10 Doctor Who Characters Who Don't Deserve The Hate

9. Strax

Doctor Who Strax Close Up
BBC Studios

Strax is one of the least-hated characters on this list for sure, but over the years, he has received a lot of blame for apparently "ruining" the Sontarans due to his depiction as a total goofball.

In a way, that's fair enough - it really all comes down to personal preference. Do you prefer the warrior Sontarans of the RTD era? The full-on comedy of Strax in the Moffat era? Or the balance of silly and serious that Chibnall delivered? If you like your Sontarans funny, then Strax was a wonderful addition to the show.

There's something about these potato soldiers that's inherently silly anyway, which is probably why he works so well. From offering to feed the newborn Melody Pond ("I can produce magnificent quantities of lactic fluid!") to almost murdering Clara with a newspaper to the face, he's got this aggressive kindness which feels like exactly what would happen if a member of the mightiest warrior race in the universe was forced to become good.

He's not everyone's cup of tea, sure - there's a reason many fans praised Chibnall for taking a less comedic approach to the Sontarans - but there's nothing quite like him in Doctor Who.

 
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Ellie has been part of the WhatCulture team since 2021 where she began as a freelance presenter for the WhoCulture channel. As a diehard Whovian with a BA (hons) degree in Drama and Acting, this role was the perfect opportunity for her to combine her screen presence training with her extensive Doctor Who knowledge. From there, she branched out to various other WhatCulture channels, including TrekCulture, and became a full time Content Producer/Video Presenter in 2023. Ellie is now a regular fixture on both WhoCulture and TrekCulture and has become a well respected public figure within both fandoms, building up a substantial following across her social media platforms and being given the opportunity to represent the channels and the wider communities at several industry events. Her favourite Doctor Who character is River Song and her favourite Star Trek character is Captain Janeway - which tells you everything you need to know about how she approaches her role within a generally male dominated field.