Who is the 'Doctor Who' villain Maestro? And what's their relationship with the Toymaker?

New villain Maestro (Jinkx Monsoon) is out to destroy music in ‘Doctor Who’ episode ‘The Devil’s Chord’
(Image credit: Disney Plus/BBC)

There’s a bum note at London’s Abbey Road Studios. The Beatles are recording their 1963 debut LP as planned, but their music is nothing to (twist and) shout about, and they can’t wait to finish the album and get back to Liverpool.

It’s not the Fab Four’s fault, however. In “Doctor Who” episode “The Devil’s Chord”, the malevolent Maestro is sucking all the music out of the world, and even the Doctor may be powerless to stop them. (Need a guide on how to watch Doctor Who? Check out our Doctor Who streaming guide for how to join the space-time traveling adventure from anywhere.)

Though perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised. Maestro is closely related to old-school antagonist the Toymaker, and the family is set to open the door on a whole new pantheon of “Doctor Who” gods. Here’s everything you need to know.

Who is Maestro?

Jinkx Monsoon as the villain Maestro in the Doctor Who episode The Devil’s Chord. (Image credit: Disney Plus/BBC)

Maestro (played by actor, singer and “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” champion Jinkx Monsson) is a god-like entity who’s been described by showrunner Russell T. Davies as “the Doctor’s most powerful enemy yet.”

Indeed, their ability to materialize out of pianos and other musical instruments is more than just a cabaret act, as they can control and consume music — and even manipulate the TARDIS.

Related: The greatest Doctor Who villains ranked

Why does Maestro want to silence music?

This goes way beyond any irrational early ’60s anti-rock ‘n’ roll sentiment, because sucking the energy out of music is literally the source of Maestro’s awesome power. “Every song that goes unsung feeds me,” they explain. “I get stronger and stronger until I can reach out and steal the music of the spheres. Then, the universe will stop turning.”

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The effects of their auditory binge — which kicks off in 1925 when composer Timothy Drake (Jeremy Limb) inadvertently plays the chord that unleashes Maestro — are far reaching. By 1963, the Beatles have been transformed into talentless hacks, while newspaper headlines announcing that Soviet premier Khrushchev is threatening neighboring Finland prove that history has already been altered. By the time this twisted timeline reaches 2024, London is a post-apocalyptic wasteland. “The sound of a nuclear winter,” says Maestro. “The purest music of all.”