised that he was already at the end of his life cycle despite being relatively young, that the Master that he had "always [been] a criminal (…) throughout all his lives", facing "constant pressure, constant danger". He mentioned that the Master had used "accelerated regenerations" as a form of disguise. (PROSE: *Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin*)

Although rumours that the Master had been implicated in the "War Chief incident" existed on Gallifrey, Rowellanuraven believed them to be fanciful fabrications, much like the "obviously" false claim that Goth had been an associate of the Decayed Master. (PROSE: *CIA File Extracts*)

One way or another, the Master caused several interstellar wars. The Third Doctor was aware that the Time Lords had once almost captured him, but was told by the Time Lords' messenger that, unlike the Doctor, the Master had managed to slip away before his TARDIS could be de-energised. (PROSE: *Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons*)

### Nemesis of the Third Doctor

The Master, by this point, had regenerated into an incarnation with a swarthy complexion, brown eyes, and a goatee beard with white skunk stripes. (TV: *Terror of the Autons*)

Under the alias "Emil Keller", the Master captured a psychic parasite and trapped it within the Keller Machine, and spent many months establishing "Keller" and the machine's credentials. (TV: *The Mind of Evil*)

#### Becoming a threat

The Master appeared at the International Circus, with his TARDIS in the form of a horse box. He hypnotised the circus troupe and plastic factory manager Rex Farrel to obey his orders as part of his plan to assist the Nestenes in their latest bid to conquer Earth. A Time Lord messenger alerted the Doctor to his rival's presence on the planet, and before the radio telescope could be used to bring the Nestene invasion force to Earth, the Doctor convinced the Master that the Nestenes would not distinguish between the Master and anyone else in their takeover, and the two worked together to fling the Nestenes back into space by "chang[ing] the polarity" whilst the radio telescope's transfer shift was still open. Afterwards, the Master fled. The Doctor, however, had already taken his dematerialisation circuit, preventing the Master from leaving Earth in his TARDIS. (TV: *Terror of the Autons*)

The Master returned again, posing as the scientist who had "developed" the Keller Machine. He used prisoners as a plan to hijack the Thunderbolt, a missile containing nerve gas and use it to destroy the World Peace Conference, which would trigger a nuclear war. The Doctor, with the help of Barnham, stopped the Master with the Keller Machine, and the Doctor reactivated the missile's abort mechanism. UNIT also destroyed the missile along with the Keller Machine, but the Doctor later discovered he had lost the Master's dematerialisation circuit in his altercation with the Master. Shortly after, the Master telephoned to let it be known that he had found the circuit and was free now to come and go as he pleased, while the Doctor had to remain in exile. (TV: *The Mind of Evil*)

The Master brought Axos to Earth, hoping to ally himself with them. Instead, he became the prisoner of Axos, and only escaped by saying that he would help it. The Doctor tricked the Master into thinking he was going to betray Earth. Instead, he trapped the Master with Axos in a time loop. (TV: *The Claws of Axos*) Posing as an Adjudicator, the Master travelled to a human colony on the planet Uxarieus in the year 2472. There, the Time Lord records indicated he would find the Doomsday Weapon created by a near-extinct native species. Once again the Doctor defeated his plans and the weapon was destroyed. (TV: *Colony in Space*)

Posing as a vicar named "Victor Magister" in the village of Devil's End, the Master summoned the ancient Dæmon Azal, but he failed to understand the power and control that was necessary following summoning him. Following Azal's confrontation with Jo Grant's selflessness, Azal destroyed himself through Jo's illogical actions. The Master was captured by UNIT following a failed attempt to escape in the Doctor's car, Bessie. (TV: *The Dæmons*)

#### In Custody

The Master was imprisoned inside a castle prison on Fortress Island as the only prisoner. The Master convinced his jailer, Colonel George Trenchard, to help him steal electronic parts from HMS Seaspite, telling Trenchard that this was intended as a lure for enemy agents. With these parts, the Master instead made contact with the reptilian Sea Devils, an aquatic species similar to the land-dwelling Silurians, and planned to cause a war between humans and Sea Devils, making the Sea Devils rulers of Earth again. Because the reactivation machinery of the Sea Devils' hibernation units deteriorated during millions of years of hibernation, the Master saw it necessary to construct a sonar device to awaken the remaining reptiles.

The Master captured the Doctor and forced him to help create this device, but to prevent the device from reactivating further Sea Devil bases and stop the war, the Doctor blew up the Sea Devil base by reversing the device's polarity, creating a massive reverse feedback. The Master escaped in a hovercraft when the officer guarding him, CPO Myers, was hypnotised and framed as the Master's corpse. (TV: *The Sea Devils*)

#### At Large Again

The Master posed as "Professor Carl Thascalos" and constructed a machine known as TOMTIT at Cambridge's Newton Institute to summon the ancient chronovore Kronos, whom he wished to control. He hypnotised the institute's director, Dr Charles Percival, but accidentally killed him by releasing Kronos from the Crystal of Kronos. The Master summoned the Atlantean priest Krasis for instructions on how to control Kronos while meddling with the flow of time to obstruct the Doctor from getting in his way.

After knocking out Sergeant Benton, the Master retreated to his TARDIS, but the Doctor tried to trap him in a time lock using his own TARDIS, accidentally creating a space loop when both TARDISes were materialised within the other. When the TARDISes were separated during their negotiations, the Master ejected the Doctor into space, but the Doctor survived by using the telepathic circuit of his TARDIS to help Jo return him to safety.

The Master travelled to ancient Atlantis and failed to hypnotise King Dalios, who easily resisted his influence. Confronting the Doctor there, the Master tried to manipulate Queen Galleia into betraying her husband, since she had taken a romantic liking in his charm compared to Dalios' dull personality. Galleia, however, was enraged when the Master caused Dalios to die in the coup they staged in Atlantis. Before he was arrested, the Master commanded Krasis to use the Crystal of Kronos housed in Atlantis and brought forth Kronos, who destroyed the entire civilisation.

Fleeing Atlantis with Jo as his hostage, and with Kronos under his control, the Master was in a position to cast destruction unto the entire cosmos, however, the Doctor threatened to time ram the Master's TARDIS with his own, which would take everyone's lives in the process if he did not give up his plans for chaos. The Master did not believe the Doctor would earnestly carry out his warning because he knew endangering Jo's life was not an option for him. In response to the Doctor's hesitation, Jo tried to complete the time ram before the Master could release Kronos again. Instead, Kronos spared everyone from death, and captured the Master for the crime of trying to control it, but allowed him to go free at the request of the Doctor. (TV: *The Time Monster*)

On Skaro, the Master forged an alliance with the Daleks, acting as their agent to provoke warfare between the Earth Empire and the Draconian Empire in the 26th century. To achieve this, he employed a force of Ogrons who, through the use of hypnosound, made themselves appear human or Draconian, thus provoking the other side. When the Doctor revealed the true perpetrators, the plot was abandoned. (TV: *Frontier in Space*)

### A Body in Decay

The Master found himself trapped as a wraith-like living cadaver, "horribly emaciated", for whom "no regeneration was possible". (TV: *The Deadly Assassin*)

#### Revenge on Gallifrey

Whilst on Gallifrey, the Master made Goth, in line for the position of Lord President of the High Council of Time Lords, into his slave, continuing to promise him power. The Master also took over the Matrix, and realised that the Eye of Harmony resided beneath the Panopticon. He believed he could use the Sash of Rassilon to protect himself from the raw power of the Eye and channel that energy to renew himself.

With a telepathic summons and a vision of the future created by the Matrix, the Master lured the Fourth Doctor to Gallifrey, seemingly to prevent the murder of the then-serving Lord President. The Doctor failed and ended up on trial for the President's murder. After Goth died, the Doctor defeated the Master in physical combat and, as a result, the Master fell into a crevice created by a localised earthquake. He gained access to his TARDIS in the confusion and escaped. (TV: *The Deadly Assassin*)

The Master was drawn to and became stranded on the planet Traken, the centre of the Traken Union, in a TARDIS configured into the sculpture-shaped Melkur. He plotted to take over the Source also located on the planet Traken, the power behind the Traken Union, and use it to restore himself. To this end, over a period of years, he won over Kassia, who later married Tremas and became a stepmother to Nyssa. His plans were thwarted by the Doctor and Adric when the Keeper of Traken summoned them, having sensed something of his machinations. With the help of Tremas and Nyssa, the Doctor removed the Master from the Source. However, with some of the Keeper's powers lingering, the Master was able to merge with Tremas. (TV: *The Keeper of Traken*)

### In Tremas' Body

The Master went to Earth, where he trapped the Doctor's TARDIS in a gravity bubble. He killed Tegan Jovanka's aunt Vanessa and a police constable with his Tissue Compression Eliminator. He then went to Logopolis, where he pretended to be Tremas to gain Nyssa's cooperation, giving her a bracelet that allowed him to control her arm. Using her as a hostage, he perverted the Block Transfer Computations and held the planet for ransom until its secret was revealed. This made the causal nexus unravel and also broke the Logopolitans' blockade of entropy, allowing it to swallow several galaxies, including the entire Traken Union.

The entropy wave was so threatening that the Master agreed to work with the Fourth Doctor to stop it. They travelled to the Pharos Project on Earth to do so, using the last theorem of Logopolis to reopen Charged Vacuum Emboitments. His true plan was revealed however when he sent a message to the peoples of the universe that he would stop the entropy only if they submitted to his rule. While the Doctor stopped the Master's signal to shut down the CVE that would halt the entropy wave, the Master caused him to fall off the Pharos Project's radio telescope and regenerate, allowing the Master to escape. (TV: *Logopolis*)

As the Fifth Doctor made his leave in the TARDIS, the Master reappeared and kidnapped Adric and held him in a hadron web to make him a part of his TARDIS. Using a projection of Adric, the Master sent the Doctor's TARDIS hurtling to destruction at Event One, but the Doctor saved his TARDIS through the Architectural Configuration. The Master used Adric's block transfer computations to create Castrovalva in the Andromeda Galaxy, where the Doctor would recover from his regeneration. He escaped from the recursion trap and tried to kill the Doctor, but was attacked by the enraged citizens, with the city itself due to collapse. (TV: *Castrovalva*)

The Master eventually escaped from Castrovalva. He managed to travel to Earth in 140,000,000 BC, where he disguised himself as the magician Kalid, hoping to use the Xeraphin gestalt to replace his dynamorphic generators. He brought two Concordes to his Citadel via a time contour. The second held the Doctor, his TARDIS and companions. He originally planned to use the captured passengers to break into the Sanctum and take control of the Xeraphin and add him to his TARDIS, but then he acquired the Doctor's TARDIS in a trade with him for a part the Doctor needed for his own TARDIS. The Xeraphin contacted Nyssa and let Tegan and her enter the Citadel, where the Master revealed his true form. The Master held the passengers hostage for parts from the Doctor's TARDIS. The second Concorde was returned to its own time and the Master ended up on Xeriphas with the freed and angry Xeraphin. (TV: *Time-Flight*)

On Xeriphas, the Master found and acquired Kamelion, a shape-changing android that could be easily controlled by a strong mind. Managing to elude Xeraphin, the Master escaped to England in 1215. Taking the alias "Sir Gilles Estram", the Master made Kamelion impersonate John of England to prevent the signing of *Magna Carta*. However, the arrival of the Doctor, Tegan and Vislor Turlough caused interference with his plans. After the Doctor defeated him in, first, a sword-fight and then a mental battle of wits over the command of Kamelion, the Master fled in his TARDIS. (TV: *The King's Demons*)

#### The Game of Rassilon

When the High Council of the Time Lords discovered that the first five incarnations of the Doctor had been time scooped and taken into the Death Zone on Gallifrey, they asked the Master for help and offered him a new cycle of regenerations as a bargaining tool. He agreed and was given a copy of the Seal of the High Council by the Castellan to prove his credentials. However, the Third Doctor did not believe the Master and blamed him for their being there, taking the seal from him on the pretence that he would return the "stolen property" to the High Council.

The Master soon after encountered the Fifth Doctor, who also had trouble believing him, especially when he claimed that the Third Doctor had taken his only proof. Before he could further attempt to gain his trust, however, a group of Cybermen ambushed them, the Doctor using the Master's recall device to escape and meet with the High Council when the Master was knocked out. Upon waking up, he formed a temporary alliance with the Cybermen to guide them to the Dark Tower, although it was clear they would kill him once he was no further use. After he let the Tower's traps slaughter the Cybermen, he hinted to the First Doctor how to get past security, but then grew power-hungry at the mention of immortality, and prepared to kill the first three incarnations of the Doctor, still angry at the Third Doctor for refusing his help when he was genuinely there to lend assistance. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart knocked him unconscious and Sarah Jane Smith and Tegan Jovanka bound him with rope. After Borusa was encased in Rassilon's tomb, Rassilon sent the Master back to his own time, promising that "his sins [would] find their punishment in due time". (TV: *The Five Doctors*)

#### The Numismaton Gambit

When the Master developed a more powerful version of the Tissue Compression Eliminator, he accidentally shrank himself and his lab to the size of a shoe box, without the ill effect of death. Using a device to boost his telepathy, the Master resorted to making telepathic contact with Kamelion and possessing him from afar, using his shapeshifting body as a proxy to try to restore himself. He made contact with Kamelion once more, directing him to use the Doctor's TARDIS to land on Sarn. With Kamelion acting as his physical proxy, the Master had him pretend to be the locals' god and order the Doctor's death. When this failed, he had Kamelion take the small box his lab had become and take it to the lab on Sarn that used Numismaton Gas, hoping it could restore him. As the Master stood in a gas vent and returned to normal size, the Doctor used the gas to apparently burn him to death. (TV: *Planet of Fire*)

#### Interfering with history

The Master allied with his old Academy classmate, the First Rani, in Killingworth against the Sixth Doctor and Peri Brown; the Master hoped to hasten the advancement of Earth's technology for his own nefarious reasons, while the Rani wanted the brain chemical that induced sleep in humans. The Doctor trapped the Master and the Rani in the Rani's TARDIS, which the Doctor had sabotaged, with the time spillage putting them in danger of being eaten by a tyrannosaurus rex. (TV: *The Mark of the Rani*)

#### Forging Alliances

The Master materialised in the Matrix and observed the Sixth Doctor's trial on *Space Station Zenobia*, while examining the Matrix footage himself to see what was tampered with. Learning that the Valeyard was an "amalgamation of the darker side of [the Doctor's] nature", the Master decided that the Valeyard was a bigger threat and rescued the Doctor by supplying the Doctor with witnesses in the form of Melanie Bush and Sabalom Glitz, and revealing himself to the court as a surprise witness. Using Glitz as a tool, the Master tried to steal secrets from the Matrix, but was beaten by the Valeyard, and imprisoned in the Matrix by a limbo atrophier with Glitz. (TV: *The Ultimate Foe*)

#### Deadlier Campaigns

##### The Cheetah World Gambit

The Master went to the Cheetah World, where he took control of the Cheetah People and the kitlings.

As exposure to the planet began changing the Master into a Cheetah Person, he sent the kitlings to Ace's home in the London suburb of Perivale to hunt for human recruits. Eventually, he found a pliable young man called Midge and used him to escape. Using Midge as his "hunting dog", the Master recruited a gang of Perivale youths to defeat the Doctor and Ace. The Master killed Midge and teleported the Doctor to the Cheetah World, which had begun to break up. The Doctor escaped, but the Master was trapped on the dying world. (TV: *Survival*)

##### Alliance with Ailix

Somehow escaping from the Cheetah World and treating himself for the Cheetah Virus, the Master made a deal with the gaseous being Ailix, intending to make Ailix so powerful through sending soldiers to their death that he would become master of the solar system, and then overthrow him. He made his way to Blackwood House in 1915, posing as a Field Marshall in order to complete this task. He had the Eighth Doctor and Raine Cunningham arrested, and deliberately split the two of them up so that the Doctor was forced to work on his own. Whilst making contact with Ailix, his plans were found out by Raine, who recorded them and passed the word on to the remainder of the trainee soldiers. Knowing mutiny was being plotted against him, the Master attempted to kill Raine, but was thwarted when he was overwhelmed by the troops, and Raine stole his Tissue Compression Eliminator. (TV: *A School for Glory*)

##### The Domesday Book Gambit

The Master managed to escape, and formed a pact with the Shahar to help him control Earth. Landing on Earth in the 1000s, the Master took up the identity of "Michael of Sarte" to stay hidden until the time was right. He helped William the Conqueror in the invasion of England at the Battle of Hastings, and gained a small portion of English land. In 1086, the Master commanded the Shahar to show themselves from the ink used in the Domesday Survey, planning to take over Britain before any of his failures at the hands of UNIT could occur. However, his plan was thwarted when the Doctor and Bernice Summerfield landed at Valeham and disrupted the equipment that allowed him to control the Shahar, forcing him to retreat in his TARDIS. His equipment was then used by the Doctor to permanently trap the Shahar in the Domesday Book once it was completed. (TV: *The Domesday Book*)

#### Final exploits

At some point, the Master learned of the Mind Wrest and managed to locate its broken remains on Gallifrey. Whilst travelling in the Time Vortex, he encountered Ruath and took her on board his TARDIS, on the condition that she helped him destroy the Doctor. They travelled to York at Ruath's behest to obtain the necessary parts for the Mind Wrest from a machine Ruath had built for a previous gambit. (PROSE: *Mind Games*) Returning with Ruath to Gallifrey, the Master set to work repairing the machine, eventually getting it to a working state. Wanting to use the Mind Wrest principally to dispatch of the Doctor, the Master used genetic material of the Doctor and his companions in order to take control of their minds, deliberately allowing the Body-snatchers more control of the Doctor's mind in order to make him behave erratically.

Following the Doctor's arrival on Gallifrey, the Master transmitted a message to the Doctor, outlining his plans to take over Gallifrey. Knowing full well the Doctor would alert the High Council, he sent Ruath, who had foreseen the same conclusion, to intercept any attempts at contacting the Capitol, whilst he continued to use the Mind Wrest to torment the Doctor's companions. He anticipated the Doctor's arrival at his base in the Outlands, and threatened him with a gun after the Doctor tried to switch the Mind Wrest off. Amping up the power on the Mind Wrest, the Master was able to render the Doctor almost completely under the power of the Body-snatchers. The Master sent a transmission to Ruath not long after informing her that she was no longer useful, something which caused her to turn traitor and help Bernice and Norman get to the Mind Wrest. Upon the trio's arrival, the Master ordered the Doctor to attack their minds with the Mind Wrest, whilst he tried to shoot Ruath. However, the Doctor was convinced by Bernice to turn the Mind Wrest on the Master, causing him to drop his gun in agony, (TV: *Mind Games*) as Tremas' mind began to overwhelm the Master's body and slowly destroy it. (PROSE: *Mind Games*) He took advantage of the commotion the Mind Wrest had caused to escape. (TV: *Mind Games*) Back in his TARDIS, the Master was forced to dispose of Tremas' body to get rid of the pain on his mind, with the body crumbling to dust on the floor. (PROSE: *Mind Games*)

## Personality

### Collectively

The Master was the polar opposite of the Doctor in almost every respect; condescending, arrogant, vain, and lusting for power. (TV: *Terror of the Autons*, *Colony in Space*) Comfortable with their villainous reputation, the Master took insults about their wickedness as compliments. (TV: *The Time Monster*, *The Five Doctors*, *The Domesday Book, Mind Games*)

When introducing himself, or enthralling someone, the Master would usually say, *"I am the Master, and you will obey me."* (TV: *Planet of Fire. Mind Games*) He also liked to say "my dear Doctor" when addressing his adversary. (TV: *Colony in Space*, *The Sea Devils*, *Time-Flight*, *The Caves of Androzani, The Dark Path*)

Unlike the Doctor, who usually needed their companions to convince people that they knew what they were doing, the Master had no problem manipulating people into helping him with his evil plans. (TV: *The Time Monster*)

The Master's schemes usually fell into three categories; conquest, (TV: *Terror of the Autons*, *The Mind of Evil*, *Colony in Space*, *The Dæmons*, *The Time Monster*, *Logopolis*, *A School for Glory*, *The Domesday Book*, *The Dark Path*) survival, (TV: *The Deadly Assassin*, *The Keeper of Traken*, *The Five Doctors*, *Planet of Fire*, *Survival*) and the death of the Doctor. (TV: *Castrovalva*, *The Ultimate Foe, Mind Games*) Similar to the Monk, the Master would also, on occasion, attempt to disturb the flow of history, (TV: *The King's Demons*, *The Mark of the Rani, The Domesday Book*) and, when imprisoned, would devote their energies to gaining their freedom. (TV: *The Claws of Axos*, *The Sea Devils*, *Time-Flight*)

Throughout their lives, the Master would adopt many disguises and aliases, often to pursue their goals, (TV: *Terror of the Autons*, *The Mind of Evil*, *Colony in Space*, *The Dæmons*, *The Time Monster*, *Frontier in Space*, *Castrovalva*, *The Domesday Book*) though other times with no reason or explanation given. (TV: *Time-Flight*, *The Mark of the Rani, A School for Glory*)

The Master's disguises ranged from the providence of false qualifications, (TV: *Terror of the Autons*, *The Mind of Evil*, *Colony in Space*, *The Dæmons*, *The Time Monster*, *Frontier in Space*, *The Domesday Book*) to employing masks and heavy makeup (TV: *Terror of the Autons*, *The Mind of Evil*, *The Claws of Axos*, *Castrovalva*, *Time-Flight*, *The King's Demons*) or a change of clothing, (TV: *The Sea Devils*, *Logopolis*, *The Mark of the Rani*), shaving, (TV: *A School for Glory*) and even changing physical forms. (TV: *The Keeper of Traken*)

In a show of vanity, the Master's choice of alias would often reflect their title of "Master". (TV: *Terror of the Autons*, *The Dæmons*, *The Time Monster*, *The King's Demons*, *A School for Glory, The Domesday Book*)

Before their first battle, the Third Doctor called the Master a "jackanapes" and an "unimaginative plodder", (TV: *Terror of the Autons*) but later came to view him as the "personification of evil". (TV: *The Sea Devils*) The Fourth Doctor described the Master as the "quintessence of evil". (TV: *The Deadly Assassin*) However, the Seventh Doctor recognised the Master as an "evil genius". (TV: *Survival*)

High Council President Borusa described the Master as "one of the most evil and corrupt beings [the] Time Lord race [had] ever produced" and that his "crimes [were] without number, and [his] villainy without end." (TV: *The Five Doctors*)

### As "Koschei"

When under the alias of Koschei, the Master used to be a friendly, kind-hearted individual, though he was believed to be unstable by the High Council. However, after suffering several betrayals all at once, the Master became keen to rule the universe, becoming more conniving and manipulative. (TV: *The Dark Path*)

He thought killing to be a sign of poor preparation and unprofessionalism, and when still in control of himself, the Master even grew emotional when he thought he had killed someone. (TV: *The Dark Path*)

### "UNIT Enemy" Incarnation

As the rival of the Third Doctor, the Master was often arrogant and impatient, taken to be rude towards all and showing no tolerance for stupidity. (TV: *The Dæmons*, *The Sea Devils*, *The Time Monster*, *Frontier in Space*) To sway others to his way of thinking, the Master acted as a suave and debonair gentleman, with a sardonic sense of humour. (TV: *Terror of the Autons*, *The Time Monster*) When his own survival was at stake, the Master would not hesitate to betray his allies to save himself. (TV: *The Claws of Axos*)

The Master was willing to play the long game, spinning a web of lies while maintaining several back-ups in his schemes. (TV: *The Mind of Evil*) He seemed to truly believe his delusions of grandeur, proclaiming that he and the Doctor could "reign benevolently," ending "war, suffering [and] disease," (TV: *Colony in Space*) and that, instead of "all this talk of democracy, freedom, [and] liberty", the world needed "strength, power and decision." (TV: *The Dæmons*) When the Doctor accused him of being paranoid, the Master stated that everyone was paranoid, he was just honest about his paranoia. (TV: *The Time Monster*)

The Master held himself in high-esteem, even believing himself immune to the mind parasite within the Keller Machine, when in truth, he was only able to resist its attack on him for a short time, and with great effort. (TV: *The Mind of Evil*) He also demonstrated a strong confidence in himself when he walked into the UNIT HQ on the edge of London without fear of capture, instead hypnotising a handful of UNIT personnel. (TV: *The Claws of Axos*)

The "UNIT enemy" Master also had a juvenile side to him, making blithely sarcastic comments about an impending nuclear meltdown, (TV: *The Claws of Axos*) enjoying an episode of *Clangers* in his prison cell, (TV: *The Sea Devils*) and reading *The War of the Worlds* while trying to instigate a war between Earth and Draconia. (TV: *Frontier in Space*) He also had a sadistic side, taking particular pleasure in goading the Brigadier into attacking Axos when they both knew that it would put the Doctor and Jo Grant in danger. (TV: *The Claws of Axos*) He also took considerable delight in blackmailing the Doctor and Jo on Uxarieus. (TV: *Colony in Space*)

The "UNIT enemy" Master would casually murder those whom he could not control, (TV: *Terror of the Autons*) or who were standing in the way of an item he required. (TV: *The Claws of Axos*) He believed that those who died as a result of his schemes were "necessary sacrifice[s]". (TV: *The Sea Devils*)

Unlike his following incarnations, the "UNIT enemy" Master was rarely resentful, instead accepting defeat with only a slight annoyance, (TV: *The Dæmons*, *Frontier in Space*) though he once stated that destroying the Doctor's favourite species would "be a reward in itself". (TV: *The Sea Devils*) The Master also learned from his mistakes, placing an alarm in his TARDIS (TV: *Colony in Space*) after the Doctor stole his dematerialisation circuit. (TV: *Terror of the Autons*)

Being a haughty psychopath, he regarded most beings as his inferiors, but had a mutual respect for the Doctor as a worthy opponent and his near intellectual equal, (TV: *Terror of the Autons*, *The Sea Devils*) and even showed a certain respect to the Doctor's companions, even if he still considered them inferior. (TV: *Frontier in Space*) He would only resort to killing the Doctor if he viewed him as an unmovable obstacle in his plans, (TV: *Terror of the Autons*) considering his quarrel with the Doctor to be something of a game, though he was willing to risk the Doctor's life on the Keller Machine to satisfy his curiosity. (TV: *The Mind of Evil*) However, the Master was not above working alongside the Doctor when necessary, (TV: *The Claws of Axos*) and even offered to rule the universe with him. (TV: *Colony in Space*)

While in Atlantis, the Master formed a relationship of sorts with Queen Galleia, remarking that she was beautiful and promising her power. Both Galleia and Lakis commented that the Master had "the bearing of a God". (TV: *The Time Monster*)

The "UNIT enemy" Master would occasionally smoke a cigar. (TV: *The Mind of Evil*, *The Time Monster*)

A master manipulator, the Master knew how to use others' greed and sense of duty as bargaining tools in his schemes, (TV: *The Claws of Axos*, *The Sea Devils*) and how to use his authority as an adjudicator to manipulate and influence the human factions and their competing aspirations on Uxarieus. (TV: *Colony in Space*)

The Master was also stronger than he appeared, as he was able to physically overpower Luigi Rossini, (TV: *Terror of the Autons*) Harry Mailer, (TV: *The Mind of Evil*) Smedley, (TV: *The Sea Devils*) and John Benton. (TV: *The Time Monster*) He was also able to make a small jump onto a moving lorry from a bridge, and then swing down to the driver's cab to hypnotise the driver. (TV: *The Claws of Axos*)

### Degenerated Body

The Master preoccupied his time with finding a way to regenerate following his disfigurement and the loss of his own ability to regenerate forcing him to face his imminent death. With his mobility and capabilities of camouflage decreased, he was often forced to hide his involvement in his plans until the very moment victory was within his grasp. (TV: *The Deadly Assassin*, *The Keeper of Traken*)

The Master felt a stronger hatred towards the Doctor than before, specifically guiding the Fourth Doctor back to Gallifrey so he could be framed for the President's assassination and executed in disgrace. (TV: *The Deadly Assassin*)

The Master showed a sadistic pleasure when he resorted to killing. (TV: *The Keeper of Traken*)

In his degenerated state, the Master's telepathic capabilities and willpower grew stronger, with the Master proclaiming that "only [his] hate [kept him] alive". He was able to launch a telepathic message to the Doctor from Gallifrey to the Doctor's TARDIS, (TV: *The Deadly Assassin*) and, once he became the Keeper of Traken, the Master forced Tremas to kill Neman through sheer willpower, and also paralysed the Doctor to make him watch. (TV: *The Keeper of Traken*)

He was willing to be patient with his plans, waiting inside his TARDIS for years to slowly seduce Kassia. (TV: *The Keeper of Traken*)

### "Tremas" Incarnation

After possessing Tremas's body, the Master became a more flamboyantly evil, bombastic and sophisticated individual, (TV: *Logopolis*, *Castrovalva*, *Time-Flight*, *The King's Demons*, *The Five Doctors*, *The Ultimate Foe*) who only put trust in himself. (TV: *The Mark of the Rani*) He was prone to laughing maniacally and reciting lengthy and verbose speeches, accompanied by melodramatic gestures and poses. (TV: *Time-Flight*, *The Five Doctors*, *The Mark of the Rani*)

The "Tremas" Master was unwilling to share any form of power with others, often betraying those he worked with to accomplish his own goals. (TV: *Logopolis*, *The Five Doctors*, *The Ultimate Foe*, *Survival, Mind Games*)

While in Tremas's body, the Master became devoted to killing the Doctor, often employing elaborate gambits and strategies to this end. (TV: *Castrovalva*, *The Mark of the Rani*, *The Domesday Book, Mind Games*) However, he mused that a cosmos without the Doctor "scarcely [bore] thinking about", and was willing to join forces with the Doctor if he viewed it as beneficial to himself. (TV: *Logopolis*, *The Five Doctors*, *The Ultimate Foe*)

He showed a genuine disregard for life and was often uninterested in how many people died at his hands, (TV: *Logopolis*, *Castrovalva*, *The King's Demons*, *Survival, A School for Glory*) and had a particular fondness for the Tissue Compression Eliminator. (TV: *Logopolis*, *Time-Flight*, *Planet of Fire*, *The Mark of the Rani*, *A School for Glory*) However, he showed an unusual level of moral standards when he apologised to Peri Brown for involving her in a battle that was originally supposed to be between him and the Sixth Doctor, and was genuinely horrified when the Rani's contraption turned Luke Ward into a tree, although the Doctor considered it an example of how warped and callous the Master was if he thought that establishing that Luke's death was an accident was any kind of excuse. (TV: *The Mark of the Rani*)

The Master was delighted and satisfied when Lord President Borusa addressed him as "one of the most evil and corrupt beings [the] Time Lord race [had] ever produced", but was surprised and outraged when his attempts to convince the Third Doctor of his sincerity was ridiculed and spurned. (TV: *The Five Doctors*) He also thanked Mel Bush when she remarked on how "evil" he was, (TV: *The Ultimate Foe*) and when Bernice Summerfield referred to his plans as "insane". (TV: *The Domesday Book*)

After he was infected by the Cheetah virus, the Master became more calm and calculating. However, as the virus took its toll, he became more animalistic and sadistic, taking satisfaction in murdering Karra and attempting to hit the Seventh Doctor's head with a club during their fight. (TV: *Survival*) His new calculating nature remained following his seeming remission of the virus (TV: *A School for Glory*), though he became more unhinged as time progressed. (TV: *The Domesday Book, Mind Games*)

Unlike his predecessor, the "Tremas" Master seemed unable to use natural hypnotism, instead using an Electro-muscular constrictor to enslave Nyssa, (TV: *Logopolis*) causing misdirection to discredit the Fifth Doctor at Fitzwilliam Castle, (TV: *The King's Demons*) and took control of Luke Ward by combining hypnotic suggestion via a crystal necklace with the Rani's mind parasites. (TV: *The Mark of the Rani*) When his attempts to hypnotise Sabalom Glitz with a swinging silver pendant failed due to Glitz's mind being occupied with calculating the wealth of the pendant, the Master resorted to offering Glitz a chest full of jewellery to ensure his cooperation. (TV: *The Ultimate Foe*)

The "Tremas" Master was able to accurately predict the Doctor's movements, implementing multiple ways to kill him and manoeuvring him into them with relative ease. (TV: *Logopolis*, *Castrovalva*, *The Ultimate Foe*) The Rani even believed that his plans were so overcomplicated that if he walked in a straight line he would get dizzy. (TV: *The Mark of the Rani*) Unlike his other renditions, the "Tremas" Master was typically able to improvise when things turned awry, (TV: *Logopolis*, *The Five Doctors*, *Survival*, *The Domesday Book*) though he had trouble improvising when too much seemed to be going wrong at once. (TV: *A School for Glory*)

Nearing the end of his life, the "Tremas" Master became much more deranged and desperate in his goal to kill the Doctor, paying little heed to whether his actions would hold dire consequences for himself. He was willing to compromise his keenness to kill the Doctor with the notion of the Doctor becoming his puppet upon learning of the Mind Wrest's capabilities but was still willing to use brute force if things were unlikely to go his way, pointing a gun at both the Doctor and Ruath on separate occasions. Due to his obsession with the Doctor, the Master also paid no heed to the consequences of his manipulating Ruath, a factor which ultimately led to his defeat. (TV: *Mind Games*)

## Appearance and Clothing

### "Koschei"

The "Koschei" Master looked like a tall, middle-aged man with hazel eyes, a reasonably long face and a receding hairline with short, neatly styled grey hair. He preferred to dress in a dinner suit, comprised of a muted blue dinner jacket, navy blue trousers, black derby shoes and a white shirt. The Master also wore glasses in a 1920s style. (TV: *The Dark Path*)

### "UNIT Enemy" Incarnation

The "UNIT enemy" Master resembled a mature, elegant man, with a swarthy complexion, brown eyes, and mild streaks of grey in his combed back thinning hair. He had a goatee beard, which also had white skunk stripes. He generally wore an ebony black Cardin-Nehru jacket, with dark trousers, black leather boots and gloves, and a ivory cuff-linked shirt. (TV: *Terror of the Autons*) On occasion, he would wear a suit, with either an orange, grey or blue tie. (TV: *Terror of the Autons*, *The Mind of Evil*, *The Time Monster*)

While imprisoned on Fortress Island, the Master wore a black cape over a white turtle-neck jumper, with black trousers, but switched these for a naval officer's uniform while secretly infiltrating HMS Seaspite. During his return and subsequent escape from Fortress Island, he changed back into his black Nehru jacket and trousers. (TV: *The Sea Devils*)

### Degenerated Body

The Master came to resemble a deformed corpse, (TV: *The Deadly Assassin*) with brown eyes. (TV: *The Keeper of Traken*) However, after absorbing some energy from the Eye of Harmony, (TV: *The Deadly Assassin*) his body looked less rotted. (TV: *The Keeper of Traken*)

To hide his disfigurement, the Master took to wearing a rotting hooded cloak.

He was described by Spandrell as being "emaciated". (TV: *The Deadly Assassin*)

### "Tremas" Incarnation

After the Master used the power of the Source to steal Tremas's body, the Trakenite's body was also rejuvenated, with his grey hair becoming a dark brown, and his white bushy beard turning into a black goatee beard.

After the Master stole his body, Tremas's robes inexplicably changed into a black velveteen high collared tunic with puffed sleeves and long tails, (TV: *The Keeper of Traken*) black trousers, dark leather boots, and black velvet gloves. (TV: *Logopolis*) The Master would also utilise a cloak with a large collar. (TV: *The Five Doctors*)

While stranded on Cheetah World, the Master opted to change his usual attire for a black collarless silk jacket, a navy blue shirt with an ivory collar, a midnight blue bow tie, black trousers and shoes, a collared silver waistcoat (with the collar coming out over the collarless jacket), and a belt with a dragon-shaped buckle. (TV: *Survival*) This look was kept by the Master for later gambits. (TV: *The Domesday Book*, *Mind Games*)

When operating at Blackwood House, the Master changed his attire to a standard British Field Marshall military uniform, shaving his goatee to further disguise his identity. (TV: *A School for Glory*)

## Other Information

### Relationship with the Doctor

The Master respected the Doctor as a worthy opponent, once offering to use a recently recovered weapon to take control of the universe while offering to share it with the Doctor though he refused. (TV: *Colony in Space*) They were initially willing to work with the Doctor when the situation required it. (TV: *Terror of the Autons*, *The Claws of Axos*)

### Companions

Unlike the Doctor, the Master usually worked and travelled alone. On rare occasions, they were seen with companions, notably Ailla the Time Lord spy. (TV: *The Dark Path*)

## Behind the Scenes

### Character Conception and Development

Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks often discussed that the relationship between the Third Doctor and the Brigadier was similar to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and envisioned a counterpart of the Doctor to act as "Moriarty", a character that became "the Master", his name being developed to counter the Doctor's — like that of his enemy, "Master" is an academic title. (DOC: *The Doctor's Moriarty*)

In the Third Doctor's original final episode concept, Roger Delgado's incarnation of the Master would have redeemed himself and given his life to save the Doctor, after which the Doctor would have regenerated; however, this story was never developed due to the sudden death of Roger Delgado.

In *The Deadly Assassin*, writer Robert Holmes deliberately chose to show the Master in a "transitional" form, in case future production teams wanted to bring back the character. As reported by *Doctor Who Weekly* #5, the intent at the time was that the Master had succeeded in gaining new regenerations and was beginning to regenerate in the scene where he escapes Gallifrey in Goth's TARDIS; it was expected that when the Master next returned, it would be in a once-more-healthy, new body. However, this idea was not included in the novelisation; as the Target novelisations were informally used by John Nathan-Turner as continuity guides, over the original scripts, this resulted in the decayed Master reappearing in *The Keeper of Traken* (albeit looking slightly healthier).

The relationship between the Doctor and the Master has often been thought of by fans as a romantic, or formerly romantic, one.

### Near Uses

The Master was the villain in the early drafts of the 1977 television story *The Talons of Weng-Chiang*, until he was replaced by Magnus Greel.

The complete opposite case occurred with *A School for Glory*, with it originally being planned for Field Marshall Bentley to be a regular human working alongside Ailix. However, producer Ian Fraser deemed the Master a necessary ratings boost, causing him to be inserted into the story.

The Mystery of the Master's true name

The 1997 story *The Dark Path* shows the Ninth Doctor in what is purported to be the Master's first encounter with the Doctor since leaving Gallifrey. Throughout the story, the Master is only called by the name "Koschei", and it is only at the end of the tale, when his turn to evil is complete (as foreshadowed by the title), that he proclaims himself "the Master". In Russian folklore, Koschei (rus.Коще́й or Коще́й Бессме́ртный, "Koschei the Deathless") is a villainous sorcerer who hid his soul in an obscure location under many layers of protection so that he may never die. The Ninth Doctor recognises Koschei's name in *The Dark Path* when Ailla mentions it, although the narration also suggests that it is an alias rather than the Master's birth name. Writer David McIntee commented on his Tumblr blog:

> The intention is certainly that (a bit like Anakin Skywalker) it’s a name he never uses later - but being set before he’s called the Master means he has to be called \*something\*. As for whether it’s actually his original real name… Well, in my head, yeah, but you’ll notice (IIRC) that the Doctor doesn’t address him by that name until after it’s been mentioned by others, so it not necessarily the case. *David McIntee*
>
>

### How many Masters?

Especially in comparison to other prominent Time Lords like the Doctor and Romana, the number of the Master's incarnations has been left unclear by many stories. TV: *The Deadly Assassin* gives the first clue when the Master is said to be near the end of his thirteenth and final incarnation.

### Off-Screen Relationships

Although they played antagonists on screen, in real life Roger Delgado and Jon Pertwee were actually close friends. In interviews and convention Q&A sessions, Pertwee often cited the death of Delgado as one of the factors that led him to give up the role. (DOC: *PanoptiCon 93*, MM VHS 15)

Long before Tom Baker met Anthony Ainley during the filming of Baker's final serial, *Logopolis*, he had lived with his brother, Richard Ainley, an acting instructor. Tom often saw Anthony, who would come over to play with Richard's children, but always thought of him as mysterious.

### Other Matters

* The 2020 animated version of the Second Doctor serial *The Faceless One*s retroactively makes this story the Master's first appearance, though they do not appear in person. He appears on two separate wanted posters, one showing his Roger Delgado incarnation, and another showing the most recent incarnation.
* *Planet of Fire* was supposed to be his final appearance, as Anthony Ainley's contract was expiring. Dialogue from *The Mark of the Rani* explaining how he survived was cut.
* During Anthony Ainley's tenure as the Master, pseudonyms made from anagrams of the actor's name were often used in the credits for the Master's disguises, such as "Neil Toynay" for the Portreeve in TV: *Castrovalva*. "Tremas" is itself an anagram of "Master".
* Jonathan Pryce's tenure as the Master marked the first known time the Doctor faced another Time Lord outside of the chronological order of incarnations, as his Master was the first in-universe to use that pseudonym.

## Appearances

### Season 8

* *Terror of the Autons*
* *The Mind of Evil*
* *The Claws of Axos*
* *Colony in Space*
* *The Dæmons*

### Season 9

* *The Sea Devils*
* *The Time Monster*

### Season 18

* *The Keeper of Traken*
* *Logopolis*

### Season 19

* *Castrovalva*
* *Time-Flight*

### Season 20

* *The King's Demons*
* *The Five Doctors*

### Season 21

* *Planet of Fire*
* *The Caves of Androzani* (Cameo)