The 32 greatest Doctor Who characters
Oct. 18, 2024Ranking the heroes and villains who’ve ever stepped inside the TARDIS
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Even after more than 60 years, Doctor Who stays timeless. With hundreds, maybe even thousands of characters filling its expansive universe, who among them is actually deserving of attention as the greatest Doctor Who characters of all time?
Premiering in 1963, Doctor Who has endured as a staple of British popular culture with worldwide appeal. The series centers around the alien time traveler “The Doctor,” who hails from the planet Gallifrey and travels across time and space in a ship dubbed the “TARDIS” that is outwardly disguised as a classic British police box. (Don’t worry, it’s much bigger on the inside.) The series was originally intended as an educational program where its premise of time travel would invite children to explore history and science. But with the introduction of monsters, like the terrifying Daleks, Doctor Who evolved into a pulpy, exciting science fiction adventure for all ages, unofficially becoming Britain’s answer to America’s sci-fi hit Star Trek.
To get around the illness of original Doctor Who star William Hartnell, the show introduced the concept of “regeneration,” in which a new actor could become The Doctor. After actor Patrick Troughton took over from Hartnell, the show stumbled upon an especially unique way of reinventing itself, flowing with the cultural zeitgeist as one flows through the river of time. Aside from an extended break period between the 1980s and 1990s, Doctor Who has enjoyed prominence as one of the longest-running and most popular science fiction shows of all time.
In celebration of Doctor Who’s storied and evergreen history, here are 32 of the greatest Doctor Who characters of all time (and space).
32. Chang Lee (Yee Jee Tso)
The Doctor sometimes meets humans with serious companion material. Chang Lee of San Francisco is totally one of them. Introduced in the 1996 Doctor Who television movie, Chang Lee is a punk Chinese-American teenager who unwittingly gets involved with The Doctor (now regenerated into his eighth incarnation, played by Paul McGann) and his iconic enemy The Master. Though initially loyal to The Master, his change of heart to help The Doctor has landed him in the good graces of fans. Sadly, the ‘96 Doctor Who movie marks his only appearance in the show’s epic history.
The official chief mistress of King Louis XV in 18th century France has a unique place in the alternate history of Doctor Who. In the Tenth Doctor episode “The Girl in the Fireplace,” Sophia Myles dons the role of Madame de Pompadour who is stalked by aliens who seek to use her brain to repair their broken spaceship. Between Myles’ acclaimed performance and her episode’s dramatic story about doomed romance, Madame de Pompadour is easily one of the most popular one-off guest characters in Doctor Who’s long history of them.
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You’ve seen GIFs of him crying, and it actually comes from a Doctor Who episode. Wilfred, played by Bernard Cribbins, is the grandfather of companion Donna Noble who develops his own relationship with The Doctor throughout the Tenth Doctor’s cycle. First introduced in the 2007 special Voyage of the Damned, Wilfred grows into a kind-hearted patriot who cares for both his granddaughter as well as The Doctor. When it becomes impossible for Donna and The Doctor to interact (lest she be destroyed), The Doctor and Wilfred grow close as friends as Wilfred gives The Doctor updates on Donna’s life. Wilfred initially bids adieu to The Doctor in the finale The End of Time, but they eventually reunite when the Tenth Doctor “regenerates” as the Fourteenth Doctor. (It’s a long story.)
Even Time Lords love dogs. Enter: K-9, the metallic mutt who comes to The Doctor’s aid during the Fourth and Tenth Doctor’s eras. Essentially an R2-D2 for The Doctor, K-9 is remembered for his trademark catchphrase “Affirmative” and unwavering loyalty to The Doctor. Although K-9 is closely associated with companion Sarah Jane Smith, who aided the Fourth Doctor, K-9 made only a handful of appearances on the spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures. But K-9 enjoyed the spotlight in his own animated series titled K9, although its connections to Doctor Who were obscured for legal reasons.
The Doctor is a pacifist who abhors war, but that didn’t stop him from having an ally in Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (played by Nicholas Courtney). Introduced in the ‘68 serial The Web of Fear, “The Brigadier” became a regular during the Third Doctor’s era where he was a leader of UNIT. The Brigadier’s militaristic demeanor in the spirit of General Patton was a compelling contrast to The Doctor’s more eccentric “bohemian scholar” vibe, but the two were nevertheless aligned in their shared mission to protect Earth from threats. His legacy continued in his daughter, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (played by Jenna Redgrave), who oversaw UNIT and worked with Doctors eleven to fifteen.
There’s quite nothing like a girl who is “impossible.” After the book closed on Amy Pond and Rory Williams, the Eleventh Doctor met Clara Oswald, as well as two other versions of her in Oswin Oswald (whose real identity is one of the biggest twists in modern Doctor Who) and Clara Oswin Oswald, a Victorian governess. The third time became the charm when The Doctor meets Clara Oswald of the 21st century, a school teacher who joins Eleven on new adventurers. (She stays through his regeneration into Twelve.) While Clara dies in the episode “Face the Raven,” some complicated scheming allows Clara more time to roam the universe with former enemy Ashildir in a stolen TARDIS. Perhaps one day, fans will run into her again.
He might be one of the oldest champions to join The Doctor, but he’s young at heart. Graham O’Brien, played by Bradley Walsh, is a widower and cancer survivor who sticks by his step-grandson Ryan, vowing to protect him in memory of his late wife and Ryan’s mother Grace (played by Sharon D. Clarke). Designed to lend an everyman’s perspective on The Doctor and her wild universe, Graham is beloved for his warm nature and dry humor, as well as his story involving finding renewed purpose amid grief. He is also a positive representative of the love capable from stepparents, as seen in his genuine care for Ryan’s well-being.
What’s the true cost of immortality? Such is the question posed by Ashildir, an adolescent Viking girl who is turned immortal by the Twelfth Doctor. Played by guest star Maisie Williams at the height of her Game of Thrones fame, Ashildir first appears in the episode “The Girl Who Died,” which ends with her obtaining immortality. While turning her immortal was meant to save her life, The Doctor quickly learns that even good deeds can be punished when Ashildir turns into “Me,” a cynical and lonely figure who has lost touch of her humanity. Ashildir/Me represents a new side to The Doctor’s habit of trying to right wrongs, proposing that not all wrongs are meant to be righted.
The one who started it all. The First Doctor, the original incarnation of the now-iconic figure, was played by actor William Hartnell, who portrayed the Time Lord as a cantankerous gruff with a capacity for ruthlessness; it was only over time that The Doctor became warm towards his traveling companions. Hartnell was aged 55 when he played The Doctor, and was said to be delighted after a career of playing “bastards” as the role endeared him to the show’s young audience. When Hartnell fell ill of arteriosclerosis – which he would later die from in 1975 – the show’s producers introduced the concept of “regeneration” to allow new actors to take up the role and continue the show; Hartnell was succeeded by Patrick Troughton, who gave his own unique spin to The Doctor which has since become franchise tradition.
“No sir… all thirteen!” After his surprise cameo appearance in “The Day of the Doctor,” Peter Capaldi made his series debut as the new twelfth face of The Doctor in “The Time of the Doctor.” In contrast to his immediate, more youthful predecessor, Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor is characterized by polarizing moods: sometimes intense, sometimes delightful, sometimes dark, sometimes cool. (Really, only Twelve could make a new Sonic Screwdriver out of Ray-Bans.) With sharp wit and a complex moral compass, the Twelfth Doctor took the character and the show to new heights and unearthed new dimensions in time and space – all while having a brow that could kill.
Doctor Who was never more popular outside its native UK than during the era of Matt Smith, the Eleventh Doctor. Following the end of David Tennant’s run as Ten, Matt Smith – at the time the youngest actor ever to play The Doctor – marked a brand-new era that saw a top-to-bottom refresh of the show’s production. Eleven is arguably best remembered for his whimsy and compassion, his playfulness exhibited by his unyielding curiosity and quirky fashion sense. (Bow tiesarecool, aren’t they?) But while most other Doctors have a hardened exterior that eventually softened over time, Eleven was the inverse, slowly hardening into a tragic hero haunted by his past and imminent doom.
The charismatic immortal time traveler Captain Jack Harkness, the first openly queer character in Doctor Who’s history, is still beloved today as an amoral philanderer willing to take measures that The Doctor would never dare. After his debut during the Ninth Doctor’s era, Barrowman made recurring appearances throughout the Tenth Doctor’s run before starring in his spin-off series Torchwood - a darker, more mature alternative to the more family-friendly programming of mainline Doctor Who. While Harkness is a devoted ally to The Doctor, his dashing heroism and willingness to punch out baddies make him a memorable thematic rival to The Doctor.
After Jodie Whitaker made franchise history as the first female Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa became the first Black actor to be The Doctor – and boy did Fifteen arrive in style. Marking a bold new era for Doctor Who (as a co-production between the BBC andDisney), the Fifteenth Doctor came packing a vivid wardrobe and an even bigger personality than all Doctors before him. In contrast to other Doctors who wear their quirks on their sleeves, Gatwa’s incarnation wields quiet confidence and smoldering glares that don’t just grab your attention but fiercely hold onto it. But for all the new designs on The Doctor, this run of Doctor Who felt old school, with a throwback TARDIS set and a vintage logo that quietly suggested that all that’s old is new again.
She was the girl who waited. After The Doctor regenerated into Matt Smith’s Eleven, he crash-landed in the backyard of little, lonely Amy Pond, who affectionately called the lost Time Lord “raggedy man.” When The Doctor returned, he met an adult-age Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), who chose to travel with The Doctor on the eve of her wedding to Rory (Arthur Darvill). Amy and Rory’s adventures with The Doctor still make up the show’s most epic stories of all time, with both characters proving their unyielding love for each other that transcends time and space. Their exit from the series is quite dark, a bittersweet casualty in The Doctor’s limits to save everyone including his closest friends. Since leaving Doctor Who, Karen Gillan has become one of the show’s most successful veterans with leading roles in blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Avengers: Endgame.
One of the most memorable companions in Doctor Who’s history, Leela (played by Louise Jameson) brought physicality and sex appeal to the family-friendly staple. A tribal warrior who descends from human space travelers in the far future, Leela joins the Fourth Doctor in the 1977 episode “The Face of Evil.” Inspired by Eliza Doolittle in George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, Emma Peele in the spy-fi series The Avengers, and Palestinian militant Leila Khaled (whom she was named after), Leela is headstrong and combative, a “savage” that The Doctor sometimes tries to civilize (to no avail). Between her unusual background and skimpy leather outfits, Leela remains one of the most popular to ever board the TARDIS.
The Doctor has had many companions, but he’s only married one of them. Alex Kingston’s enigmatic and lively River Song enjoys a nonlinear romantic history with The Doctor, having been involved with several of his incarnations. After her debut in the Tenth Doctor episode “Silence in the Library,” her subsequent appearances only unraveled more lore than the audience and The Doctor could believe was possible. (You’ll also never guess who her parents are.) Witty, intelligent, and carrying something of a Lara Croft vibe, River Song is the only person in all of time and space to steal The Doctor’s heart(s).
The Master isn’t the only renegade Time Lord to torment The Doctor. Enter: The Rani, played by Kate O’Mara. First appearing in the Sixth Doctor story “The Mark of the Rani,” The Rani is a brilliant but cold scientist whose absence of ethics makes her one of the most ruthless and intellectual adversaries The Doctor has ever faced. While she’s only made precious few appearances in Doctor Who’s TV history, Whovians still await her return, which has only added to her mystique. Where is The Rani? Only time will tell.
Hear that sound? Those drums? Those are the drums of war. In 2007, The Doctor’s most formidable adversary made his epic return in the episode “Utopia,” played by John Simm. First disguised as a kind professor (played by Derek Jacobi), The Master eventually unmasks himself to the horror of The Doctor. In the two-part season three finale, The Master becomes Prime Minister of the UK, under the alias Harold Saxon, before seizing complete control of Earth. Simm’s portrayal of The Master saw him imbue the character with unmatched madness and tyrannical charisma, turning The Master into a grand archrival in the tradition of villains like Lex Luthor and Doctor Doom.
Allons-y! After Christopher Eccleston helped relaunch Doctor Who for a new century, David Tennant took over as the new Tenth Doctor. Dressed in slim-fitting suits, Converse sneakers, and possessing a killer sense of humor, The Doctor was regenerated into someone who invited a little more fun into the TARDIS following the dour seriousness of the Ninth Doctor. For all his eagerness to engage in witty banter, however, The Doctor never gave up his sense of justice nor his emotional vulnerabilities. With his center stage placement in some of the all-time greatest Doctor Who episodes ever told, the Tenth Doctor (and by extension, the Fourteenth) is the gold standard for all Doctors.
No one can wear a scarf like the Fourth Doctor can. While Tom Baker was not the man to launch an icon, he undeniably cemented it as the legendary Fourth Doctor, taking over for Jon Pertwee in 1974. Remembered as a brooding individual capable of immense warmth and righteous wrath, the Fourth Doctor’s singular eccentricity, humor, and signature knit scarf have all made him more than just a fan-favorite incarnation, but perhapsTheDoctor for all time. His length of seven consecutive seasons is still one of the longest runs any actor has had as The Doctor, which ensures that even when much time has passed, his legacy stays written in the stars.
Eric Francisco is a freelance entertainment journalist and graduate of Rutgers University. If a movie or TV show has superheroes, spaceships, kung fu, or John Cena, he’s your guy to make sense of it. A former senior writer at Inverse, his byline has also appeared at Vulture, The Daily Beast, Observer, and The Mary Sue. You can find him screaming at Devils hockey games or dodging enemy fire in Call of Duty: Warzone.
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