Skaro was the war-torn homeworld of the Kaleds and the Thals and later the infamous Daleks.
Geography
Skaro was a planet of similar atmosphere, climate and gravity to Earth and the twelfth planet from its sun.
The main features of the planet were shrouded in some doubt. According to one account, it had a single continent that was divided into east and west halves of almost equal size. (DW: The Daleks)
However, another account described two continents, Davius and Dalazar, which were separated from each other by the Ocean of Ooze. Davius was populated by the Thals, while the humanoid Daleks resided on Dalazar. (DC: "Genesis of Evil") This same source also claimed that Skaro's nearest neighbor was a planet called Alvega. (DC: "The Amaryll Challenge")
Ecosystems and native life
Jungle or forest abounded on parts of Skaro (DW: The Daleks), where Varga plants (DW: Mission to the Unknown), Magnedons (DW: The Daleks) and Slythers (DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth) could be found. After an exchange of neutron bombs, the forest petrified. (DW: The Daleks)
Other parts appeared simply like nondescript wastelands. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks, Destiny of the Daleks) There were less radiated plateaus where the Thals lived. (DW: The Daleks)
- This may have happened as a result of the Thousand Year War between the Thals and Kaleds and/or the later wars between Daleks and Thals.
Hydrothermal activity was indicated by the presence of place names like "Geyser Swamp". However all bodies of liquid may not have been composed of water. At least one river was known to be comprised of sulphuric acid, and the geysers in Geyser Swamp were actually spewing mercury, not steam. (DC: "Duel of the Daleks")
The planet was known to have polar ice caps, though it was unclear whether these were actually comprised of frozen water. The mountains at one of the poles were known as the "Polar Mountains". (DC: "Legacy of Yesteryear")
The elemental DNA type of Skarosian life is 467-989. (DW: Daleks in Manhattan)
At least one area of Skaro was inhabited by large dinosaur-like creatures. (TVC: The Planet of the Daleks)
History
Pre-War history
Though Thals used the same name for their world, in the Kaled language, Skaro means home. (EDA: War of the Daleks)
Oral and written history suggests that the Thals lived as a race of warriors and another race, the Dals, as scientists, who would later mutate into the Daleks. (DW: The Daleks)
- The Dals are widely assumed by fandom to be an alternate name for the Kaleds.
Creation of the Daleks
- Main article: Creation of the Daleks
According to one account, by the time of the creation of the cyborgs known as the Daleks, the Kaleds and the Thals fought the Thousand Year War over the wasteland adjacent to the Kaled Dome. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks)
Technology had devolved in this time. A Scientific Elite now governed the Kaleds. By this phase of the war, biological and nuclear weapons had begun to cause mutations known as mutos. The Kaled scientists saw this as the end of their species in its "pure" form. The Kaled chief scientist, Davros, decided to accelerate the mutations on purpose to determine their "ultimate form" and placed the results in travel machines. These creatures then became the successors to the Kaleds, the Daleks.
The Doctor, transported to this time period by the Time Lords to prevent a possible future where the Daleks would rule the universe, played a part in entombing the Daleks in the Kaled bunker. The Daleks still survived and promised to re-emerge. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks)
Despite the predominance of this account about the creation of the Daleks, others were recorded. (DC: The Dalek Chronicles, RT: "We are the Daleks!")
The aftermath
Centuries or thousands of years passed. Radiation levels had dropped, though they still presented a danger to Human (and Gallifreyan) life.
The Thals evolved into a handsome people, believing they were now of intellectual and physical perfection. They lived a simple pastoral and pacifist lifestyle. The Thals never ventured into the Dalek City near to the petrified forest or showed any curiosity about it. Because of their dependence on static electricity to move about, the Daleks stayed within the city.
The Doctor had landed the TARDIS here, with his other companions, to Skaro, not knowing the planet's dangers. By an irony, the Daleks' discovery of the Doctor and his companions, who came from off-world, caused them to wonder about and to fear the existence of other sentient life on Skaro.
Ian Chesterton taught the Thals to use violence in self-defense, in order to pretext themselves against the xenophobic Daleks who threatened them.
The Daleks came to know, during this time, that they needed high radiation to live. With levels subsiding and their lives threatened, the Daleks proposed to set off another neutron bomb. A combined effort of the Doctor and his companions and the Thals, turned off electricity in the Dalek City, making the Daleks powerless. (DW: The Daleks)
Spaceflight era and after
- In an alternative 22nd century, the Daleks had conquered Earth after a World War III had occurred there in the 20th century. The Daleks transported Earth's mineral wealth back to Skaro. (DW: Day of the Daleks)
- During the 26th century it seemed that the Thals had reclaimed Skaro from the Daleks. (DW: Planet of the Daleks)
- One account showed a future era where Skaro has once more become a barren world, possibly abandoned by the Daleks themselves. A few Kaled mutants, outside of Dalek shells, survive. (DW: Destiny of the Daleks)
- In another era, the Dalek City, the Emperor Dalek ruled a Dalek Empire which spanned both time and space. (DW: The Evil of the Daleks)
- The Master's execution would also happen on Skaro and the Doctor would make arrangements to go there to pick up the remains (DW: Doctor Who: The TV Movie) The fact that the Doctor could do this, indicated a somewhat less hostile attitude of the Time Lords towards the Daleks under President Romana. (NA: Lungbarrow)
- These events may have taken place in the relative past of Skaro's timeline before its destruction, as the Doctor does not comment on the fact that, in his personal timeline, he had already destroyed Skaro.
Destruction of Skaro
Skaro was apparently destroyed circa the 30th century when, as planned by the Doctor, the Hand of Omega caused its sun to go supernova. (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks).
Survival of Skaro
It was revealed that Skaro had not in fact been destroyed. The Daleks, via time travel, had discovered records that showed Skaro's destruction. An attempt to change history was unsuccessful.
- This refers to the Daleks invasion of the alternative 22nd century Earth. (DW: Day of the Daleks)
The Daleks decided to terraform the planet Antalin to resemble Skaro as a decoy and manipulated Davros and the Doctor into ensuring that Antalin was destroyed in place of the original Skaro. (EDA: War of the Daleks)
- This may not be the case as Davros encounters the Eighth Doctor on Earth directly (chronolgically) following their encounter with the Hand of Omega, which seemingly counters this account. (BFA: Terror Firma)
However, Skaro was later destroyed in the Last Great Time War, so the Cult of Skaro planned to change Earth into New Skaro. (DW: Daleks in Manhattan / Evolution of the Daleks)
- This may also have been the Dalek Emperor's plan in the year 200,100, as he ordered his fleet to melt the continents, although this may just have been to destroy all the Humans on the planet. However, he never mentioned the phrase "New Skaro", instead he described his new home for his new race as "heaven on Earth". (DW: The Parting of the Ways)
Behind the Scenes
John Peel's explanation in his novel War of the Daleks that the Doctor did not really destroy Skaro at the end of Remembrance of the Daleks has not been met with great approval among Doctor Who fans.
Note The doctor also mentions Skaro in the 10th doctor book The Resurrection Casket when he states that "A foe that cannot be killed, that would put the fear of Skaro into you".