Doctor Who: EVERY Doctor Ranked Worst To Best

Once upon a time, life was simple, and there was just one Doctor

But since then, we've had fugitives, warriors, faces in holograms, faces on screens

timeless children, and probably several other possible Doctors I can't even think of right now

But anyway, with the wait for our next Doctor at least one year away, and November being the anniversary of a certain show about a space wizard in a blue police box

now's a pretty good time to assess all the main Doctors we've seen so far

Now before we begin, it goes without saying that this is one of the most subjective topics among Doctor Who fans

Every Doctor is fantastic in their own way, but someone has to be last and someone has to be first

Many of you won't agree with this list, and that's absolutely fine, how I don't agree with everything on this list

But let's have a respectful debate in the comments, shall we? And we do want to hear your rankings too, so why not drop them in the comments section while you're there

First up, a couple of honourable mentions. It wouldn't be fair to compare the War and Fugitive Doctors to their full-time counterparts

but it also wouldn't be fair to leave them out entirely. The War Doctor is the embodiment of necessity being the mother of invention

When Christopher Eccleston refused to return for the 50th anniversary special in 2013

Stephen Moffat opted to introduce a whole other incarnation between 8 and 9

It was an audacious move, but John Hurt was so good as an older, gruffer Doctor that no one batted an eyelid

and casting an actor who could theoretically have played the part during the Wilderness Years was inspired

Fast forward seven years and Chris Chibnall introduced another additional incarnation, whose placement has never been officially confirmed

though it's heavily implied that she comes before William Hartnell. She might only have had a handful of appearances

but Jo Martin instantly won fans over as the Fugitive Doctor, giving us a glimpse of a sterner and more serious incarnation opposite the joyful Jodie Whittaker

And while we're here, shout out to the endless one-off Doctors too. The Morbius Doctors, the Metacrisis Doctor, the Master Doctor

not to mention the ones that have appeared outside the main canon. Richard E. Grant, Rowan Atkinson, Joanna Lumley and the rest

But that's a rabbit hole for another time. Let's get going, shall we? Coming in at number 15, The Fifth Doctor

The Fifth Doctor was a big departure from his predecessors. Adopting a younger body and a calmer demeanour

he generally felt less in control, constantly quarrelling with his companions and struggling to make a difference

in an increasingly violent, nihilistic universe. Did it work? Sort of. Peter Davison provided a marked contrast

to the moody, sombre Doctor that Tom Baker had become by the time he departed

And there was an attempt to tie everything up thematically in his final stories

particularly the Caves of Androzani, which sees the Doctor give his life to save a woman he's just met

Ultimately, though, and this isn't to sound too harsh, but he's just a bit bland

And then there's his costume. Admittedly, it's become iconic in its own right

Doctor Who fans haven't looked at celery in the same way since. But the combination of cricketer kit and decorative vegetable is undeniably odd

and doesn't exactly scream, I am the Doctor and I'm going to save you all

That said, as the youngest actor to play the role until Matt Smith came along

kudos must go to Davison for proving that the Doctor doesn't have to be a man in his 40s or 50s

And he was one of David Tennant's favourites. So he must have done something, right? 14. The Eighth Doctor

The Eighth Doctor has many fans and proved influential in so many ways

He was a much more human doctor than the ones before him, plus the first to be characterised as a romantic hero and the first to kiss his companion

However, he only actually got one full story, most of which he spends in a post-regenerative haze

Paul McGann's performance is compelling and there's plenty to enjoy about Eighth's characterisation

from his infectious love of life to the cheeky nod that he's half-human on his mother's side

He's also a Doctor that feels particularly British, partly due to everything around him being so American

but it's not quite enough to rank him any higher than this, which is a shame as McGann had so much potential

Thankfully, Eight has had plenty of time and space to develop off-screen in the expanded universe

This has led to returns in The Night of the Doctor and The Power of the Doctor

with the former offering us a grittier, warier take on his incarnation at the end of his life

In a way, then, McGahn has never really stopped playing the part

and despite his lack of screen time, he feels as proper as any other Doctor

Number 13. The Third Doctor By the end of the 1960s, there was a suggestion that Doctor Who should wind down

But the show bounced back with a radical new format, involving a suave, more action-oriented Doctor who was stranded on Earth

The Third Doctor was a reassuring presence who is fondly remembered by many. His bromances

with the Master and Brigadier being particular highlights of the era. There are other aspects

though, such as his love of vehicles and Venusian Aikido, which work fine in context and are

a perfect fit for John Pertwee but ultimately feel more James Bond than Doctor Who Which is unsurprising given that Bond was clearly an influence on this incarnation That said there are two things we can fault about the third Doctor His love of

science and gadgets, which would be a major influence on the character going forward

and his impeccable dress sense. Let's have a Doctor Who wears capes again. Please make it happen

12. The Sixth Doctor The Sixth Doctor rubbed many viewers the wrong way when he burst onto screens in 1984

and there were certainly some missteps with this incarnation. Having him try to strangle Perry probably wasn't the best idea

even if it was just a side effect of his regeneration. And his constant bickering with her does grow tiresome quite quickly

Ending his debut story with him telling viewers that he's the Doctor whether you like it or not also wasn't a great look

But underneath the bold personality and even bolder multicoloured coat is a fascinating take on the character

which brought back some of the spikiness and unpredictability of William Hartnell

The plan was to soften him over time. However, Colin Baker was sacked before he got a chance to see it through

He's since made up for it, enjoying a massive renaissance on audio. But the foundations were laid in his original stories, and that shouldn't be overlooked

His debates with Davros in Revelation of the Daleks and righteous anger in being put on trial in Trial of a Time Lord

are particular highlights that demonstrate how engaging the Sixth Doctor could be

He's by no means perfect. No Doctor is. but Six was undeniably done dirty and doesn't get the praise he deserves

Number 11. The 15th Doctor It still feels weird to say that Shuti Gatwa is no longer the Doctor

Though never officially acknowledged, it's all but confirmed that his era was cut short

And regrettably, that's part of the reason why he's not higher. We never got to see this Doctor's story culminate as intended

and Gatwa clearly had so much more to give. That's not to downplay what we did get, though

Character-wise, the Fifteenth Doctor was arguably the biggest shake-up since the Ninth

Carefree, cheeky and charming, with a new costume every episode, or sometimes every scene

and both hearts firmly on his sleeve. For those who like their Doctors more consistently dressed and less emotionally available

it was a reimagining too far. But it was a distinctive take on the role

and you could feel Gatwa settling more into his portrayal throughout his second season

Fifteen wasn't without more serious, steely moments either, with Gatwa rising to the challenge in stories like Boom and Lucky Day

Though some beats, such as the Doctor's angst in Joy to the World, felt rehashed and at odds with the idea of a Doctor who had undergone therapy

Hopefully, one day he'll get a bit more development, perhaps in the expanded universe

But the fact that his era ended the way it did will never not be frustrating

Number 10. The First Doctor Pitting the original Doctor alongside his successors always feels weird

He set the template for every Doctor that has followed, and yet he's also not quite the version of the character that we know and love today

Echoing Doctor Who's own origins as a show that should both educate and entertain

the first Doctor was a traditional Victorian-slash-Edwardian adventurer, simply out to explore the universe

Stern and stubborn, he nevertheless had a twinkle in his eye, plus a grandfatherly warmth incorporating elements of Father Christmas and The Wizard of Oz

This was also the Doctor at his most mysterious, unencumbered by the lore additions that would come later

and in some respects would weigh down and overcomplicate the show and the character

Regrettably, William Hartnell's ailing health impacted his performance as time went on

resulting in regular line fluffs which are nevertheless charming in hindsight a reduced role in later stories

and ultimately his departure from the show. In the years following, other actors and writers

would develop the character of the Doctor Moore but none of that would have been possible

if Hartnell and co hadn't created such a compelling character in the first place

Number 9. The 14th Doctor When David Tennant returned for the 60th anniversary

it would have been so easy to just have him play the 10th Doctor again

with his older appearance explained away as a temporal distortion, or something along those lines

Fortunately for us, Russell T. Davis delivered something altogether more interesting. A second David Tennant Doctor, who comes directly after 13

and carries the weight of everything that has happened in between. There are traces of Ten, but Fourteen is a very different man

more mature, more sophisticated and more relaxed with his emotions. This idea reaches its climax in The Giggle

when he's granted a more hopeful end rather than a rehash of the Tenth Doctor's regeneration

His arc was necessarily constrained to three episodes, but you can't help but wish he'd been given a full season or even a full era

The way he's written and played, with Tennant bringing an old-school doctor-y gravitas to the table

plus an extra 13 years of experience, makes it a more satisfying performance than 10 in some respects

And some might say that his costume is even better. Of course, 14 has a better reason than any other to return to the show

so we've not necessarily seen the last of this incarnation yet. 8 The Second Doctor Arguably no doctor has had such a difficult job as Patrick Troughton did He achieved the impossible not just taking over from Hartnell

but becoming a successful Doctor in his own right, proving that Doctor Who could continue

and that its title role could be played by other actors. This was largely due to the fact that Troughton and the writers

evolved the character rather than repeating what had gone before. The Second Doctor was scruffier and sillier than his predecessor

displaying a more rebellious streak and an impish glee. However, his bumbling clownish persona was to an extent a facade

to mask his true intelligence and cunning. And whereas before the Doctor had always been something of an aimless traveller

this was the incarnation who consciously chose to rid the universe of evil

In his own era, this eventually resulted in his time-travelling rights being revoked by the Time Lords

But beyond this, it's informed every subsequent interpretation of the character, becoming an integral part of the Doctor's mission statement

as with Hartnell, if we hadn't had so many imaginative portrayals of the Doctors since

Troughton would definitely be higher. Indeed, many of the Doctors who came after him cite him

as their favourite. He's one of my personal favourites, and if I'd written this list, he definitely would have been higher, just saying

7. The Tenth Doctor If you ask someone on the street who the best Doctor is, chances are they'll say David Tennant

Although please don't just walk up to random people in the street and ask them about Doctor Who

Though not present from the start of Revived Who, he's the one who took it into the stratosphere

And given that he was a lifelong Doctor Who fan who also happened to be a charmer, it's not hard to see why

The Tenth Doctor benefited from both a distinctive trendy appearance, with his spiky hair, sideburns, trench coat, pinstripe suit, Converse trainers and geek chic glasses

and compelling characterisation. Having been affected by Rose, he's more human and easygoing than his immediate predecessor

even enjoying the odd romance. He could also be ignorant, arrogant, and overconfident

For instance, in his treatment of Martha in Series 3, his attempt to take control in Midnight

and his crusade against time in the waters of Mars. This less likable behaviour is seen as grating by some

while Ten's overall popularity means that he's inevitably accused of being overrated by others

But he was undeniably a great Doctor, and deservedly ranks in the upper echelons of any list like this

Again, if this was my personal ranking, then Ten would take top spot

but I think nostalgia plays a big part in that. Number six, The Ninth Doctor

Doctor Who's return to TV in 2005 was something of a crossroads moment

The show could have floundered and failed, but it didn't. The decision to move away from the lofty, eccentric Doctors of the classic series

and make the character a northern man with a leather jacket and a buzz cut

was a huge part of this. Nine was nothing short of groundbreaking

bringing the Doctor right down to earth for 21st century viewers. He was still alien, but in a way that was less obvious, less conspicuous, and less distracting

The perfect Doctor at the perfect time. Another aspect that made this Doctor relatable was his backstory

The Doctor of the classic series was always someone who lived in the present, but the ninth Doctor had a past, and a troubled one at that

albeit one that he was eventually able to overcome with the help of Rose. He's another Doctor that left under something of a cloud

However, on this occasion, the production team had enough notice to accommodate his exit properly

The silver lining is that he didn't outstay his welcome. His tenure was short but sweet, just 13 weeks

and he has the distinction of being the only mainline incarnation to not have played the role across multiple years

Yet. Number 5. The Seventh Doctor Following the sacking of Colin Baker

Doctor Who could have descended into complete chaos in the late 1980s

But against all the odds, the show managed to turn things around, with quirky comedy performer Sylvester McCoy

cast as a darker and more complex Doctor. The Seventh Doctor was essentially an extension of

the Second, outwardly clownish but cool and calculating at heart, manipulating events like

pieces on a chessboard for the sake of the greater good. The greater good. Sorry, I couldn't help

myself. He starts off silly but gradually shows more of his true colours, forcing his companion

Ace to confront her troubled past, then admitting that he engineered their very first meeting in

order to use her as a pawn against an ancient evil. Elsewhere, there were hints towards the

Doctor's own past too, part of a concerted effort on the part of script editor Andrew Cartmel to

reintroduce an element of mystery to the character, hence his question mark pullover and umbrella

The show's cancellation in 1989 curtailed plans to take things further by revealing that the Doctor

was in fact a founding figure of Time Lord society. Even so, Seven's arc doesn't feel incomplete

On the contrary, this was a revolutionary take on the character that remains wonderfully enigmatic

When he flips that switch and you see his darker side emerge, there really isn't another Doctor like him

4. The Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker was facing an uphill battle when she took on the role in 2017

But together with Chris Chibnall she gave us the most enthusiastic optimistic Doctor yet bringing warmth energy and humour in spades Thirteen was a beacon of hope at a time when the real world was getting more and more turbulent particularly during a certain global event that happened in 2020

Though let down by the writing for some of her stories, Whittaker herself was a joy to watch

It felt like this was the sort of Doctor the show needed at this time, with the revival being dominated by much angstier Doctors

and darker storylines up to this point. In fact, you could argue that this 12 into 13 shift

bridged by 12 rediscovering his purpose, in Twice Upon a Time, was a much better look at a Doctor having undergone therapy than what we

just saw with 14 and 15. There was also a sense that 13 was the beating heart of the universe

constantly racing against time in order to keep everything together, quite literally in the case

of Swarm and Azure. Due to the frustratingly long space between seasons, by the time she departed

in 2022, she'd had one of the longest tenures ever. It was a fitting achievement for one of

the show's more groundbreaking incarnations. Number three, The Force Doctor. The other doctor

that regularly tops best doctor lists is Tom Baker, whose portrayal won over viewers up and

down the country during his record-breaking seven-year tenure. Baker's detached aloof nature

as well as his unruly curls, booming voice and big grin, made him perfect for the role. Indeed

in behind-the-scenes interviews, it's often difficult to work out where the doctor ends

and Tom Baker Begins. He wasn't the same Doctor throughout, though. On the contrary, his characterisation shifted

under different producers and script editors, from wide-eyed and eccentric to frivolous and witty

to brooding and mournful. But generally speaking, he was bohemian, somewhat intimidating, and utterly alien

an incarnation who, by contrast to his earthbound predecessor, is at his happiest when he's venturing through time and space

There's also his playful streak, manifested most strongly through his tendency to offer jelly babies to everyone he meets

and his unpractically long multicoloured scarf, which hilariously actually gets longer as the era goes on

50 years on from his debut, Baker remains as popular as ever

For many, he's never been matched. Now, he's not quite topped this list

but when it comes to the best classic Doctor, there's no competition, really

Number two, the 11th Doctor. In theory, following David Tennant was always going to be a tall order

but in practice, the show struck gold with Matt Smith. The Eleventh Doctor is a combination of unlikely elements, a thousand-year-old Time Lord in the body of a twenty-something with a great big quiff and the wardrobe of a university professor

Yet, Smith absolutely sold it, serving up a quirky yet alluring performance and single-handedly making tweed jackets, bow ties, fezzes and stetsons cool

As well as Smith, much of Eleven's success was down to the way he was written

Elements of the Doctor's personality that were present before, his intelligence, his eccentricity, his childlike wonder, were dialed up to Eleven

resulting in an incarnation who's intellectually one step ahead yet easily distracted and utterly hopeless at reading social cues

It was an incredibly fun mix and it's no surprise Smith struck the global chord that he did

This was also the beginning of Stephen Moffat's examination of the Doctor's ego

with his opinion of himself and his place in the universe constantly questioned

It's weighty stuff for a children's TV show but made for fascinating viewing across a satisfying three-series arc

All these years later, the love for Eleven is more apparent than ever, and if Tennant can come back, surely he can too

Number 1. The Twelfth Doctor Following Matt Smith's own departure, Moffat went to the opposite end of the scale

casting the oldest Doctor yet, Peter Capaldi. The result was an incarnation that embodies the character better than any other

not least because Capaldi, like Tennant, is a massive Doctor Who fan

and was able to incorporate shades of old Doctors in his performance. He also had the best character development of any Doctor

starting off as prickly and intense, but softening over time. Basically, the sixth Doctor's arc done right

A big part of this was the continuation of the character destruction introduced in the Smith era

Underneath the often blunt, sarcastic exterior, Twelve struggles to see himself as a good man

both because of the harsh choices he has to make and the high standards he holds himself to

As a result, he's also one of the more mature Doctors, recognizing when he's gone too far, such as when saving Clara in Hellbent

and deciding that ultimately all that really matters is being kind. It's Moffat's interpretation of the Doctor distilled

that they're not a hero per se, rather a traveler passing through and doing their best

Add to that Capaldi's classy, sophisticated performance, and you have something truly special

Twelve really was a Doctor for the ages, and he deservedly tops this list

And that concludes our list. Now, this particular ranking was written by our wonderful writer, Richard Lloyd

And as I said at the beginning, my opinions are slightly different, as I'm sure yours are as well

So do let us know your personal ranking in the comments down below. But remember, be kind to one another

It's okay if we have different views. That's absolutely fine. In the meantime, I've been Ellie for Who Culture

And in the words of Riversong herself, goodbye, sweeties