Heroism is baked into every version ofDoctor Who’s main character, but there’s an iconic scene fromMatt Smith’s era as the famous Time Lord that strongly establishes his Eleventh Doctor as the most courageous.The Doctor has saved the day countless times, but the process of regeneration arguably makes heroics a little easier to pull off. However, ofevery actor to play the Doctor, Smith played the iteration with the most to lose by risking his life as he embarked on some of thegreatestDoctor Whostories of all time.
During Eleven’s era, it’s easy to forget that he has run out of regenerations. At the very least, being unaware of his origin as the Timeless Child makes him think he can’t regenerate again. Time Lords are traditionally limited to 12 regenerations - in other words; 13 faces. Although Smith is only the Eleventh Doctor, the existence of John Hurt’s War Doctor and Ten’s use of a regeneration to heal himself in “Journey’s End,“the transition from David Tennant to Matt Smith used the Doctor’s supposed final regeneration cycle. So,Eleven was always far more at risk than his predecessors.
Matt Smith Is The Only To Doctor To Sacrifice Themselves Expecting To Die Forever
Eleven made a signature Doctor decision in new circumstances
The 2013Doctor WhoChristmas special, “The Time of the Doctor,” is Matt Smith’s final episode as the show’s lead actor.The Eleventh Doctor spends centuries defending Trenzalore, fully aware of the fact that suffering a fatal injury would mean the end of not just his current form, but his life in general. Although the Doctor often seems emotional and unwilling to regenerate - especially inDoctor Who’s modern era, it’s still preferable to something as final as an actual death.
Neil Patrick Harris' Toymakeradmitted to David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor that he made “a jigsaw” of the Doctor’s history in “The Giggle.” The implication is that the Doctor was once actually subjected to the 12-regeneration limit. So, Eleven could actually have died in “The Time of the Doctor.”
Without the advantage of regeneration to fall back on, it would be easy to understand if the Doctor suddenly became less willing to gamble with his life. Thankfully, he remains as resolute as ever in his old age and at the end of what he believes to be his existence.Eleven’s sacrifice is the bravest thing the Doctor has ever done. As far as he was aware, he was about to die for real in the name of Trenzalore’s salvation. Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswald begging the Time Lords to grant the Doctor another regeneration was a welcome but unexpected twist.
Have Other Doctors Ever Made The Same Sacrifice In Doctor Who?
Every Doctor is always taking a risk (but none so much as Eleven)
Although it may seem as though the Doctor is immortal by human standards, he can die if he’s killed before he has the chance to regenerate. The show’s history proves thatregeneration can save the Doctor from some pretty grisly injuries, but it’s not an inevitable process. So, although regeneration gives the Doctor a much bigger margin for error than otherDoctor Whocharacters, every iteration of the character has been risking their lives when plunging headfirst into conflicts with deadly enemies.
3 Doctor Who Episodes Almost Ruined Matt Smith’s Era Before It Properly Began
Matt Smith quickly became one of the most popular actors to play the Doctor, but some of his earlier episodes didn’t quite hit the mark.
That being said, it’s impossible to ignore thatMatt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor was severely lacking in the backup departmentwhen it came to second chances. If he had been just a little more unlucky at any point during his adventures, the Doctor could have been dead, and the show would have been over. Therefore, it would be disingenuous to say he wasn’t at least a little braver than his otherDoctor Whocounterparts.
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An alien from the planet Gallifrey travels through time and space to explore, solve problems and fight injustice while also making friends with human beings. His spaceship, called TARDIS, resembles a police box, but it is much more than it appears to be.
