25 Doctor Who Villains Classic And Current

Posted by , Updated on March 22, 2024

Doctor Who’s foes have struck terror in the hearts of many – ranging from the chilling Cybermen to the unyielding Great Intelligence, these villains have consistently challenged our beloved Time Lord. Being a BBC series that has spanned over half a century, there have been noticeable character shifts. We juxtapose the villains from the classic Doctor Who era (1963-1989) and the modern Doctor Who era (2005-present), including any that have experienced redesigns within their respective eras. Take a look at our compilation of 25 iconic Doctor Who villains, both from the classic and the current series.

25

Cybermen

Cybermen

The Cybermen are legends as Doctor Who villains. These are their first two incarnations, dating all the way back to 1966.

24

Ood

Ood

Whoever thought up the Ood must have been a costume expert. Making their first appearance against David Tennant, they haven’t been since going up against Matt Smith. Maybe Capaldi will change that.

23

Borusa

Borusa

Borusa, the Doctor’s old teacher, is the only Time Lord with more incarnations than Doctor Who and the Master.

22

Borusa's other two

Borusa

Borusa’s other two incarnations, he hasn’t been seen since the Pete Davison era.

21

Judoon

Judoon

The Judoon have a longer history than you may realize. Either way, Matt Smith definitely wouldn’t have wanted to take them on alone in The Pandorica Opens episode.

20

Hoix

Hoix

Strictly facing the rebooted Doctors, the Hoix took on both David Tennant and Matt Smith.

19

Yeti

Yeti

Servants of #9 on our list, the Yeti were initially created to counterbalance the Cybermen as major villains, but unlike the Cybermen, they haven’t been seen since the Peter Davison years.

18

Sea Devils

Sea Devils

We’re bummed the Sea Devils didn’t make more appearances! They only confronted the third and fifth Doctors.

17

Omega

Omega

Omega went through quite a massive redesign as a Doctor Who villain but was phased out in 1983.

16

Cyber-controller

Cyber Controller

The director of Cybermen at any one time – and not to be confused with the Cyber Commander – the Cyber Controller is a Doctor Who villain who has only faced Patrick Troughton and Colin Baker.

15

Macra

Macra

You might want to skip over the Macra as a seafood snack as it might bite back. The Macra has appeared with both Troughton and Tennant.

14

Zygons

Zygon

Only confronting two Doctors (#4 and #11), the Zygons looks more like they belong in a museum of prehistoric history.

13

Rassilon

Rassilon

A fearsome Time Lord with a temper,  Rassilon first appeared in the episode The Five Doctors in 1983.

12

Cybermat

Cybermat

Minions of the Cybermen, Cybermats don’t always accompany Cybermen, but they have for Troughton, Baker, and Smith.

11

Autons

Doctor Who autons

Controlled by our next Doctor Who villain, the Autons are mannequins controlled remotely by the…

10

Nestene Consciousness

Nestene Consciousness

The rebooted Doctor’s first adversary, the Nestene Consciousness first appeared in 1970 to take on Jon Pertwee.

9

Great Intelligence

Great Intelligence

A body-less Doctor Who villain, the Great Intelligence would take the form of control balls (left) when not inhabiting another body. These images are from the second and eleventh Doctor.

8

Ice Warriors

Ice warrior

A fearsome warrior and villain, the Ice Warrior has fought Doctors Troughton, Pertwee, and, in a terrifying submarine episode, Matt Smith.

7

Silurians

Silurians

Later joining the Doctors side (well, sort of with Madame Vastra), the Silurians first appeared in 1970 and turned into a friend many Doctors later.

6

Dalek Supreme

Dalek supreme

The ruler of the Daleks, Dalek Supreme has been bested by all of our favourite Time Lords except McGann, Eccleston, and Smith.

5

Davros

Davros

Davros, the Dalek’s famed creator, is a fearsome Doctor Who villain. He faced all the classic Doctors from Jon Pertwee on as well as David Tennant.

4

The Master

The Master

A worthy adversary of the Doctor if there ever was one, the Master fought Doctors three through eight and David Tennant.

3

Sontarans

Sontaran

The Sontarans, the war-loving villains of Doctor Who, first appeared in 1973 and, beyond the classic Doctors, have also fought Matt Smith and David Tennant.

2

More Cybermen designs

Cybermen

The Cybermen are so prolific (and have had so many changes, holding the record for most redesigns) they deserved another spot on our list.

1

Daleks

Dalek

A terror since the beginning, the Daleks have faced every Doctor except Paul McGann.