There have been more than a dozen incarnations of the titular character on Doctor Who over its extended 60-year history, so if you’ve recently found yourself looking for a comprehensive rundown of every version in chronological order, we’ve got you covered.
Starting out all the way in 1963 with “An Unearthly Child,” which marked William Hartnell’s debut as the First Doctor in the first ever Doctor Who episode, the protagonist has gone on an adventure across time and space that has spanned hundreds of stories, thousands of years, and fifteen official incarnations.
Here’s what you need to know about every Doctor and the actor who portrayed them.
William Hartnell / The First Doctor
Hartnell portrayed the first version of the character from 1963 to 1966 in 134 episodes. The First Doctor was witty, solemn, and incredibly wise, almost grandfatherly. It’s safe to say that almost every Doctor who succeeded Hartnell tried to capture an aspect of his character in their portrayal.
Patrick Troughton / The Second Doctor
Troughton knew he had big shoes to fill following Hartnell’s departure from the show. Not many people initially related to Troughton’s depiction, but as the years went by, he became an absolute favorite among Whovians due to his quirkiness. Troughton started his run in 1966 and ended it in 1969 with 119 episodes.
Jon Pertwee / The Third Doctor
This is where The Doctor finally managed to find his authoritative voice and turn into a hero. Jon Pertwee has a whopping 128 episodes to his name in a tenure that expanded four years. And who could forget those stylish outfits? The Third Doctor was certainly a Master of fashion, if nothing else.
Tom Baker / The Fourth Doctor
Even now, despite having contenders like David Tennant and Peter Capaldi, Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor remains a favorite in the community, with many insisting that he’s the best actor to have ever portrayed the character. Eccentric and charismatic. Bold and heroic. Perhaps there’ll never be a Doctor as prominent as Tom Baker, who appeared in the most number of outings (172 episodes) from 1974 to 1981.
Peter Davison / The Fifth Doctor
Davison had the unfortunate luck of following up Tom Baker’s timeless portrayal, but he somehow managed to hit the ground running and immortalize his name. The Fifth Doctor was empathetic towards other peoples and different races in the universe, and his iconic costume still remains a huge part of Doctor Who‘s legacy. Davison appeared in 69 episodes from 1982 to 1984.
Colin Baker / The Sixth Doctor
Colin Baker was an amazing actor, but his reign in the TARDIS was shortlived due to problems within the BBC. He brought the Sixth Doctor to life in 31 episodes from 1984 to 1986. Colin was mysterious and powerful, allowing his presence on the set to carry many scenes that wouldn’t have worked otherwise. Despite sharing his surname with Tom, the two are amusingly no relation.
Sylvester McCoy / The Seventh Doctor
If someone asked me to name the weirdest version of The Doctor, I’d definitely go with Sylvester McCoy. There’s something incredibly charming about the way McCoy portrays the character’s quirkiness. What’s more, he ended up paying homage to the earlier version of the protagonist, so it was no wonder that fans immediately took to his charming bearings. McCoy appeared in 42 episodes from 1987 to 1989.
Paul McGann / The Eighth Doctor
What to make of Paul McGann and his one-time appearance in the Doctor Who television film? While the 1996 movie was supposed to revive the show after a six-year hiatus, it failed to get enough traction. Still, fans love McGann’s serious portayal of the character — charming and idealistic at the same time — which is why the showrunners resurrected him for a number of other appearances across the years, namely the 2013 prequel short to “The Day of the Doctor.”
Christopher Eccleston / The Ninth Doctor
The only complaint fans have about Christopher Ecclesston’s portayal of the Ninth Doctor was how short-lived it was. This is a man who presided over the show’s extremely tenunous revival in 2005, but thanks to Russell T. Davies’ brilliance and Eccleston’s memorable performance, Doctor Who managed to break its curse and regain its former popularity. Ecclesston portrayed the character for 13 episodes (1 season) in 2005.
David Tennant / The Tenth Doctor
The traumatized Last of the Time Lords. The dashing hero in his long overcoat. The Lonely God. The hero that saves the universe time and again. The Tenth Doctor is the epitome of everything that makes Doctor Who special. During his tenure from 2006 to 2010, the long-running sci-fi show reached the pinnacle of its popularity. Tennant himself appeared in 47 episodes across three seasons, and later returned for the 50th anniversary special next to Matt Smith in 2013.
Matt Smith / The Eleventh Doctor
Matt Smith is known as the Raggedy Doctor, a nickname given to him by his first companion, Amelia Pond. The defining characteristic of the Eleventh Doctor is how he could jump from a whimsical jester to the 2000-year-old Time Lord with a fury in a matter of seconds. During his tenure, which consisted of 44 episodes from 2010 to 2013, Smith and showrunner Steven Moffat turned Doctor Who into an international sensation.
John Hurt / The War Doctor
The War Doctor was a so-called “secret incarnation” who fought in the Last Great Time War after Paul McGann regenerated. The incredible John Hurt portrayed this version in the 50th anniversary, and he went on to reprise his role in a number of Big Finish audio stories.
Peter Capaldi / The Twelfth Doctor
Known as the Magician or the Grumpy Attack Eyebrows, Capaldi is one of the greatest actors to pick up the mantle in the past 60 years. I think I should simply leave it at that, as words can hardly do his portrayal justice. He appeared in 40 episodes from 2014 to 2017, but everyone will agree that his tenure could’ve gone on for 40 more.
David Bradley / The First Doctor
David Bradley portrayed William Hartnell’s First Doctor in the 2013 documentary An Adventure in Time and Space. He then reprised his role in a canonical capacity through Capaldi’s last episode, “Twice Upon a Time.” Bradley was the perfect First Doctor, so it’s no wonder every showrunner tries to cram in at least one cameo from him alongside the contemporary Doctors.
Jodie Whittaker / The Thirteenth Doctor
Jodie Whittaker was the first female actress to portray The Doctor. She manned the TARDIS from 2018 to 2022, appearing in 31 episodes. While her run was contentious and more than a little controversial due to poor writing, Jodie herself was beloved across the fandom.
Jo Martin / Fugitive Doctor
Much like John Hurt, Jo Martin was a secret incarnation. Not much is known about this iteration of the character, expect for the fact that she randomly appears during Whittaker’s run to encourage The Doctor or fill in her lost memories. I think most fans would rather consider Martin as non-canonical, mostly due to the fact that her story was left unexplored.
David Tennant / The Fourteenth Doctor
David Tennant is returning as the official fourteenth incarnation of The Doctor in the upcoming 60th anniversary special in 2023. We still don’t know how or why this version made a sudden comeback, but it’s a welcome surprise.
Ncuti Gatwa / The Fifteenth Doctor
Gatwas is taking over from Tennant after the 60th anniversary, officially portraying the Fifteenth Doctor in the next season. Whovians don’t know what kind of Doctor Ncuti will be, so we can’t wait to see more of him in November and beyond.