Doctor Who Symbolism: What 10 Famous Villains Really Mean

Famously, most of Doctor Who's greatest adversaries have been viewed by audiences safely cowering behind their sofas. Even during the show's less-than-halcyon days, where a steadily decreasing budget and general lack of decent special effects made most of the monsters a bit hokey and ridiculous, the show managed to stir up some pretty terrifying sights. Part of that's because, well, the Daleks are just inherently terrifying. Even if they can't get up stairs. The real trick to creating those iconic Doctor Who villains, however, was by tapping into some more primal fears that we all have. Not just creating monsters that looked frightening, but who represented some sort of universal terror that lies in the heart of man. And sometimes they came up with stuff like the Slitheen, who remain totally inexplicable. The enemies The Doctor faces aren't just generic adversaries. Rather, they tap into cultural, societal and general fears. And Bertie Bassett. Here are what ten famous Doctor Who villains actually symbolise. Click "next" below to kick off the slideshow...