10 Best One-Off Villains Classic Doctor Who Villains
Sometimes the most memorable villains only have to face the Doctor once...
Throughout the Doctor's travels throughout time and space, countless enemies have been battled, hordes of monsters defeated, and endless robots dismantled.
However, despite endless encounters with the Daleks, Cybermen, and the Master, the Doctor has also faced some of the toughest, most iconic, and most unusual villains only once.
Between 1963 and 1989, these enemies hold a place of recognition for being defeated by the Doctor in only one outing but still being revered. Whether they were featured in memorable stories, bolstered by unique performances, or had unique and timeless designs, some of the Doctor's greatest foes only needed a single appearance to make a lasting impression.
From insane robots to conniving despots and theatrical outlaws - these are the best villains who only menaced the Doctor and companions in one TV adventure in the Classic Series.
Not included on this list are enemies from spin-offs, extended media, or classic villains who returned to seek revenge against the Doctor in NuWho such as the Zygons or the Macra.
Read on to discover our choices for the Top Ten One-Off Villains in Classic Doctor Who.
10. The K1 Robot
Lumbering onto our screens in 1974's Robot, the Fourth Doctor's debut episode, the K1 was one of Doctor Who's biggest one-time baddies.
A prototype created by Professor Kettlewell of the National Institute for Advanced Scientific Research, it had originally been designed for mining and working in hazardous conditions. Under the instructions of Kettlewell, the K1 began a new task of removing pollutants from Earth - including humans.
Built from 'living metal' and armed with a disintegrator gun and huge claws, 'The Giant Robot' was a destructive force that tangled with UNIT, the newly regenerated Doctor, and Sarah Jane Smith.
Trying to reason with the robot, Sarah Jane found herself captured as it went on a rampage. Deciding to spare her because of her 'kindness', the robot began to develop some kind of Oedipus Complex - rebelling and killing its creator to protect Sarah Jane.
During an attack on UNIT, the Brigadier shot the K1 with the disintegrator gun which instead grew it to an enormous size. Now King Kong in scale and carrying Sarah Jane, the Giant Robot seemed unstoppable. With tanks inflicting no damage to it, it took the Doctor and a metal-eating virus to shrink it back down to size and save Sarah Jane.
An out of control robot with a killer conscience; this villain remains as one of UNIT's toughest and most memorable adversaries, with even the Tenth Doctor referencing its legacy in 2009's Planet of the Dead.