One of the most successful elements ofDoctor Who, and one that has allowed it to become one the longest-running sci-fi franchises of all time, is the regeneration abilities granted to its interminable protagonist – The Doctor. Regeneration allows the iconic franchise to breathe new life into the story and add new faces to its ever-changing cast.
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At its core, regeneration is a biological process that Time Lords undergo to completely renew themselves physically and often psychologically as well. But with fourteen iterations of The Doctor and afifteenth on the horizon, this key ability has an extensive history and lore that many fans might not know.
10It Has Uncertain Origins
When delving into the extended canon ofDoctor Who, there are several key theories within the lore as to how regeneration abilities came to be possessed by Time Lords. One theory holds that regeneration was the result of a virus that tore through ancient Gallifreyan society, while another claims that repeated exposure to the Time Vortex over billions of years allowed Time Lords to evolve the ability to regenerate.
One of the most prominent theories is that it came about as the result of genetic experimentation by one of the Time Lords' earliest founders, Rassilon. This theory was mirrored and expanded upon during the reign of the Thirteenth Doctor. In this iteration, showrunnerschanged the history of the show’s protagonistto reveal that regeneration was an ability unique to The Doctor when they were first discovered as the Timeless Child.
9It’s Triggered By Energy
The golden glow of regeneration often seen around The Doctor is referred to as regenerative energy and is the main source of this unique ability. It is both a byproduct of the regeneration process as well as the power source that fuels it. Typically, Time Lords contain enough regenerative energy within themselves for twelve regenerations.
The outpouring of this energy during regeneration is considered quite dangerous in the revival series and is the reason why The Doctor’s companions are often encouraged to give them space. On a few occasions, this energy surge has caused significant damage to the TARDIS and has even been used as a kind of weapon.
8Sometimes It’s A Choice
While regeneration often occurs when a Time Lord is severely injured or ill, there have been several cases withinDoctor Whowhere it has been a chosen process.In the classic series, audiences see other Time Lords like Romana choosing to regenerate at will as well as having control over the new form they are able to take.
This choice of regeneration and the control over it is rarely seen in the revival series, but regeneration has been used as a threat. When Time Lords regenerate, their bodies purge diseases, poisons, or other foreign influences. In the cases of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, both considered utilizing regeneration to rid themselves of possession.
7They Don’t Always End Up Looking Like Humans
Although Time Lords are often represented as human-looking withinDoctor Who,it is entirely possible for them to take the form of other alien species too. This is mostly represented within the extended universe through novelization and audio formats. One novel,The Book of the War,explored this concept so extensively that the Time Lords within it devised categories of races that were considered ‘informal’ to regenerate into.
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Though it isn’t depicted within the main television series, both the Eleventh and the Ninth Doctors have made reference to this possibility. In his final episode, the Ninth Doctor stated that it was possible to regenerate without a head or even with two.Even the Eleventh Doctorwas sure to conduct a full physical review after regenerating, to make sure he had the correct number of legs, eyes, ears, and fingers.
6Regenerations Can Be Transferred
As regeneration is typically limited to twelve instances, each Time Lord contains a precise amount of regenerative energy to complete them. One of the storylines during the era of the Fifth Doctor,Mawdryn Undead,cemented the concept that these regenerations can be transferred to others.
The act of sacrificing these regenerations would rob the Time Lord of being able to use them and would subtract this amount from their limit of twelve. InMawdryn Undead,the Fifth Doctor was faced with having to give up his remaining regenerationsin order to save his companions. Ultimately, however, he does not go through with it.
5Side Effects May Vary
Regeneration is often described by The Doctor as a complete reorganization of the body’s cells and, as such, it can have unintended consequences. In the classic series, regeneration sometimes came with a period of delirium afterward. When the Fourth Doctor was first introduced, his regeneration caused a feverish state where he fell in and out of consciousness and repeated lines from his previous iterations.
Loss of consciousness is also somethingexperienced by the Tenth Doctorafter regeneration. In contrast, the Eleventh Doctor doesn’t pass out, but he does experience significant motor function problems. Though it is played for comedic effect, it’s clear this clumsiness is a side effect of regenerating. When he walks headfirst into a tree, The Doctor states: “Early days. Steering’s a bit off.”
4Some Things Can Stop It
In theDoctor Whonovels, there have been cases where the regeneration process has been stopped. One of these cases occurred in the novelThe Banquo Legacy.Within this story, a device is introduced called the Atron Inhibitor, which has the power to disable the Time Lords’ regeneration abilities.
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In the revival TV series, a similar machine was introduced during the Twelfth Doctor’s reign. In the episode calledExtremis,Missy is sentenced to deathby a planet of executioners. This planet possesses a machine capable of executing Time Lords and preventing them from regenerating. Other substances that are toxic to Time Lords, such as acids, poisons, or human anesthetics, also have the ability to destroy the process of regeneration.
3Normally, Twelve Is The Limit
Whether by law or by nature, Time Lords are ordinarily limited to twelve regenerations within their lives. As a result, they only contain enough regenerative energy to complete this single cycle and a final death. However, it is possible for Time Lords to obtain more regenerations and surpass this limit.
The most notable depiction of this is when the Eleventh Doctor is granted an additional cycle of regenerations after the show confirmed The Doctor had used up all of his allotted incarnations. The Time Lords gift this new cycle to The Doctor in the form of golden regenerative energy that reaches out to him througha crack in space and time.
2Resisting Regeneration Can Cause Death
Part of the lore surrounding regeneration includes what is known as “a state of grace,” which is a period of time in which a Time Lord can resist regeneration. This state can be chosen willingly or can be induced by certain kinds of injuries, as depicted in the case of the Third Doctor.
However, during this state, a Time Lord needed to choose whether they wanted to regenerate at the end of it, otherwise, they would grow weaker and eventually die permanently. This isexplored in the final episodeof the Twelfth Doctor, where he and the First Doctor both experience this “state of grace” and must decide whether to continue living or to die.
1It Wasn’t Always Called Regeneration
The Doctor’s ability to regenerate is a very practical tool to ensure the longevity of the series itself no matter whose face is at the helm. It was introduced into the mythos of the franchise to solve the issue of exiting lead actors and introducing new ones into the iconic role of The Doctor.
However, the term regeneration was not used for this process until The Doctor’s third depicted regeneration. Prior to this, it was referred to as “renewal” or simply as a change in The Doctor’s appearance.
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