Thirteenth Doctor

A light-hearted adventurer who values friendship and builds solutions over violence.

The Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker, marked a historic shift as the first woman to portray the protagonist of Doctor Who. Appearing in three series and five specials, she followed the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and preceded the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant). Her incarnation is defined by a light-hearted adventurous spirit, a passion for building things, and a deep commitment to non-violent solutions. She placed an immense value on friendships, traveling frequently with companions through time and space in her TARDIS. Whittaker’s tenure concluded after the thirteenth series and three specials in 2022, completing a planned 'three series and out' pact with showrunner Chris Chibnall.

Quick Facts

Introduced: Chris Chibnall
Portrayed: Jodie Whittaker
Preceding: Peter Capaldi (Twelfth Doctor)
Succeeding: David Tennant (Fourteenth Doctor)
Period start: 7 October 2018
Period end: 23 October 2022
Start: "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" (2018)
Finish: "The Power of the Doctor" (2022)

Lore & Background

Within the narrative, this Doctor is a millennia-old Time Lord from Gallifrey with somewhat unknown origins. Her first companions were a trio met shortly after regeneration: retired bus driver Graham O'Brien (Bradley Walsh), his dyspraxic step-grandson Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), and probationary police officer Yasmin "Yaz" Khan (Mandip Gill). After Graham and Ryan departed, food bank volunteer Dan Lewis (John Bishop) joined the Doctor and Yaz. The era also featured one-episode reunions with former companions Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding), and Ace (Sophie Aldred). Her first appearance occurred in the 2017 Christmas special "Twice Upon a Time," where she regenerated from her predecessor. She made her series debut in "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" (2018), landing in Sheffield to repel an alien hunter before building a device to return to the TARDIS.

Reader's Guide

The Thirteenth Doctor's costume features blue high-waisted culottes with yellow braces, a navy blue t-shirt with a rainbow stripe, and a lilac-blue trenchcoat with a hood. She wears brown lace-up boots, blue socks, and has piercings on her left ear. The outfit was designed by Ray Holman, inspired by a 1988 photograph from Sassy magazine showing a woman in men's clothing; Whittaker loved the "androgyny of it, without it being masculine." Holman added violet to the inside of the coat's sleeves as a reference to Suffragette colors.

In character, Chibnall described her as incredibly lively, warm, funny, and energetic, while actress Mandip Gill noted she possessed a similar high energy to Matt Smith's Doctor. Whittaker herself said her Doctor "speak[s] at a hundred miles an hour." Her casting followed years of speculation, with bookmakers favoring actors like Ben Whishaw and Tilda Swinton before the announcement.

Did You Know?

The concept of a female Doctor was first mentioned in 1981 by Tom Baker, who suggested his successor might be female.
Jodie Whittaker decided not to watch Doctor Who episodes while preparing for the role because it made her panic.