History[]
The Sontarans are a warrior race from the planet Sontar who have spent the last several thousand years engaged in an ongoing war with the Rutan Host, a race of amorphous shapechangers from Ruta III. In order to more efficiently replenish their ranks, the Sontarans long ago abandoned the traditional method of procreation and began cloning themselves, up to a million hatchings at each muster parade. As a result, all Sontarans are male. Possibly as a result of this, they are incredibly short-tempered and lacking in humour. They also have difficulty in distinguishing between the sexes of other races.
Though the Sontarans' primary purpose in life is their endless war with the Rutans, they are not above trying to conquer other worlds in order to expand their empire, and have in the past attacked planets including Earth, Gallifrey and Braktilis. Commander Strax, a Sontaran based in the nineteenth century, even proposed attacking Earth's moon, but was vetoed by his commanding officer (who happened to be a Silurian private detective... but that's another story).
Powers and abilities[]
Abilities
Armed combat.
Strength level
Superhuman.
Weaknesses
Probic vent at the back of the head (a small hole about the size of a two pence coin), through which they nourish themselves with energy. Firing a projectile into it, or sometimes even just hitting it hard enough, can be instantly fatal. Chrissie Jackson, the mother of one of Sarah Jane Smith's companions, once took advantage of this weakness to kill a Sontaran with her high-heeled shoe. (Eat your heart out, River Song!)
Paraphernalia[]
Transportation
Spacecraft shaped rather like giant golf balls.
Weapons
Scissor grenades; limbo vapour; triple-blast brain spitters; magnetic cluster bands; eschatomic warheads.
Notes[]
- Though created for the Doctor Who TV series, the Sontarans have appeared extensively in Doctor Who-related comic strips, most notably in Doctor Who Weekly, Doctor Who Monthly and Doctor Who Magazine.
- Representatives of the race include Commander Jingo Linx, Field Major Styre, Commander Stor, Skrant, Ambassador Brilox, Field Major Styx, Group Marshal Stike, Major Varl, Commander Halke (a past victim of the Nimon's cousin in The God Complex) and Strax, of the Paternoster Gang.
Trivia[]
- Most Sontarans have only three fingers, though details such as this can vary between clone batches, presumably due to genetic engineering. They also have no discernible necks.
- According to the Doctor, "In the right conditions a breeding Sontaran individual is capable of producing a million offspring a minute. They are full grown and ready for combat in six days." (Source: The Infinity Doctors.)
Links[]
- Appearances of Sontarans
- Character Gallery: Sontarans
- Images that feature Sontarans
- Fan-Art Gallery: Sontarans
- Sontarans quotations