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Doctor Who: Every Regeneration Ranked Worst To Best
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00:00Regenerations are such an important part to Doctor Who and actually is such a clever way of keeping the show
00:06fresh
00:06and also avoiding that awkward moment when an actor is suddenly replaced and you're like,
00:12hang on a second, that's not the same person.
00:14Now, obviously, this October we were treated to another long-awaited regeneration
00:19as we saw Jodie Whittaker stand down as the 13th Doctor.
00:23So actually now feels like the perfect time to take a look at every regeneration in Doctor Who and rank
00:28them.
00:28So are you ready to see a lot of orangey-yellow light?
00:32Because there's about to be a lot of it.
00:34With that in mind, I'm Ellie with Who Culture, here with every regeneration ranked from worst to best.
00:41Number 14. The Third Doctor in Planet of the Spiders
00:45Left stranded on Earth due to the actions of his former self,
00:49most of the Third Doctor's adventures 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.
00:59Yeah, 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 undoing.
01:06He travels to a planet inhabited by giant spiders and destroys them all using the energy of a special crystal.
01:12But unfortunately, he too is caught in the blast, which triggers his regeneration.
01:16Unfortunately, though, his actual final scene takes place under much less dramatic circumstances.
01:21The Doctor manages to pilot the TARDIS back to Earth, collapsing in his lab with Sarah Jane and the Brigadier
01:27present.
01:28They then receive a visit from the Doctor's former mentor, who sort of looks like Lakitu from Mario Kart.
01:33The mentor guides the humans through the process before fading away as Pertwee's face changes into Tom Baker's.
01:40It's hardly the most exciting regeneration in history, and the presence of a bloke floating on a cloud only complicates
01:45things further.
01:46You'd think, considering this was the third time they'd done a regeneration, that the showrunners would have known better by
01:52this point.
01:53Number 13. The War Doctor in The Day of the Doctor
01:56As portrayed by the late, great John Hurt, the War Doctor is a very confusing addition to the Time Lords
02:04timeline.
02:05A version of the Doctor who has been fighting in the Time War, the War Doctor comes into contact with
02:10his future selves after attempting to use a superweapon known as the Moment.
02:13Now, originally out to destroy both the Time Lords and the Daleks, the War Doctor is convinced by his alternate
02:19selves to avoid this loss of life,
02:21and they instead freeze Gallifrey in time to save its inhabitants.
02:25After this is complete, the old man thanks his younger selves, who are actually older, but, you know, you get
02:29it, and flies away in his TARDIS.
02:31And then he regenerates. But, is that because he's old? Does he just get tired and die?
02:37Though it obviously symbolises the completion of his struggle, the War Doctor's regeneration still kind of came out of nowhere.
02:43And the fact that Christopher Eccleston refused to return for this episode just makes it seem incomplete and kind of
02:49ruined the moment.
02:51It was a really nice idea, but in the end it was kind of poorly executed.
02:56Number 12. The Second Doctor in The War Games
02:59The first actor to play a regenerated version of the Doctor, Patrick Troughton, had a lot on his shoulders when
03:05he first appeared in the role.
03:07And while he did an excellent job with the character, his regeneration left a lot to be desired.
03:12He was basically bullied into the change by the Time Lords, who make their first ever appearance 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? Exile on Earth, with a new face.
03:25After some frankly hilarious, whether that was intentional or not, back and forth between the two parties,
03:31the Time Lords send the Doctor down to Earth in the form of a psychedelic spiral, with our hero crying
03:36out while it happens.
03:37Now, on 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 it was.
03:48Number 11. The First Doctor in The Tenth Planet
03:52Now, William Hartnell is the reason we have regeneration today.
03:56His failing health caused huge panic among the writers of Doctor Who, until...
04:01The idea of changing the Doctor's face was suggested, and with that, a TV institution was born.
04:07Now, the 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 collapses.
04:15Remarking that his body has worn out, the Doctor shuts his eyes and transforms into a brilliant flash of white
04:20light.
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 this episode,
04:30and that's exactly what they did. No 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.
04:46Number 10. The Sixth Doctor in Time and the Rani
04:50The much-maligned Colin Baker years of Doctor Who came to an end in 1986,
04:55when the BBC relieved the 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 that point,
05:08the change from the Sixth Doctor to the Seventh Doctor was done at the beginning of the 1987 story,
05:14Time and the Rani. Here, the TARDIS is shot down by a villainous Time Lady,
05:18and Crash lands on a planet called La Kersha. Now, the Doctor perishes as a result of that crash,
05:23and his face alters under a colourful swirl of energy. Unfortunately, Baker himself had already
05:28left the show by this point, so his part was played by Sylvester McCoy in a blonde wig.
05:34Now, honestly, you couldn't make this up. It might have been chaos behind the scenes,
05:37but the on-screen regeneration was actually quite exciting. The special effects on the TARDIS crash have
05:42aged like warm milk, but they must have been thrilling for the audiences at the time.
05:46Not a terrible regeneration, but maybe not a great one either.
05:51Number 9. The 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 made just
06:01one appearance in the role before 2013, and has been credited by some as having killed off the
06:07franchise before it was brought back in 2005. This isn't true, of course, but people like having
06:12someone to blame. McGann got his chance at redemption in the web-exclusive Minnesota The
06:17Night of the Doctor, which was also part of the show's half-century celebrations. The episode begins
06:22with the Eighth Doctor trying to save a pilot from crashing, only to die in the crash himself. He is
06:28momentarily revived by the Sisterhood of Khan, who make a plea to him. They beg him to drink their
06:34elixir, which will allow him to choose characteristics for his next form. They ask him to become a warrior,
06:39in order to stop the time war and bring peace to the universe, and Eight begrudgingly accepts.
06:45Now, it's not big or flashy, but the Eighth Doctor's regeneration is one of the more unique
06:49ones in the series, and it also gave McGann another shot at the character as he deserved.
06:55Number 8. The Twelfth Doctor in Twice Upon a Time
06:58Peter Capaldi is one of the finest actors to ever play the Doctor. From skins, to the thick of it,
07:04to Paddington, and even to Torchwood, Capaldi has excelled in every role he's ever had,
07:09and gave a spirited performance as the Twelfth Doctor, even when the show's popularity took a
07:13downward turn. Much like he carried the acclaimed episode Heaven Sent, Capaldi carries the Twelfth
07:18Doctor's regeneration single-handedly. After helping his first incarnation come to terms with his
07:24impending death, Twelve decides that he too is ready to depart. After a beautifully recited soliloquy
07:30advising his next form, the Scottish Doctor regenerates in a blast of light. And that
07:35regeneration speech is certainly one to remember.
07:38Number 7. The Fourth Doctor in Logopolis
07:41Tom Baker helmed Doctor Who for seven seasons, way more than anyone else, and left behind an
07:48untouchable legacy on British TV. Now, his final appearance as the Doctor came in the 1981 serial
07:54Logopolis. After teaming up with the Master to prevent the unravelling of the universe, the Doctor is
07:59betrayed by his nemesis, shock horror, 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 a bit like a
08:11toilet paper mummy, fuses with the fallen adventurer to begin his next metamorphosis.
08:15The actual regeneration process isn't super impressive. Baker basically turns white for a
08:20second, and then Peter Davison appears gurning in his place. But it's what happens before this that's
08:25important. While awaiting his fate, the Doctor receives visions of all his past companions.
08:30Though not as good as future callbacks, this moment is still very sweet and proves just how
08:34momentous it was to lose Tom Baker as the Doctor.
08:37Number 6. The Thirteenth Doctor in The Power of the Doctor
08:41Now, I don't know why anyone wouldn't have seen it yet, but just in case you haven't seen The Power
08:54of
08:54the Doctor has reignited an interest in Doctor Who that the show hasn't seen in years. After being
09:01mortally wounded by the Master, Jodie Whittaker's version of the character says her goodbyes to Yaz
09:05before flying the TARDIS one last time. Arriving on a cliff's edge, Whittaker takes one last look at
09:11the sun before saying,
09:12Tag.
09:14You're it.
09:14And then regenerates into David Tennant!
09:18What?
09:19This reveal is almost the entire reason for this regeneration being as high as it is. Although we
09:24are yet to see what happens with Tennant's second go-around, this regeneration represents hope for
09:29a series that many have considered on the ropes for quite some time. Having said that, I can also
09:34appreciate and understand that there are some people who feel that David Tennant's introduction
09:39here did take away from the significance of Jodie Whittaker's departure, and also overshadowed the
09:45introduction of Shuti Gatwa as the next incarnation of the Doctor. Everyone is entitled to their own
09:50opinions, and we will be kind to everyone, despite their opinions maybe differing from ours. Okay? Okay,
09:56let's move on.
09:58Number 5. The Seventh Doctor in Doctor Who the Movie
10:01The 1996 Doctor Who TV movie is extremely divisive. On one hand, it was praised for being more grown
10:09up with a more mature tone and a greater emphasis on violence. On the other hand, the plot was
10:14heavily criticised, and some fans claimed the whole thing felt very un-Who-like. Regardless of your
10:19thoughts on the project, you can't deny that Sylvester McCoy's regeneration into Paul McGann was
10:24pretty cool. After being shot by a street gang, told you it was darker, the Doctor dies on the
10:28operating table of a San Francisco hospital. He then undergoes his most gruesome regeneration yet,
10:34his face contorting and twisting as it changes. The entire sequence is intercut with a morgue
10:40security guard watching the 1931 movie Frankenstein, and the parallels between the famous monster and
10:45our hero are clear, and are presented very nicely in this sequence. The movie might have bombed,
10:50but at least they tried something new with this scene.
10:53Number 4. The Eleventh Doctor in The Time of the Doctor
10:57As the youngest person to take on the role of the Doctor, it was rather ironic that Matt Smith's
11:03eleventh Doctor died of old age. After centuries of battle on the planet Trenzalor,
11:08the valiant Defender finally wears out and dies, but not before Clara Oswald persuades the Time
11:13Lords to grant him a new regeneration cycle. This gets around the problem of the Doctor having used
11:18up his twelve regenerations prior to this point. After returning to his younger self for a brief
11:23goodbye with Clara, the Doctor then sees visions of a young Amelia Pond, the first face this face saw,
11:28ugh. An adult Amy then appears to guide him to his rest, before he quickly sneezes into Peter
11:34Capaldi. The 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.
11:45Number 3. The Ninth Doctor in The Parting of the Ways
11:49Nine years after the TV movie, Doctor Who bursts back onto TV screens with a new series from writer
11:55Russell T. Davies. Leading the charge as the ninth iteration of Gallifrey's favourite son was
12:00Christopher Eccleston, who expertly straddled the line between a dark version of the character and
12:05the cheeky chappy fans knew and loved. Eccleston stuck around for just one series of the show,
12:10but he made sure to go out in spectacular fashion. He saved Rose Tyler from the power of the Time
12:16Vortex, absorbing the energy that powers the TARDIS at the cost of his own life. After a heartfelt speech
12:22to Rose, capped with a typically brazen last line, the Ninth Doctor erupts into a burst of
12:26yellow-orange energy, and the tough northern exterior of Eccleston makes way for the smooth
12:31Scottish good looks of David Tennant. The convention of the Doctor emitting light from their face and
12:36hands while regenerating has appeared in every single regeneration since then. This moment helped
12:42establish a new convention for the show, which, combined with the emotional farewell that
12:46preceded it, is why it is so high up on this list. 2. The Fifth Doctor in the Caves of
12:53Andrazani
12:54The final story of Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor takes him and his companion Perry to the Andrazani
13:00system of planets. Andrazani is famous for containing spectrox, a mineral with life-extending
13:05qualities when diluted. Unfortunately, the Doctor manages to step in some raw spectrox, which is lethal.
13:12The Doctor succumbs to the illness and enters a hallucinogenic state. The screen then fills with a
13:16bizarre pinkish-purplish pattern as the voices of the Doctor's friends and foes merge together.
13:22The screen then snaps back to normal, and Davison is gone. It's a fantastically melodramatic
13:27regeneration that perfectly simulates the poison running through the Doctor's body. It's still one
13:32of the most interesting regenerations to watch all these years later.
13:361. The Tenth Doctor in The End of Time
13:40Dying as the result of radiation poisoning after rescuing Wilfred Mott, the Tenth Doctor embarks on
13:46one last tour of the universe to say goodbye to those he loves. Captain Jack, Martha, Donna,
13:51and even Rose all get their final moments with the Doctor before he enters the TARDIS one last time.
13:57Slowly pacing around his trusty ship, the Doctor's face runs the full gamut of emotions,
14:02from fear to anger, regret to sadness. As he realises his time has come, he stares almost directly
14:09down the camera, in the eyes of everyone watching, and says,
14:13I don't want to go.
14:15Tenth's Doctor then explodes in a burst of light, destroying his version of the TARDIS in the process,
14:21which is a little bit overdramatic, if I must say. It'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 cry,
14:31well, you're lying. You did.
14:32Without Tenth, Doctor Who would not be the show it is today. It's only appropriate, then,
14:36that he got the grandest send-off in the history of the programme, and as we all know,
14:42he's not finished yet.
14:44And that concludes our ranking. Now, obviously, your ranking might be different,
14:49so let us know your thoughts in the comments below, but remember to be kind and respectful
14:53of other people's opinions if they differ to yours. Also, remember to hit that like and subscribe
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15:03And while you're at it, head over to Twitter and follow us there, and also Instagram
15:06as well, and I can be found across various social medias just by searching Ellie Littlechild.
15:11I've been Ellie with Who Culture, and in the words of Riversong herself, goodbye, sweeties.
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