History TheNthDoctor / DoctorWho

* Creator/CatherineTate, who arguably played a Doctor of sorts in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E13JourneysEnd "Journey's End"]] -- the "Doctor-Donna", an alter ego created from being exposed to his regeneration energy, which at first had no side effects until she was struck by a jolt of electricity. This awakened the Doctor's personality and intellect inside her head, on top of her human psyche. However, Donna's mind began to overload from having two personalities working at the same time, and the Doctor was forced to block her memories of him forever so that she would lose the awareness of her "Doctor-Donna" self and the "Doctor" half of her mind would be switched off.
** Given River's more successful in utero BioAugmentation (with a little help from the TARDIS), one interpretation is that, had Donna been young enough or met other energy-state criteria, she could have adapted and gone whole-hog. But Ten had a well-established habit of dithering with the whole process, from clones, to Donna, to his own regeneration, so could well have utterly borked it. It would certainly explain the crushing guilt the Doctor's held over wiping her.
* The Toymaker was initially played by Creator/MichaelGough in the 1966 serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E7TheCelestialToymaker The Celestial Toymaker]]'', before being recast 57 real-life years later with Creator/NeilPatrickHarris for "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle The Giggle]]". In the meantime, he was voiced by David Bailie in two [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho Big Finish audio plays]], ''The Nightmare Fair'' and ''Solitaire'', in 2009-2010 (based on the cover art for the two audios, Bailie was intended to be TheOtherDarrin for Gough), and was briefly played by Paul Anthony-Barber in another audio play (as the voice of a separate character which the Toymaker steals). For his dance scene in "The Giggle", he was body-doubled by Luke Featherston. Unlike most other examples of regeneration listed on this page, his changes in appearance are left unexplained if not for the fact that he's an outright EldritchAbomination and RealityWarper. One of the Expanded Universe novels indicates he's possessing the body of one of the Doctor's old Time Lord schoolmates, which would logically be capable of regeneration, but that may not be canon. In an upcoming Big Finish audio drama featuring the Fourth Doctor, the Toymaker will be voiced by actress Annette Badland.

* Creator/PatrickTroughton's other actor son, Michael, has been cast as the voice of his father's Doctor in the Big Finish audios as well.

Certain Expanded Universe works have very occasionally implied or demonstrated that Time Lords are capable of regenerating into different body plans than the usual HumanAlien one. The ''ComicBook/DoctorWhoTitan'' Fugitive Doctor miniseries states, however, that at least during certain periods, "establishment" Time Lord culture viewed non-humanoid regenerations with hatred and disgust, to the point of attempted mass murder.

** Changed appearance — again without regenerating — in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E6TheKeeperOfTraken "The Keeper of Traken"]] by stealing the body of the significantly named [[SignificantAnagram Tremas]].

* The Toymaker was initially played by Creator/MichaelGough in the 1966 serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E7TheCelestialToymaker The Celestial Toymaker]]'', before being recast 57 real-life years later with Creator/NeilPatrickHarris for "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle The Giggle]]". In the meantime, he was voiced by David Bailie in two Big Finish audio plays, "The Nightmare Fair" and "Solitaire", in 2009-2010 (based on the cover art for the two audios, Bailie was intended to be TheOtherDarrin for Gough), and was briefly played by Paul Anthony-Barber in another audio play (as the voice of a separate character which the Toymaker steals). For his dance scene in "The Giggle", he was body-doubled by Luke Featherston. Unlike most other examples of regeneration listed on this page, his changes in appearance are left unexplained if not for the fact that he's an outright EldritchAbomination and RealityWarper. One of the Expanded Universe novels indicates he's possessing the body of one of the Doctor's old Time Lord schoolmates, which would logically be capable of regeneration, but that may not be canon. In an upcoming [[Recap/DoctorWhoBigFinish Big Finish audio drama]] featuring the Fourth Doctor, the Toymaker will be voiced by actress Annette Badland.

* The Toymaker was initially played by Creator/MichaelGough in the 1966 serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E7TheCelestialToymaker The Celestial Toymaker]]'', before being recast 57 real-life years later with Creator/NeilPatrickHarris for "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle The Giggle]]". In the meantime, he was voiced by David Bailie in two Big Finish audio plays, "The Nightmare Fair" and "Solitaire", in 2009-2010 (based on the cover art for the two audios, Bailie was intended to be TheOtherDarrin for Gough), and was briefly played by Paul Anthony-Barber in another audio play (as the voice of a separate character which the Toymaker steals). For his dance scene in "The Giggle", he was body-doubled by Luke Featherston. Unlike most other examples of regeneration listed on this page, his changes in appearance are left unexplained if not for the fact that he's an outright EldritchAbomination and RealityWarper. One of the Expanded Universe novels indicates he's possessing the body of one of the Doctor's old Time Lord schoolmates, which would logically be capable of regeneration, but that may not be canon.

* The Toymaker was initially played by Creator/MichaelGough in the 1966 serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E7TheCelestialToymaker The Celestial Toymaker]]'', before being recast 57 real-life years later with Creator/NeilPatrickHarris for "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle The Giggle]]". In the meantime, he was voiced by David Bailie in two Big Finish audio plays, "The Nightmare Fair" and "Solitaire", in 2009-2010 (based on the cover art for the two audios, Bailie was intended to be TheOtherDarrin for Gough), and was briefly played by Paul Anthony-Barber in another audio play (as the voice of a separate character which the Toymaker steals). For his dance scene in "The Giggle", he was body-doubled by Luke Featherston. Unlike most other examples of regeneration listed on this page, his changes in appearance are left unexplained if not for the fact that he's an outright EldritchAbomination and RealityWarper. One of the Expanded Universe novels indicates he's possessing the body of one of the Doctor's old Time Lord schoolmates, but that may not be canon.

* The Toymaker was initially played by Creator/MichaelGough in the 1966 serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E7TheCelestialToymaker The Celestial Toymaker]]'', before being recast 57 real-life years later with Creator/NeilPatrickHarris for "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle The Giggle]]". In the meantime, he was voiced by David Bailie in two Big Finish audio plays, "The Nightmare Fair" and "Solitaire", in 2009-2010 (based on the cover art for the two audios, Bailie was intended to be TheOtherDarrin for Gough), and was briefly played by Paul Anthony-Barber in another audio play (as the voice of a separate character which the Toymaker steals). For his dance scene in "The Giggle", he was body-doubled by Luke Featherston. Unlike most other examples of regeneration listed on this page, his changes in appearance are left unexplained if not for the fact that he's an outright EldritchAbomination and RealityWarper.

* Romana regenerated from Creator/MaryTamm into Creator/LallaWard — who, confusingly enough, had appeared alongside Tamm in a serial just before she took over the role. This got explained by Romana liking Princess Astra's appearance so much that she decided to regenerate into a double of her. During the regeneration sequence, several uncredited actresses portray "in-between" versions of Romana as she tries out different bodies, something not portrayed on screen since. A third Romana, played by Juliet Landau, was introduced in the EU audio dramas in 2013; she is said to be a future incarnation, possibly from thousands of years into the future, so it's not known how many Romanas existed before her.

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWho2022CENThePowerOfTheDoctor The Power of the Doctor]]" she initially experienced a forced regeneration at the Master's hands as he attempted a GrandTheftMe, which was reversed by Yaz with help from a hologram of the Doctor and the regenerative energy of several [=CyberMasters=]. She regenerated permanently after the Master aimed a destructive blast from the Qurunx at her, although she held it off long enough to have a final moment with and see off Yaz.

** The first incumbent Doctor to be played by the same actor as another incarnation, with the Thirteenth Doctor having mysteriously regenerated into this familiar form at the end of "The Power of the Doctor". Tennant starred in three specials in November and December 2023 to commemorate the show’s 60th anniversary, before regenerating into the Fifteenth Doctor.

** Briefly possesses the Doctor and forces her body to regenerate into his form before being undone and sent back. Seemingly expires shortly afterward. [[spoiler:Though, he might be the incarnation who later lost a game against the Toymaker before [[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle being imprisoned inside his gold tooth]], said tooth later being retrieved...]]

** Given River's more successful in utero BioAugmentation (with a little help from the TARDIS), one interpretation is that, had Donna been young enough or met other energy-state criteria, she could have adapted and gone whole-hog. But Ten had a well-established habit of dithering with the whole process, from clones, to Donna, to his own regeneration, so could well have utterly borked it. It would certainly explain the crushing guilt the Doctor still carries over wiping her.
* The Toymaker was initially played by Creator/MichaelGough in the 1966 serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E7TheCelestialToymaker The Celestial Toymaker]]'', before being recast 57 real-life years later with Creator/NeilPatrickHarris for "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle The Giggle]]". In the meantime, he was voiced by David Bailie in two Big Finish audio plays, "The Nightmare Man" and "Solitaire", in 2009-2010; he was also briefly played by Paul Antony-Barber in another audio play (as the voice of a separate character which the Toymaker steals), and was body-doubled by Luke Featherston for his dance scene in "The Giggle". Unlike most other examples of regeneration listed on this page, his changes in appearance are left unexplained if not for the fact that he's an outright EldritchAbomination and RealityWarper.

As such, the eventual "regeneration" process in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet The Tenth Planet]]" was the writers' second intentional choice for how to change the Doctor, and it's apparent from the episode that they weren't quite sure what they'd stumbled upon. The regeneration of the First into the Second is stated to be "a feature of the TARDIS" (rather than a biological process) and [[RippedFromTheHeadlines inspired by]] [[HigherUnderstandingThroughDrugs 1960s LSD culture]] in how the experience was supposed to permanently alter his mind. The regeneration from the Second to the Third is off-screen and forced upon him by the Time Lords, and marks the first time the new Doctor was shown in his predecessor's costume. The regeneration from the Third to Fourth benefited from a UsefulNotes/{{Buddhis|m}}t producer, Creator/BarryLetts, who [[RuleOfSymbolism made a connection with Buddhist teachings on transience and reincarnation and decided to exploit this]], and marks the point where regeneration is explicitly linked to death of the old body.

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle The Giggle]]", he eventually regenerated after taking a hit from a galvanic beam operated by the Toymaker, although in a surprise twist, he undergoes a "bigeneration", allowing him to coexist alongside...

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle The Giggle]]", he eventually regenerated after taking a hit from a galvanic beam operated by the Toymaker, although in a surprise twist, he undergoes a "bigeneration", allowing both him and his successor to co-exist at the same time.

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle The Giggle]]", he eventually regenerated after taking a hit from a galvanic beam operated by the Toymaker, although in a surprise twist, he undergoes a "bigeneration", allowing both him and the 15th Doctor to co-exist at the same time.

* '''[[Characters/DoctorWhoFifteenthDoctor 15th''']] -- Creator/NcutiGatwa (2023-)

* '''15th''' -- Creator/NcutiGatwa (starting in 2023)

** Briefly possesses the Doctor and forces her body to regenerate into his form before being undone and sent back. Seemingly expires shortly afterward.

** The first incumbent Doctor to be played by the same actor as another incarnation, with the Thirteenth Doctor having mysteriously regenerated into this familiar form at the end of "The Power of the Doctor". Tennant will star in three specials in November 2023 to commemorate the show’s 60th anniversary, before regenerating into the Fifteenth Doctor.
** In "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheGiggle The Giggle]]", he eventually regenerated after taking a hit from a Galvanic Beam piloted by the Toymaker, although in a surprise twist, he undergoes a "bigeneration", allowing both him and the 15th Doctor to co-exist at the same time.