Doctor Who Symbolism: What 10 Famous Villains Really Mean

3. Everything Is Satan

Honestly, it's probably easier to count the amount of Doctor Who villains who weren't supposed to be the Biblical Satan. Being a sci-fi show rooted in aliens and other weird creatures the series hasn't often touched on theological themes, but when it does, it's usually by hiding behind some particularly devilish enemies. Since the Third Doctor onwards, it's been something of an obsession for Doctor Who. The Beast from The Satan Pit is quite obviously - from that horned look, fiery home and the monster itself claiming that it's the basis of the Devil figure in all religions and mythologies, and that it's been around since the creation of the universe - a Satanic analogue. That's not so much as symbolic as text. The Sutekh from Tom Baker serial Pyramids Of Mars followed a very similar concept, and the Jon Pertwee story The Dæmons featured alien creatures mistaken for devils. The real symbolism is in the creature's enduring influence over culture, in much the same way religions do. Even when the monsters themselves have long since been dealt with.