Only Doctor Who can make it possible for fans to pick favorite versions of the same character and the Doctor’s many regenerations have made this possible. You can find the Doctor in every kind of media, whether it’s in comic books, film, or the TV series.
The Thirteenth Doctor is the latest to take the reins, and as has always been the case, the current Doctor has been compared to their immediate predecessor. To his credit, the Twelfth Doctor was a fantastic version of the character, and we’ve found five things each where these two incarnations have done a better job than the other.
Drama And Moments Of Impact: Twelfth Doctor
We haven’t seen that one big moment yet for the Thirteenth Doctor that hits the audience hard. For the most part, she’s been bewildered by things, rather than reacting dramatically to them. The Twelfth Doctor’s biggest impact, of course, was during “Heaven Sent” where he owned the screen with his commanding presence.
Then there were all those larger than life speeches the Twelfth Doctor was famous for, as he had the ability to avert wars through his dramatic delivery. You can find a lot of profound wisdom from the Twelfth Doctor, and it wouldn’t have been possible to get this point across had he not had a flair for drama and impact.
Adorable Quality: Thirteenth Doctor
Even the Twelfth Doctor was cute in a cool old uncle sort of way, but the Thirteenth Doctor has done a better job of being more in line with the adorable quality that the Eleventh Doctor previously had. Even if you’re not a fan of her stories you can’t help but follow the character herself.
This also makes room for character development, as the Doctor is definitely going to shed her naivete as her tenure progresses. Some people drew parallels between her and the Seventh Doctor, who started out unassuming before becoming a chess master, we can likely expect a similar effect for the Thirteenth Doctor.
Comedy: Twelfth Doctor
Even when the series tried to present the Twelfth Doctor as a darker take on the character, there was a lot of comedy involved with him. His awkward, bumbling professor quality made him a hilarious character who was just done with the nonsense around him.
As he developed, his comedy evolved into being an old punk rocker who couldn’t see how uncool he was. This progression allowed him to perhaps be the funniest Doctor we’ve had so far, something that fans still miss.
Instant Likability: Thirteenth Doctor
By the end of his run, the Twelfth Doctor had become the much-loved version for a lot of fans, but he took some getting used to. Due to the lackluster presentation of his original series, the Doctor didn’t instantly sell to audiences.
On the other hand, the Thirteenth Doctor has been a ray of sunshine from the get-go, and she hasn’t had any mean moments like the Twelfth did. Her approachable personality has meant that new fans have found her better suited to follow without prior knowledge of the show, while older fans haven’t needed to be accustomed to her.
Chemistry With Companions: Twelfth Doctor
A negative side of the Thirteenth Doctor having so many companions at the same time has been the lack of a dynamic with every single one of them. With the Twelfth Doctor, we had a lovely partnership to witness between him and Clara Oswald, as well as Bill Potts. Even his chemistry with Nardole was special in its own way.
The bond with Clara, in particular, had a lot of layers to it, as we could see a burgeoning love between the two, something all of Series 9 was based on. His close relationship with Bill, which was a lovely friendship with a generation gap, was equally as satisfying. The Thirteenth Doctor’s companions have so far come across more as assistants than anything else.
Energy: Thirteenth Doctor
The latest series has had a good dose of adrenaline attached to it, as episodes have had a youthful energy with an exciting presentation because of the Thirteenth Doctor. While the quality of the storylines has been hit-and-a-miss, the Doctor herself has done her best to keep audiences engaged.
This kind of energy was also present in the Twelfth Doctor, but within isolated episodes and not in the entire series. The Thirteenth Doctor has been able to keep things moving even in slow episodes, something that has been valuable in keeping fans interested.
Doctor-y Look: Twelfth Doctor
Just taking one look at the Twelfth Doctor is enough to get the idea set in your mind that this is a man who’s far ahead of the rest. He wore way more outfits than any other incarnation, and every costume was pulled off spectacularly.
The Twelfth Doctor completely looks the part of a Time Lord, and you get the sense that he’s got something cooking in his mind every second. Whether he was being a punk rocker or going for the professor look, he was the Doctor through and through. The Thirteenth Doctor’s original appearance was far more alien than Doctor-y, which doesn’t seem to be very faithful to the character.
Unpredictability: Thirteenth Doctor
After over 50 years of having a male Doctor, fans had understood the formula the series took with each incarnation of the Doctor. While it varied what type of personality he got but the overall style was more or less the same.
For this reason, having a female Doctor has brought about an air of unpredictability in an original fashion. What’s even better about the Thirteenth Doctor is that her stories haven’t been female-centric, yet she doesn’t behave the same way as her predecessors. Due to this, it’s always intriguing to see what she’ll be up to next.
Emotional Moments: Twelfth Doctor
The Twelfth Doctor’s eyes did most of the talking where he was concerned. His “attack eyebrows” intimidated more than a few, but they were also responsible for conveying so much emotion. His tenure saw a lot of dramatic moments, such as his falling out with Clara, his trauma at losing her, and him coping with Bill’s conversion into a Cyberman.
All of these pulled the viewer’s heart-strings as the usually stoic Doctor breaking down made for truly emotional moments. As mentioned above, the Thirteenth Doctor hasn’t had as much variety in her storylines, and her emotional moments have been reliant on her companions’ tragedies, rather than her own.
Long-Lasting Potential: Thirteenth Doctor
The Twelfth Doctor’s main character development had to do with him becoming a more sensitive person who could empathize with people. This was intriguing for sure, but there was only so much mileage in such a characterization. With the Thirteenth Doctor, we have on our hands a character who can turn everywhere. She could be shown becoming disillusioned with having a positive outlook and becoming more realistic, or she might even become the Valeyard.
With the newly unveiled Master, we could have many series where this dynamic can be explored. She can also have new companions or meet older ones. There are too many scenarios for character development and storylines, and her long-lasting potential sets her apart.
