Doctor Who: Every Regeneration Ranked Worst To Best
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00:00 Regenerations are such an important part to Doctor Who,
00:03 and actually such a clever way of keeping the show fresh
00:07 and also avoiding that awkward moment
00:09 when an actor is suddenly replaced
00:11 and you're like, "Hang on a second,
00:13 that's not the same person."
00:14 Now, obviously, this October,
00:16 we were treated to another long-awaited regeneration
00:19 as we saw Jodie Whittaker stand down as the 13th Doctor.
00:23 So actually, now feels like the perfect time
00:25 to take a look at every regeneration in Doctor Who
00:27 and rank them.
00:28 So are you ready to see a lot of orangey-yellow light?
00:31 Because there's about to be a lot of it.
00:34 With that in mind, I'm Ellie with WhoCulture,
00:37 here with every regeneration ranked from worst to best.
00:40 Number 14, the third Doctor in Planet of the Spiders.
00:46 Left stranded on Earth due to the actions of his former self,
00:49 most of the third Doctor's adventures take place
00:51 on our home planet alongside Unit.
00:53 They also feature a bright yellow car called Bessie
00:56 and John Pertwee doing a lot of karate.
00:59 Yeah, this was a weird time for the show.
01:01 Eventually, Pertwee's Doctor does get his TARDIS back,
01:03 but this proves to be his ultimate undoing.
01:06 He travels to a planet inhabited by giant spiders
01:08 and destroys them all using the energy of a special crystal.
01:11 But unfortunately, he too is caught in the blast,
01:14 which triggers his regeneration.
01:16 Unfortunately, though, his actual final scene
01:19 takes place under much less dramatic circumstances.
01:22 The Doctor manages to pilot the TARDIS back to Earth,
01:24 collapsing in his lab with Sarah Jane and the Brigadier present.
01:28 They then receive a visit from the Doctor's former mentor,
01:30 who sort of looks like Lakitu from Mario Kart.
01:33 The mentor guides the humans through the process
01:35 before fading away as Pertwee's face changes into Tom Baker's.
01:40 It's hardly the most exciting regeneration in history,
01:42 and the presence of a bloke floating on a cloud
01:44 only complicates things further.
01:46 You'd think considering this was the third time
01:49 they'd done a regeneration that the showrunners
01:51 would have known better by this point.
01:53 Number 13, The War Doctor in The Day of the Doctor.
01:57 As portrayed by the late, great John Hurt,
02:00 The War Doctor is a very confusing addition
02:03 to the Time Lords timeline.
02:05 A version of the Doctor who has been fighting in the Time War,
02:08 the War Doctor comes into contact with his future selves
02:11 after attempting to use a super weapon known as the Moment.
02:14 Now, originally out to destroy both the Time Lords and the Daleks,
02:17 the War Doctor is convinced by his alternate selves
02:19 to avoid this loss of life,
02:21 and they instead freeze Gallifrey in time to save its inhabitants.
02:24 After this is complete, the old man thanks his younger selves,
02:27 who are actually older, but you know, you get it,
02:29 and flies away in his TARDIS.
02:31 And then he regenerates, but is that because he's old?
02:35 Does he just get tired and die?
02:37 Though it obviously symbolises the completion of his struggle,
02:40 The War Doctor's regeneration still kind of came out of nowhere.
02:43 And the fact that Christopher Eccleston refused to return
02:46 for this episode just makes it seem incomplete
02:49 and kind of ruined the moment.
02:51 It was a really nice idea,
02:52 but in the end, it was kind of poorly executed.
02:55 Number 12, the second Doctor in the War Games.
03:00 The first actor to play a regenerated version of the Doctor,
03:03 Patrick Troughton, had a lot on his shoulders
03:05 when he first appeared in the role.
03:07 And while he did an excellent job with the character,
03:09 his regeneration left a lot to be desired.
03:11 He was basically bullied into the change by the Time Lords,
03:14 who make their first ever appearance in this episode.
03:17 The Doctor's race catches up with him
03:19 and puts him on trial for his space-time meddling.
03:22 Their verdict? Exile on Earth with a new face.
03:25 After some frankly hilarious,
03:27 whether that was intentional or not,
03:29 back and forth between the two parties,
03:31 the Time Lords send the Doctor down to Earth
03:33 in the form of a psychedelic spiral,
03:35 with our hero crying out while it happens.
03:37 Now, on paper, this sounds like it could be quite interesting,
03:41 and to some extent, it was.
03:42 It was a radical departure from the first regeneration,
03:45 but it was let down by how campy it was.
03:48 Number 11, the first Doctor in the 10th Planet.
03:52 Now, William Hartnell is the reason
03:54 we have regeneration today.
03:56 His failing health caused huge panic
03:58 among the writers of Doctor Who,
04:00 until the idea of changing the Doctor's face was suggested.
04:03 And with that, a TV institution was born.
04:06 Now, the first Doctor's regeneration
04:08 is a very simple one.
04:10 At the end of the 10th Planet,
04:11 the Time Lord's old body finally catches up with him
04:14 and he collapses.
04:15 Remarking that his body has worn out,
04:17 the Doctor shuts his eyes and transforms
04:19 into a brilliant flash of white light.
04:21 It's an incredibly simple regeneration,
04:23 but what did you expect from their first attempt?
04:25 Obviously, the show was still working this mechanic out
04:28 and needed to establish it in this episode,
04:30 and that's exactly what they did.
04:32 No bells, no whistles, just simple face change.
04:35 Now, it might be unremarkable to look at these days,
04:38 but considering the time it took place
04:40 and the impact it's had on the show today,
04:42 this is such an important moment in TV history.
04:47 Number 10, the sixth Doctor in Time and the Rani.
04:50 The much maligned Colin Baker years of Doctor Who
04:53 came to an end in 1986,
04:55 when the BBC relieved the actor of his duties.
04:58 And as a result of this, the story of Baker's regeneration
05:01 is as interesting as it is controversial.
05:04 Instead of making the switch at the end of a serial,
05:06 as had been the tradition up to that point,
05:08 the change from the sixth Doctor to the seventh Doctor
05:11 was done at the beginning of the 1987 story,
05:14 Time and the Rani.
05:15 Here, the TARDIS is shot down by a villainous time lady
05:18 and crash lands on a planet called La Kirsha.
05:20 Now, the Doctor perishes as a result of that crash,
05:23 and his face alters under a colourful swirl of energy.
05:26 Unfortunately, Baker himself had already left the show
05:29 by this point, so his part was played by Sylvester McCoy
05:33 in a blonde wig.
05:34 Now, honestly, you couldn't make this up.
05:35 It might have been chaos behind the scenes,
05:37 but the on-screen regeneration was actually quite exciting.
05:40 The special effects on the TARDIS crash
05:42 have aged like warm milk,
05:43 but they must have been thrilling for the audiences
05:45 at the time.
05:46 Not a terrible regeneration,
05:48 but maybe not a great one either.
05:50 Number nine, the eighth Doctor in The Night of the Doctor.
05:54 Brought in to replace Sylvester McCoy
05:56 for the Doctor Who TV movie in 1996,
05:59 Paul McGann made just one appearance in the role
06:02 before 2013,
06:04 and has been credited by some as having killed off the franchise
06:07 before it was brought back in 2005.
06:10 This isn't true, of course,
06:11 but people like having someone to blame.
06:13 McGann got his chance at redemption
06:15 in the web-exclusive minisode The Night of the Doctor,
06:18 which was also part of the show's half-century celebrations.
06:22 The episode begins with the eighth Doctor
06:23 trying to save a pilot from crashing,
06:25 only to die in the crash himself.
06:27 He is momentarily revived by the Sisterhood of Khan,
06:31 who make a plea to him.
06:32 They beg him to drink their elixir,
06:34 which will allow him to choose characteristics
06:36 for his next form.
06:38 They ask him to become a warrior
06:39 in order to stop the Time War and bring peace to the universe.
06:42 And Eight begrudgingly accepts.
06:45 Now, it's not big or flashy,
06:46 but the eighth Doctor's regeneration
06:48 is one of the more unique ones in the series,
06:50 and it also gave McGann another shot at the character
06:53 as he deserved.
06:54 Number eight, the twelfth Doctor in Twice Upon a Time.
06:59 Peter Capaldi is one of the finest actors
07:01 to ever play the Doctor.
07:02 From skins to the thick of it,
07:04 to Paddington, and even to Torchwood,
07:06 Capaldi has excelled in every role he's ever had,
07:09 and gave a spirited performance as the twelfth Doctor,
07:12 even when the show's popularity took a downward turn.
07:14 Much like he carried the acclaimed episode,
07:16 "Heaven Sent,"
07:17 Capaldi carries the twelfth Doctor's regeneration
07:20 single-handedly.
07:21 After helping his first incarnation come to terms
07:24 with his impending death,
07:25 Twelve decides that he too is ready to depart.
07:27 After a beautifully recited soliloquy
07:30 advising his next form,
07:31 the Scottish Doctor regenerates in a blast of light.
07:34 And that regeneration speech is certainly one to remember.
07:39 Number seven, the fourth Doctor in Logopolis.
07:42 Tom Baker helmed Doctor Who for seven seasons,
07:45 way more than anyone else,
07:47 and left behind an untouchable legacy on British TV.
07:50 Now, his final appearance as the Doctor
07:52 came in the 1981 serial Logopolis.
07:55 After teaming up with the Master
07:56 to prevent the unraveling of the universe,
07:58 the Doctor is betrayed by his nemesis.
08:00 [gasps]
08:01 Shock horror!
08:02 And ends up falling from a huge telescope
08:04 to the ground below.
08:05 He's surrounded by his companions
08:07 as the Watcher, a ghostly white figure
08:09 who looks a bit like a toilet paper mummy,
08:12 fuses with the fallen adventurer
08:13 to begin his next metamorphosis.
08:15 The actual regeneration process isn't super impressive.
08:18 Baker basically turns white for a second,
08:20 and then Peter Davison appears gurning in his place.
08:23 But it's what happens before this that's important.
08:25 While awaiting his fate,
08:26 the Doctor receives visions of all his past companions.
08:30 Though not as good as future callbacks,
08:31 this moment is still very sweet
08:33 and proves just how momentous it was
08:35 to lose Tom Baker as the Doctor.
08:37 Number six, the 13th Doctor in The Power of the Doctor.
08:41 Now, I don't know why anyone wouldn't have seen it yet,
08:44 but just in case you haven't seen
08:46 The Power of the Doctor yet,
08:47 this entry is obviously going to contain
08:49 major, major spoilers.
08:51 So, be warned.
08:52 The shocking conclusion to The Power of the Doctor
08:55 has reignited an interest in Doctor Who
08:57 that the show hasn't seen in years.
09:00 After being mortally wounded by the Master,
09:02 Jodie Whittaker's version of the character
09:04 says her goodbyes to Yaz
09:06 before flying the TARDIS one last time.
09:08 Arriving on a cliff's edge,
09:09 Whittaker takes one last look at the sun before saying...
09:12 Tag. You're it.
09:15 And then regenerates into...
09:17 David Tennant!
09:18 What?
09:19 This reveal is almost the entire reason
09:22 for this regeneration being as high as it is.
09:24 Although we are yet to see what happens
09:26 with Tennant's second go-around,
09:27 this regeneration represents hope for a series
09:30 that many have considered on the ropes for quite some time.
09:33 Having said that, I can also appreciate and understand
09:36 that there are some people who feel that
09:38 David Tennant's introduction here did take away
09:40 from the significance of Jodie Whittaker's departure
09:43 and also overshadowed the introduction of Shuti Gatwa
09:46 as the next incarnation of the Doctor.
09:49 Everyone is entitled to their own opinions
09:51 and we will be kind to everyone,
09:53 despite their opinions may be differing from ours.
09:55 Okay? Okay, let's move on.
09:58 Number five, the seventh Doctor in Doctor Who the movie.
10:02 The 1996 Doctor Who TV movie is extremely divisive.
10:06 On one hand, it was praised for being more grown up
10:09 with a more mature tone and a greater emphasis on violence.
10:12 On the other hand, the plot was heavily criticized
10:14 and some fans claimed the whole thing felt very Un-Who-like.
10:18 Regardless of your thoughts on the project,
10:20 you can't deny that Sylvester McCoy's regeneration
10:22 into Paul McGann was pretty cool.
10:24 After being shot by a street gang,
10:26 told you it was darker,
10:27 the Doctor dies on the operating table
10:29 of a San Francisco hospital.
10:31 He then undergoes his most gruesome regeneration yet,
10:34 his face contorting and twisting as it changes.
10:37 The entire sequence is intercut with a morgue security guard
10:40 watching the 1931 movie Frankenstein.
10:43 And the parallels between the famous monster
10:45 and our hero are clear
10:46 and are presented very nicely in this sequence.
10:49 The movie might have bombed,
10:50 but at least they tried something new with this scene.
10:54 Number four, the eleventh Doctor in The Time of the Doctor.
10:58 As the youngest person to take on the role of the Doctor,
11:01 it was rather ironic that Matt Smith's eleventh Doctor
11:04 died of old age.
11:05 After centuries of battle on the planet Trenzalore,
11:08 the valiant defender finally wears out and dies,
11:11 but not before Clara Oswald persuades the Time Lords
11:13 to grant him a new regeneration cycle.
11:16 This gets around the problem of the Doctor having used up
11:18 his 12 regenerations prior to this point.
11:21 After returning to his younger self
11:22 for a brief goodbye with Clara,
11:24 the Doctor then sees visions of a young Amelia Pond,
11:27 the first face this face saw.
11:29 Oh.
11:29 An adult Amy then appears to guide him to his rest
11:32 before he quickly sneezes into Peter Capaldi.
11:35 The emotional farewell with Amy,
11:37 followed by the breakneck change to a new face,
11:39 is a really satisfying contrast
11:41 and is the most original New Who regeneration so far.
11:45 Number three, the ninth Doctor in The Parting of the Ways.
11:49 Nine years after the TV movie,
11:51 Doctor Who bursts back onto TV screens
11:54 with a new series from writer Russell T. Davies,
11:56 leading the charge as the ninth iteration
11:58 of Gallifrey's favorite son was Christopher Eccleston,
12:01 who expertly straddled the line
12:03 between a dark version of the character
12:05 and the cheeky, chappy fans knew and loved.
12:07 Eccleston stuck around for just one series of the show,
12:10 but he made sure to go out in spectacular fashion.
12:14 He saved Rose Tyler from the power of the Time Vortex,
12:16 absorbing the energy that powers the TARDIS
12:18 at the cost of his own life.
12:20 After a heartfelt speech to Rose,
12:22 capped with a typically brazen last line,
12:24 the ninth Doctor erupts into a burst of yellow-orange energy,
12:28 and the tough northern exterior of Eccleston
12:30 makes way for the smooth Scottish good looks of David Tennant.
12:34 The convention of the Doctor emitting light
12:36 from their face and hands while regenerating
12:38 has appeared in every single regeneration since then.
12:41 This moment helped establish a new convention for the show,
12:44 which combined with the emotional farewell that preceded it,
12:47 is why it is so high up on this list.
12:50 Number two, the fifth Doctor in the Caves of Androzani.
12:55 The final story of Peter Davison's fifth Doctor
12:57 takes him and his companion, Perry,
12:59 to the Androzani system of planets.
13:01 Androzani is famous for containing spectrox,
13:04 a mineral with life-extending qualities when diluted.
13:07 Unfortunately, the Doctor manages to step in some raw spectrox,
13:10 which is lethal.
13:11 The Doctor succumbs to the illness
13:13 and enters a hallucinogenic state.
13:15 The screen then fills with a bizarre pinkish-purplish pattern
13:18 as the voices of the Doctor's friends and foes
13:20 merge together.
13:22 The screen then snaps back to normal and Davison is gone.
13:25 It's a fantastically melodramatic regeneration
13:28 that perfectly simulates the poison
13:30 running through the Doctor's body.
13:31 It's still one of the most interesting regenerations
13:34 to watch all these years later.
13:36 Number one, the tenth Doctor in The End of Time.
13:40 Dying as the result of radiation poisoning
13:42 after rescuing Wilfred Mott,
13:44 the tenth Doctor embarks on one last tour of the universe
13:47 to say goodbye to those he loves.
13:49 Captain Jack, Martha, Donna, and even Rose
13:52 all get their final moments with the Doctor
13:54 before he enters the TARDIS one last time.
13:57 Slowly pacing around his trusty ship,
13:59 the Doctor's face runs the full gummet of emotions
14:02 from fear to anger, regret to sadness.
14:05 As he realizes his time has come,
14:07 he stares almost directly down the camera,
14:10 in the eyes of everyone watching,
14:12 and says, "I don't wanna go."
14:14 Tennant's Doctor then explodes in a burst of light,
14:18 destroying his version of the TARDIS in the process,
14:21 which is a little bit overdramatic, if I must say.
14:23 It's heartbreaking, plain, and simple.
14:26 And there wasn't a dry eye across the country
14:28 when he said goodbye, and if you didn't cry,
14:30 well, you're lying, you did.
14:32 Without Tennant, Doctor Who would not be the show it is today.
14:35 It's only appropriate, then, that he got the grandest send-off
14:38 in the history of the program.
14:41 And as we all know, he's not finished yet.
14:44 And that concludes our ranking.
14:46 Now, obviously, your ranking might be different,
14:48 so let us know your thoughts in the comments below,
14:51 but remember to be kind and respectful
14:53 of other people's opinions if they differ to yours.
14:56 Also, remember to hit that like and subscribe button,
14:59 and tap that notification bell
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15:11 I've been Ellie with WhoCulture,
15:12 and in the words of River Song herself,
15:15 "Goodbye, sweeties."
15:16 [BLANK_AUDIO]