Sontarans are considered to be right there with Daleks and Cybermen amongst the villains on Doctor Who. Perhaps we regard these particular warriors in an incorrect light.
It is plain to see what Sontarans are all about. Militaristic beings, whose entire existence is consumed with battle and a desire to die in glorious combat, they have frequently run afoul of the Doctor. Naturally, given their encounters, Sontarans have generally been considered to be somewhat villainous on Doctor Who.
That categorization of Sontarans is a mistake. Yes, they do desire to fight virtually anyone, at any time, and at any place. That is, however, just their culture. They are beings whose entire lives are consumed with battle, and dying in it. In a way, they are the alien version of the ancient Spartans, humans that they may well respect had their paths crossed.
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The militaristic leanings of Sontarans are simply a matter of their nature. As opposed to the Daleks, who want to exterminate everything, or the Cybermen who want to upgrade the Universe, they simply want to fight. And fight. And fight some more. To be fair, it doesn’t really matter what side they are on, just so long as there is a battle and they could potentially die in a blaze of glory.
Of course, the simple fact that something is cultural is not an excuse for bad behavior. What matters here, however, is the intent. Daleks and Cybermen want to either turn others into themselves, or just exterminate those who do not look like they do. Sontarans just want to wage war for the sake of the battle. To them, it is like playing chess, or football. Blue, black, Dalek or Time Lord, it is all the same. Either fight and die with honor, or run and die without dignity.
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