Doctor Who: 6 Biggest Dalek Triumphs Of The New Series
3. The Dalek Emperor (The Parting Of The Ways)
People love Daleks and they love good villains, too. In Series 1's finale Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways, they got both in the form of the Dalek Emperor, giving the character all the elements to be an instant hit.
Having rebuilt the Daleks after somehow surviving the Time War, the Dalek Emperor has become truly deluded, believing himself to be the god and saviour of the Dalek race. It's a full-blown messiah complex, creating a really interesting twist on the usual mindset of the Daleks. The character also uses the religious ideas and imagery to get under the Ninth Doctor's skin, playing on the Time Lord's survivor's guilt and casting him as a devilish destroyer of worlds. It creates a brlliant antagonistic relationship between the two that's great to watch unfold on screen and that wouldn't necessarily be there with just any old Dalek.
His death is hugely satisfying, too, as all good villain demises are. He gets turned to dust, along with all his Daleks, by Rose Tyler who has gained nigh-omnipotent powers as a result of staring into the heart of the TARDIS. It shows up just how powerless the Emperor is and just how unfounded his claims to godhood are, just at the point of his victory,. An immensely gratifying moment.