Doctor Who: Why the Eleven is one of the greatest villains ever
By James Aggas
The Eleven first appeared in Eighth Doctor box set Doom Coalition 1. But why is he so dangerous?
(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.
Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)
Who is the Eleven? And is he one of the greatest ideas for a villain in Doctor Who ever? Let’s take a look at the character, and what makes him such a unique enemy for the Doctor.
For the past few years, the Eleven has been a major enemy for the Doctor across many Doctor Who stories. But if you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of him, that wouldn’t be too surprising. At least, if you’ve only watched the television series.
Because the Eleven wasn’t created in the New Series, or even the Classic Series. Instead, the Eleven is a major enemy created by Big Finish for the Eighth Doctor’s audios. (Although we’d certainly love to hear him face other incarnations, too.)
So what makes the Eleven so special? What makes him so different to other Time Lord villains, such as the Master or the Rani?
Many minds, one body
Well one thing that leaps out about the Eleven is the very idea of him. If you haven’t listened to any of his stories, you might be wondering why he calls himself “the Eleven”.
The idea is rather simple. So simple, in fact, that it makes you wonder why no one had ever thought of it before. The Eleven is a very dangerous and unstable Time Lord criminal in his eleventh incarnation. Like most Time Lords, his personality changes with every regeneration.
However, unlike most other Time Lords, he also retains his previous personalities. And they are very, very different minds, too. Some are more openly psychotic than others. Some are more subtle, but equally dangerous.
Most, however, are focused on one goal. To spread chaos and destruction wherever they go, with no regard for innocent lives lost along the way.
Well, I say most.
The Eight
The Eight is an interesting anomaly. The only personality that actually wants to be a good man, he tries his best to control his other selves. Particularly when he was the present incarnation. However, after regenerating, while his mind is still there, he has far less control.
There’s just something fascinating about an enemy who does have a good side to him. Who tries so hard to fight or at least control the darkness within. But his core personality is overwhelmingly evil. It also presents a fascinating view on Time Lords and regeneration.
We’ve seen personalities change with both the Doctor and the Master over the years. But each of them have remained as true to themselves as possible. Any significant change, such as Missy wanting to fight with the Doctor in The Doctor Falls, was only due to natural character development, such as Missy’s growth across the whole of Series Ten.
But the Eleven is different. And that’s not really surprising. With so many other lives fighting for control, he’s someone who really can’t escape his past. But then again, he doesn’t want to, not in this incarnation, at least. He’s someone who enjoys being evil, and it’s great to have a villain like that.
The Eleven last appeared in Ravenous 1: Sweet Salvation. Why has the character remained so popular?
(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.
Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)
Mark Bonnar
Of course, a villain like this, no matter how excellent the writing is, couldn’t possibly work without an exceptional performance. And we get it with Mark Bonnar.
New Series fans will recognize Bonnar from Eleventh Doctor episodes The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People. But while he was good in that story, his performance as the Eleven is far, far more amazing to hear.
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With his performance, you really get the sense that not only is the Eleven a dangerous and cunning villain. He’s also someone who’s always struggling for control. When every personality emerges, you really believe that’s a completely separate incarnation. And that’s exactly what you need to sell such a brilliant idea.
Since the character’s introduction almost three years ago in Doom Coalition 1, the Eleven has appeared in almost every Eighth Doctor box set with companions Liv and Helen since then. Technically, he doesn’t appear in Doom Coalition 3, but…well, spoilers.
Overall, he’s one of my favorite villains in Doctor Who. Not just in the audios, but ever. I’d love to hear more stories of him facing other Doctors, particularly as Doom Coalition began with a flashback of his capture by the Seventh Doctor. Until then, however, we have Ravenous 2 to look forward to, set to be released in October.
If you are a fan of Big Finish’s audios, you might be wondering: what of the Twelve? Well, despite being the following incarnation, the Twelve is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a very different character altogether. One so interesting that she deserves a separate article, at a later point.
Next. Why I’m excited about Ravenous 2. dark
Are you intrigued by the idea of a Time Lord with all of their previous personalities? Do you want someone like the Eleven appearing in the TV series, or even the Eleven himself? Are you already a fan of the character? Let us know in the comments below.