Short, stocky, and utterly devoted to war...basically Yorkshire Terriers in armor.
Who Are They?
The Sontarans are a clone race obsessed with war. And when we say obsessed, we mean OBSESSED. They live, breathe, eat, and possibly exfoliate with war. Their entire society revolves around endless battles with their sworn enemies, the Rutans—a species of glowing green space-jellyfish who are, if we’re honest, just as ridiculous.
The Sontarans’ appearance is iconic: squat bodies, domed heads, potato-like faces, and voices that always sound like they’ve been gargling gravel for breakfast. They’re aggressive, pompous, and endlessly frustrated that humans don’t treat every minor disagreement as an excuse to invade Belgium.
Sontarans on Screen
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1973: The Time Warrior (Jon Pertwee)
First appearance! The Doctor encounters Commander Linx, who crashes in medieval England and starts handing out ray guns to confused peasants. Linx sets the tone: belligerent, militaristic, shaped like a root vegetable. -
1974: The Sontaran Experiment (Tom Baker)
Two-part serial in which a single Sontaran, Styre, treats Earth’s survivors like lab rats. Think “evil science fair project” with added monologues about glorious battle. -
1978: The Invasion of Time (Tom Baker)
The Sontarans invade Gallifrey. They don’t get far, but they do stomp around the TARDIS corridors looking like angry potatoes in armor. -
1985: The Two Doctors (Colin Baker)
They ally with another villain, because if there’s one thing Sontarans are bad at, it’s working alone. -
2008: The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky (David Tennant)
Big modern return! The Sontarans team up with an evil kid genius to choke Earth with car exhaust. Because apparently global warming wasn’t going fast enough. -
2011–2017: Strax (Matt Smith / Peter Capaldi)
Fan favorite! Strax, a comedy Sontaran butler/nurse/sidekick, becomes part of the Paternoster Gang. He regularly confuses “medical procedure” with “explosive weapon.” The Doctor keeps him around anyway, because honestly, he’s hilarious. -
2021: Flux (Jodie Whittaker)
The Sontarans return in force, invading everywhere from Crimea to modern-day Liverpool. They even conquer Earth briefly, mostly because humans underestimate how dangerous potatoes can be when they have plasma rifles.
Why We Love Them
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They’re the perfect blend of terrifying and absurd. Yes, they’ll shoot you in the face—but they’ll look like an angry spud while doing it.
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Their obsession with honor and battle makes them excellent foils for the Doctor’s pacifism.
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Strax gave us the single greatest image in Doctor Who: a Sontaran trying to understand the concept of “lunch.”