The character of the Doctor is at the centre of Doctor Who and with Ncuti Gatwa’s first series about to debut, I thought it would make sense to rank all the previous Doctors. I would like to make clear that I have fun with and enjoy every incarnation of the Doctor, so this is purely my opinion and preference. I won’t be including non-canon Doctors like Peter Cushing and Richard E Grant and have excluded Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor as there is simply not enough material to judge her against the other Doctors. I have, however, decided to include John Hurt’s War Doctor and David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor. Without any further delay, let’s get started!!!
15.) The War Doctor (2013) played by John Hurt
I wouldn’t have included the War Doctor on this list if it wasn’t for the Big Finish audios where he got to play the lead role properly. Unfortunately, unlike some other Doctors I don’t think much was done to elevate him. The War Doctor is truly best used in the 50th Anniversary Special the Day of the Doctor. I think John Hurt whilst having a vast appeal was also a good fit for the Doctor, I really like the idea of an unknown Doctor and doing something with the gap when the show was off the air. The emotional weight and baggage of his performance worked well, and I loved his moral conflict in using the Moment. He has a meaningful arc across the story in coming to terms with his own baggage and accepting himself as the Doctor. However, once you put him on his own in a story, you realise how unoriginal his Doctor is. In the Big Finish audios, he just feels like a much duller version of Christopher Eccleston's Doctor, with no added inner depth or weight to him. Given he was the Doctor who fought in the Time War, he should be a dangerous, fearful force to be reckoned with; a manipulative character with questionable morals. However, William Hartnell, Sylvester McCoy and Peter Capaldi are a lot more questionable than John Hurt’s Doctor. Given the sort of Doctor he is meant to be, the War Doctor does not live up to the premise.
14.) The Thirteenth Doctor (2017-2022) played by Jodie Whittaker
I enjoy the Thirteenth Doctor as a personality a lot, in terms of what Jodie Whittaker brings to the character. However, I don’t get nearly as much as I would like to out of her because of the way the Doctor is characterised across her run. I like the lively and childlike sense of adventure which Jodie Whittaker injects into the character. Her positive optimism, enjoyment of travelling the universe, warm-hearted affection and willingness to see the best in humanity and see hope in the darkest of circumstances are things I enjoy a lot in her performance. Unfortunately though, the sense of darkness and authority of her Doctor and the meat of her motivations never gets a proper chance to be delved into. It means her character is often defined by overlong exposition and cringey and forced humour, which gives Jodie Whittaker as an actor nothing to work with and a very poorly defined and one note character. Her hypocritical lack of morality which she is never challenged on also makes her Doctor very difficult to root for and trust, and her actions seem very out of character to prior incarnations. She is at her best as the Doctor when in a vulnerable position as she has to use her cunning tactics to aggravate and manipulate an enemy.
13.) The Fourteenth Doctor (2022-2023) played by David Tennant
This is as far up as I am willing to put the Fourteenth Doctor given that he is basically a reforged and more advanced and experienced version of the Tenth Doctor, and it feels unfair to put him above Doctors who have more originality to them. However, that isn’t to say that I didn’t really enjoy David Tennant’s second incarnation. I think what separates the Fourteenth Doctor from the Tenth is that you can see how the experiences since he last had that face have shaped and changed him as a person and a hero. The Fourteenth Doctor does not have the arrogance the Tenth Doctor had. He is more level-headed than previously and much more emotionally open. David Tennant plays it more grounded with a lot more of a sense of affection and is more emotionally free, which is nice to see in the Doctor. He has more age, more gravitas and more loss on his shoulders, which has shaped him as a character. There is an emotional trauma and sense of vulnerability to the Fourteenth Doctor with the aftermath of the Flux and the three specials push his Doctor to the limit. What makes the Fourteenth Doctor a unique one, though, is his ending. Giving the Doctor an optimistic and settled happy ending is unique but feels right for this Doctor and his story. Seeing him deal with his trauma and find happiness is a lovely way to end things.
12.) The Sixth Doctor (1984-1986) played by Colin Baker
Colin Baker was certainly a perfect choice to follow Peter Davison as the Doctor and is very much a contrast to him. Colin Baker is a great gentlemanly figure of class and sophistication and knowledge which I like a lot and he brings out the darker and more aggressive sides of the Doctor. I like Colin Baker’s authority, dominance and rebellious anti-authority he has in his character as well as his excellent sense of passion and spirit. What lets the Sixth Doctor down is the poor writing during his era. It’s great to see more alien sides to the Doctor but Seasons 22 and 23 don’t give the character enough warmth, humour and good intentions to balance him out and make him likeable. His violent tendencies and abusive behaviour towards Peri let the character down. However, as time goes on there is more compassion, warmth and humour added to his character and Colin Baker settles into his role. Big Finish then expanded upon the Sixth Doctor to give him the stories he needed and the Doctor which he deserved to play. The anger and dominance of the Sixth Doctor is redirected for more moral sensibilities and a sensitive and deeply caring character under the rough exterior.
11.) The Eleventh Doctor (2010-2013) played by Matt Smith
Matt Smith has had one of the most difficult jobs of all the Doctors taking over from David Tennant who was immensely popular. Matt Smith also managed to tackle his age in a rather clever way, as he felt old and young at the same time. The Eleventh Doctor has a manner and a body language that resembles that of an older man and a gentleman professor, which simply fits the characteristics of who the Doctor is. I also enjoy the alien and childlike oddity which Matt Smith brings to the part. However, I much prefer the version of the Eleventh Doctor we get in Series 5 opposed to the rest of his run. Initially, the age of his character is highlighted and he exhibits an irritable and impatient demeanour. He has an underlying anger and darkness that added depth to his portrayal, making him an incredibly compelling character. It made sense for him as a guarded character with weight on his shoulders with an awful lot of loss and guilt. As time went on across Series 6 and 7 I feel the comedy got dialled up and he got more dominated with an immaturity and silliness that became irritating. This became especially prominent in the second half of Series 7. The flirtiness and sexual humour with both River Song and Clara became uncomfortable and wasn’t a good fit for the Doctor. Seeing the Doctor sexually assault Jenny and his creepy stalking of Clara were certainly low points for his Doctor.
10.) The Fifth Doctor (1981-1984) played by Peter Davison
Peter Davison wasn’t an obvious choice to play the Doctor, and that’s exactly what made him such a terrific one. He was an out of the box and unconventional decision, which made him incredibly refreshing. He was a well-known face on TV at the time and the role of the Doctor gave him range to showcase his skills as an actor. The Fifth Doctor greatly contrasts Tom Baker’s incarnation by displaying a needed sensitivity and vulnerability which makes you root for the Doctor. You feel a sense of weight and age on the shoulders of the Doctor and a great sense of loss and powerful odds with threats stacked against him. You feel a definite sense of bravery and heroism in the Fifth Doctor which I really like. His age is also played into as he has to fight harder to gain respect from authority figures and is often disbelieved, which provides interesting conflicts. What I do think lets the Fifth Doctor down is the lack of time that is given to flesh out his persona and characteristics. Luckily, I think Season 21 gave Peter Davison great loss to play with with much more emotion, ruthless authority and regret in his character. Peter Davison’s performance in the Caves of Androzani is astounding and the best ever performance from an actor playing the Doctor. I wish he had had just one more season because Season 21 really showed his great potential.
9.) The Third Doctor (1970-1974) played by Jon Pertwee
I never used to be particularly fond of Jon Pertwee’s take on the Doctor and always put him towards the bottom of my rankings of all the Doctors. However, over the last few years, my opinion on him has grown and changed immensely. A lot of this is due to age, tastes and what I personally look for in the Doctor as a character. He is a somewhat more grounded take of the Doctor but what you get from that is a conviction and sense of age and experience. There is a sense of wisdom and knowledge which the Third Doctor carries with him as he is a trustworthy and reliable pair of hands and I appreciate that a lot. There is a brilliant bravery and heroism which is key to the Third Doctor as a character. He has a confident assertiveness and moral standing that I just love. His difficulty with authority and rebellious attitude as an anti-authority figure makes him a memorable character of admirable values and principles. I simply love the sarcastic deadpan humour of the Third Doctor and the way he flings insults at the Brigadier with such brutal honesty. However, I also love the fatherly warmth Jon Pertwee has, especially in his relationship with Jo Grant, which creates a softness to the character which is valuable and progresses across his time on the show.
8.) The Eighth Doctor (1996) played by Paul McGann
As much as I dislike the TV Movie the true silver lining in its creation is Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. Truly one of the best castings for the part of the Doctor as Paul McGann just fits everything which the Doctor should be. He truly shines in the TV Movie with his swagger, his confidence, compassion and the age and eternal sense of knowledge which he brings to the part. The Eighth Doctor feels like an out of time character, an Edwardian gentleman figure and kind of reforged version of the First Doctor which I really like. The Big Finish audios have taken the mould of what was established in the TV Movie and fleshed the character out to create a version of the Doctor with true brilliance and depth. What I love about the Eighth Doctor is the passion and thrill he has for travelling and his natural sense of heroism. Characters like Charley Pollard and Lucie Miller have really allowed him to thrive. However, the Eighth Doctor has been given a cold and detached alien quality where his morals and values are different to that of humanity, which makes him a more intriguing character. It was also very rewarding to see him return for a regeneration in the minisode Night of the Doctor in 2013.
7.) The Ninth Doctor (2005) played by Christopher Eccelston
Christopher Eccleston was my first Doctor, and I don’t think I would be a fan without him and the way he reinvented the Doctor. The Ninth Doctor comes across as someone you could meet down the pub or up the street and there is something tangible from him in that considering he is an alien time traveller. The Ninth Doctor feels like a return to a First Doctor kind of character in persona but with a more 21st Century kind of spin which was fitting for the revival of Doctor Who. There is a grounded sense of despair and pessimism to Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor, which I really like. He has a cruel ruthlessness, which makes him an intriguing, gripping, and very alien character. He has an unkindly harshness accustomed to aggressive and dangerous situations and is willing to make ruthless decisions. However, he has a sensitive vulnerability to him under the surface as a tortured character suffering from PTSD and the aftermath of war. I love his character arc and the way Rose slowly opens him up, and he grows to be more optimistic and livelier. She slowly reminds him of the importance of the values of peace and helping people and it's lovely to see how Rose impacts the Ninth Doctor. There is a terrific emotional range to Christopher Eccleston, and he set the bar high in such a short run.
6.) The Seventh Doctor (1987-1989) played by Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy was unfortunate in that he was the last actor to play the Doctor in the original series in a time when Doctor Who wasn’t beloved, so he often wasn’t a very well-regarded Doctor. However, over time he has had something of a reprisal and more have come to regard him as he should be as one of the best Doctors. Sylvester McCoy was excellent casting and has a character which is the perfect fit for the Doctor. He has a silliness to him but also an intellectual professor quality and an age and a sadness which is underrated. It was Season 25 where Sylvester McCoy’s take on the character really melded together with the writing to create something brilliant and a truly fascinating version of the Doctor. The Seventh Doctor has a great cunning and malicious deviousness which I really like. He is a dangerous mastermind and a figure to be feared and a character of great intellectual and moral authority. The alien and cruel ruthlessness and manipulativeness of the Seventh Doctor creates a very morally grey, dubious and questionable character and it’s interesting to see the drama that creates. The Seventh Doctor is willing to go to great cost to get his end result and is a very dangerous pair of hands. The morality of this Doctor is one of the most fascinating of all incarnations.
5.) The Twelfth Doctor (2013-2017) played by Peter Capaldi
Whilst I love every incarnation of the Doctor, the Twelfth Doctor is the only one who I feel I can personally relate to, and I can see myself in him and his character journey across his three series. Peter Capaldi's Doctor is very special to me and means a lot because of the struggles I was going through during his era. I also adore the fascinating and morally grey aspect of the Twelfth Doctor. He starts off as a very closed off and ruthless character willing to make immoral decisions for the greater good. He slowly learns how to express emotion in a human way, which interestingly exposes the complex and nuanced emotions of an alien being. Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is an alien of different moral standards and values, but we learn by the end is one of the most emotional and caring Doctors of all as the layers of his care and the value he places upon life is unveiled. I love the sarcastic put downs and insults of his Doctor which are hilarious, but he has a heroic relentless gravitas and authority. He is given an excellent range to play with and stories like Heaven Sent truly show what a gifted actor Peter Capaldi is. The way he comes out of his shell, develops more of a humour and, over time, finds the right blend and balance in who he wants to be is very meaningful for me. He feels like a Doctor who has worked hard on himself, which feels authentically relatable to my experiences as a teenager.
4.) The First Doctor (1963-1966) played by William Hartnell
I have always loved the First Doctor, but he did go up in my estimation when rewatching a good amount of his stories last year and I grew to appreciate what a gifted actor William Hartnell was. The blueprint of the Doctor was set up by William Hartnell and the variety of the part I don’t think would be possible without him. The First Doctor can flip instantly from a comforting warmth to vindictive ruthlessness, and the variety and skill of that has created a wonderful variety for actors onwards from him to play with. Like all the best Doctors, the First Doctor, upon inception, is very ruthless and morally ambiguous. It's interesting to see the way the Doctor contrasts with the morals of Ian and Barbara in his attitude towards life. The Doctor’s cruelty and manipulativeness is despicable, but that makes the character gripping, and you can understand the root of his motivations. It’s wonderful to see the Doctor go on a character journey as he is impacted by the efforts and morals of Ian and Barbara and their bravery and heroism. Under the surface of the First Doctor, there is someone with a lot of moral care and values, and that sense of right and wrong is keenly unveiled over time. The childish playfulness of William Hartnell’s performance with the silliness of a prankster merged with being a figure of senior and intellectual authority makes him an unusual and captivating presence. He is an anti-authority figure with a keen instinct to stand up against oppressive forces.
3.) The Second Doctor (1966-1969) played by Patrick Troughton
Patrick Troughton had an immensely difficult job and as a character actor with a lot of variety and skill, he was the perfect choice for the part. It gave Patrick Troughton a challenge and a lot of range to play with. What I love about his reinvention of the Doctor is that he is familiar and recognisable as the same character William Hartnell played, but he puts a different spin on the part. The Second Doctor has an intellectual authority and cunning personality that is distinctive to the Doctor but that isn’t what he presents on the surface. He is a very clever and cunning mastermind figure. Patrick Troughton expertly plays up the humour and the silliness of the part. He gives the Doctor a comic quality with his foolishness and childlike mannerisms of a toddler, which makes him feel innocent and appealing. Patrick Troughton has the attitude and quality of a disorganised and scruffy teenager which I just love and makes him very likeable. It feels natural to his character but is truly a misdirect, as villains underestimate his intelligence and skill. Patrick Troughton defines a love and enjoyment of trouble running from one perilous situation to the next, and his facial acting sells the fear and stakes of a situation. The way Patrick Troughton was so easily able to flip between two very different sides of the Doctor with intelligence and foolishness is to be desired.
2.) The Fourth Doctor (1974-1981) played by Tom Baker
Tom Baker is and will always be thought of as the Doctor. There is an iconic image which comes into your mind of a joyful character in a long scarf with jelly babies. Tom Baker is a naturally eccentric person and characterful figure and has an individuality which is perfect for the part. His performance always delights me with its silliness, and his quips and witty one-liners are a standout in all his stories. Additionally, his confidence and ability to effortlessly dominate and take control is noteworthy. I think Tom Baker is at his best between Seasons 12-14. He has a silliness and a humour, but the unpredictability and energy of an alien makes him a scary and cold character. You get the feeling he processes emotions in an entirely different way to us and has a distant nature and lack of affection, which makes him gripping. The Fourth Doctor is a character of repressed layers, and it takes stressful and emotional situations of gravity to unveil both his affection and his values, which is demonstrated in the likes of Pyramids of Mars and the Deadly Assassin. The stories that push the limit of the Fourth Doctor bring the best out in him and make him complicated and layered. The Fourth Doctor has an undervalued sadness and loneliness, and his rebellious attitude is always something I have admired and part of what drew me to Classic Who. His personality and energy just connected with me.
1.) The Tenth Doctor (2005-2010) played by David Tennant
David Tennant is the most popular Doctor so it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him at the top of this list. Part of this is down to nostalgia. The Tenth Doctor is the Doctor I grew up with. He was my childhood hero who I admired and really made me love Doctor Who. I can’t have the same affection, emotion, and nostalgia towards any other Doctor because of David Tennant’s place in my childhood. However, that isn’t to say that I don’t think the Tenth Doctor isn’t deserving of the number 1 spot. David Tennant has earnt that through the fleshed-out character he was given to play and the emotional range and depth he displayed as the Tenth Doctor. He has a lively and adventurous spirit that I can’t help but be drawn to and just love. He personifies a perfect blend between a youthful energy whilst still having age, gravity and regret lying on his shoulders. I really like the flawed arrogance and vanity in the Tenth Doctor’s character, which plagues him across his era and gives David Tennant a lot to work with. He has a meaningful and properly developed emotional character arc, which is very satisfying. Stories like Midnight and the Waters of Mars take the Doctor to untested places and it’s interesting to see what that makes of him, and the resulting performance that comes from David Tennant. His journey as the Time Lord Victorious and the trajectory of the Tenth Doctor’s descent is simply astounding.
Social media links:
Comments