Yasmin Khan

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Character
Name: Yasmin Khan
Occupation: Doctor's companion, police officer
Relationships: The Doctor (companion)
Fandom: Doctor Who
Other:
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Yasmin Khan, also known as Yaz, is a Doctor Who character. She is the companion of the Thirteenth Doctor for the entirety of her era, i.e. the show's eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth series.

Character Background

Yaz is a 19-year-old probationary police officer from Sheffield who is eager to prove herself. After a brief adventure with the Doctor she was returned home alongside Ryan Sinclair and Graham O'Brien; however, she decided to fully join the Doctor after taking a shine to her.

In the Series 12 episode Can You Hear Me?, Yaz runs away from home, and it's heavily implied that it was down to mental health issues. She was also canonically bullied (The Witchfinders), and received islamophobic and racist comments both from school peers, and everyday life (Rosa, the BBC Book The Good Doctor).

In the 2022 New Year's Day Special Eve of the Daleks, it is confirmed that Yaz at least has feelings towards The Doctor. It's also implied that The Doctor knows this, though it isn't fully confirmed whether the feeling is reciprocated.[1]

Fandom

Yaz is commonly shipped with the Thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor, with the pairing name Thasmin.

Queer Identity

As of Eve of the Daleks, no confirmation has been made as to what her specific identity is. Bi!Yaz appears to be the more common overall, though there are also many who headcanon her as a lesbian.

Additionally, some fans headcanon Yaz to be non binary. One moment fuelling this idea, is one in Arachnids in the UK:

Hakim: Well, I thought maybe that as your sister is a policewoman...
Yaz: Police officer.

Ao3 Tags

Reception

Much criticism has been made towards the companions of the Chibnall era. From reactionary viewpoints, much of this has been about a perceived 'PC'/'wokeness'; Yaz being a sapphic Muslim woman of colour appears to be too much for them to take. From other, less reactionary areas of the fandom, criticism has been given regarding characterisation, especially when compared to the companions in the RTD and Moffat eras of the show. Reactionary fans will also sometimes mention a lack of characterisation, though it will usually be alongside accusations of 'PC culture'.

Yaz, having been on the show the longest and thus having slightly more time for development, seems to have had a slightly better time of it, at least when compared to Ryan, Graham or Dan. Each of them have been labelled variations of 'blank slates', 'cardboard cut-outs' and 'planks of wood', whose character arcs have largely been neglected for endless exposition dumping and inconsistent character traits to fit the story. Jay Exci's video The Fall of Doctor Who, elaborates on some of these criticisms.

However, Yaz still very much has plenty of fans, especially within the Thasmin fandom. To what extent fans agree or disagree with many of the common criticisms varies extensively from fan to fan. Regardless, fanon interpretation appears to play a decent part in fan opinion.

Fanon

Mental Illness

Due to the previously mentioned bullying and the subsequent running away from school, many fans believe Yaz to suffer from mental illness, often depression. Some go further, suggesting she suffered from suicidal thoughts, especially with some of the wording used. Fanworks, especially fics, will sometimes incorporate these ideas.

Fanworks

Fanart

Fanfiction

Fanvids

Meta & Analysis

Links & Resources

References

  1. ^ Doctor Who New Year's Day special just confirmed important Yaz fan theory - Digital Spy (January 2022)
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