You can always count on The Doctor to deliver some iconic and memorable lines of dialogue, and ever since Doctor Who’s modern era began in 2005, we’ve gotten countless legendary lines. This quick-witted and wise time lord played by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa has delivered some hilarious, poignant and at times sassy quotes, so let’s look back at 32 of them.
"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a nonlinear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff." -Tenth Doctor in “Blink”
As David Tennant’s Doctor is attempting to explain a very complex situation to Sally and Larry in “Blink,” one of Doctor Who’s best episodes, they keep questioning him about how time works. Ultimately, he gives into the question and explains it as eloquently and simply as he can, which is of course still pretty “wibbly-wobbly.”
"I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes, and the dreamer of improbable dreams." -Eleventh Doctor in "The Almost People"
As the Eleven explained his outlook on life in this episode, he summed it all up by defining himself as “the optimist.” Not only is it a sweet quote from Matt Smith’s Doctor, it’s also lovely words to live by.
"All right then, Doctor Whoever I’m about to be… Tag. You’re it." - Thirteenth Doctor in “The Power of the Doctor”
Ending out a historic run, Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor left us with an iconic line before tagging a familiar face, David Tennant, as the Fourteenth Doctor.
"I’m not sure if any of that matters. Friends. Enemies. So long as there is mercy. Always, mercy." - Twelfth Doctor in “The Witch's Familiar”
Rather than killing Davros, the Twelfth Doctor showed mercy, which is a core value of his. Even though the Daleks have tried to destroy him over and over again, he continues to see the best in everyone, even those who seem inherently evil.
"Fantastic!" -Ninth Doctor’s Catchphrase
Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor may not be the most chipper, however, when he got excited he’d yell “Fantastic!” which was always a joy to hear.
"Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead." -Tenth Doctor in “Blink”
The weeping angels – a monster essential to understanding Doctor Who – are single-handedly one of the scariest creatures on the show. That became very apparent in “Blink” as the Tenth Doctor explained that if you bat an eye, you could end up dead, because you never know when the lurking angel statues will get you.
“Hello, I'm the Doctor. Basically... run!” -Eleventh Doctor in “The Eleventh Hour”
Before Matt Smith was playing the menacing Daemon in the House of the Dragon cast, he was frolicking across space and time as the Eleventh Doctor. However, like the Targaryen prince he plays, Eleven had a knack for holding his ground, which is exactly what happened in Smith’s very first episode of Doctor Who through this line.
"Rose… before I go, I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And do you know what? So was I!" -Ninth Doctor in “The Parting of the Ways"
Christopher Eccleston may have left the show after one season, but the Ninth Doctor will always be remembered. From his beautiful relationship with Rose to his “fantastic” last line, he still has a great legacy.
"I eat danger for breakfast. I don't, I prefer cereal. Or croissants." - Thirteenth Doctor in “Arachnids in the UK”
Some Doctors prefer fish fingers and custard, the Thirteenth Doctor prefers “cereal” and “croissants.” However, while she doesn’t want “danger” as the first meal of the day, she can totally handle it.
"Everything ends, and it's always sad. But everything begins again too, and that's always happy. Be happy. I'll look after everything else." -Twelfth Doctor in “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”
Anytime The Doctor has to talk about their past, it’s always sad. However, the timelord is also aware of how good things can be as well. So, when speaking about taking care of the world after returning, he implores those he’s with to “be happy,” and not dwell on the end.
"Allons-y!" -Tenth Doctor’s Catchphrase
While the other Doctors’ catchphrases are in English, David Tennant’s fan-favorite Tenth Doctor decided to get fancy and make his French. Honestly, every time I hear “Allons-y” – which means “let’s go” – I smile.
"Just this once, everybody lives!" -Ninth Doctor in “The Doctor Dances”
“The Doctor Dances” and the child who keeps asking “are you my mummy” is one of the most emotional Doctor Who episodes. That's in great part because after the Doctor succeeds, he has a moment of elation as he exclaims that for once, finally, everybody lived.
"Geronimo!" -Eleventh Doctor’s Catchphrase
You can always count on Matt Smith’s Doctor and his catchy catchphrase! Filled with optimism and youthful energy, as “geronimo” implies, he was ready to jump into any situation.
"Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It’s not the time that matters, it’s the person." -Tenth Doctor in “The Lazarus Experiment”
Throughout their years of life, The Doctor has gained immense wisdom, especially when it comes to spending time with those you love. This line is delivered as Ten explains why there’s more meaning in living a full life than a long one, a lesson The Doctor knows all too well, and one we can all stand to learn from.
"Never be cruel. Never be cowardly. Hate is always foolish. Love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind. Doctor… I let you go." -Twelfth Doctor in “Twice Upon A Time”
While Peter Capaldi’s Doctor was known for being the grumpiest of the bunch, he was also wise and caring, as you can tell with this sweet and inspirational quote from his final moments before Jodie Whittaker took over as the Thirteenth Doctor.
"Bowties are cool." -Eleventh Doctor in “The Eleventh Hour”
While the Eleventh Doctor’s formal catchphrase is “Geronimo,” he also repeats this line enough it should be considered one too. What can he say, the man loves a bowtie, and we love him for it.
"I don't want to go!" -Tenth Doctor in “The End of Time”
It’s always sad when a Doctor regenerates, however, Ten’s was extra emotional, because he didn’t want to leave. David Tennant truly loved playing the Doctor, and you could feel the sadness as he said goodbye. Luckily, he didn’t leave forever as he came back for “Day of the Doctor” and he returned again for the 60th Anniversary as the Fourteenth iteration of the time lord.
"I'm just a traveler. Sometimes I see things need fixing, I do what I can." -Thirteenth Doctor in “The Woman Who Fell to Earth”
From the jump, when Jodie Whittaker took over as The Doctor, she made it clear that she is still the time lord we know and love as she explained that she’d do whatever she could to help fix things.
"I hate being wrong in public. Everybody forget that happened." -Twelfth Doctor in “Deep Breath”
In Peter Capaldi’s first episode as The Doctor he made it very clear that he absolutely hates being wrong in public, and who can blame him? It also established his snarky sense of humor immediately.
"I will always remember when the Doctor was me." -Eleventh Doctor in “The Time Of The Doctor”
While the Eleventh Doctor looks the youngest, he actually lives longer than almost all their other generations. After spending over 1,000 years in this body, he knows it is time to go. However, as he said on his way out, he’ll always remember this generation of being the Doctor.
"You’re my favorite, you are. You are the best, you know why? Cos you’re so thick! You’re Mr. Thick Thick Thickety Thickface from Thicktown, Thickania. And so’s your dad!" -Tenth Doctor in “The Girl in the Fireplace”
The Doctor has sick burns up their sleeves every once in a while, but this was not one of those moments. However, what matters is David Tennant’s Doctor tried. In this episode the tipsy time lord waltzed in to save Rose with his tie on his head and drink in hand hurling insults like this at the evil Victorian robots.
"In 900 years of time and space, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important." -Eleventh Doctor in “The Almost People”
If there’s one thing the Doctor truly believes in it’s how vital all life is, and how everyone deserves to feel valued. He made that clear during this Christmas special when Matt Smith’s time lord said this memorable line.
"If I was still a bloke, I could get on with the job and not have to waste time defending myself." -Thirteenth Doctor in “The Witchfinders”
Jodie Whittaker made history as the first woman to play the Doctor. In the show, she had some iconic lines – like this one which happened after she was accused of witchcraft – about how the time lord’s experience differs when they’re a woman, and why just because she doesn’t look like the men she’s been before, she shouldn’t be treated differently.
"Time travel is like visiting Paris: You can't just read the guidebook. You need to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double, and end up kissing total strangers." -Ninth Doctor in “The Long Game”
One of my favorite genres of Doctor quotes is when they describe how time travel works. At times it’s wibbly-wobbly, as we discussed, and in the Ninth Doctor’s words it’s like “Paris.” You need to go in with an open mind and be ready to “use the wrong verbs,” cause like French when you aren’t fluent in the language, time travel is super confusing.
"It’s okay, I understand. You’re an idiot." -Twelfth Doctor in “Under the Lake”
When one guy tried to question Twelve's logic, Capaldi’s time lord responded with his signature snark and sarcasm, saying that it’s OK that he didn’t understand, because he’s “an idiot.”
"Lives change worlds. People can save planets or wreck them. That’s the choice. Be the best of humanity." -Thirteenth Doctor in “Orphan 55”
When Thirteen and her pals go to a resort that turns out to have some horrifying secrets, she helps save the day and teaches everyone, including the audience watching the episode, that we should always be trying to be the best of humanity.
"Right, physics! Physics, eh? Physics, physics, physics, physics, physics…" -Tenth Doctor in “School Reunion”
Somehow, the Tenth Doctor found himself teaching the youths about physics, and before hopping into his complex lecture, he started by simply saying the word over, and over, and over again. It was hilarious, especially considering the incredibly smart words that came out of his mouth after this silly moment.
“We’re all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?” -Eleventh Doctor in “The Big Bang”
When Eleven thinks he’s going to lose Amy Pond, he tells her their story. At this point, he thinks they’re parting ways and that when Karen Gillan’s character wakes up she won’t remember. So, he simply tells her that he’ll be a story in her head, and that at least the time they shared created a great story.
"You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books, the best weapons in the world! This room is the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!" -Tenth Doctor in “Tooth and Claw”
The Doctor never uses weapons. He uses his sonic screwdriver and wit to solve his problems, which is one of their most admirable qualities. So, it made sense that when someone asked if they had weapons to fight the bad guys, Ten responded saying the books that surrounded them would help them more than any weapon.
"Shut up. Just shut up, shut up, shut up, shutetty up, up, up!" -Twelfth Doctor in “Time Heist”
Every once in a while the Twelfth Doctor would let his sass fly, and this was one of those moments as he realized to defeat the clone and find the architect they needed to use their eyes.
"I am definitely a madman with a box!" -Eleventh Doctor in “The Eleventh Hour”
When The Doctor and Amy meet, she calls him a “madman with a box,” which he 100% is, and he agrees, as he confirms it right to her face during one of their first interactions.
"Who I am is where I stand. Where I stand is where I fall." -Twelfth Doctor in “The Doctor Falls”
When Twelve faces the Master, he gives a speech that lays out his moral mission and his goal to save everyone he can, because it’s the kind thing to do. It’s a harrowing moment, and it perfectly describes how Capaldi’s Doctor saw his mission.
As The Doctor continues to travel around time and space, I’m sure they will deliver more iconic lines that are just as funny, motivational and important as the ones above. Doctor Who has been on for over 60 years for a reason, and its incredible writing and quotes are a big reason why.
