Silent

2012

Doctor Who

The Silence are a fictional species of extraterrestrial from the BBC science fiction television program Doctor Who. Introduced in 2011, they are visually characterized by their tall, slender frames, greyish skin, and particularly, their smooth, eyeless faces with a small, open mouth.

The Silence possess a unique and terrifying psychological ability: anyone who sees them immediately forgets them the moment they look away. The only way to remember their presence is through recording them (like photographs or videos) or by counting tallies on their skin, which the Doctor and his companions did to track their encounters. This allows them to exert covert influence on humanity throughout history, subtly manipulating events without being remembered or held accountable.

The Silence are revealed to be linked to the religious order known as the Papal Mainframe, and are the result of genetic engineering by the group, in an effort to create a powerful weapon in their crusade. Their motives often revolve around preventing the Doctor from reaching Trenzalore, as their prophecy states that his presence there would trigger the reactivation of the Time Lords and potentially end the universe.