10 Major Doctor Who Events That Changed Everything

3. The Last Great Time War

An event that had been foreboding since all the way back in 1975, the importance of The Last Great Time War can't even begin to be understated within the universe of Doctor Who. Intended to be a metaphor for the Wilderness Years between the Classic Series cancellation and the New Series, it saw The Doctor return to television screens as a shadow of their Victorian gentleman caricature. Where the Classic Series Doctor had frequently stated their dislike of death and violence, The Ninth Doctor was clearly more accustomed to the grislier truths of the universe, sitting back mercilessly as villains such as Cassandra, The Slitheen and The Jagrafess were ruthlessly torn apart.

Whilst they were still the same Time Lord at their core, still wanting to travel the universe and very much capable of showing mercy, Series 1 explored the impact that being around the human race once again, especially Rose Tyler, would have in bringing back the values of who The Doctor is. We're essentially their therapy pet I suppose. Throughout the series and even later episodes in the run, countless civilisations and races are shown to have been victims of this war, with the very name 'The Time War' implying that it could have been waged across time itself for an infinitely long time.

Not only that, but it was responsible for the downfall of The Time Lords themselves, a race who we'd always assumed were so powerful and skilled in cheating death, that it'd be near to impossible to keep them down for good. It's a boast to just how devastating this war was for the Whoniverse that even up to the Fiftieth Anniversary of the programme, we were still seeing the ramifications and emotional scars that the war left, gripping those who survived it.