With the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who coming up, it's as good time a time as any to get immersed in the show's lore even more. Other than the Doctor, one of the most prominent Doctor Who characters is the Master. As Time Lords, the Doctor and the Master forged a close connection before going their separate ways and becoming enemies.
The Master has appeared multiple times throughout both classic and modern Doctor Who. They have appeared with different faces and personalities, but what remained the same is that the Master usually brought trouble into the Doctor's life. Despite the Master's popularity, there are still some interesting details the fans of the show might not know about the villainous Time Lord.
5 The Master Had A Crush On The Doctor
Even before Missy kissed the Twelfth Doctor, much to his chagrin and Clara's surprise, Doctor Who has hinted at the fact that the Master had a soft spot for the Doctor and saw him as more than just an enemy-slash-former-friend. While it's not a part of the official canon, the parody special Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death sees the Doctor regenerate into a woman years before Jodie Whittaker did.
The Master is charmed by the new female Doctor and makes his romantic interest in her quite clear. Combined with the kiss from Missy that came later on, this lends interesting implications to the already complex relationship between the Doctor and the Master.
4 The Master Is Inspired By James Moriarty
Doctor Who and the character of the Doctor have been around for so long that it's easy to forget its inspirational sources. One of the main inspirations for the Doctor was none other than the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Both the Doctor and Sherlock Holmes share their intelligence, a talent for solving mysteries — and, until the renewed Doctor Who series, the fact that they mostly keep their distance from potential romantic entanglements.
As such, it seems obvious that another character from the Sherlock Holmes books inspired the Master: Holmes' greatest enemy, Professor James Moriarty. Not only do Moriarty and the Master share the same first letter in their names, but they also a special connection to Sherlock Holmes and the Doctor, respectively. They have a personal bond, and, of course, the ability to confuse even the genius detective and Time Lord.
Another connection is that the Doctor dresses as Sherlock Holmes several times in the series. What's more, Doctor Who's showrunner Steven Moffat also worked as a showrunner on the modern version of Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role. Considering his familiarity with the material, it's likely that Moffat's versions of the Master carried this inspiration.
3 The Master And The Doctor Could Have Been Much Closer
While they both lived on Gallifrey, the Master and the Doctor were close friends — the best of friends, in fact. They were so close that the Master is one of the few beings in all the space and time who knows the Doctor's real name. However, if things went a bit differently, the Master and the Doctor could have been even closer. When the character of the Master was first conceived, the original plan was for the Master to be the Doctor's brother. This could have created a sibling rivalry between them that the likes of Thor and Loki could be envious of.
But after the actor originally cast to play the Master passed away, the plan was reworked. Instead, the Master became the Doctor's number one enemy and former friend. As for the Doctor's family, the most notable example was his granddaughter Susan, who traveled with him before leaving the TARDIS.
2 The Behind-The-Scenes Casting Details
Just as interesting as the Master's character onscreen are the behind-the-scenes details from both the classic and modern Doctor Who series. The first Master was portrayed by Roger Delgado, which is a well-known fact. However, fans might not realize that the character of the Master as we know it today was created for Delgado specifically. There was no other actor in the running for the part. Geoffrey Beevers, the third actor playing the Master, subsequently reprised the role in audio dramas alongside the Seventh Doctor, portrayed by Sylvester McCoy.
Anthony Ainley, the fourth Master, played the character the longest of all the Master actors, for nine years in total. Eric Roberts was the only American actor to portray the Master, appearing in Doctor Who: The Movie (1996). And John Simm, the first Master of the renewed Doctor Who series, took on the role because his children were fans of the show.
1 The Master's Name
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Just like with the Doctor, there's a mystery surrounding the Master's real name. One of the names others used for him for Koschei. This name comes from Russian folklore, and it belonged to an evil sorcerer. Considering the fact that the Master's abilities might seem like magic to less evolved species and his villainous nature, the name is fitting for him.
Other possible names include Magnus and Pavo, but in both cases, it's likely that these are just nicknames for the Master. The closest Doctor Who got to revealing the Master's name was when Missy said that her real name had thirty-two letters in total.