Doctor Who: 5 Best Monsters Introduced In NuWho

Doctor Who is well-known for it's large rogue's gallery, including many classic villains, including the Daleks, The Master, and the Cybermen, among a great many others. However, when the sci-fi classic was revived in 2005 after an extended hiatus, conflict between the BBC and the estate of Terry Nation, creator of the Daleks, left the creators of the revival unsure whether they would be allowed to use the iconic pepper-pot villains.

While there were plenty of other classic villains to work with, and the show was eventually allowed the use of the Daleks, NuWho had the responsibility of introducing Doctor Who to a new generation of potential Whovians, immune to the 'brand recognition' of the classic monsters that would draw older viewers to the show. The writers would need to create new monsters who could successfully stand beside the classics, and thankfully, they successfully did so.

Here are the five best monsters introduced in NuWho.

1. The Weeping Angels

In the series three episode 'Blink', Steven Moffat, who would eventually become Doctor Who showrunner, introduced the Weeping Angels. Appearing as simple statues at first, the truth of the Angels is much more sinister. The Weeping Angels cannot move while they are being observed, but if you take your eyes off them, even for a second, they will move closer, and if an Angel manages to catch you, they will transport you back in time, feeding on the quantum energy of the life you left behind.

As earlier pieces on the subject have mentioned, the brilliance of the Weeping Angels lies in their simplicity. No-one can avoid blinking forever, and everyone knows of a creepy statue that could be an Angel. It is easy to believe they could be real, and that makes them all the more terrifying.

2. The Ood

The Ood first appeared in the series two two-part story 'The Impossible Planet'/'The Satan Pit'. They were introduced as servants of the humans living in Sanctuary 6 base on the planet of Krop Tor. At first, it seems that the Ood will be the villains of the story, when they begin 'glitching' and threatening their human masters. However, this is a red herring. The Ood, as a telepathic race, were susceptible to mind control at the hands of the Beast beneath the planet's surface, and it was forcing them to attack the humans. A series four story, 'Planet of the Ood', explains how the Ood were enslaved, and also how The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble free them.

The Ood's unique design has made them one of NuWho's most popular aliens. Though they have not had a story focused on them since 'Planet of the Ood', they are regularly seen in cameos. An Ood is set to appear at some point during Doctor Who: Flux.

3. The Silence

The Silence, tall, creepy aliens inspired by Edvard Munch's famous painting 'The Scream', first appeared in the series six two-parter 'The Impossible Astronaut'/'Day of the Moon'. You can only see a Silent when you are looking at it. Once you turn away, you forget it was ever even there. 'Time of The Doctor' provides a twist to the story, revealing that The Silence were not inherently evil. They were genetically engineered to take confession from members of the Church of the Papal Mainframe, and those The Doctor had battled were under the control of the Church's rebellious Kovarian chapter. The Silents that work for Tasha Lem help The Eleventh Doctor protect the town of Christmas.

The Silence remain popular for their creepy design, and how they move. Dancers were hired for the roles to get the look Steven Moffat was after.

4. The Empty Child

The Series one two-parter 'The Empty Child/'The Doctor Dances', introduces what is still remembered as one of NuWho's creepiest monsters. During WWII, alien nanites arrive on Earth, and begin ‘repairing’ any damaged humans they find. Their first patient is a young boy wearing a gas mask who was killed during an air raid. Unfortunately, since the Nanites had no previous reference for human appearance, they believe the gas mask is a part of the boy, and revive him with it fused to his face.

They go on to repair other injured humans the same way, while the first boy, known as The Empty Child, wanders, searching for his Mother. The story, and the monster, remains a favourite among Whovians.

5. The Vashta Nerada

The series four two-parter ‘Silence In The Library’/‘Forest of the Dead’ introduced two great Moffat creations: Professor River Song, and the story’s villain, the Vashta Nerada. According to The Tenth Doctor, the microscopic, carnivorous Vashta Nerada exist on most planets, and are harmless in small numbers. However, they were given as a reason for many to fear the dark, as they mimic shadows as a way to find their prey.

Large swarms of Vashta Nerada, such as those that had gathered in The Library, are hugely dangerous, stripping their prey to the bone in seconds. Many of the members of River Song’s archaeological party fell victim to the Vashta Nerada, leaving them as skeletons within their spacesuits. The monsters then used the suits’ neural relays to communicate with The Doctor.

While appearing in just one televised story so far, they proved popular enough to get an audio story of their own in Big Finish Productions ‘Classic Doctors, New Monsters’ collection.

The monsters above can easily stand toe to toe with the Doctor Who classics. Hopefully, we’ll see some more great creations in the future.