Summary
There are several important things to know about Sutekh,Doctor Whoseason 14’s newest villain. The penultimate episode of the season ended with a dramatic sequence in which Sutekh revealed that he had been possessing the mysterious woman (Susan Twist) who had been following the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and had also infiltrated the TARDIS. Sutekh had cruelly allowed the Doctor to believe the mystery woman was the Doctor’s granddaughter, only to pull the rug out from under him by revealing his true identity and threatening to destroy the universe.
Although this is the first time that Sutekh has appeared in the post-2005 continuation ofDoctor Who,he is an old enemy of the Doctor’s who first appeared in one ofDoctor Who’s best episodesof all time. Unlike the Daleks or Cybermen, he is not an enemy thatevery actor who playedDoctor Whofaced in their stories. However, he is one of the most powerful and dangerous creatures the Doctor has ever gone up against.Here is a list of several of the most important things to understandabout Sutekh.
All 12 Confirmed Gods In Doctor Who’s Pantheon Explained
The Pantheon is a blend of new Doctor Who villains and familiar antagonists from the long-running British sci-fi show’s 60+ year history.
10Sutekh Debuted During Doctor Who’s “Pyramids of Mars”
The Tom Baker Story Was First Broadcast in 1975
Sutekh is one of the oldest villains onDoctor Who, having first appeared in 1975’s “Pyramids of Mars.” During that story, the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) and Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) landed at the future site of UNIT headquarters, where they quickly discovered thatSutekh was determined to free himself from beneath a pyramid and wreak havoc throughout the universe. In one scene, Sarah Jane gets the kind of shock thateveryDoctor Whocompaniondreads when the Doctor takes her to 1980 to demonstrate that Sutekh’s influence will turn her world into a desolate wasteland.
Russell T Davies included a similar scene during “Devil’s Chord,” which can be interpreted as a clue that Sutekh would return at the end of season 14.
Although “Pyramids of Mars” ended with the Doctor and Sarah Jane believing they had trapped Sutekh forever, the possibility of his return was baked into the story. The Doctor moved a time tunnel so that Sutekh could not move through it to the outside world. However, he stated that Sutekh would be trapped for about 7,000 years, which suggested that it was possible he would find a way out eventually. Although Sutekh did not return to television for 50 more years, non-canon stories such as Big Finish audio adventures occasionally featured him after the conclusion of “Pyramids of Mars.”.
9Doctor Who’s Sutekh Can Possess People
He Did So During Two Different Episodes Filmed 50 Years Apart
Sutekh uses humans to do his dirty work. During the penultimate episode of season 14, he possessed one of his harbingers, who was a new member ofDoctor Who’sUNIT team, to announce his arrival and also revealed that he had possessed Susan Triad and sent her through time and space after the Doctor. This was not the first time that he had possessed someone, as a large part of the trouble he caused during “Pyramids of Mars” came from him possessing the corpse of an archaeologist he had killedso he could set things up for his escape.
Sutekh uses mind control to possess people, often those who have already met a grisly fate at his hands. However, he can also possess living beings. During “Pyramids of Mars,” he attempted to possess the Doctor, using psychic mind control to get the Doctor to send the TARDIS to Mars as part of his plan. The Doctor ultimately escaped death at Sutekh’s hands and trapped him in the time tunnel, making Sutekh determined to seek revenge once he finally freed himself.
8Sutekh Was Trapped In A Time Tunnel Until Recently
The Doctor Used the TARDIS Control Panel to Stop Him From Escaping
“Pyramids of Mars” featured a time tunnel that connected Sutekh’s prison to the outside world. Sutekh’s plan was to use the possessed archaeologist to travel to Mars and destroy the eye of Horus, which was the object keeping him trapped, and then escape through the time tunnel to the outside world. Thus, the easiest way to stop Sutekh from causing worldwide devastation was for the Doctor to move the time tunnel, making it impossible for Sutekh to get to the end of it. The Doctor did this using the TARDIS control panel to adjust the length of the time tunnel.
The eye of Horus resembles a large ruby, which could be a clue that Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) will be the one to re-trap Sutekh.
Theoretically, the adjusted time tunnel was supposed to be so long that Sutekh will not be able to get to the end of it within his lifespan. However, he was shown to have hitched a ride with the TARDIS during season 14. Thus,it is possible that the Doctor’s use of the TARDIS control panel to trap Sutekh allowed the evil creature to attach itself to the time machine and travel with the Doctorfor 50 years. However, this theory has not been proven, and it is equally possible that Sutekh’s infiltration of the TARDIS began when Ruby came aboard.
7He Was Originally Said to Have Destroyed The Planet Osiris
His Origin is a Nod to The Egyptian Mythology Featuring a Similar God
Sutekh had come to Earth from Osiris, with Horus and other members of the Osirian army after him, as he had completely destroyed the planet. His enemies cornered him on Earth, leading to his imprisonment.One of Sutekh’s primary goals since his imprisonment has been to destroy Earth and the human race, with a secondary goal of getting revenge on the Doctorfor thwarting his plan to escape through the time tunnel.
Sutekh’s backstory was a reference to Egyptian mythology; the Egyptian Sutekh was the god of deserts, destruction and violence. According to this myth, Sutekh had killed his brother Osiris, but Osiris' wife, Isis, was able to resurrect him for long enough to conceive Horus, whose life was dedicated to stopping his murderous uncle from causing more trouble. This myth is even more relevant now that it has been revealed that Sutekh is the most powerful member ofDoctor Who’s Pantheon of Discord.
6He Is Most Likely Immortal
The Doctor Calculated His Lifespan After Trapping Him Again, But That May Have Been Changed
When the Fourth Doctor trapped Sutekh in the time tunnel, he calculated that Sutekh would live 7,000 years and spend all of that time running through the tunnel without being able to reach its end. However, it’s likely that this limitation to Sutekh’s lifespan has been retconned now that he’s been revealed to be “The One Who Waits.” Since Sutekh is an extremely powerful god, it wouldn’t make sense for his lifespan to be limited to a few thousand years.
Sutekh’s lifespan could also have been affected by his hijacking of the TARDIS.Doctor Who’sRiver Song’sorigin story demonstrated that traveling in the TARDIS could affect passengers' DNA, and it’s possible that something similar happened to Sutekh.Sutekh’s interference with the TARDIS could have thus made him immortal even if he wasn’t originally, although his status as a Pantheon god makes it likely he was immortal to begin with.
5He is the Strongest God in the Pantheon of Discord
The Other Gods Fear Him
Sutekh sits at the top of the hierarchy of Pantheon gods. There are ten such gods, and each one has different powers. The Fifteenth Doctor has tangled with two other such gods, andDoctor Who’s Mara has been retconnedto be a member of the Pantheon, which means that the Fifth Doctor has also dealt with the Pantheon. Although these other gods are powerful, they cannot defeat Sutekh and are frightened of him. They often refer to him as “The One Who Waits” and back off when they sense his involvement.
The Toymaker and Maestro both demonstrated fear of Sutekh. The Toymaker told the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) that The One Who Waits is the only creature he didn’t dare play a game with, leaving him with a cryptic warning about Sutekh. Similarly,the Maestro stopped attempting to steal the music from Ruby’s soul after realizing that Sutekh was present at the church where Ruby was abandonedas an infant. These cryptic references served as clues that Ruby was connected to Sutekh somehow, as well as to his identity.
4Sutekh Is The God of Death, But Sees His Destruction As Benevolence
He Believes He Is Alleviating Suffering By Destroying All Life
The bestDoctor Whovillainsare those who believe they are completely in the right, and Sutekh is a primary example of that concept. He does not deny that he spreads death and destruction everywhere, but justifies it to himself. Sutekh believes that inferior life forms must find existence torturous and therefore he is offering them the “gift” of death, which would release them from their suffering. Sutekh’s beliefs about the nature of the trouble he’s causing go hand-in-hand with his belief that he is a far superior being to all those he kills.
Sutekh’s beliefs make him an even scarier villain than he otherwise would be. He is an all-powerful god who is very difficult to stop once unleashed, which is why the Fourth Doctor was so determined not to let him free himself. His beliefs make it so that he will never voluntarily stop, andhe may be able to manipulate some people into believing that death is in their best interest so that they voluntarily give up their lives and allow him to possess their corpses.
3Sutekh Plays the Long Game
He Was Imprisoned for Centuries Before Escape and Bid His TIme Before Revealing Himself
Sutekh probably developed the habit of patience while imprisoned underneath the pyramid. He waited centuries for an archaeological expedition to come along that would suit his purposes, then possessed several people and killed others as part of his plan to escape. Afterward, he also had to be patient since the Doctor imprisoned him in a seemingly endless time tunnel so that he could not get back to Earth and wreak havoc there. He also latched onto the TARDIS for an unspecified period before the big reveal, using Susan Triad as his avatar during six on-screen adventures and countless unfilmed ones.
Sutekh is clearly willing to wait years, decades, or centuries to carry out his plans.His willingness to carry grudges, belief he is superior, and almost unchecked power make him one of the most dangerous villainsthe Doctor has ever faced. He also has unlimited time to wait to put a perfect scheme into motion, and he holds a special grudge against the Doctor for ruining his previous plans. Thus, Sutekh has had centuries to plot to destroy the Doctor, making him even harder to defeat.
2He Played a Cruel Trick on the Doctor As Part of His Revenge
Sutekh Disguised Himself In a Way That Purposely Made the Doctor Think His Granddaughter Was Still Alive
Sutekh’s plan for the Doctor included psychological devastation. By using Susan Triad, he purposely led the Doctor to wonder whether his granddaughter, Susan, was still alive and to visit her in the hopes of getting answers. Sutekh then revealed himself to be possessing Susan Triad, pulling the rug out from under the Doctor after he’d allowed himself to hope to see his granddaughter again.
Coincidentally, this scene aired the same week that Carole Ann Ford, who played the Doctor’s granddaughter and first companion, celebrated her 84th birthday.
This trick was particularly upsetting for the Doctor because he has lost his entire people in the Time War. He has long believed that Susan is dead, along with most other Time Lords. He also has experienced the loss of many former companions, through death or through them leaving and moving on with their lives, and recently experienced the heartbreak of losing Rogue, the first person he allowed himself to love romantically in a long time. Thus,this new heartbreak is intended to leave him shattered and very well could do so.
1His Latching Onto The TARDIS Makes Him Exceptionally Dangerous
The TARDIS is Indestructible But Has Been Spreading Destruction
The TARDIS is virtually indestructible, so UNIT can’t defeat Sutekh by destroying the machine he has latched himself onto, and doing so would be a poor solution. The Doctor needs the TARDIS to travel through time and space rather than being stranded at UNIT. The TARDIS often helps with regeneration and with recuperation afterward, sothere’s no telling what might happen if the Doctor’s connection to the machine was completely severed.
Sutekh’s infiltration of the TARDIS means thatDoctor Whohas set up one of the worst threats in its 60-year history. Even if Sutekh is defeated, the Doctor will always carry with them the burden of knowing that they transported this evil creature throughout the universe, contributing to death and destruction everywhere. Sutekh’s victory over the Doctor is therefore almost assured even if he loses this battle and is banished or imprisoned again.
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Doctor Who: Released on June 20, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
