- You may wish to consult
Death (disambiguation)for other, similarly-named pages.
Death was the cessation of life. The Ninth Doctor told Rose that "everything dies". (TV: The Parting of the Ways [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) Every single death caused a tiny fracture in reality. (TV: The Woman Who Lived [+]Catherine Tregenna, Doctor Who series 9 (BBC One, 2015).) In 2011, three hundred thousand people died on Earth every day. (TV: The New World [+]Russell T Davies, Torchwood series 4 (Starz, 2011).) Deaths were recorded by death certificates. (TV: Boom Town [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)
In the Dark Times of the universe, death was unknown to cosmos before the Kotturuh began their campaign, dispensing death to the early planets. (PROSE: The Guide to the Dark Times [+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2021 (Doctor Who annual, Penguin Group, 2020).) During the period of Gallifreyan history in which they referred to themselves as "the Space Lords", they knew of this new concept as "the Ultimate". (COMIC: Monstrous Beauty [+]Scott Gray, DWM Comics (Panini Comics, 2020).) When the Tenth Doctor found himself warring against the Kotturuh on Andalia, he used a sample of their genetic material to reverse-engineer their necrotic retro-virus and turn it against them, causing the Kotturuh to quickly wither away. (PROSE: The Knight, The Fool and The Dead [+]Steve Cole, Time Lord Victorious (BBC Books, 2020).) Along with the Ninth Doctor, the Tenth Doctor would later ponder if he had actually changed time but noted that the demise of the Kotturuh meant that death would now spread naturally and dispassionately across the universe. (PROSE: All Flesh is Grass [+]Una McCormack, Time Lord Victorious release order (BBC Books, 2020).)
The Eternal, Death, was a personification of the concept. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Revelation [+]Paul Cornell, adapted from Total Eclipse, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1991).) Kali was the Hindu goddess of death. (COMIC: The Swords of Kali [+]Robbie Morrison, Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor (Titan Comics, 2014-2015).) On Earth, and later human colonies, the skull was a generalised symbol of death, and the idea took this form as an emoji: 💀. (TV: Smile [+]Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Doctor Who series 10 (BBC One, 2017).)
When discussing the idea of a "planet ruled by zombies", the Fourth Doctor remembered the quote that "the living are just the dead on vacation." (TV: Destiny of the Daleks [+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 17 (BBC1, 1979).) Voicing her observations on the human lifespan, which she found "hilarious[ly]" short, Missy stated that human beings were born dying, remarking "You know from the minute you slop out, you're rotting, decaying." (TV: Death in Heaven [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 8 (BBC One, 2014).)
As Arboretans existed partly outside of time, when one died, their consciousness travelled back to their birth and they lived their life over again, trying to fix mistakes they had made until they achieved the best life possible. They called this "the path of perfection". (PROSE: Festival of Death [+]Jonathan Morris, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2000).)
In 2011, for several months following the Miracle Day, every human on Earth simply stopped dying. It was caused when the Three Families fed the immortal Jack Harkness' blood into the Blessing, which in turn relayed the template to everyone on the planet in seconds. Death was restored when Jack's mortal blood was fed into the Blessing and the original template was restored. All across the world, those who were unable to die yet should have died, including Geraint Cooper and a little girl, all took one final collective breath before dying. For them, the return of mortality was a mercy for them. In the case of others, like the Mother and the Cousin who were responsible for the whole thing, it came back with a vengeance. (TV: The New World [+]Russell T Davies, Torchwood series 4 (Starz, 2011)., The Blood Line [+]Russell T Davies and Jane Espenson, Torchwood series 4 (Starz, 2011).)
In the final stages of mental shutdown, when physical shutdown would commence, brainsteam death was a sign closely followed by complete respiratory collapse. Soon, liver failure and renal collapse would signal general systemic failure, leading to death within an hour. (PROSE: Anachrophobia [+]Jonathan Morris, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2002).)
The Ashtallans, a race of immortals gifted with prodigious healing, had no concept of death until they met the First Doctor and his companions. (AUDIO: The Invention of Death [+]John Dorney, The First Doctor Adventures: Volume Two (The First Doctor Adventures, Big Finish Productions, 2018).)
On her Spacebook profile, Missy, formerly the Master, acknowledged that she had first died thirteen times before before taking over "some bloke's body". (PROSE: 'Girl Power! [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.) In fact, the Decayed Master, who claimed to be nearing the end of his "twelfth regeneration", had acquired "a new body" in the Trakenite Tremas. (TV: The Keeper of Traken [+]Johnny Byrne, Doctor Who season 18 (BBC1, 1981).) Surviving his execution on Skaro as a Deathworm Morphant, the Old Master took the body of Bruce, a human. (TV: Doctor Who [+]Matthew Jacobs, Doctor Who Television Movie (Fox Broadcasting Company, 1996).) The Master then died a further three times before becoming a human, then stopped being a human before dying for the seventeenth then eighteenth time, after which the Master became Missy. (PROSE: 'Girl Power! [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)
TERI_LOVER thought that they were going to die when on the London Eye (PROSE: Dummy Massacre [+]BBC webteam, Who is Doctor Who? (BBC, 2005).) when the Nestene Consciousness activated it. (TV: Rose [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)., PROSE: Operation Mannequin [+]BBC webteam, U.N.I.T. (BBC, 2005).) Mickey Smith thought that Clive Finch had "tirelessly" dedicated his life to searching for the truth about the Doctor, with his reward being death. (PROSE: The Doctor Was Involved in the Dummy Massacre [+]BBC webteam, Who is Doctor Who? (BBC, 2005).)
After the Slitheen craft crashed into the River Thames on 6 March 2006, Mickey, (TV: Aliens of London [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) going by "Mx", was ecstatic that his and Clive's suspicions about the Ninth Doctor — that wherever he went, danger and death followed — was going to be finally believed. (PROSE: Alien landing confirmed [+]BBC webteam, Who is Doctor Who? (BBC, 2005).)
After Rose Tyler broke into the TARDIS and looked into its heart and returned to the Ninth Doctor at the Game Station, (TV: The Parting of the Ways [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) Rose didn't contact Mickey or Jackie, leading Mickey to believe she had died. (PROSE: Mars [+]BBC webteam, Who is Doctor Who? (BBC, 2005).)
Death and the Doctor[]
Clive Finch warned Rose Tyler that the Doctor had one constant companion: death. (TV: Rose [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) Indeed, several of the Doctor's adventures resulted in the deaths of all who participated except for him and his companions. Among these were the Fourth Doctor and Leela's conflict with a Rutan scout at Fang Rock, (TV: Horror of Fang Rock [+]Terrance Dicks, Doctor Who season 15 (BBC1, 1977).) the Fifth Doctor, Peri and Erimem's conflict with Jarra To at the Axis, (AUDIO: The Axis of Insanity [+]Simon Furman, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2004).) their later visit to YT45, (AUDIO: The Mind's Eye [+]Colin Brake, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2007).) the Sixth Doctor and Frobisher's visit to Eugene's World, (AUDIO: The Holy Terror [+]Robert Shearman, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2000).) the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex's conflict against the Daleks on Bliss, (AUDIO: Enemy of the Daleks [+]David Bishop, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2009).) the Eighth Doctor and Audacity Montague's conflict with the Cybermen, (AUDIO: The Great Cyber-War [+]Tim Foley, Audacity (Big Finish Productions, 2023).) the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler and Jack Harkness in the Battle of the Game Station, (TV: The Parting of the Ways [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) the Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond and River Song's conflict against the Weeping Angels on Alfava Metraxis (TV: Flesh and Stone [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 5 (BBC One, 2010).) and the Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams' visit to House's bubble universe. (TV: The Doctor's Wife [+]Neil Gaiman, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).) In one unusual case, the participants all died after the Doctor departed, (AUDIO: Brotherhood of the Daleks [+]Alan Barnes, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2008).) and in another, they all died before he arrived. (COMIC: Death to the Doctor! [+]Jonathan Morris, DWM Comics (Panini Comics, 2007).) On one planet, the Fourth Doctor suspected that his friends the Guardian Angels had all died, but left without confirming this. (COMIC: End of the Line [+]Steve Parkhouse, DWM Comics (Marvel Comics UK, 1981).)
In other cases, the Doctor's adventures resulted in the deaths of all but a few of the participants. These included the Second Doctor, Polly and Ben's conflict against the Daleks on Vulcan, which only Quinn and Valmar survived, (TV: The Power of the Daleks [+]David Whitaker, Doctor Who season 4 (BBC1, 1966).) the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith's conflict against Sutekh in 1911, which only Ahmed survived, though another account said he did not, (TV: Pyramids of Mars [+]Stephen Harris, Doctor Who season 13 (BBC1, 1975).) the Fifth Doctor's visit to Sharnax, which only Kylo survived, (AUDIO: The Burning Prince [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.) the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough's conflict against the Silurians and Sea Devils in 2084, which only Bulic survived, (TV: Warriors of the Deep [+]Johnny Byrne, Doctor Who season 21 (BBC1, 1984).) the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough's encounter with the Daleks, which only Davros, Lytton and his two policemen survived, (TV: Resurrection of the Daleks [+]Eric Saward, Doctor Who season 21 (BBC1, 1984).) the Fifth Doctor and Peri's visit to Androzani Minor, which only Timmin survived, (TV: The Caves of Androzani [+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 21 (BBC1, 1984).) the Sixth Doctor and Peri's conflict against the Sontarans in Spain, which only Anita survived, (TV: The Two Doctors [+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 22 (BBC1, 1985).) the Sixth Doctor and Peri's visit to Necros, which only Takis and Lilt survived, (TV: Revelation of the Daleks [+]Eric Saward, Doctor Who season 22 (BBC1, 1985).) the Sixth Doctor and Mel's visit to Albatross Alpha, which only Hebe Harrison survived, (AUDIO: The Rotting Deep [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.) the Seventh Doctor and Mel's visit to Puxatornee, which only the Slithergees survived, (AUDIO: Flip-Flop [+]Jonathan Morris, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2003).) the Seventh Doctor and Ace's conflict against the Gods of Ragnarok on Segonax, which only Kingpin, Mags and a stallslady survived, (TV: The Greatest Show in the Galaxy [+]Stephen Wyatt, Doctor Who season 25 (BBC1, 1988-1989).) the Seventh Doctor and Bernice Summerfield's visit to the Althosian system, which only Kopyion Liall a Mahajetsu and William Blake survived, (PROSE: The Pit [+]Neil Penswick, adapted from Hostage, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1993).) the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex's conflict against the Cybermen in 2021, which only Mark Mathias survived, (AUDIO: The Harvest [+]Dan Abnett, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2004).) the Eighth Doctor, Charley and C'rizz's visit to the Cube, which only Gorden Latch and the brain-worm survived, (AUDIO: Something Inside [+]Trevor Baxendale, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2006).) the Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller's conflict against the Zygons, which only Haygoth survived, (AUDIO: The Zygon Who Fell to Earth [+]Paul Magrs, Eighth Doctor Adventures (Big Finish Productions, 2008).) their later conflict with the Molluscari on Orbis, which only the Headhunter survived, (AUDIO: Orbis [+]Alan Barnes and Nicholas Briggs, Eighth Doctor Adventures (Big Finish Productions, 2009).) the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble's conflict against the Pyroviles in Pompeii, which only Caecilius, Metella, Evelina and Quintus survived, (TV: The Fires of Pompeii [+]James Moran, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).) the Tenth Doctor's conflict against the Flood on Mars, which only Mia Bennett and Yuri Kerenski survived, (TV: The Waters of Mars [+]Russell T Davies and Phil Ford, Doctor Who Autumn Special 2009 (BBC One, 2009).) the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald's conflict with the sandmen on Le Verrier, which only Jagganth Daiki-Nagata survived, (TV: Sleep No More [+]Mark Gatiss, Doctor Who series 9 (BBC One, 2015).) and the Thirteenth Doctor's journey to Orphan 55 with Yaz, Ryan and Graham in which only Nevi and Sylas escaped. (TV: Orphan 55 [+]Ed Hime, Doctor Who series 12 (BBC One, 2020).)
When pressed by Brian Williams, the Eleventh Doctor admitted that some of his companions had died during the course of his adventures but noted that this was a small number. (TV: The Power of Three [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 7 (BBC One, 2012).)
Mx shared Clive's belief that wherever the Doctor went, danger and death followed. (PROSE: Alien landing confirmed [+]BBC webteam, Who is Doctor Who? (BBC, 2005).)
Jack Harkness[]
In an alternate timeline, Captain Jack Harkness was shot dead by a cyber-converted Rose Tyler while in the company of the Ninth Doctor. (COMIC: Supremacy of the Cybermen [+]George Mann and Cavan Scott, Titan summer events (Titan Comics, 2016).)
In the year 200,100, Jack was exterminated by the Daleks invading the Game Station. Shortly after, however, he was revived by the Bad Wolf entity, who made him immortal. (TV: The Parting of the Ways [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) As a result, Jack died and was resurrected many times. (TV: Utopia [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).) In 200,101, Jack was forced to interact with live cables to safely land Trear Station on Earth, electrocuting him. Reviving, Jack reasoned that the universe "like[d]" him. (AUDIO: The Year After I Died [+]Guy Adams, The Lives of Captain Jack (The Lives of Captain Jack, Big Finish Productions, 2017).)
Using a vortex manipulator to travel to Earth, ending up in 1868, Jack did not realise he was immortal until 1892, when he woke up after a man shot him through the heart in Ellis Island. Over a period of at least a century Jack waited for the Doctor. Before reuniting with the TARDIS in 2008, Jack had died by falling off a cliff, being trampled by horses, World War I, World War II, poison, starvation and a stray javelin. (TV: Utopia [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).)
Shortly after meeting Gwen Cooper, Jack was shot in the head by Suzie Costello. In a matter of seconds, Jack revived with his head wound healing. (TV: Everything Changes [+]Russell T Davies, Torchwood series 1 (BBC Three, 2006).) Confronting the partially cyber-converted Lisa Hallett, Jack was, in quick succession, fatally electrocuted by her twice, noting that he was not so easily "deleted". (TV: Cyberwoman [+]Chris Chibnall, Torchwood series 1 (BBC Three, 2006).)
While attempting to stop his teammates from using the Rift Manipulator, Jack was shot in the head by Owen Harper. Though he revived soon after, Jack was still physically weakened as he faced Abaddon, a giant demon who fed on life that was rampaging through Cardiff, killing all in his shadow. Jack, noting that he would be an "all you can eat buffet" for Abaddon, stepped into his shadow. In what proved to be a painful process for Jack, his excess life energy eventually killed the demon before Jack perished as well. His body was taken back to the Hub, where Owen found no vital signs, deeming him "ice cold". However, after a few days, Jack revived once again. (TV: End of Days [+]Chris Chibnall, Torchwood series 1 (BBC Three, 2007).)
Aboard the Valiant, Jack was shot dead by the laser screwdriver wielded by the Saxon Master who, aware that Jack was immortal, gleefully noted that he could kill him again. (TV: The Sound of Drums [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).) Throughout the Year That Never Was, Jack was held prisoner aboard the Valiant. By the end of the year, Jack made an escape attempt which resulted in him being shot dead by the Valiant's security personnel. (TV: Last of the Time Lords [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).)
Shortly following the Year That Never Was, Jack reunited with Captain John Hart, who threw him off a building to his death. It was only after Jack returned to the Hub that John realised he was now immortal. (TV: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang [+]Chris Chibnall, Torchwood series 2 (BBC Two, 2008).) Later, Jack was killed by Death. (TV: Dead Man Walking [+]Matt Jones, Torchwood series 2 (BBC Three, 2008).)
Between his first encounter with Torchwood and his reunion with Gray, Jack had died a total of 1,392 times. (TV: Fragments [+]Chris Chibnall, Torchwood series 2 (BBC Three, 2008).) In the Hub, Jack was fatally shot by John Hart, who restrained him before he could revive. John, who had been coerced by Gray, took Jack back to 27 AD, where he was buried alive in the soil of Cardiff, as his brother made his intentions clear. (TV: Exit Wounds [+]Chris Chibnall, Torchwood series 2 (BBC Two, 2008).)
I want you to suffer. I want your life. This is Cardiff, 27 AD. The city will be built here, over the next two thousand years. Your grave will be the city's foundations. Your blessing of life becomes a curse. Each time you revive, with a throat full of earth, each time it chokes you afresh, and you thrash on the edge of death, you think of me.
Eventually, Jack was uncovered by Torchwood Cardiff members Alice Guppy and Charles Gaskell in 1901, at a point in time where his past self was working for them. Avoiding interacting with his earlier self, Jack instructed them to freeze him in the morgue for 107 years. (TV: Exit Wounds [+]Chris Chibnall, Torchwood series 2 (BBC Two, 2008).)
During the 21st century Dalek invasion, Jack was exterminated by the Supreme Dalek aboard the Crucible, discreetly reviving in seconds. (TV: The Stolen Earth [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).)
At St Helen's Hospital, Jack was shot dead by Rupesh Patanjali on behalf of the British government, who intended to destroy Torchwood. Reviving, Jack returned to the Hub, unaware that a bomb had been planted within him. By chance, Jack discovered this as the bomb was exposed by the scanner which confirmed Gwen's pregnancy. With a blast radius of one mile and only two minutes before detonation, Jack remained behind as he ordered Gwen and Ianto Jones to leave before the bomb went off, blowing Jack's body apart and destroying the Hub. (TV: Children of Earth: Day One [+]Russell T Davies, Torchwood series 3 (BBC One, 2009).)
During the Gallipoli campaign, Jack was shot dead by Ata, then again by Ottoman forces when they recovered Ata. (AUDIO: What Have I Done? [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)
In an alternate timeline created by John Hart, he used distilled rift energy with technology from the Torchwood Institute to cut Jack off from the Time Vortex, nullifying his immortality and transferring it to himself. Jack, however, remained a fixed point in time and, after 130 years, died of old age which resulted in John's universe collapsing in on itself. (AUDIO: The Death of Captain Jack [+]David Llewellyn, Torchwood (Big Finish Productions, 2018).)
Behind the scenes[]
- As of 2021, Resurrection of the Daleks has the highest on-screen body count of any televised Doctor Who story, with 76 deaths.