Highlights
- The return of Russel T Davies to Doctor Who brings the potential for old villains like The Slitheen to be revamped and improved with modern special effects.
- Bringing back the Judoon as villains could test the moral fiber of the 15th version of The Doctor and provide new fans with a deeper understanding of the show's universe.
- Including classic foes like the Silurians and the Cybermen, as well as the presence of The Master, adds depth and context to the show's rich backstory while giving new viewers a taste of its history. The Daleks, Doctor Who 's ultimate foe, are expected to make an appearance in the next series.
A new era of Doctor Who is coming to TV screens in 2024. Previous showrunner, Russel T Davies, is returning to the captain's chair as he starts season fourteen of New Who with the fifteenth incarnation of the time lord, played by Ncuti Gatwa. While fans know that this version of The Doctor will be accompanied by a brand-new companion called Ruby Sunday, very little else is known about the next Doctor Who series.
Scariest Episodes Of Doctor Who, Ranked
Doctor Who has always been terrifying beyond imagination. These revival episodes showcase the scary moments that truly challenged The Doctor.
Like all good heroes, The Doctor has a long list of rogues from his past that could always make an appearance. In its sixty years on-and-off the air, Doctor Who has excelled at bringing new threats to face off against The Doctor, like the Ood. However, fans are always hoping a few old villains will turn up in the next series.
6 The Slitheen
An Often Forgotten Villain From Russel's First Season
- First Appearance: Aliens of London
- Last Appearance: Boom Town
The return of Russel T Davies to Doctor Who is seen as a good move by most fans of the show. However, that does not mean that everything he did with the show in his initial run was excellent. Take, for example, The Slitheen from the first two-part episode of New Who, Aliens in London and World War Three. These episodes are not looked back on fondly by fans, and that is mostly due to the farting, and often ropey-looking aliens in the episode.
The Slitheen did appear again in the spin-off show, The Sarah Jane Adventures, but have not been seen in Doctor Who as a main villain for nearly twenty years. Bringing these aliens back could give the creatures a new spin and show just how much Russel has improved as a writer by doing The Slitheen well this time. These aliens would also benefit from the updates made to modern special effects.
5 The Judoon
An Alien Police Force With Questionable Morals
- First Appearance: Smith and Jones
- Last Appearance: The Timeless Children
A big part of the Doctor's personality is their moral compass. Each regeneration of the Time Lord has come with a new set of ethics to help them fight the good fight in time and space. However, fans are yet to find out how the 15th version of the character is going to behave when it comes to moral decisions. Fortunately, the show has an old villain that can be brought out to display this new moral code.
The Judoon are a fierce race of police agents who serve to deal justice in the universe. Unfortunately, this race of rhino-themed aliens are far more brutish in their methods than The Doctor deems necessary. Bringing The Judoon back for an episode could serve to show new fans more of how this universe works while also testing this new Doctor's oral fiber.
4 The Silurians
A Classic Who Villain Not Touched By Russel T Davies
- First Appearance: The Silurians
- Last Appearance: Deep Breath
The Silurians are villains from the classic Doctor Who that reappeared in the new version of the show in series five. However, this appearance came after Russel T Davies had left the show and had handed the reigns over to Stephen Moffat. As such, the showrunner is yet to tell any stories featuring these classic monsters.
The Silurians are a race of lizard-like creatures who lived on Earth long before humans evolved and took over. Therefore, they have an understandable grudge against humanity. Seeing a new Doctor try and negotiate with this race could be interesting, especially since Davies has not yet had to write for these villains.
3 Cybermen
One Of The Doctor's Oldest Foes
- First Appearance: The Tenth Planet
- Last Appearance: The Vanquishers
The Cybermen are one of the most recognizable alien races in all science fiction. These robotic menaces deem themselves perfect and want to convert all other living beings into Cybermen too, as they think emotions are a weakness. It is a simple premise, but one that is easy to understand for new fans looking to get into the show.
Doctor Who: 10 Best Human Villains
Not all Doctor Who villains are robotic cyborgs or ethereal gods. Some of the best and most evil characters in the show's history are human.
If Russel T Davies and the BBC are using this new incarnation of The Doctor to try and attract some new and younger fans to the show, then they can't go far wrong by including the Cybermen. These robots can be scary if used effectively but, at the same time, can bring more action to a story.
2 The Master
Another Time Lord With A Complicated Past
- First Appearance: Terror of the Autons
- Last Appearance: The Timeless Children
The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. The fact that the character has had fourteen other faces in the past can be a complicated idea to get across to new viewers, but The Doctor's origins on this planet can be even more difficult. In Russel T Davies' initial run on the show, he got around this problem by adding the Time War to the canon of New Who. However, he cannot do that again. Fortunately, there is a villain in the show who can provide some much-needed context for new viewers while also being a fun presence.
Doctor Who: The History Of Gallifrey, Explained
The long-destroyed home of the Time Lord hasn't spent much time on screen, but it's one of the most important locations in the franchise.
The Master is another Time Lord, like The Doctor, one who often changes his face and personality to fit the most recent incarnation of the hero. The only difference is that The Master wants to cause mayhem with his use of time travel instead of saving people. Seeing this villain again face off against the next Doctor could do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of the show's backstory, while also adding a classic villain back to the show.
1 The Daleks
Doctor Who's Biggest Threat
- First Appearance: The Daleks
- Last Appearance: Eve of the Daleks
Doctor Who and The Daleks have gone hand in hand ever since the show began. These pepperpot-shaped enemies were first shown in the show's first series almost sixty years ago, and have appeared in almost every series since. They may have had a few redesigns over the years, but this warlike race of exterminating aliens is synonymous with Doctor Who.
The Daleks are The Doctor's ultimate foe. Therefore, it only makes sense that these creatures show up to cause trouble in series fourteen. Even the most casual fans of the show know who The Daleks are, and even just one Dalek can be an issue for The Doctor and his companions. As such, it only makes sense that they would appear in some capacity in another series of the show.