Doctor Who is one of the longest-running science fiction shows of all time, with the series beginning in 1963. While the series has managed to remain fresh over its 50-year run due to the ingenious concept of regeneration that lets the show recast its main actor in canon, it would be a lie to suggest that every season and every character has been iconic. In fact, due to its 50-year run, the series has had some truly awful, irritating characters that have made fans angry at the mere sight of them.
This article will list 5 characters that were annoying but necessary and 5 that were just plain annoying.
Annoying: Everyone In Love And Monsters
If you ask any Doctor Who fan what their least favorite episode is, there is a huge chance that they will respond with season 2’s Love and Monsters. The episode features one of the worst Doctor Who villain designs in the Abzorbaloff, as well as barely any actual Doctor.
The characters in the episode are badly written, making any actual viewing of this episode incredibly tedious to complete. Although, it is certainly memorable.
Necessary: Clara Oswald
Clara Oswald is one of the most controversial Doctor Who characters of all time. Much like Marmite, Oswald divides viewers down the middle, with some loving the character and some absolutely despising her.
Most of the disdain for Oswald comes from how the character was written. In her first appearances, she was largely character-less and as the show went on the stories revolved around her even more, making her one of the most important of all time with her ‘impossible girl’ arc.
Annoying: Adam Mitchell
Adam Mitchell traveled with the Ninth Doctor during the first season of the revival. While the character is barely ed by most fans, he was certainly despised at the time. Fortunately for those who hated the character, Adam would only appear in two more episodes before being expelled from the TARDIS by the Doctor.
Adam Mitchell is one of the most annoying and hated characters in the show's history, with Adam frequently disobeying the Doctor - a trait that would eventually cost him his travels in the TARDIS.
Necessary: Lady Cassandra
Lady Cassandra is one of the most memorable and annoying characters on this list, but unlike some, her annoyance is certainly intentional. Cassandra claims to be the last 'pure' human alive and as such, she clings to life by using a section of her skin.
Her frequent shouts of 'moisturize me' are classic Doctor Who lines now, cementing the character's place in the Doctor Who mythos.
Annoying: Vilma (Benni Lady)
Orphan 55 was one of the worst episodes of Doctor Who of all time. Not only was the story terribly handled, with an awfully designed villain, and a hamfisted environmental message at the end, but it also included one of the most annoying characters of all time.
Her husband (Benni) went missing during the episode, so she was prone to shouting 'Benni' at the top her lungs. While this could have been well done and tragic, it was just annoying and eventually 'memed' on the internet.
Necessary: Slitheen
The Slitheen are one of the most memorable monsters to come out of the revival era of Doctor Who, but it would be disingenuous to say that they weren't annoying.
By design, the Slitheen are irritating creatures due to the fact that they constantly fart and burp while wearing their skin suits. While this was funny in 2005, rewatching the show today shows how irritating they actually are.
Annoying: Adric
Adric is almost universally ed for being an irritating companion. Adric was a non-human companion of the Doctor, a rarity to say the least, but this interesting character trait was greatly outweighed by Adric's arrogant, 'know it all' attitude.
This arrogance led to frequent clashes between himself and the Doctor, something that didn't exactly make him well-liked among fans.
Necessary: Gibbis
Gibbis only appeared in one episode of Doctor Who, with the alien appearing in the episode the God Complex alongside the Eleventh Doctor. Gibbis is an alien whose race is constantly being invaded by other aliens and, as a result, Gibbis and his species are cowardly by nature.
This cowardice was incredibly irritating to watch in the episode, with Gibbis being one of the most unlikeable characters in the new era of Doctor Who.
Annoying: Mel Bush
A computer programmer from the 20th Century, Mel Bush traveled with the Sixth and Seventh Doctors. The fact that she traveled with two different incarnations of the Doctor may make one believe she was quite liked, but this is not the case.
Mel Bush irritated fans due to her insistence on following the rules and her pushy nature that led her to frequently try and make the Doctor adopt her vegetarian diet and exercise plan.
Necessary: Ashildr
Ashildir was first introduced to the Doctor Who audience as a Viking girl living in the 9th Century. During her first appearance, however, Ashildir was killed and exposed to the technology of the Mire. The Mire technology brought Ashildir back to life but also made her immortal, preventing her from aging in the process.
While fans did enjoy having Maisie Williams in Doctor Who, fans were left annoyed at the inconsistencies in how the character was written, with Ashildir flip-flopping on the Doctor several times throughout the series.