After nearly 60 years and 13 incarnations, it's no surprise that The Doctor has accumulated a long list of enemies. Most episodes revolve around a monster of the week that The Doctor easily thwarts, but some popular monsters recur through one or more seasons. Almost every Doctor has one foe they must persistently fight. For example, the Eleventh Doctor had multiple battles with the Weeping Angels and the Silence, while the Twelfth Doctor tangled with the Cybermen until the very end.

Every Whovian has a favorite Doctor, but they also have a favorite villain, and these two will generally go hand in hand. Since The Doctor constantly changes their face and personality, having some tried-and-true villains to rely on can help maintain a sense of familiarity. In the world of Doctor Who, it's weirdly comforting to have the Daleks to rely on. Whether it's a brand-new monster or a classic villain, Doctor Who is full of incredible and dangerous villains.

Updated by Sage Ashford on December 31, 2023: This list has been updated to add more information about Doctor Who's deadliest villains.

25 The Zygons Rely on Their Ability To Copy Their Enemies To Sew Chaos

Zygons and clones from Doctor Who

Origin:

Zygor

First Appearance:

Terror of the Zygons

Most Recent Appearance:

The Zygon Inversion

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Fans first met the Zygons all the way back in 1975 when their plan to take over Earth was foiled by the Fourth Doctor. They then reappeared during the 50th anniversary special "Day of the Doctor." This time around, it took the combined efforts of three Doctors to stop them.

Zygons are able to become clones of whoever they want, often having no need to keep the original person around. However, there are a few factions who just want to live peacefully and not cause any trouble. Of course, The Doctor has a plan in place for when the bad ones inevitably start a war.

24 The Great Intelligence Wants To Undo The Doctor's Efforts

The Great Intelligence flanked by two Whispermen from Doctor Who.

Origin:

Pre-Dates The Universe

First Appearance:

The Abominable Snowmen (1967)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Name of the Doctor (2013)

The Great Intelligence is one of The Doctor’s longest-running foes. Though it comes from the early days of Doctor Who, it came to the new era with a big role in the 2012 Christmas Special (voiced by Ian McKellan) and the subsequent season.

The Doctor defeated The Great Intelligence again in modern-day London before it showed up one last time for revenge. It planned to spread across his timeline to undo all the good he’s done. Clara managed to stop it, but now it can show up at any point in The Doctor’s life, so fans may not yet be rid of The Great Intelligence.

23 An Unnamed Monster Sought Only To Possess People and Cause Them Harm

The Doctor and Sky on a train in the Doctor Who episode Midnight

Origin:

Midnight

First Appearance:

Midnight (2008)

Most Recent Appearance:

Midnight (2008)

In one of the scariest stand-alone episodes in Doctor Who history, an unnamed monster nearly causes a group of innocent travelers to kill The Doctor in what they believe to be self-defense. This monster is never seen directly on the screen. Instead, it seems to possess an unsuspecting victim and cause them to mimic those around them.

The monster in Midnight seems to delight in causing a witch hunt, sowing doubt as to who exactly is possessed at any given moment. While some Doctor Who villains have grandiose plans to dominate the universe that span across seasons or even decades, this one-off monster is just as menacing and a whole lot scarier.

22 The Silence Are an Enemy That's Impossible To Remember

The Silence from Doctor Who

Origin:

N/A

First Appearance:

The Impossible Astronaut (2011)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Time of The Doctor (2013)

Season 6 started with a bang when it showed The Doctor apparently being killed. Once fans got past the shock, they were thrust into 1969, where they met the Silence — scary-looking aliens who are impossible to remember. These menacing creatures continue to plague The Doctor throughout Season Six.

After The Doctor drove the Silence from Earth, he ended up fighting alongside them to save a town called Christmas in the Eleventh Doctor's last stand. Like so many of The Doctor's enemies, the Silence wound up on his side in the end. But that doesn't make them any less dangerous.

21 Slitheen Put Their Armies Toward Conquering Earth

The Slitheen from Doctor Who.

Origin:

Raxacoricofallapatorius

First Appearance:

Aliens of London (2005)

Most Recent Appearance:

The End of Time (2010)

The Slitheen don't make the most intimidating villains, as they are plagued by constant flatulence. However, they are also extremely deadly, as they don't care about human life. Every time they've appeared on Doctor Who, they have some new plan to take over the world until The Doctor inevitably defeats them.

As dangerous as The Slitheen are, The Doctor never seems to have much trouble stopping whatever chaotic scheme they have, so they're never as intimidating as other aliens. They are also the reason Sarah Jane's son, Luke, ended up on Earth and joined the reporter's life.

20 Madame Kovarian Comes Up With Reality-Altering Traps To Destroy The Doctor

Madame Kovarian from Doctor Who flanked by two soldiers

Origin:

Earth

First Appearance:

Day of the Moon (2011)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Wedding of River Song (2011)

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Before fans ever knew her name, they could tell that this menacing figure was evil. As it turns out, Madame Kovarian wanted to use Amy and Rory's daughter to go after The Doctor. She kidnaped Amy and the baby, making herself one of The Doctor's most hated enemies.

Kovarian justified her actions by saying they were all meant to stop The Doctor and a war he's involved in, but that doesn't make her any less evil. Especially given her plans are so dangerous they cause a crack in time. It's what made things all the sweeter when Amy finally gets her revenge. As dangerous as she is, it's difficult to rank her higher given her abilities mostly come from her resources rather than her power.

19 Sycorax Aim To Steal Planets' Resources

The Sycorax from Doctor Who standing menacingly

Origin:

N/A

First Appearance:

The Christmas Invasion (2006)

Most Recent Appearance:

Revolution of the Daleks (2021)

"The Christmas Invasion" took fans on their first adventure with David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. The Sycorax attacked Earth because they wanted to steal its resources and enslave its people. Luckily, The Doctor woke up just in time to challenge their leader and save everyone.

Before they were defeated, the Sycorax killed several innocent people. There's nothing The Doctor hates more than bullies and senseless violence. In an interesting twist, this was also when fans discovered how dangerous Torchwood was, as they blew up the Sycorax's retreating ship in a move that infuriated the normally pacifistic Doctor.

18 Sontarans Place Waging War Above All Else

Origin:

Sontar

First Appearance:

The Time Warrior (1973)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Vanquishers (2021)

The first Sontaran story in Doctor Who featured a commander stranded in medieval England attempting to fix his spaceship. Future stories all follow the warlike aliens as they attempt to invade one planet or another, from Earth to even the Doctor's home planet of Gallifrey.

The Sontaran return to modern Doctor Who and try to terraform Earth into a clone world to replace their own. Despite all the weapons at UNIT's disposal, they are no match for the advanced fighters until they start listening to The Doctor. The Sontarans are a dangerous foe, but the fan-favorite recurring character Commander Strax is a notable exception.

17 The Sisters of Plenitude Used Science To Experiment on Humans

The sisters of plenitude from doctor who

Origin:

New Earth

First Appearance:

Tardisode 1 (2006)

Most Recent Appearance:

Gridlock (2007)

Though they first appeared in a short webisode prequel to Doctor Who's second season, the Sisters of Plenitude get their first major appearance in "New Earth." This order of catlike nuns say they have found a way to cure all diseases, which obviously means they're up to no good.

When the Doctor investigates the Sisters' seemingly too-good-to-be-true methods, he discovers they have been creating humans in pods and giving them all the diseases so they can find cures. They see their experiments as lab rats, not people, routinely disposing of them without hesitation. It's their callousness that makes them particularly despicable.

16 The Toclafane Were a Twisted Evolution of Humanity

the toclafane cyborg from doctor who

Origin:

Utopia

First Appearance:

The Sound of Drums (2007)

Most Recent Appearance:

Last of the Time Lords (2007)

A common theme in Doctor Who is that humanity's greatest enemy is not aliens from another dimension but themselves. This was never more true than when The Doctor, Jack, and Martha traveled to the end of the universe.

Driven mad by the end of everything, humanity became the Toclafane, disturbing machine versions of their former selves. The Master then manipulated them into coming back in time and destroying everyone and everything on Earth. They were being controlled by The Master, but that didn't make them any less scary or dangerous.

15 The Flood Infected Anyone Who Came in Contact With Water

Two humans infected by the Flood on Doctor Who

Origin:

N/A

First Appearance:

The Waters of Mars (2009)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Waters of Mars (2009)

As he prepared for his regeneration, the Tenth Doctor decided he was done with rules. In "The Waters of Mars," his travels introduced him to a colony of astronauts on Mars. Unfortunately, they became infected by an alien species that used water to turn its victims into zombie-like creatures.

The Doctor was supposed to leave them all there to sacrifice themselves, but he saved two of them, nearly ruining history in the process. This was the moment he realized he had gone too far and accepted his coming fate. It remains one of the series' scariest episodes, in part thanks to The Flood's seeming inevitability. The Flood are stopped from going any higher, though, because many of the other threats can rely on far more direct means to harm people.

14 The Monks Relied on the Ability To Change History

the monks from doctor who reaching towards the camera

Origin:

N/A

First Appearance:

Extremis (2017)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Lie of the Land (2017)

Most of the aliens who try to take over Earth in Doctor Who use violent means, which inevitably don't work. However, the Monks took a different approach and nearly succeeded.

These shapeshifters used Bill's love of The Doctor and the need to protect her friend to manipulate her into agreeing to let them take control. They changed history and made themselves the saviors of Earth, eliminating anyone who disagreed. In the end, they were also defeated by love. This time, it was Bill's love of her mother that did them in.

13 The Family of Blood Made The Doctor Run Through Time

Doctor who son of mine from the familiy of blood flanked by two scarecrows

Origin:

N/A

First Appearance:

The Family of Blood (2007)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Family of Blood (2007)

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It's very rare to see The Doctor genuinely run and hide from an enemy, but in the case of the Family of Blood, he did just that. This family of ghostly green parasites managed to steal a vortex manipulator from a Time Agent, which let them track The Doctor even as he traveled through time.

In order to hide from The Family, The Doctor had to assume his human alter ego, John Smith. Of course, the truth was The Doctor only ran to show them mercy rather than cause them any further harm, as he knew he'd have to do. The Doctor eventually defeated the family and devised a unique punishment for each, which came at the cost of a potentially long and happy life as John Smith.

12 The Heavenly Host Were Programmed To Cover Up a Conspiracy

the heavenly host from doctor who reaching a hand out

Origin:

Max Capricorn Cruiseliners

First Appearance:

Voyage of the Damned (2008)

Most Recent Appearance:

Voyage of the Damned (2008)

No one likes dealing with customer service, but the Heavenly Host is a whole other ballgame. These robots, styled after angels, were meant to help passengers on the spaceship Titanic. But the businessman who operated the cruise line, Max Capricorn, used them to kill anyone close to uncovering his conspiracy.

The Heavenly Host wasn't necessarily bad; they were just programmed to follow orders. When The Doctor took over the Titanic, he was able to get them to stop their rampage. The Heavenly Host hasn't returned to Doctor Who since their first appearance, but they were quite deadly in their short time on the show.

11 The 456 Sunk to Disgusting Depths To Steal Children

The 456 from doctor who

Origin:

N/A

First Appearance:

Children of Earth: Day Three (2009)

Most Recent Appearance:

Children of Earth: Day Five (2009)

There is no more heartbreaking story in the Doctor Who universe than Torchwood's Children of Earth. In this set of episodes, the team is forced to combat the 456, a species that will destroy the world unless they are given 10 percent of the child population. Of course, Torchwood has no plans to agree with this, and Jack must sacrifice his own grandson to save the other children.

In the course of their threats against Earth, the 456 kill an entire building full of government employees, including team member Ianto Jones. Though the heroes eventually win, it's a hollow victory that comes at too great a cost.

10 The Shadow Kin Rely on Their Shadowy Powers To Conquer

the shadow kin from the doctor who spinoff Class

Origin:

The Underneath

First Appearance:

For Tonight We Die (2016)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Lost (2016)

The Doctor Who spinoff Class opened with its main villain, the Shadow Kin, attacking Coal Hill Academy during its prom. These aliens had no other purpose than to conquer, which meant they didn't care about getting rid of nosy teenagers and their families.

These demonic, firey creatures usually attack as shadows, making them difficult to see coming and extra scary. They were ultimately destroyed by Class's main character, Charlie, but Doctor Who is no stranger to reviving old enemies for new stories.

9 The Headless Monks Wield Powerful Lightning Swords

The headless monks from doctor who wielding swords

Origin:

N/A

First Appearance:

Brain Trafficking (2011)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Wedding of River Song (2011)

The Headless Monks are one of those unique races that could only exist in the world of Doctor Who. These zealous beings believed in following their hearts over their minds — to the extent that they removed their heads completely and kept them in special, secret boxes.

Besides how dangerous they are with their lightning swords, it's the mysterious nature of their order that makes them so creepy. Members of other species can join the Order of the Headless by removing their own heads, meaning that their numbers are always growing. They're powerful and have influence around the universe, which is what places them so high, but they're outclassed by beings with greater knowledge and technology.

8 The Time Lords Were Driven Mad in The Time War

The time lords from doctor who

Origin:

Gallifrey

First Appearance:

The War Games (1969)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Halloween Apocalypse (2021)

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Modern Doctor Who has frequently explored how much the Doctor misses their own people, making it easy to forget the Time Lords were often their enemy.

The Doctor's people are far from sympathetic for most of their appearances in Doctor Who. Their greed and hubris are at the center of dozens of Doctor Who stories throughout the decades. In most of these stories, it is only the iconoclastic and rebellious Doctor who is able to right their wrongs.

Though the Time Lords were said to have a non-interventionalist policy in their first appearance, this has been shown time and time again not to be the case. They have waged countless wars and let billions of lives perish in the crossfire. By the end of the war against the Daleks, they were driven to a point where they were just as bad as the enemy they were fighting.

7 Vashta Nerada Were an Enemy Even The Doctor Could Only Run Away From

A spacesuit possessed by the Vashta Nerada after they ate its occupant

Origin:

N/A

First Appearance:

Silence in the Library (2008)

Most Recent Appearance:

The Forest of the Dead (2008)

"Silence in the Library" is perhaps most famous as the first appearance of River Song. However, it also features the very scary Vashta Nerada. These carnivorous insects can disguise themselves as shadows to stalk their prey, leading to the iconic quote, "Count the shadows."

River Song eventually sacrifices herself to save The Doctor and others from this particular Vashta Nerada infestation, but that doesn't mean they are gone. In fact, nearly every planet in the universe contains a small number of these creatures; they are just barely spread thin enough not to be a threat.

6 The Weeping Angels Can Transfer People to the Distant Past

Weeping Angels from Doctor Who.

Origin:

N/A

First Appearance:

Blink (2007)

Most Recent Appearance:

Survivors of the Flux (2021)

The Weeping Angels are arguably the scariest creatures in the Doctor Who universe. They look as peaceful as angel statues, but they can move at incredibly high speeds whenever they are not being observed. The fact that the real world is filled with statues makes them even creepier. Anyone who has seen "Blink" will never look at a statue the same.

The Weeping Angels don't necessarily kill anyone; they just send them back to the past to live out their life away from everyone and everything they've ever loved. Depending on the situation, this may be a fate far, far worse than death.