Doctor Who history: Davros – Why his design is truly iconic

For over four and a half decades, the look of the Daleks’ creator has made Davros one of the most iconic villains in Doctor Who history. We take a look at why it’s worked so well for so long.

After watching and reviewing the classic Fourth Doctor story Genesis of the Daleks, a thought suddenly occurred to me. One regarding Davros, specifically. So far, we’ve covered why he’s such a complex and interesting character. But one thing that’s perhaps too easily overlooked is his design.

Across so many stories and so many appearances, Davros has often (but not always) had the same iconic appearance, regardless of which actor is playing him.

The design is simple. On the top half, a horrifically scarred face with an artificial eye, plus one single arm. On the bottom half, a mechanical chair that also acts as Davros’s life support system. Completing the look is a black uniform with silver shoulder pads. It’s simple but also both distinctive and iconic. Here are several reasons why it still stands out, decades after Davros’s first appearance.

Even today, with stories like Time War 4, we often see Davros appearing in something close to his original iconic look.

Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions

More from Winter is Coming

• For All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”
• Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2
• Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule Westeros
• Confirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025
• Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”

Influencing his children

First of all, one reason why the design works so well is the chair itself. Making the bottom half of the Daleks’ creator exactly the same as the bottom half a Dalek sounds like a simple idea, and it is. But that’s why it’s so effective. Because it shows the audience exactly how much of himself Davros put into his creations.

And it’s easy to see why. After all, he hasn’t let his condition stop him from becoming one of the most powerful men on Skaro. So why should a Dalek design based heavily on himself stop them from becoming the most dominant race in the universe?

It also says a lot that – unlike the Master, who’s often shown up in disguise or even as a new incarnation – Davros has always been recognizable. Across four and a half decades, his appearance has only seen a couple of major variations on-screen.

Variations and a return to basics

The first one was in Revelation of the Daleks, where he was initially seen as just a swiveling head, which was later revealed to be a decoy, anyway. The second was in Remembrance of the Daleks, where he was hidden for most of the story before revealing himself as the new Dalek Emperor. In this instance, he really had sacrificed most of his Kaled form, with only his head left intact inside his new Emperor casing.

However, when Russell T Davies decided to bring Davros back in 2008, he essentially ignored Davros’s reduced appearance in Remembrance and essentially took him back to something much closer to his original look. Which honestly says a lot about how well this design works.

Lastly, we can’t talk about Davros’s design without mentioning who’s responsible for it: visual effects designer Peter Day and sculptor John Friedlander. Honestly, I don’t think either of these two gets enough credit, especially for giving us such an iconic look that we’re still seeing decades later. More importantly, I’m sure we’ll still be seeing it in the decades to come.

Are you a fan of Davros’s iconic design? Do you remember when you first saw it, and in which story? Do you think he’s one of the best-designed villains in Doctor Who history? Let us know in the comments below.