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DOCTOR WHO and the Whoniverse
The Tragedy of the Master
The story arc of the Doctor’s dearest nemesis — Part Two
Read Part One
Professor Yana proves the tragedy
For most of the history of the Whoniverse, the Time Lord who calls themself “the Master” has always been an over the top, mustache twirling villain. And, they’re the most fun villain in the Whoniverse. Every appearance of the character is edge of your seat thrilling.
Over the course of the series, we’ve learned, though, that they are a created villain. They were created by the Time Lords themselves, meant to weaponized. When they weren’t using the Master, Time Lords seemed content to let them roam the universe wreaking havoc.
In Professor Yana — portrayed by the wonderful Derek Jacobi — we meet the Master virtually freed of the Time Lord imposition. The Master had sealed their Time Lord essence in the Time Lord Fob watch. The Fob is a kind of biological chameleon circuit that rendered the Master into a human who became Professor Yana.
Yana was a kind and empathetic man who set himself to save and protect the remnant of the human race at the end of the universe. He put all his intellect and existence behind it, even expecting to sacrifice himself to achieve the goal. He was a good man, far removed from the villainy of the Master. Without the construct the Time Lords imposed on the Master, Yana was…