White Guardian
Encyclopedia
The White Guardian is a character in the long-running British
science fiction television series
Doctor Who
. He was played by Cyril Luckham
, with the exception of a vocal message in The Stones of Blood
which was performed by Gerald Cross
.
The White Guardian is an anthropomorphic personification
of order and the counterpart of the Black Guardian
who represents evil, chaos and entropy
. The two Guardians balance out the forces in the universe, although the Black Guardian seems to desire to upset the balance in favour of chaos and evil while the White Guardian prefers to maintain the status quo. The Guardians both appeared in Season 16 of the programme, where all six serials of that season were linked together in the quest for the Key to Time, an artifact of immense power that would give the wielder supreme power over all existence.
The White Guardian had concerns that the universe was descending into chaos. As a result, he asked the Doctor
to find and assemble the Key to Time so that he might restore the balance of the universe. The Doctor was successful in this task, but the Black Guardian disguised himself as the White and tried to deceive the Doctor into handing the key over to him instead. The Doctor saw through the Black Guardian's ruse - due to the Guardian's lack of concern for Astra of Atrios, who was literally the sixth segment; the White Guardian would never have been so callous about the fate of a sentient being - and ordered the key to disperse, though he commented afterwards that the White Guardian should have been able to carry out his work while the key was assembled.
The Guardian next appeared briefly during Enlightenment
, the conclusion of the Black Guardian Trilogy, a story arc
in which the evil Guardian attempted to force Turlough
to kill the Doctor. The White Guardian appeared to the Doctor to warn him and, with the Black Guardian, to offer the prize of "Enlightenment" to the winner of a solar sail
boat race across the Sol System.
spin-off
novel The Quantum Archangel
by Craig Hinton, the White Guardian appears briefly with the Black Guardian and four others, who form a Council of Guardians that oversee reality. Although extremely powerful, the Guardians apparently cannot be seen to act directly, which is why they can only affect things through agents like the Doctor. The other four Guardians were first mentioned in Divided Loyalties
by Gary Russell
, which states that one of them is the Celestial Toymaker
.
The White Guardian returns in the Big Finish
audio dramas
The Destroyer of Delights
and The Chaos Pool
. Once again, The Key to Time is being sought, but this time with the Fifth Doctor
and a sentient Tracer named Amy. The White Guardian is played by Jason Watkins
, and is portrayed as rapidly losing his powers due to the decay of the six segments of the Key.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television series
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. He was played by Cyril Luckham
Cyril Luckham
Cyril Luckham was a British film, television and theatre actor.Luckham played the White Guardian in the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. He appeared in The Ribos Operation, the first serial in The Key to Time season, and Enlightenment...
, with the exception of a vocal message in The Stones of Blood
The Stones of Blood
The Stones of Blood is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from October 28 to November 18, 1978...
which was performed by Gerald Cross
Gerald Cross
Gerald Cross , was an English actor. Among his credits are Doctor Who, Francis Durbridge's The World of Tim Frazer and the Miss Marple films Murder, She Said and Murder Ahoy! .-External links:...
.
The White Guardian is an anthropomorphic personification
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
of order and the counterpart of the Black Guardian
Black Guardian
The Black Guardian is a character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was played by Valentine Dyall....
who represents evil, chaos and entropy
Entropy
Entropy is a thermodynamic property that can be used to determine the energy available for useful work in a thermodynamic process, such as in energy conversion devices, engines, or machines. Such devices can only be driven by convertible energy, and have a theoretical maximum efficiency when...
. The two Guardians balance out the forces in the universe, although the Black Guardian seems to desire to upset the balance in favour of chaos and evil while the White Guardian prefers to maintain the status quo. The Guardians both appeared in Season 16 of the programme, where all six serials of that season were linked together in the quest for the Key to Time, an artifact of immense power that would give the wielder supreme power over all existence.
The White Guardian had concerns that the universe was descending into chaos. As a result, he asked the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
to find and assemble the Key to Time so that he might restore the balance of the universe. The Doctor was successful in this task, but the Black Guardian disguised himself as the White and tried to deceive the Doctor into handing the key over to him instead. The Doctor saw through the Black Guardian's ruse - due to the Guardian's lack of concern for Astra of Atrios, who was literally the sixth segment; the White Guardian would never have been so callous about the fate of a sentient being - and ordered the key to disperse, though he commented afterwards that the White Guardian should have been able to carry out his work while the key was assembled.
The Guardian next appeared briefly during Enlightenment
Enlightenment (Doctor Who)
Enlightenment is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from March 1 to March 9, 1983...
, the conclusion of the Black Guardian Trilogy, a story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
in which the evil Guardian attempted to force Turlough
Vislor Turlough
Vislor Turlough is a fictional character played by Mark Strickson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was a companion of the Fifth Doctor, being a regular in the programme from 1983 to 1984.-Character history:...
to kill the Doctor. The White Guardian appeared to the Doctor to warn him and, with the Black Guardian, to offer the prize of "Enlightenment" to the winner of a solar sail
Solar sail
Solar sails are a form of spacecraft propulsion using the radiation pressure of light from a star or laser to push enormous ultra-thin mirrors to high speeds....
boat race across the Sol System.
Other appearances
In the BBC BooksBBC Books
BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...
spin-off
Doctor Who spin-offs
Doctor Who spin-offs refers to material created outside of, but related to, the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
novel The Quantum Archangel
The Quantum Archangel
The Quantum Archangel is a BBC Books original novel written by Craig Hinton and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Sixth Doctor and Mel, the Master, and an appearance by an alternate version of the Third Doctor...
by Craig Hinton, the White Guardian appears briefly with the Black Guardian and four others, who form a Council of Guardians that oversee reality. Although extremely powerful, the Guardians apparently cannot be seen to act directly, which is why they can only affect things through agents like the Doctor. The other four Guardians were first mentioned in Divided Loyalties
Divided Loyalties (Doctor Who)
Divided Loyalties is a BBC Books original novel written by Gary Russell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
by Gary Russell
Gary Russell
Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...
, which states that one of them is the Celestial Toymaker
Celestial Toymaker
The Celestial Toymaker is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. He was played by Michael Gough, and featured in the 1966 story The Celestial Toymaker by Brian Hayles.-Character overview:...
.
The White Guardian returns in the Big Finish
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
audio dramas
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
The Destroyer of Delights
The Destroyer of Delights
Destroyer of Delights is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
and The Chaos Pool
The Chaos Pool
The Chaos Pool is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. -Plot:...
. Once again, The Key to Time is being sought, but this time with the Fifth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
The Fifth Doctor is the fifth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison....
and a sentient Tracer named Amy. The White Guardian is played by Jason Watkins
Jason Watkins
Jason Watkins is an American football offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League . He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Florida....
, and is portrayed as rapidly losing his powers due to the decay of the six segments of the Key.