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The monocled, wild-eyed [[TheEndIsNigh portent of doom.]] Introduced as a fugitive with an air of mystery about him, One was a [[PunyEarthlings merry misanthrope]], who loved manipulating people and playing games with their lives. His moral compass had long since deteriorated before leaving home, which begged the question of what could have possibly happened to him there. He eventually became a warmer, more avuncular character to his companions, but remained an authoritarian figure.
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The monocled, wild-eyed [[TheEndIsNigh portent of doom.]] Introduced as a fugitive with an air of mystery about him, One was a [[PunyEarthlings merry misanthrope]], who loved manipulating people and playing games with their lives. His moral compass had long since deteriorated before leaving home, which begged the question of what could have possibly happened to him there. He eventually there...
What we do know is that he and his granddaughter Susan, left Gallifrey in a stolen TARDIS and ended up on 20th Century Earth. Susan enrolled in a local school, but her um stage behavior attracted the attention of two of her teachers, who discovered their secret. The Doctor kidnapped them and forced them along to make sure they kept their mouths shut. However these two humans had little patience for the arrogant, cowardly snob they found themselves with and gave him a much needed dressing down -- after their first three adventures he became awarmer, much more avuncular character to his companions, patience, kinder, and altruistic figure --- but remained an authoritarian figure.
he established that ''he'' was in charge of the TARDIS crew.
What we do know is that he and his granddaughter Susan, left Gallifrey in a stolen TARDIS and ended up on 20th Century Earth. Susan enrolled in a local school, but her um stage behavior attracted the attention of two of her teachers, who discovered their secret. The Doctor kidnapped them and forced them along to make sure they kept their mouths shut. However these two humans had little patience for the arrogant, cowardly snob they found themselves with and gave him a much needed dressing down -- after their first three adventures he became a
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At 75, David Bradley is the oldest actor to play the Doctor onscreen, breaking the short-lived record of 73 year old John Hurt in 2013.
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* TheOtherDarrin: Due to William Hartnell's death in 1975, the First Doctor had to be portrayed by different actors in his subsequent reappearances: Richard Hurndall in 1983 and David Bradley in 2017.
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At 75, David Bradley is the oldest actor to play the Doctor onscreen, breaking the short-lived record of 73 year old John Hurt in 2013.
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* TheOtherDarrin: Due to William Hartnell's death in 1975, the First Doctor had to be portrayed by different actors in his subsequent reappearances: Richard Hurndall in 1983 and David Bradley in 2017.
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[[caption-width-right:300: ''"You may be '''a''' doctor, but I'm '''the''' Doctor. The original you might say."'']]
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[[caption-width-right:300: ''"You may be '''a''' doctor, but I'm I am '''the''' Doctor. The original you might say."'']]
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[[caption-width-right:300: ''"You may be '''a''' doctor, but I'm '''the''' Doctor. The original you might say."'']]
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: He claims he left Galifrey because he was bored. The Twelfth Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]" confirms that this was a lie. He left because he was scared. What he was scared of however we don't know...yet. [[note]] ''AudioPlay/{{Gallifrey}}'' has it that the then current Lord President wanted him and Susan assassinated as a way to test his new assassin - Irving Braxiatel (the Doctor's brother). But somebody warned them in time, so they were able to accquire a TARDIS and escape. And then the President met an unfortunate accident before he could check if they had been taken out. It was an accident as confirmed by an impartial inquiry led by Brax himself, who made sure he would be the one to lead it.[[/note]]
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: He claims he left Galifrey because he was bored. The Twelfth Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]" confirms that this was a lie. He left because he was scared. What he was scared of however we don't know...yet. [[note]] ''AudioPlay/{{Gallifrey}}'' has it that the then current Lord President wanted him and Susan assassinated as a way to test his new assassin - Irving Braxiatel (the Doctor's brother). But somebody ''somebody'' warned them in time, so they were able to accquire a TARDIS and escape. And then ''then'' the President met an unfortunate accident before he could check if they had been taken out. It was most certainly an accident as confirmed by an impartial inquiry led by inquiry. Brax himself, who would know. He made sure he would be the one to lead it.[[/note]]
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: He claims he left Galifrey because he was bored. The Twelfth Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]" confirms that this was a lie. He left because he was scared. What he was scared of however we don't know...yet. [[note]] ''Gallifrey'' has it that the then current Lord President wanted him and Susan assassinated. Luckily Irving Braxiatel (his brother) warned them in time, so they were able to find a TARDIS and escape. And then the President met an unfortunate accident before he could check if they had been taken out. It was an accident as confirmed by an impartial inquiry led by Brax himself, who made sure he would be the one to lead it.[[/note]]
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: He claims he left Galifrey because he was bored. The Twelfth Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]" confirms that this was a lie. He left because he was scared. What he was scared of however we don't know...yet. [[note]] ''Gallifrey'' ''AudioPlay/{{Gallifrey}}'' has it that the then current Lord President wanted him and Susan assassinated. Luckily assassinated as a way to test his new assassin - Irving Braxiatel (his brother) (the Doctor's brother). But somebody warned them in time, so they were able to find accquire a TARDIS and escape. And then the President met an unfortunate accident before he could check if they had been taken out. It was an accident as confirmed by an impartial inquiry led by Brax himself, who made sure he would be the one to lead it.[[/note]]
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: He claims he left Galifrey because he was bored. The Twelfth Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]" confirms that this was a lie. He left because he was scared. What he was scared of however we don't know...yet.
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: He claims he left Galifrey because he was bored. The Twelfth Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]" confirms that this was a lie. He left because he was scared. What he was scared of however we don't know...yet. [[note]] ''Gallifrey'' has it that the then current Lord President wanted him and Susan assassinated. Luckily Irving Braxiatel (his brother) warned them in time, so they were able to find a TARDIS and escape. And then the President met an unfortunate accident before he could check if they had been taken out. It was an accident as confirmed by an impartial inquiry led by Brax himself, who made sure he would be the one to lead it.[[/note]]
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* FingerlessGloves: He wears them once -- "The Five Doctors" (they were a substitute for the iconic ring, since the production team couldn't find a reasonable replica of the prop).
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* FingerlessGloves: He wears them once -- in "The Five Doctors" (they were a substitute for the iconic ring, since the production team couldn't find a reasonable replica of the prop).
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* FutureMeScaresMe: As the primordial Doctor, he can't seem to decide if he likes the newer additions down the line or wants to stay as he is out of dread. One also loves taking charge of the Doctors and acting as their mediator toward specific goals, considering himself TheLeader.
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* FutureMeScaresMe: As the primordial Doctor, he can't seem to decide goes back and forth if he likes the newer additions down the line or wants to stay as he is out of dread. One also loves taking charge of the Doctors and acting as their mediator toward specific goals, considering himself TheLeader.
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** [[spoiler:He's heard saying that he will not change at the end of "The Doctor Falls", echoing how the Twelfth Doctor is refusing to regenerate. It's unclear what the First Doctor is referring to, but given the setting, it appears they're both in Antarctica. Chances are good this is the setting of "The Tenth Planet", his final adventure as this incarnation, and the First Doctor has noticed his body is growing weaker by the moment and can feel himself on the verge of his first ever regeneration.]]
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->'''Played by:''' Creator/WilliamHartnell (1963–66, 1972–73);[[note]]He returned for the 4 part Anniversary story "The Three Doctors" which aired from December 30, 1972–January 20, 1973[[/note]] Richard Hurndall (1983)[[note]]An unidentified child played the First Doctor as a boy in "Listen" (2014)[[/note]], David Bradley (2017)
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->'''Played by:''' Creator/WilliamHartnell (1963–66, 1972–73);[[note]]He returned for the 4 part Anniversary story "The Three Doctors" which aired from December 30, 1972–January 20, 1973[[/note]] Richard Hurndall (1983)[[note]]An unidentified child played the First Doctor as a boy in "Listen" (2014)[[/note]], David Bradley Creator/DavidBradley (2017)
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Murder Tropes is an index, not a trope unto itself.
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* MurderTropes: The First Doctor had absolutely no problem with the idea of bashing someone's head in with a rock or having his companions ThrownOutTheAirlock if they got too obnoxious. He never goes through with it, though, thanks to Ian and Barbara being two of the most level-headed companions he'd ever have, and not putting up with his antics.
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* FingerlessGloves: He wears them once -- "The Five Doctors" (they were a substitute for the iconic ring, since the production team couldn't find a reasonable replica of the prop).
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* GoodIsNotNice
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* GoodIsNotNiceGoodIsNotNice: He may be against evil, but he's not a proper gent. At first anyway ...
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jpg[[/labelnote]]] [[caption-width-right:148:http:[[labelnote:Click here to see him in the 2017 Christmas Special]]http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1364192667093.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
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* MaliciousMisnaming: The First Doctor likes mispronouncing Ian Chesterton's last name to annoy him.
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* MaliciousMisnaming: The First Doctor likes mispronouncing Ian Chesterton's last name to annoy him.him, although he still manages to get it wrong when he's talking to himself.
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->'''Played by:''' Creator/WilliamHartnell (1963–66, 1972–73);[[note]]He returned for the 4 part Anniversary story "The Three Doctors" which aired from December 30, 1972–January 20, 1973[[/note]] Richard Hurndall (1983)[[note]]An unidentified child played the First Doctor as a boy in "Listen" (2014)[[/note]]
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->'''Played by:''' Creator/WilliamHartnell (1963–66, 1972–73);[[note]]He returned for the 4 part Anniversary story "The Three Doctors" which aired from December 30, 1972–January 20, 1973[[/note]] Richard Hurndall (1983)[[note]]An unidentified child played the First Doctor as a boy in "Listen" (2014)[[/note]](2014)[[/note]], David Bradley (2017)
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* WhamLine: Kicks off the climax of "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor The Day of the Doctor]]".
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* WhamLine: WhamLine:
** Kicks off the climax of "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor The Day of the Doctor]]".
** Kicks off the climax of "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor The Day of the Doctor]]".
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** And [[spoiler:concludes "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E12TheDoctorFalls The Doctor Falls]]"]].
-->'''First Doctor:''' ''[to the Twelfth Doctor]'' [[spoiler:You may be a doctor, but ''I'' am ''The Doctor''...the original, you might say.]]
-->'''First Doctor:''' ''[to the Twelfth Doctor]'' [[spoiler:You may be a doctor, but ''I'' am ''The Doctor''...the original, you might say.]]
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* ShipperOnDeck: In their later adventures, he blatantly ships Ian/Barbara. He also seems keen that Sara and Steven spend quality time together, though what exact potential he sees in their relationship is left unclear.
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* ShipperOnDeck: In their later adventures, he blatantly ships Ian/Barbara. He also seems keen that Sara and Steven spend quality time together, though what exact potential he sees in their relationship is left unclear.unclear.
----
----
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!First Doctor
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/first_doctor_colour_1076.jpg]]
->'''First appearance:''' "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E1AnUnearthlyChild An Unearthly Child]]" (1963)
->'''Regeneration story:''' "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet The Tenth Planet]]" (1966)
->'''Played by:''' Creator/WilliamHartnell (1963–66, 1972–73);[[note]]He returned for the 4 part Anniversary story "The Three Doctors" which aired from December 30, 1972–January 20, 1973[[/note]] Richard Hurndall (1983)[[note]]An unidentified child played the First Doctor as a boy in "Listen" (2014)[[/note]]
->'''Voiced by:''' David Coker (1997); John Guilor (2013)
-->''"One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."''
The monocled, wild-eyed [[TheEndIsNigh portent of doom.]] Introduced as a fugitive with an air of mystery about him, One was a [[PunyEarthlings merry misanthrope]], who loved manipulating people and playing games with their lives. His moral compass had long since deteriorated before leaving home, which begged the question of what could have possibly happened to him there. He eventually became a warmer, more avuncular character to his companions, but remained an authoritarian figure.
As he was never intended to be the "first" Doctor, there is novelty in watching him develop into ''the'' Doctor as he's known today.
!! Tropes associated with the television series
* AbusiveParent: It was said about him as a child that he'd have to join the army, because his parents/guardians/caretakers thought he would never be able to go to the Academy and become a Time Lord.
* AccidentalProposal: The hot cocoa incident with Cameca.
* AdoptTheDog: He's NeutralNoLonger by the end of Season 1, but it's asking Vicki along as a companion that really seals it.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E9TheEmptyChild The Empty Child]]" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E4Listen Listen]]" imply that as a child, he was not well-liked among the other children. When a character makes a passing remark about whether he knew what it was like to be "the only child left outside", the Ninth Doctor replied he ''did''.
* ArchEnemy: The Daleks and the Celestial Toymaker.
* AwesomeAnachronisticApparel: This Doctor kick-starts the trend, with a decidedly [[TheEdwardianEra Edwardian]] wardrobe.
* BadassCape: He didn't wear them very often, but One had a thing for long, dramatic capes.
* BadassGrandpa: He fought a Roman assassin with his bare hands, while enjoying the whole fight immensely.
* BadLiar: He's awful at lying, which is ironic considering what his later incarnations would get up to.
* BavarianFireDrill: Does a ''masterful'' one in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E8TheReignOfTerror The Reign of Terror]]", giant hat and all.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: As his status as a GrumpyOldMan slowly faded away, this trope slowly replaced it in some situations. In particular, the Doctor's fight against the Celestial Toymaker is a major representation of this trope as the Doctor literally talks the world surrounding the TARDIS into oblivion with just three words and a number (Go to move 1,023!).
* BrilliantButLazy:
** His old teacher Borusa tells the Fourth Doctor that he was a ''nightmare'' to teach during the academy days.
** It's mentioned that the Master got a higher degree in Cosmic Science than him, which the Third Doctor passes off with a "I was a late bloomer."
** Romana I mentioned that he got through the Academy with 51% on his ''second'' attempt.
* CaneFu: The Doctor being in all incarnations an ImprobableWeaponUser, this is the natural result.
* CatchPhrase: "Hmmm?" and "Mm? What’s that, my boy?"
* CharacterDevelopment: The first time we ever see the Doctor, he's arrogant, selfish, and prefers to take the easy (even cowardly) way out if it saves him. His evolution over the first three serials is an important point in the script as he becomes the heroic Doctor we know and love. The Twelfth Doctor says that it was when he went to Skaro for the first time that he realised what it meant to be the Doctor: "The Doctor was not the Daleks".
* CharacterTics: He would often gesture with his hands close to his face. Peter Purves said that this was Hartnell's response to not being able to gesture broadly in the same way as you could on stage, because TV was "small" (i.e., it didn't capture all the action across the whole set all the time). He would also flutter his hands when trying to decide something. He also tended to [[http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/The-first-doctor-timelords-270820_395_597.jpg clutch]] at his [[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101211235108/tardis/images/f/f1/William_hartnell_farewell.jpg jacket lapels.]] He often ends sentences with a distinctive 'hmm?' and ful-fblu-I mean-flubs his lines (although never breaking character), even becoming TheUnintelligible at times, and tends to deliberately forget people's names as a form of MaliciousMisnaming, particularly with Chesterton (stemming from a ThrowItIn of the actor's tendency to forget the character's name in the first few serials). His movements tend to be quite jerky, almost to the point of trembling, and his facial expressions tend towards the [[SmugSmiler smirky]].
* ClassyCane: A gift from Kublai Khan, no less.
* CoolOldGuy: The oldest-looking Doctor of them all.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: He claims he left Galifrey because he was bored. The Twelfth Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]" confirms that this was a lie. He left because he was scared. What he was scared of however we don't know...yet.
* DissonantLaughter: He has an odd habit of breaking into fits of hysterical laughter when the situation is going really, dreadfully wrong and he has no idea how to solve it.
* DistinguishedGentlemansPipe: An example of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, the Doctor smoked a pipe in the first story. It got him in trouble with the local caveman tribe, so perhaps that explains why he dropped the habit.
* DoesntLikeGuns: Typified in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E8TheGunfighters The Gunfighters]]". When the Doctor is landed in jail, Steven passes him a gun through his cell window as part of a plan to bust him out. The Doctor immediately hands the gun over to the sheriff.
--> '''Doctor:''' People keep giving me guns, and I do wish they wouldn't!
* DotingGrandparent: To Susan.
* TheExile: Claims that both Susan and he are exiles. It's later implied that this is only MetaphoricallyTrue, as both became [[DefectorFromDecadence defectors from decadence]] and left Gallifrey of their own volition.
* FamousLastWords: "Keep warm."
** The original script contained a line that was much more along the lines of "No... no, I simply will not give in!" for the First Doctor's final words, but these were not filmed, as time was running short, and production was almost at an end -- with filming the regeneration still to go.)
* FantasticRacism: Towards humans, whom the Doctor initially considers primitive savages and treats with open contempt and disdain. From dialogue in the first episode, one gathers that he only tolerates 20th-Century Earth for [[DotingGrandparent Susan's sake]].
* FriendToAllChildren: Befriended Vicki and Dodo. Hartnell was this in real life.
* FutureMeScaresMe: As the primordial Doctor, he can't seem to decide if he likes the newer additions down the line or wants to stay as he is out of dread. One also loves taking charge of the Doctors and acting as their mediator toward specific goals, considering himself TheLeader.
* GoodIsNotNice
* GrammarNazi: Despite his own frequent malapropisms, this Doctor is a champion of proper speech. Upon meeting [[TotallyRadical Dodo]], he determines that he must teach her to speak English.
* GrumpyOldMan: Began with this trope firmly in mind, but slowly became more of a grumpy BadassGrandpa, depending on the adventure. This was certainly the case in "[[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors The Five Doctors]]."
* GuileHero: He doesn't have access to the AppliedPhlebotinum that was introduced in the tenures of later Doctors. As a result, this Doctor tends to rely on ThePlan to defeat his enemies, although he could also simply beat them up.
%%* HairTriggerTemper: Which Ian frequently triggered by accident.
* HeroicComedicSociopath: On occasion, especially in more humourous stories such as "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E4TheRomans The Romans]]", and whenever he encounters the Medding Monk. Vicki seems to bring out the worst in him.
* HeroicFatigue: Fell ill during the events of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet The Tenth Planet]]", putting him out of commission for most of it. He finally mustered the energy to blow up the Snowcap base along with the Cybermen, whereupon he collapsed from exhaustion.
* HighClassGlass: All the better to [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9exhduHISmw/TdDI9SDB8pI/AAAAAAAABXc/ZbdKyF5m1bw/s1600/hartnell-who.jpg peer at aliens]] with. Eleven still has it.
* IconicItem: His prized ring. Arguably, also his cane. When he regenerated, his ring fell off and his second incarnation found it was too big for him. The Doctor doesn't wear the ring again until he discovers it fell into the TARDIS console in his seventh incarnation. In the Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures novels, he eventually gives it to [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E8HumanNature Joan Redfern]]. The Twelfth Doctor wears one that is either the same or identical to the ring. The cane is also quite iconic.
* IdenticalStranger: This Doctor shared a resemblance with the Abbot of Amboise, the right-hand man of the Cardinal of Lorraine and a major player in a conspiracy to discredit the Huguenots (Protestants). Hartnell played the role as a lark, but it set the stage for more doppelgangers in the future. (See: [[Creator/PatrickTroughton Ramon]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E4TheEnemyOfTheWorld Salamander]], [[Creator/ColinBaker Col.]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E1ArcOfInfinity Maxil]], and [[Creator/PeterCapaldi Caec]][[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E2TheFiresOfPompeii ilius]] and [[Series/TorchwoodChildrenOfEarth John Frobisher]].)
* ImMrFuturePopCultureReference: The First Doctor's alias in Tombstone is "[[TheCabinetOfDrCaligari Dr. Caligari]]." ("[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E8TheGunfighters The Gunfighters]]")
* IncrediblyLamePun: He's quite fond of making them, then giggling like a schoolgirl.
--> '''Doctor:''' Did you take three dimensional graph geometry at your school?
--> '''Ian:''' No Doctor, only Boyle's Law.
--> '''Doctor:''' What a pity. We shall have to boil this down, now shan't we? ''(laughs)''
* InformedAttribute: His status as a HumanAlien, which is occasionally mentioned but not demonstrated in any way until he regenerates for the first time. Sometimes, as in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E9TheSavages The Savages]]", he seems to actually forget that he's ''not'' a human (since this wasn't yet clear to the writers at the start of the show).
* InsistentTerminology: He does not tolerate being called "Doc".
* InsufferableGenius: He will point out how much smarter he is than his companions, or anyone else who happens to be in the room with him. He is in fine form during "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E2TheDalekInvasionOfEarth The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]" where he answers a fellow prisoner's cynicism with jabs at his intelligence and orders him to stop bothering him.
-->'''Ian''': Doctor, you amaze me sometimes.
-->'''Doctor''': Only "sometimes"? My dear boy, what's wrong with your memory?
%%* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
* LonelyRichKid: When Madame de Pompadour gets a look inside the mind of the Tenth Doctor she sees a "lonely little boy". When we actually see the First Doctor as a child, he's hiding in a barn crying himself to sleep.
* LoveAtFirstSight: According to the TARDIS herself, he said she was "the most beautiful thing (he'd) ever seen" when he first stole her.
* MaliciousMisnaming: The First Doctor likes mispronouncing Ian Chesterton's last name to annoy him.
* TheMillstone: In Season 1, he spends most of his time getting the party into trouble that Ian or Barbara are then obliged to get them out of.
* MurderTropes: The First Doctor had absolutely no problem with the idea of bashing someone's head in with a rock or having his companions ThrownOutTheAirlock if they got too obnoxious. He never goes through with it, though, thanks to Ian and Barbara being two of the most level-headed companions he'd ever have, and not putting up with his antics.
* NeutralNoLonger: He starts out unheroic, but after a few adventures with Ian and Barbara, he begins to suggest doing heroic deeds rather than being forced into it.
* NiceHat: Wore an Astrakhan on a few occasions, including his very first adventure.
* NightmareFetishist: His second episode had him deliberately endangering the lives of his granddaughter and their new pet humans, just because he wanted to see the Dalek city up close. He learned to be more responsible in the months following that, but still got downright ''giddy'' when he realised he accidentally had a hand in burning down Rome. He gets along extremely well with companion Vicki, another NightmareFetishist with the same outlook on things.
* NoblewomansLaugh: Matches his character - which is to say that he's something of an arrogant jerk.
* NoodleIncident: Whatever drove him to leave Gallifrey in a stolen TARDIS and take Susan with him. An old classmate Runcible says he was "expelled" due to a "scandal". When the Time Lords catch up to him in his second incarnation, they're more mad he's been breaking their non-interference law than anything else. [[note]] The Creator/BigFinish {{Audioplay/Gallifrey}} Series suggests that he was forced to flee after the president issued an assasination order ('burn edict') against him. Fortunately for him, the would-be assassin was Braxiatel, who is heavily implied to be the Doctor's brother; Brax warns the Doctor so he can flee, and then assassinates the president instead! [[/note]]
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: When he wanders onto a Hollywood shoot and is immediately mistaken for the history consultant, he is asked by the director what he thinks of the [[BedlahBabe scantily-clad Arabian princess]]' costume. His response? To tell her she looks ridiculous and order her to "Put some more clothes on, child".
* ParentalSubstitute: To Vicki. They meet just after the Doctor has said goodbye to Susan, and Vicki has just become an orphan. The two become very cuddly and adorable together.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: The line in the show about "This is a madhouse. It's all full of Arabs!" may or may not have been in the script; it's hard to tell with Hartnell sometimes.
* RingOfPower: Among other functions, used to supply power to the [=TARDIS=], and for hypnosis.
* RoguesGallery: Daleks, Voords, Sensorites, Koquillion, the Animus, Zarbi, the Monk, Drahvins, Mavic Chen, Monoids, the Celestial Toymaker, WOTAN, and Cybermen.
* ScatterbrainedSenior: Quite often comes across this way, though as usual for the Doctor it's often a case of ObfuscatingStupidity. Also as usual for the Doctor, it's often difficult to tell exactly how ''much'' is ObfuscatingStupidity.
* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Much like Hartnell himself. If there's one thing the Doctor doesn't have time for, it's everything. But if there’s one thing the Doctor '''really''' doesn’t have time for, it's humans buzzing around his ear like a fly at a picnic, defying his orders at every turn, and sticking his neck out to go rescue ''more'' irritating humans. 'You drive me ROUND THE BEND!' the Doctor barks at Ian.
* SignatureLaugh: "Ha ha, ho ho!" or simply "Ho ho!"
* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: Seen most prominently in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E7TheSensorites The Sensorites]]", in which he uses both regular glasses and a monocle.
* ThickerThanWater: He and Susan are extremely close, and they never even fought before "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E7TheSensorites The Sensorites]]". Letting her go is a very difficult choice for the Doctor.
* TookALevelInKindness: Forms a large part of his CharacterDevelopment as he shifts into JerkWithAHeartOfGold territory.
* {{Troll}}: Has his moments, such as a time when he's wired to a machine that shows one's thoughts on screen. When asked how he got into a museum surrounded by an impenetrable wall and a moat with no bridge? A picture of a man riding an old 1800s bicycle appears on screen.
* TheUnfavorite: As a child, he was told he wouldn't be able to go to the Academy and become a full Time Lord.
* UnscrupulousHero: He's devoted to his grandaughter and is disgusted by villains like the Daleks but aside from that his morals are loose at best, with his flaws ranging from pride and paranoia to outright moral cowardice in trying to abandon Barbara to die on Skaro rather than risk further exposure to radiation, as well as Ian and Barbara becoming his companions only after he trapped them within the TARDIS against their will. By the conclusion of the first three stories he gets over this.
* VerbalTic: Several:
** He had a habit of ending many if not most of his lines with a "hmmm?", plus interjecting the terms "young man", "my child", "my dear boy", "dear child", et cetera, into seemingly every third phrase.
** Not to mention the habit of [[AccidentalMisnaming mangling his companion's name]] ("Chesterton" becomes Chatterton, Chesterfield, Chessington, Chesserman etc.)
** He's occasionally a {{Malaproper}} - for example, in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E3TheMythMakers The Myth Makers]]", when the Trojans think he is a god; "I am not a dog!... a god!"
** In Season 3 and 4, he tends to make an excited sort of "eh-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-" chattering noise before speaking, usually when he's trying to interrupt or cut off someone, [[ScrewPolitenessImASenior which he tends to do a lot]].
* WaistcoatOfStyle: The first of many incarnations to wear one.
* WhamLine: Kicks off the climax of "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor The Day of the Doctor]]".
-->'''First Doctor:''' Calling the War Council of Gallifrey, this is The Doctor!
* WrittenInAbsence: The Doctor frequently vanishes for whole episodes so that Hartnell (and later Troughton) could take a week off to mend.
!! Tropes associated with the TV comics line
* RoguesGallery: Kleptons, the Pied Piper, the Magician of the Forest, Trods, and Zentor.
!! Tropes associated with Big Finish
-> '''Voiced by:''' Joe Bassett (As a child in "Master", 2003); William Russell (2013–present); Peter Purves (2014–present)
One gets heaps of CharacterDevelopment through ''The Companion Chronicles'' and ''The Early Adventures'', from flashbacks to his earliest days on Gallifrey to his final adventures with Ben and Polly. He was the first Doctor outside the monthly range to get his own original audio companion, Oliver.
* CainAndAbel: ''AudioPlay/{{Gallifrey}}'' goes into detail about his past with Braxiatel. In [[ConsummateLiar true Brax style]], nothing is made ''completely'' explicit, but the long and short of it is that Braxiatel was ordered by President Pandad VII to assassinate the Doctor and gave him a chance to steal a TARDIS and escape the planet instead.
* DealWithTheDevil: As revealed in "Master", [[spoiler: he once murdered a boy to save the Master's life, when they were both very young children. While sleeping that night, he made a deal with Death (appearing to him in a dream), selling out his friend and transferring his deed and his memories to the Master instead. He never realised what had happened.]]
* FishOutOfWater: On 1960's Earth.
* KleptomaniacHero
* MeasuringTheMarigolds: Back on Gallifrey, he once wrote a paper dissecting the concept of love on a neurological level, proving that the whole idea is nothing but chemicals. His teacher gave him a rubbish grade and told him he'd missed the point.
** This makes the Third Doctor's tale about his past on Gallifrey in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS9E5TheTimeMonster The Time Monster]]" more insightful. One learned how to see the beauty in life and not the cold logic or dreariness on a black day when he discovered an old man sitting under a tree on a mountain named K'anpo Rimpoche. This man showed him the "daisiest daisy" he ever saw and he realized that things he once took for face value could be vibrant and beautiful upon closer inspection.
* PapaWolf: Towards Susan.
* RoguesGallery: The Cinder, Daleks, Mavic Chen, Mim, the Rocket Men, Sontarans, Vardans, and Voords.
* ShipperOnDeck: In their later adventures, he blatantly ships Ian/Barbara. He also seems keen that Sara and Steven spend quality time together, though what exact potential he sees in their relationship is left unclear.
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/first_doctor_colour_1076.jpg]]
->'''First appearance:''' "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E1AnUnearthlyChild An Unearthly Child]]" (1963)
->'''Regeneration story:''' "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet The Tenth Planet]]" (1966)
->'''Played by:''' Creator/WilliamHartnell (1963–66, 1972–73);[[note]]He returned for the 4 part Anniversary story "The Three Doctors" which aired from December 30, 1972–January 20, 1973[[/note]] Richard Hurndall (1983)[[note]]An unidentified child played the First Doctor as a boy in "Listen" (2014)[[/note]]
->'''Voiced by:''' David Coker (1997); John Guilor (2013)
-->''"One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."''
The monocled, wild-eyed [[TheEndIsNigh portent of doom.]] Introduced as a fugitive with an air of mystery about him, One was a [[PunyEarthlings merry misanthrope]], who loved manipulating people and playing games with their lives. His moral compass had long since deteriorated before leaving home, which begged the question of what could have possibly happened to him there. He eventually became a warmer, more avuncular character to his companions, but remained an authoritarian figure.
As he was never intended to be the "first" Doctor, there is novelty in watching him develop into ''the'' Doctor as he's known today.
!! Tropes associated with the television series
* AbusiveParent: It was said about him as a child that he'd have to join the army, because his parents/guardians/caretakers thought he would never be able to go to the Academy and become a Time Lord.
* AccidentalProposal: The hot cocoa incident with Cameca.
* AdoptTheDog: He's NeutralNoLonger by the end of Season 1, but it's asking Vicki along as a companion that really seals it.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E9TheEmptyChild The Empty Child]]" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E4Listen Listen]]" imply that as a child, he was not well-liked among the other children. When a character makes a passing remark about whether he knew what it was like to be "the only child left outside", the Ninth Doctor replied he ''did''.
* ArchEnemy: The Daleks and the Celestial Toymaker.
* AwesomeAnachronisticApparel: This Doctor kick-starts the trend, with a decidedly [[TheEdwardianEra Edwardian]] wardrobe.
* BadassCape: He didn't wear them very often, but One had a thing for long, dramatic capes.
* BadassGrandpa: He fought a Roman assassin with his bare hands, while enjoying the whole fight immensely.
* BadLiar: He's awful at lying, which is ironic considering what his later incarnations would get up to.
* BavarianFireDrill: Does a ''masterful'' one in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E8TheReignOfTerror The Reign of Terror]]", giant hat and all.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: As his status as a GrumpyOldMan slowly faded away, this trope slowly replaced it in some situations. In particular, the Doctor's fight against the Celestial Toymaker is a major representation of this trope as the Doctor literally talks the world surrounding the TARDIS into oblivion with just three words and a number (Go to move 1,023!).
* BrilliantButLazy:
** His old teacher Borusa tells the Fourth Doctor that he was a ''nightmare'' to teach during the academy days.
** It's mentioned that the Master got a higher degree in Cosmic Science than him, which the Third Doctor passes off with a "I was a late bloomer."
** Romana I mentioned that he got through the Academy with 51% on his ''second'' attempt.
* CaneFu: The Doctor being in all incarnations an ImprobableWeaponUser, this is the natural result.
* CatchPhrase: "Hmmm?" and "Mm? What’s that, my boy?"
* CharacterDevelopment: The first time we ever see the Doctor, he's arrogant, selfish, and prefers to take the easy (even cowardly) way out if it saves him. His evolution over the first three serials is an important point in the script as he becomes the heroic Doctor we know and love. The Twelfth Doctor says that it was when he went to Skaro for the first time that he realised what it meant to be the Doctor: "The Doctor was not the Daleks".
* CharacterTics: He would often gesture with his hands close to his face. Peter Purves said that this was Hartnell's response to not being able to gesture broadly in the same way as you could on stage, because TV was "small" (i.e., it didn't capture all the action across the whole set all the time). He would also flutter his hands when trying to decide something. He also tended to [[http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/The-first-doctor-timelords-270820_395_597.jpg clutch]] at his [[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101211235108/tardis/images/f/f1/William_hartnell_farewell.jpg jacket lapels.]] He often ends sentences with a distinctive 'hmm?' and ful-fblu-I mean-flubs his lines (although never breaking character), even becoming TheUnintelligible at times, and tends to deliberately forget people's names as a form of MaliciousMisnaming, particularly with Chesterton (stemming from a ThrowItIn of the actor's tendency to forget the character's name in the first few serials). His movements tend to be quite jerky, almost to the point of trembling, and his facial expressions tend towards the [[SmugSmiler smirky]].
* ClassyCane: A gift from Kublai Khan, no less.
* CoolOldGuy: The oldest-looking Doctor of them all.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: He claims he left Galifrey because he was bored. The Twelfth Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]" confirms that this was a lie. He left because he was scared. What he was scared of however we don't know...yet.
* DissonantLaughter: He has an odd habit of breaking into fits of hysterical laughter when the situation is going really, dreadfully wrong and he has no idea how to solve it.
* DistinguishedGentlemansPipe: An example of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, the Doctor smoked a pipe in the first story. It got him in trouble with the local caveman tribe, so perhaps that explains why he dropped the habit.
* DoesntLikeGuns: Typified in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E8TheGunfighters The Gunfighters]]". When the Doctor is landed in jail, Steven passes him a gun through his cell window as part of a plan to bust him out. The Doctor immediately hands the gun over to the sheriff.
--> '''Doctor:''' People keep giving me guns, and I do wish they wouldn't!
* DotingGrandparent: To Susan.
* TheExile: Claims that both Susan and he are exiles. It's later implied that this is only MetaphoricallyTrue, as both became [[DefectorFromDecadence defectors from decadence]] and left Gallifrey of their own volition.
* FamousLastWords: "Keep warm."
** The original script contained a line that was much more along the lines of "No... no, I simply will not give in!" for the First Doctor's final words, but these were not filmed, as time was running short, and production was almost at an end -- with filming the regeneration still to go.)
* FantasticRacism: Towards humans, whom the Doctor initially considers primitive savages and treats with open contempt and disdain. From dialogue in the first episode, one gathers that he only tolerates 20th-Century Earth for [[DotingGrandparent Susan's sake]].
* FriendToAllChildren: Befriended Vicki and Dodo. Hartnell was this in real life.
* FutureMeScaresMe: As the primordial Doctor, he can't seem to decide if he likes the newer additions down the line or wants to stay as he is out of dread. One also loves taking charge of the Doctors and acting as their mediator toward specific goals, considering himself TheLeader.
* GoodIsNotNice
* GrammarNazi: Despite his own frequent malapropisms, this Doctor is a champion of proper speech. Upon meeting [[TotallyRadical Dodo]], he determines that he must teach her to speak English.
* GrumpyOldMan: Began with this trope firmly in mind, but slowly became more of a grumpy BadassGrandpa, depending on the adventure. This was certainly the case in "[[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors The Five Doctors]]."
* GuileHero: He doesn't have access to the AppliedPhlebotinum that was introduced in the tenures of later Doctors. As a result, this Doctor tends to rely on ThePlan to defeat his enemies, although he could also simply beat them up.
%%* HairTriggerTemper: Which Ian frequently triggered by accident.
* HeroicComedicSociopath: On occasion, especially in more humourous stories such as "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E4TheRomans The Romans]]", and whenever he encounters the Medding Monk. Vicki seems to bring out the worst in him.
* HeroicFatigue: Fell ill during the events of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet The Tenth Planet]]", putting him out of commission for most of it. He finally mustered the energy to blow up the Snowcap base along with the Cybermen, whereupon he collapsed from exhaustion.
* HighClassGlass: All the better to [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9exhduHISmw/TdDI9SDB8pI/AAAAAAAABXc/ZbdKyF5m1bw/s1600/hartnell-who.jpg peer at aliens]] with. Eleven still has it.
* IconicItem: His prized ring. Arguably, also his cane. When he regenerated, his ring fell off and his second incarnation found it was too big for him. The Doctor doesn't wear the ring again until he discovers it fell into the TARDIS console in his seventh incarnation. In the Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures novels, he eventually gives it to [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E8HumanNature Joan Redfern]]. The Twelfth Doctor wears one that is either the same or identical to the ring. The cane is also quite iconic.
* IdenticalStranger: This Doctor shared a resemblance with the Abbot of Amboise, the right-hand man of the Cardinal of Lorraine and a major player in a conspiracy to discredit the Huguenots (Protestants). Hartnell played the role as a lark, but it set the stage for more doppelgangers in the future. (See: [[Creator/PatrickTroughton Ramon]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E4TheEnemyOfTheWorld Salamander]], [[Creator/ColinBaker Col.]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E1ArcOfInfinity Maxil]], and [[Creator/PeterCapaldi Caec]][[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E2TheFiresOfPompeii ilius]] and [[Series/TorchwoodChildrenOfEarth John Frobisher]].)
* ImMrFuturePopCultureReference: The First Doctor's alias in Tombstone is "[[TheCabinetOfDrCaligari Dr. Caligari]]." ("[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E8TheGunfighters The Gunfighters]]")
* IncrediblyLamePun: He's quite fond of making them, then giggling like a schoolgirl.
--> '''Doctor:''' Did you take three dimensional graph geometry at your school?
--> '''Ian:''' No Doctor, only Boyle's Law.
--> '''Doctor:''' What a pity. We shall have to boil this down, now shan't we? ''(laughs)''
* InformedAttribute: His status as a HumanAlien, which is occasionally mentioned but not demonstrated in any way until he regenerates for the first time. Sometimes, as in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E9TheSavages The Savages]]", he seems to actually forget that he's ''not'' a human (since this wasn't yet clear to the writers at the start of the show).
* InsistentTerminology: He does not tolerate being called "Doc".
* InsufferableGenius: He will point out how much smarter he is than his companions, or anyone else who happens to be in the room with him. He is in fine form during "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E2TheDalekInvasionOfEarth The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]" where he answers a fellow prisoner's cynicism with jabs at his intelligence and orders him to stop bothering him.
-->'''Ian''': Doctor, you amaze me sometimes.
-->'''Doctor''': Only "sometimes"? My dear boy, what's wrong with your memory?
%%* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
* LonelyRichKid: When Madame de Pompadour gets a look inside the mind of the Tenth Doctor she sees a "lonely little boy". When we actually see the First Doctor as a child, he's hiding in a barn crying himself to sleep.
* LoveAtFirstSight: According to the TARDIS herself, he said she was "the most beautiful thing (he'd) ever seen" when he first stole her.
* MaliciousMisnaming: The First Doctor likes mispronouncing Ian Chesterton's last name to annoy him.
* TheMillstone: In Season 1, he spends most of his time getting the party into trouble that Ian or Barbara are then obliged to get them out of.
* MurderTropes: The First Doctor had absolutely no problem with the idea of bashing someone's head in with a rock or having his companions ThrownOutTheAirlock if they got too obnoxious. He never goes through with it, though, thanks to Ian and Barbara being two of the most level-headed companions he'd ever have, and not putting up with his antics.
* NeutralNoLonger: He starts out unheroic, but after a few adventures with Ian and Barbara, he begins to suggest doing heroic deeds rather than being forced into it.
* NiceHat: Wore an Astrakhan on a few occasions, including his very first adventure.
* NightmareFetishist: His second episode had him deliberately endangering the lives of his granddaughter and their new pet humans, just because he wanted to see the Dalek city up close. He learned to be more responsible in the months following that, but still got downright ''giddy'' when he realised he accidentally had a hand in burning down Rome. He gets along extremely well with companion Vicki, another NightmareFetishist with the same outlook on things.
* NoblewomansLaugh: Matches his character - which is to say that he's something of an arrogant jerk.
* NoodleIncident: Whatever drove him to leave Gallifrey in a stolen TARDIS and take Susan with him. An old classmate Runcible says he was "expelled" due to a "scandal". When the Time Lords catch up to him in his second incarnation, they're more mad he's been breaking their non-interference law than anything else. [[note]] The Creator/BigFinish {{Audioplay/Gallifrey}} Series suggests that he was forced to flee after the president issued an assasination order ('burn edict') against him. Fortunately for him, the would-be assassin was Braxiatel, who is heavily implied to be the Doctor's brother; Brax warns the Doctor so he can flee, and then assassinates the president instead! [[/note]]
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: When he wanders onto a Hollywood shoot and is immediately mistaken for the history consultant, he is asked by the director what he thinks of the [[BedlahBabe scantily-clad Arabian princess]]' costume. His response? To tell her she looks ridiculous and order her to "Put some more clothes on, child".
* ParentalSubstitute: To Vicki. They meet just after the Doctor has said goodbye to Susan, and Vicki has just become an orphan. The two become very cuddly and adorable together.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: The line in the show about "This is a madhouse. It's all full of Arabs!" may or may not have been in the script; it's hard to tell with Hartnell sometimes.
* RingOfPower: Among other functions, used to supply power to the [=TARDIS=], and for hypnosis.
* RoguesGallery: Daleks, Voords, Sensorites, Koquillion, the Animus, Zarbi, the Monk, Drahvins, Mavic Chen, Monoids, the Celestial Toymaker, WOTAN, and Cybermen.
* ScatterbrainedSenior: Quite often comes across this way, though as usual for the Doctor it's often a case of ObfuscatingStupidity. Also as usual for the Doctor, it's often difficult to tell exactly how ''much'' is ObfuscatingStupidity.
* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Much like Hartnell himself. If there's one thing the Doctor doesn't have time for, it's everything. But if there’s one thing the Doctor '''really''' doesn’t have time for, it's humans buzzing around his ear like a fly at a picnic, defying his orders at every turn, and sticking his neck out to go rescue ''more'' irritating humans. 'You drive me ROUND THE BEND!' the Doctor barks at Ian.
* SignatureLaugh: "Ha ha, ho ho!" or simply "Ho ho!"
* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: Seen most prominently in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E7TheSensorites The Sensorites]]", in which he uses both regular glasses and a monocle.
* ThickerThanWater: He and Susan are extremely close, and they never even fought before "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E7TheSensorites The Sensorites]]". Letting her go is a very difficult choice for the Doctor.
* TookALevelInKindness: Forms a large part of his CharacterDevelopment as he shifts into JerkWithAHeartOfGold territory.
* {{Troll}}: Has his moments, such as a time when he's wired to a machine that shows one's thoughts on screen. When asked how he got into a museum surrounded by an impenetrable wall and a moat with no bridge? A picture of a man riding an old 1800s bicycle appears on screen.
* TheUnfavorite: As a child, he was told he wouldn't be able to go to the Academy and become a full Time Lord.
* UnscrupulousHero: He's devoted to his grandaughter and is disgusted by villains like the Daleks but aside from that his morals are loose at best, with his flaws ranging from pride and paranoia to outright moral cowardice in trying to abandon Barbara to die on Skaro rather than risk further exposure to radiation, as well as Ian and Barbara becoming his companions only after he trapped them within the TARDIS against their will. By the conclusion of the first three stories he gets over this.
* VerbalTic: Several:
** He had a habit of ending many if not most of his lines with a "hmmm?", plus interjecting the terms "young man", "my child", "my dear boy", "dear child", et cetera, into seemingly every third phrase.
** Not to mention the habit of [[AccidentalMisnaming mangling his companion's name]] ("Chesterton" becomes Chatterton, Chesterfield, Chessington, Chesserman etc.)
** He's occasionally a {{Malaproper}} - for example, in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E3TheMythMakers The Myth Makers]]", when the Trojans think he is a god; "I am not a dog!... a god!"
** In Season 3 and 4, he tends to make an excited sort of "eh-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-" chattering noise before speaking, usually when he's trying to interrupt or cut off someone, [[ScrewPolitenessImASenior which he tends to do a lot]].
* WaistcoatOfStyle: The first of many incarnations to wear one.
* WhamLine: Kicks off the climax of "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor The Day of the Doctor]]".
-->'''First Doctor:''' Calling the War Council of Gallifrey, this is The Doctor!
* WrittenInAbsence: The Doctor frequently vanishes for whole episodes so that Hartnell (and later Troughton) could take a week off to mend.
!! Tropes associated with the TV comics line
* RoguesGallery: Kleptons, the Pied Piper, the Magician of the Forest, Trods, and Zentor.
!! Tropes associated with Big Finish
-> '''Voiced by:''' Joe Bassett (As a child in "Master", 2003); William Russell (2013–present); Peter Purves (2014–present)
One gets heaps of CharacterDevelopment through ''The Companion Chronicles'' and ''The Early Adventures'', from flashbacks to his earliest days on Gallifrey to his final adventures with Ben and Polly. He was the first Doctor outside the monthly range to get his own original audio companion, Oliver.
* CainAndAbel: ''AudioPlay/{{Gallifrey}}'' goes into detail about his past with Braxiatel. In [[ConsummateLiar true Brax style]], nothing is made ''completely'' explicit, but the long and short of it is that Braxiatel was ordered by President Pandad VII to assassinate the Doctor and gave him a chance to steal a TARDIS and escape the planet instead.
* DealWithTheDevil: As revealed in "Master", [[spoiler: he once murdered a boy to save the Master's life, when they were both very young children. While sleeping that night, he made a deal with Death (appearing to him in a dream), selling out his friend and transferring his deed and his memories to the Master instead. He never realised what had happened.]]
* FishOutOfWater: On 1960's Earth.
* KleptomaniacHero
* MeasuringTheMarigolds: Back on Gallifrey, he once wrote a paper dissecting the concept of love on a neurological level, proving that the whole idea is nothing but chemicals. His teacher gave him a rubbish grade and told him he'd missed the point.
** This makes the Third Doctor's tale about his past on Gallifrey in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS9E5TheTimeMonster The Time Monster]]" more insightful. One learned how to see the beauty in life and not the cold logic or dreariness on a black day when he discovered an old man sitting under a tree on a mountain named K'anpo Rimpoche. This man showed him the "daisiest daisy" he ever saw and he realized that things he once took for face value could be vibrant and beautiful upon closer inspection.
* PapaWolf: Towards Susan.
* RoguesGallery: The Cinder, Daleks, Mavic Chen, Mim, the Rocket Men, Sontarans, Vardans, and Voords.
* ShipperOnDeck: In their later adventures, he blatantly ships Ian/Barbara. He also seems keen that Sara and Steven spend quality time together, though what exact potential he sees in their relationship is left unclear.
