Despite exciting news that he's set to his iconic role as the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who's upcoming 60th anniversary, David Tennant has also been responsible for some of the most iconic and memorable characters in all of pop culture. Whether he's playing the hero or the villain, audiences can always be sure that he'll deliver a fun and memorable performance.
Ranker has put together an exhaustive list of Tennant's most iconic characters of all time, as voted for by fans on the internet. It's not easy to boil the actor's contribution to film and TV down to just 10 characters, but these are the ones who had the biggest impact on fans.
Barty Crouch Jr (Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire)
The character of Barty Crouch Jr might only appear in one of the eight Harry Potter movies, but he certainly makes an impression whilst he's there. David Tennant provides one of his most entertaining performances as this ambitious Death Eater with no remorse for the many innocent people he's murdered.
Crouch Jr is one of the evilest Death Eaters in the entire franchise, with a taste for blood and violence that Tennant embodies perfectly. Plenty of fans take issue with Goblet of Fire's simplified story and lack of real conflict, but it's hard to imagine the film without Tennant's iconic villain.
Peter Vincent (Fright Night)
David Tennant stars as the notorious vampire killer Peter Vincent in the 2011 remake of Fright Night, which is widely regarded as one of the most interesting and inventive horror comedies of recent years. Tennant's character plays a huge role in the story, and his wild performance is one that's not easily forgotten.
Tennant is given a chance to flex his acting muscles with this role, taking on a character that's completely fresh and original both in his personality and his backstory. It can't have been an easy role to take on, but Tennant's signature performance leaves it impossible to imagine anybody else embodying the character.
Campbell Bain (Takin' Over The Asylum)
Although it's not one of Tennant's most famous or well-known roles, the character of Campbell Bain in BBC's Takin' Over The Asylum is certainly one of his most interesting to date. The show follows 19-year-old Campbell as he teams up with other inmates in the psychiatric hospital to develop the hospital radio station.
Campbell suffers from bipolar disorder, so Tennant's performance obviously can't have been an easy one to deliver - but he manages to navigate the situation perfectly and play the character freshly and interestingly. The show might not be that well-known, but it should be a must-watch for any fans of the actor.
Dave (Single Father)
Single Father is a four-episode BBC drama that follows the life of Tennant's character Dave as he adjusts to life as a single dad following his wife's fatal car accident. It's not always an easy show to watch, but its thoughtful screenplay and emotional story make it a consistently engaging experience.
Tennant delivers a great performance in the lead role, navigating the many difficulties that come with Dave's unique and difficult situation. His on-screen chemistry with Laura Frasier and Suranne Jones is flawless, which really helps develop these characters into something truly grounded and authentic.
DI Peter Carlisle (Blackpool)
Blackpool might be full of typical TV murder mystery tropes, but it still has the gripping narrative and entertaining performances necessary to be a successful miniseries in the genre. Tennant appears as DI Carlisle, who is tasked with solving a murder that took place in a seaside arcade.
The story might seem fairly simple and one-noted on the surface, but it actually stands out amongst the crowd thanks to its developed characters and intriguing backstories. You're never quite sure how the story is going to play out, which makes it constantly fun to watch.
Giacomo Casanova (Casanova)
Casanova was one of Tennant's first real 'breakout' roles on television, as he starred as the prolific Italian adventurer in this biographical exploration of his life. The actor received fairly heavy praise for the role, and it's still cited as one of his most entertaining performances to date.
Tennant's performance impressed Casanova's writer Russell T. Davies, as he went on to cast the actor as The Doctor in Doctor Who less than a year later. The two would work together on the show for another four years before both eventually exited together in 2010.
DI Alec Hardy (Broadchurch)
Tennant's performance as DI Alec Hardy in Broadchurch was met with huge critical acclaim at the time, and it's still considered to be some of the actor's best work to date. The show follows Hardy and his colleague Detective Sgt. Ellie Miller as they investigate a grisly murder in a quiet beach town.
David Tennant and Olivia Colman are widely regarded as two of Britain's most talented and impressive actors working today, so seeing them work together on this project was a huge moment. The pair have incredible on-screen chemistry, and they bring their characters to life in unique and interesting ways.
Kilgrave (Jessica Jones)
David Tennant's villainous performance as Kilgrave in Marvel's Jessica Jones is easily some of his best work - and not just because of how talented an actor he is, but also because of how much fun he's having in this evil role. He plays the character with such entertaining villainy, which makes him equally as fun to watch as he is terrifying.
With the recent announcement that Disney+ is producing a continuation of Netflix's Daredevil storyline, fans are beginning to hope that Jessica Jones (and hopefully Kilgrave) could also make their way over to the MCU sometime soon.
Crowley (Good Omens)
David Tennant and Michael Sheen have worked together plenty of times in the past, but their work on Good Omens is undoubtedly their most entertaining collaboration so far. Both playing the complete antithesis of each other, they're able to have some serious fun with their roles and embrace Neil Gaiman's eccentric script.
The show follows the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley team up in an unlikely alliance in order to prevent the Doomsday that's approaching planet Earth. It incorporates elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and even romance in this weird and wonderful adventure that Tennant and Sheen take the audience on.
The Doctor (Doctor Who)
There have been many actors and actresses (fifteen, to be exact) that have played different incarnations of The Doctor on-screen since 1963, but David Tennant is often cited as one of Doctor Who's best. He brings a certain child-like energy and contagious enthusiasm to the role that makes his episodes endlessly fun to watch.
It was recently announced that David Tennant will be returning to the role for Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary special, but it's yet to be confirmed exactly how that will happen. He's set to appear alongside Catherine Tate, who played his companion Donna Noble in the show's fourth season.