Paul McGann stepped into the shoes of the titular Time Lord Doctor Who in the 1996 feature-length movie based on the classic TV series. The story continued the adventure of the Seventh Doctor (played by Sylvester McCoy) who ends up being riddled with bullets during a gang shooting, which triggers his resurrection into his eighth incarnation.
McGann would not reprise this role for a number of years, but he would eventually resurface in the Big Finish audio productions for Doctor Who, as well as a cameo in the 2005 series which took place between seasons 5 and 6. Here's 10 of this elusive and mysterious Doctor's quotes, spanning various media.
Doctor Who (1996)
"But it was a childish dream that made you a doctor! You dreamt you could hold back death. Isn't that true? Don't be sad, Grace. You'll do great things!"
The Doctor had a hard time trying to explain the concept of regeneration to Grace, and his 13 available lives. Believing that the dead stay dead as nature intended, she was ill-prepared to deal with the fantastical concept the Doctor was attempting to put forward. This quote went a long way to broadening her mental horizons by encouraging her to rely on the power of her imagination and her dreams, and rethink what is, and what is not possible.
Doctor Who (1996)
"I love humans. Always seeing patterns in things that aren't there."
The Eighth Doctor was far more analytical when it came to human behavior and was renowned for being the last true friendly incarnation of himself before the Time War rendered him a changed man. Here, the Doctor quips about humans - pattern-seeking mammals who need an explanation for things that might otherwise not require one. The need for answers leads many humans to accept a junk theory over no theory at all, which is a flaw in our reasoning skills. To the Doctor, it must have been hilarious.
Storm Warning (2001)
"You feel that pounding in your heart? That tightness in the pit of your stomach? The blood rushing to your head, do you know what that is? That's adventure. The thrill and the fear, and the joy of stepping into the unknown. That's why we're all here, and that's why we're alive!"
For someone who has stared down the barrel of death as many times as the Doctor, he certainly understood the potency of adventure and all of the emotions that come attached to such a concept. Fear, excitement, apprehension, boldness - they all play a part not only in sharpening our senses but encouraging us to defy risk in favor of exciting new discoveries.
The Chimes of Midnight (2002)
"I’ve been too methodical recently, I think. Setting coordinates and things, actually deciding where we want to go. I’ve been getting far too safe and predictable these last few incarnations. Do you know I once traveled for centuries without ever knowing where I’d materialize next?"
This quote is interesting, for several reasons. First, it gives us a window into the Doctor's personality, right before the onset of the Time War. Second, we see a Doctor who seems to have fallen into the pit of complacency, which might explain why his seventh incarnation was devoid of Tardis companions near the end of his life. Either way, his life was about to change - permanently.
The Scapegoat (2009)
"Lucie, there's a lot of darkness out there. Some of it where Orbis used to be. But you know something? We wouldn't notice any of it if it weren't for all those little pinpricks of light; planets and stars. And that's where I go whenever I feel sad. The next bit of light in the darkness. Keep on moving. Never look back. Well, hardly ever."
Once more, the Eighth Doctor gives us more insight into his character with this quote, which feels strangely similar to a quote uttered by the Ninth Doctor when he first met future companion Rose. The Doctor is forever a traveler - a vagabond without a place to hang his hat, and he'd have it no other way.
The Resurrection of Mars (2010)
"I was once a man with a masterplan. I’d seek out injustices, topple governments, all in the name of the greater good. I’d started doing the maths, you see…. This is how evil starts, with the belief that the ends justify the means. But once you start down that road, there’s no turning back. What if you can save a million lives, but you have to let ten people die, or a hundred, or a hundred thousand. Where do you stop?"
Lots of eerie foreshadowing in this quote, as the Doctor admits that his ways have not always garnered the best of results. It wasn't the first time the Doctor wrestled with the morality of his own actions and decisions, nor would it be the last. This quote would be echoed by the Tenth Doctor near the end of his life, as well.
The Four Doctors (2010)
"I hope you are not about to lecture me about taste, Doctor?"
The Doctor had run-ins with his past selves on multiple occasions, and each encounter led to some hilarious banter between incarnations. The Sixth Doctor wasn't about to get off the hook after he criticized the Eighth Doctor's redesign of the Tardis interior. He was quick to fire off this quote as a rebuke, which isn't hard to understand, given the Sixth Doctor's eye-watering fashion sense.
The Conscript (2017)
"I've seen worlds destroyed, civilizations choked in their cradles, whole races fleeing in terror. I've seen centuries of art, of science, wiped out in an instant. I just saw a beautiful rainforest burn along with every creature in it. I didn't even know the planet's name! If you're prepared to accept that much collateral damage to the rest of the universe, then what exactly are you fighting for? I'll protect those with no choice in the matter, no voice."
The Doctor's commitment to his principles is nothing new. He's come dangerously close to the precipice a few times but managed to pull himself back. His desire to protect the vulnerable from great threats has led him down some dark paths, however. He committed genocide against the Vervoids to save Earth, he nearly wiped out the Daleks before they had a chance to spread, and he destroyed his own people at the climax of the Time War, to protect all life in the galaxy. Some would admire his devotion to principle, while others would see him as a madman. Perhaps even the Doctor can't tell.
Night of the Doctor (2013)
"I don't suppose there's any need for a Doctor, anymore. Make me a warrior, now."
The mini-episode Night of the Doctor debuted in November of 2013 as a bridge for the 50th-anniversary special featuring Matt Smith and David Tennant's Doctors, who meet a past incarnation known as the War Doctor. In the latter days of the Time War, a reluctant Eighth Doctor tries his hardest to avoid the conflict, only to realize the futility of remaining on the sidelines. Understanding that he would need to wade into the conflict, the Doctor gave up any hope of retaining the man he currently was.
Night Of The Doctor (2013)
"Charley, C'rizz, Lucie, Tamsin, Molly...friends, companions I've known, I salute you. And Cass, I apologize. Physician, heal thyself."
To save all reality, the Doctor abandons his former self in favor of a controlled regeneration designed specifically to turn him into a warrior Time Lord capable of taking on the Dalek menace. Realizing this would mean the end of his journey as a freewheeling Time Lord, the Doctor said goodbye to his most recent companions, while paying homage to all the ones who came before, before drinking a concoction designed to turn him into the man known as the War Doctor. This would save the galaxy...at a terrible price.