It’s been 62 years since the Doctor’s most infamous and terrifying enemy in Doctor Who made their first appearance on-screen. Over the last 62 years, the Doctor has battled countless monsters and antagonists during his adventures through time and space in the TARDIS. Some have stood out as the most prominent, however, as some of Doctor Who’s villains have appeared more frequently than others, and others have been around since the show’s very first stories back in 1963.
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After the First Doctor (William Hartnell) and Doctor Who’s first companions, Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford), Ian Chesterton (William Russell), and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill), came face-to-face with a Palaeolithic tribe in their first adventure, Doctor Who’s second serial introduced them to a monster they would face many times in subsequent years. 1963’s “The Daleks” brought the titular antagonists into Doctor Who for the first time. “The Daleks” released seven episodes between December 21, 1963, and February 1, 1964, making the Daleks the Doctor’s longest-serving enemies.
How the Daleks Have Evolved Since Their 1963 Doctor Who Debut
The general design, voice, and schemes of the Daleks haven’t changed all that much since they debuted in Doctor Who back in 1963. In “The Daleks,” the Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara initially land in the jungles of Skaro, but are taken captive by the Daleks and become embroiled in their long-running war against the Thals. Over the years, the Daleks have become the most frequent villain seen in Doctor Who, which has allowed their history, mythology, and prominence to grow.
The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) became involved in the Daleks’ origin at the hands of Kaled scientist Davros in 1975’s “Genesis of the Daleks,” the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) saw the rise of the Dalek Emperor in 1967’s “The Evil of the Daleks,” and the War Doctor (John Hurt) battled the Daleks during the Last Great Time War in 2013’s “The Day of the Doctor.” The Daleks’ significance in some of the most tragic events in the Doctor’s life make them his most feared foe. In the modern era, the Daleks have become even more terrifying.
Ever since the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) reunited with the Daleks in 2005’s “Dalek,” the villains have been a huge part of the revived Doctor Who. They led to the Ninth Doctor’s regeneration, fought the Cybermen on the streets of London, tried to join with humans in 1930’s New York, tried to destroy all of reality, infiltrated Winston Churchill’s war bunkers, used the Doctor to restore Davros, and were almost harnessed by the British government. There’s no doubt the Daleks will continue to be Doctor Who’s most formidable and ever-present threat for years to come.
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