Escaping a former life of [[crime]] which eventually made him an employee of [[River Song]], Nardole expressed deep remorse for his actions and so attempted to make up for his illicit past.
While working for Dr Song on [[Mendorax Dellora]], he was beheaded by the body of [[Hydroflax|King Hydroflax]], who used him to obtain information on her whereabouts. Knowing River would go to her [[death]] in [[the Library]] following their twenty-four years together on [[Darillium]], the Doctor reassembled Nardole out of fear of being alone.
River's final instruction for Nardole was to save the Doctor from executing [[Missy]]. He did so, but not before the Doctor swore an oath to protect her body for a thousand years. Missy was placed in a [[The Vault (The Pilot)|Quantum Fold Chamber]] and Nardole kept the Doctor to his word.
As the Doctor took on [[Bill Potts|Bill]] as his companion, Nardole eventually joined them on their travels after many protests that the Doctor was ignoring his oath. Following a battle with the [[CyberMondan|Cybermen]] onboard a [[Colony ship (World Enough and Time)|colony ship]], Nardole left the Doctor's company on his instructions to defend a small group of villagers.
Nardole stated that he didn’t know his true origins, as he was "found". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'') On one occasion, he jokingly claimed to have [[Scottish]] heritage, descending from the clan "MacNardole". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Plague City (novel)|Plague City]]'')
Nardole once had an girlfriend called [[Velma]], who worked as an [[actress]], until she left him for [[AI (Oxygen)|an AI]] at [[Call centre (Oxygen)|a call centre]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'') He also had [[Nardole's imaginary friend|an imaginary friend]], until he left him for someone else. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'')
Nardole studied the [[Tarovian martial arts]] for "a while", learning the [[Tarovian neck pinch]], and reached the rank of [[Brown Tabard]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'')
Nardole worked as a [[con artist]] and [[black market]] [[trader]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'') While "on the run", he swapped his [[face]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'') He was [[blue]] at one point, ([[TV]]: ''[[World Enough and Time (TV story)|World Enough and Time]]'') and had friends who were "[[bluish]]". ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'') However, he was never [[green]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[A Confusion of Angels (comic story)|A Confusion of Angels]]'') He also replaced his left [[hand]] with one he [[gambling|won]] in a game. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'')
=== Working for River Song ===
[[File:Hydroflax threatens Nardole (THORS).jpg|thumb|left|Hydroflax attempts to discover the whereabouts of River Song. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'')]]
Nardole was working for [[River Song]] on [[Mendorax Dellora]] in [[5343]] when she needed to extract the [[Halassi Androvar]] from the head of King [[Hydroflax]], and was sent to find [[Surgeon (The Husbands of River Song)|the surgeon]] River had called. owever, Nardole accidentally found the [[Twelfth Doctor]] and brought him to River instead.
When River and the Doctor eventually escaped Hydroflax's ship with his head in a bag, Hydroflax's mechanical body turned to Nardole and wanted to extract strategic information. Although Nardole claimed to know very little of River's plans, there was only one way for Hydroflax's body to be sure, so it removed Nardole's head and attached it to its own. Later, whilst holding a gun to Nardole's head, Hydroflax's body forced him to draw in [[Ramone]], whose head the body took while storing Nardole's within itself. On the ''[[Harmony and Redemption]]'', the body pulled Nardole's head out of storage to confirm River's identity before putting it back against his protests.
After the crash of the ''Harmony and Redemption'' on [[Darillium]], Hydroflax's body was recovered from the wreckage. As the hostile onboard computer had been destroyed by the Doctor, Nardole and Ramone shared control of the body, working in a restaurant situated before the [[Singing Towers]]. When River arrived several years after the crash, Ramone was in control as Nardole was getting some "me time" inside the body, something he admitted was hard when he greeted River from inside Hydroflax's body. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'')
=== 24 years on Darillium ===
The Doctor and River Song spent their final 24 years together on Darillium. During this time, the Doctor grew fearful of being alone, and so "cut [Nardole] out of Hydroflax" and "glued" his head onto a new body ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'', ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'') rendering Nardole partly [[cybernetic]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'') and giving him a "cheap" pair of [[human]] [[lung]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'')
At River Song's final request, Nardole followed the Doctor to a [[Planet (Extremis)|planet]] where [[Missy]] was to be executed. Here, the Doctor swore an oath to protect her body for a thousand years. Disguised as a [[priest]], Nardole intervened in the proceedings and instructed him not to kill Missy as his late wife wouldn't approve. The Doctor let Missy live, and he and Nardole locked her in a [[The Vault (The Pilot)|Quantum Fold Chamber]]. At the Doctor's oath, the pair would guard the vault for the next thousand years. ([[TV]]: ''[[Extremis (TV story)|Extremis]]'')
=== Adventures with the Doctor ===
{{Section stub|Info from '''[[The Nightmare Realm (audio story)|The Nightmare Realm]]'' needs to be added.}}
[[File:Emperor Nardole (TRODM).jpg|thumb|Nardole at the controls of [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]], following "a few accidental stop-offs". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')]]
Nardole became the Doctor's companion, and saw it as his duty to ensure the Doctor was all right following River's death. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')
At some point prior to guarding the vault, ([[TV]]: ''[[Extremis (TV story)|Extremis]]'') the pair found time for some adventures. Together they investigated [[Harmony Shoal Institute]] in America in the 2010s. After Nardole, the Doctor, and reporter Lucy Fletcher were confronted by Dr. Sim, they were saved by "[[the Ghost]]", a vigilante who the Doctor had inadvertently given superpowers. While taking the TARDIS to rescue the Doctor, Nardole got sidetracked to 12th century [[Constantinople]], where he ruled "firmly, but wisely". Throughout their battle to defeat the Shoal of the Winter Harmony, Nardole noticed the Doctor was still grieving River, but felt he would eventually find closure. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')
=== Guarding the Vault ===
The Doctor and Nardole settled at [[St Luke's University]] in [[Bristol]], where they spent nearly seventy years watching over the vault which was now hidden beneath the campus. While stuck on [[Earth]], the Doctor took a job as a [[lecturer]] and Nardole acted as his [[valet]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
It was at St Luke's University where the Doctor and Nardole first met canteen worker [[Bill Potts]] and encountered a [[sentient oil|sentient oil puddle]]. Realising it was after them and not the vault, the Doctor, Bill and Nardole tried to evade the creature, but it followed them through time and space. They travelled to a [[War zone (The Pilot)|war zone]] in the [[Dalek-Movellan War]], where Nardole ran interference and sealed off the area of all but one of the Daleks. The last Dalek was actually the oil creature, which had taken over the body of [[Heather (The Pilot)|Heather]], and remembered Heather's promise to never leave Bill. Bill released "Heather" of her promise, and the trio returned to St Luke's. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
[[File:Nardole checks Vault (KK).jpg |thumb|left|Nardole checks the security of [[The Vault (The Pilot)|the Vault]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Knock Knock (TV story)|Knock Knock]]'')]]
When the Doctor formally invited Bill to join him as his [[companion]], he sent Nardole to put the [[kettle]] on in [[The Doctor's office (The Pilot)|the Doctor's office]] whilst he secretly introduced her to all of time and space. ([[TV]]: ''[[Smile (TV story)|Smile]]'') Bringing [[tea]] with a "bit of [[coffee]]" in it to "give it some flavour", Nardole was dismayed to learn that the Doctor and Bill had been to [[Regency era|Regency]] [[London]] while he was out, which he considered "naughty" of the Doctor as he had broken his oath, only for the Doctor to argue that his return proved he kept it. After being told by the Doctor to "leave [him] alone", a frustrated Nardole voiced his frustrations to himself while standing guard outside the chamber, before being interrupted as Missy started heavily knocking on the door. Though acknowledging that the Doctor had been "distracted" by Bill, Nardole, hiding his [[fear]], asserted to Missy that he would still stand guard and would not let her escape. ([[TV]]: ''[[Thin Ice (TV story)|Thin Ice]]'')
After the Doctor had saved Bill and her friends from a creaking house and a creepy [[John (Knock Knock)|Landlord]], the Doctor gave Nardole the night off, much to his annoyance. He was disappointed when he learned that the Doctor had put a piano in [[The Vault (The Pilot)|the Vault]], saying that he "never learns". ([[TV]]: ''[[Knock Knock (TV story)|Knock Knock]]'')
After introducing Bill to space-time travel, the Doctor often left Nardole on [[Earth]] whilst the two had adventures. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Shining Man (novel)|The Shining Man]]'', ''[[Diamond Dogs (novel)|Diamond Dogs]]'') However, he was present on the TARDIS, to the surprise of Bill (who hadn't noticed him when they first took off), when the TARDIS had to make an [[emergency landing]] on [[Gallifrey]] due to a universe-wide temporal crisis. Bill was startled when Nardole joined her in the [[Panopticon]] and told her the Doctor had sent him to help with the [[vortex energy]] collection process. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Lost in Time (video game)|Lost in Time]]'')
=== Travels with the Doctor and Bill ===
Going to desperate measures to ensure that the Doctor kept his oath and remained on Earth guarding the vault, Nardole removed [[fluid link K57]] from the TARDIS after having been informed by the Doctor that the TARDIS couldn't travel without it. The Doctor revealed to both Nardole and Bill that he'd lied and took them on an adventure to [[Chasm Forge]], a space station from which the TARDIS had detected a distress signal.
[[File:Doctor Bill Nardole hug (Oxygen).jpg|thumb|right|Nardole shares a "cuddle" with the Doctor and Bill. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'')]]
On the space station, the trio was met with dangerous consequences where oxygen was lacking and needed paying for and the crew's spacesuits wanted to kill them. Finally, the three returned to Earth and Nardole revealed his relief that the Doctor hadn't been injured or killed on the adventure as the person within the vault would be able to sense his weakness. However, the Doctor revealed that he'd been blinded by being exposed to the vacuum of space for too long. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'')
Soon after being informed by the Doctor about an [[Monk (species)|alien race]] who had been using a simulator of Earth and all its inhabitants as means to discover the planet's weaknesses, Nardole accompanied his friends to [[Turmezistan]] where a [[the Cathedral|5,000-year-old pyramid]] stood which hadn't been there the day before.
It was not long before it was revealed that the Monks were behind the pyramid's erection and, after displaying their powerful abilities of teleportation and telekinesis, the Monks revealed that they wished to rule the Earth but would only do so when they were asked as ruling the population would be easier if they went along with the Monks' plan.
The group learned that in a year, the world would be dead and Nardole aided the Doctor in attempting to figure out why this would happen and how to prevent it. By shutting down the [[CCTV]] cameras in the labs on the UNIT watchlist, Nardole was able to help figuring out which lab was the right one. When they got to [[Agrofuel Research Operations]], the Doctor ordered Nardole to take the TARDIS to the other end of the lab shortly in the future as Nardole was "human enough" to be affected by [[Raoultella planticola|the bacteria]] as the Doctor got Nardole's "lungs cheap". Nardole moved the TARDIS but collapsed from the effects of the bacteria. As the Doctor called to Nardole for help, he lied on the TARDIS floor, unmoving. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'') After being laid up for six weeks from the effects of the bacteria, Nardole recovered thanks to his alien physiology.
After recovering, Nardole searched for and eventually located the Doctor on a prison ship. Nardole and the Doctor concocted a plan to test if Bill was still herself by setting up a scenario where the Doctor pretended to have converted to the Monks side.
Six months after the invasion began, Nardole visited Bill at her home and proved he was himself by answering questions about their adventures together. Nardole presented Bill with the location of the Doctor, claiming to have recently found him. Nardole got the two onto the prison ship where he watched the confrontation between Bill and the Doctor. After the Doctor faked a [[regeneration]], Nardole laughed along with everyone else when the Doctor revealed the truth. After the Doctor told Nardole they needed Missy's help, Nardole was shocked that they had gotten to that point.
Nardole remained behind on the ship with the Doctor's soldiers when he and Bill went to talk to Missy. Upon their return, Bill admitted that Missy had stated that the best way to end the invasion was to fry Bill's mind. Refusing to consider the idea, the Doctor led Bill, Nardole and his soldiers to [[the Cathedral]] to destroy the device the Monks were using to broadcast their altered version of history. When one of the soldiers fell back under the Monks influence, Nardole rendered him unconscious with a [[Tarovian neck pinch]]. Nardole then watched the Doctor's attempt to overwhelm the machine with the true version of history and refused to stop Bill's attempt to sacrifice herself to stop the Monks, respecting her decision. After Bill broke the link, Nardole questioned what the Monks would do next and was informed that they would run. He watched with Bill and the Doctor as the Monks retreated from the Earth. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'')
When the Doctor was "correcting" the books of the [[Terrance Dicks Library]], the building was demolished by a [[bowship]] piloted by the Doctor's daughter, [[Jenny (The Doctor's Daughter)|Jenny]]. After Jenny had explained the events that led to her arrival, "possessed" UNIT forces arrived and starting advancing menacingly. When the Doctor ushered everyone into the TARDIS, it was found to have been merged with that of [[Tenth Doctor|his tenth incarnation]], with the [[Eighth Doctor|Eighth]] and [[Ninth Doctor]]s soon arriving. The Doctors managed to trace and neutralise the malignant energy but doing so left only the Twelfth Doctor with any memories of what had happened, him happily taking Bill and Nardole away to tell them what had just happened. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Lost Dimension (comic story)|The Lost Dimension]]'')
The Doctor, Bill, and himself once visited [[Edinburgh]] in [[1645]], where they encountered a city plagued by Ghosts and the Plague. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Plague City (novel)|Plague City]]'')
[[File:The Doctor scolds Nardole (EOM).jpg|thumb|left|Nardole is scolded by the Doctor for releasing Missy from the vault. ([[TV]]: ''[[Empress of Mars (TV story)|Empress of Mars]]'')]]
Whilst visiting [[Mars]], the Doctor sent Nardole to fetch some [[rope]] from the TARDIS so they could reach Bill, who had fallen down a hole. Once he was inside, the TARDIS mysteriously took Nardole back to St Luke's. Unable to make the TARDIS cooperate, Nardole went to the Vault and asked Missy to help him reach Mars. By the time she and Nardole arrived on Mars the Doctor and Bill had resolved a conflict involving [[Ice Warrior]]s and humans. ([[TV]]: ''[[Empress of Mars (TV story)|Empress of Mars]]'')
When the Vault needed a new [[Relative Dimensional Stabiliser]], the Doctor took Bill and Nardole to [[Übermarket]] where Bill helped a lost [[Pathicol]] child called [[Tyto]] find her parents. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Great Shopping Bill (comic story)|The Great Shopping Bill]]'')
When the trio answered the distress signal of the ''[[Jeden]]'', they discovered the Weeping Angels were using the Heavenly Hosts as breeding stock. When one had sent the Doctor a century into [[Sto]]'s past, Nardole hoped to use the TARDIS to rescue him only to be informed that Missy had taken control of it. After Bill proposed venting the Angels into space, Nardole worked with [[Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen|Margaret Ag-Kris Therur-Ford Jingatheen]] before the Doctor returned, sending the ''Jeden'' into a nearby red giant after the refugees aboard had been evacuated. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[A Confusion of Angels (comic story)|A Confusion of Angels]]'')
Nardole was with the Doctor and Bill when they were trying to settle a bet on what happened to the Ninth Legion of the Roman Army. When they arrived in [[2nd century]] [[Scotland]], he expressed annoyance at the Doctor abandoning his oath again, but he followed the Doctor to investigate. The pair were captured by [[Pict]]s and soon found out a [[Eater of Light|light eating locust]] had been released from a cairn leading to another dimension so it could fight off the Roman army. They escaped after the Doctor distracted the Picts with popcorn.
When the Doctor entered the cairn, Nardole stayed outside and re-encountered the Picts. Two days passed for him whilst the Doctor went in for a few seconds. In those two days, Nardole had his face painted to resemble the Picts and told stories outside the cairn. After the Doctor emerged, they began working on a plan to defeat the creature. The pair were reunited with Bill when she arrived with the last survivors of the Ninth Legion escaping the creature. The trio then made the two sides work together to save the world, which the Doctor did by using a device which turned light into poison to force the creature back into its dimension. Nardole escaped with the Doctor, Bill and the remaining Picts after the Romans and [[Kar]] chose to enter the portal to fight the remaining creatures.
Upon returning to the TARDIS, Nardole was angered by the presence of Missy in the TARDIS. The Doctor explained that she was doing "maintenance work" for the TARDIS and that she was trapped inside, however, Nardole wasn't convinced ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eaters of Light (TV story)|The Eaters of Light]]'')
Nardole, along with Bill, became temporary companions of Missy when the Doctor decided to give her a "test run" to test her loyalties. They arrived on a [[Mondasian]] [[Colony ship (World Enough and Time)|colony ship]] flying towards a [[black hole]] and encountered [[Jorj]], who shot Bill out of fear. Nardole, the Doctor and Missy remained at the top of the ship to incapacitate Jorj and eventually made their way down to rescue Bill. ([[TV]]: ''[[World Enough and Time (TV story)|World Enough and Time]]'') During the lift ride, a [[portal]] appeared to the three only to suddenly vanish. Though the Doctor recognised the portal from a prior adventure of his, it was decided it could wait until after Bill was rescued. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Road To... (comic story)|The Road To...]]'') On [[Floor 1056]], ten years had elapsed for Bill, who had been converted into a [[CyberMondan]] by {{Simm}}. The Doctor and Nardole encountered both incarnations of the Master as they discovered Bill. ([[TV]]: ''[[World Enough and Time (TV story)|World Enough and Time]]'')
[[File:Nardole shooting windmill (TDF).jpg|thumb|left|Nardole hacks the mechanics of [[floor 0507]] using his hacking skills. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'')]]
Nardole escaped from the two Masters whilst they captured the Doctor. He found a spaceship and used it to fly the Doctor, Bill and the Masters to safety when the Cybermen began to attack them. When they arrived on [[Floor 0507]], Nardole took command of the villager's defence due to the Doctor being unconscious, and he was able to turn the floor of the spaceship into a minefield to stop the Cybermen progressing. During this time, [[Hazran]] began to take a liking to him. When the Cyberman began to outnumber them, the Doctor told Nardole to take the remaining children and adults to a higher floor and stay there to protect them. Nardole initially opposed this but eventually relented, seeing his role as a babysitter a fitting way to make up for his past.
As the Doctor used Nardole's program to [[Battle of Floor 0507|battle the Cybermen]], Nardole led the villagers to safety on [[Floor 0502]]. Sometime later, one of the children approached Nardole and suggested that his friends could still return. Appearing to accept that Bill and the Doctor were most likely dead, Nardole refuted the statement. Nardole stated that the Doctor had destroyed most of the Cybermen, meaning that they would need time to regroup and come after the villagers again. Nardole left with the children, stating that he'd "think of something" before the Cybermen returned with the children teasing Nardole about Hazran's interest in him. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'')
Whilst defending the people aboard the colony ship, Nardole kept in [[Space-time telegraph|regular contact]] with Bill, who had returned to Earth to continue studying at [[St Luke's University]]. He remarked how he had broken his legs whilst traversing the [[banana meadow]], but liked it because the children could now push him around in a comfy [[wheelbarrow]]. ([[WC]]: ''[[The Best of Days (webcast)|The Best of Days]]'')
Nardole spent the rest of his life on the colony and, in the words of his [[glass avatar]], lived "happily ever after" despite "a couple" of reprisals from the Cybermen. Nardole ultimately died at the age of 728, having had "good times" with six wives, two of whom he was [[marriage|married]] to at the same time. Though [[Cybermat]]s continued to show up every [[spring]] to the end of his life, the colonists had "sorted" their conflict with the Cybermen. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (novelisation)|Twice Upon a Time]]'')
=== In Testimony ===
{{video|Clara, Bill and Nardole Say Goodbye To The Twelfth Doctor Twice Upon A Time Doctor Who BBC|thumb|right|Nardole says goodbye to the Twelfth Doctor one last time. ([[TV]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (TV story)|Twice Upon a Time]]'')}}Following his eventual death, Nardole's [[memory|memories]] were retained by the [[Testimony Foundation]], who recreated him as a [[glass avatar]] along with his six [[wife|wives]]. As Nardole recalled, he got taken in "by accident", as the Testimony mistook him for a [[human]]. When Nardole told them to be "heartless and cruel" and send him back, they "gave in" and allowed him to remain. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (novelisation)|Twice Upon a Time]]'') The Testimony sent the avatar of Nardole alongside [[Bill Potts]] to visit the Doctor before his [[regeneration]] into the [[Thirteenth Doctor]]. The Twelfth Doctor thanked both his friends for what they had done for him and shared a cuddle before Nardole and Bill's avatars teleported away. ([[TV]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (TV story)|Twice Upon a Time]]'')
=== Legacy ===
The [[Twelfth Doctor]] remembered Nardole, along with his other past [[companion]]s, as he lay dying on [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] floor. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'')
A short time after [[the Flux]], the [[Thirteenth Doctor]] wrote a [[Book (Flux Fixers)|book]] ([[GAME]]: {{cs|Flux Fixers (game)}}) in which she documented some of her recent adventures, among other topics. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Meet the Crew (feature)}}, {{cs|Dalek Time Twisters (short story)}}, {{cs|The (Almost) Complete History of the Doctor (short story)|The (Almost) Complete History of the Doctor}}, etc.) As an aftereffect of the Flux, however, multiple [[word]]s related to the Doctor's past somehow became "jumbled" and scattered throughout the book. Nardole's name was one of them; the Doctor was forced to call upon readers of the book to solve the anagrams and allow her to unlock the memories associated with the words, with the clue given for the Nardole anagram being "a faithful friend". ([[GAME]]: {{cs|Flux Fixers (game)}})
== Personality ==
Nardole was a loyal and caring friend. He saw it as his duty to make sure the Doctor was alright following the death of River Song. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'') However, despite his seeming humility, Nardole was far from submissive. He had a firm attitude towards his responsibilities as a friend, strongly insisting the Doctor stay true to the oath that prevented him from going off-world outside of emergencies. The Doctor even referred to Nardole as his "mum" because of this. ([[TV]]: ''[[Smile (TV story)|Smile]]'') Bill even saw him as "a sort of [[bodyguard]]" for the Doctor. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Plague City (novel)|Plague City]]'') Nevertheless, he was also rather timid and could show great fear when faced with danger. He was particularly scared of heights. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'')
Due to the lengthy time they spent together on Darillium, and later at [[St Luke's University]], Nardole knew a great deal about the Doctor, such as the Time Lords' [[non-interference policy]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'') He also pointed out to Bill that the Doctor "never notices the tears" after spotting her upset about losing Heather, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'') knew he could be "so cocky" ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'') and scolded him for trying to avoid personal problems. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')
Despite his history as a professional conman, Nardole was often easily deceived. He mistook the Doctor for "the best surgeon in the galaxy", ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'') but although he could sometimes appear incompetent, he didn't fall for the Doctor's plan to get rid of him by asking him to get a packet of [[crisp]]s from [[Birmingham]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'') he was also knowledgeable and, despite not originating from Earth, knew that [[New York City|New York]] wasn't a capital city, unlike [[Washington DC]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')
Nardole could also be child-like and eccentric. He happily played with children's toys, referred to the toilet as "the little boy's room", ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'') described the Doctor's off-world adventuring as "naughty", ([[TV]]: ''[[Thin Ice (TV story)|Thin Ice]]'') and enjoyed a "[[hug|cuddle]]" with the Doctor and Bill. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'')
Nardole had a distaste for humans. He refused to make Bill tea because he's "not a slave for any human, that's for sure". ([[TV]]: ''[[Smile (TV story)|Smile]]'') He later referred to them as "smelly humans" and appeared to think of them as lesser lifeforms, even suggesting to the Doctor "you go upstairs and farm the humans". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'') However, he grew fond of Bill over time and excitedly greeted her after not seeing her for six months. At this time, he also called himself by the nickname of "Nardie". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'') Nardole also had a distaste for human [[music]], and when hearing [[Pict|Pictish]] music he exclaimed that it was "even worse than [[jazz]]". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eaters of Light (TV story)|The Eaters of Light]]'')
Nardole had a [[criminal]] past. He referred to a time when he was "on the run", and was quick to deny that he was capable of both [[murder]]ing and [[Theft|robbing]] the workers aboard [[Chasm Forge]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'') In addition to this, Nardole claimed it was unreliable to leave a bunch of humans in his care, remarking "You know what I was like. There's more than three people in a room, I'll start a black market. Send me with them, I'll be selling their own spaceship back to them once a week." ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'')
According to Nardole, he relied on "air, water, food and beer" to survive. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'')
Nardole appeared to think of himself as very good-looking, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'') even understanding Hazran's crush on him as her being "only human". Nardole also jokingly called himself clever, and implied on one occasion that he was stronger than the Doctor. Given Nardole's tendency towards gentle humour, especially when trying to diffuse tense situations, it's possible that these statements were jokes and not in fact his sincerely-held beliefs. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'')
== Skills and abilities ==
Nardole was capable of flying [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]], a talent displayed by very few of the Doctor's previous travelling companions, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'', ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'') although he was unable to make it return to Mars without Missy's assistance. ([[TV]]: ''[[Empress of Mars (TV story)|Empress of Mars]]'')
He was also adept at using a [[sonic screwdriver]]. When they travelled to a [[Dalek-Movellan War|Dalek-Movellan]] [[War zone (The Pilot)|war zone]], he used it to short-circuit several panels and successfully quarantined all the Daleks in the vicinity to prevent them from attacking the Twelfth Doctor and Bill. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
Following his reassembly at least, Nardole had a longer-than-human [[lifespan]]. He remained at St Luke's University for at least a number of decades, during which he didn't appear to age. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'') The [[sonic sunglasses]] registered his age as 237 during the [[Monk invasion|Monks' invasion of Earth]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'') He ultimately [[died]] at the age of 728. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (novelisation)|Twice Upon a Time]]'')
While still vulnerable to contamination from deadly Earth bacteria due to being "human enough", Nardole was capable of surviving where humans wouldn't due to his alien physiology. However, this could make him too ill to do anything for up to six weeks. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'', ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'') He would also [[Death|die]] without an [[oxygen]] supply, much like an organic being. ([[TV]]: ''[[Empress of Mars (TV story)|Empress of Mars]]'')
At 30.3 degrees [[Celsius]], Nardole had a lower [[body temperature]] than the average human. This was likely due to his cybernetic body. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'') His left hand was not his original hand but rather one he won in some kind of game. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'')
Nardole was a skilled computer expert and hacker, being able to hack Harmony Shoal's computer system. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'') He could also hack the cameras of every lab in the UK to figure out which one the Monks were monitoring. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'') During the siege of the Cybermen against the inhabitants of [[Floor 0507]] of a Mondasian colony ship, Nardole used a computer to locate the fuel lines on the floor and subsequently ignite them in conjunction with the villagers firing their rifles at the Cybermen, creating the illusion their weaponry was vastly superior as it helped defeat many Cybermen. He also implied he could take control of the whole ship if he desired, but wouldn't as he had changed due to having met the Doctor. He could also fly a [[shuttlecraft]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'')
For a time, Nardole studied the [[Tarovian martial arts]] and gained the rank of [[Brown Tabard]]. He could do the [[Tarovian neck pinch]], which rendered a victim unconscious in seconds. However, he could only do it with his right hand. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'')
== Appearance ==
Nardole resembled a short, hairless, [[humanoid]] male in his early 40s with a rotund build. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'') Missy once described him as "that bald bloke who looks like an egg", ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'') although Nardole's glass avatar insisted that his [[hair]] was invisible. ([[TV]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (TV story)|Twice Upon a Time]]'') He claimed that he hadn't seen his true face in years, and that he swapped it out for his current face when on the run. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'') He also mentioned that he was once blue-skinned. ([[TV]]: ''[[World Enough and Time (TV story)|World Enough and Time]]'')
His height was once given as 167.7 cm, roughly 5.5 feet tall. He weighed 216.1 pounds, and had a resting temperature far below human average{{facts}}- 30.3 degrees Celsius, or 86.5 degrees Fahrenheit. This further suggested his cyborg nature, along with a comment about his [[lung]]s having been bought "cheap" - this, in fact, made him "human enough" to be harmed by a deadly bacteria. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'') Despite his organic appearance Nardole was not made of entirely natural materials: his nipples were made of glass, ([[TV]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (TV story)|Twice Upon a Time]]'') and additionally, when he showed Bill the Doctor's office, his arm made a mechanical sound as a bolt fell from it. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
=== Clothing ===
When he first met the Doctor on [[Mendorax Dellora]], Nardole wore a crimson duffle coat matched with a multi-coloured beanie to cope with the snowy climate. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'') He continued to wear the same coat when travelling with the Doctor, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'', ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'', ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'', ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'') but also wore a plaid red vest with square glasses when assisting him at [[St Luke's University]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'', ''[[Smile (TV story)|Smile]]'', ''[[Thin Ice (TV story)|Thin Ice]]'', ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'') or a plaid jacket. ([[TV]]: ''[[Knock Knock (TV story)|Knock Knock]], [[Extremis (TV story)|Extremis]], [[World Enough and Time (TV story)|World Enough and Time]], [[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'') Completing his outfit was a pair of rust-orange slacks, a pair of brown leather shoes, and a simple button up shirt. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')
Nardole often dressed in attire appropriate for the locations or periods in which he found himself. After Nardole ruled [[12th century]] [[Constantinople]], he was seen wearing imperial garb. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'') When visiting [[Edinburgh]] in [[1645]], he wore a [[tam o' shanter]], [[kilt]] and [[Sporran]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Plague City (novel)|Plague City]]'') Similarly, while visiting [[2nd century]] [[Aberdeen]], Nardole changed into a [[Pict]]ish outfit, complete with tribal face paint, after previously arriving in his [[pyjamas]], [[dressing gown]], and [[slipper]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eaters of Light (TV story)|The Eaters of Light]]'')
Nardole occasionally [[Knitting|knitted]] clothes for himself, at one point knitting a [[scarf]] reminiscent of that worn by the [[Fourth Doctor]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'')
== Behind the scenes ==
=== Doctor Who The Official Annual 2018 ===
According to the ''[[Doctor Who The Official Annual 2018]]'',{{which}} Nardole was from [[Mendorax Dellora]]. While he did not initially like humans, Nardole came to enjoy [[tea]] and [[knitting]], even knitting his own hats. He had a Brown Tabard in [[Tarovian martial arts]].
=== Other matters ===
* Several characters in ''[[Legacy (video game)|Doctor Who: Legacy]]'' are based on Nardole, including [[Hydroflax]] with Nardole's head, which is used as both an ally and an enemy.
* Nardole is mentioned by the Twelfth Doctor in ''[[Doctor Who and the micro:bit (TV story)|Doctor Who and the micro:bit]]''.
* Aside from the Doctor, Nardole is only the second character to appear in three consecutive Christmas specials. He appeared in all the Christmas specials from 2015 until 2017. Previously [[Clara Oswald]] had done the same between 2012 and 2014.
* While it's never confirmed, it's implied Nardole lives in the TARDIS during his time with the Doctor, as he emerges in his pyjamas during their adventure in ''[[The Eaters of Light (TV story)|The Eaters of Light]]''.
* Nardole is the first televised non-human companion of the Doctor since [[Handles]] in ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'', and the first full-time non-human companion of the revived series.
* Nardole is the only regular companion introduced under Steven Moffat to have never died on screen.
== External links ==
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{{Dwlx|Hydroflax with Nardole Head|Hydroflax with Nardole head}}
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[[Category:Individuals of unknown species]]
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[[Category:Individuals who claimed to be the Doctor but didn't look like them]]
Escaping a former life of crime which eventually made him an employee of River Song, Nardole expressed deep remorse for his actions and so attempted to make up for his illicit past.
While working for Dr Song on Mendorax Dellora, he was beheaded by the body of King Hydroflax, who used him to obtain information on her whereabouts. Knowing River would go to her death in the Library following their twenty-four years together on Darillium, the Doctor reassembled Nardole out of fear of being alone.
River's final instruction for Nardole was to save the Doctor from executing Missy. He did so, but not before the Doctor swore an oath to protect her body for a thousand years. Missy was placed in a Quantum Fold Chamber and Nardole kept the Doctor to his word.
As the Doctor took on Bill as his companion, Nardole eventually joined them on their travels after many protests that the Doctor was ignoring his oath. Following a battle with the Cybermen onboard a colony ship, Nardole left the Doctor's company on his instructions to defend a small group of villagers.
Nardole stated that he didn’t know his true origins, as he was "found". (TV: The Doctor Falls) On one occasion, he jokingly claimed to have Scottish heritage, descending from the clan "MacNardole". (PROSE: Plague City)
When River and the Doctor eventually escaped Hydroflax's ship with his head in a bag, Hydroflax's mechanical body turned to Nardole and wanted to extract strategic information. Although Nardole claimed to know very little of River's plans, there was only one way for Hydroflax's body to be sure, so it removed Nardole's head and attached it to its own. Later, whilst holding a gun to Nardole's head, Hydroflax's body forced him to draw in Ramone, whose head the body took while storing Nardole's within itself. On the Harmony and Redemption, the body pulled Nardole's head out of storage to confirm River's identity before putting it back against his protests.
After the crash of the Harmony and Redemption on Darillium, Hydroflax's body was recovered from the wreckage. As the hostile onboard computer had been destroyed by the Doctor, Nardole and Ramone shared control of the body, working in a restaurant situated before the Singing Towers. When River arrived several years after the crash, Ramone was in control as Nardole was getting some "me time" inside the body, something he admitted was hard when he greeted River from inside Hydroflax's body. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)
At River Song's final request, Nardole followed the Doctor to a planet where Missy was to be executed. Here, the Doctor swore an oath to protect her body for a thousand years. Disguised as a priest, Nardole intervened in the proceedings and instructed him not to kill Missy as his late wife wouldn't approve. The Doctor let Missy live, and he and Nardole locked her in a Quantum Fold Chamber. At the Doctor's oath, the pair would guard the vault for the next thousand years. (TV: Extremis)
Nardole became the Doctor's companion, and saw it as his duty to ensure the Doctor was all right following River's death. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
At some point prior to guarding the vault, (TV: Extremis) the pair found time for some adventures. Together they investigated Harmony Shoal Institute in America in the 2010s. After Nardole, the Doctor, and reporter Lucy Fletcher were confronted by Dr. Sim, they were saved by "the Ghost", a vigilante who the Doctor had inadvertently given superpowers. While taking the TARDIS to rescue the Doctor, Nardole got sidetracked to 12th century Constantinople, where he ruled "firmly, but wisely". Throughout their battle to defeat the Shoal of the Winter Harmony, Nardole noticed the Doctor was still grieving River, but felt he would eventually find closure. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
The Doctor and Nardole settled at St Luke's University in Bristol, where they spent nearly seventy years watching over the vault which was now hidden beneath the campus. While stuck on Earth, the Doctor took a job as a lecturer and Nardole acted as his valet. (TV: The Pilot)
It was at St Luke's University where the Doctor and Nardole first met canteen worker Bill Potts and encountered a sentient oil puddle. Realising it was after them and not the vault, the Doctor, Bill and Nardole tried to evade the creature, but it followed them through time and space. They travelled to a war zone in the Dalek-Movellan War, where Nardole ran interference and sealed off the area of all but one of the Daleks. The last Dalek was actually the oil creature, which had taken over the body of Heather, and remembered Heather's promise to never leave Bill. Bill released "Heather" of her promise, and the trio returned to St Luke's. (TV: The Pilot)
When the Doctor formally invited Bill to join him as his companion, he sent Nardole to put the kettle on in the Doctor's office whilst he secretly introduced her to all of time and space. (TV: Smile) Bringing tea with a "bit of coffee" in it to "give it some flavour", Nardole was dismayed to learn that the Doctor and Bill had been to RegencyLondon while he was out, which he considered "naughty" of the Doctor as he had broken his oath, only for the Doctor to argue that his return proved he kept it. After being told by the Doctor to "leave [him] alone", a frustrated Nardole voiced his frustrations to himself while standing guard outside the chamber, before being interrupted as Missy started heavily knocking on the door. Though acknowledging that the Doctor had been "distracted" by Bill, Nardole, hiding his fear, asserted to Missy that he would still stand guard and would not let her escape. (TV: Thin Ice)
After the Doctor had saved Bill and her friends from a creaking house and a creepy Landlord, the Doctor gave Nardole the night off, much to his annoyance. He was disappointed when he learned that the Doctor had put a piano in the Vault, saying that he "never learns". (TV: Knock Knock)
After introducing Bill to space-time travel, the Doctor often left Nardole on Earth whilst the two had adventures. (PROSE: The Shining Man, Diamond Dogs) However, he was present on the TARDIS, to the surprise of Bill (who hadn't noticed him when they first took off), when the TARDIS had to make an emergency landing on Gallifrey due to a universe-wide temporal crisis. Bill was startled when Nardole joined her in the Panopticon and told her the Doctor had sent him to help with the vortex energy collection process. (GAME: Lost in Time)
Going to desperate measures to ensure that the Doctor kept his oath and remained on Earth guarding the vault, Nardole removed fluid link K57 from the TARDIS after having been informed by the Doctor that the TARDIS couldn't travel without it. The Doctor revealed to both Nardole and Bill that he'd lied and took them on an adventure to Chasm Forge, a space station from which the TARDIS had detected a distress signal.
Nardole shares a "cuddle" with the Doctor and Bill. (TV: Oxygen)
On the space station, the trio was met with dangerous consequences where oxygen was lacking and needed paying for and the crew's spacesuits wanted to kill them. Finally, the three returned to Earth and Nardole revealed his relief that the Doctor hadn't been injured or killed on the adventure as the person within the vault would be able to sense his weakness. However, the Doctor revealed that he'd been blinded by being exposed to the vacuum of space for too long. (TV: Oxygen)
Soon after being informed by the Doctor about an alien race who had been using a simulator of Earth and all its inhabitants as means to discover the planet's weaknesses, Nardole accompanied his friends to Turmezistan where a 5,000-year-old pyramid stood which hadn't been there the day before.
It was not long before it was revealed that the Monks were behind the pyramid's erection and, after displaying their powerful abilities of teleportation and telekinesis, the Monks revealed that they wished to rule the Earth but would only do so when they were asked as ruling the population would be easier if they went along with the Monks' plan.
The group learned that in a year, the world would be dead and Nardole aided the Doctor in attempting to figure out why this would happen and how to prevent it. By shutting down the CCTV cameras in the labs on the UNIT watchlist, Nardole was able to help figuring out which lab was the right one. When they got to Agrofuel Research Operations, the Doctor ordered Nardole to take the TARDIS to the other end of the lab shortly in the future as Nardole was "human enough" to be affected by the bacteria as the Doctor got Nardole's "lungs cheap". Nardole moved the TARDIS but collapsed from the effects of the bacteria. As the Doctor called to Nardole for help, he lied on the TARDIS floor, unmoving. (TV: The Pyramid at the End of the World) After being laid up for six weeks from the effects of the bacteria, Nardole recovered thanks to his alien physiology.
After recovering, Nardole searched for and eventually located the Doctor on a prison ship. Nardole and the Doctor concocted a plan to test if Bill was still herself by setting up a scenario where the Doctor pretended to have converted to the Monks side.
Six months after the invasion began, Nardole visited Bill at her home and proved he was himself by answering questions about their adventures together. Nardole presented Bill with the location of the Doctor, claiming to have recently found him. Nardole got the two onto the prison ship where he watched the confrontation between Bill and the Doctor. After the Doctor faked a regeneration, Nardole laughed along with everyone else when the Doctor revealed the truth. After the Doctor told Nardole they needed Missy's help, Nardole was shocked that they had gotten to that point.
Nardole remained behind on the ship with the Doctor's soldiers when he and Bill went to talk to Missy. Upon their return, Bill admitted that Missy had stated that the best way to end the invasion was to fry Bill's mind. Refusing to consider the idea, the Doctor led Bill, Nardole and his soldiers to the Cathedral to destroy the device the Monks were using to broadcast their altered version of history. When one of the soldiers fell back under the Monks influence, Nardole rendered him unconscious with a Tarovian neck pinch. Nardole then watched the Doctor's attempt to overwhelm the machine with the true version of history and refused to stop Bill's attempt to sacrifice herself to stop the Monks, respecting her decision. After Bill broke the link, Nardole questioned what the Monks would do next and was informed that they would run. He watched with Bill and the Doctor as the Monks retreated from the Earth. (TV: The Lie of the Land)
When the Doctor was "correcting" the books of the Terrance Dicks Library, the building was demolished by a bowship piloted by the Doctor's daughter, Jenny. After Jenny had explained the events that led to her arrival, "possessed" UNIT forces arrived and starting advancing menacingly. When the Doctor ushered everyone into the TARDIS, it was found to have been merged with that of his tenth incarnation, with the Eighth and Ninth Doctors soon arriving. The Doctors managed to trace and neutralise the malignant energy but doing so left only the Twelfth Doctor with any memories of what had happened, him happily taking Bill and Nardole away to tell them what had just happened. (COMIC: The Lost Dimension)
The Doctor, Bill, and himself once visited Edinburgh in 1645, where they encountered a city plagued by Ghosts and the Plague. (PROSE: Plague City)
Nardole is scolded by the Doctor for releasing Missy from the vault. (TV: Empress of Mars)
Whilst visiting Mars, the Doctor sent Nardole to fetch some rope from the TARDIS so they could reach Bill, who had fallen down a hole. Once he was inside, the TARDIS mysteriously took Nardole back to St Luke's. Unable to make the TARDIS cooperate, Nardole went to the Vault and asked Missy to help him reach Mars. By the time she and Nardole arrived on Mars the Doctor and Bill had resolved a conflict involving Ice Warriors and humans. (TV: Empress of Mars)
When the trio answered the distress signal of the Jeden, they discovered the Weeping Angels were using the Heavenly Hosts as breeding stock. When one had sent the Doctor a century into Sto's past, Nardole hoped to use the TARDIS to rescue him only to be informed that Missy had taken control of it. After Bill proposed venting the Angels into space, Nardole worked with Margaret Ag-Kris Therur-Ford Jingatheen before the Doctor returned, sending the Jeden into a nearby red giant after the refugees aboard had been evacuated. (COMIC: A Confusion of Angels)
Nardole was with the Doctor and Bill when they were trying to settle a bet on what happened to the Ninth Legion of the Roman Army. When they arrived in 2nd centuryScotland, he expressed annoyance at the Doctor abandoning his oath again, but he followed the Doctor to investigate. The pair were captured by Picts and soon found out a light eating locust had been released from a cairn leading to another dimension so it could fight off the Roman army. They escaped after the Doctor distracted the Picts with popcorn.
When the Doctor entered the cairn, Nardole stayed outside and re-encountered the Picts. Two days passed for him whilst the Doctor went in for a few seconds. In those two days, Nardole had his face painted to resemble the Picts and told stories outside the cairn. After the Doctor emerged, they began working on a plan to defeat the creature. The pair were reunited with Bill when she arrived with the last survivors of the Ninth Legion escaping the creature. The trio then made the two sides work together to save the world, which the Doctor did by using a device which turned light into poison to force the creature back into its dimension. Nardole escaped with the Doctor, Bill and the remaining Picts after the Romans and Kar chose to enter the portal to fight the remaining creatures.
Upon returning to the TARDIS, Nardole was angered by the presence of Missy in the TARDIS. The Doctor explained that she was doing "maintenance work" for the TARDIS and that she was trapped inside, however, Nardole wasn't convinced (TV: The Eaters of Light)
Nardole, along with Bill, became temporary companions of Missy when the Doctor decided to give her a "test run" to test her loyalties. They arrived on a Mondasiancolony ship flying towards a black hole and encountered Jorj, who shot Bill out of fear. Nardole, the Doctor and Missy remained at the top of the ship to incapacitate Jorj and eventually made their way down to rescue Bill. (TV: World Enough and Time) During the lift ride, a portal appeared to the three only to suddenly vanish. Though the Doctor recognised the portal from a prior adventure of his, it was decided it could wait until after Bill was rescued. (COMIC: The Road To...) On Floor 1056, ten years had elapsed for Bill, who had been converted into a CyberMondan by the Saxon Master. The Doctor and Nardole encountered both incarnations of the Master as they discovered Bill. (TV: World Enough and Time)
Nardole escaped from the two Masters whilst they captured the Doctor. He found a spaceship and used it to fly the Doctor, Bill and the Masters to safety when the Cybermen began to attack them. When they arrived on Floor 0507, Nardole took command of the villager's defence due to the Doctor being unconscious, and he was able to turn the floor of the spaceship into a minefield to stop the Cybermen progressing. During this time, Hazran began to take a liking to him. When the Cyberman began to outnumber them, the Doctor told Nardole to take the remaining children and adults to a higher floor and stay there to protect them. Nardole initially opposed this but eventually relented, seeing his role as a babysitter a fitting way to make up for his past.
As the Doctor used Nardole's program to battle the Cybermen, Nardole led the villagers to safety on Floor 0502. Sometime later, one of the children approached Nardole and suggested that his friends could still return. Appearing to accept that Bill and the Doctor were most likely dead, Nardole refuted the statement. Nardole stated that the Doctor had destroyed most of the Cybermen, meaning that they would need time to regroup and come after the villagers again. Nardole left with the children, stating that he'd "think of something" before the Cybermen returned with the children teasing Nardole about Hazran's interest in him. (TV: The Doctor Falls)
Whilst defending the people aboard the colony ship, Nardole kept in regular contact with Bill, who had returned to Earth to continue studying at St Luke's University. He remarked how he had broken his legs whilst traversing the banana meadow, but liked it because the children could now push him around in a comfy wheelbarrow. (WC: The Best of Days)
Nardole spent the rest of his life on the colony and, in the words of his glass avatar, lived "happily ever after" despite "a couple" of reprisals from the Cybermen. Nardole ultimately died at the age of 728, having had "good times" with six wives, two of whom he was married to at the same time. Though Cybermats continued to show up every spring to the end of his life, the colonists had "sorted" their conflict with the Cybermen. (PROSE: Twice Upon a Time)
Following his eventual death, Nardole's memories were retained by the Testimony Foundation, who recreated him as a glass avatar along with his six wives. As Nardole recalled, he got taken in "by accident", as the Testimony mistook him for a human. When Nardole told them to be "heartless and cruel" and send him back, they "gave in" and allowed him to remain. (PROSE: Twice Upon a Time) The Testimony sent the avatar of Nardole alongside Bill Potts to visit the Doctor before his regeneration into the Thirteenth Doctor. The Twelfth Doctor thanked both his friends for what they had done for him and shared a cuddle before Nardole and Bill's avatars teleported away. (TV: Twice Upon a Time)
A short time after the Flux, the Thirteenth Doctor wrote a book (GAME: Flux Fixers[+]Loading...["Flux Fixers (game)"]) in which she documented some of her recent adventures, among other topics. (PROSE: Meet the Crew[+]Loading...["Meet the Crew (feature)"], Dalek Time Twisters[+]Loading...["Dalek Time Twisters (short story)"], The (Almost) Complete History of the Doctor[+]Loading...["The (Almost) Complete History of the Doctor (short story)","The (Almost) Complete History of the Doctor"], etc.) As an aftereffect of the Flux, however, multiple words related to the Doctor's past somehow became "jumbled" and scattered throughout the book. Nardole's name was one of them; the Doctor was forced to call upon readers of the book to solve the anagrams and allow her to unlock the memories associated with the words, with the clue given for the Nardole anagram being "a faithful friend". (GAME: Flux Fixers[+]Loading...["Flux Fixers (game)"])
Nardole was a loyal and caring friend. He saw it as his duty to make sure the Doctor was alright following the death of River Song. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio) However, despite his seeming humility, Nardole was far from submissive. He had a firm attitude towards his responsibilities as a friend, strongly insisting the Doctor stay true to the oath that prevented him from going off-world outside of emergencies. The Doctor even referred to Nardole as his "mum" because of this. (TV: Smile) Bill even saw him as "a sort of bodyguard" for the Doctor. (PROSE: Plague City) Nevertheless, he was also rather timid and could show great fear when faced with danger. He was particularly scared of heights. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)
Despite his history as a professional conman, Nardole was often easily deceived. He mistook the Doctor for "the best surgeon in the galaxy", (TV: The Husbands of River Song) but although he could sometimes appear incompetent, he didn't fall for the Doctor's plan to get rid of him by asking him to get a packet of crisps from Birmingham. (TV: Oxygen) he was also knowledgeable and, despite not originating from Earth, knew that New York wasn't a capital city, unlike Washington DC. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
Nardole could also be child-like and eccentric. He happily played with children's toys, referred to the toilet as "the little boy's room", (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio) described the Doctor's off-world adventuring as "naughty", (TV: Thin Ice) and enjoyed a "cuddle" with the Doctor and Bill. (TV: Oxygen)
Nardole had a distaste for humans. He refused to make Bill tea because he's "not a slave for any human, that's for sure". (TV: Smile) He later referred to them as "smelly humans" and appeared to think of them as lesser lifeforms, even suggesting to the Doctor "you go upstairs and farm the humans". (TV: The Doctor Falls) However, he grew fond of Bill over time and excitedly greeted her after not seeing her for six months. At this time, he also called himself by the nickname of "Nardie". (TV: The Lie of the Land) Nardole also had a distaste for human music, and when hearing Pictish music he exclaimed that it was "even worse than jazz". (TV: The Eaters of Light)
Nardole had a criminal past. He referred to a time when he was "on the run", and was quick to deny that he was capable of both murdering and robbing the workers aboard Chasm Forge. (TV: Oxygen) In addition to this, Nardole claimed it was unreliable to leave a bunch of humans in his care, remarking "You know what I was like. There's more than three people in a room, I'll start a black market. Send me with them, I'll be selling their own spaceship back to them once a week." (TV: The Doctor Falls)
Nardole appeared to think of himself as very good-looking, (TV: The Pyramid at the End of the World) even understanding Hazran's crush on him as her being "only human". Nardole also jokingly called himself clever, and implied on one occasion that he was stronger than the Doctor. Given Nardole's tendency towards gentle humour, especially when trying to diffuse tense situations, it's possible that these statements were jokes and not in fact his sincerely-held beliefs. (TV: The Doctor Falls)
He was also adept at using a sonic screwdriver. When they travelled to a Dalek-Movellanwar zone, he used it to short-circuit several panels and successfully quarantined all the Daleks in the vicinity to prevent them from attacking the Twelfth Doctor and Bill. (TV: The Pilot)
While still vulnerable to contamination from deadly Earth bacteria due to being "human enough", Nardole was capable of surviving where humans wouldn't due to his alien physiology. However, this could make him too ill to do anything for up to six weeks. (TV: The Pyramid at the End of the World, The Lie of the Land) He would also die without an oxygen supply, much like an organic being. (TV: Empress of Mars)
Nardole was a skilled computer expert and hacker, being able to hack Harmony Shoal's computer system. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio) He could also hack the cameras of every lab in the UK to figure out which one the Monks were monitoring. (TV: The Pyramid at the End of the World) During the siege of the Cybermen against the inhabitants of Floor 0507 of a Mondasian colony ship, Nardole used a computer to locate the fuel lines on the floor and subsequently ignite them in conjunction with the villagers firing their rifles at the Cybermen, creating the illusion their weaponry was vastly superior as it helped defeat many Cybermen. He also implied he could take control of the whole ship if he desired, but wouldn't as he had changed due to having met the Doctor. He could also fly a shuttlecraft. (TV: The Doctor Falls)
Nardole resembled a short, hairless, humanoid male in his early 40s with a rotund build. (TV: The Husbands of River Song) Missy once described him as "that bald bloke who looks like an egg", (TV: The Lie of the Land) although Nardole's glass avatar insisted that his hair was invisible. (TV: Twice Upon a Time) He claimed that he hadn't seen his true face in years, and that he swapped it out for his current face when on the run. (TV: Oxygen) He also mentioned that he was once blue-skinned. (TV: World Enough and Time)
His height was once given as 167.7 cm, roughly 5.5 feet tall. He weighed 216.1 pounds, and had a resting temperature far below human average[additional sources needed]- 30.3 degrees Celsius, or 86.5 degrees Fahrenheit. This further suggested his cyborg nature, along with a comment about his lungs having been bought "cheap" - this, in fact, made him "human enough" to be harmed by a deadly bacteria. (TV: The Pyramid at the End of the World) Despite his organic appearance Nardole was not made of entirely natural materials: his nipples were made of glass, (TV: Twice Upon a Time) and additionally, when he showed Bill the Doctor's office, his arm made a mechanical sound as a bolt fell from it. (TV: The Pilot)
Aside from the Doctor, Nardole is only the second character to appear in three consecutive Christmas specials. He appeared in all the Christmas specials from 2015 until 2017. Previously Clara Oswald had done the same between 2012 and 2014.
While it's never confirmed, it's implied Nardole lives in the TARDIS during his time with the Doctor, as he emerges in his pyjamas during their adventure in The Eaters of Light.
Nardole is the first televised non-human companion of the Doctor since Handles in The Time of the Doctor, and the first full-time non-human companion of the revived series.
Nardole is the only regular companion introduced under Steven Moffat to have never died on screen.
If a medium is not mentioned, then this incarnation did not have companions who were original to that medium; it does not mean that this Doctor failed to appear in that medium.
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