Having been mortally wounded by the Qurunx's destruction beam after it was redirected towards her by the Spy Master, the Thirteenth Doctor underwent her regeneration into the Fourteenth Doctor whilst standing on a cliff just outside of the TARDIS. (TV: The Power of the Doctor [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who Centenary Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).) This regeneration was part of the Doctor's new regeneration cycle. (AUDIO: Salvation)
History[]
Anticipation[]
After the Flux, Time hinted at the Master's Dalek Plan and warned the Doctor, "you won't outrun me. Your time is heading to its end. Nothing is forever. No regeneration, no life." (TV: The Vanquishers [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
After Yasmin Khan expressed her attraction to the Doctor, the Doctor said that she couldn’t get into a relationship because “time always runs out”. The Doctor later asked Yaz to try to live in the present of what they had while they still had it, and made a wish on a skipping stone that it could last forever. (TV: Legend of the Sea Devils [+]Ella Road and Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who Easter Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).)
Now anticipating her regeneration, the Thirteenth Doctor wrote a book about all of her lives, also using material written by other incarnations from the past and her fam, to aid the new Doctor if they "[felt] weird" after regeneration. (PROSE: A Short History of Everyone [+]Craig Donaghy and Justin Richards, Official Guides (BBC Books, 2022).)
Causes[]
- Main article: The Master's Dalek Plan
At the end of the Master's Dalek Plan, the Spy Master fatally wounded the Thirteenth Doctor as revenge for the reversal of her forced regeneration. (TV: The Power of the Doctor [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who Centenary Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).)
Regenerative process[]
Coming to a cliff, the Thirteenth Doctor regenerated. This regeneration involved large spouts of golden regeneration energy which had an electrical crackle. Unusually, her successor had taken on the appearance of their tenth incarnation. (TV: The Power of the Doctor [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who Centenary Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).)
Aftermath[]
Immediately after the regeneration, which he described as beautiful, (PROSE: A Letter from the Doctor [+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (Penguin Group, 2023). Page 6.) the Fourteenth Doctor reflected on how he should've been "somebody new", not "somebody [he'd] been before", (PROSE: "Heroes of Time" [+]Part of Whotopia: The Ultimate Guide to the Whoniverse, Simon Guerrier, Una McCormack and Jonathan Morris, BBC Books (2023).) before entering the TARDIS, writing about the experience in a letter to the readers of an annual, (PROSE: A Letter from the Doctor [+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (Penguin Group, 2023). Page 6.) and answering a distress call from the TARDIS which led him to the Dalek Dome, becoming embroiled in the 2323 Dalek invasion of Earth. (COMIC: Liberation of the Daleks [+]Alan Barnes, DWM Comics (Panini Comics, 2022).) He was then briefly diverted to Skaro during the genesis of the Daleks, observing that he was a "really brilliant woman" only 60 minutes prior. (TV: Destination: Skaro [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who (BBC One, 2023).)
After bumping into Donna Noble, the Tenth Doctor's former companion, the Fourteenth Doctor, aware of the risks of Donna remembering him after her transformation into the DoctorDonna, reflected on his regeneration into an "old face" and confided his fears to Shirley Anne Bingham. After regaining her memory, Donna joked that it was a shame the Doctor was no longer a woman and questioned why he once again had the face of the Tenth Doctor, but the Fourteenth Doctor admitted that he didn't know, and he was stuck with it. Donna suggested that with the Doctor's life, it was unlikely to be a coincidence and urged the Doctor to use his second chance to do things differently. (TV: The Star Beast [+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 2023 specials (BBC One, 2023).) Ultimately, only about 15 hours after his regeneration on the clifftop, (PROSE: The Giggle [+]James Goss, adapted from The Giggle (Russell T Davies), 60th Anniversary Novels (Target Books, 2023).) after the Doctor experienced a bi-generation, which split the Fourteenth Doctor from the new Fifteenth Doctor, Donna concluded that the Doctor had changed to his old face to find her as she invited him to live with her family, fulfilling an "out of order" rehab which benefited the Fifteenth Doctor. (TV: The Giggle [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).)
Theoretical regenerations[]
During the Thirteenth Doctor's life, the possibility of regeneration was discussed for several situations prior to her actual regeneration.
While facing being shot by guards of the Good Doctor, she said any attempt on her life would result in a "miracle". (PROSE: The Good Doctor)
Trying to generate enough energy, the Thirteenth Doctor once considered regenerating and using residual artron energy. (PROSE: The Maze of Doom)
During the Redaction, the Doctor remarked to Cleo Proctor that she would stand up again if she "clobber[ed]" her, remarking that she would regenerate "Possibly several times" and then "who can say?" as to how many times. (AUDIO: Salvation)
Behind the scenes[]
A lengthy segment in DWM 584 details the creation of the Thirteenth Doctor's regeneration sequence. The Power of the Doctor's primary director, Jamie Magnus Stone, shot drone footage of Durdle Door; visual effects designer Ben Pickles augmented the footage, adding a CG sun and lighting to a drone shot filmed just before sunrise. To make the lighting match, Pickles had to make an entirely CG 3D-scanned cliff for all of Tennant's shots; the cliff was also digitally altered to provide a flat surface for the TARDIS to sit on. No filming with actors actually occurred atop Durdle Door.
Whittaker's half of the sequence was filmed at a green screen soundstage at Roath Lock Studios on 13 October 2021, with Magnus Stone directing. Filming for Tennant's half took place seven months later - on 13 May 2022 - at a soundstage at Wolf Studios, with director Rachel Talalay filling in for Magnus Stone. While filming for the latter section, the crew used a monitor to superimpose and frame-match the postures of the actors.
