10 Best Long-Running Doctor Who Villains, Ranked By Most Appearances

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Throughout its 62-year history, Doctor Who has featured many villains, but a few have repeatedly challenged the Doctor and his companions. While the Doctor has faced countless one-time enemies like the Flood, the Kandyman, and the Vashta Nerada, certain antagonists have kept returning. These recurring villains have become major threats and, in some cases, the Doctor’s most persistent foes.

As a long-time Doctor Who fan, I’ve always appreciated how the show revisits its villains. It’s a tough challenge for the writers to make these characters feel fresh and interesting when we’ve seen them before, but they usually pull it off! I really love that Doctor Who invests in developing its baddies as much as its heroes. And honestly, seeing some of those classic villains return lately has been amazing – it’s so nostalgic and it’s great to recognize them. Some of these villains have been genuinely scary since the show started way back in 1963!

10) Autons (6 Episodes)

Many modern viewers first encountered the Autons – living plastic creatures – in the 2005 episode “Rose,” which featured the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). These animated mannequins act as soldiers for the controlling force known as the Nestene Consciousness. The Autons originally appeared in 1970 in the Third Doctor’s (Jon Pertwee) first story, “Spearhead from Space,” and returned in 1971’s “Terror of the Autons,” where the Master was introduced to Doctor Who. While difficult to defeat, the Doctor has successfully fought the Nestene Consciousness before by using tactics like electricity, radio waves, and materials that counteract plastic.

9) Sea Devils (6 Episodes & 1 Spinoff)

The Sea Devils, creatures from before the time of humans, have appeared in six episodes of Doctor Who. They originally hid in the oceans due to changing environments. In their first appearance, “The Sea Devils” (1972), they awoke to try and reclaim their world, leading to conflict with humans – a pattern that continued in all their Doctor Who stories. Now, a new spinoff series, The War Between the Land and the Sea, features the Sea Devils (now called Homo Aqua) continuing their fight for dominance against mankind.

8) The Silence (8 Episodes)

The Silence are considered one of the scariest creations from Steven Moffat’s time leading Doctor Who. This religious group of priests attempted to kill the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) to prevent him from revealing his true name to the Time Lords. First appearing in the 2011 episode “The Impossible Astronaut,” the Silence were uniquely frightening because people instantly forgot they had seen them as soon as they looked away. They’ve appeared in eight Doctor Who episodes overall, most recently in 2021’s “Revolution of the Daleks” as prisoners of the Judoon. Even now, the Silence remain a truly original and terrifying enemy.

7) Ice Warriors (9 Episodes)

From 1967 to 1974, the Ice Warriors battled both the Second and Third Doctors six times, establishing themselves as armored, reptilian soldiers originating from Mars. After a long absence, they reappeared in the 2013 episode “Cold War,” with a single Ice Warrior discovered on a Russian submarine. Later episodes, “Face the Raven” and “Empress of Mars,” further integrated these classic Doctor Who villains into the show’s modern storylines, solidifying their place as one of the series’ most enduring and formidable enemies. Due to their incredible strength, the Ice Warriors remain a constant danger in the Doctor Who universe.

6) Silurians (11 Episodes)

As a lifelong Doctor Who fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the Silurians. They’re basically the original homeowners of Earth, having ruled the land before humans even existed – their cousins, the Sea Devils, were in the oceans. And they’re not happy about us being here! Ever since they first showed up in 1970’s “Doctor Who and the Silurians,” they’ve been determined to take the planet back from what they see as pesky “apes.” They teamed up with the Sea Devils once more in the classic series with “Warriors of the Deep” in 1984, but they’ve really become a mainstay in the newer episodes, appearing in nine episodes so far. It feels like they’re much more of a threat in the modern era of the show.

5) Weeping Angels (13 Episodes)

Steven Moffat used to be brilliant at creating original and frightening villains for Doctor Who. The Weeping Angels debuted in the highly praised 2007 episode, “Blink,” and have appeared twelve times since. These creatures are stone statues that can only move when no one is looking, but move incredibly fast when observed. Their power to send people back in time and drain the energy from potential alternate lives is a truly unique concept, though some feel they’ve been used too often.

4) Sontarans (16 Episodes)

I’ve always been fascinated by the Sontarans! They’re a race of clone warriors, basically built for fighting, which is why the Doctor has clashed with them so often ever since they first showed up in 1973’s “The Time Warrior.” They were a regular threat in the classic series, even appearing in a story with multiple Doctors, “The Two Doctors.” Then, when the show came back, the Tenth Doctor – David Tennant – faced them in “The Sontaran Stratagem” and “The Poison Sky,” with Donna Noble and Martha Jones helping him out. They’ve been back a lot since then – about ten more times! Sometimes they’re enemies, but occasionally they’ve even teamed up with the Doctor, which is pretty interesting.

3) Cybermen (39 Episodes)

The Sontarans’ 16 episodes has nothing on 39 stories featuring the Cybermen, one of Doctor Who’s “big three” villains. The Cybermen first appeared opposite the First Doctor (William Hartnell) in “The Tenth Planet,” where the Doctor’s battle against them culminated in his very first regeneration. Since then, the Cybermen have been through many changes and have even appeared in parallel worlds, but all with the same root—humans converted into a metal army with emotions removed. The idea that Cybermen were once human has been at the core of their modern era stories, and the likes of “The Age of Steel,” “Doomsday,” “Death in Heaven,” and “World Enough and Time” have been truly tragic.

2) The Master (45 Episodes)

The Master is one of Doctor Who’s most iconic villains. Like the Doctor, he’s a Time Lord from Gallifrey, but unlike the Doctor, a glimpse into the Time Vortex corrupted him, driving him to seek power over the Doctor and other lifeforms. He first appeared in 1971, opposing the Third Doctor, and has been a recurring enemy for over 55 years, battling multiple incarnations of the Doctor – from the Fourth to the Thirteenth. Eleven different actors have played the Master throughout the show’s history.

1) Daleks (54 Episodes) & Davros (9 Episodes)

Throughout the decades, the Doctor has faced many enemies, including the Cybermen and the Master, but none have been more frequent adversaries than the Daleks. First appearing in the second Doctor Who story, simply titled “The Daleks,” in 1963, their backstory was later expanded upon. Originally known as the Kaleds, they were transformed by the scientist Davros into beings able to survive within armored, mobile casings. This allowed them to win a war against the Thals on their home planet, Skaro. Since then, the Daleks have remained one of the most frightening, enduring, and destructive forces in Doctor Who history. Nearly every incarnation of the Doctor has fought them, and they will likely continue to be a major threat for many years to come.

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2025-12-14 23:41