10 Doctor Who Characters Who Came Back From The Dead

With speculation ramping up over Series 9, the most recent revelation has been the return of popular supporting character Osgood, a scientific adviser who worked for UNIT during the 50th anniversary episode (sporting a neat line in scarves and fannish devotion to the Doctor) and who was subsequently, cruelly dispatched during the Series 7 finale when Missy vaporised her in a bid to escape UNIT custody.

But news has emerged in the last few weeks that Osgood will return in Series 9. Many will no doubt be forming their own theories on how this is possible, but returning from apparently certain death is not without precedence in Doctor Who. In an infinite universe, almost anything is possible.

But returning from the dead is a tricky business. In compiling this list, some fakeouts were discarded, including the infamous “you were supposed to die in bed!” scene with the Brigadier in Battlefield, as were spin off shows such as Torchwood. And the Doctor’s own regenerations were also discounted due to the fact that regeneration happens near death rather than after death.

All of the characters on this list were definitely, absolutely dead (or so it seemed at the time) and yet returned, and sometimes without even an attempt at explanation, to meet everyone’s favourite time travelling Gallifreyan renegade once more. 

And beware, because there will be more than a few spoilers along the way...

No question: former soldier turned school teacher and love interest of Clara Oswald, Danny Pink, died in the episode Dark Water. Like, for real. 

The scenes of grief with Clara following the accident were chilling and horrifically real. The fact that he died in such a banal fashion was the most shocking of all, although it was undercut when he then re-appeared in “heaven”, his consciousness having been uploaded to the Nethersphere. It was an unusually grown up and sinkingly real approach to death in Doctor Who, with the get out clause of Danny still being alive in some form. All the same, at the time the episode aired, many fans were in shock.

After all, he was still dead, even if his consciousness remained active. And then he returned in the guise of a Cyberman (as, so it is implied, did the Brigadier), somehow able to control his emotions and his actions in such a way that he was able to sacrifice himself once more, leading to the final defeat of the Cybermen/Missy alliance. This time, there was no return from the Nethersphere, even though one was open to him.

Danny effectively died twice, but the second time it was definitely for keeps. Well, probably.