The twelfth series of the beloved sci-fi show Doctor Who saw many classic villains and heroes make a comeback. The Master, Timelords, Captain Jack, The Cybermen, and the Celestials all made appearances, sparking hope that this new era of the show could include even more beloved characters from the show’s past.
Series 13 might still be a long way away, but that won’t stop us from predicting who could and should reappear. Looking forward to the upcoming return of the show, join us as we speculate what villains could face off against Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and friends.
The Dream Lord
The Dream Lord made his first and only appearance in the Doctor Who story Amy’s Choice. In this story, an entity birthed of the Doctor’s psyche manifested itself, torturing The Doctor, Amy, and Rory in a dual dream challenge, where they would face their greatest fears and insecurities.
Toby Jones absolutely killed it in this role, and it is shocking that he has never come back for another story. The final moments of the episode leave his fate vague, so there is still a door open for his return. He would be welcomed back with open arms if he faced off against this new version of The Doctor.
The Vashta Nerada
The Vashta Nerada were also a villain who only got a single story out of them. Created by Stephen Moffatt, these beastly monsters haunted The Doctor, Donna, and River Song on the planetary library in series four. Microscopic carnivores, they could only appear in the dark.
This story was a fantastic one, as it not only offered a great new villain but a great story around them. It would be amazing to bring the Vashta Nerada back for a second story and really giving them some time to flesh out as the villains. A writer could really embrace our natural fear of the dark.
The Rani
The Rani was a villainous Time Lady who appeared in the later seasons of classic Doctor Who. The only on-screen version of the character was brought to life by Kate O’Mara, who killed it in nearly every episode in which she appeared. Sadly, unlike The Master or Rassilon, The Rani has not had her moment of triumphant return.
The Rani should totally return as a major villain in some future series of the show. Nearly every other major timelord has made a new appearance in the series, and it is shocking that she has not gotten a chance. Bringing her back would a major treat, especially for fans of the Sylvester McCoy era of the series.
The Sea Devils
The Sea Devil might look silly, but there were some of the best villains from the classic series. A race of amphibian humanoids, they survived on earth long before humans did (similarly to the Silurians). Their face-off against the likes of the Third Doctor was a highlight for many as children.
These scaly villains are long overdue for a modern update. How is it that Alpha Centauri got an appearance on this new iteration of the series before the Sea Devils. It’s criminal! These monsters could easily be adapted for a new generation in the same way the Silurians were.
The Reapers
The Reapers appeared in the Ninth Doctor story Father’s Day, appearing to destroy the tear in history that was Rose Tyler’s Father’s death. These gigantic bat-like creatures were some of the more unnerving additions to Doctor Who, and somehow or another they only appeared in one episode.
Since then, many of the rules of time travel have been altered or ignored. While canon is a difficult commitment for a series this old, it would be nice to offer some stories that seemed to have some weight and consequence to them. Bringing back these time fixing Reapers would do just the trick.
Sutekh
Sutekh was the embodiment of the real-life Egyptian deity. An Osiran of old, he stood as a hegemonic being obsessed with standing above all life. Because of this, he was committed to obliterating it from all existence. The Fourth Doctor eventually trapped him in a mirrored dimension though, foiling his plans.
A supremely powerful being, its surprising that no story has seen him return again. The inclusion of multi-dimensional storytelling with ancient Egyptian motifs worked so well in the Pyramids of Mars. Bringing him back as a big bad for a future story seems like a no brainer.
The Celestial Toymaker
The Celestials made a reappearance in the series twelve-episode Can You Hear Me? haunting the nightmares of the entire world. A major namedrop of another Celestial was mentioned during this episode, hopefully hinting at a future appearance.
The Celestial Toymaker terrorized The Doctor and his friends through a series of puzzles and tasks, but the episode was lost among many others from this era. Fans have clamored to find them though, as the villain cemented himself in their memory. A return from him seems like a no-brainer.
The Silurians
The Silurians have held a pretty decent run on the series since their return in series five of the revival. That being said, that was just one showrunner’s take on the race of subterranean humanoids. They have a much longer history dating back to the classic series.
They are due for another return to the series, perhaps with a bit of a new take. Maybe altering their makeup to be a bit scarier, somewhat akin to the classic series, would offer something new. But, this would mean fans would need to move past the era of Vastra and the rest of the Paternoster Gang.
The Valyeard
Perhaps no villains have been speculated or clamored to return more than the Valeyard. Appearing in the Sixth Doctor’s story Trial of a Timelord, The Valeyard was an amalgamation of the darkest sides of The Doctor, said to appear between his twelfth and final regeneration.
While The Doctor has since been granted more regenerations since, this just means that the arrival of the Valeyard has been postponed, not canceled. His arrival would mark a turning point in the series, remains one of the final threads left unaddressed from the classic series.
The Monk
The Monk was one of the first timelords to appear on the series other than Susan and The Doctor. A mischievous meddler, the Monk appeared in moments of history and attempted to alter it for his own means. He stood as a selfish trickster as opposed to an evil foe.
Bringing in a character like this for the Doctor to face off against would allow for a lot of fun moments. This is someone nowhere near as evil as Missy, but just as opposed to The Doctor’s moral compass. Also, it would be a great connection to the earliest days of the series.
