David Tennant's performance as the Tenth Doctor (or simply "Ten") is one of the most popular versions of the lead character that Doctor Who has seen in its modern era. There are plenty of good reasons for that, too. Ten is charismatic, charming, and endlessly energetic. He also has moments of emotional vulnerability that some of the other Doctors lack, allowing audiences to empathize with him in a way that they can't always do.
Like every compelling character, the Tenth Doctor is flawed. He may be an immortal alien, but he's not a perfect man. His biggest flaw haunted him throughout his time on the show, and ultimately became his undoing. That flaw was his arrogance, his belief that he always knew best. The Doctor doesn't know everything, but the Tenth Doctor often believed he did. Now that Tennant is returning as the Fourteenth Doctor, it's the perfect time to revisit his character's fatal flaw, and what that could mean in the upcoming special episodes.
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The Tenth Doctor's Arrogance
Part of Ten's charm was in his confidence and excitement. He has all of space and time at his fingertips, and he's eager to share it with Rose, Martha, and Donna. He takes pride in showing his friends the wonders of the universe. And every time they attain a death-defying victory, Ten pats himself on the back almost nonchalantly. After all, if the Doctor's good at anything, it's doing the impossible. He can defeat armies of Daleks and Cybermen. He can throw Satan into a black hole, and tow a human ship out of its pull at a leisurely pace.
Ten's confidence, though, sometimes gave way to an arrogance that belied a sense of superiority. Ten, more than any other New Who Doctor, believes he knows best. In "Midnight," for example, when an unknown entity threatens a group of tourists in a train car, he takes charge of the situation. But when the agitated and paranoid passengers question why he, of all people, gets to seize control, he responds with an angry:
Because I'm clever!
It's a theme that recurs throughout his time on the show: the Tenth Doctor assumes himself to be the smartest person in the room. And most of the time, he's right. There may be other clever minds at play — Martha was more than smart enough to keep up with the Doctor, as were one-off characters like Adelaide Brooke and River Song (who would later take on a recurring role). But the Doctor is the one who puts everything together to save the day.
His confidence isn't unwarranted. His brilliant mind is just one reason that the Doctor has earned his reputation throughout the universe. And among the New Who Doctors, it is Ten who most frequently uses that reputation to his advantage. In "Voyage of the Damned," he tells a group of frightened passengers aboard a doomed ship:
I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I am 903 years old, and I am the man who's going to save your lives and all six billion people on the planet below.
Even if the passengers don't know who the Doctor is, the conviction with which he delivers these lines inspires them to trust him. That confidence allows him to save the day more than once. However, it can also go to his head.
Donna's Role
The Doctor's companions have always played a huge role in keeping him grounded, but none fulfilled this role better than the sassy temp from Chiswick: Donna Noble. Donna's relationship with the Tenth Doctor was very different from that of his previous companions. Rose Tyler was in love with him; Martha Jones harbored unrequited feelings. Donna, though, had no such romantic inclinations. Her fiery attitude and smart mouth were a perfect match for the Doctor's arrogance. She wasn't afraid to take him down a peg, or call him out when his ego got the better of him.
Yet despite her feisty nature, Donna was a deeply compassionate person. She couldn't stand the idea of a family dying in "The Fires of Pompeii," and she was horrified at the mistreatment of the Ood in "Planet of the Ood." Whenever she saw injustice or cruelty, Donna persuaded — or forced — the Doctor to act. During her first proper trip in the TARDIS, as Pompeii is buried in smoke, she demands and then begs him to act:
Someone. Not the whole town. Just save someone!
Donna's unique combination of compassion and brashness forced Ten to check his arrogance at the door. And it was after he lost her that the Doctor's fatal flaw began to overtake him.
The Breaking Point
"The Waters of Mars" is the best example of Ten's fatal flaw. The Doctor finds himself at a fixed point in time, just before disaster befalls humanity's first base on Mars. As the calamity begins, he knows he shouldn't interfere — and yet, he can't help himself. Determined to save people who are fated to die, he shouts:
The laws of time are mine, and they will obey me!
Initially, Ten was acting out of a desire to help. But as he grows more determined to save Captain Adelaide Brooke and her two surviving crew members, he grows unhinged, determined to use his power to get the outcome he wants — even if it's not the right one. When he brings the three survivors back to Earth in the TARDIS, he simply quips:
Isn't anyone going to thank me?
But he doesn't get his thanks. Instead, Adelaide rebukes the Doctor for his abuse of power. He had told her that her death was a fixed point in time; now, she's afraid that he has altered the course of history. When she tells him that no one should have that kind of power, he responds with only one word: "Tough."
Minutes later, though, he regrets his actions when Adelaide ends her own life in an attempt to preserve the course of history. Almost immediately, he realizes that he has gone too far. He doesn't have a human companion to make him examine his actions and motivations, and he tried to play god.
Will the Fourteenth Doctor Have The Same Weakness?
In the upcoming 60th Anniversary Specials, David Tennant is returning to play the Fourteenth Doctor. The question, however, remains: Ten and Fourteen may share the same face, but will they share the same character traits? It's likely that Tennant will indeed bring back the Doctor that so many fans fell in love with. In seeing Tennant reprise his role, fans are expecting the same boyish charm, the same boundless curiosity, and those moments of raw vulnerability. His character will likely be similar — but will he have undergone any change?
The Doctor has gone through a lot between his Tenth and Fourteenth forms. From his point of view, hundreds of years have passed. He's fought wars, and seen loved ones die. The Doctor made mistakes and learned from them. Yet Thirteen, like Ten, often believed she was the smartest in the room. Like Ten, she could be arrogant, even if that arrogance came from a lack of trust rather than overconfidence.
There are a number of storytelling reasons for the Fourteenth Doctor to have the same face as the Tenth. Perhaps Donna, caught up in another interstellar adventure, needs a face she's inclined to trust. But maybe the Doctor needs Donna as well. Now that Yaz, Graham, and Ryan have all left the TARDIS, perhaps the Doctor needs the one who used to keep him in check.
When the Eleventh Doctor regenerated into the Twelfth, he took on the appearance of the man that he and Donna rescued in "The Fires of Pompeii." Soon after, he comes to the realization that his new face serves as a reminder of how important compassion and mercy are, especially to an immortal being like him. Perhaps this time, his familiar new look is a reminder not to give in to his arrogance, after what he did the last time he wore this face. And perhaps, in order to live up to this warning, the Fourteenth Doctor will need Donna the same way that Ten did.