Although the every incarnation of the Doctor have kept audiences engaged for decades, especially because of their complexities as a character and the antagonistic force they bring to the show. The Master has always been a great way for Doctor Who writers to expand on the titular character's backstory, and much like the Doctor, some versions of the Master have been better than others.

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8 Peter Pratt & Geoffrey Beevers (1976 & 1981)

The Crispy Master

Peter Pratt first played the Master in the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) adventure "The Deadly Assassin." Also known as the Crispy Master because of his decayed appearance and raspy voice, Pratt was the first actor to play the Master after Roger Delgado's death in 1973. Because the Master's look made it difficult for Pratt to portray the role in full motion, especially lacking strong facial expressions, it was a difficult job for him to step into the shoes of such a legendary actor.

Despite this, Pratt still gave a solid and memorable performance throughout. This was especially true as Pratt's Master was the last in his life cycle, which allowed audiences to better understand the fragility of the Time Lords, who had been shown as relatively bullet-proof until this point. Understandably, Pratt faced a lot of pressure in this role, not just because of Delgado's death but also because he was the second-ever performer to play the Master.

The Crispy Master returned once again in the Fourth Doctor serial, "The Keeper of Traken," portrayed by actor Geoffrey Beevers, which marked the second appearance of this incarnation of the Master. This story included some interesting Doctor Who lore that would change the future of the show, with the Master managing to cheat death by slipping into a new body. This would mark the introduction of Anthony Ainley's Master, who would go on to star in several Doctor Who adventures as the character.

Although Beevers and Pratt played the same incarnation of the Master, Beevers did not face the same issues. For example, Beevers' face was painted green rather than having to wear a mask, which made his diction easier to understand, and he had a full range of movement in his face. His twisted portrayal of the Master was fitting for the character, and despite appearing for only one episode, he gave a brilliant performance before handing the reigns over to Anthony Ainley.

7 Eric Roberts (1996)

The Master Who Loved His Gallifreyan Robes

Eric Roberts starred in the 1996 Doctor Who television movie as the Master, opposite Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor. The Oscar-nominated actor is well ed for his over-the-top performance as the Master, although this version of the character differed greatly from others. For example, for a lot of the movie, the Master is sporting a full Time Lord robe attire, something that he clearly reveled in doing, but still a style that previous incarnations wouldn't have gone with.

Although Roberts was far from a bad Master, this incarnation didn't quite fit the same structure that the likes of Ainley had established. It's worth noting that the Doctor Who movie, while canon, stands out as having a different tone to the rest of the show. However, it's clear that Roberts' version of the Master borrowed from several movie and TV villain tropes, with moments filled with tension while giving plenty of camp, a beautifully accurate combination for any Doctor Who story or character.

6 Derek Jacobi (2007)

The Time War Master

While Derek Jacobi only starred in the role of the Master for one episode, he made a huge impact on the show as a whole. Jacobi appeared as the bumbling Professor Yana in one of Doctor Who's best episodes, “Utopia,” and was shot by his assistant, Chantho (Chipo Chung), which resulted in his regeneration into John Simm’s Saxon Master. This was the first instance of a Master appearing in Doctor Who after the show’s revival in 2005, and also saw the Doctor’s ultimate frenemy at his most fragile.

Jacobi’s performance balanced the vulnerability of the scared human in Yana with the Master’s crazed behavior. Even though Yana lacked his original memories and his real personality, it didn't stop core elements of the Master from slipping through, such as his sudden bitterness at points, as well as the first reference to the drums, which would remain a prominent Master feature through John Simm's run. Watching him slowly discover his true self built up a lot of anticipation for several plot details that had been littered throughout the season, and Jacobi's portrayal was a brilliant way to reintroduce the character.

5 Anthony Ainley (1981–1989)

Doctor Who's Longest-Running Master

Anthony Ainley was the longest-consecutive-running Master in Doctor Who's history, playing the role from 1981 until his last appearance in the 1989 story "Survival," which was also the last adventure before the show was canceled. During his run, Ainley's Master faced an incredible five incarnations of the Doctor: from the Third (Jon Pertwee) to the Seventh (Sylvester McCoy). Although nobody ever quite matched Delgado's energy as the crazed Time Lord, Ainley was definitely close to doing so while adding his own twist on the role.

It's worth noting that despite the similarities in appearance between Delgado's and Ainley's interpretations, the latter had an unmatched presence. For example, every final scene of Ainley's, before disappearing for a while to come back and cause havoc at a later date, always left behind a mysterious atmosphere and uncertainty for the future. Plus, Ainley's Master had a very distinct laugh that stuck in the audience's minds for years, something no other Master has been able to replicate yet.

4 Sacha Dhawan (2020–2022)

The First Person Of Color To Play The Master

Sacha Dhawan's Master added a beautiful eerieness to Doctor Who throughout the Thirteenth Doctor's (Jodie Whittaker) era and was brilliantly praised for it. Dhawan was the first actor of color to portray the Master, which was a fitting contrast, alongside Whittaker being the first female actress to play the Doctor. This version of the Master is considered one of the most unhinged and violent; while every Master had these qualities to a degree, Dhawan's interpretation took it one step further.

For example, when he was the Spy Master, he attempted to kill the Doctor, Yaz (Mandip Gill), Ryan (Tosin Cole), and Graham (Bradley Walsh) by destroying the plane they were aboard while providing a sarcastic commentary throughout. Dhawan's Master also gave audiences more context on his past with the Doctor, and his emotional reaction to discovering that the Doctor was the Timeless Child proved just how difficult the Master had found their lives in the Doctor's shadow. Plus, his interpretation of Rasputin during "The Power of the Doctor" showed just how ridiculous the Master has always been.

3 Michelle Gomez (2014–2017)

The Master's First Female Incarnation

Shortly after the introduction of Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor came his Master counterpart, played by Scottish actress Michelle Gomez. Although Doctor Who went on to introduce a woman Doctor with Jodie Whittaker, Gomez was the first female performer to play a Time Lord. Unlike previous versions of the Master, Missy (Gomez) was even more chaotic than her predecessors but took a significantly more relaxed stance. Missy definitely still had an evil streak running through her but was more appreciative of her relationship with the Doctor, especially in Doctor Who season 12.

For example, in the season 12 two-part finale episodes, "World Enough and Time" and "The Doctor Falls," Missy crosses paths with the Saxon Master. Although the two planned on destroying the Doctor together, Missy realized that there was more to their ongoing battle with their oldest friend than simply hatred, which led to both Masters killing each other. Missy's silliness, paired with the common Master's twisted attitude, proves why Gomez was such a solid casting choice in Doctor Who.

2 John Simm (2007–2010, 2017)

The Saxon Master

John Simm has been one of the most heavily featured Masters in Doctor Who and is notably ed for his season 3 storyline, where he posed as the UK's Prime Minister Harold Saxon and took over the Earth using manipulative mind games. He then appeared again in David Tennant's final adventure as the Tenth Doctor, "The End of Time," in which he brought the Time Lords crashing down to modern-day London, hell-bent on destroying the Doctor once again. The Saxon Master is one of the most recognizable versions of the Master, mainly for being the first prominent interpretation of the role since the 2005 reboot.

However, the Saxon Master's "drums" storyline makes Simm's performance stand out. The repetitive sound of the drum beat in the Master's head made him even more detached from reality than his predecessors and led to some of the Master's most unhinged actions in the show. For example, the way he treated Martha's (Freema Aygeman) family during the Year That Never Was or increasing the Doctor's age so much that he became unrecognizable.

Simm's Master also set off a Doctor Who modern-era trend of a Master being associated with a pop song. For the Saxon Master, it was "Voodoo Child" by the Rogue Traders, which was played as the Toclafane descended on Earth's atmosphere and slaughtered the human race. While there is no doubt that any version of the Master would cause a lot of concern for the Doctor, John Sim's Saxon Master was outright feared.

1 Roger Delgado (1971–1973)

The Master Who Created The Mold

Sometimes, the first is the best, as proved by Roger Delgado's performance as the Master. Delgado served as the Doctor's ultimate frenemy from 1971 to 1973 before tragically ing away in a car accident in Turkey. As the first Master, Delgado set up an array of fascinating standards for the character that no actor has managed to best him in. Delgado's Master could have easily rivaled a James Bond villain, especially for his blunt demeanor and hardened expressions, but also because of the intelligence and complexity he brought to the character.

Delgado's Master has also been compared to Moriarty, with Jon Pertwee's Doctor being his Sherlock Holmes, which is beautifully demonstrated in their first serial together, "Terror of the Autons." Delgado's iconic performance as the Master was one of Doctor Who's best, and it's a shame that the actor died before the show could expand the character. The Doctor Who unmade serial "The Final Game," which was also supposed to be Jon Pertwee's final episode as the Doctor, was due to have the Master sacrifice himself for the Doctor, which would have been some brilliant character development for them both.

Delgado's Master inspired several of the modern-era Doctor Who Masters. For example, elements of Simm's and Dhawan's Masters were taken from Delgado, especially the way they both delivered certain lines of dialogue while the Master was at their most deranged. Although the future of Delgado's Master was cut unfairly short, there's no doubt that his portrayal of the Master was the best in the history of Doctor Who, creating the unofficial rule book that others would go on to use as inspiration as the character grew and changed over the years.