War Doctor
An unknown incarnation of the Doctor was encountered by the Eleventh Doctor and Clara Oswald when they entered the Doctor's own timestream. It is hinted that this incarnation of the Time Lord was responsible for a transgression that dishonored his name.
The Eleventh Doctor, upon coming into contact with this incarnation, spurned the very memory of him. He went so far as to suggest this incarnation did not even hold the moniker of "the Doctor" due to his actions in life. He explained to Clara that his real name was not the point; he chose the name "the Doctor" and explained that the name a person chose was like a promise, and this unknown incarnation was "the one who broke the promise. He is my secret." This unknown incarnation responded by defending those actions, stating he had "no choice" and that he did what he did "in the name of peace and sanity." The Eleventh Doctor acknowledged this as true, but that it had not been "in the name of the Doctor." (TV: The Name of the Doctor)
Although some pictures have been seen with John Hurt in a 8th-9th Doctor outfit, and some fans believe him to be the actual ninth doctor, this is sadly not the case. Actually, the John Hurt Doctor is a version of the Doctor similar to the Watcher, the Valeyard, and the Dream Lord. This version of the Doctor represents the true nature of the Doctor, or, the nature of the man who would become the Doctor. This is how the Doctor was before he re-named himself, or, as some might say, an echo of the Doctor's old personality and principles.
Behind the Scenes
- If this Doctor is an actual incarnation of the Doctor (and not a copy or a manifestation of some part of the Doctor's personality), then Hurt, aged 73 when he first appeared on screen, will become the oldest actor to portray the Doctor upon their debut appearance. The second oldest would be William Hartnell, who was 55 years old when the show premiered in 1963.
