Peter Capaldi serves as the twelfth official incarnation of the titular character in Doctor Who. Who is the longest-running science fiction show on television. Since 1963, the show has followed the adventures of the Doctor, an alien space and time traveler. The Doctor brings hope wherever he goes and always saves the day.

Capaldi’s Doctor is gruff and quirky. He conceals his emotions and squirms during hugs. He feels deeply for his companions, but he doesn’t shy away from making tough decisions. Capaldi had a successful three seasons as the Doctor, full of popular episodes like the following.

10 The Witch’s Familiar 8.5

The Doctor is trapped on the planet Skaro, the homeworld of his terrifying enemy, the Daleks. Davros, the creator of the Daleks is dying. He begs the Doctor to help him, attempting to appeal to his compassion. Twelve has to decide whether to stick to his morals or try to end his nemesis once and for all.

“The Witch’s Familiar” is the second episode of the ninth season of Doctor Who. It is praised for skillfully bringing back the character of Davros from the annals of Who history. It is the second part of the story begun in Season 9 Episode 1, “The Magician’s Apprentice.”

9 Flatline 8.5

The Doctor is trapped inside his shrunken ship, the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space). His companion, Clara (Jenna Coleman), must solve the mystery of several disappearances of Bristol residents. It turns out two-dimensional aliens are turning people into graffiti.

In this episode, Clara takes on the role of Doctor while Twelve is indisposed. She embraces this challenge and performs admirably. Coleman is praised for her acting in this episode. “Flatline” is the ninth episode of the eighth season of Doctor Who.

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8 The Zygon Inversion 8.5

Earth has been invaded by shape-shifting aliens known as the Zygons. Clara’s form has been taken over by a Zygon named Bonnie who is leading the invasion. The Doctor works with members of UNIT (Unified Intelligence Taskforce) and Bonnie to reach a compromise between the two sides who are dead-set on mutual destruction.

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“The Zygon Inversion” is the eighth episode of the ninth season. It’s the second part of the story which started in “The Zygon Invasion.” This episode is known for Capaldi’s impassioned anti-war speech. “No one wins for long,” he says, responding to Bonnie’s declaration that she’ll always win.

7 Face The Raven 8.5

The Doctor and Clara discover a hidden alien refuge in the middle of London while trying to figure out how their friend Rigsy (Jovian Wade) got a tattoo that is counting down to his death. They encounter Me (Maisie Williams), a character from their past, who is the mayor of this refuge. Clara takes the countdown tattoo from Rigsy and ultimately must face her own death.

This is an emotional episode that’s the tenth episode of Season 9. Clara faces her fate without the Doctor interfering for once. “Let me be brave,” she tells him. Unfortunately, it is Clara’s eagerness to emulate the Doctor that got her doomed in the first place.

6 Dark Water 8.6

The Master, the Doctor’s lifelong nemesis/former best friend, returns as Missy (Michelle Gomez) and brings the Cybermen with her in this episode. The Doctor and Clara discover this while attempting to communicate with Clara’s boyfriend, Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson), from beyond the grave.

“Dark Water” is a tragic episode in many ways. Not only does Danny die, but the way Clara refuses to accept his death is heartbreaking. The shock of Missy returning wraps up a powerful episode.

5 Hell Bent 8.6

The Doctor escapes his prison and ends up on his home planet, Gallifrey. His species, the Time Lords, imprisoned him to force a confession about the Hybrid, which is prophesized to unravel time. The Doctor becomes President of Gallifrey and saves Clara just a moment before her death.

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Clara erases the Doctor’s memories of her to protect both of them and flies off in a TARDIS with Me. “Hell Bent” is the second episode in a two-episode story. It’s the season finale of Season 9 and the final goodbye to Clara, who served as a companion for three seasons.

4 Listen 8.9

The Doctor is convinced that there are creatures present with us all the time, noticeable only in silence. He travels with Clara to the end of the universe in search of it. Unable to find what he’s looking for, but afraid of the situation, the Doctor is thrown back into his own timeline.

Clara meets the young Doctor and gives a beautiful speech about fear. She encourages him not to hide his fear but to let it make him brave instead. “Listen” is the fourth episode of Season 8 and contains Clara’s first date with Danny Pink.

3 The Doctor Falls 9

The Doctor is trying to save his companion, Bill (Pearl Mackie), and the remaining human population on a huge colony ship. Bill has been converted into a Cyberman in the lower levels of the ship where time moves much more rapidly than in the upper levels. The humans, Bill, and the Doctor mount a resistance against the Cybermen.

“The Doctor Falls” is the Season 10 finale. Capaldi appears in one more episode, the following Christmas special, “Twice Upon a Time.” This is Bill’s last official episode and she gets the happy ending she deserves after her traumatic transformation.

2 World Enough And Time 9.2

This episode is the first part of the story finished in “The Doctor Falls.” The Doctor, Bill, Missy, and their friend Nardole (Matt Lucas) respond to a distress call on that colony ship which is trying to escape a black hole. To save the humans on the ship, The Doctor must battle Missy, her previous incarnation, the Master (John Simm), and physics to save the day.

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“World Enough and Time” is the first Doctor Who episode that features more than one incarnation of the Master. It also explains the origin of the Cybermen and brings back their original design. It’s the ending arc of Capaldi’s final season as the Doctor.

1 Heaven Sent 9.6

The Doctor is trapped in a prison that seems to be specifically designed for him. He is chased by a slow-moving monster that only stops in response to truth-telling. The Doctor lives the same cycle over and over, slowly chipping through the wall keeping him from his TARDIS.

“Heaven Sent” is widely recognized to be Capaldi’s best episode. It takes place in a castle where the Doctor is trapped alone for billions of years. The restricted setting and cast allow Capaldi to showcase his great acting talent.

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Katarina Schultz
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Katarina writes and lives at the intersection of mental health, media, and hope. She has written for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Women Write About Comics in the past. Currently she serves as editor for The Future of the Force and writes lists for CBR & ScreenRant. Film, writing, people, and nature are Katarina’s four favorite things. Her passion lies in using writing to help people understand and experience the world and its media more vividly. A new resident of LA, Katarina is probably crying about something nerdy at this very moment.

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