10 Doctor Who Fan Theories That Became Fact

Where there's a beloved property, there are fan theories, and Doctor Who is obviously no exception. With such a long history - and a vast canon that spans novels, comics, and audio dramas - there's so much material for fans to dissect, and countless foundations off which they can build their theories.

However, the reality is that the majority of these theories will end up being wrong, as evidenced by some of the truly crazy ones we've seen over the years (remember when people thought Rory Williams was secretly the Master?). But then again, getting all wacky and crazy is what makes the guessing game so fun!

On some occasions though, fan theories don't miss the mark. Sometimes, they hit the nail right on the head with their predictions, whether they correctly guess a plot twist that occurs later in the series, or, in much rarer cases, even have their theories adopted by the people in charge of the show.

Doctor Who regularly deals with the infinite possibilities of the universe, so it seems fitting that the fans are correct some of the time, right?

In the mid-90s, an avid Doctor Who fan took to an online message board, eager to share one of their most interesting Doctor Who theories – that our use of the word "doctor" actually came from the Doctor themselves, due to the Time Lord's many appearances throughout history as a healer, a saviour, and a good man.

Sounds pretty plausible, and here's where it gets even better: that fan's name was none other than Steven Moffat, who would one day take charge of the show and catapult it to international success. And when Moffat finally did become showrunner in 2010, he took advantage of the opportunity to work his decades-old theory into the fabric of Doctor Who.

In the closing moments of A Good Man Goes to War, River Song arrives and berates the Doctor for his reckless behaviour, reminding him just how powerful and feared his name has become throughout the universe. In doing so, she tells him where the word "doctor" originally came from, ascending Moffat’s theory from the musings of a fan, to actual show canon:

“Doctor. The word for healer and wise man throughout the universe. We get that word from you, you know. But if you carry on the way you are, what might that word come to mean?”

It’s no secret that Moffat has been a Doctor Who fan for as long as he can remember, and has cited the show as one of the main reasons he started working in TV in the first place.

And let’s be honest, if any of us had the opportunity to make our own fan theories canon, you can bet your sonic screwdrivers we’d take it!