Doctor Who: Every Prophecy In The Show - Explained
Deaths, betrayals, and evil schemes: Doctor Who's prophecies rarely have positive outcomes...
With a show that relies so heavily on time travel to tell its stories, it's no surprise that foreshadowing is a narrative technique that Doctor Who's creators use often.
From a missable easter egg like Bad Wolf, to an entire series (or even multi-series) arc like The Question, Doctor Who's timey-wimey format is perfect for allowing the writers to signpost big events in inventive ways.
One form this can take is when a character will speak of a mysterious, often ominous prophecy. Due to the fantasy sci-fi nature of this universe, many individuals possess the gift of foresight, allowing them to clue the Doctor in on events that are yet to come - or not, depending on their psychic skills!
Many of these prophecies have clear and obvious explanations, while some can be a little more abstract, and worthy of closer examination. In a show where time is constantly shifting and changing, there are often multiple possible interpretations of certain lines, and even when you have a TARDIS, the future is rarely certain.
However, try telling that to this lot, because they gave the whole "reading the future" thing a pretty good go...
11. The Prophecy Of The Voice
The Kinda is a primitive tribe of humanoids encountered by the Fifth Doctor and his TARDIS gang.
Early on in this serial - which is aptly named Kinda - we learn that the Kinda may possess some form of telepathy, because, as Dr. Todd notes, "they can't speak."
However, Todd's assessment isn't entirely accurate. Some Kinda members can and do talk, such as the young girl Karuna, who, at one point, mentions a prophecy.
"Prophecy teaches that, at the beginnings of things when the Not-we are come, a man will arise from among We who has the gift of voice, and so must be obeyed."
Sounds like a load of mumbo-jumbo, but the meaning here is quite simple.
"Not-we" refers to any outsiders who are not Kinda - like the Doctor and his companions. "We", on the other hand, refers to people who are Kinda.
This prophecy appears to come true when the male Kinda member Aris finds his voice - literally - and starts talking like he's in charge, but since he's actually possessed by the sinister Mara, the prophecy ultimately amounts to nothing.