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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 fresh
00:07and 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 them.
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.
01:22The Doctor manages to pilot the TARDIS back to Earth, collapsing in his lab with Sarah Jane and the Brigadier present.
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,
01:42and the presence of a bloke floating on a cloud only complicates things further.
01:46You'd think, considering this was the third time they'd done a regeneration,
01:50that the showrunners would have known better by this point.
01:52As portrayed by the late, great John Hurt, the War Doctor is a very confusing addition to the Time Lords timeline.
02:05A version of the Doctor who has been fighting in the Time War,
02:08the War Doctor comes into contact with his future selves after attempting to use a superweapon known as the Moment.
02:14Now, originally out to destroy both the Time Lords and the Daleks,
02:17the War Doctor is convinced by his alternate selves 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,
02:27who are actually older, but, you know, you get it,
02:29and flies away in his TARDIS.
02:31And then he regenerates.
02:33But, is that because he's old?
02:35Does he just get tired and die?
02:37Though it obviously symbolises the completion of his struggle,
02:40the War Doctor's regeneration still kind of came out of nowhere.
02:43And the fact that Christopher Eccleston refused to return for this episode
02:47just 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.
02:56Number 12, The Second Doctor in The War Games
02:59The first actor to play a regenerated version of the Doctor,
03:03Patrick Troughton had a lot on his shoulders when he first appeared in the role.
03:07And while he did an excellent job with the character,
03:09his regeneration left a lot to be desired.
03:11He was basically bullied into the change by the Time Lords,
03:14who 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,
03:29back and forth between the two parties,
03:31the Time Lords send the Doctor down to Earth in the form of a psychedelic spiral,
03:35with our hero crying out while it happens.
03:37Now, on paper, this sounds like it could be quite interesting,
03:41and to some extent, it was.
03:43It was a radical departure from the first regeneration,
03:45but it was let down by how campy it was.
03:49Number 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,
04:00until the idea of changing the Doctor's face was suggested.
04:03And with that, a TV institution was born.
04:06Now, the first Doctor's regeneration is a very simple one.
04:10At the end of the Tenth Planet,
04:11the Time Lord's old body finally catches up with him and he collapses.
04:15Remarking that his body has worn out,
04:17the Doctor shuts his eyes and transforms into a brilliant flash of white light.
04:21It's an incredibly simple regeneration,
04:23but what did you expect from their first attempt?
04:25Obviously, the show was still working this mechanic out,
04:28and needed to establish it in this episode,
04:30and 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,
04:38but considering the time it took place,
04:40and the impact it's had on the show today,
04:42this is such an important moment in TV history.
04:47Number 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,
04:59the story of Baker's regeneration is as interesting as it is controversial.
05:03Instead of making the switch at the end of a serial,
05:06as had been the tradition up to that point,
05:08the change from The Sixth Doctor to The Seventh Doctor
05:11was done at the beginning of the 1987 story Time and The Rani.
05:15Here, the TARDIS is shot down by a villainous Time Lady,
05:18and crash lands on a planet called La Kersha.
05:20Now, the Doctor perishes as a result of that crash,
05:23and his face alters under a colourful swirl of energy.
05:26Unfortunately, Baker himself had already left the show by this point,
05:30so his part was played by Sylvester McCoy in a blonde wig.
05:34Now, honestly, you couldn't make this up.
05:35It might have been chaos behind the scenes,
05:37but the on-screen regeneration was actually quite exciting.
05:40The special effects on the TARDIS crash have aged like warm milk,
05:43but they must have been thrilling for the audiences at the time.
05:46Not a terrible regeneration, but maybe not a great one either.
05:50Number 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,
05:59Paul McGann made just one appearance in the role before 2013,
06:04and has been credited by some as having killed off the franchise
06:07before 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 Minnesota
06:17The Night of the Doctor,
06:18which was also part of the show's half-century celebrations.
06:21The episode begins with the Eighth Doctor trying to save a pilot from crashing,
06:25only to die in the crash himself.
06:27He is momentarily revived by the Sisterhood of Khan,
06:31who make a plea to him.
06:32They beg him to drink their elixir,
06:34which will allow him to choose characteristics for his next form.
06:38They ask him to become a warrior in order to stop the time war
06:41and bring peace to the universe,
06:42and Eight begrudgingly accepts.
06:45Now, it's not big or flashy,
06:46but The Eighth Doctor's regeneration is one of the more unique ones in the series,
06:50and it also gave McGann another shot at the character, as he deserved.
06:55Number 8.
06:56The Twelfth Doctor in Twice Upon a Time
06:58Peter 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,
07:06Capaldi has excelled in every role he's ever had,
07:09and gave a spirited performance as the Twelfth Doctor,
07:12even when the show's popularity took a downward turn.
07:14Much like he carried the acclaimed episode Heaven Sent,
07:17Capaldi carries the Twelfth Doctor's regeneration single-handedly.
07:21After helping his first incarnation come to terms with his impending death,
07:25Twelfth decides that he too is ready to depart.
07:28After a beautifully recited soliloquy advising his next form,
07:31the Scottish Doctor regenerates in a blast of light.
07:34And that regeneration speech is certainly one to remember.
07:39Number 7.
07:40The Fourth Doctor in Logopolis
07:42Tom Baker helmed Doctor Who for seven seasons,
07:45way more than anyone else,
07:47and left behind an untouchable legacy on British TV.
07:50Now, his 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,
07:58the Doctor is betrayed by his nemesis.
08:01Shock, horror!
08:02And ends up falling from a huge telescope to the ground below.
08:06He's surrounded by his companions as the Watcher,
08:08a ghostly white figure who looks a bit like a toilet paper mummy,
08:12fuses with the fallen adventurer to begin his next metamorphosis.
08:15The actual regeneration process isn't super impressive.
08:18Baker basically turns white for a second,
08:20and then Peter Davison appears gurning in his place.
08:23But it's what happens before this that's important.
08:25While awaiting his fate,
08:27the Doctor receives visions of all his past companions.
08:30Though not as good as future callbacks,
08:31this moment is still very sweet,
08:33and proves just how momentous it was to lose Tom Baker as the Doctor.
08:36Number 6.
08:38The 13th Doctor in The Power of the Doctor
08:41Now, I don't know why anyone wouldn't have seen it yet,
08:44but just in case you haven't seen The Power of the Doctor yet,
08:47this entry is obviously going to contain major, major spoilers.
08:51So be warned.
08:52The shocking conclusion to The Power of the Doctor
08:55has reignited an interest in Doctor Who
08:57that the show hasn't seen in years.
09:00After being mortally wounded by the Master,
09:02Jodie Whittaker's version of the character says her goodbyes to Yaz
09:05before flying the TARDIS one last time.
09:08Arriving on a cliff's edge,
09:09Whittaker 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?
09:19This reveal is almost the entire reason
09:22for this regeneration being as high as it is.
09:24Although we are yet to see what happens
09:26with Tennant's second go-around,
09:27this regeneration represents hope for a series
09:30that many have considered on the ropes for quite some time.
09:33Having said that,
09:34I can also appreciate and understand
09:36that there are some people who feel that
09:38David Tennant's introduction here
09:39did take away from the significance
09:41of Jodie Whittaker's departure
09:43and also overshadowed the introduction of Shuti Gatwa
09:46as the next incarnation of the Doctor.
09:49Everyone is entitled to their own opinions
09:51and we will be kind to everyone
09:52despite their opinions maybe differing from ours.
09:55Okay?
09:56Okay, let's move on.
09:57Number 5.
09:59The seventh Doctor in Doctor Who The Movie
10:01The 1996 Doctor Who TV movie is extremely divisive.
10:06On one hand, it was praised for being more grown-up
10:09with a more mature tone
10:10and a greater emphasis on violence.
10:12On the other hand, the plot was heavily criticised
10:14and some fans claimed the whole thing felt very un-Who-like.
10:18Regardless of your thoughts on the project,
10:20you can't deny that Sylvester McCoy's regeneration
10:22into Paul McGann was pretty cool.
10:24After being shot by a street gang, told you it was darker,
10:27the Doctor dies on the operating table
10:29of a San Francisco hospital.
10:31He then undergoes his most gruesome regeneration yet,
10:34his face contorting and twisting as it changes.
10:37The entire sequence is intercut
10:39with a morgue security guard
10:40watching the 1931 movie Frankenstein,
10:43and the parallels between the famous monster
10:45and our hero are clear
10:46and are presented very nicely in this sequence.
10:49The movie might have bombed,
10:50but at least they tried something new with this scene.
10:53Number four, the 11th Doctor in the Time of the Doctor.
10:58As the youngest person to take on the role of the Doctor,
11:01it was rather ironic that Matt Smith's 11th Doctor
11:04died of old age.
11:05After centuries of battle on the planet Trenzalor,
11:08the valiant Defender finally wears out and dies,
11:11but not before Clara Oswald persuades the Time Lords
11:13to grant him a new regeneration cycle.
11:16This gets around the problem of the Doctor
11:17having used up his 12 regenerations prior to this point.
11:21After returning to his younger self
11:22for a brief goodbye with Clara,
11:24the Doctor then sees visions of a young Amelia Pond,
11:27the first face this face saw.
11:29An adult Amy then appears to guide him to his rest
11:32before he quickly sneezes into Peter Capaldi.
11:35The emotional farewell with Amy
11:37followed by the breakneck change to a new face
11:39is a really satisfying contrast
11:41and is the most original New Who regeneration so far.
11:44Number 3, The Ninth Doctor in The Parting of the Ways
11:49Nine years after the TV movie,
11:52Doctor Who burst back onto TV screens
11:54with a new series from writer Russell T. Davies.
11:57Leading the charge as the ninth iteration
11:58of Gallifrey's favourite son was Christopher Eccleston,
12:01who expertly straddled the line
12:03between a dark version of the character
12:05and the cheeky chappy fans knew and loved.
12:08Eccleston stuck around for just one series of the show,
12:10but he made sure to go out in spectacular fashion.
12:13He saved Rose Tyler from the power of the time vortex,
12:16absorbing the energy that powers the TARDIS
12:19at the cost of his own life.
12:20After a heartfelt speech to Rose,
12:22capped with a typically brazen last line,
12:25the Ninth Doctor erupts into a burst of yellow-orange energy,
12:28and 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
12:36from their face and hands while regenerating
12:38has appeared in every single regeneration since then.
12:41This moment helped establish a new convention for the show,
12:44which, combined with the emotional farewell that preceded it,
12:47is why it is so high up on this list.
12:51Number 2.
12:51The Fifth Doctor in the Caves of Androzani
12:54The final story of Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor
12:57takes him and his companion Perry
12:59to the Androzani system of planets.
13:01Androzani is famous for containing spectrox,
13:04a mineral with life-extending qualities when diluted.
13:07Unfortunately, the Doctor manages to step in some raw spectrox,
13:10which is lethal.
13:12The Doctor succumbs to the illness
13:13and enters a hallucinogenic state.
13:15The screen then fills with a bizarre pinkish-purplish pattern
13:18as the voices of the Doctor's friends and foes merge together.
13:22The screen then snaps back to normal,
13:24and Davison is gone.
13:25It's a fantastically melodramatic regeneration
13:27that perfectly simulates the poison running through the Doctor's body.
13:31It's still one of the most interesting regenerations to watch
13:34all these years later.
13:36Number 1.
13:37The Tenth Doctor in The End of Time
13:40Dying as the result of radiation poisoning
13:42after rescuing Wilfred Mott,
13:44the Tenth Doctor embarks on one last tour of the universe
13:47to say goodbye to those he loves.
13:49Captain Jack, Martha, Donna, and even Rose
13:52all get their final moments with the Doctor
13:54before he enters the TARDIS one last time.
13:57Slowly pacing around his trusty ship,
13:59the 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,
14:07he stares almost directly down the camera
14:09in the eyes of everyone watching and says,
14:13I don't want to go.
14:15Tennant's Doctor then explodes in a burst of light,
14:18destroying his version of the TARDIS in the process,
14:21which is a little bit overdramatic, if I must say.
14:23It's heartbreaking, plain and simple,
14:26and there wasn't a dry eye across the country
14:29when he said goodbye,
14:29and if you didn't cry, 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
14:38in the history of the programme,
14:41and as we all know, he's not finished yet.
14:44And that concludes our ranking.
14:47Now, obviously, your ranking might be different,
14:49so let us know your thoughts in the comments below,
14:51but remember to be kind and respectful
14:53of other people's opinions if they differ to yours.
14:56Also, remember to hit that like and subscribe button
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15:11I've been Ellie with Who Culture,
15:13and in the words of Riversong herself,
15:15goodbye, sweeties.
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