10 Longest Pay-Offs In Doctor Who History

The Doctor returned in the first series of New Who having been through hell. We learn about the Time War which wiped out the Time-Lords and left the Doctor as the last of their kind.

As the series progress, we discover more when Ten talks more about the time war and their home planet being decimated, and we learn even more so from Eleven. For seven seasons we see a character shaped by the pain of the horrors they endured, and choices they made in this war, most notably in moments seen in Gridlock and The Rings of Akhaten.

It took until the fiftieth anniversary episode in 2013, a whole eight years after the revival began, to finally get to see a real glimpse of the Time War. We even learn about a secret incarnation that we had never known about. In the Day of the Doctor, we see Ten and Eleven meet the forgotten War Doctor and help him come to terms with what he has to do.

They stand by his side and comfort him as he prepares to destroy all of the Time Lords to win the Time War, but thankfully they realise they don't need to commit genocide, and can instead save Gallifrey with the help of every Doctor.

It was a surprising pay off at the end of a long, tragic arc and finally allowed the Doctor a reason to celebrate.