Every Returning Character & Actor in Ncuti Gatwa’s Final Doctor Who Episode

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Attention: Contains spoilers for the 8th episode of Doctor Who season 15 titled “The Reality War.”

In “The Reality War,” Ncuti Gatwa bid farewell to his role as the Fifteenth Doctor, but he wasn’t left saying goodbye all by himself. At the time of his regeneration, there was no one with him in the TARDIS; however, the episode was packed with characters from previous Doctor Who seasons and fleeting appearances from familiar faces. Some had last appeared during the classic era of Doctor Who, while others made their debuts relatively recently within the Disney era of Doctor Who.

Ncuti Gatwa’s regeneration scene introduced an old character, creating some curiosity about who might be the main actor for season 16 of Doctor Who, if it gets confirmed. However, not all returning characters significantly influence the show’s future; they are often included to add style, nostalgia, and to mark Gatwa’s time as the main Doctor Who character.

8. Rose Noble

Played By: Yasmin Finney

Rose, daughter of Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble, played a significant role during David Tennant’s reprise as the Fourteenth Doctor in “The Star Beast” (2023). However, since then, she has mainly appeared in brief appearances. At the moment, she is working in an assistant-like position for the new UNIT team of Doctor Who, occupying a relatively low rank. Despite her potential to make significant contributions as she gains experience, her current tasks are rather limited.

Rose reappears after Fifteen opens the entrance to the Time Hotel within UNIT HQ, thus enabling actual time to somewhat return the room to a state close to what it was before Conrad Clark (Jonah Hauer-King) utilized Desiderium’s abilities to reshape Earth into his distorted version of an ideal society. In this flawed utopia, disabled individuals are pushed towards the margins and rendered practically invisible to everyone else. As Conrad’s narrow perspective on the world fails to acknowledge the existence of a transwoman like Rose, she can only return when Fifteen opens the hotel door, allowing reality to reassert itself.

7. Anita Benn

Played By: Steph de Whalley

As a movie critic, I must say that “The Reality War” cleverly wove in nods to Steven Moffat’s 2024 Christmas special, “Joy to the World.” This holiday-themed episode took us on an intriguing journey through a Time Hotel in the 43rd century, but also offered glimpses of the Fifteenth Doctor residing in a more conventional Earth hotel during the 21st century, with his TARDIS stuck in a temporal limbo.

Interestingly, this earthbound stint allowed the Doctor to forge a connection with Anita Benn, brilliantly portrayed by Steph de Whalley, who managed the hotel. The plot then takes an exciting turn as we discover that Anita has somehow made her way to the Time Hotel and ascended to its management role.

It becomes apparent in “The Reality War” that Anita developed feelings for the Doctor beyond friendship during their time spent together, but Fifteen didn’t reciprocate these feelings. As Anita searched for the Doctor using the Time Hotel, she sadly found out that Gatwa’s character was already in love with another person – Jonathon Groff’s Rogue. When they eventually meet again, Anita is heavily pregnant with a child from a new romantic interest. She plays a crucial role in helping the Doctor put an end to Conrad’s Wish. Furthermore, Anita hints at having a connection to “The Boss,” a yet-to-be-seen villain.

6. The Eleventh Doctor

Played By: Matt Smith

Matt Smith, who last played the role of the Eleventh Doctor in 2014 during a brief appearance for Peter Capaldi’s first full episode as Twelve, is not officially back in the role. However, his portrayal of the Time Lord can be seen in “The Reality War.” In this storyline, Anita searches through the Doctor’s Timeline for her favorite version of him, and encounters Eleven before meeting Fifteen and Rogue during their encounter.

In “The Reality War,” Smith’s appearance was achieved by utilizing old footage from the popular “Doctor Who” season 6 episode 13, titled “The Wedding of River Song.” This means that the actor didn’t need to film any fresh scenes for Eleven’s appearance in Gatwa’s farewell episode. It’s unclear if there’s a deeper meaning as to why Russell T. Davies selected this specific moment for Anita to witness, or it might have been chosen simply because the original episode is highly cherished among fans.

5. The Third Doctor

Played By: Jon Pertwee

In 1983, during “The Five Doctors,” which marked the 20th anniversary of Doctor Who, Pertwee made his last appearance. Prior to this, he had been at the helm from 1970 to 1974. Similar to how Anita stumbled upon the Eleventh Doctor when searching for the Fifteenth, she also caught a fleeting glance of the Third. However, unlike Smith’s Doctor who was merely engaged in a risky game of chess, Pertwee’s Doctor finds himself in a much more perilous predicament.

In 1972, a significant scene from Pertwee’s performance was featured in a Doctor Who serial titled “Day of the Daleks.” This story holds special importance for the series’ most feared enemies. Even though Three was unable to act, Anita chose not to intervene, possibly because she had already encountered Fifteen and was aware that the Doctor had survived their encounter. The selection of “Day of the Daleks” as a storyline might hint at Gatwa’s disappointment for not having an opportunity to confront the Daleks in his role.

4. Omega

Played By: Nicholas Briggs

In the 7th episode of Doctor Who’s season 15, titled “Wish World,” it was hinted that Omega would return, but he didn’t make a full appearance until the middle of “The Reality War.” Previously acted by Stephen Thorne and later by Peter Davison, this time around, Omega appears quite altered. Using computer-generated imagery (CGI), Omega has undergone a physical transformation due to his time in the Underverse. Now he resembles a decayed, skeletal figure similar to a zombie.

As a devoted cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that Nicholas Briggs, famed for his roles as both the Daleks and Cybermen in the modern era of Doctor Who, is now lending his voice to Omega. This intriguing character aspired to ascend as the Pantheon’s God of Time, but alas, he met his match when confronted by the Fifteenth Doctor. Despite initial expectations of a colossal threat, Omega was swiftly dispatched back to the Underverse.

However, it was the Rani’s manipulation of reality that posed the most significant danger in “The Reality War.” A fascinating twist indeed!

3. Joy Almondo

Played By: Nicola Coughlan (Sort Of)

In the series “The Reality War,” Anita and the Time Hotel weren’t the only components drawn from the 2024 Christmas special “Joy to the World.” While Nicola Coughlan didn’t reappear as Joy Almondo in Gatwa’s final episode, the character did make a comeback, albeit in a different form. Since giving her life to prevent the Star Seed from devastating Earth, Joy has been reincarnated as the Star of Bethlehem, and she appears towards the end of “The Reality War.

“I’m never alone with you!“

– The Fifteenth Doctor to Joy’s star in “The Reality War.”

Joy was with Fifteen for certain scenes in “Joy to the World,” even though she didn’t spend as much time alongside Gatwa’s Doctor as Anita did. However, it can be seen that Joy may have been the only one present during Fifteen’s final moments, since he took the TARDIS to send her to a new home in space before regenerating, thus avoiding feelings of loneliness. It is a heartwarming scene, but it might be hard to understand clearly if “Joy to the World” hasn’t been watched recently.

2. The Thirteenth Doctor

Played By: Jodie Whittaker

Jodie Whittaker, who played the Doctor prior to Disney, didn’t leave the show too long ago; her regeneration scene was only in 2022. Therefore, it was quite unexpected when she appeared in Fifteen’s TARDIS before Gatwa’s departure. The precise timing of Thirteen’s appearance within her personal timeline for this cameo isn’t clear, but given that she has developed romantic feelings for Yasmin Kahn (Mandip Gill), it seems she might be nearing the end of her life as well.

During Chris Chibnall’s tenure as showrunner, Jodie Whittaker served as the sole primary Doctor. Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor also made an appearance earlier in season 15. This period was marked by much debate among fans due to the controversial changes introduced by Chibnall, most notably the Timeless Child storyline that significantly altered the Doctor’s origin and caused disruption within the franchise’s established lore. Despite the challenges of her era, Whittaker delivered a commendable performance as the Thirteenth Doctor, making it enjoyable to see her return alongside her successor, albeit briefly.

1. The Sixteenth Doctor?

Played By: Billie Piper

Ncuti Gatwa’s departure marked the third consecutive regeneration sequence in “Doctor Who” that leans towards spectacle. Following Whittaker’s regeneration into Tennant in 2022, Tennant’s character then underwent a double regeneration to produce Gatwa. Now, Gatwa has regenerated again, this time into Billie Piper, who is recognized within the series for her portrayal of Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor and David Tennant’s Tenth. However, it remains uncertain if Piper will assume the role of the Sixteenth Doctor, as the credits in “The Reality War” do not provide confirmation. Consequently, there may be another explanation at play.

Although it seems improbable that Piper might be taking on the role of Rose again, there’s a possibility she could reappear in the Doctor Who universe as Bad Wolf instead. This formidable alter ego of Rose has been absent from the series for quite some time, but given her strong connection to the TARDIS, it wouldn’t be surprising if Fifteen channeling his regeneration energy into the central console brought Bad Wolf back. However, I suspect Piper is simply stepping in for Gatwa as the Doctor, and we’ll only know for sure with the arrival of Doctor Who season 16, which may hold this intriguing revelation.

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2025-06-04 01:40