11 Gods of Doctor Who's Pantheon Revealed!

Heed this notice: Upcoming episode spoilers for season 15, episode 2 of “Doctor Who,” titled “Lux.” The second-to-last episode of season 14 unveiled the return of Sutekh and several other deities linked to the Pantheon. Previously on “Doctor Who,” the Pantheon was depicted as a race of powerful, godlike beings who leave devastation in their wake. They are extremely challenging to vanquish, particularly those at the top of the hierarchy, and relish causing chaos for its own sake. The discovery that multiple monsters belong to the Pantheon hints that numerous memorable “Doctor Who” tales might have featured these antagonists, even if it wasn’t apparent when they originally aired.

On several occasions, the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), have encountered the Pantheon. The narrative involving the Pantheon seems to have originated from an adventure of the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant), which was intended to result in that version’s demise. However, an unusual event occurred where the Fourteenth Doctor “bi-generated,” enabling him to coexist with the Fifteenth Doctor simultaneously. There have been numerous odd occurrences hinting at the possibility that the Pantheon is altering time and space in ways detrimental to the normal order.

11. Sutekh

The God of Death is Also Known As “The One Who Waits”

Back in 1974, I stumbled upon an ancient adversary of mine known as Sutekh during my visit to what would later become UNIT headquarters, disguised as an archaeological site. Known then and now as the God of Death, this formidable foe yearned for the destruction of the entire universe. It was through a path of death and devastation that Sarah Jane and I found ourselves drawn, for it seemed Sutekh was working towards breaking free from his ancient constraints. Recognizing the potential catastrophe that would ensue if he succeeded, I knew I had to prevent it at all costs – the fate of the universe hung in the balance.

In the story titled “Pyramid of Mars”, it’s revealed that Sutekh hails from the planet Osiris and was locked away within a pyramid by the Eye of Horus. This tale is rooted in Egyptian mythology, where Sutekh, the deity symbolizing destruction, violence, deserts, and foreigners, is portrayed as murdering his brother Osiris. Their son, Horus, was Sutekh’s arch-nemesis. The original narrative essentially retells the myth of Sutekh but incorporates science fiction elements. Notably, the plot of “Pyramid of Mars” mirrors the myth of Apep, the Egyptian God of darkness and chaos, who was confined to the underworld due to his immense danger.

In “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” Sutekh’s comeback showcased his malevolence, for he deceived the Doctor into believing Susan, his granddaughter, might still be alive, when in reality, it was the wicked deity who had taken over Susan Triad’s body. Despite his ruthless nature, Sutekh considers himself a benevolent force that ends suffering by bringing death to living beings. It is also possible that he harbors animosity towards the Doctor, as the Fourth Doctor confined him in a time vortex to prevent him from annihilating the cosmos.

10. The Celestial Toymaker

The God of Games tanged with the First Doctor in a lost episode

Back in one of the Doctor’s earlier adventures, I encountered a puzzling character known as the Celestial Toymaker, portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris. This encounter is sadly lost in time, but the Toymaker was a mysterious figure who could compel others to engage in games with him. The stakes were high, for the loser would face dire consequences. There were whispers that he might be another Time Lord.

During “The Giggle,” Doctor Who unveiled the Toymaster’s backstory and exposed him as a Pantheon member. Despite the Doctor overpowering him, it came with consequences; the Fourteenth Doctor was gravely injured. Instead of regenerating, the Doctor opted for bi-generation, possibly due to the Toymaker’s impact on the cosmos. Before his demise, the Toymaker hinted at his fear of The One Who Waits, leaving the season enshrouded in mystery about this elusive figure.

9. Maestro

The God of Music wanted to steal it all for themselves

In the course of their journeys, Doctor and Ruby first met Maestro, a member of the Pantheon. They ventured to 1963 England, driven by Ruby’s desire to witness the Beatles recording their debut album. However, they found themselves in a world where music was absent, leaving the Beatles feeling that their efforts were pointless. These peculiar circumstances were directly attributed to Maestro’s actions of taking music from everyone’s spirit.

In their quest for music, The Maestro found himself famished as there was none left, leading him to attempt seizing Ruby, who retained a musical spirit within her. However, it wasn’t long before they discovered that Sutekh (later unveiled as The One Who Waits) was present at Ruby’s birth, prompting them to abandon their pursuit of her out of fear, realizing she might be connected to the Pantheon. This early hint foreshadowed a connection between Ruby and the divine beings.

During “The Devil’s Chord,” there were numerous hints pointing towards Sutekh’s trickery. One particularly poignant clue was when the Doctor sent Ruby back to 2024, but instead found a barren wasteland due to the Maestro’s control – this echoed a similar heart-wrenching scene featuring the Doctor and Sarah Jane in “Pyramid of Mars.” This parallel served as a premonition of Sutekh’s upcoming appearance. Moreover, one victim from the initial part of “Pyramid of Mars” was playing the piano right before his demise, which resembled the opening sequence that summoned the Maestro during “Devil’s Chord.

8. The Mara

The God of Beasts possessed a Fifth Doctor companion twice

In the classic series so far, only the entity known as the Mara belongs to the Pantheon. This malevolent being is believed to dwell in the dark recesses of one’s consciousness. During the episode “Kinda,” Tegan (Janet Fielding) experienced unusual dreams involving a mysterious man who commanded her to agree to become him. These dreams indicated that she was momentarily under the control of the Mara, as it sought to manipulate a member of the Kinda tribe into initiating conflict.

As a cinephile, I can tell you that in some ancient tales, a malevolent spirit known as the Mara was portrayed as a tormentor who delighted in sowing death and devastation. The Kinda people believed this entity to be the instigator of war, but they also held faith that it could be vanquished through peace. Remarkably, this sinister figure bears resemblance to certain entities in other cultures’ mythology, particularly Icelandic folklore. Here, the Mara was seen as a covert evil spirit that cast curses upon humans, causing nightmares and sleep paralysis. This eerie entity shares striking similarities with the Mara depicted on Doctor Who, where it invades dreams to possess individuals, often leaving them unaware of its influence.

In every Doctor Who companion’s journey, they encounter potentially lethal perils. Among all these companions, only Tegan was invaded by the entity known as Mara. Interestingly, Tegan experienced this possession not once but twice, leading to speculation about her unique role or if the Mara might find another human host and continue causing chaos. As of now, the Mara has yet to make a comeback in contemporary Doctor Who, but given that Sutekh identified it as a member of the Pantheon, there’s a possibility it could resurface in the future.

7. The Trickster

The God of Traps messed with one of the Doctor’s old companions (& Ten himself)

The Trickster takes pleasure in creating confusion and meddling with time. He had a special affinity for disrupting Sarah Jane Smith, a previous companion of the Doctor, and sought to eliminate her from the timeline to create havoc. The conflict between the Trickster and Sarah Jane spanned numerous episodes in the spinoff series, “The Sarah Jane Adventures.” This narrative thread unveiled that the Trickster belonged to the “Pantheon of Discord” well before the Doctor had any official encounters with this group.

The Trickster demonstrates that “Doctor Who” isn’t limited to drawing villains for Pantheon consideration from its own history, given a touch of retconning. Previously, characters like Sutekh and some other Pantheon members have appeared in “Doctor Who,” but the Trickster initially surfaced elsewhere within the broader franchise. It’s advantageous that Russell T. Davies was also deeply involved with the kid-friendly spinoff, and it’s a clever move in itself to reintroduce such a formidable antagonist during “Doctor Who’s” Disney era – though this is achieved subtly through Sutekh merely mentioning his name.

6. Reprobate

The God of Spite has not yet been seen

Davies didn’t solely use classic Doctor Who villains when constructing the Pantheon; instead, he opted to maintain an air of mystery by having Sutekh merely mention them by name. For instance, Reprobate, the God of Spite, is one of the Pantheon members whose identity remains vague. As far as anyone knows, Reprobate has not made an appearance in Doctor Who. However, it’s possible that they are a familiar character using a new alias. This hasn’t been the case with other Pantheon Gods, but every rule has its first exception.

It can be difficult to envision the types of difficulties the God of Spite might create, unlike the battles that could ensue between other deities such as the Toymaker and Maestro against the Doctor. The nature of Reprobate’s specialty in spite makes things rather vague. While it is acknowledged that spite is undeniably more malicious than pastimes like games or music, encounters with Reprobate would undoubtedly prove challenging for the Doctor if they ever meet.

5. The Threefold Deity of Malice, Mischief, & Misery

It’s possible this God could be one being or three

Although Sutekh referred to this deity as a “threefold entity“, implying it might be a single God with three faces, it could instead be three distinct entities who often appear together or resemble each other closely. This deity is yet unseen on-screen. Interestingly, the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) spoke of battles against the Gods of Ragnarok during his lifetime, a trio that forced people to amuse them. Thus, it’s plausible that these three could be integrated into the Pantheon in future retconning.

If the Doctor encounters the Pantheon trio, the battles could be unlike any he’s fought before. Some Gods, such as Maestro, have been defeated swiftly in a single episode. Conversely, others like the Trickster required more time to vanquish. Given that this trio consists of three Gods, it seems plausible that they would fall into the category of battles taking longer to win. This is because if the Doctor manages to defeat them as quickly as some other Pantheon members, it would make the trio less formidable.

4. Gods of Skin and Shame & Secrets

There are a few clues regarding who these Gods could be

In his lengthy speech, Sutekh starts to bunch together some of the divine names. This means that the deities associated with Skin, Shame, and Secrets are often found in close proximity. It’s possible that these Gods, like those of Malice, Mischief, and Misery, are consistently grouped together, or Sutekh may have been summarizing his points at that moment. Fingers crossed for the Doctor that it’s only one deity, as he has enough challenges ahead for the near future without dealing with three more.

3. Incensor

It’s possible a familiar face is the God of Disaster

From my perspective, Incensor hasn’t been unveiled in any screen appearances yet, but it’s intriguing to speculate that she might be Mrs. Flood in disguise. This theory diverges from the popular notion that Mrs. Flood could be a Time Lord, as portrayed in ‘Doctor Who’. However, it’s equally compelling to consider her as a member of the Pantheon. This is suggested by her dual role as a friendly neighbor and her eerie comment about Sutekh’s return, made in private with Cherry. Therefore, her name might be a clever play on words, as a flood represents disaster, while the resemblance between her name and that of Amy Pond and River Song could be a misleading clue.

2. Dread & Doubt

Incensor’s children are the last two Gods mentioned by Sutekh

The character known as Doctor Who has managed to keep the entities Dread and Doubt hidden from view up until now, and it remains unclear whether these twin figures are identical or not. This enigmatic duo is among the most elusive members of the Pantheon, given the scarce data available about them. Doctor Who has encountered numerous sets of twins throughout its 60-year run, but given their apparent origin from a different generation, there’s a possibility that these two might represent entirely fresh adversaries rather than rehashes of previously known characters.

1. Lux Imperator

The God of Light manifests as a cartoon character called Mr. Ring-a-Ding

In the 15th season of “Doctor Who,” episode 2 titled “Lux,” Ncuti Gatwa’s character, the Fifteenth Doctor, collaborates with Belinda Chandra (portrayed by Varada Sethu), to vanquish the Deity of Light within a solitary episode. The battle isn’t straightforward due to Lux’s extraordinary powers over light. One of his abilities allows him to extract Mr. Pye’s late wife from a video reel and materialize her in reality. Conversely, he can also transport the Doctor and Belinda into an animated dimension, forcing them to find their way out.

It appears that Lux manages to extract the Doctor’s regeneration energy, as demonstrated in the story. In an effort to construct a body that can leave the shadows of the movie theater and seek stronger power sources, Lux attempts to absorb the flowing beam of light. However, before he could completely deplete the Doctor of his regenerative energy, something unexpected happens. This encounter with sunlight and the universe causes the Deity of Light to grow indefinitely, eventually becoming intertwined with the Doctor Who multiverse.

2025-04-19 13:09

11 Gods of Doctor Who’s Pantheon Revealed!