History Characters / DoctorWhoTwelfthDoctor

** The Doctor's anti-revolution speech/rant in "The Zygon Inversion" includes elements of this addressed to Bonnie and her insurgents.

* AlmightyJanitor: Becomes a literal one in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E6TheCaretaker "The Caretaker"]], where he goes undercover as the school's caretaker in order to find and dispose of a killer alien robot in the area.

--> '''HALF-FACE MAN''': Do you have it in you to murder me?
--> '''Twelve''': Don't make assumptions about how far I will go to protect [mankind], because I've already come a very long way. And unlike you, I don't expect to reach the promised land.

---> '''The Doctor''': I don't have a sword. I don't need a sword. Cos I am the Doctor, and this is my '''''spoon'''''!

** He gives one in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E9Flatline "Flatline"]] similar to one that Eleven gave in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E1TheEleventhHour "The Eleventh Hour"]].
--->'''The Doctor:''' ''I tried to talk, I want you to remember that. I tried to reach out, I tried to understand you, but I think that you understand us perfectly. And I think that you just don't care! And I don't know whether you are here to invade, infiltrate or just replace us. I don't suppose it really matters now, you are monsters! That is the role you seem determined to play, so it seems that [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I! Must play! Mine!]] The man that stops the monsters! I'm sending you all back to your home dimension. Who knows? Some of you may even survive the trip, and if you do, remember this: You are not welcome here! This plane is protected! I am the Doctor, and I name you the "Boneless"!''

---> '''The Doctor:''' I'm the Doctor, and I save people! And if anyone happens to be listening, and you've got any kind of a problem with that, then to HELL with you!

---> '''The Doctor:''' What Clara said - about not taking revenge - do you know why she said that?\\

** Joins the other 12 Doctors to save Gallifrey in "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor The Day of the Doctor"]]. He might be the biggest damn hero in the alliance: his presence implies that the calculations needed ''to'' save Gallifrey, started by One, weren't complete until partway through Twelve's run.

--->'''The Doctor''': I am ''not'' a good man! And I'm not a bad man. I am not a hero. I'm definitely not a president. And no, I'm not an officer. You know what I am? I... am... an idiot. With a box and a screwdriver, passing through, helping out, learning. I don't need an army, I never have. Because I've got them. Always them. Because love, it's not an emotion. Love is a promise.

-->"

--> '''Doctor''': No. No. No, no, no. Line in the sand. Santa Claus does not do the scientific explanation.\\
'''Santa Claus''': Alright, as the Doctor might say: (''imitates Doctor'') "Aww, it's all a bit dreamy-weamy.''\\
'''Doctor''': Why don't you just go and make a naughty list?\\
'''Santa Claus''': I have made it, and you're on it.\\
'''Doctor''': Don't give me that. You're supposed to be warm and friendly and cheerful. \\
'''Santa Claus''': Oh yeah, look at your great bedside manner. \\
'''Doctor''': Don't be so hostile.

* YouLookFamiliar: In-universe and out of it: Capaldi previously played John Frobisher in ''Series/TorchwoodChildrenOfEarth'', and Caecilius in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E2TheFiresOfPompeii "The Fires of Pompeii"]]. In-universe because even the Doctor acknowledges it, finally figuring out why it happened in "The Girl Who Died": to remind him of what happened in Pompeii, remind him of Donna asking him to save someone, even if he couldn't save the town, and to hold him to that mark. He '''saves people'''. But when he makes the choice of "good" in ToBeLawfulOrGood, tragedy begins to unfold: He makes Ashildr immortal and sets in motion events that culminate in Clara's death. Creator/StevenMoffat expanded on this at the 2015 Doctor Who Festival: they couldn't work this detail into the episode, but Frobisher [[IdenticalGrandson is a descendant of Caecilius]] whose PaterFamilicide ends that bloodline -- time itself compensating for the Doctor's interference. Twelve reclaims the face of both men as an act of defiance along the lines of his BadassBoast ("And if anyone happens to be listening, and you've got any kind of a problem with that, then to ''HELL'' with you!").

* FourthWallObserver: The Doctor's never been averse to talking to himself before, but this incarnation actually delivers cold open narration to the audience at times. He opens "Listen" by airing his theory about evolution's "perfect hider" [[note]] And holding up [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall the fact that he's talking to himself]] as evidence in favour of its existence [[/note]], and "Before the Flood" by discussing ontological paradoxes. He even gives a brief glance to the camera in "Heaven Sent" when he says he's "nothing without an audience."

* FourthWallObserver: The Doctor's never been averse to talking to himself before, but this incarnation actually delivers cold open narration to the audience at times. He opens "Listen" by airing his theory about evolution's "perfect hider" [[note]] And holding up [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall the fact that he's talking to himself]] as evidence in favour of its existence [[/note]], and "Before the Flood" by discussing ontological paradoxes.

* AntiHero: He's not a particularly nice or empathetic man (although this significantly softens with time). The Doctor has to check with Clara if he's a "good man" during "Into the Dalek", and Clara, Courtney, and Lundvik debate this in "Kill the Moon", bringing up that the Doctor treats Clara like a pet half the time and leaves her [[INeedAFreakingDrink craving a glass of wine]].

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: A sardonic curmudgeon, the Twelfth Doctor is often grumpy and pragmatic, displaying a more guarded, no-nonsense attitude when compared to his predecessors. However, beneath his cynical and abrasive exterior, he is a deeply compassionate individual with a strong moral compass. Throughout his tenure, the Twelfth Doctor showcases significant personal growth, enabling him to embrace his role as a hero and reveal a softer, wittier and happier side beneath his seemingly unyielding personality.

* EmbarrassingBrowserHistory: What he's been looking up is left to the audience's imagination, but he definitely doesn't want Bill or his own past self to find out. It certainly caught Osgood off-guard.

* ReachingTowardsTheAudience: His pose for showcasing his official outfit.

* ScienceHero: More overtly so than most incarnations, Twelve's main impetus for many adventures is purely to discover, experiment and overall stimulate his scientific curiosity. Especially in earlier episodes of his tenure, he was even willing, nay glad, to throw both himself and others into mortal peril to test his hypotheses.

*** Even the way they treat their companions are markedly similarly yet different. Both Four and Twelve were known for their implied ShipTease with their first human companion (Sarah Jane Smith for Four, Clara Oswald for Twelve) as well as their Time Lord companion (Romana for Four, River Song and arguably Missy for Twelve), and then some sort of tension with Leela. But Four, while superficially and humanly charming (as humanly charming the Doctor could be anyways), always held a (set of) rather distant alien heart(s) and found it rather easy to really keep his distance with Sarah Jane and both versions of Romana. When Sarah Jane wanted to leave, Four let her leave, albeit without understanding the context as to why she wanted to leave. When Romana left for E-Space to pursue her own adventure, Four let her leave (while also giving her a K9 unit as a farewell gift!!). And when Leela left the Doctor for Andred, the Doctor let her pursue her relationship with him (while her K9 unit opted to leave with Leela). Contrast that with Twelve, who spent 4.5 billion years in an eternal torture to save Clara Oswald from her death. Or Twelve spending a night on Darilium with River Song before her journey to the library, where a single night lasts as long as 24 Earth years. Or Twelve spending 70 years guarding The Vault on Earth and rehabilitating his chronic rival and old friend The Missy Master. Twelve, despite having a rather superficial alien charm (as alien-y charming the Doctor could be anyways), always held a (set of) rather human heart(s) and valued his companions deeply. This is further reflected with their later companions. Four treated Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan as stowaways and lacked the emotional capacity to really care for them, a level on par with One's treatment of Ben and Polly. Twelve treated Bill and Nardole with the same amounts of respect and care as with his other companions(but perhaps not as intensly as with Clara, River Song, or Missy).

* ArchEnemy: The Master, particularly the "Missy" incarnation played by Michelle Gomez,[[note]](While he mainly trades blows with Missy in the television series, the ExpandedUniverse has him face the Master played by Roger Delgado in ''Doctor Who Magazine'', and Titan Comics sees him face ArchEnemy Missy in a "Multi-Master event" that also includes several other iterations of the Master, including but not limited to the ones played by Anthony Ainley, Eric Roberts and John Simm, the last of whom he faced in an onscreen "Multi-Master event" in 2017.)[[/note]] and the Cybermen. The former is his most recurrent opponent and highlights his era's focus on him questioning his own morality, while the latter roughly {{bookend|s}} his tenure by appearing in his first and last season finales, both times serving as underlings for the Master.

* ArchEnemy: The Master[[note]](While he mainly trades blows with Missy, played by Michelle Gomez, in the television series, the ExpandedUniverse has him face the Master played by Roger Delgado in ''Doctor Who Magazine'', and Titan Comics sees him face ArchEnemy Missy in a "Multi-Master event" that also includes several other iterations of the Master, including but not limited to the ones played by Anthony Ainley, Eric Roberts and John Simm, the last of whom he faced in an onscreen "Multi-Master event" in 2017.)[[/note]] and the Cybermen. The former is his most recurrent opponent and highlights his era's focus on him questioning his own morality, while the latter roughly {{bookend|s}} his tenure by appearing in his first and last season finales, both times serving as underlings for the Master.

* CapitalismIsBad: Believes this, as established in "Oxygen". Given how horrifyingly amoral the Ganymede Systems corporation proves to be in that episode, you really can't blame him for the disgust which he has for "capitalism in space".

* EvilCostumeSwitch: When he temporarily becomes TheUnfettered VillainProtagonist in "Hell Bent", he swaps his red velvet Crombie coat out for a black overcoat. Clara notices and doesn't think it's very "Doctory", but he explains "I can't be the Doctor all the time." When he returns to his TARDIS at the end, he finds a red velvet Crombie coat waiting for him and puts it on. Almost qualifies as EvilWearsBlack since he's the only real antagonist in the story (Rassilon proving to be a mere BigBadWannabe).

* GoodIsNotNice: Twelve is not particulary polite or affable the way his predecessors were. He's very no-nonsense, often to a fault. But he'll do everything in his power to help you or save you, and won't make much of a fuss about it.

** Delivers a [[TearJerker pretty heartbreaking]] one to Clara after she fails her SecretTestOfCharacter in "Dark Water". Doesn't mean that he hates her. He follows it up immediately with an offer to help, as he sees she's been hurt and needs to get a grip on herself.

* RoguesGallery: The Half-Face Man, the Daleks, Gus, the Boneless, Missy, the Cybermen, Davros, Colony Sarff, the Fisher King, Ashildr, Bonnie the Zygon, Rassilon, King Hydroflax, the Shoal of the Winter Harmony, Emojibots, John the Landlord, the Prophets of Truth, the Ice Warriors, Light-eating locusts, and the Master.

* ArchEnemy: The Master[[note]]While he mainly trades blows with Missy, played by Michelle Gomez, in the television series, the ExpandedUniverse has him face the Master played by Roger Delgado in ''Doctor Who Magazine'', and Titan Comics sees him face ArchEnemy Missy in a "Multi-Master event" that also includes several other iterations of the Master, including but not limited to the ones played by Anthony Ainley, Eric Roberts and John Simm, the last of whom he faced in an onscreen "Multi-Master event" in 2017.[[/note]] and the Cybermen. The former is his most recurrent opponent and highlights his era's focus on him questioning his own morality, while the latter roughly {{bookend|s}} his tenure by appearing in his first and last season finales, both times serving as underlings for the Master.

*** Even the way they treat their companions are markedly similarly yet different. Both Four and Twelve were known for their implied ShipTease with their first human companion (Sarah Jane Smith for Four, Clara Oswald for Twelve) as well as their Time Lord companion (Romana for Four, River Song and arguably Missy for Twelve), and then some sort of tension with Leela. But Four, while superficially and humanly charming (as humanly charming the Doctor could be anyways), always held a (set of) rather distant alien heart(s) and found it rather easy to really keep his distance with Sarah Jane and both versions of Romana. When Sarah Jane wanted to leave, Four let her leave, albeit without understanding the context as to why she wanted to leave. When Romana left for E-Space to pursue her own adventure, Four let her leave (while also giving her a K9 unit as a farewell gift!!). And when Leela left the Doctor for Andred, the Doctor let her pursue her relationship with him (while her K9 unit opted to leave with Leela). Contrast that with Twelve, who spent 4.5 billion years in an eternal torture to save his best friend Clara Oswald from her death. Or Twelve spending a night on Darilium with River Song before her journey to the library, where a single night lasts as long as 24 Earth years. Or Twelve spending 70 years guarding The Vault on Earth and rehabilitating his chronic rival and old friend The Missy Master. Twelve, despite having a rather superficial alien charm (as alien-y charming the Doctor could be anyways), always held a (set of) rather human heart(s) and valued his companions deeply. This is further reflected with their later companions. Four treated Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan as stowaways and lacked the emotional capacity to really care for them, a level on par with One's treatment of Ben and Polly. Twelve treated Bill and Nardole with the same amounts of respect and care as with his other companions(but perhaps not as intensity with that with Clara, River Song, or Missy).

[[Characters/DoctorWhoClassicSeriesCompanions Classic Series Companions]] ([[Characters/DoctorWhoK9 K9]], [[Characters/DoctorWhoRomana Romana]]) | [[Characters/DoctorWhoRevivalSeriesCompanions Revival Series Companions]] ([[Characters/DoctorWhoRoseTyler Rose Tyler]], [[Characters/DoctorWhoJackHarkness Captain Jack Harkness]], [[Characters/DoctorWhoRiverSong River Song]], [[Characters/DoctorWhoClaraOswald Clara Oswald]]) | [[Characters/DoctorWhoOtherSupportingCast Other Supporting Cast]] ([[Characters/DoctorWhoThePaternosterGang The Paternoster Gang]]) | [[Characters/DoctorWhoUNITStaff UNIT Staff]]\\

* BigDamnKiss:
** It took four decades, but he becomes the first Doctor seen to be snogged into incoherence by the Master. One episode later, once he realises how broken she is, he very gently grants her a second kiss.
** Averted - much to fan annoyance - with both Clara Oswald and River Song, neither of whom this Doctor ever kisses on the lips. Instead, he accepts cheek kisses from both Clara and River, and bestows upon Clara a kiss on the hand just before her death.

** Averted on the Orient Express InSpace -- the Doctor and Clara are both dressed to the nines [[NotADate despite supposedly breaking up with each other]].

* LimitedWardrobe: {{Averted}}. In contrast to his predecessors, he possesses arguably the most diverse set of outfits over the course of his run that do not follow a single theme.
** His original getup was inspired by a magician's outfit: an austere ensemble with navy blue Crombie coat (with red lining for a splash of colour), dark blue waistcoat, dark blue trousers, black Doc Marten boots, and a white shirt buttoned to the top. He also wears a signet ring (although that's because Peter Capaldi refuses to remove his wedding ring for roles, so they covered it with something more Gallifreyan). He mixes it up a bit in his first series, wearing different shirts or a holey jumper with the Crombie coat as his signature clothing article.
** In series nine, his style takes a very different turn when he goes from a classy magician to a laid-back rockstar with longer, wilder hair. Maintaining the Crombie coat from last series, he now dons a hoodie under it along with labelled t-shirts, the holey jumper, baggy plaid trousers or dark trousers that all vary from story to story. To top it off, he wears a pair of sonic sunglasses in place of his screwdriver.
** By the end of Series 9, he discards the staple navy Crombie coat and hoodie in favour of a red velvet Crombie coat combined with a white shirt, waist coat and dark trousers, harking back to his original style.
** In Series 10, he mixes the two styles from the previous season, giving him more of a university professor vibe. He often wears a selection of hoodies under a black velvet frock coat with a blue lining, but sometimes wears velvet Crombie coats with or without a hoodie, holey jumper or a white shirt and waistcoat. A interesting variant includes a weathered grey coat, worn during more serious occasions rather than as a casual outfit.

* UnlimitedWardrobe: The first Doctor to make use of the gigantic wardrobe in the TARDIS and change his clothes with great frequency.