Draconian (Doctor Who)

The Draconians are an extraterrestrial race. They were featured in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Their only television appearance to date was in the 1973 serial Frontier in Space. Unlike many "monster" races in Doctor Who, the Draconians were articulate and portrayed as having a sophisticated and advanced culture like feudal Japan. In later interviews, Jon Pertwee cited the Draconians as his favourite of all the monsters he had encountered during his time as the Doctor.

The Draconian Empire was a vast spacefaring feudal civilisation of reptilian humanoids, centered on the planet Draconia, with a society stratifed along class and gender lines (for example, females were not permitted to speak in the presence of the Emperor) that was bound by a strong code of honour. The Draconian Empire dated back to at least the 21st century, when a space plague that afflicted their world was dealt with by the Doctor. For his services, the 15th Emperor made the Doctor a noble of Draconia.

The Earth Empire's first contact with the Draconian Empire was in the year 2520. The ship sent by the Draconians for the peace mission was a battlecruiser, as befitted a noble of Draconia, although (as agreed) its missile banks were empty and it was otherwise unarmed. However, both Draconian and Earth ships were caught in a neutron storm, damaging the Earth ship and destroying the Draconian ship's communications systems. As a result, the Draconian ship was unable to respond to the Earth ship's signals. The commander of the Earth ship saw what he perceived to be a battlecruiser bearing down on his crippled vessel and gave the order to attack, destroying the battlecruiser and triggering off a brief but bloody war in which millions of lives were lost. An uneasy peace was negotiated in the end, leading to two decades of cold war and the carving out of a frontier between the two empires.

In 2540, several incidents involving attacks on cargo freighters along their respective borders nearly led to the war turning hot once more, with both sides accusing the other of piracy and violating the frontier. These attacks turned out to be the work of Ogron mercenaries under the orders of the renegade Time Lord known as the Master, who was using a sonic hypnosis device to make the Earth crews see the Ogrons as Draconians and vice versa. The Master had allied himself with the Daleks, who were launching another bid for galactic conquest and hoped to pick up the pieces after a new Earth-Draconia War. The plot was revealed by the Third Doctor, and instead of going to war against each other, the two empires united against the Daleks.

Other appearances
In addition to Frontier in Space, the Draconians have appeared in spin-off media, including comics, novels and audio plays, in which they were players in the galactic politics surrounding the Earth Empire period of human history. The Draconians also featured in Reeltime Pictures' Mindgame video series, and are a major presence in the Bernice Summerfield audio adventures and books, including The Draconian Rage. In 2007, a Draconian ambassador called Kothar became a regular character in the Bernice Summerfield range. He made his first appearance in The Judas Gift. They meet the Sixth Doctor in the audio story Paper Cuts.

The Virgin New Adventures novel Love and War by Paul Cornell mentions that the Draconians call the Doctor "Karshtakavaar", or "The Oncoming Storm". In the 2005 series episode "The Parting of the Ways" the Ninth Doctor mentions this name, but says that it is what they call him in Dalek legend. Subsequently, Rose sarcastically calls the Tenth Doctor "the Oncoming Storm" in "The Girl in the Fireplace".

In the 2006 series episode "The Satan Pit", the Tenth Doctor says that Draconia, in common with other planets, has myths of a horned beast being the ultimate embodiment of evil. "Draconian space" is mentioned in the New Series Adventure The Price of Paradise.

The Draconians are mentioned in the Sarah Jane Adventures serial Secrets of the Stars the Draconians are said to have their own celestial zodiac.

In IDW Doctor Who Comic "Fugitive" the Tenth Doctor meets the Draconian diplomat Kraden, who is on his way to peace talks but was arrested on false charges. He, along with the Sontaran Stomm and Ogron Brarshak, helps the Doctor.

A clip of the Series 5 episode The Pandorica Opens on the Doctor Who official website has the Draconians mentioned alongside other Doctor Who alien races. And, although they do not appear in the episode, River Song mentions them.

In Prisoner of the Daleks, set during a Dalek War with humanity during the 26th Century, it is mentioned that Space Major Jon Bowman is a veteran of the Draconian Wars, meaning this probably takes place after the war with Draconia.

In The Time of the Doctor, the 2013 Christmas special and the Eleventh Doctor's Regeneration episode, the town of Christmas' children surround the Doctor showing him pictures of his countless "victories" on Trenzalore. The Doctor points out one image and responds, "That's me arm-wrestling a Draconian. I remember that." Possibly referring that the Doctor had encountered Draconians in Christmas.

Appearances

 * Television
 * Frontier in Space — 24 February 1973 – 31 March 1973