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{{you may|the Valeyard}}
{{you may|the Valeyard}}
[[File:The Valeyard.jpg|thumb|[[The Valeyard]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mysterious Planet (TV story)|The Mysterious Planet]]'')]]
[[File:The Valeyard.jpg|thumb|[[The Valeyard]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mysterious Planet (TV story)|The Mysterious Planet]]'')]]
'''Valeyard''' was a title, potentially Gallifreyan in origin, which the [[Sixth Doctor]] knew to mean "learned [[court prosecutor]]". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mysterious Planet (TV story)|The Mysterious Planet]]'') According to [[the Inquisitor]], it meant "doctor of law". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Inquisitor (short story)|The Inquisitor]]'') In the [[Sixth Doctor]]'s [[The Doctor's trial (The Mysterious Planet)|trial]], the title was claimed by a [[Time Lord]] known as [[the Valeyard]], who {{Ainley}} revealed to be an amalgamation of [[the Doctor]]'s darker sides, taken from a point in the Doctor's personal future. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ultimate Foe (TV story)|The Ultimate Foe]]'')
'''Valeyard''' was a title, potentially Gallifreyan in origin, which the [[Sixth Doctor]] knew to mean "learned [[court prosecutor]]". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mysterious Planet (TV story)|The Mysterious Planet]]'') According to [[the Inquisitor]], it meant "[[doctor]] of [[law]]". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Inquisitor (short story)|The Inquisitor]]'')
 
Before [[The Doctor and Susan's escape from Gallifrey|his escape]] from [[Gallifrey]], the [[First Doctor]] told [[Patience]] that he would take [[Susan Foreman|their grandchild]] "far from this world of [[vampire]]s and valeyards". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Cold Fusion (novel)|Cold Fusion]]'')
 
In the [[Sixth Doctor]]'s [[The Doctor's trial (The Mysterious Planet)|trial]], the title was claimed by a [[Time Lord]] known as [[the Valeyard]], who {{Ainley}} revealed to be an amalgamation of [[the Doctor]]'s darker sides, taken from a point in the Doctor's personal future. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ultimate Foe (TV story)|The Ultimate Foe]]'')
 
During his trial, the Doctor was observed to apply various [[word]]s ending in "[[yard]]"  to mock and insult the Valeyard, including [[backyard]], [[brickyard]], [[farmyard]], [[graveyard]], [[knacker's yard]], [[railyard]], [[scrapyard]] and [[stackyard]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mysterious Planet (TV story)|The Mysterious Planet]]'', ''[[Mindwarp (TV story)|Mindwarp]]'', ''[[Terror of the Vervoids (TV story)|Terror of the Vervoids]]'', ''[[The Ultimate Foe (TV story)|The Ultimate Foe]]'')


== Behind the scenes ==
== Behind the scenes ==
Contrary to the [[Doctor Who universe|in-universe]] definition, "Valeyard" is not a genuine legal title meaning "learned court prosecutor." The word was entirely made-up by writer [[Robert Holmes]]. The title does bear some similarity to the French word "vieillard", meaning "old man", possibly alluding to the planned nature of the Valeyard as the Doctor's last incarnation.{{Fact}}
Contrary to the [[Doctor Who universe|in-universe]] definition and despite what ''Shannon Sullivan's A Brief History Of Time'' claims, "Valeyard" is not a genuine legal title meaning "learned court prosecutor" or an obsolete phrasing of "doctor of law." The term was entirely made-up during production - as evidenced by the character outline as delivered on [[5 July (production)|5 July]] [[1985 (production)|1985]] and was devised by either [[John Nathan-Turner]] or [[Eric Saward]]. The term is originally briefly spelled in this documentation as "Valiyard", but this was amended that same day.<ref>''Character Outline Sheet: "The Valiyard and the Grand Inquisitor" (5 July 1985), released in the Production Documentation PDF Archive of [[The Collection|Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 23]] [all items within archive verified & scanned by [[Richard Bignell]]]''</ref>


== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Time Lord titles and offices]]
[[Category:Time Lord titles and offices]]

Latest revision as of 12:37, 9 March 2023

You may be looking for the Valeyard.

Valeyard was a title, potentially Gallifreyan in origin, which the Sixth Doctor knew to mean "learned court prosecutor". (TV: The Mysterious Planet) According to the Inquisitor, it meant "doctor of law". (PROSE: The Inquisitor)

Before his escape from Gallifrey, the First Doctor told Patience that he would take their grandchild "far from this world of vampires and valeyards". (PROSE: Cold Fusion)

In the Sixth Doctor's trial, the title was claimed by a Time Lord known as the Valeyard, who the Tremas Master revealed to be an amalgamation of the Doctor's darker sides, taken from a point in the Doctor's personal future. (TV: The Ultimate Foe)

During his trial, the Doctor was observed to apply various words ending in "yard" to mock and insult the Valeyard, including backyard, brickyard, farmyard, graveyard, knacker's yard, railyard, scrapyard and stackyard. (TV: The Mysterious Planet, Mindwarp, Terror of the Vervoids, The Ultimate Foe)

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Contrary to the in-universe definition and despite what Shannon Sullivan's A Brief History Of Time claims, "Valeyard" is not a genuine legal title meaning "learned court prosecutor" or an obsolete phrasing of "doctor of law." The term was entirely made-up during production - as evidenced by the character outline as delivered on 5 July 1985 and was devised by either John Nathan-Turner or Eric Saward. The term is originally briefly spelled in this documentation as "Valiyard", but this was amended that same day.[1]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. Character Outline Sheet: "The Valiyard and the Grand Inquisitor" (5 July 1985), released in the Production Documentation PDF Archive of Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 23 [all items within archive verified & scanned by Richard Bignell]