Harbingers were entities whose purpose was to announce the arrival of the Gods from the Pantheon of Discord. As the Gods often relied on wordplays and anagrams to hint at their presence, the Harbingers disguised themselves as humans with names starting with the letter H, and the surname "Arbinger".
Known Harbingers[]
Henry Arbinger[]
Henry heralds Maestro. (TV: The Devil's Chord [+]Doctor Who (BBC One and Disney+, 2024).)
Henry Arbinger was the son and Harbinger of Maestro, as well as the grandson of the Toymaker. He was being taught to play the piano by composer Timothy Drake in 1925 before Maestro appeared from the piano and made him disappear in order to deal with Drake. Maestro highlighted the nature of their Harbinger by calling Henry their "prelude".
After Maestro was defeated by John Lennon and Paul McCartney playing the "lost chord" in 1963, Henry reappeared at the EMI Recording Studios, observing with bewilderment in the corridor as the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday led a song and dance number called "Twist at the End". He then retreated into another room. (TV: The Devil's Chord [+]Doctor Who (BBC One and Disney+, 2024).)
Harriet Arbinger[]
Harriet reveals her true form. (TV: The Legend of Ruby Sunday [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 14 (BBC One and Disney+, 2024).)
A woman by the name of Harriet Arbinger worked at UNIT HQ in London in 2024. She initially acted normally but, as Sutekh was beginning to manifest, she began a monologue about him, prompting Kate Stewart to claim that she was possessed. After listing several Gods from the Pantheon, Harriet described Sutekh as "the mother and father and other" of all of them as well as the "God of all Gods". As she gave her monologue, a tear fell from Harriet's eye. Shortly after Sutekh's arrival, both Harriet and Susan Triad mutated into a different form that presented a bone-like structure around their eyes which were now coloured red. (TV: The Legend of Ruby Sunday [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 14 (BBC One and Disney+, 2024).)
The Harbinger piloted the TARDIS for Sutekh as he chased answers about Ruby's mother. The Doctor later managed to use a whistle to regain control the TARDIS, and at his command, the Heart of the TARDIS emitted a blast of energy that vaporised the Harbinger and blasted Sutekh off of the ship. (TV: Empire of Death [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 14 (BBC One and Disney+, 2024).)
Behind the scenes[]
In the Polish dubbed version of Series 14, the Harbingers are translated as Herolds, and the surnames are Batherold. [1]