War Doctor

John Hurt (2013)

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The "War Doctor", also known as "the Renegade", was an incarnation of the Doctor who undertook a radically different and grueling path compared to his other lives. 

Rather than act as a healer, he accepted the life of a warrior for the sake of bring an end to the Last Great Time War.

He was ultimately born from his previous incarnation's desperate evasion of the battlefield, which backfired on him when the state of the universe had become so dire that his own principles prevented him from dealing with the war personally. He made this difficult choice to refute his namesake as a "Doctor" when he endured a sacrifice that only led him to ruin, and lost sight of the hope connected to his moniker.

Originally young and robust, this incarnation disavowed the name of "the Doctor", setting upon the warrior path for which he had been created although Rassilon and other Time Lords continued to refer to him by that name.  

After becoming old and tired of battle and faced with the end of reality, this incarnation considered activating the Moment, to end the Time War by committing genocide against both the Daleks and his own people. 

After viewing his own future, this incarnation helped to save Gallifrey from destruction, although he was not able to retain these memories. 

Because of this, his later incarnations disowned him, believing him to have destroyed Gallifrey. 

The Eleventh Doctor would retain the memories, and eventually remembered him as the man who saved Gallifrey, restoring the War Doctor as an embraced and respected incarnation. 

This incarnation eventually regenerated due to advanced old age, shortly after he had saved Gallifrey. He remarked before regeneration that he was "wearing a bit thin," similar to the regeneration of the First Doctor.

Appearances:

The Name of the Doctor

The Night of the Doctor

The Day of the Doctor

In print: Engines of War