Nardole
Nardole was a companion of the Twelfth Doctor and former employee of River Song.
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. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)
Following twenty-four years on Darillium, River went to her death in the Library and the Doctor reassembled Nardole out of fear of being alone. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
Biography
Working for River Song
Nardole first encountered the Doctor when he was told to find the surgeon. The surgeon was required as River Song needed to extract the Halassi Androvar from the head of King Hydroflax. However, Nardole accidentally found the Twelfth Doctor and brought him to Professor Song 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.
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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 was 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)
Travels with the Doctor
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After spending twenty-four years with River Song, the Twelfth Doctor feared being alone, and so returned to Nardole and reassembled him, taking his head from Hydroflax and "glueing" it back on. Nardole became the Doctor's companion, and saw it as his duty to ensure the Doctor was all right following River's death.
Together they investigated Harmony Shoal with the help of "The Ghost". He also spent some time as the Emperor of Constantinople, in which he ruled "firmly, but wisely". (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
Guarding the vault
The Doctor and Nardole spent nearly seventy years at St Luke's University in Bristol, where they watched over a secret vault hidden beneath the campus. While stuck on Earth, the Doctor took a job as a lecturer and Nardole acted as his valet. It was there where the Doctor, canteen worker Bill Potts and Nardole 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)
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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 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 at the Vault before being interrupted as the prisoner started heavily knocking on the door. Though acknowledging that the Doctor had been "distracted" by Bill, Nardole, hiding his fear, asserted to the prisoner behind the door that he would still stand guard and would not let it 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)
Travels with the Doctor and Bill
Info from Plague City needs to be added
Going to desperate measures to ensure that the Doctor kept his oath and remained on Earth guarding the vault, Nardole removed Fluid link from the TARDIS after having been informed by the Doctor that the TARDIS couldn't travel without it. (TV: Oxygen)
After a time, Nardole joined the Doctor and Bill on off-world adventures. The trio visited Edinburgh in 1645. (PROSE: Plague City)
Personality
Nardole was loyal and humble. 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, Nardole was far from submissive. He took his position with a firm attitude, strongly insisting the Doctor stay true to his 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) 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)
Although he could sometimes appear incompetent, (TV: The Husbands of River Song) he was 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 appeared to have 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)
Skills and abilities
Nardole was capable of flying the TARDIS, a talent displayed by very few of the Doctor's previous travelling companions. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
Following his reassembly at least, Nardole had a longer-than-human lifespan. He remained at St Luke's University for a number of decades during which he didn't appear to age. (TV: The Pilot)
He was also adept at using a sonic screwdriver. When they travelled to a Dalek-Movellan War, he used it 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)
Appearance
Nardole resembled a short, hairless, humanoid male with a rotund build.
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) He continued to wear the same coat when travelling with the Doctor (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio, The Pilot), but also wore a plaid red vest with square glasses when assisting him at St Luke's University. (TV: The Pilot, Smile, Thin Ice)
After Nardole ruled 12th century Constantinople, he was seen wearing imperial garb appropriate for the period. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
Behind the scenes
- Several characters in 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.
External links
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