Doctor Who Always Forgets The Doctor Can Use These 7 Powers & Abilities

Published Mar 1, 2025

Followed

the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time, in both the classic and modern eras, show off something that the Doctor can do. From telepathy to controlling their biological components, the Doctor has some brilliant powers and abilities.

While there’s a lot of Doctor Who lore to learn about, I’m frequently confused when an intriguing ability or power is swiftly forgotten about. These qualities are great when the Doctor faces one of Doctor Who’s scariest monsters, is trying to survive certain death, or is saving lives. However, this is why it’s so unusual that Doctor Who forgets that the Doctor possesses these powers and abilities.

7 The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Shield

Seen In: "The Star Beast"

The Fourteenth Doctor’s sonic shield, which makes its first and only appearance in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special “The Star Beast,” is a brilliant concept. I really like the sonic shield, and I have always wondered why the show doesn’t implement something like it before this. However, it’s disappointing that this feature of the Doctor’s iconic sonic screwdriver isn’t utilized more. The sonic shield seems very powerful and is incredibly handy, but it goes to waste quickly after the first on-screen use.

Matt Smith holds the sonic screwdriver while David Tennant points his new sonic screwdriver at the camera

Why David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor Sonic Screwdriver Looks So Much Like Matt Smith's

Doctor Who has revealed a brand new sonic screwdriver for David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor, drawing comparisons with Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor.

Posts

Why isn’t the sonic shield used in the other 60th anniversary specials? It seems strange that Russell T Davies introduces such an interesting concept, only to forget about it moments after. Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor doesn’t seem to have this feature in their sonic screwdriver, at least not that we know of as of yet, but hopefully Doctor Who season 15 will revisit or at least acknowledge this.

6 The Third Doctor's Venusian Aikido

Seen In: "The Mind Of Evil," "Inferno," "The Claws Of Axos," "Day Of The Daleks," "The Time Warrior," And More

The Third Doctor using the Venusian aikido martial art on someone in in Doctor Who.

Using the Venusian aikido martial arts is a staple of the Third Doctor’s characterization, and I always appreciate this trait of his. The Third Doctor is typically perceived as a more serious and stiffer character, but this offers a new side of the character that is always a delight to see on-screen. The Doctor uses Venusian aikido in several classic Doctor Who era serials, and it’s always fun to see him stop a threat by immobilizing them using their pressure points.

Although other incarnations of the Doctor reference Venusian aikido, only the Third Doctor is seen doing it.

Although other incarnations of the Doctor reference Venusian aikido, only the Third Doctor is seen doing it. Of course, the Doctor is typically a ive figure who avoids conflict unless necessary, and even though Venusian aikido is a relatively tame martial art compared to others, it still counts as a form of violence. While it’s unlikely we’ll see the Doctor perform actual Venusian aikido again at this point, I’d still love future seasons of Doctor Who to delve further into its history.

5 The Doctor Can Read Another Person's Memories

Seen In: "The Girl In The Fireplace"

I wish more installments of Doctor Who would feature the Doctor’s telepathic powers. The Time Lord is able to share memories with others, like in “The Lodger” and “Deep Breath,” but this is usually for the sake of danger or to find a quick solution to something. However, I hope that future episodes will revisit the fact that the Doctor can read the in-depth memories of others. This most notably occurs in Doctor Who’s “The Girl in the Fireplace,” and no matter how many times I watch this episode, I always think this ability of the Doctor’s is brilliant.

While rewatching Doctor Who, I often think about how this ability could be useful to the Doctor again. For example, the Doctor could look into Amy’s memories to see what the Silence looks like. Even though the Time Lord later learns that memories of the Silence immediately fade after looking at them, it’s still a perfect opportunity for the Doctor to use it again. It’s a fantastic quality, but I can’t understand why Doctor Who doesn’t bring it out more.

4 The Doctor Can Enter A Healing Coma

Seen In: "Planet Of The Daleks"

While each Doctor eventually regenerates in Doctor Who, there are times in which the titular character avoids changing their appearance and personality. One great ability the Doctor has in order to do this is the healing coma. The Third Doctor famously goes into a healing coma at the beginning of “Planet of the Daleks,” after he is shot by the Master and is left in grave danger. Classic era Doctor Who also features the Zero Room frequently, a room in the TARDIS that allows the Doctor to float in midair while they rest.

However, later installments of the show forget about this incredible power. There are a few vague references in the Big Finish audios, but other than that, Doctor Who fails to this. Considering the Doctor is now an expert in regenerating, having done it so many times, it makes sense that they don’t need to enter a healing coma often anymore. Even still, it’s a shame Doctor Who doesn’t use the healing coma more.

3 The Doctor's Respiratory And Vascular System

Seen In: “Spearhead From Space,” "Robots Of Death," "Smith And Jones," And More.

The Doctor’s Time Lord biology allows them to possess some strange yet interesting abilities. The titular character is able to stop their hearts, keep themselves alive for short periods with just one working, and even filter their lungs to avoid breathing anything fatal or push through with little oxygen available. For example, the Third Doctor survives strangulation in “Spearhead from Space,” and the Fourth Doctor avoids inhaling helium in “Robots of Death.”

Doctor Who can easily introduce new details about how Time Lord physiology works, so I am often curious as to why the show doesn’t play around with this ability more.

There are several examples of this throughout the Tenth Doctor’s entire Doctor Who timeline, too, like when he carries Martha through the suffocating hallways of the hospital in “Smith and Jones.” In more recent years, this ability has become less prominent in Doctor Who, though, and it isn’t really mentioned after the Twelfth Doctor’s first season. Doctor Who can easily introduce new details about how Time Lord physiology works, so I am often curious as to why the show doesn’t play around with this ability more.

2 The Doctor Can Speed Read

Seen In: "City Of Death," "Rose," "The Time Of Angels"

One ability of the Doctor’s I want to see more of is their speed reading. The Ninth Doctor notably shows this off in “Rose” when he first visits the Tylers’ home, which is a rather comical moment. The Eleventh Doctor also flicks through a book in “The Time of Angels” and learns loads about the Weeping Angels. Interestingly, his line “Bit slow in the middle” is actually a nod to a similar comment the Fourth Doctor makes to Romana while reading in Paris in the classic era serial “City of Death.”

Christopher Eccleston as Ninth Doctor from Doctor Who

The Ninth Doctor itted A Long-Running Doctor Who Trope Is Way Too Convenient

Doctor Who's Ninth Doctor (played by Christopher Eccleston) itted the psychic paper was way too convenient through a joke in season 1, episode 2.

Posts 5

While this is only a small and less important ability of the Doctor’s, it’s one that Doctor Who misses several opportunities to use. There are several instances in which the story could progress more quickly by utilizing the Doctor’s speed reading, as there are loads of information the Time Lord could consume and use to save the day.

1 The Twelfth Doctor Can Mentally Unlock Doors

Seen In: "Heaven Sent"

Considering how often Doctor Who references the sonic screwdriver doesn’t work on wood, it baffles me that the show doesn’t revisit the Doctor’s ability to unlock doors (especially wooden ones) with their mind. The Twelfth Doctor notably does this in “Heaven Sent.” He explains that this is a trick from his childhood and implies he hasn’t used it since then, and I always find this scene particularly fascinating.

While it would be too easy for Doctor Who to get the Doctor to do this regularly, it’s strange it isn’t mentioned more often, even if it’s just a reference to the fact the titular character can’t do it on a whim for some reason. This power only appears in this episode, but I hope that Doctor Who will consider reintroducing it in the future, as it’s a great problem solver if the Doctor is ever separated from the sonic screwdriver again.