The Fantasy Review’s brief history of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart is the daughter of Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, known to most fans simply as “The Brigadier.” He was a beloved character on Doctor Who, and his daughter has more than filled his rather large shoes.
Rather than military defence, Kate’s focus is more on science than her father’s was (although UNIT of course covers both at all times). She is calm and smart as hell, and has led UNIT into becoming something very different to what it once was.
The Early Life of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
Kate grew up with no knowledge of her father’s career, believing he was a normal soldier in the British Army. Later in life she became estranged from her father, however this is covered in off-screen media, and the Kate we meet on screen has healed this relationship by the time we see her first adventure with the Doctor in The Power of Three (2012).
In this episode, she reveals to the Eleventh Doctor that she joined UNIT under an assumed name, so her success would be not one of nepotism, but merit. This tells us a lot about her as a character.
Kate Stewart and Modern UNIT
After The Power of Three, Kate becomes involved in some of the Doctor’s most important stories, with various incarnations of the Doctor to deal with, including:
- Zygons in The Day of the Doctor (2013)
- Missy & Cybermen in Death in Heaven (2014)
- Zygons (again) in The Zygon Invasion / Inversion (2015)
- The Grand Serpent in The Flux (2021)
- The Master & Cybermen The Power of the Doctor (2022)
- The Toymaker in The Giggle (2023)
- Sutekh in Empire of Death (2024)
- The Rani in The Reality War (2025)
After The Power of the Doctor, we see UNIT, with Kate at the head, as a newly refreshed entity. The 60th Anniversary episodes with the Fourteenth Doctor expand on this, leading into the Fifteenth Doctor’s era.
During Fifteen’s time in the TARDIS, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and UNIT have had a major role in Doctor Who, hiring previous companions, and working closely with the Doctor a lot. Very similar to when Kate’s father used to be in charge.
Her Future
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart has proven herself time and again, not only as commander of UNIT, but also as a close friend and ally to the Doctor. She can have a ruthless side, though, so it will be interesting to see how she is when the Doctor is not around in The War Between the Land and the Sea.
