All 10 Members of Doctor Who's New UNIT Team, Explained

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episode 7, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday.”

Summary

• Doctor Who
  introduces new UNIT characters alongside familiar faces for its Disney era.
• Kate Lethbridge-Stewart takes on a prominent leadership role within UNIT, showing intelligence and respect for the Doctor.
• The Fifteenth Doctor maintains a working relationship with UNIT, showcasing a more personable approach.

Doctor Who has refreshed its UNIT roster for the Disney era, but there are still some familiar faces among its ranks as well as new characters. Doctor Who‘s UNIT dates back to the show’s classic era, although not every actor to play the Doctor has been embroiled in a UNIT storyline. The Earthbound organization is comprised almost entirely of human employees, but there is the occasional alien or AI character to shake things up. Doctor Who‘s Disney era brings with it a new form of UNIT, with a headquarters to rival the MCU’s Avengers Tower.

With Russell T Davies including UNIT from his first episode back in the showrunner’s chair, “The Star Beast,” it’s clear that he has big plans for the organization during the show’s next era. The new UNIT scenes have largely taken place on the new, bespoke set that was commissioned for the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials. The new personnel lineup has been slightly inconsistent, but in a way that makes the story even more compelling.

10 Kate Lethbridge-Stewart

Played by: Jemma Redgrave

Kate is the daughter of the late Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, a man who worked closely with Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor. Also known as the Brigadier, Kate’s father appeared often in Doctor Who‘s classic era, making Kate’s presence in the show all the more meaningful. Played by Jemma Redgrave, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart first appeared opposite Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who season, episode 4, “The Power of Three.”

By the time of “The Star Beast,” Kate had been promoted to UNIT’s Commander-in-Chief, cementing her role as the group’s leader.

When Redgrave’s character was introduced in 2012, she was UNIT’s Chief Scientific Officer. As UNIT is primarily a scientific organization, this placed her in a very senior position. By the time of “The Star Beast,” Kate had been promoted to UNIT’s Commander-in-Chief, cementing her role as the group’s leader. Kate is an incredibly capable and intelligent woman, turning only to the Doctor for help in incredibly dire circumstances. She has a deep respect and adoration for the Time Lord.

Shown in an alternate timeline in
Doctor Who
season 14, episode 4, “73 Yards,” Kate tells Ruby Sunday that UNIT’s workload is increasingly becoming more supernatural-focused rather than extraterrestrial.

9 Shirley Anne Bingham

Played by: Ruth Madely

Shirley first appears in “The Star Beast,” with her second outing coming in the final episode of the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials, “The Giggle.” So, while she’s only met David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor face-to-face, she is aware of the Doctor’s ability to regenerate and knows at least a handful of his other faces. She is UNIT’s Chief Scientific Advisor, taking the senior role from Kate Lethbridge-Stewart when the latter was promoted.

Like much of the new UNIT team, Shirley was present during the Toymaker’s showdown with the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors, meaning she also witnessed Doctor Who‘s shocking bi-generation twist. As a wheelchair user, she was ecstatic to discover that the Doctor’s new TARDIS was wheelchair-accessible, with the updated blue box sporting an integrated, collapsible ramp.

8 Morris Gibbons

Played by: Lenny Rush

Morris is introduced in Doctor Who season 14, episode 7, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday.” At just 13 years old, Morris is one of the smartest people on the planet. Speaking with the Doctor during his debut appearance, Morris shares that his intellect was augmented due to a “Passing asteroid,” a piece of character lore that is teased but could be revisited at a later date.

He’s a very talented character and appears to be one of the few UNIT employees trusted to operate the Time Window.

Morris replaced Shirley Anne Bingham in his first episode, with the latter not appearing in the two-part Doctor Who season 14 finale. The implication is that his presence is only temporary and that the fill-in scientific advisor will cede his position once Shirley returns to the UNIT HQ. However, Morris could remain as a permanent fixture alongside Shirley if she returns. He’s a very talented character and appears to be one of the few UNIT employees trusted to operate the Time Window.

7 The Vlinx

Voiced by: Nicholas Briggs

The Vlinx is a sentient, robotic, extraterrestrial being, who appears to be integrated into UNIT’s systems. He was instrumental in solving the crisis caused by the Toymaker’s Stooky Bill broadcast in “The Giggle,” as he wasn’t affected by the signal’s effects due to his non-human origins. It’s unclear how long he has been working with UNIT, but he didn’t appear at all before Doctor Who‘s Disney era.

The Vlinx is still working for UNIT when Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor returns to Earth to investigate Susan Triad

The Vlinx is still working for UNIT when Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor returns to Earth to investigate Susan Triad. So, the Vlinx has interacted with the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors. Between “The Giggle” and “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” the Vlinx’s exterior casing has been repaired or restored in some way, as it no longer looks old and battered, but rather shiny and new.

6 Harriet Arbinger

Played by: Genesis Lynea

Harriet is another figure who shows up unannounced in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday.” However, unlike Morris Gibbons, Harriet is hiding a dark secret – if she knows about it at all. She introduces herself to the Doctor as, “Harriet, Head of the Archive.” She omits her last name, which is likely a semi-conscious decision, as her surname and first initial create the word, “Harbinger.”

Harriet is the second Harbinger shown in Doctor Who season 14, with the first being Henry – the Arbinger of Jinkx Monsoon’s Maestro in “The Devil’s Chord.” Harriet initially seems every inch the regular UNIT employee, but when Sutekh starts to manifest around the Doctor’s TARDIS, she starts to monologue about the most powerful being in Doctor Who‘s Pantheon of Gods. She also undergoes a terrifying, skull-like physical transformation on the upper half of her face.

Like Henry, it’s unclear if Harriet is a real person, or if Arbingers exist only to warn about the coming of members of the Pantheon.

5 The Fifteenth Doctor

Played by: Ncuti Gatwa

Several iterations of the Doctor have worked with UNIT throughout the Time Lord’s centuries-long lifespan, but Fifteen’s working relationship with the fictional organization is still fairly new when compared with his predecessors. Although he’s not always on Earth, the Doctor is still highly respected and is still technically a UNIT employee. The dynamic between the Doctor and UNIT has long been a two-way street. It’s often UNIT reaching out to the Doctor for assistance, but he’s not afraid to approach UNIT for help either.

Previous versions of the Doctor haven’t always paid much attention to UNIT employees other than its senior figures, although they have spoken to the others with respect. However, Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor is much more personable with all the key figures he comes into contact with. His aptitude for people skills can be witnessed during the cold open of “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” where he’s shown catching up with everyone, calling them by name, and introducing himself to any newcomers.

4 Melanie “Mel” Bush

Played by: Bonnie Langford

Along with the Doctor himself, Mel is the only other character in the current UNIT setup to have debuted during Doctor Who‘s classic era. However, while the Doctor has been recast several times since his appearance, Mel continues to be portrayed by Bonnie Langford, as she had done in every previous appearance since 1986’s “Terror of the Vervoids” story. She was originally the companion to Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor but also went on to travel with Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh.

As a former companion of the Doctor, Mel has insight into extraterrestrial goings-on that are invaluable to UNIT. She was finally reunited with the Time Lord in “The Giggle,” and witnessed her old friend bi-generate, with Fourteen remaining on Earth while Fifteen continued his journey through time and space. For UNIT, she’s been deployed for field work at least once, as she’s shown to be undercover as part of Susan Triad’s staff in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday.”

3 Donna Noble

Played by: Catherine Tate

Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble was the Tenth Doctor’s companion for all of Doctor Who season 4, although she made her debut in the 2006 Christmas special, “The Runaway Bride.” For many years, she had the memory of her adventures with the Doctor wiped from her mind, but Fourteen restored them at great risk in “The Star Beast.” After a brief and accidental trip to a ship at the edge of the universe in “Wild Blue Yonder,” Donna returned to Earth with the Doctor to help defeat Neil Patrick Harris’ Toymaker.

Donna snags a job at UNIT during a quick exchange with Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in “The Giggle.”

Donna snags a job at UNIT during a quick exchange with Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in “The Giggle.” Similar to Mel, Donna’s presence gives UNIT added insight into intergalactic activity. She isn’t present when Gatwa’s Doctor returns to UNIT in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” but it’s implied she does still work there. Donna could be instrumental in any number of future exploits UNIT finds itself involved in.

2 Rose Noble

Played by: Yasmin Finney

Another character introduced for Doctor Who‘s Disney era, Rose is Donna’s daughter. The meta-crisis harbored within her mother influenced Rose’s decisions, tastes, and overall personality and she grew. It even played a role in her choosing her name. She lives with David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor and the rest of the Noble family, and Fourteen is referred to as Rose’s “Uncle.”

Rose’s role at UNIT is relatively minor, as she isn’t given much to do that would classify as high priority.

Rose’s role at UNIT is relatively minor, as she isn’t given much to do that would classify as high priority. However, given her youth and inexperience, this intern-style position makes perfect sense. She isn’t abnormally intelligent like Morris Gibbons, who is the only UNIT member younger than her, so her progression through the organization will likely be largely conventional. However, having a version of the Doctor as a housemate will likely serve her well.

1 Colonel Ibrahim

Played by: Alexander Devrient

Colonel Cristofer Ibrahim is one of the only main UNIT characters not to have a scientific background. Instead, he works for the militaristic division of UNIT, often used when a situation goes beyond traditional scientific exploration or diplomacy with alien races. This side of UNIT has often been seen as a mixed light in previous eras of Doctor Who, so bringing Ibrahim into the inner circle is a way of humanizing the militarized branch of the organization.

UNIT is primarily a scientific organization, but their regular contact with aliens requires them to be well-prepared against potential threats. Compared with other civilizations, humanity is relatively undeveloped, and perhaps even viewed as primitive by the early 21st century. So, UNIT needs the best of the best on hand to give them the best chance at safety, especially when the Doctor isn’t there. The colonel’s presence in Doctor Who‘s new UNIT setup is a constant reminder of the threats lurking around every corner.