Doctor Who Theory Reveals The Toymaker’s Real Origin, 57 Years After His Debut
A theory from Doctor Who's 60th anniversary not only reveals the Toymaker's origin, but also connects them to other villains from the show's past.
Warning: spoilers ahead for Doctor Who 60th anniversary special episode “Wild Blue Yonder.”
The Toymaker is one of the most enigmatic villains in Doctor Who, but one key theory emerging from the 60th anniversary specials would expose both their origin and a secret connection to other antagonists. The BBC has already confirmed Neil Patrick Harris is portraying an updated version of 1960s villain the Toymaker in Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary specials, but while the character’s identity is widely known, plenty of mysteries still surround Celestial Geppetto. Doctor Who canon has never properly explained the Toymaker. The entity is often assumed to be an Eternal, but this hardly helps, since the connection is unconfirmed and the Eternals themselves are one big question mark.
Another pressing question ahead of Doctor Who‘s third and final 60th anniversary special is why the Toymaker would return at this specific point. Centuries have passed in the Doctor’s timeline since William Hartnell’s regeneration defeated the Toymaker, and this raises the question of why a near-omnipotent villain would wait so long before seeking revenge. A theory based on several important details from Doctor Who‘s “Wild Blue Yonder” episode may shed light on both what the Toymaker is, and why they are returning now.
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The Not-things Originate From Beyond The Universe – Just Like The Toymaker
“Wild Blue Yonder” introduces a new race of Doctor Who villains called the Not-things – a formless species about which precious little is revealed. The Not-things do, however, confirm that they originate from beyond Doctor Who‘s universe. The Not-things describe their long journey through darkness, and how noise from the living universe drew them closer until they finally reached the very edge of space. The Not-things are not the first things to enter Doctor Who‘s world from elsewhere. They join a list that includes Doctor Who‘s Timeless Child, the Kasaavin, and the Eternals. Nevertheless, exo-universe monsters remain a rarity in Doctor Who, making the Not-things’ debut a significant moment in franchise canon.
Intriguingly, the Toymaker can also be counted as a Doctor Who villain that hails from outside the main universe. Normally, this would not be enough to imply a connection, but it’s impossible to overlook how the Not-things make their first appearance in Doctor Who only one episode prior to the Toymaker coming back after 57 years of silence. Given how rare exo-universe villains are in Doctor Who, “Wild Blue Yonder” throws up the curious possibility of a link between the Not-things breaking through to the edge of the universe and the imminent landing of Neil Patrick Harris as the returning Toymaker.
Dialogue Hints At Similarities Between The Toymaker & The Not-things
Aside from both species existing beyond the conventional universe, another small hint in Doctor Who‘s “Wild Blue Yonder” may prove that the Toymaker and the Not-things are secretly related. As the name suggests, the Toymaker is a fan of games, and during their encounter with the First Doctor and his companions, the villain forced his opponents to partake in cruel trials for his own amusement. When the Doctor and Donna face the Not-things in “Wild Blue Yonder,” the villains hint at their intentions after arriving at the physical plane, teasing, “We want to travel there to play your vicious games and win.”
The Not-things’ reference to “games” unavoidably feels like an intentional nod toward the Toymaker‘s language. The parallel is even more suspicious considering the Toymaker’s involvement in the 60th anniversary specials, and the fact that Russell T Davies himself penned “Wild Blue Yonder.” If the Toymaker and Not-things both dwell exo-universe, and both enjoy playing games with mortal lives, it would make sense for the two to have a deeper relation, perhaps belonging to the same broad species, or sharing the same homeworld.
Indeed, this same trait can be found in Doctor Who‘s Eternals, as demonstrated in Fifth Doctor episode “Enlightenment,” which involved the godlike beings holding a deadly race between various ships from throughout history. The Eternals playing games of their own in “Enlightenment” indicates a potential wider connection between the Not-things, the Toymaker, the Eternals, and even the Guardians, who were also involved with Peter Davison’s Doctor.
The Toymaker Could Be The Same Kind Of Creature As The Not-things
The Not-things in Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary specials are demonstrably not as powerful as the Toymaker. The previous Doctor Who TV story to feature the Toymaker presented them as an all-powerful, immortal creature that even makes the Time Lords look meek in comparison. The Not-things are certainly strong, able to alter their size and form at will, but they are ultimately defeated by a standard bomb blast, while Donna Noble is even able to punch one in the mouth to great effect.
The difference in power does not, however, rule out a connection between the Not-things and the Toymaker. Just as Gallifrey has Time Lords and regular citizens, places beyond the universe may contain beings with similar philosophies, common heritage, and shared traits, but that exist within a hierarchy. The Not-things sit near the bottom of that ladder, whereas the Toymaker – and potentially the Eternals and Guardians too – would be among the elites. Precisely what exists beyond the borders of Doctor Who‘s prime universe remains mostly unknown. Consequently, Doctor Who has enough freedom to join the dots between the Not-things and the Toymaker should it wish.
The Not-things, therefore, may shed some light on the exact nature of Doctor Who‘s Toymaker. The 1960s villain previously appeared to be a powerful, unknown entity in a category of its own. Looking at the Not-things and their desire to join in the “games” of Doctor Who‘s main universe, the Toymaker perhaps belongs to a larger civilization of powerful undying beings that crave something their universe lacks. This harks back to “Enlightenment,” when the Fifth Doctor accused the Eternals of desperately needing mortals to provide them with ideas and feelings.
Assuming this theory holds true, the implications for the Toymaker would be massive. If the Not-things are formless shape-shifters, the Toymaker could possess the same ability. Although they previously took the guise of a young Michael Gough, the Toymaker’s true nature may be as malleable as the two aliens from “Wild Blue Yonder.” The Not-things struggled to hold their shape, and were still attuning to human minds, but the Toymaker was perhaps more advanced in his development, and had already learned how to perfectly imitate humanoid form. This might also explain why Neil Patrick Harris appears as a giant in one scene from Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary trailer.
The Not-things Can Explain How The Toymaker Returns To Doctor Who
If the Not-things and the Toymaker share a biological connection, this can account for why the classic villain is returning to Doctor Who after so long. Crossing a universe is no easy task, and when the Toymaker was originally defeated 57 years ago, the impression was given that this Celestial antagonist could not simply hop into the Doctor’s universe and have his revenge on a whim. The events of Doctor Who‘s “Wild Blue Yonder” may have changed that. The Not-things might have blazed a trail that the Toymaker can now follow, or their deaths somehow alerted the Toymaker to the Doctor’s location.
Alternatively, the Toymaker’s reappearance has less to do with a personal vendetta against the Doctor, and could actually be in retaliation to the deaths of the Not-things. If the Not-things really are two juvenile members of the Toymaker’s own race, killed because the Doctor allows them to be, the Toymaker may view that as a perfect opportunity to settle a score with an old foe. Whatever the truth is, a pattern is undoubtedly emerging. The Meep shared the Doctor’s two hearts. The Not-things share the Doctor’s exo-universe origins. The Toymaker is the last part of that Doctor Who puzzle.
