Doctor Who: EVERY Sonic Screwdriver Ranked Worst To Best

The Doctor is the ultimate hero, and the Sonic Screwdriver is a big reason for that

This is a character who doesn't wield a sword or a gun, well, usually

and instead carries around a screwdriver to fix things. It can also blow stuff up, create bulletproof shields, open doors

and trap people inside paving slabs against their will. Almost every Doctor has carried a Sonic Screwdriver

and there have been plenty of different variations. But which one reigns supreme

Now before we dive in, an honourable mention must go to devices like Romana's Sonic Screwdriver

Six's Sonic Lance, Sarah Jane's Sonic Lipstick, and the Master's Laser Screwdriver

since we're only covering the main Sonic Screwdrivers here. So let's rank them. Worst to best

Number 13. The Second Doctor Sonic. 1968 to 1969. The Sonic Screwdriver was initially conceived as an alternative to a traditional screwdriver

But the original prop wasn't much more exciting than something you'd find in your toolbox

The second Doctor's Sonic was merely an off-the-shelf pen light, comprising a smooth silver tube with a light on the end

A remarkably uninspired choice by today's standards. What's more, Patrick Troughton allegedly lost the intended Sonic Screwdriver prop on location

while filming Fury from the Deep, forcing him to use the only thing he had to hand, a LifeFest safety whistle

And you thought the 15th Doctor's Sonic was a departure? Credit where it's due, the production team pushed the boat out slightly for the Sonic's second appearance in The Dominators

building a gun-like casing for it to sit inside. But it reverted to that plain old pen light for its third and final outing in The War Games

Is there something to be said for having a simpler and stripped-back Sonic? Perhaps

But ultimately, the second Doctor's Sonic just isn't very memorable. Granted, it wasn't used very much, but we can't place it any higher than this

Number 12, The Fifth Doctor's Sonic, 1982 Original model aside, the design of the Sonic remained fairly consistent throughout the classic series

It still took the form of a silver tube, but now with a defined handle and a circular emitter on the top

Within this, there were a handful of distinct models, each with unique decoration

By far the least inspired of these was the Sonic used by the Fifth Doctor

which was simply the Fourth Doctors with a very minor paint job

It failed to make much of an impact, and intentionally so. By this point, the Sonic had earned a reputation for being a get-out-of-jail-free card

so much so that producer John Nathan-Turner decided to ditch it entirely

As such, the Fifth Doctor's Sonic only appeared in a couple of stories

and in a cruel twist of fate, its most memorable moment was its fiery destruction in The Visitation

It's not the ugliest Sonic ever. The white thumb grip is a nice, if pointless, touch

and given how short-lived it was, you can see why they didn't go for something more bespoke

But still, it's too much of a footnote to be a contender for top spot

Number 11, The 15th Doctor Sonic, 2023 to present. December 2023 was a big month for Doctor Who fans

The show's 60th anniversary specials came to a close with the return of the toy maker

Mel, and Trinity Wells, plus the introduction of Bi Generation. If that wasn't enough, the BBC then unveiled the 15th Doctor's sonic screwdriver

a pair of curved discs with a multitude of light-up sections, plus a slide-out yzer and pop-out emitter

It's the most radical redesign so far by quite a margin, but it's also a really cool prop

with some very neat touches like the Rwandan proverb engraved onto the central disc

not to mention all the colour variants we've seen so far. And depressing, though it might be to say

it does sort of feel like a Sonic for our times, in the sense that you hold it like a mobile phone

or a TV remote. However, it still feels weird to refer to it as a Sonic screwdriver. We've already

had a Sonic lance cane and trowel plus the Sonic sunglasses so couldn this have just been its own thing too As things stand 15 Sonic is certainly very nifty but it also undeniably an outlier and is frankly a bit too weird perhaps even a little

ugly, to be up there in the big leagues. 10. The Seventh and Eighth Doctor's Sonic

1996-2013 The Seventh Doctor never had a Sonic in his own era, but when he returned in the 1996

TV movie, his question mark umbrella was gone and the Sonic was back. This new model was essentially

just the standard classic series version with a gold handle ring, a red bullet and no black

detailing. It's more commonly referred to as the 8th Doctor Sonic, though he barely uses it on

screen save for examining Cass's body in The Night of the Doctor. To make matters more confusing

Paul McGann's Doctor uses a different and frankly much cooler model in some expanded media stories

with a steampunk design and blue crystal on top. This is another Sonic that's not really anything to write home about

The recoloured sections are nice enough, but feel like a reaction to the previous designs rather than anything intentional

And having the gold ring on the handle, which is usually obscured by the Doctor's hand

feels like a bit of an oversight. Like the fifth Doctor's device, you can see why they didn't go with something more original

considering how briefly it appears. The core classic series design had definitely had its day by this point

so it's a good job that this was the last iteration. Number 9. The War Doctors Sonic 2013

It's no secret that the day of the Doctor had a bit of a shaky development

due to Christopher Eccleston refusing to return as the ninth Doctor. But in his place we got the wonderful War Doctor

a transitional incarnation who harked back to the senior Doctors of old

while also looking forward to the future. This sentiment was echoed by his Sonic

which was essentially just the standard Silver Classic series model, again with a light-up emitter, a feature which canonically wouldn't be introduced until Rose

Conceptually, the blend of classic and new series elements really works, and points must go to the

production team for bothering to give the War Doctor his own Sonic in the first place when they

could so easily have just given him an existing model. On the whole, it's a nice design, if a

little simple, and by definition not the most original Sonic ever. It served its purpose, but

it's hardly an all-time great. Number 8. The 13th Doctor's Sonic, 2018-2022

Up until the arrival of the 15th Doctor's Sonic, the 13th Doctor's was easily the most controversial

but it actually has a lot going for it. It really fits the organic, crystalline aesthetic of both

the 13th Doctor's TARDIS and her era more broadly. It may be less technological than other iterations

but those glowing amber stripes down the sides make it feel truly alive. It also has something

that most other Sonics have lacked, a backstory. It didn't spring out of the TARDIS ready-made

but was built by the Doctor's own hands, forged from Stenza scraps and Sheffield steel

It's a really cool idea that gives 13's Sonic that extra bit of personality

Overall, it's the Sonic that feels the most like an extension of the Doctor

partly because of its unique origins, partly because of its curved ergonomic handle

and partly because of Jodie Whittaker's trademark wand-style gestures. All that said, it's a little bit lackluster

lacklustre compared to other designs. And although the more organic feel works for the 13th Doctor

the move away from being a gadget with moving parts and other bells and whistles can't help

but feel a little bit like a downgrade. 7. The 14th Doctor's Sonic, 2023

As was the case with the War Doctor, David Tennant's 60th anniversary incarnation was

accompanied by a brand new sonic screwdriver. In concept, this model was the ultimate Sonic

combining the claws and grip of the 11th Doctor's model with the metal ceramic casing of the 10th's

And there are even echoes of the Master's laser screwdriver in the layered gold and silver end cap

But in execution the 14th Doctor Sonic was something of a mixed bag Yes it boasted cool new features like the ability to create holographic readout screens and force field shields but no on reason was ever given for its unique design

and cool though it was to have a Sonic that paid tribute to lots of others, it can't help but feel a tad over-designed, plus weirdly squat and chunky

And did the claws really need to be that far down? It's a suitably special Sonic screwdriver and looked great on screen, but not quite top tier

Number 6, The Fourth Doctor's Sonic, 1973-1981 There are two Sonics that could lay claim to being the greatest classic series model

Just missing out on that accolade is the version introduced in Season 10

which was the first to include a black magnet on the emitter bullet

Otherwise, this is basically just the third Doctor's Sonic with a fully silver body and less black detailing

Though commonly referred to as the Fourth Doctor's Sonic, this variant was actually first used by the third Doctor in Frontier in Space

It's easily the longest-running and most-used Sonic of the classic series, playing as integral a role in the fourth Doctor's era

as his multicoloured scarf and endless supply of jelly babies. And though not hugely extravagant, it didn't need to be

especially when paired with a Doctor as eccentric as Tom Baker. The restrained silver colour scheme and minor embellishments work a treat here

resulting in a timeless, classy prop. That said, it wouldn't have hurt to add another feature or two, just to make this Sonic that little bit more distinctive

And like the 5th and 8th Doctor's models, it's ultimately derivative rather than anything unique or original

Number 5, The 12th Doctor's Second Sonic, 2015-2017 The 12th Doctor favoured a different Sonic device in each of his three series

First came the 11th Doctor's Sonic, which we'll get to in a minute, And then came the Sonic Shades, which were certainly a thing that happened

and we need say nothing more about those. Then at the end of Series 9, Peter Capaldi was granted a Sonic of his own

a beautiful blend of blue, silver, and gold, with a top half that evokes both the TARDIS' time rotor and police box exterior

This is easily the fanciest Sonic of them all, incorporating a ridged activation dial and plenty of other stylish details

From the ergonomic supports on the base to the intricate ornamentation on the sides

It's also the largest and longest model, with the Doctor often balancing it between his fingers rather than holding it fully

Like the 13th Doctor's Sonic though, it could have done with one or two moving parts

And like the 14th Doctor's, it perhaps is a little too elaborate. Arguably the biggest issue with this version is that it looks more like a museum piece

than a practical everyday device. But that's hardly the most damning critique on this list

Overall, this was a fitting Sonic for the 12th Doctor, and it's a shame it only stuck around for one series

Number 4. The 9th and 10th Doctor's Sonic, 2005-2010 As mentioned, the Sonic largely stuck to the same basic template in the classic series before disappearing altogether in 1982

That template changed when Doctor Who returned in 2005, with the Sonic, like every other aspect of the show, receiving a complete overhaul

overhaul. The model we ended up with was the first to properly feel like a functioning tool

adopting a sturdy, streamlined design with unprecedented features, most notably a sliding

central column allowing for open and closed modes and a light-up blue emitter. It was also the first

Sonic to slot into the show's wider aesthetic, with the cracked ceramic handle cleverly evoking

the finish on the TARDIS console and conveying the fact that the Doctor's trusty device is

like his ship, an ancient piece of Time Lord technology. In both these regards, it set the

template for every variant that has followed, and unlike some of those later models, it's not too

elaborate or overstated. The only real complaint is that it's a little on the small side, occasionally

disappearing into the Doctor hand No wonder the Doctor 11th regeneration compensated Number 3 River Song Sonic 2008 A number of Sonic devices appeared in the 10th Doctor era from the laser screwdriver to the Sonic pen

But the greatest of them all was the future Sonic screwdriver carried by River Song upon her final meeting with the Doctor in Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead

At the time, the idea of a future Sonic belonging to some as-yet-unseen Doctor was unbelievably cool

and the design fully played into this, taking the template of the 9th and 10th Doctor's device

and giving it a more distinctive appearance, with an alternative red setting and various additional components

It was as if the Doctor really had taken his own Sonic, augmented it, and passed it on to River

Of course, we now know that the reality was slightly different, but that doesn't take away from this Sonic's most breathtaking feature

the neural relay chip that, in a wonderfully timey-wimey twist, allows the Doctor to save his future wife

It's a cool model as it is, but the fact that it's also the Doctor and River's relationship in a nutshell

and what makes it all possible in the first place, is what really earns it a place in the top three

Number 2, The Third Doctor's Sonic, 1971-1973 Though introduced in the Second Doctor's era

the Sonic only really came into its own alongside John Pertwee. He wasn't granted a model of his own immediately

though we do see the Doctor and Liz use a suspiciously Sonic-esque device to open doors in Inferno

But the one he did eventually end up with starting in Colony in Space was a huge improvement on the original

A proper, looks-the-part gadget with distinctive yellow and black stripes on the upper half

and thick black detailing on the handle. Admittedly, it was still part of the trend of the production team skimping on prop design

due to using elements from Jerry Anderson Productions as its basis, which means that the Sonic screwdriver has technically featured in Thunderbirds

but the design is so good that it doesn't matter. And even if it wasn't, anything would have been better than a pen light, let's be honest

This Sonic established the silver-body, ringed emitter and suspended bullet template that would endure until the 2005 revival

It was also the first to be placed front and centre, not just being used to open doors, but to ward off monsters like Sea Devils and Drashix

is easily the snazziest and most iconic Sonic of the classic era

Oh, that's fun to say. Iconic Sonic. Iconic Sonic. Hmm. Number one, the 11th and 12th Doctor's Sonic, 2010 to 2015

Matt Smith had big shoes to fill when he took over as the Doctor, as did the production team, which had the impossible task of improving upon the show's iconography

including an immensely successful Sonic screwdriver. It's a brief they delivered on and then some

creating a whimsical new model that surpasses those that came before it

and those that have come since. The Eleventh Doctor's Sonic has everything

from a cohesive, stylish design, combining a copper and silver body with a leather grip and a green emitter

to thrillingly tactile extending claws. It's both beautiful to look at and demanding to be picked up and played with

No wonder Eleven couldn't resist flicking it around every five minutes. Like the previous Sonic, this one also is designed as an extension of the console room

and it successfully mirrors that more playful feel, yet still looks sophisticated and elegant

It's a tricky balancing act, but they pulled it off beautifully. Of course, this Sonic was briefly retained by the Twelfth Doctor

but it undoubtedly worked best with the Eleventh, perfectly complementing his first TARDIS interior and boundless personality

It was a total triumph and it will take something very special to knock it from top spot

Okay, yeah, this one's kind of cool, but come on. This one is just so much better

It's even got red settings. This one's my winner. I don't care what this list says

This one wins. Rivers wins. Okay