Doctor Who: 5 Traits That Made The Fifth Doctor Awesome

3. He Was Fallible

Of course, there were times when he didn't win. Because this Doctor, more than almost any other, experienced his share of loss. He was one of the only Doctors to have a companion die while travelling with him, and it seemed that he was frequently put in situations where he was completely not in control. And in a way, it upped the stakes. In Earthshock, he's left utterly powerless while his young companion Adric is stuck on the Cyberman spaceship while it explodes. Tegan's mind is at the mercy of the Mara more than once, having been possessed in both Kinda and Snakedance, and the Doctor struggles to protect her. Even his opening episode of Castrovalva foreshadows this vulnerable element of the Fifth Doctor's character -- his regeneration goes badly, and must be kept isolated in the Tardis Zero Room while Tegan and Nyssa are forced to take charge. Gone were the days when he knew that the Doctor would get himself and his companions out of danger. After watching the excellent Earthshock, we knew it wasn't a foregone conclusion that everyone would survive the adventures. It made Doctor Who more compelling than it had been in quite some time.