Every Doctor Who Multi-Doctor Story, Ranked From Worst to Best

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In 1973, Doctor Who celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special episode featuring multiple Doctors – a first for the show! This kicked off a tradition of big anniversary stories, many of which have become fan favorites. These episodes often play fast and loose with the rules of time travel, to the point where some needed explanations based on the show’s lore to even work. But what makes a truly great multi-Doctor story, and how do they compare to each other?

Let’s clarify what we mean by a true multi-Doctor story. It’s not just a quick appearance by a past Doctor, like Jodie Whittaker’s return in “The Reality War.” And it’s not a regeneration story that uses a trick, so we’re excluding things like “The Giggle” with its bigeneration. We’re also focusing solely on the main TV series, not the excellent audio dramas from Big Finish or the special Children in Need sketch with David Tennant and Peter Davison. Now that’s settled, here’s our ranking of the best multi-Doctor stories.

5. The Two Doctors

Many of these episodes are like anniversary celebrations, looking back at the history of Doctor Who. However, “The Two Doctors” from 1985 is different. It wasn’t made to mark a special occasion, but because a previous team-up of Doctors had been popular with viewers. Starring Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton, it’s also famously strange – the story is actually a symbolic critique of the meat industry! It’s quite ironic that a story so focused on looking back at the past also criticizes the very idea of nostalgia.

Ultimately, the episode “The Two Doctors” doesn’t work because of its tone and how it portrays the Second Doctor. Writer Robert Holmes created a script that’s more critical than celebratory, and it unfortunately makes Troughton’s Doctor come across as unpleasant. Instead of being horrified by experiments on the alien Androgums, the Doctor expresses distaste for them, believing they are inherently savage and unchanging. He argues that giving them power would only lead to chaos, famously stating, “You give a monkey control of its environment, it’ll fill the world with bananas.”

Colin Baker’s time as the Sixth Doctor was unusual, and the stories often portrayed him as arrogant and even unkind to his companions – bordering on abusive. This dynamic unfortunately extends to the portrayal of Patrick Troughton’s Doctor in “The Two Doctors,” making both versions of the Doctor appear unpleasant. It’s easy to understand why this story is considered one of the weakest Doctor Who adventures, despite having a talented cast and a lot of promise.

4. Twice Upon a Time

The 2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special, “Twice Upon a Time,” is enjoyable even though it isn’t perfect. Originally, showrunner Steven Moffat intended to finish his run after Season 10, but his successor, Chris Chibnall, preferred to begin his time without a special episode. This led Moffat to stay on and write the Christmas special. The story’s idea came from a line that was cut from the very first regeneration story, The Tenth Planet, which suggested the Doctor fought against changing. Moffat used this concept as the core of the episode, bringing together the Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, and the First Doctor at a moment when they both faced similar struggles.

“Twice Upon a Time,” like many stories by writer Steven Moffat, explores how Doctor Who has changed over the years. The interaction between Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor and David Bradley’s portrayal of the First Doctor is fantastic. The First Doctor is completely confused by all the things modern audiences expect from the show. At first, he’s scared of what he’ll become and even considers stopping his regeneration. But he eventually realizes his future self is capable and allows the change to happen. The Twelfth Doctor, in turn, feels hopeful and also chooses to regenerate.

“Twice Upon a Time” clearly respects the long history and established stories of Doctor Who – even including a storyline involving the grandfather of the Brigadier. However, some Doctor Who fans have found the portrayal of the First Doctor problematic. Certain scenes attempt to use him to illustrate social progress, but end up showing casual sexism and prejudice. While it’s understandable what writer Steven Moffat intended, the approach doesn’t quite work, as the Doctor isn’t the right character to explore these sensitive themes.

3. The Three Doctors

The very first Doctor Who story featuring multiple Doctors aired in 1973, bringing together William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, and Jon Pertwee. Writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin cleverly explained this team-up by having the Time Lords orchestrate it themselves. The story introduced a major threat: Omega, a Time Lord engineer who wanted to escape a universe made of antimatter by stealing all of Gallifrey’s energy. Because he was unreachable to everyone else, the Time Lords had no choice but to ask the Doctor(s) – the only Time Lords they could safely contact who weren’t stuck on Gallifrey – for help.

The idea behind this story is clever, and the interaction between the Third and Second Doctors is especially fun to watch. The script cleverly uses the Doctor’s pride and belief that he’s the most intelligent person present, leading to interesting conflicts between his different versions. Unfortunately, William Hartnell was unwell during filming and only appears briefly, stuck in a time loop but still able to offer guidance. It’s fitting that the other Doctors treat him with respect. Nicholas Courtney’s Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart provides much of the humor, which has occasionally been criticized but usually works well.

What really stands out about “The Three Doctors” is that it wasn’t just a celebratory story with no lasting impact. It actually marked the end of a major storyline that had defined Jon Pertwee’s time as the Doctor – his exile on Earth. Because he helped Gallifrey, the Time Lords allowed him to return home, fundamentally changing his situation for future adventures. This episode also established a pattern of the Time Lords using the Doctor for their own purposes, a theme that continued throughout both Pertwee’s and Tom Baker’s eras. While it could have simply been a fun, visually impressive story, “The Three Doctors” is actually a crucial turning point in the series’ narrative.

2. The Five Doctors

Originally broadcast in 1983, “The Five Doctors” brought together three incarnations of the Doctor: Jon Pertwee (the Third Doctor), Patrick Troughton (the Second), and Peter Davison (the Fifth). After William Hartnell’s passing, Richard Hurndall stepped in to play the First Doctor. Footage from an uncompleted story called “Shada” was used to include Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor, as Baker wasn’t available to film a new appearance. Written by Terrance Dicks, the story involves all the Doctors being called to Gallifrey’s dangerous Death Zone, a remnant of a dark period in the planet’s history, where they face some of their most fearsome enemies. The true antagonist turns out to be Gallifreyan President Borusa (played by Phillip Latham), who seeks the key to eternal life within the Death Zone.

As a fan, I’d say “The Five Doctors” really leans into what makes Doctor Who special – the history! It’s a definite crowd-pleaser, probably more so than some of the other multi-Doctor adventures. What struck me was how well-paced it was; being a single, longer episode, the story just moves. It’s cleverly built around the Fifth Doctor’s current arc, but with a really compelling twist: he literally feels himself fading as his past selves are pulled into danger. It creates a genuine sense of urgency! And unlike “The Three Doctors,” the rather odd ending – where he briefly becomes President – isn’t awkwardly carried forward, which I appreciated. It felt more self-contained and satisfying.

This story is second best because it’s faster-paced and more streamlined than earlier multi-part adventures. Plus, “The Five Doctors” wonderfully commemorates Doctor Who‘s 20th anniversary by reuniting many beloved companions and villains. It’s hard to imagine how this story could have been made any better – though getting Tom Baker to participate would have been amazing. Despite all its strengths, however, another multi-Doctor story still tops this list.

1. The Day of the Doctor

The 2013 special, “The Day of the Doctor,” was a huge celebration of Doctor Who‘s 50th anniversary, shown in cinemas around the world at the same time. It brought together Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, with a surprise appearance by John Hurt playing a previously unknown “War Doctor.” Essentially a Doctor Who movie, the episode was intentionally linked to the biggest event in the show’s history: the Time War, which had only been hinted at before. The Time War had seemingly ended with the destruction of Gallifrey, and had been teased since the show’s return in 2005.

“The Day of the Doctor” is wonderfully hopeful and full of joy, especially with the exciting meeting of Doctors Tennant and Smith. Christopher Hurt delivers a powerful performance as a Doctor worn down by war who has lost faith, but finds renewed hope when he sees what’s to come. Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswald interacts with all three Doctors, and Billie Piper makes a return appearance, this time as The Moment – a powerful, ancient weapon from Gallifrey. The episode even includes a brief but memorable appearance by Tom Baker.

While many multi-Doctor stories are fun to watch, “The Day of the Doctor” will likely remain the most popular. It expertly taps into fond memories without feeling stale, and it dramatically brings Gallifrey back into the show – a change that should have happened much earlier. Plus, it features a sneak peek at Peter Capaldi’s signature intense stare, essentially marking his first appearance as the Doctor. Given its incredible scope, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see a Doctor Who story quite like it again, ensuring it will always be special.

What’s your favorite Doctor Who episode featuring multiple Doctors? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-04-21 03:12