7. The Weapon
In a stroke of genius writer Steven Moffat took the ultimate weapon of mass destruction and gave it a conscience. "The Moment" actually tries to talk its wielder out of using it. It is not, however, the most dangerous weapon in the universe the Doctor is. And the Time Lords are responsible for crafting both of them. The John Hurt Doctor calls himself a warrior but is he really? "Warrior" implies glory. The War Doctor is more like an executioner a soldier who has experienced so much horror that he is numb and will simply coldly and calculatingly do whatever is necessary to end pain. When you experience trauma, your initial reaction is often panic and then perhaps denial and maybe resistance. But when you experience long-term trauma you move into a state of acceptance a belief that this is how it always will be. In order to protect yourself from that terrible realization you turn your feelings off. You're like a zombie, ignoring the carnage around you to focus only on survival. This is the man the War Doctor is turning into.