Ninth Doctor

The Doctor

The Ninth Doctor
Doctor Who character
Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor
First regular appearance	"Rose" (2005)
Last regular appearance	"The Parting of the Ways" (2005)
Introduced by	Russell T Davies
Portrayed by	Christopher Eccleston
Preceded by	Paul McGann (Eighth Doctor)
Succeeded by	David Tennant (Tenth Doctor)
Information
Tenure	26 March – 18 June 2005
No of series	1
Appearances	10 stories (13 episodes)
Companions	Rose Tyler Adam Mitchell Jack Harkness
Chronology	Series 1 (2005)

The Ninth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Christopher Eccleston during the first series of the show's revival in 2005.

Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time and space in the TARDIS, frequently with companions. At the end of his life, the Doctor regenerates into a new version of himself, with a changed physical appearance and personality. Eccleston's incarnation of the Doctor is a war-torn loner who is more pragmatic and less eccentric than his previous selves, fiercely determined to protect the innocent at all costs, and prone to using humour to mask the trauma he suffers from as a result of the Time War. Preceded in regeneration by the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) and the War Doctor (John Hurt), he is followed by the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant).

To fit in with a 21st-century audience, the Doctor was given the primary companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), who was designed to be just as independent and courageous as the Doctor. The Doctor and Rose also briefly travel with Adam Mitchell (Bruno Langley) and are later joined by Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), a reformed con man from the 51st century. The Doctor, Rose, and Jack form a close team but are separated in the series finale in which each character has to make difficult choices and face sacrifice.