Doctor Who: How The First & Last Lines Of Each Doctor Explain Their Arcs

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There have been thirteen different incarnations of the Doctor in Doctor Who — and the first and last words of each Doctor are often so very appropriate. Regeneration is the key to Doctor Who's longevity; it means that, unlike any other science-fiction TV show, Doctor Who can effortlessly recast its star without deviating from the core concept at all. Showrunners have often seen regeneration as an opportunity to effectively relaunch the series in tone, style, and even theme as well.

Sometimes the regenerations stress continuity. More often, though, modern Doctor Who has viewed each incarnation of the Doctor through their differences to previous incarnations as well as their similarities, meaning there have been discernible character arcs. Each Doctor's first and last words often serve as a pointer to these arc — especially their last words, with recent Doctors taking the opportunity to define their era in beautiful, flowing speeches.

Related: Doctor Who Finally Fixes The Doctor's Worst Companion Mistake

Jodie Whittaker's tenure as the Thirteenth Doctor is soon coming to an end, and no doubt her words will be just as appropriate. In the meantime, though, here are the first televised words of each Doctor, as well as the last thing they said before they regenerated.

Doctor Who all started in a junkyard, when a couple of nosy schoolteachers followed a curious student home and stumbled into a police box. William Hartnell's First Doctor was a mysterious, enigmatic figure with a harsh and abrasive personality, who whisked those two teachers away through time and space rather than allow them to tell anyone what they'd discovered. Appropriately enough, his first televised words were sharp and accusatory; "What are you doing here?"