Sutekh’s return inDoctor Whoseason 14 after not appearing in the show for almost half a century came as a huge surprise, but the long-running British sci-fi quietly included several hints to foreshadow the classic villain’s resurgence.Sutekh was revealed to be The One Who WaitsinDoctor Whoseason 14’s penultimate episode, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday.” The antagonist’s debut inDoctor Who’s Disney erawas his first episode since the 1975 story, “Pyramids of Mars,” starring Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor.The signs of Sutekh’s comeback were subtle, but they were certainly there.
WithDoctor Whoseason 14 serving as a stealth sequel to “Pyramids of Mars"all along, the clues to the true identity of the first big bad of Ncuti Gatwa’s era are much easier to spot in retrospect. The Pantheon leader’s evil plan to wipe out all life in the universe was retroactively established as the biggest looming threat of the post-Baker era, and the fact thatSutekh was able to remain concealedfor so long only compounds his fearsome power.
8Doctor Who Season 14’s Multi-Colored Marketing
Gatwa’s first season’s promotional material shared a color scheme with some original Sutekh shots
Like almost every other time a new actor is cast in the show’s lead role,Doctor Whounderwent an aesthetic overhaul when Nucti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor entered the fray. The bright marketing forDoctor Whoseason 14 promised a vibrant and visually pleasing run of episodes, but it actually teased Sutekh’s return at the same time. The eye-catching color scheme may seem innocuous, butit’s a startling match for an iconic shot from Sutekh’s original story.
One of theharsh realities ofDoctor Who’s classic erais the fact that many of the special effects haven’t stood the rest of time. By today’s standards, Sutekh’s method of traveling to Earth in “Pyramids of Mars” consisting of bright colors doesn’t particularly align with the insidious atmosphere the story is trying to establish. So, whenthe same palette was used to advertiseDoctor Whoseason 14, it concealed the return of the known villain even more.
7The Beatles' Song In “The Devil’s Chord”
The Fab Four sing about a dog not being dead
AlthoughJinkx Monsoon’s Maestrowas the villain ofDoctor Whoseason 14’s Beatles episode, the lyrics to one of the Fab Four’s intentionally underwhelming compositions quietly acknowledged the coming arrival of Sutekh. With Maestro’s plot to rid the world of music, the remaining songwriters started penning lyrics with almost no heart, andThe Beatles' song about a dog revealed more than it originally seemed.
The song in question included lyrics such as, “My dog is alive, he’s not dead.”
The song in question included lyrics such as, “My dog is alive, he’s not dead.” Sutekh may not be an actual dog, but the resemblance between a domestic pooch and the most powerful being inDoctor Who’s Pantheon of Godsisn’t unremarkable. Until “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,“the Doctor believed Sutekh to be dead, so The Beatles' quiet foreshadowing refuting that assumption is very important after the events of the two-part finale.
The Sue Tech/Sutekh connection was a little heavy-handed (but it kind of worked)
ShowrunnerRussell T Davies liked to play with words inDoctor Whoseason 14, even if some of the anagrams were a bit of a reach. Triad Technologies was referenced as early as the 60th anniversary specials, but without Susan’s first initial, it was a little tricky to arrive at the “TARDIS” tease that could be constructed from “S. TRIAD.” That being said, when Susan Twist’s character was revealed to share the same first name as her actress, it became much more difficult to avoid the Suetkh/Sue Tech connection due to the tech mogul’s field of work.
Susan Triad was revealed to be one of Sutekh’s avatars.
There is probably a reason why this “anagram” was only made available in the same episode as the Sutekh reveal. It’s incredibly on-the-nose, although the incomplete nature of the available letters could arguably have kept viewers in the dark for much longer. Clunky nature of the clue aside,it still allowed Sutekh’s presence to remain undiscoveredby most of theDoctor Whofan base as well as all the characters.
5The Strained TARDIS Noises That Started In “Wild Blue Yonder”
There isn’t much that can make the TARDIS groan
The TARDIS made a sound it had never made before in David Tennant’s second full episode as the Fourteenth Doctor. The mysterious noise seems a little worrying at first, but ultimately harmless.It happens again a handful of times after Gatwa stepped into the role of the Doctor, but the fact it often occurs in the middle of a much bigger mystery/crisis means it can swiftly be swept under the rug until the time is right.
I Watched Sutekh’s Original Doctor Who Episodes - And Now I Get Why RTD Brought Back This 49-Year-Old Villain
Sutekh hadn’t appeared onscreen since 1975, but as soon as I saw the Doctor Who villain in his original context, I was glad he came back.
Doctor Whonever really fully explainswhy the TARDIS groans, but the most salient theory is the Doctor’s sentient blue box is under a lot of strain from carrying Sutekh around for so long. Although it’s been doing so for centuries by the time season 14, the God of Death’s attempts to emerge may have been enough to alert the TARDIS that something is very wrong. Watching these moments back, the TARDIS may as well be yelling, “Sutekh is coming, Sutekh is coming!” Thankfully,the TARDIS doesn’t communicate conventionally, so the Suetkh twist remained under wraps.
4The Toymaker Being Retroactively Added To The Pantheon Should Have Been A Big Clue
The Toymaker and Sutekh both originate in Doctor Who’s classic era
The Pantheon didn’t exist during the Toymaker’s debut inDoctor Who’s classic era. Instead, he was simply an independent villain. However, whenDoctor Who’s Disney era brought the character back with Neil Patrick Harrisin the role, it was as one of the franchise’s new gods. When Maestro appears in “The Devil’s Chord,” the Doctor mentions the Pantheon as if the group has always existed, teasing there were more members. If anyDoctor Whovillains from the classic era were going to follow the Toymaker into a Pantheon membership,Sutekh should have been a prime suspect.
The fear the Toymaker and Maestro both voice about “The One Who Waits” should have been a huge signifier of the moniker being held by Sutekh.
Despite only appearing in one previous TV story before season 14,Sutekh was still one of the most powerful beings to ever feature inDoctor Who. His ability to kill with a single touch, as well as sharing this power with his terrifying avatars, makes him an incredibly formidable opponent. The fear the Toymaker and Maestro both voice about “The One Who Waits” should have been a huge signifier of the moniker being held by Sutekh. Then again, the mysterious title could refer to almost anyone out of context, including a brand-newDoctor Whovillain.
3Doctor Who Brought Back Sutekh’s Original Voice Actor
Sutekh’s monologue that eventually leads up to revealing himself in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” would have spoiled the big twist for fans ofDoctor Who’s classic era. Gabriel Woolf, who played the villain in “Pyramids of Mars,” was recruited to voice the reimagined version of the character in season 14. So, for anyone particularly familiar with Woolf’sDoctor Whodebut back in 1975, it would be easy to work out the imminent return of Sutekh.Woolf has an incredibly recognizable timbrethat could have given ruined the reveal away ahead of time.
Woolf’s return to the role could also have been an attempt at misdirection. The actor voiced the Beast fromDoctor Whoseason 2, episodes 8 and 9 - “The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit.” The David Tennant-era villain shares several similarities with Sutekh, andWoolf’s dual-casting is a great way to throw fans of the scene. Ultimately, the ploy ended up being far less meta than a connection between both Gabriel Woolf characters.
2The Title Of Doctor Who Season 14’s Finale Episode Is Huge Nod To Sutekh
Maestro’s endgame looks like Sutekh’s goal as well
“Empire of Death” is a title that could (and did) easily slip under the radar of even the most devotedDoctor Whofans. It’s just general enough to sound ambiguously ominous, but a semi-generous reading declares Sutekh as the story’s main villain.Sutekh isn’t an especially layered bad guy, as his sole aim is simply for death to be the reigning state of being throughout the universe. So, any victory enjoyed by the character would surely fit the description of an Empire of Death.
TheDoctor Whoseason 14 trailer also includes a dust cloud, which is a big reference to Sutekh’s classic era episodes.
Of course,Sutekh is far from the onlyDoctor Whovillain with strong ties to the concept of death, but he arguably has the strongest and most direct connection to wanting as much of it as possible. Plus, Woolf’s character even uses the word “Empire” when telling Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor about his plans in “Pyramids Mars,” strengthening the overall possibility and eventually-correct prediction that the “Empire of Death” will belong to Suetkh.
1Maestro’s Apocalyptic Goals Are Very Similar To those Of Sutekh’s Master Plan
Sutekh’s Death Wave achieves the same thing as Maestro’s calculated plan
When the Doctor and Ruby travel to the present day to witness the impact of the death of music, the complete lack of human life aligns with Sutekh’s desires. Whilethe God of Death’s plan goes beyond that of killing Earth, it’s still a big clue about what’s to come. However, it’s the nature of Gatwa and Gibon’s character’s return to the present that makes Sutekh’s return feel even more inevitable. While it’s easy to miss without seeing “Pyramids of Mars,” that doesn’t make it any less relevant.
Doctor Who Season 14 Reminded Me Of An MCU Movie, But Missed The Most Important Part
When I was watching the thrilling finale of Doctor Who season 14, I kept thinking about a similar MCU story, and how much better the latter was.
In the 1975 Tom Baker story where Sutekh debuts, Elisabeth Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith asks the Doctor to return to her native time from 1911. The Fourth Doctor uses the TARDIS to show Sarah Jane the impact of Sutekh’s actions if left to be successful. The Fifteenth Doctor does the exact same thing with Ruby when she states the world can’t end in the 1960s because her existence is evidence to the contrary. He manages to make Ruby understand thatMaestro can be successful in changing history, and it’s a replication of a moment from Sutekh’sDoctor Whodebut.
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Doctor Who: Released on June 02, 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.
