Movies & TV
Doctor Who Tier List Maker
Rank the Doctors of Doctor Who, from William Hartnell and Tom Baker to David Tennant, Matt Smith and Ncuti Gatwa.
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Meet every Doctor (16)
These 16 Doctors load into the maker above. Each write-up covers what the Doctor is and what to weigh when you rank it. Facts were last checked on .
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First Doctor (William Hartnell)
The original incarnation of the Doctor, played by William Hartnell in the first three series from 1963 to 1966, and again in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors.
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Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton)
Patrick Troughton's Doctor was the first to portray regeneration, then called "renewal." He was an outwardly scruffy, light-hearted, bumbling "cosmic hobo" who used a comical demeanor to manipulate his enemies.
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Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee)
Jon Pertwee played a dapper man of action. His early stories left the Doctor stranded on Earth in exile as a scientific advisor to the military group UNIT, as a punishment from the Time Lords.
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Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker)
Tom Baker's Doctor is whimsical and sometimes brooding, with enormous warmth tempered by righteous anger. His companions included the journalist Sarah Jane Smith, the warrior Leela and the robotic dog K9.
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Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison)
Peter Davison played the Doctor with a vulnerable side and a tendency toward indecisiveness, dressed as a boyish Edwardian cricketer. His companions included Adric, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough and Peri.
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Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker)
Colin Baker's Doctor was conceived with producer John Nathan-Turner as arrogant and abrasive, in flamboyant, mismatched, brightly colored clothes. He appeared in two seasons, starting regularly with The Twin Dilemma in 1984.
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Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy)
Sylvester McCoy played a whimsical, thoughtful Doctor who became more layered, secretive and manipulative. He first appeared in 1987, and his companions included Ace, an explosives expert who became his protégée.
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Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann)
Paul McGann portrays the Eighth Doctor, who was introduced in the 1996 TV film Doctor Who, a back-door pilot produced in an unsuccessful attempt to relaunch the series.
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War Doctor (John Hurt)
Played by the English actor John Hurt, he precedes Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor in the fictional chronology, though his first onscreen appearance came eight years after the Ninth Doctor's.
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Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston)
Christopher Eccleston portrayed the Ninth Doctor during the first series of the show's revival in 2005, which introduced a new generation of viewers to the series.
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Tenth Doctor (David Tennant)
David Tennant's Doctor is an outwardly charismatic and charming adventurer whose easygoing attitude can turn to righteous fury when provoked. He appears in three series and nine specials.
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Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Matt Smith's Doctor is quick-tempered but compassionate, with a youthful appearance at odds with a world-weary temperament. His episodes used time travel for non-sequential stories over a four-year character arc.
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Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi)
The Scottish actor Peter Capaldi played a spiky, brusque, contemplative and pragmatic Doctor who conceals his emotions while making tough, sometimes ruthless decisions. He appears in three series and four specials.
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Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker)
Jodie Whittaker is the first woman to portray the Doctor, in three series, five specials and a cameo in the fifteenth series. She plays the Thirteenth Doctor on the BBC.
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Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant)
David Tennant, who previously played the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2010 and again in 2013, returned as the protagonist of the 2023 specials as the Fourteenth Doctor.
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Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa)
Ncuti Gatwa is the first Black man and first openly queer actor in the role. The Fifteenth Doctor emerged through "bi-generation," splitting from the Fourteenth Doctor, and is more emotionally open than many predecessors.
Doctor Who tier list questions
Who are the Doctors on this list?
The list has 16 entries, from William Hartnell's First Doctor in 1963 to Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor. It includes the War Doctor and the Fourteenth Doctor, who is played by David Tennant again.
Why are there two David Tennant entries?
Tennant played the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2010 and returned in 2013, and then he came back as the Fourteenth Doctor for the 2023 specials, so the list has both incarnations.
How should I rank the Doctors?
Common criteria include the actor's performance, the stories of their era, their companions and the personality of the incarnation. Many fans only rank the Doctors whose episodes they have actually watched.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these references on .