The Doctor's sonic screwdriver: Difference between revisions

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{{Cleanup|All of the "Uses" sections are '''extensively''' specific and detailed. They should instead give a more general overview of the sonic's uses, written in paragraphs instead of lists.}}
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|made by    = {{il|[[The Doctor]]|[[The Doctor's TARDIS|The TARDIS]]|[[Santa Claus]]}}
|made by    = {{il|[[The Doctor]]|[[The Doctor's TARDIS|The TARDIS]]|[[Santa Claus]]}}
|used by    = [[The Doctor]] and their [[companion]]s
|used by    = [[The Doctor]] and their [[companion]]s
|origin      = {{il|[[Gallifrey]]|[[The Doctor's TARDIS|The TARDIS]]}}
|origin      = {{il|[[Gallifrey]]|[[The Doctor's TARDIS|The TARDIS]]|[[Earth]]}}
|first      = Fury from the Deep (TV story)
|first      = Fury from the Deep (TV story)
|appearances = [[The Doctor's sonic screwdriver - list of appearances|'''''see list''''']]
|appearances = {{appears}}
|clip        = The Master Summons the Sea Devil - The Sea Devils - Doctor Who - BBC
|clip        = The Master Summons the Sea Devil - The Sea Devils - Doctor Who - BBC
|clip2      = The Sonic Screwdriver is Destroyed! - The Visitation - Doctor Who - BBC
|clip2      = The Sonic Screwdriver is Destroyed! - The Visitation - Doctor Who - BBC
|clip3      = Hang on Doctor! - Doctor Who - BBC
|clip3      = Hang on Doctor! - Doctor Who - BBC
|bts        = The Woman Who Fell to Earth Episode 1 Closer Look Doctor Who BBC AMERICA
|bts        = The Woman Who Fell to Earth Episode 1 Closer Look Doctor Who BBC AMERICA
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[[The Doctor]], throughout many of their lives, possessed a '''sonic screwdriver'''. They ostensibly upgraded and improved each subsequent model, improving functionality and adding additional features. Features included projecting [[soundwaves]] to lock or unlock [[door]]s, frying [[circuitry]], [[hacking]], disabling, and activating technology. It could also be used as a [[scanner|scanning device]], with medical applications.
{{doctor more}}
{{doctor screwdrivers}}
[[The Doctor]], throughout many of their lives, possessed a '''sonic screwdriver'''. They ostensibly upgraded and improved each subsequent model, improving functionality and adding additional features while the design changed. Features included projecting [[sound]] waves to lock or unlock [[door]]s, frying [[circuitry]], [[hacking]], disabling, and activating technology. It could also be used as a [[scanner|scanning device]], with medical applications.


Each model used the same [[software]]. Essentially, the sonic screwdriver in use by the [[War Doctor]] was the same as that in the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s possession, some 400 years later. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
Each model used the same [[software]]. Essentially, the sonic screwdriver in use by the [[War Doctor]] was the same as that in the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s possession, some 400 years later. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')


At least one version of the screwdriver used a [[crystal]] similar to the [[Metebelis crystal]] sought after by the [[Eight Legs]] of [[Metebelis III]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Forgotten (comic story)|The Forgotten]]'') There were also electrical components. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Halls of Sacrifice (comic story)|The Halls of Sacrifice]]'')
At least one version of the screwdriver used a [[crystal]] similar to the [[Metebelis crystal]] sought after by the [[Eight Legs]] of [[Metebelis III]], ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Forgotten (comic story)|The Forgotten]]'') while the [[Fifth Doctor]] attempted to collect a [[diothanine crystal]] from the planet [[Argentia]] where temporal zone met to focus sonic waveforms for a new sonic screwdriver. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Serpent in the Silver Mask (audio story)|Serpent in the Silver Mask]]'') There were also electrical components. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Halls of Sacrifice (comic story)|The Halls of Sacrifice]]'')


The screwdriver had a multitude of settings and different versions of settings. The [[Tenth Doctor]] told [[Rose Tyler|Rose]] to use "[[setting 15B]]" to triangulate the source of the ghosts ([[TV]]: ''[[Army of Ghosts (TV story)|Army of Ghosts]]'') and used [[setting 34-H|34-H]] to sink a ship. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Second Wave (comic story)|Second Wave]]'') It had a [[setting 85]] that undid security codes to unlock [[door]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lazarus Experiment (TV story)|The Lazarus Experiment]]'') The [[Ninth Doctor]] told Rose to use [[setting 2428D]] to re-attach [[barbed wire]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Dances (TV story)|The Doctor Dances]]'') [[Sarah Jane Smith|Sarah Jane]] used the [[Theta Omega setting]] to melt [[plastic]] [[vine]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Android Invasion (TV story)|The Android Invasion]]'') The [[Twelfth Doctor]] told [[Clara Oswald|Clara]] to use [[setting 41]] to send out random bursts of [[helicon energy]] to distract the [[Skovox Blitzer]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Caretaker (TV story)|The Caretaker]]'') The Twelfth Doctor himself used [[setting 61]] to knock out a [[Cybernetics|cybernetically]] augmented [[dinosaur]] with a "[[sonic brainstorm]]". ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Spirits of the Jungle (comic story)|Spirits of the Jungle]]'') However, at least one version of the screwdriver was able to use thoughts as well as settings. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Big Bang (TV story)|The Big Bang]]'', ''[[Amy's Choice (TV story)|Amy's Choice]]'', ''[[Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)|Let's Kill Hitler]]'', ''[[Death in Heaven (TV story)|Death in Heaven]]'') The same version could also be activated using the Doctor's voice. ([[TV]]: ''[[Deep Breath (TV story)|Deep Breath]]'')
The screwdriver had a multitude of settings and different versions of settings. The [[Tenth Doctor]] told [[Rose Tyler|Rose]] to use "[[setting 15B]]" to triangulate the source of the ghosts ([[TV]]: ''[[Army of Ghosts (TV story)|Army of Ghosts]]'') and used [[setting 34-H|34-H]] to sink a ship. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Second Wave (comic story)|Second Wave]]'') It had a [[setting 85]] that undid security codes to unlock [[door]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lazarus Experiment (TV story)|The Lazarus Experiment]]'') The [[Ninth Doctor]] told Rose to use [[setting 2428D]] to re-attach [[barbed wire]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Dances (TV story)|The Doctor Dances]]'') [[Sarah Jane Smith|Sarah Jane]] used the [[Theta Omega setting]] to melt [[plastic]] [[vine]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Android Invasion (TV story)|The Android Invasion]]'') The [[Twelfth Doctor]] told [[Clara Oswald|Clara]] to use [[setting 41]] to send out random bursts of [[helicon energy]] to distract the [[Skovox Blitzer]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Caretaker (TV story)|The Caretaker]]'') The Twelfth Doctor himself used [[setting 61]] to knock out a [[Cybernetics|cybernetically]] augmented [[dinosaur]] with a "[[sonic brainstorm]]". ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Spirits of the Jungle (comic story)|Spirits of the Jungle]]'') However, at least one version of the screwdriver was able to use thoughts as well as settings. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Big Bang (TV story)|The Big Bang]]'', ''[[Amy's Choice (TV story)|Amy's Choice]]'', ''[[Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)|Let's Kill Hitler]]'', ''[[Death in Heaven (TV story)|Death in Heaven]]'') The same version could also be activated using the Doctor's voice. ([[TV]]: ''[[Deep Breath (TV story)|Deep Breath]]'')


The different versions of the Doctor's sonic screwdrivers exhibited different capabilities and uses, such as the interception of signals ranging from [[transmat beam]]s {{fact}} to conscious thought; {{fact}} medical diagnostics ([[TV]]: ''[[The Empty Child (TV story)|The Empty Child]]'') and repair of organic parts; ([[TV]]: ''[[The Vampires of Venice (TV story)|The Vampires of Venice]]'') cutting, but also re-attaching materials such as [[barbed wire]]; ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Dances (TV story)|The Doctor Dances]]'') operating Earth machinery such as [[computer]]s ([[TV]]: ''[[School Reunion (TV story)|School Reunion]]'') and even [[cash machine]]s (at regular and high eject speeds); ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride]]'') creating a [[spark]] to light a [[candle]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl in the Fireplace (TV story)|The Girl in the Fireplace]]'') or [[Bunsen burner]]; ([[TV]]: ''[[Evolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Evolution of the Daleks]]'') opening and holding doors with acoustic [[lock]]s; ([[TV]]: ''[[The Rings of Akhaten (TV story)|The Rings of Akhaten]]'') and, on the rare occasion, driving [[screw]]s without touching them. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Games (TV story)|The War Games]]'', ''[[The Ark in Space (TV story)|The Ark in Space]]'', ''[[The Doctor's Wife (TV story)|The Doctor's Wife]]'')
The different versions of the Doctor's sonic screwdrivers exhibited different capabilities and uses, such as medical diagnostics ([[TV]]: ''[[The Empty Child (TV story)|The Empty Child]]'') and repair of organic parts; ([[TV]]: ''[[The Vampires of Venice (TV story)|The Vampires of Venice]]'') cutting, but also re-attaching materials such as [[barbed wire]]; ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Dances (TV story)|The Doctor Dances]]'') operating Earth machinery such as [[computer]]s ([[TV]]: ''[[School Reunion (TV story)|School Reunion]]'') and even [[cash machine]]s (at regular and high eject speeds); ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'') creating a [[spark]] to light a [[candle]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl in the Fireplace (TV story)|The Girl in the Fireplace]]'') or [[Bunsen burner]]; ([[TV]]: ''[[Evolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Evolution of the Daleks]]'') opening and holding doors with acoustic [[lock]]s; ([[TV]]: ''[[The Rings of Akhaten (TV story)|The Rings of Akhaten]]'') and, on the rare occasion, driving [[screw]]s without touching them. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Games (TV story)|The War Games]]'', ''[[The Ark in Space (TV story)|The Ark in Space]]'', ''[[The Doctor's Wife (TV story)|The Doctor's Wife]]'')


Although it was primarily a tool, the sonic screwdriver could also be used as a defensive weapon, able to combine with other [[sonic device]]s to form a shield around a hostile target to either force them back ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'') or slow their advance. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'') The Tenth Doctor put it in a soundboard to destroy the [[Robot Santa]]s by overloading their sensors. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'') The [[Eleventh Doctor]] used it to bounce sound waves off a knife held by [[Melody Pond]], knocking it out of her hand. ([[TV]]: ''[[Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)|Let's Kill Hitler]]'') The sonic screwdriver was also capable of holding off sound waves from creatures who relied on sound in order to attack such as the [[Vigil]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Rings of Akhaten (TV story)|The Rings of Akhaten]]'') The Doctor also used it to try and help River Song defeat a group of [[Silent]]s although River teased him by saying it would be better if he used it to "build a cabinet". However, the Doctor implied that although it couldn't actually hurt the Silents it could weaken the power of their electricity, therefore allowing him to provide River with a certain degree of protection while she shot down their foes. ([[TV]]: ''[[Day of the Moon (TV story)|Day of the Moon]]'') It could also destroy ice creatures when it received the latest update. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
[[River Song]] told the [[Fourth Doctor]] that, though his current screwdriver was mostly just a screwdriver, he would later "go a bit crazy with the optional upgrades". ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Someone I Once Knew (audio story)|Someone I Once Knew]]'')


Although the [[Third Doctor]] used the device to incapacitate [[Space Greyhound]]s by disrupting their brain functions, ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Forgotten (comic story)|The Forgotten]]'') and the [[Eighth Doctor]] once claimed it could destroy a Dalek's brain if held directly against the casing when activated, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[War of the Daleks (novel)|War of the Daleks]]'') according to the Tenth Doctor, the device could not be used to wound, maim or kill living things. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday]]'', ''[[The Doctor's Daughter (TV story)|The Doctor's Daughter]]'') It could destroy non-living objects or mechanisms or place living creatures in circumstances where they might die if the situation required. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'') The [[War Doctor]] claimed that it was a scientific instrument rather than a [[water pistol]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
Although it was primarily a tool, the sonic screwdriver could also be used as a defensive weapon, able to combine with other [[sonic device]]s to form a shield around a hostile target to either force them back ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'') or slow their advance. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'') The Tenth Doctor put it in a soundboard to destroy the [[Robot Santa]]s by overloading their sensors. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'') The [[Eleventh Doctor]] used it to bounce sound waves off a knife held by [[River Song|Melody Pond]], knocking it out of her hand. ([[TV]]: ''[[Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)|Let's Kill Hitler]]'') The sonic screwdriver was also capable of holding off sound waves from creatures who relied on sound in order to attack such as the [[Vigil]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Rings of Akhaten (TV story)|The Rings of Akhaten]]'')


The Twelfth Doctor claimed to have abandoned sonic screwdrivers in favour of wearable technology like his [[sonic sunglasses]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Witch's Familiar (TV story)|The Witch's Familiar]]'', ''[[Under the Lake (TV story)|Under the Lake]]'') However, after briefly returning to [[Gallifrey]], he resumed using them, as his TARDIS fashioned a new one for him as a gift. Furthermore, after the Doctor had lost sight of who he was, [[Clara Oswald]] left him a reminder to "be a Doctor" after leaving his company. As part of his role of being a Doctor was to use a sonic screwdriver, the Doctor accepted the TARDIS's gift ([[TV]]: ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]'') though he would continue to occasionally use the sunglasses as well.
The sonic screwdriver would, in rare occasions, be used as an offensive weapon, firing energy blasts. The Eleventh Doctor used it in this manner to help River Song defeat a group of [[Silent]]s, defeating at least two of them. ([[TV]]: ''[[Day of the Moon (TV story)|Day of the Moon]]'') The Twelfth Doctor used the same model of screwdriver to blast a [[Hyperion (species)|Hyperion]], buying himself and others time to escape from it. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Hyperion Empire (comic story)|The Hyperion Empire]]'') It could also destroy ice creatures when it received the latest update. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')


== The First and Second Doctors' sonic screwdriver ==
The Tenth Doctor claimed that the device could not be used to wound, maim or kill living things. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday]]'', ''[[The Doctor's Daughter (TV story)|The Doctor's Daughter]]'') Despite this, the [[Third Doctor]] used the device to incapacitate [[Space Greyhound]]s by disrupting their brain functions, ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Forgotten (comic story)|The Forgotten]]'') the [[Eighth Doctor]] once claimed it could destroy a Dalek's brain if held directly against the casing when activated, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[War of the Daleks (novel)|War of the Daleks]]'') and the [[Twelfth Doctor]] used [[setting 61]] to knock out a [[Cybernetics|cybernetically]] augmented [[dinosaur]] with a "[[sonic brainstorm]]". ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Spirits of the Jungle (comic story)|Spirits of the Jungle]]'')
A small, simple [[metal]] rod similar to a penlight, [[sonic screwdriver]] was used by the [[First Doctor|First]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Venusian Lullaby (novel)|Venusian Lullaby]]'') and [[Second Doctor|Second]] Doctors. ([[TV]]: ''[[Fury from the Deep (TV story)|Fury from the Deep]]'') It was also used by the [[Eighth Doctor]] after being destroyed "centuries ago", with the Doctor claiming to his [[companion]] [[Samantha Jones]] that this was possible because "It's a [[Time Lord]] [[tool]]. [[Time]] doesn't work the same way for Time Lord tools." ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Alien Bodies (novel)|Alien Bodies]]'')
It could destroy non-living objects or mechanisms or place living creatures in circumstances where they might die if the situation required. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'') The [[War Doctor]] claimed that it was a scientific instrument rather than a [[water pistol]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'') or indeed a [[magic wand]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (novelisation)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')


However, according to one account, the First Doctor did not possess a sonic screwdriver, leaving him confused and somewhat irritated when the [[Twelfth Doctor]] utilised a future model. ([[TV]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (TV story)|Twice Upon a Time]]'') Indeed, an [[The Doctor (Sympathy for the Devil)|alternate Third Doctor]] did not recognise the device. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Emporium At The End (audio story)|The Emporium At The End]]'')
Particularly during the [[Time War]] ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Satanic Mill (audio story)|The Satanic Mill]]'', ''[[The Thousand Worlds (audio story)|The Thousand Worlds]]'', ''[[The Heart of the Battle (audio story)|The Heart of the Battle]]'', ''[[A Thing of Guile (audio story)|A Thing of Guile]]'') and in their thirteenth incarnation, ([[COMIC]]: ''[[A New Beginning (comic story)|A New Beginning]]'', [[TV]]: ''[[The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos (TV story)|The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos]]'') the Doctor was known on occasion to summon [[the TARDIS]] using their sonic screwdriver, though the [[Thirteenth Doctor]] noted that the TARDIS got "prickly" at being summoned too often, as she found it demeaning. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[A New Beginning (comic story)|A New Beginning]]'')


The Eighth Doctor carried a similar model near the end of his life. [[Cylinder|Cylindrical]] and [[silver]], with a [[blue]] emitter diode tip, he used it in a surgical procedure to scan his [[patient]] and to seal [[incision]]s. This model could glow with an "almost [[white]]" [[light]] and emit great [[heat]], be used to sharpen surgical instruments and be turned "on" and "off". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Osskah (short story)|Osskah]]'')
For a time, the Twelfth Doctor abandoned sonic screwdrivers in favour of wearable technology - namely, his [[sonic sunglasses]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Witch's Familiar (TV story)|The Witch's Familiar]]'', ''[[Under the Lake (TV story)|Under the Lake]]'') However, after briefly returning to [[Gallifrey]] and having [[Clara Oswald]] dematerialise with them still inside [[Clara's TARDIS|her TARDIS]], he resumed using screwdrivers, as his TARDIS fashioned a new one for him as a gift. Furthermore, after the Doctor had lost sight of who he was, Clara left him a reminder to "be a Doctor" after leaving his company. As part of his role of being a Doctor was to use a sonic screwdriver, the Doctor accepted the TARDIS's gift ([[TV]]: ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]'') though he would continue to occasionally use the sunglasses as well. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'')


A version of this screwdriver was kept in the [[Twelfth Doctor]]'s [[The Doctor's office (The Pilot)|office]] at [[St Luke's University]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
== The Second Doctors' sonic screwdriver ==
[[File:Second Doctor's sonic in the pot.jpg|thumb|220x220px|The Second Doctor's screwdriver, as seen briefly among other models in The Pilot.]]
{{main|Second Doctor's sonic screwdriver}}
 
The first sonic screwdriver used by the Doctor was invented and used by his [[Second Doctor|second incarnation]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Murder Game (novel)|The Murder Game]]'', [[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Forsaken (audio story)|The Forsaken]]'', [[TV]]: ''[[Fury from the Deep (TV story)|Fury from the Deep]]'') The [[First Doctor]] had on at least one occasion utilised a sonic device of some kind ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Venusian Lullaby (novel)|Venusian Lullaby]]'') but expressed unfamiliarity and disdain at the [[Twelfth Doctor's second sonic screwdriver|Twelfth Doctor's sonic screwdriver]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (TV story)|Twice Upon a Time]]'') The Second Doctor used the screwdriver throughout his life, from at least as early as his travels with the [[Polly Wright|Polly]], [[Ben Jackson|Ben]] and [[Jamie McCrimmon|Jamie]] ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Forsaken (audio story)|The Forsaken]]'') until his enforced work for the [[Celestial Intervention Agency]] near the end of his life. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Wrath of the Ice Warriors (audio story)|Wrath of the Ice Warriors]]'', ''[[Helicon Prime (audio story)|Helicon Prime]]'')
=== Uses ===
* Cracking the [[code]] for an [[aerodynamic shuttle]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Venusian Lullaby (novel)|Venusian Lullaby]]'')
* Opening up hatches, panels and control panels. ([[TV]]: ''[[Fury from the Deep (TV story)|Fury from the Deep]]'', ''[[The War Games (TV story)|The War Games]]'')
* Opening a [[cell]] [[door]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Fear of the Daleks (audio story)|Fear of the Daleks]]'')
* Destroying the [[Dalek crystal]] at the heart of a [[mind projector]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Fear of the Daleks (audio story)|Fear of the Daleks]]'')
* Cutting through a section of a [[wall]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Dominators (TV story)|The Dominators]]'')
* Dismantling a [[Hawker]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Apocalypse Mirror (audio story)|The Apocalypse Mirror]]'')
* As a conventional [[screwdriver]] without physical contact with [[screw]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Games (TV story)|The War Games]]'')
* Overriding the security [[lock]]s on a [[lift]] on [[Helicon Prime]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Helicon Prime (audio story)|Helicon Prime]]'')


== The Third, Fourth and Fifth Doctors' sonic screwdriver ==
== The Third, Fourth and Fifth Doctors' sonic screwdriver ==
[[File:Pertweewithscrewdriver.jpg|thumb|left|The Third Doctor's sonic. ([[TV]]: ''[[Carnival of Monsters (TV story)|Carnival of Monsters]]'')]]
{{Main|Third Doctor's sonic screwdriver}}
The [[Third Doctor]]'s most-used model of the sonic screwdriver was much larger than the one his first and second incarnation used; its elaborately detailed [[silver]] collar featured [[black]] and [[yellow]] stripes and [[red]] trim, and could be pulled down to activate the screwdriver. It had a removable [[burgundy]] emitter head which the Doctor would change with others, each performing a different function. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sea Devils (TV story)|The Sea Devils]]'')
The [[Third Doctor]] used a new model of the sonic screwdriver which would be used throughout the lifetime of the [[Fourth Doctor]]. Early in his life, the [[Fifth Doctor]] made use of it until it was destroyed by the [[Terileptil|Terileptils]], and he did not replace it afterwards. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Visitation (TV story)|The Visitation]]'')
 
On one occasion he removed the head entirely and replaced it with a small, round [[mirror]], which spun rapidly when he tapped its edge with his finger and [[hypnosis|hypnotized]] anyone who looked at it. Accompanied by a yellow [[light]] on the collar of his sonic screwdriver and the Doctor singing a Venusian lullaby, it hypnotized the aggressive [[Aggedor]] into calmness. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Curse of Peladon (TV story)|The Curse of Peladon]]'')
 
The Third Doctor later fitted the head of his sonic screwdriver with a cylindrical black magnet which enabled it to open bolted doors, especially when its polarity was reversed. This refit left the metal mostly unpainted, with a dark red emitter ring. The head of this model could be extended. ([[TV]]: ''[[Frontier in Space (TV story)|Frontier in Space]]'')
 
[[File:Four uses Sonic on drone.jpg|thumb|The Fourth Doctor with the sonic. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sontaran Experiment (TV story)|The Sontaran Experiment]]'')]]
Before this model met its demise, its head was repainted twice after the original coat wore off. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Keeper of Traken]]'', ''[[Castrovalva (TV story)|Castrovalva]]'') It was ultimately destroyed when a [[Terileptil]] leader forced the [[Fifth Doctor]] to drop the screwdriver inside a holding cell, then incinerated it with a laser gun — causing the Doctor to remark "I feel as though you've just killed an old friend." ([[TV]]: ''[[The Visitation (TV story)|The Visitation]]'') The Doctor went without a sonic screwdriver for some time after this model, with [[Nyssa]] lamenting his decision not to replace it. ([[TV]]: ''[[Snakedance (TV story)|Snakedance]]'') The [[Tenth Doctor]] also lightly mocked his past incarnation for going "hands-free" following this incident when their TARDISes accidentally collided. ([[TV]]: ''[[Time Crash (TV story)|Time Crash]]'')
 
This sonic operated at a frequency of 80 [[kilohertz]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Light Fantastic (short story)|Light Fantastic]]'')
 
The Doctor, leaving [[UNIT]], left behind a prototype. UNIT scientists then tried to use reverse-engineering to understand its workings; this went on into the [[21st century]]. Despite them trying to keep it quiet from the Doctor, he was well aware of the project by [[Seventh Doctor|his seventh incarnation]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Persuasion (audio story)|Persuasion]]'')
 
A version of this screwdriver was kept in the [[Twelfth Doctor]]'s [[The Doctor's office (The Pilot)|office]] at [[St Luke's University]]. His companion [[Nardole]] made use of it in a [[War zone (The Pilot)|war zone]] where the [[Dalek]]s and [[Movellan]]s skirmished. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
 
=== Uses ===
* Scanning for alarm systems in [[the Master's TARDIS]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Colony in Space (TV story)|Colony in Space]]'')
* Remote detection and detonation of [[land mine]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sea Devils (TV story)|The Sea Devils]]'')
* Unlocking a holding cell within a [[Sea Devil]] base. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sea Devils (TV story)|The Sea Devils]]'')
* To open an electronic door. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mutants (TV story)|The Mutants]]'')
* Creation of a spark of [[fire]] and igniting [[swamp gas]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Carnival of Monsters (TV story)|Carnival of Monsters]]'')
* Open electronic locks. ([[TV]]: ''[[Carnival of Monsters (TV story)|Carnival of Monsters]]'')
* Curing [[Henry VIII]] of his [[cataract]]s. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Hiccup in Time (short story)|Hiccup in Time]]'')
* Overloading the brains of [[Space Greyhound]]s. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Forgotten (comic story)|The Forgotten]]'')
* Unbolting a door. ([[TV]]: ''[[Frontier in Space (TV story)|Frontier in Space]]'')
* Fusing shut a sliding door. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Daleks (TV story)|Planet of the Daleks]]'')
* Opening a lift door. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Green Death (TV story)|The Green Death]]'')
* Distracting [[giant maggot]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Green Death (TV story)|The Green Death]]'')
* Detecting booby-trapped floor tiles. ([[TV]]: ''[[Death to the Daleks (TV story)|Death to the Daleks]]'')
* Breaking a [[hypnotic]] trance. ([[TV]]: ''[[Death to the Daleks (TV story)|Death to the Daleks]]'')
* As conventional screwdriver, on large, flathead screw. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Monster of Peladon (TV story)|The Monster of Peladon]]'')
* Opening a refinery door. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Monster of Peladon (TV story)|The Monster of Peladon]]'')
* Remotely detonating mines. ([[TV]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'')
* Cutting locks. ([[TV]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'')
* Undoing screws. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark in Space (TV story)|The Ark in Space]]'')
* Repairing wires chewed by the [[Wirrn]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark in Space (TV story)|The Ark in Space]]'')
* Fixing a circle of [[transmat]] refractors. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sontaran Experiment (TV story)|The Sontaran Experiment]]'')
* Breaching a [[force field]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sontaran Experiment (TV story)|The Sontaran Experiment]]'')
* Shutting down [[Styre's robot]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sontaran Experiment (TV story)|The Sontaran Experiment]]'')
* Sabotaging a two-way [[radio]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Genesis of the Daleks (TV story)|Genesis of the Daleks]]'')
* Deactivating an [[energy loop]] opening up [[Sutekh]]'s [[deflection barrier]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Pyramids of Mars (TV story)|Pyramids of Mars]]'')
* Melting plastic vines. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Android Invasion (TV story)|The Android Invasion]]'')
* Shattering the [[Clynex]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Naked Flame (comic story)|The Naked Flame]]'')
* Working on the TARDIS' thermal couplings. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Hand of Fear (TV story)|The Hand of Fear]]'')
* Safe-cracking. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sun Makers (TV story)|The Sun Makers]]'')
* Creating a temporary hole in [[Gallifrey]]'s [[force field]] above the Citadel. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Invasion of Time (TV story)|The Invasion of Time]]'')
* Using the correct sonic frequency to return the [[Fourth Doctor]], [[Ernestina Stott]] and later, [[The Doctor's scarf|his scarf]], to normal size. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Dead Shoes (audio story)|The Dead Shoes]]'')
* Opening doors on [[Ribos]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ribos Operation (TV story)|The Ribos Operation]]'')
* Unlocking multi-levered interlocks to the Ribos crown jewels casket ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ribos Operation (TV story)|The Ribos Operation]]'')
* Opening the door to the real [[Queen]] [[Xanxia]]'s chamber. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pirate Planet (TV story)|The Pirate Planet]]'')
* Freeing [[Romana I]] from her bonds on a [[prison ship]] in [[hyperspace]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Stones of Blood (TV story)|The Stones of Blood]]'')
* Blowing up a [[Dalek]] bomb. ([[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks (TV story)|Destiny of the Daleks]]'')
* Unscrewing the [[Zero Room]]'s hinges and assisting in constructing the [[Zero Cabinet]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Castrovalva (TV story)|Castrovalva]]'')
* Disarming [[fusion bomb]]s by reversing the polarity of the neutron-flow. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Cold Fusion (novel)|Cold Fusion]]'')
* Creating a piercing loud noise to prevent security cameras from picking on the conversation between the Fifth Doctor, [[Adric]], Nyssa, and [[Tegan]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Four to Doomsday (TV story)|Four to Doomsday]]'')
* Opening a door to escape confinement. ([[TV]]: ''[[Four to Doomsday (TV story)|Four to Doomsday]]'')
* Reversing the magnetic field on [[Monopticon]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[Four to Doomsday (TV story)|Four to Doomsday]]'')
* Short-circuiting [[android]]s in conjunction with a [[pencil]], the [[graphite]] acting as a conductive material for the screwdriver's power. ([[TV]]: ''[[Four to Doomsday (TV story)|Four to Doomsday]]'')
* As a component in a [[delta wave augmenter]], to induce sleep. ([[TV]]: ''[[Kinda (TV story)|Kinda]]'')
* Activating various panels in a [[Dalek-Movellan War|Dalek-Movellan]] [[War zone (The Pilot)|war zone]], and sealing off entrances to trap the [[Dalek]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
 
== Used by the Sixth Doctor ==
The [[Sixth Doctor]] once carried an unspecified replacement model for the sonic screwdriver, but had to leave it tied to the side of a video camera in a dungeon cell in order for it to keep the visual feed disabled. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Nightmare Fair (novelisation)|The Nightmare Fair]]'') He later carried another sonic model during his adventures with [[Crystal]], [[Jason (The Ultimate Adventure)|Jason]], and [[Zog (The Ultimate Adventure)|Zog]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Ultimate Adventure (audio story)|The Ultimate Adventure]]'')


=== Uses ===
== Used by the Sixth Doctor ==
* Disabling a video camera indefinitely. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Nightmare Fair (novelisation)|The Nightmare Fair]]'')
{{Main|Sixth Doctor's sonic screwdriver}}
* Closing and sealing Dalek doors. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Ultimate Adventure (audio story)|The Ultimate Adventure]]'')
While going "hands free" for most of his life, the [[Sixth Doctor]] occasionally carried a replacement sonic screwdriver. ([[PROSE]]: [[The Nightmare Fair (novelisation)|''The Nightmare Fair'']], [[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Ultimate Adventure (audio story)|The Ultimate Adventure]]'')
* Repairing the [[TARDIS control console]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Ultimate Adventure (audio story)|The Ultimate Adventure]]'')
* The Doctor attempted to use it to free [[Envoy (The Ultimate Adventure)|the American Envoy]] from the Dalek [[laser wall]], but this failed. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Ultimate Adventure (audio story)|The Ultimate Adventure]]'')


== The Seventh and Eighth Doctors' sonic screwdriver ==
== The Seventh and Eighth Doctors' sonic screwdriver ==
{{Section stub|As per [[Thread:133842]], there is a sonic in the Doctor's possession by the time of his travels with Benny in the NAs. Info needs to be added from these sources, as well as numerous Big Finish audio dramas.}}
{{Main|Seventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver}}
[[File:ChangLooksThroughSonic.jpg|thumb|[[Chang Lee]] discovers the sonic screwdriver amongst the things he stole from the [[Seventh Doctor]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]]'')]]
Both the [[Seventh Doctor|Seventh]] and [[Eighth Doctor]] carried the "Mark 5" sonic screwdriver. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]],'' [[PROSE]]: ''[[Alien Bodies (novel)|Alien Bodies]]'') The Seventh Doctor was seen using this screwdriver by the latter part of his life, although it's exact origin depended on the source, and remained in the Eighth Doctor's use throughout his life, although he would replace it with a different model until the Last Great Time War.  
The [[Seventh Doctor]] acquired a sonic screwdriver at an unspecified point of his life. Many contradictory accounts existed, including one which claimed he had acquired it at some point before meeting  [[Bernice Summerfield]], ([[AUDIO]]:  ''[[Love and War (audio story)|Love and War]]'') and another, which claimed he acquired it from himself on [[Silurian Earth|a parallel Earth]] where the species [[Silurian|Homo Reptilicus]] had conquered the Earth and killed [[Third Doctor|his third incarnation]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Blood Heat (novel)|Blood Heat]]'', ''[[First Frontier (novel)|First Frontier]]'') The Doctor himself claimed that he had only recently built one shortly before re-encountering {{Champion}}, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[No Future (novel)|No Future]]'') and that he received it as compensation after suing the Terileptils for [[criminal]] damage. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[GodEngine (novel)|GodEngine]]'') The [[Eighth Doctor]] claimed that this screwdriver was a spare model that had "rolled under the TARDIS console and remained there" until the Seventh Doctor found it. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Frontier Worlds (novel)|Frontier Worlds]]'')
 
This model, identified as the "Mark 5" by the [[Eighth Doctor]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Alien Bodies (novel)|Alien Bodies]]'') looked similar to the screwdriver used up until his fifth incarnation: it was silver with a brass trim ring in the lower grip and a handle that resembled that of the previous sonic screwdrivers', now with a flat base. Its upper section was able to undergo telescopic collapse for ease of carrying, and, at its top, it held an emitter with a silver ring and a red bullet-shaped crystal at its centre. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]]'') Once, while suffering from amnesia, the Doctor was able to operate this sonic screwdriver on instinct. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[EarthWorld (novel)|EarthWorld]]'') This version remained in the Eighth Doctor's use throughout his life, up until its destruction at the hands of a [[Cyber-Leader (The Flood)|Cyber-Leader]] on Earth. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Flood (comic story)|The Flood]]'')
 
The Eighth Doctor had resumed using this model by the end of his life during the [[Last Great Time War]]. It was the second and final model the Doctor used thus far that bore an emitter-ring head. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Night of the Doctor (TV story)|The Night of the Doctor]]'') The Eighth Doctor's other choice of a diode-tipped model would become the standard for his later incarnations. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'', ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'', ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'', ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'', ''[[Deep Breath (TV story)|Deep Breath]]'')
 
The Eighth Doctor once commented that he felt undressed without his sonic screwdriver. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Sontaran Ordeal (audio story)|The Sontaran Ordeal]]'')


A version of this screwdriver was kept in the [[Twelfth Doctor]]'s [[The Doctor's office (The Pilot)|office]] at [[St Luke's University]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
== Replacement on Ha'olam ==
During his imprisonment by [[INC]] on [[Ha'olam]], the Eighth Doctor's sonic screwdriver was confiscated. After his escape, he briefly used a replacement screwdriver resembling a slender metal rod with a crystal at its tip. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Seeing I (novel)|Seeing I]]'')


=== Uses ===
=== Uses ===
* Opening the security gate to the [[Crook Marsham]] [[radio telescope]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Nightshade (audio story)|Nightshade]]'')
This screwdriver was used by the Doctor for making [[milkshake]]s and [[hacking]] into the [[Ubernet]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Seeing I (novel)|Seeing I]]'')
* Scanning Crook Marsham's Palaeolithic quarry. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Nightshade (audio story)|Nightshade]]'')
* Scanning energy from [[The Sentience (Nightshade)|the Sentience]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Nightshade (audio story)|Nightshade]]'')
* Hacking into [[System]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Harvest (audio story)|The Harvest]]'')
* Melting ice. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Magic Mousetrap (audio story)|The Magic Mousetrap]]'')
* Attempting to break out of a cell on board the [[Daedalus]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Dead to the World (audio story)|Dead to the World]]'')
* Breaking into [[Jal Brant|Major Brant]]'s [[library]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Excelis Decays (audio story)|Excelis Decays]]'')
* Opening a service duct for [[Artaris]]' old [[Imperial Museum]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Excelis Decays (audio story)|Excelis Decays]]'')
* Locking the casket containing [[the Master]]'s remains. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]]'')
* Performing maintenance on new parts in the TARDIS console. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]]'')
* Opening the organic locks used by the [[Zygon]]s. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Bodysnatchers (novel)|The Bodysnatchers]]'')
* Destroying a [[Red Dalek]]'s brain (when placed directly against the Dalek's casing around its head). ([[PROSE]]: ''[[War of the Daleks (novel)|War of the Daleks]]'')
* Causing [[Gunstick|Dalek weapons]] to detonate. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Legacy of the Daleks (novel)|Legacy of the Daleks]]'')
* Repelling [[ghost]]s. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Vanderdeken's Children (novel)|Vanderdeken's Children]]'')
* Opening a door in a [[force field]] large enough for the Doctor and his companions to travel through. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[EarthWorld (novel)|EarthWorld]]'')
* Opening the chest of the mobile [[nuclear weapon]] [[Fatboy (Eater of Wasps)|Fatboy]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Eater of Wasps (novel)|Eater of Wasps]]'')
* Decapitating the [[King of Beasts]], leader of the [[Babewyn]], through the symbolic power of the screwdriver over the King. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Adventuress of Henrietta Street (novel)|The Adventuress of Henrietta Street]]'')
* Locking a bank vault from the inside. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Trading Futures (novel)|Trading Futures]]'')
* Temporarily disabling an [[electron bomb]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Tomorrow Windows (novel)|The Tomorrow Windows]]'')
* Subduing hostile dogs. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Deadstone Memorial (novel)|The Deadstone Memorial]]'')
* Disrupting the control signal for floating magnetic discs. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[To the Slaughter (novel)|To the Slaughter]]'')
* Turning [[Cyberman (Mondas)|Cybermen]] against each other. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Flood (comic story)|The Flood]]'')
* Holding back those infected by [[the Void]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Lost Dimension (comic story)|The Lost Dimension]]'')
* Opening a bulk head door on a crashing spaceship. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Night of the Doctor (TV story)|The Night of the Doctor]]'')
* Scanning for life signs. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Night of the Doctor (TV story)|The Night of the Doctor]]'')
 
== Replacement on Ha'olam ==
During his imprisonment by [[INC]] on [[Ha'olam]], the Doctor's sonic screwdriver was confiscated. After his escape, he briefly used a replacement screwdriver resembling a slender metal rod with a crystal at its tip. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Seeing I (novel)|Seeing I]]'')
 
=== Uses ===
* Making [[milkshake]]s. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Seeing I (novel)|Seeing I]]'')
* Hacking into the [[Ubernet]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Seeing I (novel)|Seeing I]]'')


== The Eighth Doctor's second screwdriver ==
== The Eighth Doctor's second screwdriver ==
[[File:Dark Eyes sonic.jpg|thumb|The Eighth Doctor's second screwdriver. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Pictures of Josephine Day (comic story)|The Pictures of Josephine Day]]'')]]
{{Main|Eighth Doctor's second sonic screwdriver}}
Later in his eighth incarnation, the Doctor carried a sonic screwdriver with a wooden handle. It had a metallic tip with six prongs that nested a clear diode at the end, which glowed blue when activated. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Great War (audio story)|The Great War]]'') Its handle doubled as a torch. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Sword of Orion (audio story)|Sword of Orion]]'') The Doctor claimed that he made this version of the sonic screwdriver to do more than open doors and blow up land mines. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[X and the Daleks (audio story)|X and the Daleks]]'') He later made further modifications to the screwdriver. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Beachhead (audio story)|Beachhead]]'')
Later in his eighth incarnation, the Doctor carried a more advanced sonic screwdriver with a wooden handle. It had a metallic tip with six prongs that nested a clear diode at the end, which glowed blue when activated. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Great War (audio story)|The Great War]]'') The Doctor claimed that he made this version of the sonic screwdriver to do more than open doors and blow up land mines. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[X and the Daleks (audio story)|X and the Daleks]]'') He was seen using it as early as his travels with Charley Pollard, up until the early part of the [[Last Great Time War]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Natural Regression (short story)|Natural Regression]]'')  
 
It was referred to as a [[pennywhistle]] by numerous [[World War I]] medics. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Great War (audio story)|The Great War]]'') The Doctor possessed it as early on as his travels with Charley Pollard, ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]'') and was still using it in the early part of the [[Last Great Time War]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Natural Regression (short story)|Natural Regression]]'') He had returned to using his original model by the end of his life. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Night of the Doctor (TV story)|The Night of the Doctor]]'')
 
=== Uses ===
* To locate the TARDIS, but instead opening a [[Vess]] forcefield. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]'')
* To hack into the reality orientation controls in a Vess weapons factory. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]'')
* Breaking the security lockdown in a Vess facility with the help of the Fourth Doctor's sonic screwdriver. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]'')
* Touching with the Fourth Doctor's sonic screwdriver to release enough temporal energy to force the door to the TARDIS to open. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]'')
* Disorienting a [[ROSM|Rescue Operational Security Module]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Embrace the Darkness (audio story)|Embrace the Darkness]]'')
* Raising the bulkheads between [[Romana II]] and the Matrix chamber. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Neverland (audio story)|Neverland]]'')
* Jamming motion-sensitive sensors long enough for the Doctor and his companions to get to safety. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Scaredy Cat (audio story)|Scaredy Cat]]'')
* Locking the TARDIS [[console room]] away from the rest of the ship until it could repair itself during a [[Hellion]] attack. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Absolution (BFA audio story)|Absolution]]'')
* Tracking residual energy traces. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Girl Who Never Was (audio story)|The Girl Who Never Was]]'')
* Reactivating a long-dormant [[telegraph]] machine. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Girl Who Never Was (audio story)|The Girl Who Never Was]]'')
* Oscillating the atoms of [[wickerwork]] to weaken the structure. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Dead London (audio story)|Dead London]]'')
* Vibrating [[Molluscari]] from their shells by duplicating the precise frequency necessary. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Orbis (audio story)|Orbis]]'')
* Weakening a stone wall by weakening the molecular bonds between atoms. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Book of Kells (audio story)|The Book of Kells]]'')
* Fixing a train track. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Great War (audio story)|The Great War]]'')
* To locate the TARDIS. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Fugitives (audio story)|Fugitives]]'')
* Trying to shatter the walls of a prison. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Tangled Web (audio story)|Tangled Web]]'')
* Detecting a temporal intrusion. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[X and the Daleks (audio story)|X and the Daleks]]'')
* Being activated by [[Herbert Goring]], allowing the Doctor to track the screwdriver with the TARDIS. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The White Room (audio story)|The White Room]]'')
* Breaking into the [[Ides Scientific Institute]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Eyes of the Master (audio story)|Eyes of the Master]]'')
* Unlocking a freezer door slowly from the inside. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Eyes of the Master (audio story)|Eyes of the Master]]'')
* Settings twelve and twenty could override security on a Ramossan spaceport. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Reviled (audio story)|The Reviled]]'')
* Cancelling an alarm. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Masterplan (audio story)|Masterplan]]'')
* Tampering with a spaceship computer. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Masterplan (audio story)|Masterplan]]'')
* Unlocking handcuffs. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Monster of Montmartre (audio story)|The Monster of Montmartre]]'')
* Attempting to unscrew Gallifreyan bolts. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Eleven (audio story)|The Eleven]]'')
* Access information from a terminal. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Satanic Mill (audio story)|The Satanic Mill]]'')
* To send the TARDIS to the Doctor's location. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Satanic Mill (audio story)|The Satanic Mill]]'')
* To detect energy emissions. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Beachhead (audio story)|Beachhead]]'')
* To detect tremors caused by [[the Gift]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Sonomancer (audio story)|The Sonomancer]]'')
* To hack into a lock with three million possible combinations. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Sonomancer (audio story)|The Sonomancer]]'')
* To access a Gallifreyan computer. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Crucible of Souls (audio story)|The Crucible of Souls]]'')
* To open a door. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[How to Make a Killing in Time Travel (audio story)|How to Make a Killing in Time Travel]]'')
* To scan for [[animae particle]]s. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Pictures of Josephine Day (comic story)|The Pictures of Josephine Day]]'')
* To use a satellite dish to communicate with the [[Spherion]]s. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Music of the Spherions (comic story)|Music of the Spherions]]'')
* Opening the back door to a theatre in [[Edinburgh]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Silvering (comic story)|The Silvering]]'')
* Unlocking a cell door. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Silvering (comic story)|The Silvering]]'')
* Destroying the Silversmith's mirrors. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Silvering (comic story)|The Silvering]]'')
* As a torch. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Briarwood (comic story)|Briarwood]]'')
* To escape a cell on board a [[Bakri resurrection barge]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[A Matter of Life and Death (comic story)|A Matter of Life and Death]]'')
* Scanning an [[Omsonii]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Time Ball (comic story)|The Time Ball]]'')
* As a torch when the Doctor visited [[Rontan 9]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Natural Regression (short story)|Natural Regression]]'')
* Fusing the lock of a metal door. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Natural Regression (short story)|Natural Regression]]'')


== The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver ==
== The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver ==
[[File:War Doctor sonic.jpg|thumb|The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')]]
{{Main|War Doctor's sonic screwdriver}}
During his battles in the [[Last Great Time War]], ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Clockwise War (comic story)|The Clockwise War]]'') the [[War Doctor]] used a sonic screwdriver with a simple metallic handle and a red-light-emitting diode at the end. It appeared to be a further upgraded version of the Eighth Doctor's first sonic screwdriver, which he kept strapped in a bandoleer on his chest. It shared the same casing type as the screwdriver used by the Fourth Doctor, but had an extending diode head instead of an emitter head, and an additional piece added to the end of the handle that looked like a small red cap. In this way, much like the Doctor who used it and his TARDIS control room (which, also like the sonic, was primarily of a silver colour scheme, with red highlights), this sonic combined visual elements of both the classic and revived eras of the show, as its casing was more or less shared by all of the classic sonics, and having a light-emitting diode emitter and a kind of pommel at the end of the handle are characteristic of the revived sonics. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
During his battles in the [[Last Great Time War]], the [[War Doctor]] used a sonic screwdriver with a simple metallic handle and a red light-emitting diode at the end. It appeared to be a further upgraded version of the Eighth Doctor's first sonic screwdriver, which he kept strapped in a bandoleer on his chest. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'') After the end of the Last Great Time War, the [[Ninth Doctor]] kept this model until it was destroyed early in his life. ([[AUDIO]]: [[The Bleeding Heart (audio story)|''The Bleeding Heart'']])
 
After regenerating at the end of the Last Great Time War, the Doctor kept this model with him during the early adventures of his ninth incarnation. This version was destroyed when the Doctor rigged it to explode in order to seal a rift in interstital space. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Bleeding Heart (audio story)|The Bleeding Heart]]'')
 
=== Uses ===
* Summoning the TARDIS to materialise around him. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Thousand Worlds (audio story)|The Thousand Worlds]]'')
* Summoning the TARDIS to materialise nearby. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Heart of the Battle (audio story)|The Heart of the Battle]]'', ''[[A Thing of Guile (audio story)|A Thing of Guile]]'')
* Dismantling an [[Interstitial]]'s [[possibility engine]] by removing its bolts. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Engines of War (novel)|Engines of War]]'')
* Receiving homing signals from the TARDIS in the TARDIS Undercroft below the Citadel. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Engines of War (novel)|Engines of War]]'')
* Implanting a permanent subroutine within the architecture of the sonic screwdriver's software that would begin the centuries-long calculation to disintegrate a door. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
* Activating the memory-erasing device in the [[Black Archive]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
* Creating a force field with two other screwdrivers to force back and destroy an attacking Time War Dalek. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
* Continuing a calculation to move Gallifrey into a pocket universe. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
* Scanning a corpse. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Bleeding Heart (audio story)|The Bleeding Heart]]'')
* Wiping security footage. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Bleeding Heart (audio story)|The Bleeding Heart]]'')


== The Ninth and Tenth Doctors' sonic screwdriver ==
== The Ninth and Tenth Doctors' sonic screwdriver ==
[[File:Ninth Doctor Good with Teleports.jpg|thumb|The Ninth Doctor's sonic screwdriver. ([[TV]]: ''[[Boom Town (TV story)|Boom Town]]'')]]
{{Main|Ninth Doctor's sonic screwdriver}}
After the destruction of his last model, the [[Ninth Doctor]] built himself a new sonic screwdriver. This one had a creamy light grey handle with a "cracked-porcelain" texture matching elements on his TARDIS console and rings around the roundels on the control room walls, silver metal at both the bottom of the handle and the top, and was capped off with a black pommel. Its emitter was blue and sat atop a silver metal section attached to a transparent tube containing black and red wires twisted around each other in the centre that was hidden inside the handle until extended by the slider on the side. The Doctor used this model far more frequently than his previous incarnations had done before. ([[TV]]: ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'', et al.) The [[Tenth Doctor]] also used this model, as he liked tinkering with technology to make devices he needed.
The Ninth and Tenth Doctor's used a new model of sonic screwdriver with a blue emitter, which was used far more frequently than his previous incarnations. ([[TV]]: ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'', et al.) The Eleventh Doctor inadvertently burned it out shortly after his regeneration. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')  
 
[[File:Human Nature Universal Remote Sonic.JPG|thumb|left|A replacement sonic used by the Tenth Doctor after overloading the former model. ([[TV]]: ''[[Human Nature (TV story)|Human Nature]]'')]]
This version was burnt out by accident after the Tenth Doctor used it to modify an [[X-ray]] output to over 5000%, however, and he replaced it with a similar one with a flatter slider, two yellow wires in the tube instead of the black and red ones, and a greyer handle, ([[TV]]: ''[[Smith and Jones (TV story)|Smith and Jones]]'') though it reverted to its cream handle during his time with Queen Elizabeth ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'') and appeared to have a blue handle following his regeneration. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'') The model underwent several changes in shape{{fact}} and colouration, some inadvertent. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Laundro-Room of Doom (comic story)|Laundro-Room of Doom]]'') This version of the sonic screwdriver was also the first to be shown to have a direct connection to the Doctor's TARDIS ([[TV]]: ''[[Aliens of London (TV story)|Aliens of London]]'') and could be used to override its functions. ([[TV]]: ''[[Utopia (TV story)|Utopia]]'') The Tenth Doctor had this screwdriver on his person during his [[regeneration]], but it was damaged repeatedly afterwards, leading to many malfunctions. Despite the damage, the [[Eleventh Doctor]] used it to overload technology in an attempt to alert the Atraxi to Prisoner Zero's location. This fried it into useless, charred metal, much to his growing annoyance and anger. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')
 
Multiple versions of these screwdrivers were kept in the [[Twelfth Doctor]]'s [[The Doctor's office (The Pilot)|office]] at [[St Luke's University]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
 
=== Uses ===
==== Security ====
* Opening a door. ([[TV]]: ''[[Aliens of London (TV story)|Aliens of London]]'')
* Freeing the Ninth Doctor from his manacles. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Long Game (TV story)|The Long Game]]'')
* Unlocking handcuffs. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Dances (TV story)|The Doctor Dances]]'', ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'', ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')
* Locking and unlocking a hatch in Cybus Industries ([[TV]]: ''[[The Age of Steel (TV story)|The Age of Steel]]'')
* Unlocking a taxi door and window. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')
* Hacking into the [[H.C. Clements]] website. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')
* Bypassing the key needed to access the secret basement in H.C. Clements. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')
* Opening air-tight seals. ([[TV]]: ''[[Gridlock (TV story)|Gridlock]]'')
* Unsuccessfully activating emergency by-pass switches. ([[TV]]: ''[[Gridlock (TV story)|Gridlock]]'')
* Bypassing and turning off security systems. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lazarus Experiment (TV story)|The Lazarus Experiment]]'')
* Disabling [[security orb]]s. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Wrath of the Warrior (comic story)|Wrath of the Warrior]]'')
* Trying unsuccessfully to hack into New New York's police communications to call for help. ([[TV]]: ''[[Gridlock (TV story)|Gridlock]]'')
* Destroying a security camera. ([[TV]]: ''[[Bad Wolf (TV story)|Bad Wolf]]'', ''[[The Sound of Drums (TV story)|The Sound of Drums]]'')
* Opening and closing the Titanic's doors. ([[TV]]: ''[[Voyage of the Damned (TV story)|Voyage of the Damned]]'')
* Disabling emergency exit alarms and locks, but causing sparks as a result. ([[TV]]: ''[[Partners in Crime (TV story)|Partners in Crime]]'')
* Controlling a cable cart; also locking it in a "sonic cage" to prevent anything but another sonic device from controlling it. ([[TV]]: ''[[Partners in Crime (TV story)|Partners in Crime]]'')
* Breaking into a silo on the [[Ood-Sphere]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Ood (TV story)|Planet of the Ood]]'')
* Fusing a lock shut, forcing it to be broken down. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Ood (TV story)|Planet of the Ood]]'')
* Temporarily turning off lethal security beams. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor's Daughter (TV story)|The Doctor's Daughter]]'')
* Opening the casing of a cleaning robot. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Carnage Zoo (comic story)|Carnage Zoo]]'')
* Opening bus doors. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'')
* Accessing [[Bowie Base One]]'s records on the [[Flood]] infection. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Waters of Mars (TV story)|The Waters of Mars]]'')
* Unlocking the door to [[Adelaide Brooke]]'s house. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Waters of Mars (TV story)|The Waters of Mars]]'')
* Switching the ''[[Hesperus (spacecraft)|Hesperus]]''{{'}} power off. ([[TV]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
* Locking [[Prisoner Zero]] in the room it was hiding in. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')
 
==== Medical ====
* Acting as a medical scanner and diagnostic tool. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Empty Child (TV story)|The Empty Child]]'')
* Dislodging and reinserting [[Tooth|teeth]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Lodger (comic story)|The Lodger]]'')
* Partially reversing the [[Abzorbaloff]]'s absorption of [[Ursula Blake]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Love & Monsters (TV story)|Love & Monsters]]'')
* Confusing the [[Antibody|antibodies]] of a living [[planet]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Lonely Planet (comic story)|Lonely Planet]]'')
* Building a DNA scanning device. ([[TV]]: ''[[Daleks in Manhattan (TV story)|Daleks in Manhattan]]'')
* Scanning for fluctuating DNA, specifically that of Professor [[Lazarus]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lazarus Experiment (TV story)|The Lazarus Experiment]]'')
 
==== Diagnostic ====
* Detecting and stopping [[Telepathy|telepathic]] signals. ([[TV]]: ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'')
* Scanning a life form for information, specifically [[Donna Noble]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')
* Scanning the Eleventh Doctor to confirm his identity as a future incarnation ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Four Doctors]]'')
* Detecting heated [[water]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Halls of Sacrifice (comic story)|The Halls of Sacrifice]]'')
* Scanning shadows for the presence of [[Vashta Nerada]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Silence in the Library (TV story)|Silence in the Library]]''/''[[Forest of the Dead (TV story)|Forest of the Dead]]'')
* Checking [[Crusader 50]]'s control console for faults. ([[TV]]: ''[[Midnight (TV story)|Midnight]]'')
* Scanning for [[Infostamp]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Next Doctor (TV story)|The Next Doctor]]'')
* Scanning the [[Eleventh Doctor]] to identify if he was an imposter. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Four Doctors (comic story)|Four Doctors]]'')
* Tracing [[distress signal]]s. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Ghost Factory]]'')
* Scanning slime. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Doomsilk]]'')
* Scanning the [[President of Earth (Return of the Klytode)|President of Earth]] for [[alien]] influence. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Return of the Klytode]]'')
* Detecting and illuminating [[ultraviolet]] characters. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Game of Death]]'')
* Detecting the arrival of [[spacecraft]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Pictures of Emptiness]]'')
* Picking up traces of [[Psychic energy|psychic spoor]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Mortal Beloved (comic story)|Mortal Beloved]]'')
* Detecting time traces. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (TV story)|The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith]]'')
* Detecting the progress of the War Doctor's calculation in his iteration of the sonic screwdriver. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
* Scanning a crack in Amelia Pond's wall. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')
 
==== Technology ====
* Destroying the controls of a [[lift]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'')
* Establishing an interface with a [[computer]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The End of the World (TV story)|The End of the World]]'')
* Controlling a lift. ([[TV]]: ''[[World War Three (TV story)|World War Three]]'')
* Causing [[rain]] via [[atmospheric excitation]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Death to the Doctor! (comic story)|Death to the Doctor!]]'')
* Obtaining money from a cash machine. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Long Game (TV story)|The Long Game]]'')
* Opening a panel to [[Satellite Five]]'s mainframe. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Long Game (TV story)|The Long Game]]'')
* Obtaining access to Satellite Five's core computer. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Long Game (TV story)|The Long Game]]'')
* Charging from a battery. ([[TV]]: ''[[Father's Day (TV story)|Father's Day]]'')
* Reversing teleport devices. ([[TV]]: ''[[Boom Town (TV story)|Boom Town]]'')
* Destroying a television camera. ([[TV]]: ''[[Bad Wolf (TV story)|Bad Wolf]]'')
* Dematerialising the TARDIS and initialising TARDIS processes from outside the craft. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Parting of the Ways]]'')
* Blowing up [[Roboform Christmas tree|a remote control Christmas tree]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'')
* Re-establishing the time window's connection to a space ship in the future. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl in the Fireplace (TV story)|The Girl in the Fireplace]]'')
* De-activating [[Scribble creature|a living graphite scribble]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Fear Her (TV story)|Fear Her]]'')
* Reversing an [[anti-gravity]] [[umbrella]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Smart Bombs (comic story)|Smart Bombs]]'')
* Detonating an explosive device. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday]]'')
* Calling immediately a number in a phone box without the need of pressing number buttons. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')
* Getting money from a cash machine, at both regular and extra-high rates of ejection. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')
* Detonating the head of a [[roboform]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')
* Searching a phone for an app or a feature. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')
* Scanning through hospital records, specifically to find any patient suffering from strange symptoms (an alien in disguise). ([[TV]]: ''[[Smith and Jones (TV story)|Smith and Jones]]'')
* Partially activating ventilation air ducts. ([[TV]]: ''[[Gridlock (TV story)|Gridlock]]'')
* Sending out a signal to tell the Daleks where he was. ([[TV]]: ''[[Evolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Evolution of the Daleks]]'')
* Reversing the polarity of Lazarus' machine, sending an energy pulse out to knock Lazarus unconscious and revert him to human form. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lazarus Experiment (TV story)|The Lazarus Experiment]]'')
* Disabling robotic flies. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Exhausting Evil (comic story)|Exhausting Evil]]'')
* Modifying hearing aids. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Screaming Prison (comic story)|The Screaming Prison]]'')
* Reversing [[Teleportation|teleport feeds]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Warriors' Revenge (comic story)|Warriors' Revenge]]'')
* Giving [[mobile phone]]s [[Superphone|the ability to call across time and space]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[42 (TV story)|42]]'', ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'', ''[[The Doctor's Daughter (TV story)|The Doctor's Daughter]]'')
* Completing the propulsion system for the ship destined for [[Utopia (Utopia)|Utopia]] ([[TV]]: ''[[Utopia (TV story)|Utopia]]'')
* Fusing the TARDIS' navigational coordinates, allowing only travel between its current position and the previous one. The fusion was imperfect; at least 18 months before or after take-off were allowed as destinations. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sound of Drums (TV story)|The Sound of Drums]]'')
* Fixing and upgrading [[Jack Harkness' vortex manipulator]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sound of Drums (TV story)|The Sound of Drums]]'')
* Rewiring a television/portrait to show ship's systems. ([[TV]]: ''[[Voyage of the Damned (TV story)|Voyage of the Damned]]'')
* Looping temporal energy of a [[fraxis pod]] back into a [[zygma drive]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Blooms of Doom! (comic story)|Blooms of Doom!]]'')
* Shattering robot assassins. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[A Suitable Showdown (comic story)|A Suitable Showdown]]'')
* Disabling a [[Sontaran]] teleport. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem (TV story)|The Sontaran Stratagem]]'')
* Unsuccessfully trying to bypass the Sontarans' control of the [[ATMOS]], forcing the Doctor to use reverse-psychology with the machine to avoid drowning. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem (TV story)|The Sontaran Stratagem]]'')
* Changing the destination of a Sontaran teleport. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Poison Sky (TV story)|The Poison Sky]]'')
* Opening a broadcast channel on a Sontaran ship in order to communicate ([[TV]]: ''[[The Poison Sky (TV story)|The Poison Sky]]'')
* Changing the "channel" on a broadcast when the [[Sontaran]]s began chanting. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Poison Sky (TV story)|The Poison Sky]]'')
* Building a terraforming device to ignite the poisonous clouds. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Poison Sky (TV story)|The Poison Sky]]'')
* Accessing hidden areas on a holographic map. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor's Daughter (TV story)|The Doctor's Daughter]]'')
* Unintentionally showing a hologram of [[Donna Noble]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Forest of the Dead (TV story)|Forest of the Dead]]'')
* Tinting a helmet visor and increasing the mesh density of a spacesuit. ([[TV]]: ''[[Forest of the Dead (TV story)|Forest of the Dead]]'')
* Disabling the [[Crusader 50]]'s entertainment system. ([[TV]]: ''[[Midnight (TV story)|Midnight]]'')
* Modifying a [[gravity converter]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Skydive! (comic story)|Skydive!]]'')
* Disabling a [[Cyrronak robot]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Highway Robbery (comic story)|Highway Robbery]]'')
* Cancelling out a [[phonic blast]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[We Will Rock You (comic story)|We Will Rock You]]'')
* Repairing an overloading distribution box. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Graves of Mordane (novel)|The Graves of Mordane]]'')
* Downloading a journal. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Colour of Darkness (novel)|The Colour of Darkness]]'')
* Remotely controlling environmental controls. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Game of Death (novel)|The Game of Death]]'')
* Overriding [[Gadget]]'s controller and increasing the robot's speed to the point where it left trails of flames behind. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Waters of Mars (TV story)|The Waters of Mars]]'')
* Activating the memory-erasing device in the [[Black Archive]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
* Disabling a [[shimmer]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
* Helping repair the ''[[Hesperus (spacecraft)|Hesperus]]''. ([[TV]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
* Remotely controlling the TARDIS to change its course, saving the Doctor and his vessel the fate of colliding into [[Big Ben]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')
* Opening a "[[Time field|crack in space-time]]". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')
* Switching a radio between several international channels to determine that the Atraxi were broadcasting their warning for Prisoner Zero to surrender or be destroyed along with the "human residence" to the entire Earth. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')
* Trying to set off multiple technological resources on Earth to draw the attention of the Atraxi; however, due to the damage it had sustained from Prisoner Zero and continued abuse, this action overtaxed the screwdriver and caused its components to fail, which ultimately led to it burning up and exploding with a large burst of sparks. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')
 
==== Amplification ====
* Setting up a [[resonation pattern]] in [[concrete]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Dances (TV story)|The Doctor Dances]]'')
* Destroying the Robot Santas with sound (used in conjunction with a professional sound system). ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')
* Increasing the radiation output of a device such as an [[x-ray]] scanner; this action burned out the screwdriver. ([[TV]]: ''[[Smith and Jones (TV story)|Smith and Jones]]'')
* Producing hypersonic sound waves which led to the death of the mutated [[Richard Lazarus]], in conjunction with a pipe organ. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lazarus Experiment (TV story)|The Lazarus Experiment]]'')
* Used with [[Miss Foster]]'s [[sonic pen]] to create an ultra-high frequency. ([[TV]]: ''[[Partners in Crime (TV story)|Partners in Crime]]'')
 
==== Utility ====
* Corroding thin metal (e.g. [[barbed wire]]) so that it crumbled into rust. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Dances (TV story)|The Doctor Dances]]'')
* Re-connecting barbed wire. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Dances (TV story)|The Doctor Dances]]'')
* Igniting [[swamp gas]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Hunt of Doom]]'')
* Stopping the emergence of [[Mirrorling]]s from mirrors. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Mirror Image]]'')
* Lighting a candle. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl in the Fireplace (TV story)|The Girl in the Fireplace]]'')
* Cutting rope. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Age of Steel (TV story)|The Age of Steel]]'')
* Illuminating [[Rose Tyler]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Warfreekz!]]'')
* Partially cracking glass so it could be smashed with the tiniest press of a finger. ([[TV]]: ''[[Army of Ghosts (TV story)|Army of Ghosts]]'')
* Cutting a spider web. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')
* Overloading [[Cyberman (Pete's World)|Cybermen]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Power of the Cybermen]]'')
* Crashing an [[aircar]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Time of the Cybermen]]'')
* Trying to strip off pieces of [[Dalekanium]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Evolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Evolution of the Daleks]]'')
* Lighting a Bunsen burner from a distance. ([[TV]]: ''[[Evolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Evolution of the Daleks]]'')
* Melting hardened asphalt into heated [[tarmac]], and reversing the process, so as to catch animals in a road. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Last Dodo]]'')
* Sinking a ship. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Second Wave (comic story)|Second Wave]]'')
* Resonating a floor to destroy it, via crystal gems. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Operation Lock-up]]'')
* Melting [[chocolate]] by increasing the resonance frequency of a torch. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Crimes and Punishment]]'')
* As a soldering iron to make [[perception filter]]s using [[TARDIS key]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sound of Drums (TV story)|The Sound of Drums]]'')
* Uncorking a champagne bottle. ([[TV]]: ''[[Voyage of the Damned (TV story)|Voyage of the Damned]]'')
* Knocking over stone tablets. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Fires of Pompeii (TV story)|The Fires of Pompeii]]'')
* Cutting rope holding Donna to a sacrificial altar. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Fires of Pompeii (TV story)|The Fires of Pompeii]]'')
* Putting [[horseshoe]]s onto [[horse]]s. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Death and the Queen (audio story)|Death and the Queen]]'')
* Creating a [[stasis beam]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[School of the Dead]]'')
* Teleporting a [[Graske]] to the other side of the universe. ([[TV]]: ''[[Music of the Spheres (TV story)|Music of the Spheres]]'')
* [[Teleport]]ing onto a [[Nim]] [[spacecraft]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Day the Earth Was Sold]]'', ''[[The King of Earth]]'')
* As a [[sonic toothbrush]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Continuity Cap]]'')
* Shattering ice. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Arctic Eclipse]]'')
* Blowing up a fire hydrant. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Creature Feature]]'')
* [[Atmospheric excitation]] to cause [[rain]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Mudshock]]'')
* Tickling a [[lion]] with sonic waves. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Slitheen Excursion]]'')
* Tinting the Doctor's glasses, effectively making them sunglasses. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'')
* Stopping and winding up a winch. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'')
* Incapacitating a [[Gizou]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Fugitive]]'')
* Making [[toast]] and [[butter]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Dead Air (audio story)|Dead Air]]'')
* As an actual screwdriver, without touching the screws. ([[TV]]: ''[[Dreamland (TV story)|Dreamland]]'', ''[[The Doctor's Daughter]]'')
* Combining power with the Eleventh and War Doctors' sonic screwdrivers to create a sonic force to blast back and destroy an attacking Dalek in the [[Time War]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')


== The Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors' sonic screwdriver ==
== The Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors' sonic screwdriver ==
[[File:ElevenScrewdriverTHE.jpg|thumb|left|The Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver ([[TV]]: ''[[The Hungry Earth (TV story)|The Hungry Earth]]'')]]
{{Main|Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver}}
After the loss of the previous sonic screwdriver, the TARDIS gifted the Doctor with a new model. Differing radically from the last, with its extendible "claws" and green crystalline emitter resembling the inner structure of the TARDIS's new time rotor, it also had copper plating similar to the new control room. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'') A psychic interface allowed its user to point it at a target and think of the function they wanted. ([[TV]]: ''[[Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)|Let's Kill Hitler]]'', ''[[Death in Heaven (TV story)|Death in Heaven]]'') Having been mentioned to be more than sonic, ([[TV]]: ''[[Night Terrors (TV story)|Night Terrors]]'') this screwdriver also shot beams of green energy in the shape of sonic waves. ([[TV]]: ''[[Day of the Moon (TV story)|Day of the Moon]]'', ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'') By at least the time of the Doctor's thirteenth regeneration, it had a voice-activation feature, which the Doctor forgot about when he needed it. ([[TV]]: ''[[Deep Breath (TV story)|Deep Breath]]'') It had a charge that could last centuries; it once lasted 300 years before the Doctor could charge it in the TARDIS. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'')
The Eleventh Doctor was gifted a new model of sonic screwdriver by the TARDIS, with a green crystal emitter and copper plating. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'') After using it for a long time, with it being destroyed and replaced several times, the Twelfth Doctor ended up abandoning it with [[Davros]] as a child, and the Doctor would subsequently choose to use [[sonic sunglasses]] instead. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Witch's Familiar (TV story)|The Witch's Familiar]]'')
 
Retaining ineffectiveness against [[wood]], it also didn't work against [[Peg Doll]]s ([[TV]]: ''[[Night Terrors (TV story)|Night Terrors]]'') or the [[Wooden King]] and [[Wooden Queen|Queen]].  ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (TV story)|The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe]]'') The Doctor considered it embarrassing and said that "I need to invent a setting for wood." ([[TV]]: ''[[Night Terrors (TV story)|Night Terrors]]'') In similar situations, he yelled at it in panic; "Aliens made of wood, you know this was always going to happen!", "Yes, I know it's wood. Get over it!" ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (TV story)|The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe]]'') Though aware of this flaw, he was still able to successfully bluff a [[Wooden Cyberman]] into destroying itself.  ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'') He also once defended this weakness, saying "Oi! Don't diss the sonic!" ([[TV]]: ''[[The Hungry Earth (TV story)|The Hungry Earth]]'') The Twelfth Doctor later upgraded the sonic, allowing it to blow up wooden objects. ([[TV]]: ''[[Robot of Sherwood (TV story)|Robot of Sherwood]]'') At some point it had an anti-freeze setting. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'') This screwdriver was also shown to have a "red setting", ([[TV]]: ''[[Cold War (TV story)|Cold War]]'') similar to [[River Song's sonic screwdriver|River's sonic screwdriver]].
 
[[File:Sonic and psychic paper.jpeg|thumb|right|The sonic screwdriver and [[psychic paper]] on the TARDIS console. ([[TV]]: ''[[Flatline (TV story)|Flatline]]'')]]
This model was lost and replaced by the Doctor repeatedly, having been bitten in half by a [[sky shark]] and left behind, ([[TV]]: ''[[A Christmas Carol (TV story)|A Christmas Carol]]'') left with the [[Ganger Doctor]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Rebel Flesh (TV story)|The Rebel Flesh]]'') destroyed by [[Danny Fisher]] ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Blood of Azrael (comic story)|The Blood of Azrael]]'') and, in one instance, simply burnt out due to overuse. In the latter instance, a replacement was given to him by [[Santa Claus]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Silent Knight (comic story)|Silent Knight]]'') One of the Twelfth Doctor's sonic screwdrivers was incinerated by the [[Governor (The Blood Cell)|Governor]] when he was admitted into [[the Prison]]. Clara Oswald attempted to give him a new one disguised as a large candle in a birthday cake, but the Governor refused to give the cake to the Doctor. To circumvent this, the Doctor created a [[sonic spoon]] in the interim for the time being. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Blood Cell (novel)|The Blood Cell]]'') Ultimately, he left one of his screwdrivers with [[Davros]] after abandoning him as a child. Davros had it in his possession for many years after, until [[Colony Sarff]] returned it to the Doctor. By this point, it was no longer of any real use to him, as it had become heavily damaged and inoperable, visibly weather-beaten from exposure to war and conflict, and with one of the clawed prongs broken off. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Magician's Apprentice (TV story)|The Magician's Apprentice]], [[The Witch's Familiar (TV story)|The Witch's Familiar]]'')
 
The Doctor eventually declared that he was "over" sonic screwdrivers, saying that they "spoil the line of your jacket". He replaced the screwdriver with a pair of [[sonic sunglasses]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Witch's Familiar (TV story)|The Witch's Familiar]]'')
 
However, he did not keep this promise, as he used this sonic screwdriver several times afterwards. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Clara Oswald and the School of Death (comic story)|Clara Oswald and the School of Death]]'', ''[[The Fourth Wall (comic story)|The Fourth Wall]]'')
 
[[file:Tulpa sonic screwdriver.jpg|thumb|left|The Twelfth Doctor's blue version. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Tulpa (comic story)|Tulpa]]'')]]
When the Eleventh Doctor met the Tenth Doctor in [[England]], [[1562]], upon the latter realising that the former was a future incarnation of himself, they both got out their sonic screwdrivers. The Eleventh Doctor immediately showed off how much bigger his was, to which the Tenth Doctor claimed that his future incarnation was compensating, remarking that "[[regeneration]], it's a [[lottery]]." ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
 
A version of this screwdriver was kept in the [[Twelfth Doctor]]'s [[The Doctor's office (The Pilot)|office]] at [[St Luke's University]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
 
At one point during his travels with [[Bill Potts]], the Twelfth Doctor had a version of this sonic design in the colour scheme of his second sonic screwdriver. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Tulpa (comic story)|Tulpa]]'')
 
=== Uses ===
==== Security ====
* Trying (unsuccessfully) to open the exit back into ''[[Starship UK]]''. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below]]'')
* Opening the chest plate of [[Edwin Bracewell|an android]]'s controls. ([[TV]]: ''[[Victory of the Daleks]]'')
* Opening the entrance hatch of a spaceship. ([[TV]]: ''[[Flesh and Stone]]'')
* Breaking open padlocks. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Hungry Earth]]'')
* Locking the [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] doors. ([[TV]]: ''[[Cold Blood]], [[The Doctor's Wife]]'')
* Opening the gate to the [[London Underground]]. ([[GAME]]: ''[[City of the Daleks (video game)|City of the Daleks]]'')
* Opening up a discarded [[Dalek]] dome. ([[GAME]]: ''[[City of the Daleks (video game)|City of the Daleks]]'')
* Bypassing Dalek security seals. ([[GAME]]: ''[[City of the Daleks (video game)|City of the Daleks]]'')
* Opening up control panels in [[Kaalann]]. ([[GAME]]: ''[[City of the Daleks (video game)|City of the Daleks]]'')
* Closing and locking a door to a [[Cyber-conversion]] room. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Blood of the Cybermen]]'')
* Unlocking [[Cyber-conversion unit]] manacles. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Blood of the Cybermen]]'')
* Opening an electronic door. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Shadows of the Vashta Nerada]]'')
* Opening the door to a [[79B Aickman Road|time ship]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lodger (TV story)|The Lodger]]'')
* To open, close and lock the Pandorica. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Big Bang]]'')
* Unlocking the door to Melody's room. ([[TV]]: ''[[Day of the Moon]]'')
* Unlocking Amy's restraints. ([[TV]]: ''[[Day of the Moon]]'')
* Locking and failing to unlock the TARDIS. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor's Wife]]'')
* Unlocking a grating. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Almost People]]'')
* Locking a grating into place. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Almost People]]'')
* Closing doors inside a [[Cyber Ship]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War]]'')
* Opening doors on [[Demons Run]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War]]'')
* Opening a fake door. ([[TV]]: ''[[The God Complex (TV story)|The God Complex]]'')
* Sealing the trapdoor that [[Gantok]] fell down, out of fear of the carnivorous skulls. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song]]'')
* Unlocking Dalek prisoner restraints. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Dalek Project (comic story)|The Dalek Project]]'')
* Turning off the defence system of [[Kahler-Jex]]' ship. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'')
* Locking a door in the [[Great Intelligence Institute]] office. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
* Stripping away the disguise around the [[Great Intelligence]]'s voice. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen]]'')
* Unlocking the door of the Maitland home. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Bells of Saint John (TV story)|The Bells of Saint John]]'')
* Unlocking the door of an aeroplane's cockpit. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Bells of Saint John (TV story)|The Bells of Saint John]]'')
* Opening the secret entrance to the Doctor's tomb. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Name of the Doctor (TV story)|The Name of the Doctor]]'')
* Disabling a Sontaran invisibility field to leave two Sontarans invading the town of [[Christmas (town)|Christmas]] defenceless against the [[Papal Mainframe]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'')
* Unlocking restraints around Clara and the Doctor. ([[TV]]: ''[[Deep Breath (TV story)|Deep Breath]]'')
* Opening a Dalek drainage hole. ([[TV]]: ''[[Into the Dalek (TV story)|Into the Dalek]]'')
* Unlocking the seal to a space capsule door. ([[TV]]: ''[[Listen (TV story)|Listen]]'')
* Opening air vents. ([[TV]]: ''[[Time Heist (TV story)|Time Heist]]'')
* Shutting an automatic door on the ''[[Pollyanna]]''. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Eye of Torment (comic story)|The Eye of Torment]]'')
* Opening a door on the ''Pollyanna''. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Eye of Torment (comic story)|The Eye of Torment]]'')
* Fusing a lock. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Eye of Torment (comic story)|The Eye of Torment]]'')
* Opening a panel which released cooling gases, causing harm to [[Rann-Korr]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Terrorformer (comic story)|Terrorformer]]'')
* Unlocking the door of [[3W]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Dark Water (TV story)|Dark Water]]'')
* Opening and closing the inner and outer airlock of a spaceship. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Spirits of the Jungle (comic story)|Spirits of the Jungle]]'')
 
==== Medical ====
* Forcing a [[star whale]] to regurgitate by overloading its chaemo-receptors. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below]]'')
* Simultaneously healing and analysing wounds. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Vampires of Venice]]'')
* Scanning lifeforms to determine how integrated into a host body they are. ([[TV]]: ''[[Amy's Choice]]'')
* Scanning piles of dust for traces of people. ([[TV]]: ''[[Amy's Choice]]'')
* Scanning an infection. ([[TV]]: ''[[Cold Blood]]'')
* Unwittingly pleasing a [[Krafayis]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Vincent and the Doctor]]'')
* Stunning the Silence. ([[TV]]: ''[[Day of the Moon]]'')
* Confirming how long [[Idris]]'s body has before the TARDIS Matrix causes it to die. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor's Wife (TV story)|The Doctor's Wife]]'')
* Scanning the Flesh. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Rebel Flesh (TV story)|The Rebel Flesh]]'')
* Detecting differences between Gangers and humans. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Almost People]]'')
* Dissolving [[Ganger]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Almost People]]'')
* Detecting if a person was fatally wounded. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War]]'')
* Stunning the [[Rutan Host|Rutan]] [[Elizabeth Winters|Lady Winters]]. ([[GAME]]: ''[[The Gunpowder Plot]]'')
* Scanning the deceased to determine what caused death with no success. ([[TV]]: ''[[The God Complex (TV story)|The God Complex]]'')
* Scanning for life signs. ([[TV]]: ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'')
* Scanning pieces of what used to be the Ice Governess. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
* Stripping away the disguise of the [[Great Intelligence]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
* Melting the [[Ice Governess]] using the new anti-freeze setting. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
* Trying but failing to melt the Ice Governess again once she came back. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
* Stripping away the disguise of a [[Spoonhead]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Bells of Saint John (TV story)|The Bells of Saint John]]'')
* Scanning the people in an [[aeroplane]] to find out that they were unconscious. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Bells of Saint John (TV story)|The Bells of Saint John]]'')
* Removing a [[dream crab]] from [[Clara Oswald]]'s face by electrifying its nerve centres. ([[TV]]: ''[[Last Christmas (TV story)|Last Christmas]]'')
 
==== Diagnostic ====
* Scanning ''[[Starship UK]]''{{'}}s engine room to determine that there was no actual engine powering the spaceship. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below]]'')
* Scanning voting booth for memory erasing function. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below]]'')
* Scanning Father [[Octavian (The Time of Angels)|Octavian]]'s computer. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of Angels]]'')
* Determining the nature of [[time Field|the cracks]] throughout time and space, which was "extremely very not good." ([[TV]]: ''[[Flesh and Stone]]'')
* Scanning for heat signatures. ([[TV]]: ''[[Cold Blood]]'')
* Scanning [[Stonehenge]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'')
* Helping trace who received the [[Pandorica]]'s summons. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'')
* Scanning the Pandorica. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'')
* Scanning with a parabolic satellite dish for an exploding TARDIS. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Big Bang]]'')
* Scanning [[River Song's vortex manipulator]] to see if it was wired into something. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Big Bang]]'')
* Confirming the [[isomorphic controls|isomorphic]] nature of a control panel. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Christmas Carol (TV story)|A Christmas Carol]])''
* Scanning boxes of stolen NASA equipment to confirm that they are just what they look like. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Impossible Astronaut]]'')
* Scanning a spacesuit. ([[TV]]: ''[[Day of the Moon]]'')
* Confirming if a [[nano-recorder]] was on telepathic transmission or a replay. ([[TV]]: ''[[Day of the Moon]]'')
* Confirming the nature of an alien life-support system. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Curse of the Black Spot]]'')
* Scanning for [[Hypercube]] transmissions to locate their source. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor's Wife]]'')
* Scanning for monsters and how powerful they were. ([[TV]]: ''[[Night Terrors]]'')
* Scanning [[dimensional lesion]]s. ([[GAME]]: ''[[The Gunpowder Plot]]'')
* Detecting electrical interference. ([[TV]]: ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'')
* Confirming increased [[sulphur]] emissions. ([[TV]]: ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'')
* Scanning a Dalek's database for information, specifically anything that his oldest enemies knew about [[the Silence]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song]]'')
* Scanning a Headless Monk head box to confirm its contents. ([[TV]]:'' [[The Wedding of River Song]]'')
* Scanning [[Albert Einstein]]'s liquid to determine if it was the ingredient he thought he needed to make a time machine. ([[TV]]: ''[[Death Is the Only Answer]]'')
* Scanning the life-force transference crown. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (TV story)|The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe]]'')
* Detecting a magnetic field. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Dalek Project]]'')
* Scanning a load of rocks and wood, determining that they were just that. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'')
* Scanning the electric lights in Mercy to determine how far advanced the technology was. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'')
* Scanning a [[Weeping Angel]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Angels Take Manhattan (TV story)|The Angels Take Manhattan]]'')
* Scanning a frozen pond. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
* Scanning the melted Ice Governess to make sure she was gone and draining through the carpet. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
* Scanning a [[Cybermite]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Nightmare in Silver (TV story)|Nightmare in Silver]]'')
* Scanning the Doctor's time stream. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Name of the Doctor (TV story)|The Name of the Doctor]]'')
* Detecting the progress of the War Doctor's calculation in his iteration of the sonic screwdriver. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
* A heat sensor to discover the hiding place of the [[Mara]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Dreaming (short story)|The Dreaming]]'')
* Scanning Dalek memory technology. ([[TV]]: ''[[Into the Dalek (TV story)|Into the Dalek]]'')
* Scanning a lock of hair. ([[TV]]: ''[[Robot of Sherwood (TV story)|Robot of Sherwood]]'')
* Scanning an apple. ([[TV]]: ''[[Robot of Sherwood (TV story)|Robot of Sherwood]]'')
* Scanning [[Bank of Karabraxos]] technology. ([[TV]]: ''[[Time Heist (TV story)|Time Heist]]'')
* Tracing the [[Skovox Blitzer]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Caretaker (TV story)|The Caretaker]]'')
* Calculating how long before the Skovox Blitzer would return. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Caretaker (TV story)|The Caretaker]]'')
* Scanning a cocoon. ([[TV]]: ''[[Kill the Moon (TV story)|Kill the Moon]]'')
* Scanning a [[spider germ]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Kill the Moon (TV story)|Kill the Moon]]'')
* Scanning the [[Excelsior Life Extender]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Mummy on the Orient Express (TV story)|Mummy on the Orient Express]]'')
* Scanning for traces of the [[Boneless]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Flatline (TV story)|Flatline]]'')
* Scanning trees. ([[TV]]: ''[[In the Forest of the Night (TV story)|In the Forest of the Night]]'')
* Scanning [[Clara Oswald]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Dark Water (TV story)|Dark Water]]'')
 
==== Technology ====
* Isolating the lighting so that the [[Weeping Angel]]s could not drain the power. ([[TV]]: ''[[Flesh and Stone]]'')
* Redirecting all the power to the doors in order to open them. ([[TV]]: ''[[Flesh and Stone]]'')
* Uploading proximity-alerting software to Amy's communicator. ([[TV]]: ''[[Flesh and Stone]]'')
* Detecting the location of lights. ([[TV]]: ''[[Amy's Choice]]'')
* Exploding lightbulbs. ([[TV]]: ''[[Amy's Choice]]'')
* Hacking into computer records. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Hungry Earth]]'')
* Activating bio-programmed soil. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Hungry Earth]]'')
* Disabling [[Silurian]] weapons. ([[TV]]: ''[[Cold Blood]]'')
* Accessing the [[Visualiser]] eye and repowering it. ([[GAME]]: ''[[City of the Daleks (video game)|City of the Daleks]]'')
* Tampering with the [[Dalek Emperor (City of the Daleks)|Dalek Emperor]]'s casing. ([[GAME]]: ''[[City of the Daleks (video game)|City of the Daleks]]'')
* Activating a Dalek console trap. ([[GAME]]: ''[[City of the Daleks (video game)|City of the Daleks]]'')
* Constructing a [[Dalek Vision Disruptor]]. ([[GAME]]: ''[[City of the Daleks (video game)|City of the Daleks]]'')
* Fixing platform lift control panels. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Blood of the Cybermen]]'')
* Disassembling a [[Chronon Blocker]]. ([[GAME]]: ''[[TARDIS (video game)|TARDIS]]'')
* Activating emergency light switches. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Shadows of the Vashta Nerada]]'')
* Turning on the lights inside a generator. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Shadows of the Vashta Nerada]]'')
* Setting the TARDIS on its "adventure setting". ([[TV]]: ''[[Good as Gold (TV story)|Good as Gold]]'')
* Unsuccessfully attempting to free [[Sophie (The Lodger)|Sophie]]'s hand from the time ship console. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lodger (TV story)|The Lodger]]'')
* Changing a [[hologram]] between its different forms. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lodger (TV story)|The Lodger]]'')
* To send a signal through to [[Amy Pond|Amy]]'s communicator to help guide her through a forest. ([[TV]]: ''[[Flesh and Stone]]'')
* Scrambling a Cyberarm's circuits. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'')
* Giving orders to androids. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The War of Art (WEB short story)|The War of Art]]'')
* To reconfigure the binaries in the TARDIS. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Evacuation Earth]]'')
* Disabling a force field. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War]]'')
* Hailing the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s [[sonic cane]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Let's Kill Hitler]]'')
* Disabling privileges from the ''[[Teselecta]]''{{'}}s crew. ([[TV]]: ''[[Let's Kill Hitler]]'')
* Activating [[George (Night Terrors)|George]]'s toys. ([[TV]]: ''[[Night Terrors]]'')
* Detaching the view glass from the visitation facility. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl Who Waited]]'')
* Augmenting the view glass to work disconnected. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl Who Waited]]'')
* Locking on to Amy's timestream. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl Who Waited]]'')
* Switching off CCTV monitors. ([[TV]]: ''[[The God Complex (TV story)|The God Complex]]'')
* Repairing and activating a lift. ([[TV]]: ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'')
* Fusing the controls of a [[Cyberman#Cybermen of the Cyber Legions|Cyberman]] teleporter. ([[TV]]: ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'')
* Overloading/imploding a Cybermat; unfortunately wiping its memory in the process. ([[TV]]: ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]])''
* Repairing the controls of a Cyberman teleporter and using it. ([[TV]]: ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'')
* Taking apart a [[Supreme Dalek]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song]]'')
* Freezing the ''Teselecta'' in place; this caused sparks to fly inside of it. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song]]'')
* Reprogramming [[Proto-Dalek]]s to recognise Daleks as enemies. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Dalek Project (comic story)|The Dalek Project]]'')
* Used to help with rewiring the TARDIS; he told Lilly it was because the light in his "wardrobe" wasn't working, claiming it was the reason he dressed as he did. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (TV story)|The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe]]'')
* Deleting an answering machine message from the phone the message was made from. ([[WC]]: ''[[Pond Life (webcast)|Pond Life]]'')
* Activating the reverse in a badly damaged, insane Dalek's casing to send it into other insane Daleks (as it was going to self-destruct). ([[TV]]: ''[[Asylum of the Daleks]]'')
* Taking apart the device emitting the [[Silurian Ark]]'s signal, and activating it upon placing it in [[Solomon (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)|Solomon]]'s ship. ([[TV]]: ''[[Dinosaurs on a Spaceship]]'')
* Disabling the [[android]] the [[Shakri]] put on [[Earth]] to control the [[Shakri cube]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Power of Three]]'')
* Reversing the Shakri's programming of the cubes to jump-start the hearts of the humans they previously stopped. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Power of Three]]'')
* Reversing a [[friction amper]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Cornucopia Caper (comic story)|The Cornucopia Caper]]'')
* Overloading a light bulb, creating a blinding light, to act as a distraction to escape the Angels. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Angels Take Manhattan (TV story)|The Angels Take Manhattan]]'')
* Getting rid of the shield that was blocking the Ice Governess and putting a new one behind the Doctor and Clara ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
* Seemingly adding an extra layer of super-dense water vapour to keep the Ice Governess "trapped for the moment" ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
* Shattering a glass window ([[TV]]: ''[[The Bells of Saint John (TV story)|The Bells of Saint John]]'', ''[[Flatline (TV story)|Flatline]]'')
* Turning off the TARDIS [[Anti-gravity|anti-grav]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Name of the Doctor (TV story)|The Name of the Doctor]]'')
* Activating the memory-erasing device in the [[Black Archive]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
* Ringing the bell in [[Christmas (town)|Christmas]]' Clock Tower. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'')
* Bluffing a [[wooden Cyberman]] into thinking that he sent a signal to its flamethrower so it would reverse its direction as soon as it tried to fire. Though a [[Truth Field]] was active, the Cyberman was not told the screwdriver couldn't affect wood. It pointed its weapon backwards, thinking it would reset, and killed itself by accident. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'')
* Sealing a damage crack within a Dalek. ([[TV]]: ''[[Into the Dalek (TV story)|Into the Dalek]]'')
* Activating a holographic scanner. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Caretaker (TV story)|The Caretaker]]'')
* Leading the [[Skovox Blitzer]] to [[Coal Hill School]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Caretaker (TV story)|The Caretaker]]'')
* Attracting the attention of the Skovox Blitzer with pulses of [[helicon energy]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Caretaker (TV story)|The Caretaker]]'')
* Transferring a video phone message to a screen monitor. ([[TV]]: ''[[Kill the Moon (TV story)|Kill the Moon]]'')
* Activating and altering a 3D projection. ([[TV]]: ''[[Kill the Moon (TV story)|Kill the Moon]]'')
* Altering a phone so it would work wireless. ([[TV]]: ''[[Mummy on the Orient Express (TV story)|Mummy on the Orient Express]]'')
* Changing a train signal from green to red. ([[TV]]: ''[[Flatline (TV story)|Flatline]]'')
* Detecting the location of a mobile phone. ([[TV]]: ''[[In the Forest of the Night (TV story)|In the Forest of the Night]]'')
* Activating an [[emotional inhibitor]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Death in Heaven (TV story)|Death in Heaven]]'')
* Using energy waves from android weapons to recharge a teleport bracelet. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Witch's Familiar (TV story)|The Witch's Familiar]]'')
 
==== Amplification ====
* Amplifying an electrical beam. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below]]'')
* To increase a signal's strength. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of Angels]]'')
* Making the voice of a [[star whale]] audible to the human ear. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below]]'')
* Displaying energy barricades which are usually invisible to the naked eye. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Hungry Earth]]'')
* Transmitting [[Abigail Pettigrew|Abigail]]'s singing from one broken segment to the other to open the [[cloud belt]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Christmas Carol (TV story)|A Christmas Carol]]'')
* Amplifying Amy's [[sonic probe]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl Who Waited]]'')
* Creating a high pitched noise to get attention. ([[TV]]: ''[[The God Complex (TV story)|The God Complex]]'')
* As a microphone. ([[TV]]: ''[[The God Complex (TV story)|The God Complex]]'')
* Creating a sound loud enough to distract [[Kahler-Tek]] to allow the Doctor's escape. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'')
* Amplifying the sound of the Time Lords calling out "Doctor who?" to the Daleks to remind them how easy it would be to answer their call and the difficulty it would take to kill him if he could live for ages. Also bouncing sonic waves of the bell in the clock tower on Trenzalore to mark the coming of war. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'')
* Amplifying the sound wave produced by an Ice Warrior made sonic cannon. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Let it Snow (short story)|Let it Snow]]'')
* Creating localised [[gravity]] to hold the entities which surrounded [[Maebh Arden]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[In the Forest of the Night (TV story)|In the Forest of the Night]]'')
* Creating an acoustic corridor to allow communication from 50 feet away. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Magician's Apprentice (TV story)|The Magician's Apprentice]]'')
 
==== Other ====
* As a torch with blue light. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below (TV story)|The Beast Below]]'', ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'', ''[[The Angels Take Manhattan (TV story)|The Angels Take Manhattan]]'')
* It was voice activated, coded to the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s voice. ([[TV]]: ''[[Deep Breath (TV story)|Deep Breath]]'')
* Blocking out the effects of [[perception filter]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Vampires of Venice (TV story)|The Vampires of Venice]]'')
* Giving a [[Cybermat]] a "Cyber-Migraine". ([[GAME]]: ''[[Blood of the Cybermen (video game)|Blood of the Cybermen]]'')
* Distracting Cybermats. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Blood of the Cybermen (video game)|Blood of the Cybermen]]'')
* Heating [[water]] and ice. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Blood of the Cybermen (video game)|Blood of the Cybermen]]'')
* Destroying a [[Weeping Angel (Good as Gold)|Weeping Angel]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Good as Gold (TV story)|Good as Gold]]'')
* Lighting flaming torches. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'')
* Heating up a [[tea]]pot. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Snowfall (novel)|Snowfall]]'')
* As a lure to attract a [[sky fish]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Christmas Carol (TV story)|A Christmas Carol]]'')
* Attempting self-reconstruction via signalling its other half; it failed at this and was left behind by the Doctor to be replaced by a similar sonic screwdriver. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Christmas Carol (TV story)|A Christmas Carol]]'')
* Protecting two versions of [[Rory Williams]] from falling victim to the [[Blinovitch Limitation Effect]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Touched by an Angel (novel)|Touched by an Angel]]'')
* Damaging a [[Cyber Ship]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War (TV story)|A Good Man Goes to War]]'')
* Disarming [[River Song|Melody Pond]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)|Let's Kill Hitler]]'')
* Igniting a cannon. ([[GAME]]: ''[[The Gunpowder Plot (video game)|The Gunpowder Plot]]'')
* Destroying the [[Star of Solitude]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Cornucopia Caper (comic story)|The Cornucopia Caper]]'')
* Opens and closing Dalek [[Transmat]] portals. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Dalek Project (comic story)|The Dalek Project]]'')
* Holding a heavy door with an acoustic lock open in the [[pyramid]] of the rings of [[Akhaten]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Rings of Akhaten (TV story)|The Rings of Akhaten]]'')
* Holding back the [[Vigil]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Rings of Akhaten (TV story)|The Rings of Akhaten]]'')
* Tracking the location of [[Grand Marshall]] [[Skaldak]] as he sneaked around out of his armour. ([[TV]]: ''[[Cold War (TV story)|Cold War]]'')
* Receiving a signal from [[the TARDIS]] indicating that it had returned and indicating its location. ([[TV]]: ''[[Cold War (TV story)|Cold War]]'')
* Enhancing the power of an arsenal of bombs. ([[TV]]: ''[[Cold War (TV story)|Cold War]]'')
* Relaxing the grip from someone's hand. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Shroud of Sorrow (novel)|Shroud of Sorrow]]'')
* Combining power with the [[Tenth Doctor]] and [[War Doctor]]'s sonic screwdrivers to create a sonic force to blast back and destroy an attacking [[Dalek]] in the [[Time War]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
* Used for centuries as a weapon against his greatest enemies during the [[Siege of Trenzalore]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'')
* Disconnecting a horse's reins. ([[TV]]: ''[[Deep Breath (TV story)|Deep Breath]]'')
* Tracking a radiation signal. ([[TV]]: ''[[Into the Dalek (TV story)|Into the Dalek]]'')
* Blowing up an [[archery]] target. ([[TV]]: ''[[Robot of Sherwood (TV story)|Robot of Sherwood]]'')
* Driving off "[[skunkey]]s" which were attacking Clara. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Terrorformer (comic story)|Terrorformer]]'')
* Sending the [[Boneless]] back to their dimension. ([[TV]]: ''[[Flatline (TV story)|Flatline]]'')
* Granting a [[football]] referee's glasses the ability to watch every football game in the galaxy. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Bow-ties for Goal Posts (comic story)|Bow-ties for Goal Posts]]'')
* Connecting to the Doctor's [[Bookface]] account and projecting its posts. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Timeliney Wimey (comic story)|Timeliney Wimey]]'')
* Creating a noise deafening to [[Sea Devil]]s. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Clara Oswald and the School of Death (comic story)|Clara Oswald and the School of Death]]'')


== The Twelfth Doctor's second screwdriver ==
== The Twelfth Doctor's second screwdriver ==
[[File:Twelfth doctor's sonic screwdriver.jpg|thumb|The Doctor tests out his new screwdriver. ([[TV]]: ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]'')]]
{{Main|Twelfth Doctor's second sonic screwdriver}}
After spending a period of time using a combination of [[sonic sunglasses]] and his green-emitter sonic screwdriver, ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Clara Oswald and the School of Death (comic story)|Clara Oswald and the School of Death]]'') the Twelfth Doctor was gifted a new model by the TARDIS.
The Twelfth Doctor would be gifted a different model of sonic screwdriver by the TARDIS after saying a final farewell to Clara. It was a larger mechanical model, ([[TV]]: ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]'') which he used in conjunction with his sonic sunglasses. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'', ''[[Extremis (TV story)|Extremis]]'') After his regeneration, the Thirteenth Doctor would lose this screwdriver after falling out of the TARDIS. ([[TV]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (TV story)|Twice Upon a Time]]'')
 
While one account showed him gaining it after he had found [[Gallifrey]] at the [[end of the universe]], ([[TV]]: ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]'') another account depicted him using it whilst travelling with [[Clara Oswald]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Day at the Doctors (comic story)|The Day at the Doctors]]'')
 
This new model had a very mechanical and complicated-looking, TARDIS blue, metal handle with multiple emitters, once again resembling the inner structure of the [[time rotor]] itself. The emitter was once again blue in colour, and the ring of emitters could all light up in a circling motion when activated. ([[TV]]: ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]'') He continued to use his sonic sunglasses as well, thus giving him two choices of sonic instruments. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'', ''[[Extremis (TV story)|Extremis]]'')
 
This screwdriver could glow blue ([[TV]]: ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]''), red ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Robo Rampage (comic story)|Robo Rampage]]''), or green. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Gallery (comic story)|Gallery]]'', [[TV]]: ''[[For Tonight We Might Die (TV story)|For Tonight We Might Die]]'') It was still ineffectual against [[wood]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Empress of Mars (TV story)|Empress of Mars]]'')
 
The Doctor sometimes attached this screwdriver to his guitar so that he could use both at the same time. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Pestilent Heart (comic story)|The Pestilent Heart]]'')
 
When the Doctor was stuck in [[1972]], the screwdriver "ran out of juice" and the Doctor was unable to charge it because he was without his TARDIS. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Moving In (comic story)|Moving In]]'')
 
After regenerating into the [[Thirteenth Doctor]], the TARDIS console room exploded due to the damage it took from the intensity of the regeneration energy.  The Doctor was thrown out of the TARDIS from the explosion, causing her to free fall to the Earth's surface. ([[TV]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (TV story)|Twice Upon a Time]]'')  As she fell, she lost this sonic screwdriver along with everything else in her pockets. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]]'')
=== Uses ===
==== Security ====
* Unlocking the front door of [[Idra Panatar]]'s house. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Twist (comic story)|The Twist]]'')
* Opening a secret bookcase door in Panatar's house. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Twist (comic story)|The Twist]]'')
* Unlocking an alleyway entrance into the [[London Underground]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Pestilent Heart (comic story)|The Pestilent Heart]]'')
* Opening a window. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')
* Opening and closing a bridge door on a spaceship. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')
* Keeping the security features on the [[Vault (The Pilot)|vault]] up-to-date. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]'')
* Closing a door on a space station. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'')
 
==== Diagnostic ====
* Detecting temporal distortions. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Stockbridge Showdown (comic story)|The Stockbridge Showdown]]'')
* Scanning for life readings. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Gallery (comic story)|Gallery]]'')
* Following an alien signal. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Pestilent Heart (comic story)|The Pestilent Heart]]'')
* Diagnosing an alien disease in [[Lloyd Collins]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Pestilent Heart (comic story)|The Pestilent Heart]]'')
* Scanning [[April MacLean]] to confirm that her heart was being shared by [[Corakinus]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[For Tonight We Might Die (TV story)|For Tonight We Might Die]]'')
* Scanning [[Grant (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Grant]] to confirm he had swallowed an alien gemstone. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')
* Scanning the [[Vardy]] microbots to learn of their function. ([[TV]]: ''[[Smile (TV story)|Smile]]'')
* Scanning the doors in a space station. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'', ''[[World Enough and Time (TV story)|World Enough and Time]]'')
* Scan and discover the access code to an air tight door, although it was unable to physically input the combination directly. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'')
*Scanning the [[Glass avatar]] of [[Bill Potts]], determining the memories as real. However, it was not as accurate when diagnosing the [[Testimony]], the Doctor finding it better to simply use his eyes. ([[TV]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (TV story)|Twice Upon a Time]]'')
 
==== Technology ====
* Using the power cell of the ''[[Harmony and Redemption]]'' to push its thrusters. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'')
* Repairing a damaged time ship. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Ghosts of the Seas (comic story)|Ghosts of the Seas]]'')
* Disassembling [[K2]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Robo Rampage (comic story)|Robo Rampage]]'')
* Activating [[Charles Abbott]]'s [[Incredulitas 4]] pen to teleport him into [[the writer's block]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Shock Horror (comic story)|Shock Horror]]'')
* Scanning the control panels of a spaceship. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')
* Activating lights projectors. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'', ''[[World Enough and Time (TV story)|World Enough and Time]]'') Likewise, it could also turn them off. ([[TV]]: ''[[Extremis (TV story)|Extremis]]'')
* Reversing and erasing the command programmes of the [[Vardy]] microbots, causing them to forget their original directives. ([[TV]]: ''[[Smile (TV story)|Smile]]'')
* Transmitting a signal to redirect the detonator for explosives. ([[TV]]: ''[[Thin Ice (TV story)|Thin Ice]]'')
* Frying the circuits of a [[Smartsuit|smartsuit]], albeit being broken itself in the process. ([[TV]]: ''[[Oxygen (TV story)|Oxygen]]'')
 
==== Utility ====
* Removing a [[paint]] can's lid.  ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Gallery (comic story)|Gallery]]'')
* Closing a tear in space-time. ([[TV]]: ''[[For Tonight We Might Die (TV story)|For Tonight We Might Die]]'')
* Combine with Missy's [[sonic umbrella]] to successfully create a force field strong enough to delay a [[Cyberman (Mondas)|fully evolved Cybermen]] long enough for Bill's cybernetic energy blast and the Master's [[Laser screwdriver]] to disable it. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'')
 
==== Other ====
* Blowing up a school. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Haunted (short story)|Haunted]]'')
* Temporarily stunning [[Alien (Gallery)|an alien]].  ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Gallery (comic story)|Gallery]]'')
* Defending himself against [[Yeti]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Day at the Doctors (comic story)|The Day at the Doctors]]'')
* Increasing the voltage of the lights at [[Coal Hill Academy]] to break the solid form of [[Corakinus]] and the [[Shadow Kin]] ([[TV]]: ''[[For Tonight We Might Die (TV story)|For Tonight We Might Die]]'')
* Zapping a gun out of [[Brock (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Brock]]'s hand. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'')
* Dissipating [[Ethan Hall|the Smoke]]'s particles. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Ghost Stories (comic story)|Ghost Stories]]'')
* It can create a buzzing sound to attract attention and act as a torch, ([[TV]]: ''[[Knock Knock (TV story)|Knock Knock]])'' even under water. ([[TV]]: ''[[Thin Ice (TV story)|Thin Ice]]'')
* The head can be removed to reveal a red highlighter pen which the Doctor can use to write with. ([[TV]]: ''[[World Enough and Time (TV story)|World Enough and Time]]'')
* Could act as a communicator with Nardole and download the software from Nardole's computer, enabling it to incinerate and blast numerous types of Cybermen and ignite the entirety of [[Floor 0507]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'')
 
== The Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver ==
== The Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver ==
[[File:Sonic-3.jpg|thumb|The [[Thirteenth Doctor]]'s newly created sonic. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]]'')]]
{{Main|Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver}}
Due to losing everything in her [[pocket]]s following her [[regeneration]] and fall, the [[Thirteenth Doctor]] lost [[Twelfth Doctor|her previous incarnation's]] sonic screwdriver. As a result, the Doctor chose to build one of her own in a workshop in [[Sheffield]]. This one was far simpler in appearance than the last screwdriver with a simple steel body, and a crystal on the tip that glowed [[Amber (colour)|amber]] while in use, taken from a [[Stenza]] [[Tim Shaw's pod|transport chamber]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]]'')
The [[Thirteenth Doctor]] created a replacement sonic screwdriver out of "[[Sheffield]] [[steel]]". It was unique from previous sonic screwdrivers in that it had a changeable, curved handle, allowing for a more natural grip. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]]'') This screwdriver would be destroyed shortly after the Thirteenth Doctor's regneration at the [[Dalek Dome]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Liberation of the Daleks (comic story)|Liberation of the Daleks]]'')


It is unique from previous sonic screwdrivers in the fact that design-wise the handle was now the unique part of the sonic{{what}}, as opposed to the emitter, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman who Fell to Earth]]'') which had previously either had interchangeable heads, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sea Devils (TV story)|The Sea Devils]]'' - ''[[The Visitation (TV story)|The Visitation]]'') an extendable emitter, ([[TV]]: ''[[Smith and Jones (TV story)|Smith and Jones]]'' - ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'') "claws" deployed when the sonic was activated, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]] ''- ''[[Last Christmas (TV story)|Last Christmas]]'') or a large emitter glowing in a rotating fashion. ([[TV]]: ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]'' - ''[[Twice Upon a Time (TV story)|Twice Upon a Time]]'') It was also the first of the Doctor's sonic devices to have a curved handle, allowing for a more natural grip.
== The Fourteenth Doctor's screwdriver ==
{{main|Fourteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver}}
In his [[fourteenth incarnation]], the Doctor began utilising [[Fourteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver|a new model of sonic screwdriver]] ([[WC]]: {{cs|The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver (webcast)}}, [[PROSE]]: {{cs|Super Sonic (feature)|page=36-37}}) after [[Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver|the screwdriver]] belonging to the [[Thirteenth Doctor]] was destroyed. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Liberation of the Daleks (comic story)}}) The Fourteenth Doctor's screwdriver physically resembled previous screwdrivers. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Super Sonic (feature)|page=36-37}})


Comparing it to a [[Swiss Army knife]], but without the knife, the Doctor explained that it functioned not only as a [[screwdriver]], but as a [[scanner]] and a [[tin opener]], and it could be used for diagnostics. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]]'')  
== The Fifteenth Doctor's screwdriver ==
{{main|Fifteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver}}
In his [[fifteenth incarnation]], the Doctor utilised [[Fifteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver|a new sonic screwdriver]] which had a distinct design in comparison to his previous models. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Church on Ruby Road (TV story)|The Church on Ruby Road]]'' ''et al'')


It had a self-rebooting feature, allowing it to restore power if drained. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Tsuranga Conundrum (TV story)|The Tsuranga Conundrum]]'') It could not work on machinery if the power cells were fluctuating. ([[TV]]: ''[[Kerblam! (TV story)|Kerblam!]]'')
== Models belonging to ambiguous incarnations ==
One [[The Doctor 2 (Rose)|Doctor]] who used a [[wheelchair]] and postdated their [[fifteenth incarnation]] used [[The Doctor's sonic screwdriver (Rose)|a sonic screwdriver]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Rose (novelisation)|ed=2023 Illustrated Edition}})


To the Doctor's extreme surprise, her sonic could be rendered inoperative by [[recon scout]] [[Dalek]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[Resolution (TV story)|Resolution]]'')  
== Other realities ==
In a [[The Doctor's reality (The Curse of Fatal Death)|possible future]] stemming from the [[Eighth Doctor]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Tomorrow Windows (novel)|The Tomorrow Windows]]'') the [[Ninth Doctor (The Curse of Fatal Death)|"listless-looking" Ninth Doctor]] carried a [[The Doctor's sonic screwdriver (The Curse of Fatal Death)|sonic screwdriver]] with "three settings", which the [[Thirteenth Doctor (The Curse of Fatal Death)|Thirteenth Doctor]] continued to use. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Curse of Fatal Death (TV story)|The Curse of Fatal Death]]'') In a [[The Doctor's reality (Scream of the Shalka)|another reality]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Tomorrow Windows (novel)|The Tomorrow Windows]]'') the [[Ninth Doctor (Scream of the Shalka)|"pale aristocrat" Ninth Doctor]] also used a [[The Doctor's sonic screwdriver (Scream of the Shalka)|sonic screwdriver]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Scream of the Shalka (webcast)|Scream of the Shalka]]'')


=== Uses ===
In [[Unbound Universe|a universe where the Doctor was exiled to Earth in the 1990s rather than the 1970s]], [[Unbound Doctor|the Doctor]] didn't carry a sonic screwdriver, but he recognized a device similar to it. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Emporium at the End (audio story)|The Emporium at the End]]'')
==== Diagnostic ====
* Scanning the [[Stenza]] [[Tzim-Sha's pod|transport pod]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]]'')
* Scanning for [[artron energy]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Rosa (TV story)|Rosa]], [[Demons of the Punjab (TV story)|Demons of the Punjab]]'')
* Scanning reanimated [[corpse]]s to find out what is animating them. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Witchfinders (TV story)|The Witchfinders]]'')
* Scanning objects to understand their properties. ([[TV]]: ''[[Kerblam! (TV story)|Kerblam!]]'', ''[[The Witchfinders (TV story)|The Witchfinders]]'')


==== Security ====
In [[Parallel universe (Exile)|one parallel universe]], [[The Doctor (Exile)|an alternate female version of the Third Doctor]] used [[The Doctor's sonic screwdriver (Exile)|her sonic screwdriver]] to get a pound coin unstuck from a trolley. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Exile (audio story)|Exile]]'')
* Reactivating the [[Morax]] [[Pendle Hill|prison]] lock. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Witchfinders (TV story)|The Witchfinders]]'')


==== Technology ====
== Behind the scenes ==
* Removing [[DNA bomb|DNA bombs]] from [[Graham O'Brien|Graham]], [[Grace O'Brien|Grace]], [[Ryan Sinclair|Ryan]] and [[Yasmin Khan|Yaz's]] [[collarbone]]s and installing them into a [[Stenza]] [[Gathering Coil]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]]'')
* Signalling and summoning [[the TARDIS]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ghost Monument (TV story)|The Ghost Monument]]'', ''[[The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos (TV story)|The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos]]'')
* Accessing spacecraft databases. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Tsuranga Conundrum (TV story)|The Tsuranga Conundrum]]'', ''[[Demons of the Punjab (TV story)|Demons of the Punjab]]'')
* Creating false data on a computer. ([[TV]]: ''[[Kerblam! (TV story)|Kerblam!]]'')
* Blocking a Dalek's connection to its [[gunstick]] while not fully synchronised. ([[TV]]: ''[[Resolution (TV story)|Resolution]]'')


==== Utility ====
=== Running gag ===
* Opening a [[hatch]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ghost Monument (TV story)|The Ghost Monument]]'')
Whenever a new [[Head writer]] takes over, they always destroy the sonic screwdriver.
* Unlocking a [[padlock]]ed door. ([[TV]]: ''[[Rosa (TV story)|Rosa]]'')
**Steven Moffat twice over, so the Twelfth Doctor didn't have a hand-me-down from Eleven; just like with Eleven from Ten.
* Unlocking an [[apartment]] door. ([[TV]]: ''[[Arachnids in the UK (TV story)|Arachnids in the UK]]'')
**Chibnall, so he could start Thirteen off from scratch.
* Untying a [[knot]] in a [[rope]]. ([[TV]]: [[Demons of the Punjab (TV story)|''Demons of the Punjab'']])
* Using [[teleport]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[Kerblam! (TV story)|Kerblam!]]'')


==== Other ====
=== Information from invalid sources ===
* Erasing and restoring [[marker]] writing. ([[TV]]: ''[[Rosa (TV story)|Rosa]]'')
According to one account, [[The Doctor (The Lily Savage Show)|the Doctor]] got her sonic screwdriver from the planet [[Argos]]. ([[TV]]: {{Cs|Untitled (The Lily Savage Show)}})


== Behind the scenes ==
=== The sonic screwdriver prop ===
=== The sonic screwdriver prop ===
* The sonic screwdriver was [[retire]]d during the [[Fifth Doctor]] serial ''[[The Visitation (TV story)|The Visitation]]'', as it was felt that it had been overused. It was absent for the [[Sixth Doctor|Sixth]] and [[Seventh Doctor]]'s eras, except in [[Doctor Who (TV story)|the TV Movie]], in which the Seventh Doctor used it to lock [[the Master]]'s remains away. The [[Eighth Doctor]] recovered it at the end of the film. After appearing in many Seventh and Eighth Doctor audio adventures from [[Big Finish Productions]], the tool was reintroduced with the [[Ninth Doctor]] and has become the show's most frequently used gadget besides [[the TARDIS]] itself.
* In [[Victor Pemberton]]'s script for ''[[Fury from the Deep (TV story)|Fury from the Deep]]'', it was simply described as the Doctor's "own version of a screwdriver". When seeing a normal screwdriver in rehearsals, production assistant [[Michael Briant]] suggested using another prop and the device having sonic waves, so [[Patrick Troughton]] took a penlight from the [[visual effects]] department. ([[DWM 277]]) However, during location filming, Troughton accidentally lost the original prop and it had to be replaced at the last minute by [[Peter Day]]<ref>[https://twitter.com/NothingLane/status/909107817830895616 Extract] of [[Peter Day]]'s interview by [[Richard Bignell]] for [[Loose Cannon Productions]]' ''Doctor Who - The Making of Fury from the Deep''</ref> with the safety whistle<ref name="2ndEssay">[https://thezeroroomblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-2nd-doctors-sonic-screwdrivers.html Essay] by [[Lee Moone]]</ref> from [[Deborah Watling]]'s life jacket outfit.<ref>[https://www.therpf.com/forums/threads/2-sonics-for-the-2nd-doctor.179221/page-6#post-3227683 Account report] of [[Frazer Hines]]</ref>
* The screwdriver was given a rest once more in [[Series 9 (Doctor Who)|series 9]], only appearing in ''[[The Magician's Apprentice (TV story)|The Magician's Apprentice]]'', and a new version was introduced in the last episode ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]''. It was replaced by [[sonic sunglasses]] for that entire season.
* In episode six of ''[[Fury from the Deep (TV story)|Fury from the Deep]]'', the Second Doctor uses one of his devices together with some [[amplifier]]s to produce a "sonic laser soundwave" but it is unknown if this is the sonic screwdriver, and if so whether it was the retrieved original prop or not. The combined props are seen in a surviving alternate take of the climax battle of the episode, in which a sort of medical hammer appears to be lodged in the amplifier and manipulated by Troughton.
* The Second Doctor's slim penlight prop from ''[[The War Games (TV story)|The War Games]]'' has been identified as a EverReady model no. 1980 (1968-70 version).<ref name="2ndEssay" />
* The Third Doctor's sonic screwdriver is a modified prop from the ''[[Thunderbirds (series)|Thunderbirds]]'' film ''Thunderbirds Are Go'', where it appeared as a screwdriver of the non-sonic variety. When [[Century 21 Productions]] was closed, the prop, among others, was sold off to the BBC.<ref>[https://securityhazard.wordpress.com/2017/04/21/thunderbirds-are-go-1966/ Movie analysis]</ref>
* The sonic screwdriver was [[retire]]d during the [[Fifth Doctor]] serial ''[[The Visitation (TV story)|The Visitation]]'', as it was felt that it had not only been overused but also writers relied on it instead of their own inventiveness to get the Doctor out of tricky situations. It was absent for the [[Sixth Doctor|Sixth]] and [[Seventh Doctor]]'s eras, except in [[Doctor Who (TV story)|the TV Movie]], where the Seventh Doctor used it to lock {{Tipple}}'s remains away. The [[Eighth Doctor]] recovered it at the end of the film. After appearing in many Seventh and Eighth Doctor audio adventures from [[Big Finish Productions]], the tool was reintroduced with the [[Ninth Doctor]] and has become the show's most frequently used gadget besides [[the TARDIS]] itself.
* The screwdriver was given a rest once more in [[Series 9 (Doctor Who 2005)|series 9]], only appearing in ''[[The Magician's Apprentice (TV story)|The Magician's Apprentice]]'', and a new version was introduced in the last episode ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]''. It was replaced by [[sonic sunglasses]] for that entire season.
* For unexplained reasons, the [[Tenth Doctor]]'s sonic screwdriver had a green casing in ''[[The Infinite Quest (TV story)|The Infinite Quest]]''.
* For unexplained reasons, the [[Tenth Doctor]]'s sonic screwdriver had a green casing in ''[[The Infinite Quest (TV story)|The Infinite Quest]]''.
* During early production of [[Series 1 (Doctor Who)|series 1]] (2005), the production crew decided to switch from their original prop to one based on the toy sonic screwdriver because the first prop was prone to falling apart. The production team secured moulds of the toy replica to make a more reliable prop for [[Series 2 (Doctor Who)|the next season]].{{source}}
* There are two main versions of the Tenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver — one which has a slide feature with button, and one which does not slide and has a fixed button. The two prop types varied each episode.
* There are two main versions of the Tenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver — one which has a slide feature with button, and one which does not slide and has a fixed button. The two prop types varied each episode.
* The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver prop was created by modifying a Fourth Doctor's sonic screwdriver replica toy.
* The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver prop was created by modifying a Fourth Doctor's sonic screwdriver replica toy.
* When the Doctor handles the screwdriver, the clinking noises produced (when he throws and catches it) are created by repeating the motions with a corkscrew, the handles of which bump against the casing to produce the required noise. These noises are dubbed over the footage.
* When the Doctor handles the screwdriver, the clinking noises produced (when he throws and catches it) are created by repeating the motions with a corkscrew, the handles of which bump against the casing to produce the required noise. These noises are dubbed over the footage in post-production.
* Sometimes the production team used the Character options toy to replace the actual prop. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Rings of Akhaten (TV story)|The Rings of Akhaten]]'') {{what}}
* The Third Doctor's sonic screwdriver is a modified prop from the film Thunderbirds Are Go, the prop was originally used by Alan to unscrew the wires of the Zero-X junction box. After production had finished on the film and its sequel, Thunderbird 6, Century 21 studios were closed and many props sold off. <ref>https://securityhazard.wordpress.com/2017/04/21/thunderbirds-are-go-1966/</ref> <ref>https://securityhazard.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/thunderbirdsarego03458.jpg?w=768</ref>


=== Concept art ===
=== Concept art ===
* Early conceptual art of the modern era{{which}} sonic screwdriver features a different "tube" section. Notes refer to "glowing organic circuitry" and a movable ball-joint on the emitter to allow use around corners and in tight spaces. Instead of the "glowing circuitry," the actual prop and toy reproductions featured a black "swivel" like a simple helix. When given a personal copy of the concept art, [[David Tennant]] himself commented on the lack of the swivelling emitter. {{Source}}
* Early conceptual art of the first modern era sonic screwdriver features a different "tube" section. Notes refer to "glowing organic circuitry" and a movable ball-joint on the emitter to allow use around corners and in tight spaces. Instead of the "glowing circuitry," the actual prop and toy reproductions featured a black "swivel" like a simple helix. When given a personal copy of the concept art, [[David Tennant]] himself commented on the lack of the swivelling emitter. {{Source}}
* Another early piece of concept art, similar to a simple Bitmap drawing, reveals that the black "cap" at the reverse end of the sonic screwdriver was intended to be an opening set of "feet," allowing the sonic screwdriver to plug into a section of the [[TARDIS console]]. This feature was also dropped from the eventual prop model. {{source}}
* Another early piece of concept art, similar to a simple Bitmap drawing, reveals that the black "cap" at the reverse end of the sonic screwdriver was intended to be an opening set of "feet," allowing the sonic screwdriver to plug into a section of the [[TARDIS console]]. This feature was also dropped from the eventual prop model. {{source}}
* [[Dan Walker]] redesigned the sonic screwdriver, devising how it looks when used by the Ninth and Tenth Doctors. "We hit upon the idea of spark plugs, which in themselves are very iconic," Walker stated. "Initially, we started off quite techy, with retractable elements that would interface with an unlimited number of devices." Despite his work on redesigning the device, Walker wasn't allowed to take one of the sonic screwdriver props home with him. (''ImageFX'' magazine, October 2008, pp. 63 & 64)
* [[Dan Walker]] redesigned the sonic screwdriver, devising how it looks when used by the Ninth and Tenth Doctors. "We hit upon the idea of spark plugs, which in themselves are very iconic," Walker stated. "Initially, we started off quite techy, with retractable elements that would interface with an unlimited number of devices." Despite his work on redesigning the device, Walker wasn't allowed to take one of the sonic screwdriver props home with him. (''ImageFX'' magazine, October 2008, pp. 63 & 64)
[[File:TimeLordVictorious Sonic Screwdriver.jpg|thumb|Time Lord Victorious screwdriver concept art]]
* For the ''[[Time Lord Victorious (series)|Time Lord Victorious]]'' event, concept art was made of the Tenth Doctor screwdriver, modified with parts bearing Gallifreyan text. It would then feature in ''[[The Edge of Time (video game)|The Edge of Time]]'' videogame's ''Time Lord Victorious'' DLC as an item to receive to complete the DLC's level, and implicitly appear in the novel ''[[All Flesh is Grass (novel)|All Flesh Is Grass]]'' when the Tenth Doctor hastily repairs his sonic screwdriver with bits of his Time Lord regalia.


=== Sonic screwdriver toy ===
=== Sonic screwdriver toy ===
* A toy of the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s version was seen in "Light Echoes", an edition of [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mk7h "The Sky at Night"] broadcast on [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc4 BBC4] on Wednesday 5th October 2010. The screwdriver was (jokingly) used to scan a part of the [http://www.lofar.org.uk LOFAR] radio telescope, then under construction in Chilbolton, Hampshire, UK.
* A toy of the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s version was seen in "Light Echoes", an edition of [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mk7h "The Sky at Night"] broadcast on [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc4 BBC4] on Wednesday 5th October 2010. The screwdriver was (jokingly) used to scan a part of the [http://www.lofar.org.uk LOFAR] radio telescope, then under construction in Chilbolton, Hampshire, UK.
* The Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver toy has a total of four sound effects, two of which alternate with every other button press. The third is activated by pressing twice and holding on the third button push. The fourth is activated with three presses and a hold on the fourth push. However, in some models of the toy, over-use of the hidden sound effects causes the sound functions to eventually break, leaving only the LED functional.
* The Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver toy has a total of four sound effects, two of which alternate with every other button press. The third is activated by pressing twice and holding on the third button push. The fourth is activated with three presses and a hold on the fourth push. However, in some models of the toy, over-use of the hidden sound effects causes the sound functions to eventually break, leaving only the LED functional.
* The customiseable toy sonic screwdriver set featuring three screwdrivers with interchangeable parts can produce up to eight sound effects: the first two are the basic screwdriver sound, with slightly different pitches, and alternate each time the button is pressed. The other six effects are achieved in a similar manner to those of the Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver toy, and are accompanied by a flashing lights instead of a constant light.
* The customisable toy sonic screwdriver set featuring three screwdrivers with interchangeable parts can produce up to eight sound effects: the first two are the basic screwdriver sound, with slightly different pitches, and alternate each time the button is pressed. The other six effects are achieved in a similar manner to those of the Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver toy, and are accompanied by a flashing lights instead of a constant light.
* Since the War Doctor's sonic screwdriver prop was created by modifying a toy replica, the toy version that was subsequently produced is screen accurate.
* Since the War Doctor's sonic screwdriver prop was created by modifying a toy replica, the toy version that was subsequently produced is screen accurate.
=== ''Attack of the Graske'' ===
* In [[NOTVALID]]: ''[[Attack of the Graske (video game)|Attack of the Graske]]'', the [[Tenth Doctor]] appears to break the [[fourth wall]] by noting the player at home's been watching his adventures. Later, he points the sonic screwdriver at the television screen, transferring its powers to the player's digital remote control. This, along with having the player choose multiple endings to this game, disqualifies it as a [[valid source]] on this wiki.


=== Other matters ===
=== Other matters ===
* In the animated [[title sequence]] of the [[Series 1 (Totally Doctor Who)|first series]] of ''[[Totally Doctor Who]]'', the [[Tenth Doctor]] uses his sonic screwdriver to fire a blue burst of energy which blows off the [[hand]] of a [[Cyberman]].
* In the original script for ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'', the Doctor referred to his screwdriver as "Level 4000" technology.
* In the original script for ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'', the Doctor referred to his screwdriver as "Level 4000" technology.
* Scientists at the University of Dundee invented a device which turns objects with ultrasonic waves, an invention which has been described as a real-world version of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-17760077 Dr Who's sonic screwdriver 'invented' at Dundee University]</ref>
* Scientists at the University of Dundee invented a device which turns objects with ultrasonic waves, an invention which has been described as a real-world version of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-17760077 Dr Who's sonic screwdriver 'invented' at Dundee University]</ref>
Line 809: Line 159:
== Footnotes ==
== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Sonic devices}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:Sonic screwdrivers]]
[[Category:The Doctor's sonic screwdrivers| *]]
[[Category:The Doctor's possessions]]
[[Category:Cameras and recording devices]]
[[Category:The Doctor's devices]]

Latest revision as of 17:25, 21 October 2024

The Doctor, throughout many of their lives, possessed a sonic screwdriver. They ostensibly upgraded and improved each subsequent model, improving functionality and adding additional features while the design changed. Features included projecting sound waves to lock or unlock doors, frying circuitry, hacking, disabling, and activating technology. It could also be used as a scanning device, with medical applications.

Each model used the same software. Essentially, the sonic screwdriver in use by the War Doctor was the same as that in the Eleventh Doctor's possession, some 400 years later. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

At least one version of the screwdriver used a crystal similar to the Metebelis crystal sought after by the Eight Legs of Metebelis III, (COMIC: The Forgotten) while the Fifth Doctor attempted to collect a diothanine crystal from the planet Argentia where temporal zone met to focus sonic waveforms for a new sonic screwdriver. (AUDIO: Serpent in the Silver Mask) There were also electrical components. (COMIC: The Halls of Sacrifice)

The screwdriver had a multitude of settings and different versions of settings. The Tenth Doctor told Rose to use "setting 15B" to triangulate the source of the ghosts (TV: Army of Ghosts) and used 34-H to sink a ship. (COMIC: Second Wave) It had a setting 85 that undid security codes to unlock doors. (TV: The Lazarus Experiment) The Ninth Doctor told Rose to use setting 2428D to re-attach barbed wire. (TV: The Doctor Dances) Sarah Jane used the Theta Omega setting to melt plastic vines. (TV: The Android Invasion) The Twelfth Doctor told Clara to use setting 41 to send out random bursts of helicon energy to distract the Skovox Blitzer. (TV: The Caretaker) The Twelfth Doctor himself used setting 61 to knock out a cybernetically augmented dinosaur with a "sonic brainstorm". (COMIC: Spirits of the Jungle) However, at least one version of the screwdriver was able to use thoughts as well as settings. (TV: The Big Bang, Amy's Choice, Let's Kill Hitler, Death in Heaven) The same version could also be activated using the Doctor's voice. (TV: Deep Breath)

The different versions of the Doctor's sonic screwdrivers exhibited different capabilities and uses, such as medical diagnostics (TV: The Empty Child) and repair of organic parts; (TV: The Vampires of Venice) cutting, but also re-attaching materials such as barbed wire; (TV: The Doctor Dances) operating Earth machinery such as computers (TV: School Reunion) and even cash machines (at regular and high eject speeds); (TV: The Runaway Bride) creating a spark to light a candle (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace) or Bunsen burner; (TV: Evolution of the Daleks) opening and holding doors with acoustic locks; (TV: The Rings of Akhaten) and, on the rare occasion, driving screws without touching them. (TV: The War Games, The Ark in Space, The Doctor's Wife)

River Song told the Fourth Doctor that, though his current screwdriver was mostly just a screwdriver, he would later "go a bit crazy with the optional upgrades". (AUDIO: Someone I Once Knew)

Although it was primarily a tool, the sonic screwdriver could also be used as a defensive weapon, able to combine with other sonic devices to form a shield around a hostile target to either force them back (TV: The Day of the Doctor) or slow their advance. (TV: The Doctor Falls) The Tenth Doctor put it in a soundboard to destroy the Robot Santas by overloading their sensors. (TV: The Runaway Bride) The Eleventh Doctor used it to bounce sound waves off a knife held by Melody Pond, knocking it out of her hand. (TV: Let's Kill Hitler) The sonic screwdriver was also capable of holding off sound waves from creatures who relied on sound in order to attack such as the Vigil. (TV: The Rings of Akhaten)

The sonic screwdriver would, in rare occasions, be used as an offensive weapon, firing energy blasts. The Eleventh Doctor used it in this manner to help River Song defeat a group of Silents, defeating at least two of them. (TV: Day of the Moon) The Twelfth Doctor used the same model of screwdriver to blast a Hyperion, buying himself and others time to escape from it. (COMIC: The Hyperion Empire) It could also destroy ice creatures when it received the latest update. (TV: The Snowmen)

The Tenth Doctor claimed that the device could not be used to wound, maim or kill living things. (TV: Doomsday, The Doctor's Daughter) Despite this, the Third Doctor used the device to incapacitate Space Greyhounds by disrupting their brain functions, (COMIC: The Forgotten) the Eighth Doctor once claimed it could destroy a Dalek's brain if held directly against the casing when activated, (PROSE: War of the Daleks) and the Twelfth Doctor used setting 61 to knock out a cybernetically augmented dinosaur with a "sonic brainstorm". (COMIC: Spirits of the Jungle) It could destroy non-living objects or mechanisms or place living creatures in circumstances where they might die if the situation required. (TV: The Christmas Invasion) The War Doctor claimed that it was a scientific instrument rather than a water pistol, (TV: The Day of the Doctor) or indeed a magic wand. (PROSE: The Day of the Doctor)

Particularly during the Time War (AUDIO: The Satanic Mill, The Thousand Worlds, The Heart of the Battle, A Thing of Guile) and in their thirteenth incarnation, (COMIC: A New Beginning, TV: The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos) the Doctor was known on occasion to summon the TARDIS using their sonic screwdriver, though the Thirteenth Doctor noted that the TARDIS got "prickly" at being summoned too often, as she found it demeaning. (COMIC: A New Beginning)

For a time, the Twelfth Doctor abandoned sonic screwdrivers in favour of wearable technology - namely, his sonic sunglasses. (TV: The Witch's Familiar, Under the Lake) However, after briefly returning to Gallifrey and having Clara Oswald dematerialise with them still inside her TARDIS, he resumed using screwdrivers, as his TARDIS fashioned a new one for him as a gift. Furthermore, after the Doctor had lost sight of who he was, Clara left him a reminder to "be a Doctor" after leaving his company. As part of his role of being a Doctor was to use a sonic screwdriver, the Doctor accepted the TARDIS's gift (TV: Hell Bent) though he would continue to occasionally use the sunglasses as well. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)

The Second Doctors' sonic screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Second Doctor's sonic screwdriver

The first sonic screwdriver used by the Doctor was invented and used by his second incarnation (PROSE: The Murder Game, AUDIO: The Forsaken, TV: Fury from the Deep) The First Doctor had on at least one occasion utilised a sonic device of some kind (PROSE: Venusian Lullaby) but expressed unfamiliarity and disdain at the Twelfth Doctor's sonic screwdriver. (TV: Twice Upon a Time) The Second Doctor used the screwdriver throughout his life, from at least as early as his travels with the Polly, Ben and Jamie (AUDIO: The Forsaken) until his enforced work for the Celestial Intervention Agency near the end of his life. (AUDIO: Wrath of the Ice Warriors, Helicon Prime)

The Third, Fourth and Fifth Doctors' sonic screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Third Doctor's sonic screwdriver

The Third Doctor used a new model of the sonic screwdriver which would be used throughout the lifetime of the Fourth Doctor. Early in his life, the Fifth Doctor made use of it until it was destroyed by the Terileptils, and he did not replace it afterwards. (TV: The Visitation)

Used by the Sixth Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Sixth Doctor's sonic screwdriver

While going "hands free" for most of his life, the Sixth Doctor occasionally carried a replacement sonic screwdriver. (PROSE: The Nightmare Fair, AUDIO: The Ultimate Adventure)

The Seventh and Eighth Doctors' sonic screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Seventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver

Both the Seventh and Eighth Doctor carried the "Mark 5" sonic screwdriver. (TV: Doctor Who, PROSE: Alien Bodies) The Seventh Doctor was seen using this screwdriver by the latter part of his life, although it's exact origin depended on the source, and remained in the Eighth Doctor's use throughout his life, although he would replace it with a different model until the Last Great Time War.

Replacement on Ha'olam[[edit] | [edit source]]

During his imprisonment by INC on Ha'olam, the Eighth Doctor's sonic screwdriver was confiscated. After his escape, he briefly used a replacement screwdriver resembling a slender metal rod with a crystal at its tip. (PROSE: Seeing I)

Uses[[edit] | [edit source]]

This screwdriver was used by the Doctor for making milkshakes and hacking into the Ubernet. (PROSE: Seeing I)

The Eighth Doctor's second screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Eighth Doctor's second sonic screwdriver

Later in his eighth incarnation, the Doctor carried a more advanced sonic screwdriver with a wooden handle. It had a metallic tip with six prongs that nested a clear diode at the end, which glowed blue when activated. (AUDIO: The Great War) The Doctor claimed that he made this version of the sonic screwdriver to do more than open doors and blow up land mines. (AUDIO: X and the Daleks) He was seen using it as early as his travels with Charley Pollard, up until the early part of the Last Great Time War. (PROSE: Natural Regression)

The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: War Doctor's sonic screwdriver

During his battles in the Last Great Time War, the War Doctor used a sonic screwdriver with a simple metallic handle and a red light-emitting diode at the end. It appeared to be a further upgraded version of the Eighth Doctor's first sonic screwdriver, which he kept strapped in a bandoleer on his chest. (TV: The Day of the Doctor) After the end of the Last Great Time War, the Ninth Doctor kept this model until it was destroyed early in his life. (AUDIO: The Bleeding Heart)

The Ninth and Tenth Doctors' sonic screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Ninth Doctor's sonic screwdriver

The Ninth and Tenth Doctor's used a new model of sonic screwdriver with a blue emitter, which was used far more frequently than his previous incarnations. (TV: Rose, et al.) The Eleventh Doctor inadvertently burned it out shortly after his regeneration. (TV: The Eleventh Hour)

The Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors' sonic screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver

The Eleventh Doctor was gifted a new model of sonic screwdriver by the TARDIS, with a green crystal emitter and copper plating. (TV: The Eleventh Hour) After using it for a long time, with it being destroyed and replaced several times, the Twelfth Doctor ended up abandoning it with Davros as a child, and the Doctor would subsequently choose to use sonic sunglasses instead. (TV: The Witch's Familiar)

The Twelfth Doctor's second screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Twelfth Doctor's second sonic screwdriver

The Twelfth Doctor would be gifted a different model of sonic screwdriver by the TARDIS after saying a final farewell to Clara. It was a larger mechanical model, (TV: Hell Bent) which he used in conjunction with his sonic sunglasses. (TV: The Husbands of River Song, Extremis) After his regeneration, the Thirteenth Doctor would lose this screwdriver after falling out of the TARDIS. (TV: Twice Upon a Time)

The Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver

The Thirteenth Doctor created a replacement sonic screwdriver out of "Sheffield steel". It was unique from previous sonic screwdrivers in that it had a changeable, curved handle, allowing for a more natural grip. (TV: The Woman Who Fell to Earth) This screwdriver would be destroyed shortly after the Thirteenth Doctor's regneration at the Dalek Dome. (COMIC: Liberation of the Daleks)

The Fourteenth Doctor's screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Fourteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver

In his fourteenth incarnation, the Doctor began utilising a new model of sonic screwdriver (WC: The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver [+]Loading...["The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver (webcast)"], PROSE: Super Sonic [+]Loading...{"page":"36-37","1":"Super Sonic (feature)"}) after the screwdriver belonging to the Thirteenth Doctor was destroyed. (COMIC: Liberation of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Liberation of the Daleks (comic story)"]) The Fourteenth Doctor's screwdriver physically resembled previous screwdrivers. (PROSE: Super Sonic [+]Loading...{"page":"36-37","1":"Super Sonic (feature)"})

The Fifteenth Doctor's screwdriver[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Fifteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver

In his fifteenth incarnation, the Doctor utilised a new sonic screwdriver which had a distinct design in comparison to his previous models. (TV: The Church on Ruby Road et al)

Models belonging to ambiguous incarnations[[edit] | [edit source]]

One Doctor who used a wheelchair and postdated their fifteenth incarnation used a sonic screwdriver. (PROSE: Rose [+]Loading...{"ed":"2023 Illustrated Edition","1":"Rose (novelisation)"})

Other realities[[edit] | [edit source]]

In a possible future stemming from the Eighth Doctor, (PROSE: The Tomorrow Windows) the "listless-looking" Ninth Doctor carried a sonic screwdriver with "three settings", which the Thirteenth Doctor continued to use. (TV: The Curse of Fatal Death) In a another reality, (PROSE: The Tomorrow Windows) the "pale aristocrat" Ninth Doctor also used a sonic screwdriver. (TV: Scream of the Shalka)

In a universe where the Doctor was exiled to Earth in the 1990s rather than the 1970s, the Doctor didn't carry a sonic screwdriver, but he recognized a device similar to it. (AUDIO: The Emporium at the End)

In one parallel universe, an alternate female version of the Third Doctor used her sonic screwdriver to get a pound coin unstuck from a trolley. (AUDIO: Exile)

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Running gag[[edit] | [edit source]]

Whenever a new Head writer takes over, they always destroy the sonic screwdriver.

    • Steven Moffat twice over, so the Twelfth Doctor didn't have a hand-me-down from Eleven; just like with Eleven from Ten.
    • Chibnall, so he could start Thirteen off from scratch.

Information from invalid sources[[edit] | [edit source]]

According to one account, the Doctor got her sonic screwdriver from the planet Argos. (TV: Untitled [+]Loading...["Untitled (The Lily Savage Show)"])

The sonic screwdriver prop[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • In Victor Pemberton's script for Fury from the Deep, it was simply described as the Doctor's "own version of a screwdriver". When seeing a normal screwdriver in rehearsals, production assistant Michael Briant suggested using another prop and the device having sonic waves, so Patrick Troughton took a penlight from the visual effects department. (DWM 277) However, during location filming, Troughton accidentally lost the original prop and it had to be replaced at the last minute by Peter Day[1] with the safety whistle[2] from Deborah Watling's life jacket outfit.[3]
  • In episode six of Fury from the Deep, the Second Doctor uses one of his devices together with some amplifiers to produce a "sonic laser soundwave" but it is unknown if this is the sonic screwdriver, and if so whether it was the retrieved original prop or not. The combined props are seen in a surviving alternate take of the climax battle of the episode, in which a sort of medical hammer appears to be lodged in the amplifier and manipulated by Troughton.
  • The Second Doctor's slim penlight prop from The War Games has been identified as a EverReady model no. 1980 (1968-70 version).[2]
  • The Third Doctor's sonic screwdriver is a modified prop from the Thunderbirds film Thunderbirds Are Go, where it appeared as a screwdriver of the non-sonic variety. When Century 21 Productions was closed, the prop, among others, was sold off to the BBC.[4]
  • The sonic screwdriver was retired during the Fifth Doctor serial The Visitation, as it was felt that it had not only been overused but also writers relied on it instead of their own inventiveness to get the Doctor out of tricky situations. It was absent for the Sixth and Seventh Doctor's eras, except in the TV Movie, where the Seventh Doctor used it to lock the Old Master's remains away. The Eighth Doctor recovered it at the end of the film. After appearing in many Seventh and Eighth Doctor audio adventures from Big Finish Productions, the tool was reintroduced with the Ninth Doctor and has become the show's most frequently used gadget besides the TARDIS itself.
  • The screwdriver was given a rest once more in series 9, only appearing in The Magician's Apprentice, and a new version was introduced in the last episode Hell Bent. It was replaced by sonic sunglasses for that entire season.
  • For unexplained reasons, the Tenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver had a green casing in The Infinite Quest.
  • There are two main versions of the Tenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver — one which has a slide feature with button, and one which does not slide and has a fixed button. The two prop types varied each episode.
  • The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver prop was created by modifying a Fourth Doctor's sonic screwdriver replica toy.
  • When the Doctor handles the screwdriver, the clinking noises produced (when he throws and catches it) are created by repeating the motions with a corkscrew, the handles of which bump against the casing to produce the required noise. These noises are dubbed over the footage in post-production.

Concept art[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Early conceptual art of the first modern era sonic screwdriver features a different "tube" section. Notes refer to "glowing organic circuitry" and a movable ball-joint on the emitter to allow use around corners and in tight spaces. Instead of the "glowing circuitry," the actual prop and toy reproductions featured a black "swivel" like a simple helix. When given a personal copy of the concept art, David Tennant himself commented on the lack of the swivelling emitter. [source needed]
  • Another early piece of concept art, similar to a simple Bitmap drawing, reveals that the black "cap" at the reverse end of the sonic screwdriver was intended to be an opening set of "feet," allowing the sonic screwdriver to plug into a section of the TARDIS console. This feature was also dropped from the eventual prop model. [source needed]
  • Dan Walker redesigned the sonic screwdriver, devising how it looks when used by the Ninth and Tenth Doctors. "We hit upon the idea of spark plugs, which in themselves are very iconic," Walker stated. "Initially, we started off quite techy, with retractable elements that would interface with an unlimited number of devices." Despite his work on redesigning the device, Walker wasn't allowed to take one of the sonic screwdriver props home with him. (ImageFX magazine, October 2008, pp. 63 & 64)
Time Lord Victorious screwdriver concept art
  • For the Time Lord Victorious event, concept art was made of the Tenth Doctor screwdriver, modified with parts bearing Gallifreyan text. It would then feature in The Edge of Time videogame's Time Lord Victorious DLC as an item to receive to complete the DLC's level, and implicitly appear in the novel All Flesh Is Grass when the Tenth Doctor hastily repairs his sonic screwdriver with bits of his Time Lord regalia.

Sonic screwdriver toy[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • A toy of the Eleventh Doctor's version was seen in "Light Echoes", an edition of "The Sky at Night" broadcast on BBC4 on Wednesday 5th October 2010. The screwdriver was (jokingly) used to scan a part of the LOFAR radio telescope, then under construction in Chilbolton, Hampshire, UK.
  • The Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver toy has a total of four sound effects, two of which alternate with every other button press. The third is activated by pressing twice and holding on the third button push. The fourth is activated with three presses and a hold on the fourth push. However, in some models of the toy, over-use of the hidden sound effects causes the sound functions to eventually break, leaving only the LED functional.
  • The customisable toy sonic screwdriver set featuring three screwdrivers with interchangeable parts can produce up to eight sound effects: the first two are the basic screwdriver sound, with slightly different pitches, and alternate each time the button is pressed. The other six effects are achieved in a similar manner to those of the Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver toy, and are accompanied by a flashing lights instead of a constant light.
  • Since the War Doctor's sonic screwdriver prop was created by modifying a toy replica, the toy version that was subsequently produced is screen accurate.

Other matters[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • In the animated title sequence of the first series of Totally Doctor Who, the Tenth Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to fire a blue burst of energy which blows off the hand of a Cyberman.
  • In the original script for The Eleventh Hour, the Doctor referred to his screwdriver as "Level 4000" technology.
  • Scientists at the University of Dundee invented a device which turns objects with ultrasonic waves, an invention which has been described as a real-world version of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.[5]
  • Doctor Who: Legacy mobile game contains a premium pack called "Sonic Adventure", which is centred around finding various sonic devices used by different incarnations of the Doctor and by several other characters. The playable characters form this premium pack represented almost every model of sonic screwdriver encountered in the DWU.

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ Extract of Peter Day's interview by Richard Bignell for Loose Cannon Productions' Doctor Who - The Making of Fury from the Deep
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Essay by Lee Moone
  3. ↑ Account report of Frazer Hines
  4. ↑ Movie analysis
  5. ↑ Dr Who's sonic screwdriver 'invented' at Dundee University
v • e
Sonic devices and sonic technology
Used by the Doctor
Used by the Doctor's companions
Used by River Song
Used by Iris Wildthyme
Used by the Paternoster Gang
Used by the Doctor's enemies
Dalek technology
Weapons
Other
From Non-valid stories
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