Doctor Who: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Rani
7. She's The First '80s Villain To Make A Comeback
1980s Doctor Who introduced some great villains – Sil, Fenric, the Gods of Ragnarok, the Kandyman (yep, I said it) – but none of them have been reimagined for the new series. From the Daleks in 2005 to Sutekh in 2024, every Doctor Who monster or villain that's been resurrected in the modern era originated in either the 1960s or the 1970s.
There's an argument that Can You Hear Me's Zellin and Rakaya count because they're Eternals, like the ones we meet in the 1983 story Englightenment. However, they're not strictly villains in that story, nor do the Can You Hear Me villains bear much of a resemblance to their 1980s predecessors.
Therefore, it's the Rani who truly takes the crown as the first of Doctor Who's 1980's creations to make a return in the 21st century series. With her poise and acidic wit, Archie Panjabi seems to instantly understand the character of the Rani, staying true to Kate O'Mara's original performance.
With her big hair, shoulder pads and sequins, O'Mara's Rani was a very 1980's villain, so it's fun to see that sort of energy adapted for the 2020s!