With the recent announcement that David Tennant would be returning to Doctor Who under Russell T. Davies's tenure as showrunner, fans have been sent into waves of excitement. The actor is widely considered one of the best to adopt the role of The Doctor, so his return is huge news for Doctor Who audiences.
Tennant's time as The Doctor seemingly concluded in 2010 with the special two-part episode "The End of Time", so there are still plenty of questions surrounding just how Tennant could possibly be back, and where these episodes will fit into the timeline. In order to celebrate the actor's time in the role, Ranker has put together a list of the many reasons that he was the best Doctor of them all.
He Grew Back His Hand
Tennant was first introduced as The Doctor in the show's first Christmas special, "The Christmas Invasion". And although Eccleston had been introduced as the character less than a year earlier, Tennant's eccentric and charismatic performance made him instantly believable in the role.
One of the highlights of "The Christmas Invasion" is the final battle against the Sycorax, in which The Doctor has his hand sliced off by their leader. However, he quickly regenerates a new hand and uses it to take down the Sycorax empire in a duel. It's one of the first examples of the Tenth Doctor's unique personality, and instantly sets him apart from the other incarnations.
He's Present In History
One of the things that makes the Tenth Doctor such an entertaining protagonist is his rich and entertaining backstory, including throwaway lines about his past interferences in human affairs. In "Voyage of the Damned", he tells Astrid that he was there are the birth of Jesus, itting that he "got the last room".
It's this sort of character work that makes Russel T. Davies one of the best writers that Doctor Who has ever seen. Even if this line might seem unimportant at first, it's things like this that make The Doctor feel real and human, despite his extra-terrestrial roots. He's always got surprises up his sleeve, and Tennant knew exactly how to make the most out of this.
He's Academic and Literate
Whilst it's true that all incarnations of The Doctor are incredibly intelligent, the Tenth Doctor really made this a part of his personality more so than the others. In one of his first episodes, "Tooth and Claw", he prepares to defend himself using only the books in a library: "This room's the greatest arsenal we could have - arm yourself", he says.
This fixation with knowledge and academia is one of the Tenth Doctor's best personality traits, especially since it allows him to escape from plenty of sticky situations. He might come across as a little egotistical sometimes, but Tennant's performance is enough to keep the character always likable.
He Has Unconventional Priorities
It's clear that The Doctor doesn't always think in the most rational ways, but the episode "The Girl in the Fireplace" really made this abundantly clear. After claiming that he'd accidentally invented the banana daiquiri a couple of centuries too early, he worries that he might have caused the end of the signature cocktail as we know it - before adding, "and life."
The fact that he manages to remain so calm in the face of danger is one of the reasons that fans love the Tenth Doctor so much. His mind is constantly jumping around, and his personality certainly reflects this. There are no other characters quite like Tennant's Doctor, which makes him an incredibly compelling character.
He's Loved By Historical Figures
Every time the Tenth Doctor traveled backward in time and came into with a famous historical figure, it was a safe bet that the pair would get along like a house on fire. Whether it's The Doctor's deep knowledge of history or his charming personality, there's something about him that makes him extremely agreeable.
One of the best examples of this is in "The Shakespeare Code", where the two begin to develop a close friendship before he saves the day and leaves. The story is widely regarded as one of Martha Jones' best episodes in Doctor Who, and that's probably because of the entertaining dynamic between her, The Doctor, and Shakespeare himself - alongside the fun and inventive story.
He's Always Looking For Fun
One of the best things about Tennant's Doctor is that he's always willing to have fun on his adventures. Even when the Daleks are enacting their latest masterplan or The Master is wreaking havoc on planet Earth, he's always willing to crack a joke and keep the mood light - whilst staying focused and getting the job done.
He sums this up pretty well in the episode "The Waters of Mars", when he's asked to state his name, rank, and intention by the crew of Bowie Base One. After taking a moment to think about it, The Doctor replies: "The Doctor, Doctor... fun."
He Values Life More Than Time
In "The Lazarus Experiment", the Tenth Doctor delivers one of his most famous lines to a distressed Professor Lazarus: "It's not the time that matters, it's the person". This quote sums up everything that makes The Doctor's philosophies so intelligent - he knows that life is more than just living, it's about what you do whilst you're alive.
"Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty," he adds. Although The Doctor is over 900 years old, he never takes a single day for granted and always tries to live each day as though it were his last. It's this kind of thoughtful outlook on life that makes him such an interesting and intriguing character.
He Doesn't Take Criticism Very Well
Although The Doctor is a very intelligent and friendly person, he can often be pretty defensive in a funny and childish way. One of the most memorable examples of this is in "The End of Time: Part 1", when Wilfred Mott first steps into the TARDIS and remarks that he "thought it would be cleaner."
The Doctor clearly doesn't take this criticism well, childishly exclaiming that he "could take [Wilf] home right now". While it might seem like a small line, it adds a lot of personality to a character that could easily be seen as too alien to be compelling. These flaws bring him down to a more human and authentic level, which makes his stories all the more gripping.
He Takes The Moral High Ground
The Doctor might find himself in some unethical situations from time to time, but he always sticks to his moral values - no matter how easy it would be to break them. One of the best examples of this is The Doctor's hatred of guns, always forbidding his companions from even carrying them on most occasions.
The Doctor explains the logic behind his 'no guns' rule in "Army of Ghosts", when he's forced to exit the TARDIS to a swarm of armed Torchwood officers. Rose warns him not to answer to them since they have guns, to which he replies: "And I don't, which makes me the better person... they can shoot me dead, but the moral high ground is mine."
He Has Lots Of Scientific Knowledge
The Doctor's knowledge of science has gotten him out of many difficult situations, and it's hard to imagine that he would have been anywhere near as successful without this deep knowledge of the universe's scientific laws. He even instilled much of this knowledge into his companion Donna Noble when she absorbed his regeneration energy in "Journey's End".
This is one of the storylines that fans are most excited to see explored when Tennant and Tate return as The Doctor and Donna in the new episodes. And with Davies in the writers' room, there's no doubt that their return is bound to be full of exciting twists and turns throughout.