Over the years, the modern era ofDoctor Whohas introduced several new villains and original monsters to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, but the most exciting creatures are always the ones returning from the original series.ClassicWhohad some truly terrifying monsterswhose designs were hugely ahead of their time, despite the show’s fairly low budget that held back the practical effects and makeup. However, when the majority of these creatures made their return in the modern era, they were given complete redesigns.
Doctor Whohas some cute monsters, it has some friendly monsters, but the majority of the show’s alien species have turned out to be fairly troublesome for the Doctor during his travels through time and space. And despite his best efforts,many of these creatures have come back time and time againto cause trouble for the Time Lord. This was one of the most exciting features of theDoctor Whorevival when it started in 2005, and it’s still exhilarating when monsters are given a fresh lick of paint today.
10The Autons
The Autons are one ofDoctor Who’s longest-running villains, so it’s no surprise that showrunner Russell T. Davies decided to give them the very first appearance in the rebootedDoctor Who’s pilot episode.They’re a species of artificial life form created by the Nestene Consciousnessto hide in plain sight and serve as sleeper agents for the consciousness’ inevitable invasion of humanity.
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In both the classic and rebooted shows, the Autons took the form of plastic shop-window mannequins. Their classic design was slightly more exaggerated and noticeable than their rebooted design, which was more subtle and didn’t have too many identifying features beyond their plastic form. It was one of the show’s least dramatic monster redesigns, and consequently one of the most forgettable.
9The Macra
First Appeared In “The Moonbase”
The Macra weren’t particularly well-known before they were rebooted inDoctor Who’s third season, but their return was a welcome surprise for long-term fans of the show.The species belongs to an empire of large crustaceanswho thrive in humanity’s unclean gasses, turning them poisonous to humans. This allowed them to live in spaces that humans physically couldn’t enter, allowing them to remain undetected for years.
The Macra later returned inGridlock, aDoctor Whoepisode featuring one ofDavid Tennant’s best performances as the Doctor. In the story, the crab-like monsters had become even larger and more terrifying, though their physical form was quite similar.They had maintained their ability to create poisonous gas, which caused the endless stream of traffic that the Doctor had to navigate in that episode. Although they were defeated fairly easily, their increased scale was a treat to see on-screen.
8The Sea Devils
First Appeared In “The Sea Devils”
Doctor Who’s reimagined Sea Devilsare one of the most recent redesigns, and it’s long past time for these iconic villains to make their return. The aliens are cousins of the Silurians, and lived on Earth before humanity came to inhabit the planet. They made their debut inThe Sea Devilsalongside the Third Doctor, but it took a while for the show to bring them back. It wasn’t until series 12’sThe Timeless Childrenthat audiences were given a glimpse of their updated design, andthe show seemed to have learned the wrong lesson from the Silurians.
Instead of making the creatures more humanoid and familiar, showrunnerChris Chibnall opted for a more loyal and authentic adaptation of their original form- but the result was somewhat goofy and misjudged. He maintained the tall prosthetics and reptilian features that made them so iconic in the first place, but merely updated them with the increased budget. It’s one of the bolder decisions that was made in Chibnall’s turn as showrunner, and it didn’t quite pay off.
7The Zygons
First Appeared In “Terror Of The Zygons”
Although it took a while forDoctor Whoto bring the Zygons back after the show was rebooted, their new design was certainly worth the wait. Their new form was very similar to their classic look, but the show’s increased budget and more advanced prosthetics gave them much more detail and intricacies. Where the monsters had previously been constructed using red suits and headpieces,the new Zygons were almost entirely makeup and prosthetics, which helped them look both humanoid and unfamiliar at the same time.
It was also fitting that they returned at the same time as Tom Baker, the actor whose iteration of the Doctor they’re most firmly associated with
The Zygons made their first reboot appearance inDoctor Who’s 50th anniversary special,The Day of the Doctor. This was the perfect episode to bring them back, as it was a real celebration ofDoctor Who’s history and the Zygons certainly deserve their recognition in that narrative. It was also fitting that they returned at the same time as Tom Baker, the actor whose iteration of the Doctor they’re most firmly associated with. With“Terror of the Zygons” now removed from BBC iPlayer, the updated appearance is all that remains of the classic monsters.
6The Ice Warriors
First Appeared In “The Ice Warriors”
The Ice Warriors first appeared alongside the Second Doctor in theirDoctor Whodebut, and they stuck around for many years after that. The creatures quickly became a fan favorite, popping up in several stories and causing trouble for the Doctor and his companions on several occasions. But despite their popularity,the Ice Warriors didn’t appear in the rebootedDoctor Whountil its seventh season, when they were updated for the modern age with an interesting tweak.
Instead of the classic armor that the Ice Warriors were seen in throughout Classic Who, the rebooted show introduced the aliens with biomechanical armor, leading to Matt Smith’s Doctor referring to them as “cyborgs.” This was an interesting change to the creatures’ backstory, seemingly retconning the monsters that were included in the original show.The Ice Warriors have a complex backstory, andtheir rebooted design seemingly changed that in subtle waysto make them even more intimidating.
5The Sontarans
First Appeared In “The Time Warrior”
The Time Warriorhas quickly become one of the most beloved episodes of Classic Who, and there’s good reason: not only does it mark the first appearance of the Sontarans, but it also includes the first mention of the Doctor’s home planet Gallifrey and the first adventure with fan-favorite companion Sarah Jane Smith. As such,the Sontarans became hugely important figures inDoctor Who’s history, and their reveal in the rebooted show’s fourth season was a huge moment for the show’s fans.
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While the Sontarans have always been some ofDoctor Who’s most frightening and fierce villains, their classic design didn’t always reflect their power. The low-budget costumes and messy prosthetics often revoked much of their fear-inducing power, but this disappeared with their modern redesign inThe Sontaran Stratagem. With their updated armor and more humanoid appearance, the Sontarans became frightening once again andcemented themselves as an all-time greatDoctor Whovillain.
4The Silurians
First Appeared In “Doctor Who And The Silurians”
Doctor Who’s major redesign of the Silurians ranks among the show’s most controversial choices since its reboot, as the creatures were given a completely different appearance from their classic form. In the original show, the Silurians were brown, scaled aliens with large eyes and pointed skulls that gave them a creepy, uncanny appearance. But whenDoctor Whofinally brought them back in series 5,the Silurians were much more humanoid: their faces were no longer prosthetics, but rather the actors’ faces painted green.
The Silurians weredistant relatives of the Sea Devils, and their history in the show was a long and complicated one. Their classic form was iconic, one ofDoctor Who’s most recognizable alien designs - therefore,many fans were unhappy with their new look. However, the rebooted Silurians’ more humanoid appearance actually serves a purpose in the story. It helps the other characters see themselves in the aliens, which pushes home the episode’s message about acceptance and, subtextually, xenophobia.
3Davros
First Appeared In “Genesis Of The Daleks”
Davros is one of the few individualDoctor Whocharacters who survived the transition from the classic to the rebooted series, making his return in the series 4 finaleThe Stolen Earth. In the episode,Davros was given a totally reimagined lookthat saw him somewhere between human and Dalek, using the show’s improved prosthetics to really highlight the fact that his body has been corrupted and deteriorated over the years. It’s a much less clean and refined version of the character, but that fits perfectly with his backstory.
Doctor Whohas also redesigned Davros again since his last appearance, with Russell T. Davies claiming that he wanted to move away from associating the evil character with his disability in the future.
Doctor Whohas also redesigned Davros againsince his last appearance, with Russell T. Davies claiming that he wanted to move away from associating the evil character with his disability in the future. Instead, audiences were treated to a new version of the character prior to his confinement to a chair, which is a version of Davros that’s never been explored before.
2The Cybermen
First Appeared In “The Tenth Planet”
The Cybermen are safely amongDoctor Who’s most recognizable and iconic characters, butthe monsters have been through several different appearances throughout the years. Whether it’s the Mondasian Cybermen that appeared inThe Tenth Planetor the Alternate-Reality Cybermen fromRise of the Cybermen,there’s always something new about the villains that help them stand out from all their previous forms.
The Cybermen were one of the first classic villains thatDoctor Whobrought back post-revival, and it’s hard to imagine the show without them. They’ve starred in almost every season of the show since their return in season 2, andthey’ve been responsible for the deaths of several beloved companions and friends. Their designs keep getting increasingly unique and frightening, which fits perfectly into their in-universe mantra of “upgrading”themselves over and over again.
1The Daleks
First Appeared In “The Daleks”
The Daleks starred in several classicDoctor Whostories, helping them develop their current reputation as the most iconic and memorable villains in the entire series. Their first adventure, aptly namedThe Daleks, introduced the creatures as controlling, dictatorial creatures who wanted their entire planet of Skaaro for themselves. Each following story cemented this reputation, making them more and more dangerous, untilthe rebooted series explained their involvement in the Time Warand finally proved them to be the Doctor’s greatest enemy.
When the Daleks returned in series 1’sDalekepisode, they had a strong new design that stuck closely to their original form while updating their armor and voices to make them seem even stronger and more intimidating than in classicDoctor Who. They were later redesigned once more inVictory of the Dalekswith bright colors and independent personalities, which gave the Daleks unique identities rather than merely referring to them as a unit.
Doctor Who
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An alien from the planet Gallifrey travels through time and space to explore, solve problems and fight injustice while also making friends with human beings. His spaceship, called TARDIS, resembles a police box, but it is much more than it appears to be.
