Amid the flood of Doctor Who news inundating Fandomland the past nine days, I thought it timely to revisit a post from my blog a couple years back. Time travel…hehehehe.

With the appointment of Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor, the winds of change are blowing. The Doctor enjoys a rich heritage of character development. What highlights make us enjoy following this alien hero through time and space?

Here are some thoughts.

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Image via tardis.wikia.com

The Doctor.

Those two words have reached an almost legendary status. Anyone who’s anyone in the fandom world knows what they mean. The Doctor is about as unique as fictional characters come—so unique in fact that he (and soon to be she) deserves his own entry in the dictionary.

**Since 12 hasn’t regenerated yet, I’m going to use the male pronoun.**

In today’s world of superheroes, wizards, and buff characters, Doctor Who is an anomaly.

And that fits him perfectly. In fact, he probably revels in his eccentricity.

Doctor Who?

• 

  Image via tardis.wikia.com

  Who is this strange alien-who-looks-remarkably-human?

• How did he make the cut to be a hero in that goofy red cone-hat-thing?
• If he’s a doctor, where are his stethoscope and white coat?

At every level, when compared to modern heroes, Doctor Who stands out like a field of strawberries in the middle of a desert. On the surface, he’s not made from the stuff of heroes and legend. Though admittedly his quirky side smacks of mildly-insane-genius material.

Dig deeper and you find an unfathomable well of wisdom, wit, and heroicness.

His lack of well-toned muscles and impressive physique don’t make him any less of a hero, and his ordinary appearance makes him more relatable.

Who Do You Love?

Among the many reasons we love the Doctor:

• His fez and bowtie.
• His knack for worming his way out of the most impossible situations.
• His mind-blowing genius.
• His preferred method of travel.
• His courage and sincerity.
• 

  Image via tardis.wikia.com

  His ability to transform, giving us an endless supply of Doctors.

• His multi-varied personalities.
• His protective nature.
• His unparalleled sense of adventure.
• His commitment to his friends.
• His screwdriver.
• His willingness to take ordinary people on extraordinary adventures.

Combining all these traits makes him a hero unlike anyone else, and that’s his appeal.

The Doctor Is Different

An alien who flies around in a police box, changes bodies every few years, and solves the problems of the universe with the aid of a sonic screwdriver?

Yep, it doesn’t get any more eccentric than that. I love unique characters and the Doctor has as much uniqueness as the TARDIS has mileage.

He’s gentle and peaceable but also fiercely protective of his friends and determined to stop his enemies at any cost. Instead of opting for the superhero default of smashing things and getting into an epic battle (mostly), he deals with his foes using wits and intellect.

In a fictional landscape dominated by brawn, the Doctor provides the brains. A breath of fresh air desperately needed in modern entertainment.

Image via tardis.wikia.com

So here’s to the Doctor, Who rocks out his differences with all the gusto and charm we’ve come to know and love.

Why do you love Doctor Who? How do you think a female will affect The Doctor’s character?

*This post appeared in original form on zacharytotah.com in May, 2015.