After nearly 60 years and 13 incarnations, it's no surprise that Doctor Who's titular protagonist 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 Jordan Iacobucci on April 12, 2024: Doctor Who is getting another refresher in the hands of franchise legend Russell T. Davies. Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor is set to return for at least two more seasons, as his time-traveling time lord takes on all kinds of new villains. In the meantime, we've updated this list to review many of the most iconic Doctor Who villains, incorporating five more entries, as well as bringing this list up to CBR's most current standards for formatting.

30 The Celestial Toymaker Killed The Fourteenth Doctor (Sort Of)

The Celestial Toymaker is a mysterious entity that appears to be both self-existent and interdimensional in nature. Boasting an enduring affinity for games and toys, the Toymaker is one of the Doctor's very first villains, dating all the way back to William Hartnell's original incarnation of the classic sci-fi character.

More recently, the Toymaker confronted the Fourteenth Doctor when he attacked the Earth. The villain wreaked incredible destruction upon the world, laughing all the way. He even managed to seemingly kill the Fourteenth Doctor with a powerful laser beam, though this merely introduced a new manner of regeneration to Doctor Who that brought forth the Fifteenth Doctor. In the end, it took two Doctors to defeat the Celestial Toymaker, who may yet return for another round of fun and games.

29 Lady Cassandra Left A Trail Of Bodies In Her Wake

Lady Cassandra was one of the first villains to appear in the new era of Doctor Who. Once a human actress on Earth, Cassandra had a nasty habit of killing off the people around her who got on her nerves. Eventually, as a result of her constant vain attempts at retaining her youthful beauty, Cassandra became little more than a stretched-out sheet of flesh by the time the Earth was destroyed in the year 5,000,000,000.

While not a frequently recurring villain, Cassandra always proves herself to be a threat in each of her appearances. At one point, she even managed to possess the body of the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler, in an attempt to steal her life. Cassandra's enduring vanity and selfishness puts everyone else in danger, even at the end of the universe.

28 The Rani Puts Her Scientific Research Above Sentient Life

The Rani is a classic but often forgotten villain from the Classic Era of Doctor Who. Portrayed by Kate O'Mara, the Rani is a fellow Time Lord who grew up with the Doctor and the Master. In her adulthood, the Rani became a prominent neurochemist, but proved her villainous tendencies when she revealed that morality had no part to play in her scientific experiments.

The Rani is particularly dangerous in her blatant disregard for sentient life, especially in the name of science. As brilliant as she may be, her intelligence only makes her more dangerous because she has proven that she will wield her abilities maliciously rather than for the good of others. Even more terrifying, the Rani is still out there causing havoc as she sees fit, and could always one day return to ruin the Doctor's day yet again.

27 Ashildr (A.K.A. Me) Survived The Death Of The Universe

Once an unassuming Viking girl, Ashildr, played by Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams, had her life inexorably altered when she encountered the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald. After her tragic death in battle, Ashildr was resurrected by the Doctor, making her immortal. However, her extended life changed her worldview forever, creating a more callous and closed-off individual than she had ever been before.

Now known simply as "Me," Ashildr shouldered the tremendous burden of eternity, even going on to survive through the end of the universe. While Me is not inherently villainous, her detached emotional state and increased power after achieving immortality make her dangerous. Maisie Williams could still return to Doctor Who to further flesh out Me's story, proving just how big a threat she could be.

26 Beep The Meep Is Deceptive And Vengeful

In the first of three specials featuring David Tennant's long-awaited return to Doctor Who, the Fourteenth Doctor and his companions meet Beep the Meep, a seemingly helpless furry creature who claims to be on the run from a group of villainous pursuers. However, as it turns out, the Meep is the true enemy, turning on the Doctor at the first convenient opportunity.

The Meep is particularly dangerous because it is so physically unassuming. Through cunningly crafted lies, Beep is able to mislead the Doctor into protecting it from the true heroes trying to bring it to justice for its many war crimes. In the end, Beep the Meep escapes with a promise to tell "the Boss" about the Doctor, proving that its threat is far from over.

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

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 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

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

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 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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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 when they fought the Twelfth Doctor.

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

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

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

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.