The Best Doctor Who Quote From Each Of The 17 Doctors

Doctor Who‘s extensive legacy has seen many actors tackle the role of the Doctor, with incredible dialogue to punctuate every new Doctor’s time on the TARDIS. While the show had humble beginnings in 1963 as a brand-new sci-fi series from the BBC, no one involved at that moment could have predicted how far the time traveling show would extend into the future. Over time, it became essential family viewing for many people throughout the UK, before the general enthusiasm for the show appeared to die down in the late 1980s.

However, because of the influence the show had for more than two decades, there were plenty of lifelong fans who were keen to see it continue. Despite a failed reboot attempt in 1996, another effort was made in 2005 to bring the show back to its former glory. Thanks to the talents of incredible showrunners, and especially the actors who played the Doctor, it now lives on as the longest-running sci-fi TV show of all time, and it found a global audience. But none of it would have been possible without the “mad man in a box,” the Doctor, who inspires, delights, and consistently blows the audience away.

1 “I don’t make threats. But I do keep promises. And I promise you I shall cause you more trouble than you bargained for… If you don’t return my property!”

The First Doctor – William Hartnell

During the earliest days of Doctor Who, the show was still finding its way and setting the foundations that would carry the show through the decades. With William Hartnell in the hotseat, the Doctor was a grumpy, snippy, yet wise older man. He chose to travel with young companions, including his grandaughter, as he traveled the universe exploring. “The Sensorites” was a serial that came early on, and it did a fantastic job at highlighting the Doctor’s more dangerous side, as he confronted a terrifying race of aliens head on, despite his apparent frailty.

2 “An unintelligent enemy is far less dangerous than an intelligent one, Jamie. Just act stupid. Do you think you can manage that?”

The Second Doctor – Patrick Troughton

Once the Doctor settles into his Second regeneration, played by Patrick Troughton, he finds dear friends to travel with him for almost all of this section of his life. One such friend was Jamie, who to this day, remains the Doctor’s longest-running companion. At the beginning of season 6, in the serial, “The Dominators,” the Doctor was faced with a number of dangerous enemies, including the Dominators, and the Quarks. In order to disguise the threat they could pose to these invaders, the Doctor tries to encourage Jamie to essentially ‘play dumb.’ The harsh delivery, and the underlying care in the message are distinct aspects of the Doctor’s affection for his companions.

3 “Courage isn’t just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It’s being afraid and doing what you have to do, anyway.”

The Third Doctor – Jon Pertwee

For many fans of the classic Doctor Who era, Jon Pertwee was the iconic super-spy Doctor. Due to his being trapped on Earth, working with a secretive military organization by the name of U.N.I.T., and the Doctor’s array of gadgets and his beloved car, he was frequently compared to characters like James Bond. This spilled over into the portrayal as Pertwee made the Doctor more suave and ready to run toward danger, but as the above quote from “Planet of the Daleks” shows, the calm exterior was not always a reflection of his deeper concerns. However, like any good super spy, or like the Doctor, he faces his fears head on.

Another quote which highlights this Doctor’s more playful side came in Terror of the Autons, when he said:
“You know Jo, I sometimes think that military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.”

4 “You may be a doctor. But I am the Doctor. The definite article, you might say!”

The Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker

The Fourth Doctor was widely seen as a fan-favorite Doctor during the classic era, with his more boisterous nature making him stand out, and his bizarre quirks highlighting how he is distinctly alien. Tom Baker’s portrayal was one that defined the show during this early period, and as such, this line in the serial, “Robot,” is a perfect example of his bravado, which allowed him to take over the role in a way that made it seem like he was always meant to play the character.

5 “You know how it is – you put things off for a day, and next thing you know, it’s a hundred years later.”

The Fifth Doctor – Peter Davison

However, when it came around to Peter Davison’s time on the TARDIS, his portrayal of the Doctor was noticeably different. Where Baker proved an obvious alien among humans, Davison’s Fifth Doctor longed to fit in, and be accepted by the humans. In this pursuit, he was often absent-minded, reflecting on serious thoughts as chaos danced around him. This line from the “Arc of Infinity” reveals a great deal about his state of mind as the now ancient Doctor finds themself more reflective than ever before.

6 “This is a situation that requires tact and finesse. Fortunately, I am blessed with both!”

The Sixth Doctor – Colin Baker

Where the Fifth Doctor thought long and hard about his actions, and his mistakes, the Sixth Doctor, played by Colin Baker, once again found a very different approach. For whatever reason, the Sixth Doctor appeared to have significantly more self-assurance and confidence in themselves than any Doctor before them. It is not unfair to state that while the Doctor is absolutely brilliant, he comes across as proud and thoughtless in his boastful words and his reckless actions. However, as seen in “Terror of the Vervoids,” the Sixth Doctor tends to see nothing but the best in himself.

7 “Think about me when you’re living your life one day after another, all in a neat pattern. Think about the homeless traveler and his old police box, with his days like crazy paving.”

The Seventh Doctor – Sylvester McCoy

By the time Sylvester McCoy took the reins to play the Seventh Doctor, the alien had grown tired, weary, and he often sought joy by playing pranks and being deceitful. However, underneath this tough shell, he had some touching moments as he looked on longingly at his companions and the other humans for the simplicity of their existence. In “Dragonfire,” he made these feelings clear, as he compared the linear life cycles of the humans to his own, fractured, and unorganized life jumping all over the timeline.

8 “I love humans. Always seeing patterns in things that aren’t there.”

The Eighth Doctor – Paul McGann

In terms of Pual McGann’s time on screen as the Doctor, there was precious little of his Eight Doctor. Initially, McGann appeared only in the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie. Fortunately, he has returned in audio adventures, and even made a few special guest appearances on the show. But in the movie where he appears, McGann’s most memorable line comes as he sets himself apart from the humans with the above comment. While it offers an air of appreciation, it is also very condescending, as the Doctor has embraced their differences from the humans.

9 “Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame. Whatever the cost.”

The War Doctor – John Hurt

Likewise, the Doctor who canonically followed on from McGann was only present in one special feature-length adventure. “The Day of the Doctor” featured a very special version of the Doctor who helped to reset the story, and create a distinct separation between the classic era and the modern NuWho. As the War Doctor, Hurt became the warrior who could win the Time War, and wipe out the Daleks, but this was a departure from the Doctor’s who came before or after. In the aftermath of his regeneration, the Doctor dealt with a lot of grief and trauma, but there were brighter days ahead for the “[man] forged in fire.”

10 “Just This Once, Everybody Lives!”

The Ninth Doctor – Christopher Eccleston

Following on directly from the War Doctor, Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor was the next regeneration who had to handle his actions from the Time War. Having lost all the Time Lords, and exterminating the Dalek race as he presumed, the Ninth Doctor was raw and full of emotion. Fortunately, his warrior past only pushed him to further embrace his namesake as the Doctor, and strive to save as many people as he could. This is best seen in “The Doctor Dances,” when he manages to find a solution that saves everyone who he thought he had lost during that two-part adventure.

11 “[Time] is more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff.”

The Tenth Doctor – David Tennant

The Tenth Doctor moved on from grief and experienced a juxtaposition of burning hot anger, paired with wonderfully joyous silliness. David Tennant’s Doctor is known for his monologues, his quick speech, and his brilliant intellect. However, despite his extraordinary intelligence, he does like to explain his theories in the simplest language possible. This very thing was the reason he delivered the iconic “wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff” line in “Blink” that defines his era and remains one of his most memorable lines.

12 “Hello, I’m the Doctor. Basically… run!”

The Eleventh Doctor – Matt Smith

Like Tom Baker in the classic era Doctor Who, Matt Smith was another actor who hit the ground running as the Eleventh Doctor. After a period with Tennant, a huge fan-favorite actor in the role, Smith was able to join the show and convince everyone watching at home that despite his youth, and his new face, he was the Doctor. This can be seen in his premiere episode, “The Eleventh Hour,” as he gathers his thoughts and figures out his distinct identity as the Doctor, before confronting a menacing alien with the above line. This moment sent chills down the spine of that enormous alien, and everyone watched along.

13 “Never be cruel, never be cowardly. […] Hate is always foolish, love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind.”

The Twelfth Doctor – Peter Capaldi

Meanwhile, the Twelfth Doctor was another huge change as the Doctor went from the youngest ever actor in the role, to the oldest in the modern era. Peter Capaldi was a big departure from Matt Smith’s Doctor in terms of his personality and dialogue, but it was helped by keeping the same showrunner in both Doctor’s eras, Steven Moffat. As a result, Capaldi’s Doctor embraced his older persona and wisdom, and was often delivering speeches that dug deep into the Doctor’s centuries of wisdom. This all culminated so that in his final appearance in “Twice Upon A Time,” the Twelfth Doctor delivered his most powerful and beautiful speech as he began to regenerate into Thirteen.

The Twelfth Doctor was also incredibly witty, and his speeches could be hilarious, as seen in “The Pilot”:
“Hardly anything is evil, but most things are hungry. Hunger looks very like evil from the wrong end of the cutlery. Or do you think that your bacon sandwich loves you back?”

14 “If I was still a bloke, I could get on with the job and not have to waste time defending myself.”

The Thirteenth Doctor – Jodie Whittaker

Another huge change came when Jodie Whittaker took over the role as the Thirteenth Doctor, and officially became the first woman to play the Doctor. While this was an incredible moment in the Doctor’s journey, and one that saw them tackle challenges in a whole variety of new ways, it also came with its own challenges. The Thirteenth Doctor pointed this out in the episode “The Witchfinders,” which saw them fighting against a group of 17th century heretics who accused several extraordinary women of being witches. This included the Doctor, and was evidently frustrating, but they managed to overcome the challenges and come out on top.

15 “I fought all those battles for all those years, and now I know what for. This. I’ve never been so happy in my life.”

The Fourteenth Doctor – David Tennant

David Tennant was also the only actor to ever play the Doctor twice, as seen in the three 60th Anniversary special episodes released in 2023. During this brief return, the Fourteen Doctor had a clear connection to his past, both because of his repeated appearance, but also because of the presence of villains like the Toymaker whom he faced in “The Giggle.” This led to the Doctor bi-generating, creating two distinct versions of the Doctor, and allowing Fourteen to live out a life of peace and quiet, rewarded for his long life of fighting for the greater good.

16 “We’re all dead eventually. There’s hardly any time that we’re not dead. Which is a good thing, too! We’ve got to keep the pace up, otherwise nothing would get done. Dying defines us.”

The Fifteenth Doctor – Ncuti Gatwa

On the other side of this bi-generation, Ncuti Gatwa appeared as the new, action-ready, and energetic Fifteenth Doctor. Of course, shedding his past allowed him to run fast towards an unknown future, but it also meant that Fifteen had a greater connection to his own mortality and the effects of his long-life. In “Boom,” he utters this incredibly insightful line about death, explaining the sheer vastness of it, and in many ways, this helps to connect him to humans. Because ultimately, whether in 100 years or 10,000, everyone dies, and time moves on without them.

17 “No time to be tired. Still work to do out there. Lives at stake. Armies being born. People need the Doctor”

The Fugitive Doctor – Jo Martin

Finally, we have one of the most mysterious Doctor’s who has appeared on the show in multiple episodes, Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor. After having learned the truth about her own history and countless other lives lived and forgotten, Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor understands the truth about the Fugitive Doctor they met earlier in their timeline. The controversial Doctor Who episode, “The Timeless Children,” explored the connection to these other incarnations, and saw Martin return to deliver her best line in the role, helping to get Thirteen back in action and see their incredible value as the Doctor.