 | |
| Za | |
| Continuity: | Doctor Who |
| Notability: | Antagonist |
| Gender: | Male |
| Race: | Neanderthal |
| Location: | Paleolithic era, Earth |
| Status: | Deceased by virtue of time era |
| Born: | 100,000 BCE |
| First: | "The Cave of Skulls" |
| Actor: | Derek Newark |
Za is a fictional neanderthal featured on the original 1960s science fiction television series Doctor Who. Played by actor Derek Newark, he was introduced in the second episode of series one, "The Cave of Skulls".
Biography[]
Za was a Neanderthal male from the Paleolithic era who lived approximately 100,000 years ago. Za was the chieftain of a tribe, having inherited the role from his late father. Unfortunately, Za's father never taught him the secret of making fire, which made him appear weak in the eyes of other members of the tribe. Za's mate was Hur, who was the daughter of Horg. Za's primary rival in the group was Kal, who had been taken in by the tribe after his own clan had died out. Hur commented that Kal claimed to know the secret of fire, which only angered Za. As it turned out, Kal captured a time traveler known as the Doctor, and claimed that he had seen the man make fire, which earned him great favor amongst the tribe, further infuriating Za. Za declared that this man was to be taken to the Cave of Skulls and sacrificed to the sun god, Orb. Za believed that once the sacrifice was made, then Orb would give fire to his people and he would secure his position as tribal leader. [1]
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Za was created by director Waris Hussein and writer Anthony Coburn.