Doctor Who has an expansive history as one of the longest-running science fiction shows of all time. Over the course of its long history, the show has introduced many alien species, most of them villainous. Some of the villains are more popular than others; such as the Cybermen.
The Cybermen have appeared in lots of Doctor Who episodes over the years, and have been present even in spin-off media such as Big Finish audios, and the BBC New Series Adventures books. Their episodes have ranged in quality, with some being better than others. In recent years, the Cybermen have often been seen in episodes featuring the Master. Here are the best Doctor Who episodes and serials featuring the Cybermen.
10 Attack of the Cybermen: Cybermen Changing Time
"Attack of the Cybermen" may not be the best story that Classic Doctor Who has to offer, but out of the Cybermen stories featured throughout the show it's definitely one of the better ones. The Cybermen intend to change history to rescue their home planet Mondas, causing serious risks to the space-time continuum.
The Doctor (Colin Baker) and Peri are given plenty to worry about in this serial. After the Cybermen were last seen in Earthshock which caused the death of companion Adric, it was high time they returned, especially seeing them infiltrate the TARDIS console room.
9 Doomsday: Cybermen VS Daleks
"Doomsday" features both the Cybermen and the Daleks battling against each other in early 21st-century Earth. The Cybermen obviously have little chance, so while it didn't do much to improve their threatening image, it did feature some cool scenes as they take on the Daleks.
While the Daleks focus on rebuilding their army, the Cybermen capture thousands of humans across the globe, beginning to upgrade them. Eventually, they're sucked into the void at the hands of the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) in what's one of their most memorable appearances. The Cybermen play a part in the departure of Rose Tyler, widely considered one of the best Doctor Who companions.
8 The Tomb Of The Cybermen: A True Classic
"The Tomb of the Cybermen" is a true classic, even being one of Matt Smith's favorites, that he watched while preparing for the role. With Cybermats, little mouse-like droids that scout out intel and can stun humans, the villainous Cybermen cause a lot of issues for the Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and his companions.
While the Cybermen's plan may not always be the most logical, this serial remains one of the better stories they featured in throughout the Classic version of Doctor Who. This entry is consistently rated highly among fan polls.
7 The Invasion: Cybermen Take Over Earth
After multiple serials featuring the Cybermen on space stations, and different planets, "The Invasion" sees the Cybermen come to present-day Earth to take it over. It features the return of UNIT and an appearance by the Brigadier as they help the Doctor (Patrick Troughton) to stop the Cybermen invasion.
Unfortunately, this is one of the serials that was deleted by the BBC archives, so a lot of "The Invasion" has been reconstructed using animation. It doesn't stop it from being an enjoyable watch that is one of the best Cybermen appearances of all time, however.
6 Closing Time: Shop Cybermen
"Closing Time" features the Cybermen slowly rebuilding from a broken spaceship stuck in Earth's orbit. Using a teleport to take unsuspecting victims from the changing rooms in a shop, this episode is distinct and light-hearted, while still being a great Cybermen story that sees humans overcoming the upgrading process with love. It was their first appearance since appearing in the Doctor Who game Blood of the Cybermen.
The Cybermat also returns in this episode, with a high-tech redesign that reflects the modern-day version of the era. "Closing Times" takes a less-is-more approach with the Cybermen, and while the fact Craig manages to resist the upgrading process by his love for his child annoys some fans, a lot of fans find it a beautiful analogy for why humans will always beat robots.
5 The Next Doctor: Cybermen Create A Doctor
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"The Next Doctor" features a one-off Doctor in the form of Jackson Lake (David Morrisey), who used a Cyberman device accidentally to download the Doctor's memories. Essentially being this Doctor's first episode, as well as last, the real Doctor (David Tennant) assists Jackson and his companion Rosita in taking down the Cybermen.
With the Industrial Revolution as a distinct backdrop, a Cyber-giant, and the ambitious Miss Hartigan taking over the Cybermen, "The Next Doctor" remains one of the strongest Cybermen stories of all time.
4 Ascension of the Cybermen: Picking Off Humanity
"Ascension of the Cybermen" boasts the best visuals of all stories starring this race, featuring the villains as they hunt the very last remnants of civilization in the far future. It uses slightly different designs than those seen in other Cybermen stories, with Ashad the lone Cyberman leading them.
Cyber drones also appear, with cool POV shots that add to the action. The drama from the Cybermen comes from watching the last handful of humans trying to escape them, with lots of cat-and-mouse chase scenes between the Cybermen and the humans. The inclusion of their Cyber ships plays well to the science-fiction genre.
3 Rise of the Cybermen: A Great Reintroduction
Just like Dalek reintroduced the eponymous Daleks into New Who back in Series 1, "Rise of the Cybermen" reintroduces the Cybermen. With the Doctor (David Tennant), Rose, and Mickey temporarily trapped in a parallel universe, they witness the Cybermen beginning on 21st century Earth.
Developed and controlled by John Lumic, a brilliant scientist villain type character, they kill the Jackie Tyler of the parallel world. The episode also features a great redesign of the Cybermen which has gone on to be used repeatedly throughout the modern Doctor Who series due to them being one of the scariest modern villains.
2 The Haunting Of Villa Diodati: The Lone Cyberman
"The Haunting of Villa Diodati" is one of the most highly--regarded Doctor Who stories of the Jodie Whittaker era. Beginning as a celebrity historical featuring Mary Shelley and a spooky ghost plot, the episode turns on its head when it's revealed the silhouette figure is actually the lone Cyberman, Ashad.
Ashad is different from most Cybermen, not having gone through the complete upgrade process. Half of his helmet casing is missing, revealing half of his human face underneath, scarred and slightly disfigured. The narrow corridors of the manor, a strange entity called the Cyberium, and Ashad's inclusion made this a distinct Cybermen story. Ashad is a character we'd love to see again.
1 The Doctor Falls: The Cybermen's Best Appearance
Not only is "The Doctor Falls" a fantastic multi-Master story, but it's a great appearance for the Cybermen that feels cohesive to their overall timeline and numerous redesigns over the years. With every version of the Cybermen featuring, they build from the bottom levels of a spaceship caught around a black hole, threatening the civilians living on the upper levels.
Their only goal in the story is to upgrade every human on the ship, but that's enough to have them feel threatening; completely uncompromising, unrelating killing machines that represent the next step up from humans.