Fifteenth Doctor

The Fifteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa in two series and two specials.

Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a millennia-old alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, with somewhat unknown origins, who travels in time and space in their TARDIS, frequently with companions. Usually, at the end of each incarnation's life, the Doctor regenerates; as a result, their physical appearance and personality changes. However, the Fifteenth Doctor emerged unconventionally, via "bi-generation", in which he split from his predecessor, the Fourteenth Doctor's body, rather than replacing him, allowing both incarnations to co-exist. In contrast to his predecessors, Gatwa portrays a Doctor who is attempting to let go of much of his recent emotional trauma, with a more emotionally balanced, liberated, fun-loving, and affectionate outward persona.

In contrast to previous Doctors, the Fifteenth Doctor's stories include a greater focus on fantasy elements, intended by showrunner Russell T Davies to "increase the danger" and have a "bigger, wider sense of imagination". His first episode as lead actor aired on 25 December 2023, and his first full series premiered on 11 May 2024. The Fifteenth Doctor regenerated in the series 15 finale, "The Reality War", into a character played by Billie Piper.