Doctor Who: The Doctor's 13 Darkest Moments
The series 7 finale of Doctor Who was a friendly and needed reminder to fans: The Doctor has a dark side. The writers have always hinted at it, especially considering the plot involving the Doctor's role in the Time War was used as a foundation to revive the show. Make no mistake about it, the sonic screwdriver-wielding Gallifreyan is a hero, and countless worlds owe him their existence. But we know at some point, the burden of being a Time Lord eventually catches up to him, and that results in The Valeyard. So once in a while, he shows off exactly why the Daleks fear him so much. After all, you should never trust a madman with a blue box, so in honour of the 13 doctors (including John Hurt) to have graced our television sets by this year's Christmas special, here are 13 of the Doctor's darkest moments since he's come back into our lives. (SPOILER ALERT)
13. TARDIS Self Destruct Deception
Episode: Journey To The Centre Of The Tardis
Danger comes with the territory of being a companion. But the Doctor knows that, and his confidence (or ego) convinces him that he'll somehow save the day and keep his companions from harm. But when unexpected events occur that prevent that from happening, like a salvage ship's magnetic tractor beam breaking down the TARDIS, then we get a more desperate Time Lord.
With Clara trapped inside a TARDIS-turned-deathtrap, the Doctor activates the TARDIS' self-destruct in an attempt to enlist the salvage crew's help. Knowing he can't find Clara on his own, he basically traps the crew and threatens their lives unless she's found. It's later revealed that there really wasn't a self-destruct feature, and this was simply just another one of the Doctor's lies to get the job done.
But what's even more significant is that the Doctor uses fear to force the crew to save Clara's life, knowing full well that the brothers would be risking their lives as well. And had it not been for some unexpected timey-wimey involved later in the episode, the Doctor would have added to the list of those who have died for his cause.