Rory Williams

A nurse who waited two thousand years as a Roman soldier to save his wife.

Rory Arthur Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in Doctor Who, introduced in Series 5 as the fiancé of companion Amy Pond. Initially insecure and overshadowed by her stories of the "Raggedy Doctor," Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) intermittently before consolidating his role as a full companion in Series 6. He proves to be a hero in his own right, marrying Amy and conceiving a daughter, Melody Pond, aboard the TARDIS. Their journey is marked by tragedy when their baby is kidnapped at birth, only for them to discover that their time-travelling friend River Song is actually their child. Rory's tenure ends in "The Angels Take Manhattan," where he and Amy are sent back in time by a Weeping Angel, leading to their permanent departure from the series.

Quick Facts

Series: Doctor Who
First: "The Eleventh Hour" (2010)
Last: "The Angels Take Manhattan" (2012)
Creator: Steven Moffat
Portrayed by: Arthur Darvill; Ezekiel Wigglesworth (young)
Affiliation: Eleventh Doctor
Full name: Rory Arthur Williams
Origin: Gloucestershire, England

Lore & Background

Rory's existence was first erased when he was shot dead by a Silurian in "Cold Blood" and absorbed by a crack in time, removing him from history and Amy's memory. However, he reappeared in "The Pandorica Opens" as an Auton with his memories, revealing he had been waiting since 102 C.E. to guard the Pandorica containing Amy. Known as "The Last Centurion," this duplicate watched over her for almost two millennia until the universe exploded and was rebooted by the Doctor, Amy, and River Song in "The Big Bang." Restored to his human timeline with memories of his Auton existence, Rory married Amy. In Series 6, he faced a space fleet of Cybermen dressed in centurion armor to locate Amy at Demon's Run and later learned their kidnapped daughter was River Song. His rational nature saved him from the creature feeding on faith in "The God Complex," distinguishing him from the Doctor and Amy.

Reader's Guide

To understand Rory Williams, look to his evolution from the "sort of boyfriend" in "The Eleventh Hour" (2010) to the Last Centurion. He joined the TARDIS crew after the Doctor took him and Amy to 1580s Venice to repair their relationship. His character arc is defined by loyalty; he told a pregnant Amy with his dying breath in a dream sequence to look after their baby, causing her to realize her love for him. Key moments include his confrontation with his older self in the Angel battery farm and his role in assembling an army to rescue Melody Pond. Despite being 31 years old during "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship," his endurance as a guardian of time remains unmatched. The Doctor returned them to Earth in "The God Complex" but rejoined them two years later for Christmas dinner in "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe."

Did You Know?

In Series 7, it is revealed that Rory and Amy adopted a son named Anthony Brian Williams in 1946.
A tombstone in 'The Angels Take Manhattan' states that Rory died at age 82 and Amy at age 87.
Arthur Darvill previously worked with Matt Smith on a play called Swimming with Sharks before being cast as Rory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What special status does Rory hold in the timeline?

Due to time paradoxes, he was erased from reality only to return as 'The Last Centurion' after guarding Amy for two thousand years. This unique existence allowed him to survive centuries alone while keeping his promise to her.

How did Rory Williams die?

He sacrificed himself during the events of The Wedding of River Song to protect Amy from the Silence, initially causing a paradox that erased him. The Doctor later fixed this so Rory could live a full life and pass away naturally as an old man.