Doctor Who: Every Regeneration Ranked Worst To Best
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00:00Regenerations are such an important part to Doctor Who and actually such a clever way
00:05of keeping the show fresh and also avoiding that awkward moment when an actor is suddenly
00:10replaced and you're like, hang on a second, that's not the same person.
00:14Now obviously, this October we were treated to another long-awaited regeneration as we
00:19saw Jodie Whittaker stand down as the 13th Doctor, so actually now feels like the perfect
00:24time to take a look at every regeneration in Doctor Who and rank them.
00:29So are you ready to see a lot of orangey-yellow light, because there's about to be a lot
00:34of it.
00:35With that in mind, I'm Ellie with WhoCulture, here with every regeneration ranked from worst
00:40to best.
00:4114.
00:43The Third Doctor in Planet of the Spiders
00:46Left stranded on Earth due to the actions of his former self, most of the Third Doctor's
00:50adventures take place on our home planet alongside Unit.
00:53They also feature a bright yellow car called Bessie and John Pertwee doing a lot of karate.
00:58Yeah, this was a weird time for the show.
01:01Eventually, Pertwee's Doctor does get his TARDIS back, but this proves to be his ultimate
01:05undoing.
01:06He travels to a planet inhabited by giant spiders and destroys them all using the energy
01:10of a special crystal, but unfortunately he too is caught in the blast, which triggers
01:15his regeneration.
01:16Unfortunately, though, his actual final scene takes place under much less dramatic circumstances.
01:22The Doctor manages to pilot the TARDIS back to Earth, collapsing in his lab with Sarah
01:26Jane and the Brigadier present.
01:28They then receive a visit from the Doctor's former mentor, who sort of looks like Lakitu
01:32from Mario Kart.
01:33The mentor guides the humans through the process before fading away as Pertwee's face changes
01:38into Tom Baker's.
01:39It's hardly the most exciting regeneration in history, and the presence of a bloke floating
01:44on a cloud only complicates things further.
01:46You'd think, considering this was the third time they'd done a regeneration, that the
01:50showrunners would have known better by this point.
01:5313.
01:54The War Doctor in The Day of the Doctor
01:57As portrayed by the late, great John Hurt, The War Doctor is a very confusing addition
02:03to the Time Lord's timeline.
02:05A version of the Doctor who has been fighting in the Time War, the War Doctor comes into
02:09contact with his future selves after attempting to use a superweapon known as the Moment.
02:14Originally out to destroy both the Time Lords and the Daleks, the War Doctor is convinced
02:18by his alternate selves to avoid this loss of life, and they instead freeze Gallifrey
02:22in time to save its inhabitants.
02:24After this is complete, the old man thanks his younger selves, who are actually older
02:28but you know, you get it, and flies away in his TARDIS.
02:31And then he regenerates… but is that because he's old?
02:35Does he just get tired and die?
02:37Though it obviously symbolises the completion of his struggle, the War Doctor's regeneration
02:41still kind of came out of nowhere, and the fact that Christopher Eccleston refused to
02:45return for this episode just makes it seem incomplete and kind of ruined the moment.
02:51It was a really nice idea, but in the end it was kind of poorly executed.
02:5512.
02:56The Second Doctor in The War Games
03:00The first actor to play a regenerated version of the Doctor, Patrick Troughton had a lot
03:05on his shoulders when he first appeared in the role.
03:07And while he did an excellent job with the character, his regeneration left a lot to
03:11be desired.
03:12He was basically bullied into the change by the Time Lords, who make their first ever
03:16appearance in this episode.
03:17The Doctor's race catches up with him and puts him on trial for his space-time meddling.
03:22Their verdict?
03:23Exile on Earth with a new face.
03:25After some frankly hilarious, whether that was intentional or not, back and forth between
03:30the two parties, the Time Lords send the Doctor down to Earth in the form of a psychedelic
03:34spiral with our hero crying out while it happens.
03:38On paper, this sounds like it could be quite interesting, and to some extent it was.
03:43It was a radical departure from the first regeneration, but it was let down by how campy
03:47it was.
03:4811.
03:49The First Doctor in The Tenth Planet
03:53William Hartnell is the reason we have regeneration today.
03:56His failing health caused huge panic among the writers of Doctor Who, until the idea
04:01of changing the Doctor's face was suggested.
04:03And with that, a TV institution was born.
04:08The First Doctor's regeneration is a very simple one.
04:10At the end of The Tenth Planet, the Time Lord's old body finally catches up with him and he
04:14collapses.
04:15Remarking that his body has worn out, the Doctor shuts his eyes and transforms into
04:19a brilliant flash of white light.
04:21It's an incredibly simple regeneration, but what did you expect from their first attempt?
04:25Obviously, the show was still working this mechanic out, and needed to establish it in
04:30this episode, and that's exactly what they did.
04:32No bells, no whistles, just simple face change.
04:35Now, it might be unremarkable to look at these days, but considering the time it took place
04:40and the impact it's had on the show today, this is such an important moment in TV history.
04:4610.
04:48The Sixth Doctor in Time and The Rani
04:51The much-maligned Colin Baker years of Doctor Who came to an end in 1986, when the BBC relieved
04:57the actor of his duties.
04:58And as a result of this, the story of Baker's regeneration is as interesting as it is controversial.
05:04Instead of making the switch at the end of a serial, as had been the tradition up to
05:07that point, the change from the Sixth Doctor to the Seventh Doctor was done at the beginning
05:12of the 1987 story Time and The Rani.
05:15Here, the TARDIS is shot down by a villainous Time Lady and Crash lands on a planet called
05:20La Kirsha.
05:21The Doctor perishes as a result of that crash, and his face alters under a colourful swirl
05:26of energy.
05:27Unfortunately, Baker himself had already left the show by this point, so his part was played
05:32by Sylvester McCoy in a blonde wig.
05:34Honestly, you couldn't make this up.
05:35It might have been chaos behind the scenes, but the on-screen regeneration was actually
05:39quite exciting.
05:40The special effects on the TARDIS crash have aged like warm milk, but they must have been
05:44thrilling for the audiences at the time.
05:47Not a terrible regeneration, but maybe not a great one either.
05:509.
05:51The Eighth Doctor in The Night of the Doctor
05:54Brought in to replace Sylvester McCoy for the Doctor Who TV movie in 1996, Paul McGann
06:00made just one appearance in the role before 2013, and has been credited by some as having
06:06killed off the franchise before it was brought back in 2005.
06:10This isn't true, of course, but people like having someone to blame.
06:13McGann got his chance at redemption in the web-exclusive minisode The Night of the Doctor,
06:18which was also part of the show's half-century celebrations.
06:22The episode begins with the Eighth Doctor trying to save a pilot from crashing, only
06:26to die in the crash himself.
06:28He is momentarily revived by the Sisterhood of Kahn, who make a plea to him.
06:32They beg him to drink their elixir, which will allow him to choose characteristics for
06:37his next form.
06:38They ask him to become a warrior in order to stop the Time War and bring peace to the
06:42universe, and Eight begrudgingly accepts.
06:45Now it's not big or flashy, but the Eighth Doctor's regeneration is one of the more
06:49unique ones in the series, and it also gave McGann another shot at the character, as he
06:53deserved.
06:548.
06:56The Twelfth Doctor in Twice Upon a Time
06:59Peter Capaldi is one of the finest actors to ever play the Doctor.
07:02From skins to the thick of it, to Paddington, and even to Torchwood, Capaldi has excelled
07:07in every role he's ever had, and gave a spirited performance as the Twelfth Doctor,
07:12even when the show's popularity took a downward turn.
07:15Much like he carried the acclaimed episode Heaven's Scent, Capaldi carries the Twelfth
07:19Doctor's regeneration single-handedly.
07:21After helping his first incarnation come to terms with his impending death, Twelve
07:25decides that he too is ready to depart.
07:28After a beautifully recited soliloquy advising his next form, the Scottish Doctor regenerates
07:33in a blast of light.
07:35And that regeneration speech is certainly one to remember.
07:387.
07:40The Fourth Doctor in Logopolis
07:42Tom Baker helmed Doctor Who for seven seasons, way more than anyone else, and left behind
07:48an untouchable legacy on British TV.
07:51His final appearance as the Doctor came in the 1981 serial Logopolis.
07:55After teaming up with the Master to prevent the unravelling of the universe, the Doctor
07:59is betrayed by his nemesis, and ends up falling from a huge telescope to the ground below.
08:05He's surrounded by his companions as the Watcher, a ghostly white figure who looks
08:10a bit like a toilet paper mummy, fuses with the fallen adventurer to begin his next metamorphosis.
08:16The actual regeneration process isn't super impressive.
08:18Baker basically turns white for a second, and then Peter Davison appears gurning in
08:22his place.
08:23But it's what happens before this that's important.
08:25While awaiting his fate, the Doctor receives visions of all his past companions.
08:29Though not as good as future callbacks, this moment is still very sweet, and proves just
08:34how momentous it was to lose Tom Baker as the Doctor.
08:376.
08:38The Thirteenth Doctor in The Power of the Doctor
08:41I don't know why anyone wouldn't have seen it yet, but just in case you haven't
08:45seen The Power of the Doctor yet, this entry is obviously going to contain MAJOR MAJOR
08:51SPOILERS.
08:52So be warned.
08:53The shocking conclusion to The Power of the Doctor has reignited an interest in Doctor
08:57Who that the show hasn't seen in years.
09:00After being mortally wounded by the Master, Jodie Whittaker's version of the character
09:04says her goodbyes to Yaz before flying the TARDIS one last time.
09:08Arriving on a cliff's edge, Whittaker takes one last look at the sun before saying,
09:13Tag.
09:14You're it.
09:15And then regenerates into…
09:17David Tennant!
09:18What?!
09:20This reveal is almost the entire reason for this regeneration being as high as it is.
09:24Although we are yet to see what happens with Tennant's second go around, this regeneration
09:28represents hope for a series that many have considered on the ropes for quite some time.
09:33Having said that, I can also appreciate and understand that there are some people who
09:37feel that Tennant's introduction here did take away from the significance of Jodie Whittaker's
09:42departure, and also overshadowed the introduction of Shuti Gatwa as the next incarnation of
09:48the Doctor.
09:49Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and we will be kind to everyone, despite their
09:53opinions may be differing from ours, okay?
09:56Okay, let's move on.
09:585.
09:59The 7th Doctor in Doctor Who The Movie
10:02The 1996 Doctor Who TV movie is extremely divisive.
10:07On one hand, it was praised for being more grown up, with a more mature tone and a greater
10:11emphasis on violence.
10:12On the other hand, the plot was heavily criticised, and some fans claimed the whole thing felt
10:16very un-Who-like.
10:17Regardless of your thoughts on the project, you can't deny that Sylvester McCoy's regeneration
10:22into Paul McGann was pretty cool.
10:25After being shot by a street gang, the Doctor dies on the operating table of a San Francisco
10:30hospital.
10:31He then undergoes his most gruesome regeneration yet, his face contorting and twisting as it
10:37changes.
10:38The entire sequence is intercut with a morgue security guard watching the 1931 movie Frankenstein,
10:43and the parallels between the famous monster and our hero are clear and are presented very
10:47nicely in this sequence.
10:49The movie might have bombed, but at least they tried something new with this scene.
10:544.
10:55The 11th Doctor in The Time of the Doctor As the youngest person to take on the role
11:00of the Doctor, it was rather ironic that Matt Smith's 11th Doctor died of old age.
11:05After centuries of battle on the planet Trenzalore, the valiant defender finally wears out and
11:10dies, but not before Clara Oswald persuades the Time Lords to grant him a new regeneration
11:15cycle.
11:16This gets around the problem of the Doctor having used up his 12 regenerations prior
11:20to this point.
11:21After returning to his younger self for a brief goodbye with Clara, the Doctor then
11:25sees visions of a young Amelia Pond, the first face this face saw.
11:29An adult Amy then appears to guide him to his rest, before he quickly sneezes into Peter
11:34Capaldi.
11:35The emotional farewell with Amy followed by the breakneck change to a new face is a really
11:40satisfying contrast, and is the most original New Who regeneration so far.
11:453.
11:47The 9th Doctor in The Parting of the Ways Nine years after the TV movie, Doctor Who
11:52bursts back onto TV screens with a new series from writer Russell T Davies.
11:56Leading the charge as the 9th iteration of Gallifrey's favourite son was Christopher
12:01Eccleston, who expertly straddled the line between a dark version of the character and
12:05the cheeky chappy fans knew and loved.
12:08Eccleston stuck around for just one series of the show, but he made sure to go out in
12:12spectacular fashion.
12:14He saved Rose Tyler from the power of the Time Vortex, absorbing the energy that powers
12:18the TARDIS at the cost of his own life.
12:21After a heartfelt speech to Rose, capped with a typically brazen last line, the 9th Doctor
12:25erupts into a burst of yellow-orange energy, and the tough northern exterior of Eccleston
12:30makes way for the smooth Scottish good looks of David Tennant.
12:34The convention of the Doctor emitting light from their face and hands while regenerating
12:38has appeared in every single regeneration since then.
12:42This moment helped establish a new convention for the show, which, combined with the emotional
12:46farewell that preceded it, is why it is so high up on this list.
12:502.
12:51The 5th Doctor in The Caves of Andrazani The final story of Peter Davison's 5th Doctor
12:57takes him and his companion Perry to the Andrazani system of planets.
13:01Andrazani is famous for containing spectrox, a mineral with life-extending qualities when
13:06diluted.
13:07Unfortunately, the Doctor manages to step in some raw spectrox, which is lethal.
13:12The Doctor succumbs to the illness and enters a hallucinogenic state.
13:15The screen then fills with a bizarre pinkish-purplish pattern, as the voices of the Doctor's friends
13:20and foes merge together.
13:22The screen then snaps back to normal, and Davison is gone.
13:25It's a fantastically melodramatic regeneration that perfectly simulates the poison running
13:30through the Doctor's body.
13:32It's still one of the most interesting regenerations to watch all these years later.
13:361.
13:37The 10th Doctor in The End of Time Dying as the result of radiation poisoning
13:42after rescuing Wilfred Mott, the 10th Doctor embarks on one last tour of the universe to
13:48say goodbye to those he loves.
13:49Captain Jack, Martha, Donna, and even Rose all get their final moments with the Doctor
13:55before he enters the TARDIS one last time.
13:58Slowly pacing around his trusty ship, the Doctor's face runs the full gamut of emotions
14:02from fear to anger, regret to sadness.
14:05As he realises his time has come, he stares almost directly down the camera, in the eyes
14:10of everyone watching, and says, I don't want to go.
14:15This Doctor then explodes in a burst of light, destroying his version of the TARDIS in the
14:20process.
14:21Which is a little bit overdramatic, if I must say.
14:24It's heartbreaking, plain and simple.
14:26And there wasn't a dry eye across the country when he said goodbye, and if you didn't
14:30cry, well you're lying, you did.
14:32Without Tennant, Doctor Who would not be the show it is today.
14:35It's only appropriate, then, that he got the grandest send-off in the history of the
14:40programme.
14:41And as we all know, he's not finished yet.
14:45And that concludes our ranking.
14:47Now obviously, your ranking might be different, so let us know your thoughts in the comments
14:51below, but remember to be kind and respectful of other people's opinions if they differ
14:55to yours.
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15:06well, and I can be found across various social medias just by searching Ellie Little Child.
15:11I've been Ellie with WhoCulture, and in the words of River Song herself, goodbye, sweeties.