The Doctor

Character
Name:	The Doctor; John Smith (alias); Theta Sigma (while in the Academy); ∂³Σx² (potentially, in Old High Gallifreyan)
Occupation:	Timelord
Relationships:	Susan Foreman/Arkytior (granddaughter), Jenny (clone-daughter), half-human Tenth Doctor (regeneration half-clone half-Donna), friendships etc. with various companions, close relationship with The TARDIS
Fandom:	Doctor Who
Other:
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	Contents 1 Relationships; 2 Meta; 3 General Fandom; 4 First Doctor 4.1 Succinct First Doctor Canon; 4.2 First Doctor Fandom; 4.3 Example First Doctor Era Fanworks 4.3.1 Fanart; 4.3.2 Example Art Gallery; 4.3.3 Meta; ; 4.4 Archives and Links; ; 5 Second Doctor 5.1 Succinct Second Doctor Canon; 5.2 Second Doctor Fandom; 5.3 Example Second Doctor Era Fanworks 5.3.1 Fanart; 5.3.2 Example Art Gallery; ; 5.4 Archives and Links; ; 6 Third Doctor 6.1 Succinct Third Doctor Canon; 6.2 Third Doctor Fandom; 6.3 Example Third Doctor Era Fanworks 6.3.1 Fanart; 6.3.2 Example Art Gallery; ; 6.4 Archives and Links; ; 7 Fourth Doctor 7.1 Succinct Fourth Doctor Canon; 7.2 Fourth Doctor Fandom; 7.3 Example Fourth Doctor Era Fanworks 7.3.1 Fanart; 7.3.2 Zines; 7.3.3 Example Art Gallery; ; 7.4 Archives and Links; ; 8 Fifth Doctor 8.1 Succinct Fifth Doctor Canon; 8.2 Fifth Doctor Fandom; 8.3 Example Fifth Doctor Era Fanworks 8.3.1 Fanart; 8.3.2 Zines; 8.3.3 Example Art Gallery; ; 8.4 Archives and Links; ; 9 Sixth Doctor 9.1 Succinct Sixth Doctor Canon; 9.2 Sixth Doctor Fandom; 9.3 Example Sixth Doctor Era Fanworks 9.3.1 Fanart; 9.3.2 Example Art Gallery; ; 9.4 Archives and Links; ; 10 Seventh Doctor 10.1 Succinct Seventh Doctor Canon; 10.2 Seventh Doctor Fandom; 10.3 Example Seventh Doctor Era Fanworks 10.3.1 Fanart; 10.3.2 Example Art Gallery; ; 10.4 Archives and Links; ; 11 Eighth Doctor 11.1 Succinct Eighth Doctor Canon; 11.2 Eighth Doctor Fandom; 11.3 Example Eighth Doctor Era Fanworks 11.3.1 Fanart; 11.3.2 Example Art Gallery; 11.3.3 Archives and Links; ; ; 12 Ninth Doctor 12.1 Succinct Ninth Doctor Canon; 12.2 Ninth Doctor Fandom; 12.3 Example Ninth Doctor Era Fanworks 12.3.1 Fanart; 12.3.2 Fanfiction; 12.3.3 Fan Vids; 12.3.4 Meta; 12.3.5 Example Art Gallery; ; 12.4 Archives and Links; ; 13 Tenth Doctor 13.1 Succinct Tenth Doctor Canon; 13.2 Tenth Doctor Fandom; 13.3 Example Tenth Doctor Era Fanworks 13.3.1 Fanfic; 13.3.2 Fanart; 13.3.3 Fan Vids; 13.3.4 Zines; 13.3.5 Example Art Gallery; ; 13.4 Archives and Links; ; 14 Eleventh Doctor 14.1 Succinct Eleventh Doctor Canon; 14.2 Eleventh Doctor Fandom; 14.3 Example Eleventh Doctor Era Fanworks 14.3.1 Fanart; 14.3.2 Fan Vids; 14.3.3 Meta; 14.3.4 Other; 14.3.5 Example Art Gallery; ; 14.4 Archives and Links; ; 15 Twelfth Doctor 15.1 Succinct Twelfth Doctor Canon; 15.2 Twelfth Doctor Fandom; 15.3 Example Twelfth Doctor Era Fanworks 15.3.1 Fanart; 15.3.2 Fanfiction; 15.3.3 Fan Vids; 15.3.4 Audio; 15.3.5 Example Art Gallery; ; 15.4 Archives and Links; ; 16 Thirteenth Doctor 16.1 Succinct Thirteenth Doctor Canon; 16.2 Thirteenth Doctor Fandom; 16.3 Example Thirteenth Doctor Era Fanworks 16.3.1 Fanart; 16.3.2 Fanfiction; 16.3.3 Zines; 16.3.4 Example Art Gallery; ; 16.4 Archives and Links; ; 17 Fourteenth Doctor 17.1 Succinct Fourteenth Doctor Canon; 17.2 Fourteenth Doctor Fandom; 17.3 Archives and Links; ; 18 Fifteenth Doctor; 19 Other Versions of The Doctor; 20 References;

the first five doctors on the cover of Time Log #6 by Gail Bennett (1982)

The Doctor is an alien - a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey - who travels through time and space in their time and space machine, the TARDIS, frequently with one or more companions.

Like all Time Lords, they are very long-lived and have the power to regenerate themselves into different incarnations (with a different exterior and personality) when mortally injured.

The Doctor usually carries their "Sonic Screwdriver" with them, an item capable of doing many, many things that, like the TARDIS, has become iconic for the series (and beyond). In canon it is frequently used as a lockpick or some kind of fix-it device. In fanfiction it has naturally repeatedly been used as a sex-toy.

Although not human, The Doctor repeatedly shows that they care about humanity and Earth, and likes saving Earth. Because of their immense power and actions they've taken in the course of their 900+ years of life, some of their incarnations show a certain type of emotional remoteness, others, angst.

Relationships

In canon, The Doctor is shown to have several genetically related relatives during various incarnations, including their granddaughter Susan (First Doctor era), their clone-daughter Jenny (Tenth Doctor era), their half-human semi-clone (Tenth Doctor era), and several Gallifreyan relatives (various eras).

They form friendships with their traveling companions (and with some humans and aliens they encounter but who do not travel with them), although they are not good at saying goodbye and sometimes abandon their companions and friendships in ways that seem cruel to them. This often leads to fix-it fics in fandom.

Many classic fans have typically considered The Doctor to be asexual -- though some have always shipped the Doctor with certain companions or other characters. For example, pairing The Doctor/The Master in various incarnations has been popular since the 1980s due to the great enemyslash potential.

The New Who reboot of the series in 2005 started including more shippy vibes in canon, and brought an influx of new, pairing-focused fans into the fandom, who started writing a lot of het and slash fic pairing him with the new era companions.

Some fans also pair him with the TARDIS herself, especially in the wake of the season six episode The Doctor's Wife -- written by Neil Gaiman of Sandman fame -- which personifies the TARDIS temporarily in human form.

Meta

Doctor Who - The Doctor as a Character Across 11 Regenerations by icarus_chained & livingtolaugh

General Fandom

To prevent having to write it out in full every time, many of The Doctor's incarnations will be referred to simply via their number, such as Nine for the Ninth Doctor, or Twelve for the Twelfth.

AU's featuring The Doctor often use their alias in the show, John Smith and similiar variations, as their real name. Versions for incarnations who are women, such as Thirteen, may use other short first names starting with 'J', like Jess or Jolie.

First Doctor

William Hartnell played the first Doctor from 1963 to 1966.

Succinct First Doctor Canon

Curmudgeonly doctor.

First Doctor Fandom

Example First Doctor Era Fanworks

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

Fanart

First Doctor by Erich0823
First Doctor by RodReis
Doctor Who - First Doctor Wallpaper by Spirit--Of-Adventure
The 1st Doctor by Art-By-Steve
octor Who - The First Doctor - William Hartnell by MoRgAn-GrEnKe

Example Art Gallery

Cover art of TARDIS v.2 n.5 by Stuart Glazebrook (1977)
A 1981 fanwork by Pyracantha: "This one's adapted from a 1964 episode, called "Planet of Giants," where the Doctor and his companions are miniaturized [...] Original drawing is ink on illustration board, about 5 1/2" x 5 1/2", summer 1981." -- Incredible Shrinking Doctor Who number 8 (May 22, 2017)
A 1981 fanwork by Pyracantha: "Here's more old fan art from my work reconstructing images of Dr. Who scenes for a fanzine ^[1]. This one is from "The Reign of Terror" in which the Doctor's time machine takes him and his companions to the time of the French Revolution. Black ink on illustration board, 6 1/2" x 5", Spring 1981. This is an OLD piece. I don't see many contemporary illustrations done in this pen and ink style, and even I don't do that much of it." -- Old Doctor Who Fan Art part 3: "The Reign of Terror" (May 6, 2017)
Art by Mary D. Bloemker from The Faces of Time #3 (1983)
Art by Mary D. Bloemker from The Faces of Time #4 (1984)
Cover art from Panic Moon #9 by unspecified artist (2014)

Meta

ian chesterton and barbara wright are the blueprint because the doctor was initially just this old, kinda tetchy scientist who thought humans were stupid and also annoying... by robiniswriting, 2023

Archives and Links

First Doctor tag at Archive of Our Own
First Doctor at FanFiction.net
First Doctor at A Teaspoon and an Open Mind

Second Doctor

Patrick Troughton played the second Doctor from 1966 to 1969.

Succinct Second Doctor Canon

Has a bowtie and a recorder.

Second Doctor Fandom

Usually paired with Jamie McCrimmon (Doctor/Jamie McCrimmon).