Doctor Who: 15 Real Historical Characters The Doctor Has Met
3. The Pope
This entry is perhaps the most debatable, but I am happy to include it due to the effectiveness of His Holiness' appearance in the Peter Capaldi episode 'Extremis'. The question mark as to the legitimacy of this entry is twofold - the first reason being that it's never stated exactly which Pope the Doctor is meeting, the second being that the world they meet in is actually a scam. Still, the realisation of the Pope's appearance is very well done, with the episode a clear highlight in the mixed bad that was Season 10 of the modern era of Who.
With the suicides of a number of devout holy men coming to the attention of the Vatican, his holiness and his entourage approach the Doctor to assist them in figuring out exactly what is going on. The interactions with the Pope are played for equal parts humour and tension with both aspects working well, a scene where the Pope interrupts the date of the Doctor's companion Billie being a real highlight.
The only disappointment is the fact that the Pope's dialogue is limited and is all in Italian. Considering that the Pope can speak English and the TARDIS has the ability to translate any language, it's a strange choice that somewhat dampens the overall impact of his presence.