Buzz
Premiering on November 23, 1963, just one day after President Kennedy's assassination, the British sci-fi series Doctor Who has grown into one of the most beloved television shows in history. As the longest-running science fiction series globally, its fanbase spans the entire world. The show initially aired for 26 years before going on hiatus, only to be revived with a TV movie in 1996 and later relaunched as a new series in 2005, which continues to thrive today.
The series centers on an enigmatic alien called “The Doctor,” who journeys through time and space in his ship, the TARDIS, accompanied by companions, often humans he meets during his adventures. Preferring intellect over brute force, The Doctor consistently confronts a variety of extraterrestrial foes. Over the years, Doctor Who has been celebrated for introducing some of the most imaginative and terrifying creatures and villains ever seen on television. Below is a list of ten of the most iconic adversaries.
10. The Silence
Introduced in the episodes “The Impossible Astronaut” and “Day of the Moon” (2011), the Silence are a religious sect determined to eliminate the Doctor to stop him from answering the universe's oldest question: Doctor Who? They assert that silence must prevail when this question is posed and have orchestrated multiple schemes to annihilate the Doctor, including sabotaging his TARDIS to cause an explosion.
One of the most terrifying traits of this creature is their long-standing coexistence with humanity, coupled with their eerie ability to be remembered only when directly observed. Once out of sight, all memory of their presence vanishes. At President Nixon's behest, the Doctor outsmarted a group of them by embedding a Silent's command—“You should kill us all on sight”—into the broadcast of the first moon landing. This covertly compels humanity to eliminate any Silence they encounter, unaware of their actions.
9. Sontarans
The Sontarans are a warrior species the Doctor has frequently crossed paths with during his journeys. War is the cornerstone of their society, with every facet of their existence revolving around combat. They have been engaged in an eternal conflict with their arch-rivals, the Rutans, for hundreds of millennia. Recognizable by their potato-like appearance, the Sontarans are also known for their near-identical looks, a result of their reliance on cloning for reproduction.
Debuting in the 1973 episode “The Time Warrior,” a lone Sontaran named Linx found himself stranded on Earth during the Middle Ages, striving to repair his damaged spacecraft. Subsequent notable appearances include “The Invasion of Time” (1978), where they successfully breached the Doctor’s homeworld, Gallifrey, and “The Sontaran Stratagem” / “The Poison Sky” (2008), where they plotted to transform Earth into a planet for clone production.
8. Zygons
The Zygons stand out on this list as they have only appeared once in Doctor Who. Introduced in the 1975 episode “Terror of the Zygons,” they are a shape-shifting species capable of mimicking other living beings. Their technology is biologically based, meaning their ships and tools are living organisms. Notably, the 10th Doctor, David Tennant, has expressed that they are his favorite monsters from the series.
In their sole TV appearance, the Doctor uncovers a group of Zygons whose ship crashed into Loch Ness in Scotland. Utilizing a cyborg creature called the Skarasen, which later inspired the Loch Ness Monster legend, they aim to dominate Earth after their own planet’s destruction.
7. Ice Warriors
The Ice Warriors are a reptilian humanoid species hailing from Mars. Towering in stature, they communicate with a slow, hissing tone and possess scaly skin beneath their robust, armor-like shells. They first appeared in “The Ice Warriors” (1967), where they sought to overthrow an Earth-based scientific facility during the onset of a new ice age. They returned in “The Seeds of Death” (1969), aiming to terraform Earth’s atmosphere to suit Martian life.
Despite their reputation as aggressors, the Doctor encountered a reformed faction in “The Curse of Peladon” (1972), where they declared a commitment to peace. Although their last TV appearance was in 1974’s “The Monster of Peladon,” the Ice Warriors remain fan-favorite Doctor Who adversaries. Plans to reintroduce them in the 1980s were ultimately abandoned.
6. Autons
The Nestene Consciousness is an entity composed entirely of psychic energy, devoid of physical form. For billions of years, the Nestenes have colonized planets, traveling within hollow plastic spheres. Their unique ability to manipulate plastic aids their planetary invasions, primarily through the creation of living plastic constructs called Autons.
In “Spearhead From Space” (1970), the Doctor faced a Nestene plot to replace key Earth figures with Auton duplicates. Autons were also disguised as shop mannequins, programmed to attack civilians upon activation. Their next appearance in “Terror of the Autons” (1971) highlighted their plastic-controlling abilities, sparking widespread complaints due to its frightening content. A particularly chilling moment involved the Doctor removing a police officer’s fake face to expose the blank visage of an Auton. They later returned in the revived series’ premiere, “Rose” (2005), and played a pivotal role in “The Pandorica Opens” / “The Big Bang” (2010).
5. Silurians & Sea Devils
Debuting in 1970, the Silurians are a highly advanced reptilian species that once dominated Earth in prehistoric times. Fearing a catastrophic planetary collision, their scientists placed them into hibernation underground. However, the predicted disaster turned out to be the moon entering Earth’s orbit, and a malfunction in their technology prevented their awakening. In their first appearance, the Doctor encounters a group of Silurians awakened by a nearby nuclear power plant, intent on reclaiming Earth. A related faction appeared in “The Hungry Earth” / “Cold Blood” (2010), disturbed by a deep drilling operation.
Genetic relatives of the Silurians, the Sea Devils, named for their aquatic nature, were introduced in 1971. Awakened by the Master, another of the Doctor’s foes, they were convinced to attempt reclaiming Earth. Both species later united in “Warriors of the Deep” (1983), plotting to incite a nuclear war between Earth’s superpowers.
4. Weeping Angels
First introduced in 2007’s “Blink,” the Weeping Angels swiftly became one of Doctor Who’s most iconic and fearsome creatures. These ancient beings, existing since the universe’s inception, can move swiftly and silently—but only when unobserved. When seen by another life form, they become “quantum-locked,” turning into indestructible stone statues. They can only move again when their observer looks away or blinks. This unique trait also means that if two Angels look at each other, they remain frozen indefinitely, leading them to often cover their eyes, resembling “weeping angels.”
The Angels eliminate their victims by sending them back in time, consuming the potential energy generated by their altered futures. However, they have also been known to kill victims outright by snapping their necks when seeking a more potent energy source. As demonstrated in “The Time of Angels” / “Flesh and Stone” (2010), they can manifest through any image of themselves, such as when an Angel emerged from a security monitor displaying its footage.
3. Daleks
The Daleks are the most iconic adversaries in Doctor Who, playing a pivotal role in the show’s enduring success. Conceived by writer Terry Nation and modeled after the Nazis, they debuted in the second episode of 1963 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Encased in robotic shells, the Daleks house mutated creatures from the Kaled species, transformed after a nuclear war with their rivals, the Thals. Created by Davros, the chief Kaled scientist, they were programmed to view all other races as inferior, driving their relentless quest for universal domination. Notable schemes include their invasion of Earth in “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” (1964) and their attempt to annihilate reality in “The Stolen Earth” / “Journey’s End” (2008).
When the series was revived, it was revealed that the Daleks had annihilated the Doctor’s homeworld, Gallifrey, during the cataclysmic Time War. Nearly all Time Lords, except the Doctor and later the Master, were wiped out, with only a few Daleks surviving. Despite this, the Daleks rebuilt their empire and continue to spread fear across the universe.
2. The Master
The Master, a Time Lord like the Doctor, serves as the Doctor’s arch-nemesis, embodying a Moriarty-like figure. Equally brilliant but wholly malevolent, he harbors ambitions of universal domination. He debuted in “Terror of the Autons” (1971), aiding the Nestenes in their Earth invasion plot. Over the years, he has repeatedly endangered Earth and the universe, often allying with the Doctor’s foes, including the Sea Devils, the Daleks, and the renegade Time Lord, the Rani.
The Master reappeared in 2007, masquerading as Harold Saxon to become the UK Prime Minister. Using this authority, he seized control of Earth with a “paradox machine” crafted from the Doctor’s stolen TARDIS. He returned in “The End of Time” (2009), deploying a device to transform humanity into copies of himself.
1. Cybermen
Debuting in “The Tenth Planet” (1966), the final episode featuring William Hartnell as the Doctor, the Cybermen have risen to become one of Doctor Who’s most iconic adversaries. Hailing from Mondas, Earth’s twin planet, they are the result of a species seeking to enhance themselves through cybernetic augmentation. Stripped of emotion and equipped with robotic enhancements, the Cybermen emerged. Despite their efforts to transcend their humanoid origins, they possess vulnerabilities, particularly to gold, which disrupts their respiratory systems. They have clashed with the Doctor countless times over the decades.
A new origin was introduced when the Cybermen returned in 2006, suggesting the existence of two distinct factions. These Cybermen originated from a parallel Earth, created by John Lumic, the head of Cybus Industries. Similar to their Mondasian counterparts, Lumic aimed to “upgrade” humanity by eliminating emotional and physical frailties.
