10 Most Underused Doctor Who Characters
2. The Lone Cyberman
One of the best things about the Chibnall era is the way he's reinvented classic villains like the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Sontarans, and the MVP of that particular bunch is Ashad - aka the Lone Cyberman.
Ashad might even be the best thing about the Chibnall era full-stop, but at the same time, we'd be lying if we said we weren't a little frustrated with the way he was handled in his later appearances.
After an incredible debut in The Haunting Of Villa Diodati - one that was thematically rich, genuinely scary, and just plain badass - Ashad was reduced to a more "bog-standard Cyberman" role in Ascension Of The Cybermen and The Timeless Children, spouting so many eye-rolling evil monologues that it felt like he was seconds away from growing a moustache and twirling it.
Thankfully though, the amazing makeup/costume design, chilling voice, and intimidating physicality prevented the character from completely falling apart.
Had he been portrayed with that Villa Diodati depth in his final two episodes, then Ashad would've been an all-time great Who villain, but as it stands, a lot of his potential was squandered, and he definitely could've been used more effectively.