Do we like The Doctor?
A character from Doctor Who (1963–present)
Our score: 9 out of 10. Clever, kind and endlessly curious, the Doctor is a hero we'd follow into any trouble. They do have a stubborn streak and a habit of dragging friends into danger.
The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. They left their people in a stolen time machine, the TARDIS, which is bigger on the inside and usually looks like a 1960s British police box. Since 1963, the show has followed the Doctor and their travelling companions as they pop up across all of time and space, fighting monsters, tyrants and plain bad ideas.
A Time Lord can regenerate when badly hurt or worn out by age. They get a new face and a new personality but keep their memories. That is how the role passes between actors, and why the Doctor can be a grumpy old man, a scarf-wearing bohemian or a fast-talking charmer. The core stays the same: they are brilliant, curious and fond of humans, and they would sooner talk their way out of a fight than shoot their way out.
They score high because, across all their incarnations, the Doctor keeps choosing to help. They use brains, compassion and nerve, and they rarely carry weapons. The score is not a 10 because they can be vain, secretive and careless with their companions' safety. They also sometimes decide for themselves who deserves a second chance and who doesn't. Still, you want them at your side when the Daleks turn up.
The Doctor's darker side shows most when they are grieving, lonely or convinced they are the only one who can fix things. In those moods they can lose their moral compass. It usually takes a companion, or one of their own earlier selves, to pull them back.