20

I've seen many questions addressing when Time Lords can regenerate, and a few on what they regenerate into, but all address adults.

There is no question that Time Lords have children - we see both River and the Master as a child, and there were 2.47 billion others on Gallifrey at the time of its 'destruction'. But are all those children actual children? Could some be on their 6th regeneration? Or even 8th or 9th? Can Time Lords Regenerate into the appearance of children?

Improve this question
4
  • 2
    Maybe if they regenerate as a child. The only example we have is Melody Pond regenerating at the end of "Day of The Moon" into the girl who would grow up to be Mels. The one who went to school with her parents.
    – tilley31
    Jul 5, 2017 at 19:09
  • At least mass isn't conserved. They can regenerate into smaller forms (eg, 4th to 5th Doctor).
    – Gaultheria
    Jul 5, 2017 at 19:11
  • @Gaultheria Not necessarily, they emit an awful lot of energy during regeneration!
    – Imperator
    Jul 5, 2017 at 19:14
  • @Imperator - Yeah, and that was a weird regeneration anyway.
    – Gaultheria
    Jul 5, 2017 at 19:17

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
27

Yes.

From Series 6 episode 8, "Let's Kill Hitler" (emphasis mine):

(Melody begins to regenerate.)
RORY: What the hell's going on?
DOCTOR: Back! Back! Back! Get back!
MELODY: Last time I did this, I ended up a toddler in the middle of New York.

But this is presumably the regeneration we see at the end of "Day of the Moon" (Series 6 episode 2), when she was a child before regenerating as well. Regenerating from a child to a child makes sense, but what about regenerating from an adult into a child?

Well, in Series 3 Episode 11, "Utopia", we also have this (emphasis mine):

MARTHA: Where did you get [the watch]?
YANA: Hmm? I was found with it.
MARTHA: What do you mean?
YANA: An orphan in the storm. I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned, with only this.

So it seems like the Master must have regenerated from an adult's body into a child's at some point, before using the watch to forget his Time Lord heritage and then ageing naturally in a human body, just like the Doctor would have done in "The Family of Blood" if he'd stayed with Joan.

Improve this answer
2
  • 5
    I don't think Yana's word can be trusted here. In "Human Nature" the Doctor said "I was born human" after he hid himself a as human the same way the Master did.
    – Ross Ridge
    Jul 6, 2017 at 2:37
  • Even if Yana was telling the truth, he didn't necessarily regenerate into a child. The TIme Lords may have resurrected him in that state; the last time we saw The Master, he had exhausted his regenerations, and was using other means to perpetuate himself.
    – Politank-Z
    Jul 6, 2017 at 7:17
6

From what I've been able to find; Yes, a Time Lord can regenerate into a child-like form.

The best example I've been able to find thus far is The Master regenerating into Professor Yana.

Yana was found as a naked child on the coast of the Silver Devastation with only an "heirloom" fob watch. http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Professor_Yana

Improve this answer
2
  • 3
    That might just be his nefarious cover story. Big Finish is producing a set of Master stories featuring the same character before his time as Yana.
    – Gaultheria
    Jul 5, 2017 at 19:16
  • 1
    @Gaultheria I have seen people debating if what he remembers is true or just a memory imprinted on him from the fog watch, but since it is the only evidence I can find of a true Time Lord regenerating into a child I figured it counted (I don't count River's regeneration since she's only part Time Lord and the same rules might not apply to her).
    – onewho
    Jul 5, 2017 at 19:19

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.