The finale of Doctor Who season 1 took an unexpected turn when Rose became an all-powerful being dubbed “Bad Wolf,” but for attentive fans, the plot twist wasn’t unforeseeable. Hints about Rose’s transformation are dropped throughout Doctor Who season 1 in almost every episode, with 12 concrete instances. As the Doctor points out, he and Rose are followed by the words “Bad Wolf” through their travels in space and time, foreshadowing Rose’s omnipotency.

Rose gains the ability to manipulate space and time at the end of season 1, episode 13, “The Parting of the Ways,” when she cracks open the TARDIS and absorbs the Time Vortex. Rose explores the TARDIS in an effort to get back to the Doctor, but ends up with the power to travel through space and time, split the atom and wreak unparalleled destruction, and bring people (e.g. Jack Harkness) back to eternal life. Rose, as Bad Wolf, is a goddess, all-powerful but tempered by her human empathy. Rose’s power allows her to destroy the Daleks and save the Doctor, who in turn saves her and regenerates as the Tenth Doctor.

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Rose’s existence as the Bad Wolf is a paradox. As is revealed in the finale, Rose herself scatters the words throughout time and space as a breadcrumb trail. The phrase acts as a trigger to her past self, leading her to regain her belief in the Doctor and that her place is by his side, no matter what. After the Doctor sends Rose home, she’s close to giving up. Seeing the Bad Wolf reference leads Rose to the realization her destiny is to stay by the Doctor’s side, and that some extra-linear power is putting her on a specific path. Her hints appear throughout the first season and continue to echo through seasons 2, 3 and 4.

The Bad Wolf Scenario

The creators of Doctor Who wasted no time in introducing the concept of “Bad Wolf,” starting in season 1, episode 2, “The End of the World.” When the Doctor and Rose travel to Platform One in the year 5 billion, the words “Bad Wolf” can be heard in a conversation between two aliens there to witness the death of Earth. In a conversation with the Face of Boe, the Moxx of Balhoon says, “Indubitably, this is the Bad Wolf scenario,” and comments on the nature of the multiverse before being interrupted by the Doctor and Rose. His words suggest that he knows about Rose’s transformation and victory over the Daleks in the year 199,909, and hint that the Face of Boe (a.k.a. Jack Harkness) may have a hand in determining the outcome of major intergalactic events.

Extra-Sensory Perception

Even before Rose became the Bad Wolf in Doctor Who, she had the potential for the transformation. In season 1, episode 3, “The Unquiet Dead,” a telepathic and empathic maid, Gwyneth, senses that potential when she reads Rose’s mind. “The things you’ve seen,” Gwyneth says, possibly glimpsing Rose’s future as well. “The darkness, the big bad wolf.”

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Bad Wolf Graffiti

One of the most common hints about Rose’s change into the Bad Wolf comes in the form of graffiti around London in the 20th and 21st century. In season 1, episode 4, “Aliens of London,” someone spray paints the words “Bad Wolf” on the side of the TARDIS. In season 1, episode 8, “Father’s Day,” the words appear drawn on a bright yellow poster. Finally, in “The Parting of the Ways,” Rose spots the words drawn across an empty lot in white chalk, triggering her realization that she’s meant to return to the Doctor in the TARDIS.

The Bad Wolf Corporation

The Bad Wolf Corporation entered the Doctor Who universe in season 1, episode 7, “The Long Game,” as the secret, behind-the-scenes company running Satellite Five. It was later revealed that the company was a front for the Daleks, who were attempting to take over the human race. A small hint about the real power behind Satellite Five, later the Game Station, is dropped in episode 7 when one of the workers mentions “the Bad Wolf channel.” The Bad Wolf Corporation are revealed as puppet masters in season 1, episode 12, “Bad Wolf,” when one of Rose’s contestants on “The Weakest Link” references them. And of course, they appear in the season finale.

Stalked By The Big Bad Wolf

Rose and the Doctor are followed by the words “Bad Wolf” throughout season 1 of Doctor Who, with references in three episodes. In episode 6, “Dalek,” the call sign of Henry van Statten’s helicopter is “Bad Wolf One.” In episode 10, “The Doctor Dances,” the words “Schlechter Wolf,” or “Bad Wolf” in German, appear on the side of a Nazi bomb. And in episode 11, “Boom Town,” the name of the nuclear power station is “Blaidd Drwg,” which is Welsh for “Bad Wolf.”  The references build up throughout the season, creating a sense of foreboding and foreshadowing at Rose’s destiny.

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Non-Linear References

One of the most important things about Doctor Who’s Bad Wolf storyline is that Rose triggers her own transformation. In the season finale, it’s revealed the Doctor Who companion is the one who scattered the words “Bad Wolf” through time and space, leaving clues for her past self that will ultimately lead her back to the Game Station. So it’s no surprise that they appear in future episodes of Doctor Who, some that take place after in Rose’s personal future, before and after the year 200,100.

Several references to Bad Wolf appear in season 2 — including in episode 2, “Tooth and Claw,” when a werewolf senses a kindred spirit; in episode 10, “Love & Monsters,” when the Bad Wolf virus corrupts Torchwood files; and in episode 13, “Doomsday,” when the Doctor and Rose say goodbye on “Darlig Ulv-Stranden,” Norwegian for “Bad Wolf Bay.” The words return briefly in season 3 and more significantly in season 4, as Rose strives to return to her dimension from across the Void. In the end, Rose and the Doctor again part at Bad Wolf Bay in season 4, episode 13, “Journey’s End.” Ultimately, Bad Wolf becomes more than a way to describe the entity Rose becomes after absorbing the Time Vortex — it’s a codeword for the end of the world in Doctor Who, whether it’s the destruction of planet Earth or the permanent loss of the love of your life.

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About The Author


Jasmine Gallup
(115 Articles Published)

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Jasmine Gallup is a writer for ScreenRant, covering fantasy, science fiction and superheroes. She’s worked as a freelance reporter since 2018.

By day, Jasmine writes for a small North Carolina newspaper near her hometown of Cary. By night, she explores the depths of film and television alongside her twin sister.

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