Some of Clara's echoes along with Winnie Clarence, including Oswin Oswald and Clara Oswin Oswald. (COMIC: Blood and Ice)
Several splinters from Clara Oswald were created when she stepped into the Doctor's time stream.
Described by River Song as "copies" of the original Clara, these splinters met the Doctor in many forms (every form was a person with time sensitivity)[source needed], living full lives in the process. Through her splinters, Clara met and saved the lives of the Doctor's first twelve incarnations (excluding the War Doctor). She noted, however, that he rarely ever noticed her. (TV: The Name of the Doctor) Though Clara initially believed that all of her splinters had died after saving the Doctor, she later learnt that many had survived encountering him and lived their own lives. (COMIC: Blood and Ice) Clara retained jumbled memories of her echoes, remembering some moments of their lives in great detail while recalling others only as vague dreams. (PROSE: Into the Nowhere, GAME: Lost in Time) Although River Song initially told Clara that the echoes "wouldn't be [her]", (TV: The Name of the Doctor) the prime Clara sometimes referred to elements of her splinters' lives as things which had occurred to her personally. (GAME: Lost in Time)
Her many lives and encounters with the Doctor included, but were certainly not limited to:
Clara on Gallifrey. (TV: The Name of the Doctor)
- The First Doctor as he was stealing a TARDIS from Gallifrey. She told him not to steal the one he intended to take but the one next to it, as even though the navigation system was "knackered", he would have much more fun. (TV: The Name of the Doctor [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 7 (BBC One, 2013)., PROSE: Report on Term's Work [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times (BBC Books, 2013). Page 9.)
- The Second and Eighth Doctors were both present in a park with palm trees.
- The Third Doctor driving past her in Bessie. When she tried to shout his name, he turned to his rear view mirror, catching a glimpse of her.
- The Fourth Doctor on Gallifrey where Clara tried to catch up to him.
- The Fifth Doctor battling Omega inside the Matrix.
- The Sixth Doctor walking through the TARDIS and past one of Clara's splinters; she called out to him, but he didn't seem to notice her.
- She watched the Tenth Doctor while in the Library. (TV: The Name of the Doctor)
- Clara spotted the Seventh Doctor clinging onto the edge of a cliff on Iceworld in the far future (TV: Dragonfire) and he seemed to notice her. (TV: The Name of the Doctor)
- As a queen or monarch of some sort.
- As a Morestran.
- As an inhabitant of Atlantis.
- As a member of the Happiness Patrol.
- As a Guardian on the Ark during the 57th Segment of Time.
- As a Maori from New Zealand.
- As an Egyptian, possibly a monarch like Nefertiti, bearing a very similar cap crown.
- As a military officer, circa World War II.
- As a 51st century astronaut. (COMIC: Blood and Ice)
- Present at the London Event to prevent the Great Intelligence from interfering in its first defeat by the Second Doctor. (PROSE: The Forgotten Son [+]Andy Frankham-Allen, Lethbridge-Stewart novels (Candy Jar Books, 2015).)
At one point after Amy Pond and Rory Williams were sent to the past in New York City, an elderly echo of Clara noticed that Amy had a similar "glow" about her that the Doctor had, but Amy's was fading. She decided to follow Amy, in case she ever needed help. One fall, when Amy and Rory vacationed at Lake Erie, Amy finally spoke to her and the echo asked her to pass on a message: "Run you clever boy, and remember..." Amy later wrote about this encounter in a foreword to an edition of her book Summer Falls, addressing it to the Doctor; her description of the encounter and her quoting of Clara left it unclear as to whether this echo ever actually encountered the Doctor. (PROSE: Summer Falls and Other Stories)
In November of 1963, PC Oswald had filled out the missing person report for Susan Foreman. (PROSE: Susan's Diary [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times (BBC Books, 2013). Page 11.)
According to a set of linked accounts, splinters of Clara replaced several individuals across time: a splinter replaced Anne Chaplet in the 16th century; (PROSE: The Traveller From Beyond Time [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times (BBC Books, 2013). Page 20., TV: The Massacre [+]John Lucarotti and Donald Tosh, Doctor Who season 3 (BBC1, 1966).) another replaced Gia Kelly as manager of T-Mat Earth Control in the late 21st century; (PROSE: Second Session [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times (BBC Books, 2013). Page 46., TV: The Seeds of Death [+]Brian Hayles, Doctor Who season 6 (BBC1, 1969).) another replaced Bettan during the genesis of the Daleks; (PROSE: Still Need a Title! [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times (2013). Page 82., TV: Genesis of the Daleks [+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 12 (BBC1, 1975).) another replaced Rachel Jensen of the Intrusion Counter-Measures Group in the 20th century; (PROSE: The Runes of Fenric [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times (BBC Books, 2013). Page 151., TV: Remembrance of the Daleks [+]Ben Aaronovitch, Doctor Who season 25 (BBC1, 1988).) and another replaced Sarah Clark. (PROSE: Mickey's Blog [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times (BBC Books, 2013). Page 173., TV: Father's Day [+]Paul Cornell, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)
Other linked sources also showed new splinters where there hadn't been before: one splinter was present when the First Doctor and Susan were surrounded by Daleks (PROSE: Susan's Diary [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times (BBC Books, 2013). Page 12., TV: The Daleks [+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 1 (BBC tv, 1963-1964).) during the Thal-Dalek battle; (AUDIO: Return to Skaro [+]Andrew Smith, The First Doctor Adventures: Volume Four (The First Doctor Adventures, Big Finish Productions, 2020).) another was near the Third Doctor when he made a telephone call during Operation Golden Age; (PROSE: Greyhound [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times. Page 70., TV: Invasion of the Dinosaurs [+]Malcolm Hulke, Doctor Who season 11 (BBC1, 1974).) another was near the Fifth Doctor and Tegan Jovanka; (PROSE: When It Was Fun [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times (BBC Books, 2013). Page 119., TV: Enlightenment [+]Barbara Clegg, Doctor Who season 20 (BBC1, 1983).) another was near the Sixth Doctor in the UK Habitat circa 2,000,000; (PROSE: The Dark Scrolls of the Valeyard [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW. Page 141.) another was with Melanie Bush and the Vervoids on Hyperion III; (PROSE: The Dark Scrolls of the Valeyard [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW. Page 143.) another was with the Eighth Doctor, Chang Lee and Grace Holloway (PROSE: The Eighth Doctor Part 1 [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW. Page 157., TV: Doctor Who [+]Matthew Jacobs, Doctor Who Television Movie (Fox Broadcasting Company, 1996).) after the Regeneration Operation; (PROSE: The Secret Diary of the Master [+]James Stoker, 2015.) and another was present with the Ninth Doctor and Gabriel Sneed in Sneed and Company in the 19th century. (PROSE: Mickey's Blog [+]James Goss and Steve Tribe, The Doctor: His Lives and Times (BBC Books, 2013). Page 170., TV: The Unquiet Dead [+]Mark Gatiss, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)
Ultimately, the Great Intelligence found Clara's splinters stopping it at every turn, weakening it more and more each time. After Clara stopped it from interfering in the London Event, (PROSE: The Forgotten Son [+]Andy Frankham-Allen, Lethbridge-Stewart novels (Candy Jar Books, 2015).) the Intelligence's first defeat by the Doctor, (TV: The Web of Fear [+]Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln, Doctor Who season 5 (BBC1, 1968).) the Great Intelligence realised that wherever it went Clara would be there to stop it and so it jumped into the Brigadier's time stream instead where she could not follow it. Greatly weakened by Clara's efforts, the Great Intelligence was eventually destroyed once and for all by the Brigadier. (PROSE: The Forgotten Son [+]Andy Frankham-Allen, Lethbridge-Stewart novels (Candy Jar Books, 2015).)
Behind the scenes[]
Ashlyn Oswin as depicted on the cover of The Forgotten Heroines of 10,000 Dawns.
- Ashlyn Oswin, a recurring character from the independent series 10,000 Dawns, was suggested to be a splinter of Clara Oswald, with both the design of the character being based off the likeness of Jenna Coleman and the April Fools' Day special The Forgotten Heroines of 10,000 Dawns implying she was a lost splinter, as well as implying that she was the individual posing as Clara whom the Twelfth Doctor briefly interacted with in Twice Upon a Time, rather than actually Clara herself as was the official intent. As the story featured no license to any DWU elements, it isn't covered by this Wiki, although the crossover story Birthdays are Made for Memories that featured a cameo of Ashlyn, is covered.
- Alice Watson, the main character from The Time Machine, is performed by Jenna Coleman, though there is no indication given whether or not Alice is an echo of Clara.
