Ashildr

Name:

Ashildr

Place of Origin:

Earth

Main Alias:

Lady Sherade
Ash El Dir
Alys
Me
The Knightmare

First Seen In:

The Girl Who Died

Latest Appearance:

Hell Bent

Main Actor:

Maise Williams

Main Voice Actor:

Will Brown

click on images to enlarge

Ashildr lives with her Father, Einarr, in a small coastal Viking village. She refuses to take on the traditional role of a Viking girl, and is an expert carpenter and craftswoman.

Ashildr would do anything to defend the honour, and lives, of those in her village. But behind her toughness is a fragility and self-doubt – Ashildr believes she brings bad luck to the village, just by being alive.

I tell you, leaving this place would be death itself.

The only place she feels truly comfortable is the world of stories in her head – there she is safe, there she is brave. But The Doctor shows Ashildir that she can be every bit as courageous and brilliant as the characters in her stories. She saves the village, and in turn, The Doctor breaks all his rules to save her…

The Doctor feels haunted when he first sees Ashildr, commenting to Clara: ‘People talk about premonition like it’s something strange. But it’s not. It’s just remembering in the wrong direction…’

But The Doctor knows the brave, beautiful soul he met in the Viking village is in there somewhere. He won’t let himself believe she has truly gone. And he’s right – when Me’s alliance with Leandro endangers scores of innocent people, she can’t bear it, and unites with The Doctor to save them.

When the invasion is over and the beers have been drunk, it’s clear this is no ordinary friendship…

Me: …While you’re busy protecting this world, I’ll get busy protecting it from you.
The Doctor: We’re not enemies now, are we?
Me:  of course not. Enemies are never a problem. It’s your friends you have to watch out for. And, my friend, I shall be watching out for you.

Me lived into the 21st century. She appeared in the background of a selfie taken by Clara Oswald and Evie Hubbard, which Clara planned to show The Doctor. When she did, he noticed Ashildr in the background but did not say anything to Clara. (The Woman Who Lived) Ashildr became the mayorof an alien refugee camp hidden in the heart of London, for those who are desperate and destitute, without hope or a home. This camp was called a trap street.

Ashildr’s perspective on life, her permanence, has enabled her to bring peace to a volatile refugee community – albeit under authoritarian rule with a deadly Quantum Shade. The Twelfth Doctor and Clara have endangered that peace by bringing a suspected murderer back onto the street…

Although The Doctor cannot condone Ashildr’s despotic style, he understands the need to find justice for Anah and her son. When Clara’s attempts to protect Rigsy lead to her death, Ashildr is devastated. Her ruse to draw the Twelfth Doctor onto the street is exposed, as is the fragility of her plan… She may have succeeded in trapping the Twelfth Doctor, but in underestimating the lengths to which Clara would go for a friend, she ultimately sentenced her to death.

After the death of Clara, The Doctor warns Ashildir…  I’d advise you, very strongly, to stay out of my way. You’ll find it’s a very small universe when I’m angry with you. (Face The Raven)

AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE

Me was present at the very end of time, the last living being in the universe. To survive she created a bubble of reality among the ruins of the Cloisters on Gallifrey, passing the time watching the stars die while awaiting the Twelfth Doctor and Clara’s arrival. Five minutes before the final end of time, their stolen TARDIS appeared and Me knocked on the door.

Me had set up a chess game, though she and the Twelfth Doctor didn’t play. She remarked that the dying stars were a beautiful sight, when the Twelfth Doctor said that it was sad, Me retorted that it was both, and the same was true of Clara’s death, now a fixed point in time. She inquired about the Hybrid, which the Twelfth Doctor accused herof being. Me countered that she was a human with a little bit of Mire, not a true hybrid. She then suggested that the Twelfth Doctor might be half-human and thus he was the hybrid. As the Twelfth Doctor refuted that suggestion, Me offered her true theory: the “hybrid” wasn’t a single individual, but a Time Lord and his human companion, so alike that they constantly push each other into more and more catastrophic actions.

The Twelfth Doctor revealed he had come to the same conclusion and was thus planning to erase all Clara’s memories of him and leave her someplace safe. Me then entered the Twelfth Doctor’s stolen TARDIS and witnessed his final confrontation with Clara in silence. (Hell Bent)

TRAVELLING WITH CLARA

Me assisted Clara in her attempt to make sure the Twelfth Doctor’s memory of her was truly gone, but remained in the new TARDIS so as not to arouse suspicion. When Clara was satisfied that the Twelfth Doctor’s memories were gone, she and Me left aboard the new TARDIS. Me reported that she was unable to get the chameleon circuit to work, so the TARDIS was stuck looking like a 20th century American diner. Clara approved, stating the situation was awesome. Clarathen declared her intention to return to Gallifrey to face her death, but noted that since time didn’t appear to be in any immediate danger and she was now ageless, there wouldn’t be any harm in taking the long way back. Clara then activated the TARDIS, taking Me with her to explore time and space. (Hell Bent)