Doctor Who: Every Master Ranked Worst To Best

By all rights, Derek Jacobi would be higher up on this list. He was phenomenal, but he only served the role for the last segment of a single episode, making it a swift but memorable run for the character.

Through hiding in plain sight, under the guise of the comparatively lovely Professor Yana, Jacobi's villainous reveal at the end of Utopia was a sublimely shocking moment, and it was the first time fans got treated to a Master in a very long time. There was no better candidate to reintroduce the character than Derek Jacobi, as his Shakespearean performance allowed the switch from good to evil to flip in a swift and jaw dropping manner.

He was strategically placed to give John Simm his own extensive tenure, but the impact of The Master reborn may well have been a dull thud if it hadn't been given this kind of build-up. Credit to Jacobi also for being humble enough to adopt the mantle for this brief a time. Regardless of the fleeting appearance, his own individual take on the role allowed him to become a fan-approved and essential marker in The Master's timeline.