Doctor Who: 10 Times The Doctor Went To War

8. Rutan-Sontaran War

victory of the daleks
BBC

Fought over thousands of years between the shapeshifting Rutans and the war-hungry clone race the Sontarans - this battle has no end in sight.

Despite their many clashes, the Sontarans would have no point in actually defeating their sworn enemy. The Rutans are the reason why the Sontarans strategise, devise new weapons and experiment on lesser species. Without the Rutans, there would be no Sontarans.

The Rutans, first mentioned in 1973's The Time Warrior, serve as an impossible enemy to the clone race. They have the tactical advantage due to their ability to take on any form - a feat which often tricks the identical Sontarans.

Despite only appearing on TV in 1977's Horror of Fang Rock, the Rutans' unwavering threat to the Sontarans is ever-present throughout the series, and throughout Sontaran adventures.

A battle on-screen between the two sworn enemies would make for a thrilling watch, but this mysterious war's lore and longevity throughout Doctor Who history is enough to win it a place on this list.

In this post: 
Doctor Who
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Eden Luke McIntyre is a Scottish writer, editor and script consultant, with an MA in TV Fiction Writing. He writes content for TV, radio, stage, and online, and was appointed as a BBC Writers Room Scottish Voice in early 2020. Eden can usually be found rambling about Doctor Who, The Beatles, and obscure things that no one cares about.