Doctor Who: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Day Of The Doctor

3. What's In A Name?

As the Doctor explained to Clara in The Name of the Doctor, "The name you choose is like a promise you make." There was a reason the young Time Lord took the title of Doctor when he was on Gallifrey, and the 50th anniversary gave some background into the decision. When the three Doctors were gathered around the Moment, Clara challenged them to remember what the title of Doctor meant to them. To them, it meant someone who was never cruel or cowardly, someone who never gave up and never gave in. It was a code of honour on which he wanted to model his life. At first, the Doctor thought he had two choices to end the Time War - use the Moment and watch it destroy both Daleks and Time Lords, or refrain from using it and watch as the two civilisations tore the universe apart. But Clara's reminder of the promise of his title made him realise that he had a third choice to save Gallifrey. Throughout the series, the Doctor has always been adept at finding a plan C, so to have him use that same tactic to save Gallifrey just served as a reminder for what he has always been - the man who finds another way to save the day.