Top 10 Best Doctor Who Episodes of All Time

Doctor Who has been sending you running toward danger in a blue police box since 1963, and somehow the universe still has not run out of monsters, paradoxes, doomed companions, and emotionally devastating goodbyes. Handy, really. Terrible for your sleep schedule, but handy.

The best episodes of Doctor Who are not just the ones with the biggest explosions or the strangest alien design, though a proper nightmare fuel creature never hurts. They are the stories that make you lean closer to the screen, argue with your friends, quote the Doctor at inappropriate moments, and briefly consider that a scarf, bow tie, leather jacket, or velvet coat might be a perfectly reasonable fashion choice.

What are the best Doctor Who episodes of all time? Vote for the stories you think deserve the top spot, from clever timey-wimey puzzles to grand anniversary adventures, from eerie library corridors to lonely battles inside the Doctor's own mind.

The Top Ten

Blink

Great episode with holy statue creatures. A little bit scary, and the way the Doctor was taken by the angels, leaving an unknown girl to take care of it, was fascinating.

Very nerve-racking and suspenseful. Made me scream every time Sally's boy-partner (Nightingale) blinked, and the angel popped up in front of him.

The Doctor is barely in it at all, but his presence is tangible. The monsters are iconic, and the characters are relatable.
The Day of the Doctor

A fitting celebration for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary. Billie Piper excels at playing her old character, but not her old character. Getting Tennant to return alongside Matt Smith led to an excellent meeting. John Hurt makes a very different Doctor, but as the Moment says, "different looks, same software" (if that is a misquote, I apologize). The absolute best part was when you see all the Doctors trapping Gallifrey in a parallel universe.

Good episode. Replying to what someone else said, the War Doctor wasn't a "stupid plot twist." It was actually because Christopher Eccleston couldn't make it (well, that's not entirely true, but we'll leave it at that).
The End of Time

Such an amazing episode. The perfect way to say goodbye to the greatest Doctor, David Tennant. An emotional send-off as the Doctor revisited the greatest companions to ever appear in Doctor Who.
John Simm also did an excellent job as the Master, making him my favorite villain. I love his send-off too, with his heroic moment.

David Tennant made me love Doctor Who, and he is now my favorite actor and celebrity crush. I had a crying meltdown when he said, "I don't want to go." In my brain, I said to myself, "I don't want you to, either!"
This was a very heart-breaking episode, but it definitely was the best!
Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead

THE best episode. It was exceptional. We had suspense, leaving us clutching the edge of our seats, a bit of scariness that added more flavor, and creepiness that made it amazing. We had the best Doctor, the best companion (Donna), and River Song, which made it even better.
The Vashta Nerada took advantage of a fear many of us have and gave us an impossible, nerve-wracking enemy. The bit with Cal gave it that extra mile. It was frighteningly close to the world we have and the world of Doctor Who. To think that the real world was not real and the dream world was made it so interesting. BEST EPISODE EVER!

This episode was suspenseful, exciting, terrifying, and heartbreaking. By far the best episode of Doctor Who.
From the introduction of the mysterious River Song, the creepy Vashta Nerada, the strangeness of CAL, Donna's dream, and the Doctor dealing with it all, the episode was amazing. It's even better on a second viewing after knowing River Song, making the episode incredibly sad.
The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances

Not my favorite, but I think it deserves to be in the top 3 because it definitely makes chills run down your spine! Not to mention Christopher Eccleston, John Barrowman, and Billie Piper's fantastic acting! It was an episode that marked the formation of a wonderful trio.
It's a shame that Captain Jack didn't stick around with Nine after regeneration and that Christopher Eccleston left after one season! I would have loved to have seen more of him. I salute Christopher Eccleston because it's a tough job to bring a faded TV show back to the top after so many years and introduce it to an entirely different generation. I'd say that he did his role fantastically!
Human Nature / The Family of Blood

Yes! This is obviously the best story of all time for me. Both parts are practically perfect on every level. The core premise, that the Doctor becomes human, is so genius.
The episodes are even better than that, with emotion, a strong threat (the Family being genuinely unsettling), a great setting, and knock-out performances and writing. Happy to see it's in the top ten, sad it just missed out on the top five.

Tremendous acting by David Tennant. After only an hour or so, he makes you love John Smith as much as you love the Doctor. "Family of Blood" is certainly the saddest episode I can think of.
A unique story that revels in its own simplicity.
Heaven Sent

It is probably one of the most emotional and gripping episodes, in my opinion, alongside Listen. By having only the Doctor, it becomes much more impactful, as you get these stunning monologues. Everyone who made this episode did an amazing job because it doesn't just feel like Doctor Who. It feels like Shakespeare. It makes you see things differently.
Capaldi is definitely the best Doctor, and this episode just reinforced that for me. The bit where you get the replays of what happened with every Doctor who goes there could have come off as boring, but it didn't. When he finally broke through the wall, it was like all his hard work had paid off. You really felt like you were there, and you forget that it is acting. It feels so real.
Vincent and the Doctor

This isn't just an episode of Doctor Who. It's an artistic statement about beauty, pain, and depression. It also shows that the Doctor doesn't always win, which is akin to the early episodes of the original series where victory sometimes meant getting back to the TARDIS safely. In this instance, Vincent and the Doctor murdered an innocent Krafayis that was just confused, scared, and lonely.
This episode has more emotional impact than any other episode, in my opinion. It also tackles the significant topic of depression and mental illness very well. I cried several times throughout, and the scene at the end is heart-wrenching.
The Eleventh Hour

I was crying. I am very easily moved by things, but this episode is one of the few that made me want to watch it over and over again.
Very tragic but amazingly performed. Go, Matt Smith!

Yes! This is when Amy Pond is introduced! I have fallen in love with her Scottish accent! She is fearless, and I love how she has Rory drooling over her!

Can't count how many times I have seen this episode with my family. My kids love it as much as I do.
Wish I could vote again and get this one up to at least 3rd place.
The Waters of Mars

One of my all-time favorite episodes of Doctor Who. Apart from the Flood being absolutely terrifying, seeing the Doctor, having lost and suffered so much, finally snap is somehow terrifying on another level. When Adelaide tells him no one should have that much power and he says tough, in that one word, it's like the Doctor has become a different person. As a viewer, I was both scared of and for him. If Adelaide hadn't killed herself, I don't know what would have happened to him. Truly chilling.

My #1 favorite Doctor Who episode. Much more emphasis on the Doctor himself. David Tennant just steals the show in this.
Super suspenseful, and it had some really deep moments.

The Newcomers

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It Takes You Away

This one was weird and great, but it had everything you'd want from Doctor Who.

I like the idea of a sentient, lonely universe.
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The Stolen Earth / Journey's End

A brilliant finale, and one that I see strangely get a lot of hate. You can complain there are too many characters, but I applaud that. Russell basically covers everything great about his first four seasons: the comedy, action, emotion, ambition, and overall entertainment value, and conjures up a perfect piece of each of them.
We get a Dalek invasion, the 'space-man' scene, Donna's farewell, a goodbye to around 10 companions, and the return of Davros, and it's glorious. And it's still under The Trial of a Time Lord?

The Contenders

Utopia / The Sound of Drums / The Last of the Time Lords

This is an interesting one. On the one hand, it's magnificently ambitious, entertaining, and great on so many levels. On the other hand, it's camp and a little unfocused, but still okay.
Utopia is actually the weakest of the three. Although the ending is excellent, most of the story feels like a standard base-under-siege plot, with not much going on. The Sound of Drums is better, with a focus on the Master's manipulation and his relationship with the Doctor and Gallifrey, although the third act falls apart slightly.
Then comes Last of the Time Lords, which I really enjoy, even if there are many obvious flaws in it. It's just such an entertaining story, even if not the best-crafted one. Overall, this is a pretty decent, but extremely flawed finale. I don't consider it as good as Parting of the Ways, Doomsday, or Journey's End.
City of Death

I personally believe this is the best episode of the show. It's witty and has a brilliant plot. Love it!

Awesome episode! It stands the test of time and holds up perfectly.

"What a wonderful butler. He's so violent!" It's everything I loved about Doctor Who.
A Good Man Goes to War

A great episode that should have ended Series 6! It also featured the first appearance of the Paternoster Gang, my favorite recurring characters.

This episode was an awesome intro to Team Vastra, who everyone admits to liking! Madame Kovarian, The Headless Monks, and Dorium in one wonderful episode! All set on an asteroid!
The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat.

The characterization in this could easily put it in the top 5. If I could vote again, it would be in my top five for sure.
The Girl In the Fireplace

I think this episode is very fun and sad as well. I love the clockwork robots. In fact, (after the gas mask zombies) they are my favorite Doctor Who monsters.
Awesome episode! Doctor Who is one of my favorite TV shows!

I love this episode. It's in my top two - along with Blink. It's tender, heartwarming, romantic, scary, and David Tennant - well, no spoilers or anything, but we see him more involved, in a different way, than usual.

The plot is great, Madame de Pompadour is great, and the framing device allowing the Doctor to meet Reinette at many different times is great too.
Dalek

This is a really good one. A great introduction to the series' greatest villains, with brilliant performances from Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper.
An all-round excellent episode - one of Series 1's better ones.

Established the Time War and the Daleks as a threat extraordinarily well in just one episode.

How could such a beautiful and perfectly written story be so low on the list?
Midnight

Midnight is my all-time favorite episode of Doctor Who. Though the mysterious being is the main villain of the episode, at its core, the Doctor here is put up against the thing he loves most: humans. Not only are the humans against him, but all of the things that usually help him are turned into his biggest weaknesses: his intelligence, his authority, and his open-mindedness.
In this episode, the Doctor's entire world is turned upside down. The fact that Donna isn't there just shows how off this episode was. It is a truly terrifying deconstruction of the Doctor that shakes him to his core and leaves him traumatized. 11/10

This was such an amazing episode, full of suspense and kind of scary too. If you have never seen Doctor Who, then this is a good episode to watch because you don't need to know a lot of backstory other than who the Doctor is.
The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang

It is really sad when you watch it for the second time, and every time they say something like "it was built to contain something to stop it harming the rest of the universe," and the Doctor wonders what it could be that was so dangerous, you know how ironic that is.

"I AM TALKING! Who's got the Pandorica? I do. Who's coming to take it from me? Just remember who's standing in your way. And then! And then! Do the smart thing. Let somebody else try first." BOOM. Great speech.

This was by far the best episode. Every single alien in Doctor Who you can think of in the new series is in the episode along with a great cliffhanger.
"Hello, Stonehenge!"
Horror of Fang Rock

This was a great episode and all, but I still can't get over the fact that someone hacked this episode and broadcasted a Max Headroom intrusion.

This story is so depressing, but it has a strong plot, and I never lose my attention. Plus, the mystery behind the aliens is frightening!

If the Max Headroom intrusion happened today, millions of people would go ballistic.
The Caves of Androzani

Always been my favorite. But can everyone stop calling Doctor Who stories "episodes"? Most of these stories actually have several episodes...

Such a fantastic episode. Always number 1 for me. A great shame that it was followed by one of the worst Doctor Who episodes ever made.

It's not my favorite Doctor Who story, but I like it a lot. The cliffhanger to Part 3 was the best!
Turn Left

This episode was amazing in every way! Definitely the best Doctor-lite episode I have seen. Usually, episodes focused mainly on a companion can be slightly boring, but this episode is so slick and mind-boggling that you just want to keep watching!
Definitely one of Catherine Tate's best episodes!

This episode had me going crazy! It blew me away, especially everything with Rose coming back. This episode proved that everyone's life changes after the Doctor waltzes into their lives. Sarah started the theory, Martha continued it, and Rose finally proved it to be true.
I loved this episode!
The Time of the Doctor

I loved the 11th Doctor, so it was sad to see him go, but I think it was a good send-off.
Clara made this episode even better, and for me, it just shows her loyalty to him as she tries her best to help him.

It's an interesting goodbye for the Eleventh Doctor, but I think the whole "the Doctor defends Trenzalore from a bunch of monsters" section was glossed over just a little too much.

Best by far. I have no idea why people like Blink. It barely has the Doctor in it at all.
Genesis of the Daleks

A brilliant origin story, Genesis of the Daleks is great Doctor Who altogether, featuring a superb cast, regular or otherwise, beautiful imagery, and a memorable score, but the star here is the script. Terry Nation at his best.

Terry Nation makes the Daleks great again! The explanation of the Daleks' origins, and a wonderful story for Fourth Doctor Tom Baker and Lis Sladen, RIP.

Best Dalek story since Power, and probably the best one of all time, too.
Listen

My favourite episode. This is like a mountain above the rest. So well written, and Capaldi's monologues are insane. Genuinely creepy episode, and good plot. I love how you never know what's real and what isn't, and that you never find out what the creature is. It shows that some mysteries can't be solved.

A love letter to the show! A beautifully directed episode with emotion and a powerful theme. Capaldi at his most unpredictable and very, very best!

By far the best in season 8. So beautifully dark. And creepy, very creepy.
Pyramids of Mars

Nice mix of Egyptian mythology and science fiction. Also, there is Sarah Jane, so it's always a fun time.

Great story, great villain who manages to be super creepy while confined to a chair.
The Angels Take Manhattan