Doctor Who’s adversaries have instilled fear in many a person’s heart – from the cold Cybermen to the stoic Great Intelligence, Doctor Who’s villains have kept our favorite Time Lord on his toes. Since this BBC series has been around for over 50 years, the characters have changed quite a bit. Here we compare villains from classic Who (1963-1989) and current Who (2005-present) and any which have undergone redesigns within their own eras. Check out our list of 25 Doctor Who villains classic and current.
Cybermen
The Cybermen are legends as Doctor Who villains. These are their first two incarnations, dating all the way back to 1966.
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.
Borusa
Borusa, the Doctor’s old teacher, is the only Time Lord with more incarnations than Doctor Who and the Master.
Borusa's other two
Borusa’s other two incarnations, he hasn’t been seen since the Pete Davison era.
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.
Hoix
Strictly facing the rebooted Doctors, the Hoix took on both David Tennant and Matt Smith.
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.
Sea Devils
We’re bummed the Sea Devils didn’t make more appearances! They only confronted the third and fifth Doctors.
Omega
Omega went through quite a massive redesign as a Doctor Who villain but was phased out in 1983.
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.
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.
Zygons
Only confronting two Doctors (#4 and #11), the Zygons looks more like they belong in a museum of prehistoric history.
Rassilon
A fearsome Time Lord with a temper, Rassilon first appeared in the episode The Five Doctors in 1983.
Cybermat
Minions of the Cybermen, Cybermats don’t always accompany Cybermen, but they have for Troughton, Baker, and Smith.
Autons
Controlled by our next Doctor Who villain, the Autons are mannequins controlled remotely by the…
Nestene Consciousness
The rebooted Doctor’s first adversary, the Nestene Consciousness first appeared in 1970 to take on Jon Pertwee.
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.
Ice Warriors
A fearsome warrior and villain, the Ice Warrior has fought Doctors Troughton, Pertwee, and, in a terrifying submarine episode, Matt Smith.
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.
Dalek Supreme
The ruler of the Daleks, Dalek Supreme has been bested by all of our favourite Time Lords except McGann, Eccleston, and Smith.
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.
The Master
A worthy adversary of the Doctor if there ever was one, the Master fought Doctors three through eight and David Tennant.
Sontarans
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.
More Cybermen designs
The Cybermen are so prolific (and have had so many changes, holding the record for most redesigns) they deserved another spot on our list.
Daleks
A terror since the beginning, the Daleks have faced every Doctor except Paul McGann.
