Doctor Who: Every Master Ranked Worst To Best

Anthony Ainley was a workhorse Master and deserves credit for it. After all, no other incarnation of the character has managed to terrorise The Doctor through a whopping four different regenerations, starting with Tom Baker, and concluding with Sylvester McCoy. His service to the part is unrivalled.

He also appeared in some crucial iconic Doctor Who moments. He was one of the central villains in the classic Five Doctors story. As a discouraging apparition, he terrorised Peter Davidson during his death/regeneration scene, and he battled Sylvester McCoy near enough to the death in the final episode of Doctor Who before its long-running hiatus.

All in all, Ainley's rendition was a faithful re-imagining of Roger Delgado's performance, even if it was a little less slick. He was a bit more of a moustache-twirler than his well-rounded predecessor, and like many other good Doctor Who actors, the dodgy writing of the late 80s undermined his skills as a performer. He still, however, managed to play the part enthusiastically and consistently. There is many a good Anthony Ainley scene to be found, as all fans will tell you.