Doctor Who Series 12: Ten Huge Questions After Ascension Of The Cybermen
4. Who Is Ko Sharmus?
Ko Sharmus is another significant character shrouded in
mystery. Played with suitable gravitas by Game of Thrones actor Ian McElhinney,
he will no doubt play an important role in The Timeless Children. The staff gives
him an air of authority that is befitting for a man who is effectively the
guardian between two worlds.
The Doctor is impressed by Sharmus’s commitment to stay this side of the Boundary, but he dismisses the compliment. Sharmus thinks his motivations are not as pure as the Doctor would have them, though it’s not clear what they are. Upon seeing the ruins of Gallifrey, he says he had never seen the other side of the portal look like that before, but does that mean he had seen different places through it before, perhaps Ireland in the early 20th century, or that he had seen the Citadel undamaged and fully resplendent?
The Star Wars imagery is particularly strong with this one. There’s a hint of Alex Guinness’s Ben Kenobi when we are first introduced to him on Tatooine. Could Sharmus be carrying hugely significant secrets about the Doctor’s past that could be considered game changers? There’s a good chance he might and that prequels could be written hereafter.
He is set up to be the last human left this side of the portal, but borrowing from another religious proverb, could a last will be first reversal be on the cards. Will the last human become the first Time Lord?