Gender in Doctor Who: Difference between revisions

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    (All the Time Lords I know of who've changed genders between incarnations)
     
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    In ''Doctor Who'', Time Lords are canonically genderfluid, in that their genders can change between incarnations.
    In ''Doctor Who'', Time Lords are canonically [[genderfluid]], in that their [[gender]]s can change between incarnations. Time Lords transform their bodies in order to prevent death, giving them a new personality each time they undergo this process. It should be noted that the new bodies that Time Lords receive after regeneration are usually not chosen intentionally. In addition to possibly changing [[sexes|sex]] when they regenerate, they may also change gender — in the words of showrunner Steven Moffat, "We must assume that gender is quite fluid on Gallifrey".


    In series 10, episode 11, ''World Enough and Time'', the Doctor explains the Time Lord attitude to gender. Less than one month later the BBC revealed that the next incarnation of the Doctor would be played by a woman for the first time.
    In series 10, episode 11, ''World Enough and Time'', the Doctor explains the Time Lord attitude to gender. Less than one month after the episode aired the BBC revealed that the next incarnation of the Doctor would be played by a woman for the first time.


    <blockquote>''BILL: So, the Time Lords, bit flexible on the whole man-woman thing, then, yeah?''<br>
    <blockquote>''BILL: So, the Time Lords, bit flexible on the whole man-woman thing, then, yeah?''<br>
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    * '''The Corsair''' was mentioned by the Doctor in ''The Doctor's Wife'', season 6 episode 4, written by Neil Gaiman.
    * '''The Corsair''' was mentioned by the Doctor in ''The Doctor's Wife'', season 6 episode 4, written by Neil Gaiman.
    **"Anyway, there's a living Time Lord still out there, and it's one of the good ones. ... The mark of the Corsair. Fantastic bloke. He had that snake as a tattoo in every regeneration. Didn't feel like himself unless he had the tattoo. Or herself, a couple of times. Ooo, she was a bad girl." --The Doctor, ''The Doctor's Wife'' (S06E04).
    **"Anyway, there's a living Time Lord still out there, and it's one of the good ones. ... The mark of the Corsair. Fantastic bloke. He had that snake as a tattoo in every regeneration. Didn't feel like himself unless he had the tattoo. Or herself, a couple of times. Ooo, she was a bad girl." --The Doctor, ''The Doctor's Wife'' (S06E04).
    * '''The Doctor''' is the protagonist and hero of the show, and has been played by 12 male actors. In July 2017 the BBC revealed that the thirteenth Doctor would be played by Jodie Whittaker, a woman.<ref>''"[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40624288 Jodie Whittaker: Doctor Who's 13th Time Lord to be a woman]"'', BBC News, 16 July 2017.</ref>
    * '''The Doctor''' is the protagonist and hero of the show, and has been played by 12 male actors. In July 2017 the BBC revealed that the thirteenth Doctor would be played by Jodie Whittaker, a woman.<ref>''"[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40624288 Jodie Whittaker: Doctor Who's 13th Time Lord to be a woman]"'', BBC News, 16 July 2017. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230602220348/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40624288 Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>
    ** The twelfth Doctor said about Missy, "I think she was a man back then. I'm fairly sure that I was, too. It was a long time ago, though," ''(S10E11)'' - so it would be reasonable to assume that the Doctor had been another gender than male prior to this moment.
    * '''The General''' led the Time Lord military, and has been female for most of their incarnations. In ''The Day of the Doctor'' the General is male, but dies in ''Hell Bent'' (S09E12) and regenerates into a woman and is relieved.
    * '''The General''' led the Time Lord military, and has been female for most of their incarnations. In ''The Day of the Doctor'' the General is male, but dies in ''Hell Bent'' (S09E12) and regenerates into a woman and is relieved.
    ** "Oh, back to normal, am I? The only time I've been a man, that last body. Dear Lord, how do you cope with all that ego?" --The General, ''Hell Bent'' (S09E12).
    ** "Oh, back to normal, am I? The only time I've been a man, that last body. Dear Lord, how do you cope with all that ego?" --The General, ''Hell Bent'' (S09E12).
    * '''The Master''' is a recurring antagonist in the show, a rogue Time Lord, and the Doctor's nemesis. They have been played by seven men and most recently one woman.<ref>''"[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_(Doctor_Who)#Portrayals The Master: Portrayals]"'', Wikipedia, captured July 2017.</ref>
    * '''The Master''' is a recurring antagonist in the show, a rogue Time Lord, and the Doctor's nemesis. They have been played by seven men and most recently one woman.<ref>''"[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_(Doctor_Who)#Portrayals The Master: Portrayals]"'', Wikipedia, captured July 2017. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230522153031/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_(Doctor_Who) Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>
     
    ==See also==
    *[[Fictional depictions of nonbinary gender]]


    ==References==
    ==References==


    <references />
    <references />
    [[Category:Fiction]]

    Latest revision as of 13:14, 17 July 2023

    In Doctor Who, Time Lords are canonically genderfluid, in that their genders can change between incarnations. Time Lords transform their bodies in order to prevent death, giving them a new personality each time they undergo this process. It should be noted that the new bodies that Time Lords receive after regeneration are usually not chosen intentionally. In addition to possibly changing sex when they regenerate, they may also change gender — in the words of showrunner Steven Moffat, "We must assume that gender is quite fluid on Gallifrey".

    In series 10, episode 11, World Enough and Time, the Doctor explains the Time Lord attitude to gender. Less than one month after the episode aired the BBC revealed that the next incarnation of the Doctor would be played by a woman for the first time.

    BILL: So, the Time Lords, bit flexible on the whole man-woman thing, then, yeah?
    DOCTOR: We're the most civilised civilisation in the universe. We're billions of years beyond your petty human obsession with gender and its associated stereotypes.

    Time Lords whose genders have changed[edit | edit source]

    • The Corsair was mentioned by the Doctor in The Doctor's Wife, season 6 episode 4, written by Neil Gaiman.
      • "Anyway, there's a living Time Lord still out there, and it's one of the good ones. ... The mark of the Corsair. Fantastic bloke. He had that snake as a tattoo in every regeneration. Didn't feel like himself unless he had the tattoo. Or herself, a couple of times. Ooo, she was a bad girl." --The Doctor, The Doctor's Wife (S06E04).
    • The Doctor is the protagonist and hero of the show, and has been played by 12 male actors. In July 2017 the BBC revealed that the thirteenth Doctor would be played by Jodie Whittaker, a woman.[1]
      • The twelfth Doctor said about Missy, "I think she was a man back then. I'm fairly sure that I was, too. It was a long time ago, though," (S10E11) - so it would be reasonable to assume that the Doctor had been another gender than male prior to this moment.
    • The General led the Time Lord military, and has been female for most of their incarnations. In The Day of the Doctor the General is male, but dies in Hell Bent (S09E12) and regenerates into a woman and is relieved.
      • "Oh, back to normal, am I? The only time I've been a man, that last body. Dear Lord, how do you cope with all that ego?" --The General, Hell Bent (S09E12).
    • The Master is a recurring antagonist in the show, a rogue Time Lord, and the Doctor's nemesis. They have been played by seven men and most recently one woman.[2]

    See also[edit | edit source]

    References[edit | edit source]

    1. "Jodie Whittaker: Doctor Who's 13th Time Lord to be a woman", BBC News, 16 July 2017. Archived on 17 July 2023
    2. "The Master: Portrayals", Wikipedia, captured July 2017. Archived on 17 July 2023