Doctor Who: 10 Best Thirteenth Doctor Quotes – Screen Rant
In honor Jodie Whitaker’s upcoming final Doctor Who adventure, now is the perfect time to look back on the Thirteenth Doctor’s best quotes
With three seasons under her belt, Jodie Whitaker has had an incredible journey as the bright and charismatic Thirteenth Doctor. Despite the hate she has received from many corners of the internet, the actor has proved herself as a capable force whose talents stand alongside those of previous Doctor Who actors such as Tom Baker and David Tennant.
Jodie Whitaker brought a level of warmth and excitement to the Doctor that so few have done before, and it helped shape her incarnation of the character (despite some messy scripts.) In honor of this feat and her upcoming departure in the centenary special, now is the perfect time to look back on the quotes that best define the Thirteenth Doctor.
Offered at the end of Jodi Whitaker’s first episode as the Doctor, the line about change is part of a larger speech directed at the episode’s villain. The Doctor starts the diatribe by patronizing Tim Shaw before giving the villain a chance to redeem himself.
Both within and outside the context of the scene, the quote works, to sum up, who the Thirteenth Doctor is as an individual. She’s different from her immediate predecessors due to her gender and upbeat personality, yet she’s still the Doctor, someone who is willing to give people second chances.
“The Witchfinders” is a historical episode of Doctor Who that finds the Thirteenth Doctor’s authority questioned and her physical person threatened because of her gender. It pulls no punches in pointing out the historical discrimination and sexism that permeated English culture throughout history, and this quote sums it up perfectly.
Beyond commenting on the atrocities of the past – the witch hunts that the title implies – the quote also points to the sexism that unfortunately permeates the Doctor Who fandom. There are legitimate issues to be had with the current iteration of the show, but claiming that the Thirteenth Doctor isn’t valid or doesn’t count is not one of them. This quote is the perfect response to those baseless critiques.
Despite featuring some of the most abysmal morals of any Doctor Who episode, “Arachnids in the UK” offers several lines of dialogue that point to the Thirteenth Doctor being one of the more likable Doctor Who characters. This line is perhaps the best example.
In a bid to appear confident before her companions, Thirteen delivers the “danger for breakfast” cliché before fessing up so as not to appear too intimidating. It’s cute and perfectly in line with a character as scatterbrained as the Doctor, especially for someone like Thirteen who tends to share the most random information.
From one of Doctor Who’s more unpopular and forgettable episodes comes a surprisingly potent line of dialogue. It’s delivered after the faith of Andinio and Paltraki is shattered by the revelation that Tim Shaw is not their god, and the Doctor comforts them as they accept their new reality.
As important as this moment is in showing that the Doctor is an individual who cares about others, the line also has an aspirational quality outside of its original context. It’s a comforting platitude that encapsulates Thirteen’s approach to life, and one that more people ought to adopt.
The Doctor is one of television’s kindest heroes. In the words of Steven Moffat, “They didn’t give him a tank or a warship or an X-Wing, they gave him a call box from which you can call for help and they didn’t give him a superpower or a heat-ray, they gave him an extra heart.”
The ideals of the Doctor remain constant across all iterations. This is even true in the Thirteenth Doctor’s debut when in a state of post-regeneration amnesia, she still holds to her principles. It’s what makes this quote so important for the character given how drastic of a change the show took with casting Whitaker.
Even in the direst of situations, the Doctor can be inspiring. Such is the case in “The Tsuranga Conundrum” when the Doctor attempts to rid the Pting from the starship Tsuranga.
Though the moment on its own isn’t quite as rousing as the script thinks it is, the line outside of the episode’s context is a great reminder for audiences to be imaginative. It embodies the joy and wonders that the Doctor. as a time-traveling superhero, revels in regularly.
Delivered during the Thirteenth Doctor’s debut episode, this quote sees her establish her identity as the Doctor and accept the responsibility that comes with it. After spending much of the episode unsure of herself, this certainty came as a relief for viewers.
Fans weren’t sure what to make of the Thirteenth Doctor before her debut, yet this quote alleviated most fears people had for the character. Despite the notable change in appearance, The Thirteenth Doctor largely held to the principles of her predecessors, and this quote neatly sums up the ethos of the character.
Delivered at the end of one of Doctor Who’s more bizarre adventures, the line finds the Thirteenth Doctor talking to the Solitract in an attempt to return to her universe. The Solitract knows the Doctor doesn’t belong in its world, yet wants to hold on to her because it’s lonely.
Outside the context of the episode’s surreal adventure, the quote serves as a reminder of the Doctor’s morals. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, and in this case, that means giving up on a possible friendship to bring her companions home.
Easily the Thirteenth Doctor’s most dramatic moment, this line comes at the end of “The Haunting of Villa Diodati” where the Doctor must choose between saving Percy Shelly and stopping the lone Cyberman. It’s a tense scenario and one that tests the Doctor’s relationship with her companions.
What makes the quote so potent is that it’s one of the few times the Doctor asserts her authority over the companions. Much as she likes to see them as equals, they often don’t have the experience necessary to make the hard decisions, forcing the Doctor to pull rank to preserve history.
In one of the most touching speeches in Doctor Who’s history, the Thirteenth Doctor asserts herself as a more positive incarnation of the show’s titular character. She’s no longer ridden with guilt about the Time War, and this bubbly optimism makes her the perfect minister in an otherwise bleak situation.
The Doctor knows that Prem is not likely to make it out of the partition alive, yet she expresses hope that this couple will be a guiding light for the future. This sense of hope is what defines the Doctor as a character, and it’s perfectly embodied by Thirteen’s demeanor.
Connor Shelton is a recent college graduate and content list writer for Screen Rant. His experience includes writing reviews for Rock at Night and The Prog Report and editing features for the Truman Media Network. Having hacked away at the keyboard since 2020, Connor’s goals have been to discuss media in a critical manner that is fun and understandable for general audiences. His obsessions include Doctor Who, Hellboy, and anything related to Transformers. He’s also a passionate fan of the band Kansas and a poet.