The best doctor who quotes from each of the 17 doctors

Doctor Who
s Broad Legacy has seen many actors tackle the role of the Doctor, with Incredible dialogue to punctuate each new Doctor’s time on the TARDIS. Although the show had humble beginnings in 1963 as a brand new sci-fi series from ​​the BBC, no one involved at the time could have predicted how far the time traveling show would extend into the future. Over time, it became essential family viewing for many people across the UK, before general enthusiasm for the show died down in the late 1980s.

However, because of the show’s influence for more than two decades, there were many lifelong fans who would love to see it continue. Despite a failed reboot attempt in 1996, another effort was made in 2005 to bring the show back to its former glory. Thanks to the talents of incredible showrunners, and especially the actors who played the Doctor, It lives on now The longest-running sci-fi TV show of all timeAnd it found a global audience. But none of it would have been possible without the “mad man in a box,” the Doctor, who inspire, delight and consistently blow the audience away.

1

“I don’t step up. But I keep promises. And I tell you that I will cause you more trouble than you have calculated… if you do not return my property!”!

The First Doctor – William Hartnell

During the earliest days of Doctor Who, the show was still finding its way and laying the foundations that would carry the show through the decades. With William Hartnell in the hotseat, The doctor was a big, strong, even wiser older man.

He chose to travel with young companions, including his granddaughter, as he traveled the universe exploring. “The Sensorites” was a serial that was early on, and it did a fantastic job in highlighting the Doctor’s more dangerous side, as he confronted a terrifying race of aliens head on, despite his apparent weakness.

2

“An unknown enemy is far less dangerous than an intelligent one, Jamie. Just act stupid. Do you think you can handle that?”

The Second Doctor – Patrick Troughton

Once the Doctor settles into his second regeneration, played by Patrick Troughton, he finds dear friends to travel with him for almost all of this section of his life. One such friend was Jamie, who to this day remains the Doctor’s longest-running companion.

At the beginning of season 6, in the serial “The Dominators”, the Doctor was faced with a number of dangerous enemies, including the Dominators and the Quarks. In order to disguise the threat they may pose to the invaders, the Doctor tries to encourage Jamie to essentially ‘play dumb.’ The harsh delivery and the underlying care in the message are distinct aspects of the doctor’s love for his companions.

3

“Courage isn’t just a matter of not being afraid, you know. It’s being afraid and doing what you have to do, anyway.”

The Third Doctor – Jon Pertwee

For many fans of the classic Doctor Who era, Jon Pertwee was the iconic super-spy Doctor. Due to being trapped on Earth, working with a secret military organization called UNIT, and the Doctor’s array of gadgets and his beloved car, he is often compared to characters like James Bond.

This spilled over into the picture when Pertwee made the Doctor more agile and willing to run towards danger, but as the above quote from “Planet of the Daleks” shows, The calm exterior was not always a reflection of his deep concerns. But, like any good super spy, or like the Doctor, he faces his fears head on.

4

“You may be a doctor, but I’m the doctor. The definite article, you might say!”

The Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker

The Fourth Doctor is widely seen as a fan-favorite Doctor during the classic era, with his more boisterous nature making him stand out, and his odd quirks highlighting how distinctly alien he is.

Tom Baker’s image was one that defined the show during this early period, and as such, The line in the serial, “Robot,” is a perfect example of his bravadoWhich allowed him to take over the role in a way that made it seem like he was always supposed to play the character.

5

“You know how it is – you put things away for a day, and next thing you know, it’s a hundred years later.”

The Fifth Doctor – Peter Davison

However, when it came to Peter Davison’s time on the TARDIS, his portrayal of the Doctor was noticeably different. Where Baker proved an obvious alien among humans, Davison’s Fifth Doctor yearned to fit in, and be accepted by the humans.

In this pursuit, he was often reliable-minded, reflecting on serious thoughts as chaos danced around him. This line from “Ark of Infinity” reveals a lot about his mind As the now ancient Doctor finds himself more reflective than ever before.

6

“This is a situation that requires tact and finesse. Fortunately, I am blessed with both!”

The Sixth Doctor – Colin Baker

Where the Fifth Doctor thought long and hard about his actions, and his mistakes, the Sixth Doctor, played by Colin Baker, once again found a completely different approach. for whatever reason, The Sixth Doctor was significantly more self-assured and confident Like no doctor before them.

It’s not unfair to say that while the Doctor is absolutely brilliant, he comes across as proud and conceited in his boastful words and reckless actions. However, as seen in “Terror of the Werevoids,” the Sixth Doctor tends to see nothing but the best in himself.

7

“Think of me as you live your life one day after another, all in a neat pattern. Think of the homeless traveler and his old police box, with his days like mad paving.”

The Seventh Doctor – Sylvester McCoy

By the time Sylvester McCoy took the reins to play the Seventh Doctor, the stranger had become tired, tired, and he often sought joy by playing pranks and his deception. But, under the tough shell, he has some touching moments like He looked longingly at his companions and at the other people at the simplicity of their existence.

In “Dragonfire,” he made these feelings clear, as he compared the linear life cycles of humans to his own, fractured and disorganized life leaping across the timeline.

8

“I love people. Always seeing patterns in things that aren’t there.”

The Eighth Doctor – Paul McGann

In terms of Paul McGann’s time on screen as the Doctor, it was precious little of his Eighth Doctor. Initially, McGann appeared only in 1996 Doctor Who TV movie. Fortunately, he returned to Audio Adventures, and even made a few special guest appearances on the show.

But in the movie where he appeared, McGann’s most memorable line comes as he sets himself apart from the humans With the above comment. Although it offers an air of appreciation, it is also very condescending, as the doctor has embraced their differences from the humans.

9

“Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame. Whatever the cost.”

The War Doctor – John Hurt

Likewise, the Doctor who canonically followed McGann was only present in one special feature-length adventure. “The Day of the Doctor” featured a very special version of the Doctor that helped set up the story, creating a distinct separation between the classic era and the modern day NuWho.

As the War Doctor, Hurt became the warrior who could win the Time War, and wipe out the Daleks, but this was a departure from the Doctors who came before or after. In the aftermath of his regeneration, The doctor helped a lot of grief and traumaBut there were brighter days ahead for the “[man] Forged in fire.”

10

“Just this once, every life!”

The Ninth Doctor – Christopher Eccleston

Right after the War Doctor, Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor was the next regeneration that had to handle his actions from the Time War. The Ninth Doctor was raw and full of emotion, having defeated all the Time Lords, and exterminated the Dalek race as he presumed.

Fortunately, his warrior past only pushed him to further embrace his namesake as the Doctor, and strive to save as many people as he can. This is best seen In “The Doctor Dances,” when he manages to find a solution that saves everyone Who he thought he lost in that two-part adventure.

11

“[Time] is more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, time-wimmy stuff.”

The Tenth Doctor – David Tennant

The Central Doctor went through grief and experienced a combination of burning hot anger, along with wonderfully joyful silliness. David Tennant’s Doctor is known for his monologues, his fast speech and his brilliant intellect. however, Despite his extraordinary intelligence, he really likes to explain his theories in the simplest possible language.

This was the reason he delivered the iconic “wobbly-wobbly, time-wimmy stuff” line in “Blink,” which defines his era and remains one of his most memorable lines.

12

– Hello, I’m the doctor, basically… run!

The Eleventh Doctor – Matt Smith

Like Tom Baker in the classic era Doctor WhoMatt Smith was another actor who hit the ground running as the Eleventh Doctor. After a period with Tennant, a huge fan-favorite actor in the role, Smith was able to join the show and convince everyone watching at home that despite his youth and his new face, he was the Doctor.

This can be seen in its premiere episode, “The Eleventh Hour.” As he gathers his thoughts and figures out his distinct identity as the Doctor, before confronting a menacing alien with the above line. The moment sent shivers down the spine of the huge alien, and everyone watched along.

13

“Never be cruel, never be covered. […] Hate is always stupid, love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be good. ”

The Twelfth Doctor – Peter Capaldi

Meanwhile, the Twelfth Doctor was another huge change as the Doctor went from the youngest actor in the role, to the oldest in the modern era. Peter Capaldi was a big departure from Matt Smith’s Doctor in terms of his personality and dialogue, but it was helped by keeping the same showrunner in both Doctor’s eras, Steven Moffat.

As a result, Capaldi’s Doctor embraced his older persona and wisdom, and often delivered speeches that dug deep into the Doctor’s centuries of wisdom. All this was achieved in such a way that in his last appearance in “Twice a Time,” the The Twelfth Doctor delivered his most powerful and beautiful speech as he began to regenerate At thirteen.

14

“If I was still a guy, I could get on with the job and not have to waste time defending myself.”

The Thirteenth Doctor – Jodie Whitaker

Another huge change came when Jodie Whittaker took over the role as the Thirteenth Doctor, officially becoming The first woman to play the Doctor. While this was an incredible moment in the Doctor’s journey, and one that saw them tackle challenges in a whole variety of new ways, it also came with its own set of challenges.

The Thirteenth Doctor pointed this out In the episode “The Witchfinders,” which saw them fighting against a group of 17th century heretics who accused some extraordinary women of being Vichy. This includes the Doctor, and is obviously frustrating, but they managed to overcome the challenges and come out on top.

15

“I fought all these battles for all these years, and now I know why. This. I have never been so happy in my life.”

The Fourteenth Doctor – David Tennant

David Tennant was also the only actor to ever play the Doctor twice, as seen in the three 60th anniversary special episodes released in 2023. During this brief return, the Fourteenth Doctor has a clear connection to his past, both Because of his repeated appearance, but also because of the presence of villains like the toymaker with whom he met in “The Giggle”.

This led to the Doctor bi-generating, creating two different versions of the Doctor and allowed Fourteen to live a life of peace and tranquilityAwarded for his long life of action for the greater good.

16

“We’re all dead eventually. There’s hardly any time we’re not dead. Which is a good thing, too! We have to keep the pace up, otherwise nothing gets done. Dying defines us.”

The Fifteenth Doctor – Nkuti Gotwa

On the other side of this two-generation, Ncuti Gatwa appeared as The new action-ready and energetic Fifteenth Doctor. Of course, the past allowed him to run fast to an unknown future, but it also meant that Fifteen had a greater connection to his own mortality and the effects of his long life.

In “Boom,” he utters this incredibly insightful line about deathExplain the sheer vastness of it, and in many ways, it helps connect him to people. Because ultimately, whether in 100 years or 10,000, everyone dies, and time passes without them.

17

“No time to be tired. Still work to do there. Lives at stake. Armies are born. People need the Doctor”

The Fugitive Doctor – Jo Martin

Finally, we have one of the most mysterious Doctors to appear on the show in multiple episodes, Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor. After learning the truth about her own history and countless other lives and forgotten lives, Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor realizes the truth about the fugitive Doctor they met earlier in their timeline.

The controversial Doctor Who episode, “The Timeless Children,” explored the connection to the other incarnations, and saw Martin return to deliver her best line in the role, Helping to get Thirteen back in action And see their incredible worth as the Doctor.