Top 10 Doctor Who Doctors

With his showy costume and showier personality, the Sixth incarnation of Doctor Who was a departure from his predecessors. Though he officially held the role for three series, Baker’s on-screen time as the Doctor was decidedly short, but certainly memorable. Self-centered, arrogant and condescending – even to his companions – The Sixth Doctor was still the sympathetic and moral figure we know and love – plus, he was a great lover of cats. Ironically, Baker’s also remembered for another “Doctor Who” role: as Commander Maxil, he actually shot his predecessor, Peter Davison!

Charismatic, elegant and with an unparalleled scientific mind, Pertwee’s was a transformative casting – he was a much more expressive, outwardly zany and action-oriented Doctor than the two versions that he followed. He had a fondness for velvet, ruffles and he favored the cravat – plus, the blood red lining to his signature cape really took off! After five series – many of which he spent uncharacteristically exiled on Earth – Pertwee stepped down from his post for fear of typecasting – but to this day, he’s remembered with fondness by all fans.

Following a wobble in the ratings and amidst mounting pressure from fans, Sylvester McCoy was drafted as Doctor number seven. For the first part of his tenure, he injected the show with comedy and craziness; but for the second part, he became darker, more dangerous, scheming and secretive because fans felt that a funny Time Lord led to weaker storylines. So, scriptwriters turned McCoy’s Panama hat and “questionable” vest and umbrella into something more serious; however, it didn’t save the show from cancellation in 1989.

Coming up to bat at number 7 is Doctor number 5. A physical change from the actor who came before him, Davison was kitted up for cricket – and could he play ball! His white jumper and cream coat were typically English and typically Time Lord – and the celery stalk on his lapel, quintessentially quirky! However, the actor also brought a sensitive side to the character – he had a little less eccentricity, and a little more empathy… bringing him closer than ever to the humanity he lived to save.

Over half a century ago, William Hartnell first grasped the controls of the legendary TARDIS – and time and space has never looked the same! Originating the character of the Gallifreyan time-traveler, Hartnell’s was an evolving, progressive Doctor, and one that was finding his feet both within time-travel and on our television sets. Initially, he was quite somber, and a little bit scary – he didn’t really trust human beings. But, eventually he mellowed, and led the way for all who have followed.

After a sixteen-year absence from episodic TV, there was great expectation placed on Eccleston’s leather-clad shoulders – and ultimately, he exceeded them. The ninth Doctor, but the first for a very long time, he reprised the role with aptitude and attitude. Helped along the way by his very popular sidekick, Rose Tyler, Eccleston destroys Daleks for a whole new generation. His single season is one of the most significant and fantastic ever filmed!

His entrance into the TARDIS marked the Doctor’s first regeneration – a nifty narrative invention to ensure that the show had longevity (and that future lists such as this one were possible)! Troughton was a very different prospect to Hartnell: nicknamed the “Cosmic Hobo,” he had a scruffiness, a silliness, a sketchiness about his persona that made the character his own. The BBC came under fire during Troughton’s era for the show’s excessive violence, but this Doctor was firm, fair and a fan favorite.

When he burst onto the scene, bow tie clad and bonkers, there were many naysayers; when his time came to an end, those same cynics were sobbing! Matt Smith’s Doctor was a chirpy, chattering chap for whom mankind really was a strange thing. From Cybermen to spacemen, he fought many a foe, but he made some memorable friends as well. Effervescent and unconventional, the Eleventh Doctor is young looking but old-at-heart. Passing on the role in 2013 to Peter Capaldi, Smith did so having more than made his mark!

He boasts the longest reign of all, and an image that has stood the test of time. Tom Baker’s impractically long scarf is still a premier exhibit of the “Doctor Who” universe. His unpredictable nature has carried across time, and his soft spot for humans set the precedent for those that followed. Moral and offbeat as any incarnation, Baker’s was also a sometimes gloomy, serious or unfeeling depiction. In Sarah Jane Smith he found an iconic companion, in K-9 he found the Doctor’s first pet. He’s a true Gallifreyan great!

Oh yes! The Doctor’s known for odd wardrobe choices… and a suit and Converse sneakers are certainly that… But David Tennant nailed the shoes, and he’s nailed first place with his chatty, cheeky and vulnerable personality. Steering the show through a golden age, his reign included an unprecedented two regenerations – and aren’t we glad of it! With hair that’s just crazy, and eyes that are just kooky, the girls wanted to date him, and the boys felt they could be him (almost!). He’s the best of the last of the Time Lords – and our number one!

Do you agree with our list? Which Time Lord did we forget? For more fantastical Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.