The Cybermen are some of the most popular Doctor Who monsters (second only to the Daleks, of course). They first appeared in 1966 and made their debut in the First Doctor's last ever regular serial. They were soon brought back though, due to their popularity.
When the series was revived back in 2005, it wasn't long before the Cybermen were brought back as well, making their first appearance in the new series in the Tenth Doctor's first season. The Cybermen are great villains, but some of their episodes haven't always been the best they could be.
Best - The Pandorica Opens (Season 5, Episode 12)
This is the only entry in the list to not technically feature the Cybermen as the main villain. In the Season 5 two-part finale, the Doctor and Amy Pond were drawn to Stonehenge by all of the Doctor's worst enemies in a bid to save the universe from dying.
One of these enemies was the Cybermen and a single soldier was sent to guard the Pandorica. While they only featured for 10 minutes, this episode made the Cybermen genuinely creepy again, while simultaneously presenting them with new abilities.
Worst - The Next Doctor (2008 Christmas Special)
This episode was actually pretty decent and featured a unique and intriguing plot revolving around another 'Doctor' and how he came to be. It also featured the Tenth Doctor on his own for the first time after losing his best friend, Donna Noble.
While the episode itself was well-received, the Cybermen didn't add much to the plot. The story didn't focus on them as much as it could have and so it felt as though any generic monster could have been used instead of one of Doctor Who's most iconic villains.
Best - World Enough And Time (Season 10, Episode 11)
The Cybermen had been absent from Doctor Who for almost three years at this point and so viewers were excited to hear that they would be returning in the season 10 finale. What was even more exciting was that the returning Cybermen would be the original versions that faced off against the First Doctor.
The first part of the season finale was absolutely amazing. It acted as an origin story for the Cybermen and created a horrifically gruesome beginning for the Doctor Who icons. If only the second part had lived up to the standards set by this episode.
Worst - Dark Water/Death In Heaven (Season 8, Episodes 11 & 12)
Like "The Next Doctor", this season finale wasn't half bad, as it properly introduced Missy, the first female incarnation of the Master, and a universally loved portrayal of a classic Doctor Who character. It also featured the Cybermen invading Earth.
However, the Cybermen didn't have any independence in this story and instead were completely controlled by Missy. She even created them. The Cybermen are not robots, they're half-human, and so they should be able to develop their own evil schemes.
Best - Ascension Of The Cybermen/The Timeless Children (Season 12, Episodes 9 & 10)
The most recent Cybermen story was also one of the best yet. These two episodes brought back the Cybermen after a lengthy absence, and visited an era in the future that the show had previously mentioned, but had always avoided.
The episodes took place during the Cyber Wars and showed the Cybermen at their most unstoppable. They were utterly relentless and killed many of the guest stars in the first episode alone. They became a viable threat and the Doctor was genuinely worried that her friends wouldn't get out alive.
Worst - Rise Of The Cybermen/Age Of Steel (Season 2, Episodes 5 & 6)
The Cybermen made their modern-day Doctor Who debut in the first two-parter of season 2. Fans were particularly excited to see how they would return. Unfortunately, these were not our reality's Cybermen but Cybermen from a parallel world.
Rather than originating from Earth's twin planet, Mondas, the Cybermen were created by the ruthless business tycoon, John Lumic, in an effort to save his life and stop everyone from dying. The parallel earth storyline was interesting but the Cybermen's backstory was less so.
Best - Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday (Season 2, Episodes 12 & 13)
After their slightly lackluster debut in the new series, the Cybermen returned in full force in the season 2 finale. The Doctor and Rose Tyler had returned to Earth to visit Jackie when they were caught up in an invasion of ghosts.
In one of Doctor Who's most epic cliffhangers, the ghosts turned out to be millions of Cybermen and then, as if the situation wasn't dire enough, the mysterious Sphere finally opened up to reveal ... the Daleks! The Cult of Skaro! And then a war of epic proportions was fought for 45 minutes.
Worst - Closing Time (Season 6, Episode 12)
"Closing Time" was the penultimate the Doctor making his last house calls to old friends before he died. To this end, the Doctor visited Craig Owen and accidentally uncovered a group of Cybermen.
It was nice seeing Craig again, as he was one of the highlights of season 5, but the Cybermen didn't really feature much. The episode didn't add anything new to the Cybermen, and the fact that love saved the day yet again was becoming overused at this point.
Best - The Haunting Of Villa Diodati (Season 12, Episode 8)
What was so brilliant about this Cyberman story was that it wasn't marketed as such. The fact that the Cybermen even appeared at all was kept (relatively) secret, right up until broadcast. Until then, viewers could only theorize as to what would happen.
When the Cybermen finally appeared, it was like nothing that fans had seen before. The Cyberman in question, Ashad, had undergone partial conversion, meaning that part of him was still human. However, rather than subjecting the Cyberman to love and kindness, the episode subverted expectations and made Ashad even more frightening.
Worst - Nightmare In Silver (Season 7B, Episode 7)
While this episode had some good bits (like the Doctor's mental battle with the Cyberplanner), it was completely unfaithful to almost every depiction of the Cybermen that had come before.
It took place on an abandoned theme park planet that had been ravaged by the Cyber Wars. It started off poorly by depicting the Cybermen as nothing more than fairground attractions and then got downright absurd as the latest model of the Cybermen were completely robotic, had super speed, and kidnapped children for no apparent reason other than plot convenience.