# Baldies — Key Out of Time character guide

> Baldies in Key Out of Time by Andre Norton.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** the Baldies, The Baldies, XII Baldies, Three Baldies, the Baldies super - Terran, themselves, They're, their

**First appearance:** 0011-xii-baldies

## Snapshot

Psionic aliens who hunt Terran minds across Hawaika's seas and ruins, they are the unseen pressure that turns every refuge into a trap.

## Who they are

The Baldies operate as a hostile occupying force on Hawaika, using mental powers to track, manipulate, and destroy Terran agents who intrude on their designs. Their menace is defined less by numbers than by the terrifying intimacy of their psychic reach—they can find you inside your own skull. They matter because they transform the novel from a survival story into a resistance narrative, forcing Terrans and Hawaikans into uneasy alliance against a common, invisible enemy.

## Relationships

### [Ross Murdock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/key_out_of_time_se/characters/ross_murdock)

_rivalry_

The Baldies are antagonists who oppose Ross and his allies, creating constant conflict and danger.

### [Ross Murdock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/key_out_of_time_se/characters/ross_murdock)

_rivalry_

The Baldies are antagonists who oppose Ross and his allies, creating constant conflict and danger.

## In the story

### [VIII: The Free Rovers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/key_out_of_time_se/chapters/viii-the-free-rovers)

Ross suspects the Baldies are behind the technological leaks on Hawaika, similar to their actions on Terra.

### [X: Death at Kyn Add](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/key_out_of_time_se/chapters/x-death-at-kyn-add)

Implicated as the attackers of Kyn Add; described as hairless and of a single hue, emerging from the sea.

### [XV: Return to the Battle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/key_out_of_time_se/chapters/xv-return-to-the-battle)

The Baldies are the primary antagonists, believed to be searching the Foanna citadel for secrets. Ross and Ashe discuss their ruthless methods and accelerated operations.

### [Shades Against Shadow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/key_out_of_time_se/chapters/xvii-shades-against-shadow)

Possess gill-packs and Loketh; engage the Foanna in an energy battle in the hidden chamber.

### [XVIII: World in Doubt?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/key_out_of_time_se/chapters/xviii-world-in-doubt)

Three Baldies are in the ship's control cabin; they attempt to mentally dominate Ross but fail.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/key_out_of_time_se/characters/baldies
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/key_out_of_time_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/key_out_of_time_se/characters