The 10 scariest monsters from Doctor Who’s classic and modern era
By Becky Kukla
10. The Nashta Nerada
As seen in: “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead.”
“Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved.”
In season four, one of the scariest entities to ever exist in Doctor Who is introduced: the Nashta Nerada. Otherwise known as The Silence – these bizarre creatures inhabit shadows and eat up anything that comes into their dark space. They work by rapidly aging anything that they come into contact with until the poor victim is dead.
In the two-part episodes “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead,” the Doctor and Donna face up against the Nashta Nerada alongside the formidable River Song. Not only is this the first time River Song shows up in the series, but she also proves herself to be an incredibly important part of the Doctor’s life, though no one is quite sure how yet. River Song and her archaeologist group team up with Donna and the Doctor in an attempt to stop each of them from being picked off one by one by the relentless Nashta Nerada.
How does one defend themselves from shadows? Stay in the light. That’s easier said than done when you are in the biggest library in the universe, the towering bookcases casting shadows across the room. In addition to this, the Nashta Nerada are able to learn from their victims, and slowly begin to be able to manipulate the shadows for their own ends.
They are a truly terrifying villain, and one which might tempt you to keep your bedside light on when you fall asleep tonight.