Tenth Doctor

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The Tenth Doctor is the last and latest known incarnation of the Time Lord known as the Doctor.

Profile

When the Doctor absorbed the Time Vortex from his companion, Rose Tyler, it began to destroy every cell in his body, causing him to resort to regeneration to save his life. (DW: The Parting of the Ways) He piloted his TARDIS back to Powell Estate on Christmas Eve and, as he had after some of his other regenerations, fell into a coma, watched over by Rose and her mother, Jackie. He sprang into action again to save Rose from the robotic Christmas tree before lapsing into the coma again and re-awoken onboard the Sycorax ship where he defeated their leader and deposed the regime of Harriet Jones, his former ally. He then spent Christmas Day with Mickey Smith and the Tylers. (DW: The Christmas Invasion)

Back in time and space again with Rose, in 1879 Scotland, he and Rose met Queen Victoria and inadvertantly inspired the Queen to create the Torchwood Institute, an organisation unfriendly to the Doctor. (DW: Tooth and Claw)

Under cover as John Smith, a physics teacher at a high school which the Krillitanes had infilitrated, the Doctor re-united with his old friends Sarah Jane Smith and K-9. He also took on Mickey Smith as his companion. (DW: School Reunion) He fell in love with Reinette, a beautiful noblewoman in 18th century Versailles. (DW: The Girl in the Fireplace) On a paralell Earth, he witnessed the birth of that universe's Cybermen and saw off Mickey, who decided to stay on the other world. (DW: Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel)

Characteristics

Personality

Like his predecessor, this Doctor was capable of boundless enthusiasm, though in his case often at inappropriate times. While many Doctors have intentionally flouted social conventions, the Tenth seems to be genuinely surprised when he is rude or uncouth. Charismatic and manic and with boundless energy, he retained and even exceeded his last incarnation's capacity for righteous anger, especially when Rose was threatened, as when the Wire stole her face. (DW: The Idiot's Lantern). When driven by anger or righteousness, he would act without hesitation to strike down those who oppose him, for example in toppling the regime of Harriet Jones with just six well-chosen words after she committed what the Doctor considered mass murder. (DW: The Christmas Invasion). While he had resolved much of the survivor's guilt felt previously, he was is beginning to feel his age and, behind the outward playfulness, he feels a deep loneliness. His keen sense of loss leads him to empathise with those who have also suffered.

But there was an undeniable shadow cast over the jollity of the Doctor. He had a ruthlessness, bordering on arrogance, that was almost eerie to behold. Beneath his youthful veneer, the Doctor is a very old man who has seen many terrible things; and in some matters, his patience has worn out. His usual jolly demeanor has somewhat disappeared since the departure of Rose. He was a little angrier, darker, and not as friendly towards Donna or Martha. This suggests that he never really got over Rose's leave-taking.

Habits and Quirks

The Doctor made frequent reference to twentieth century pop culture, from the Ghostbusters theme (DW: Army of Ghosts) to the "Circle of Life Song" from The Lion King (DW: The Christmas Invasion) He's fond of rock and roll, trying to take Rose to see concerts by both Elvis Presley (DW: The Idiot's Lantern) and Ian Drury (DW: Tooth and Claw), and dresses in the manner of an indie Brit-pop musician. He wore reading glasses and trainers. He often remarked that exotic technology or life is "beautiful" and is genuinely enthralled by such discoveries, sometimes to the extent that he places himself or his companions in danger.

Until they left his life, he continued his previous incarnation's habit of mildy abusing both Mickey and Jackie, though generally in a more obviously playful fashion.