The titular Doctor of Doctor Who has undergone several regenerations over the years, all of them with their own unique traits and eccentricities. For instance, the Eleventh Doctor — played by Matt Smith from 2010 to 2013 — is a true showman, with an even greater flair for the theatrical than his past incarnations.

Steven Moffat, who served as showrunner of the series during Smith’s tenure, has a penchant for writing dramatic, often over-the-top speeches, and Smith is equally talented at performing them. As such, many of the Eleventh Doctor’s most iconic moments feature him delivering some form of heroic monologue. Here are just a few of the greatest speeches that the Eleventh Doctor delivered during his time in the TARDIS.

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Basically, Run

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Kicking off this list is, fittingly, a speech from the Eleventh Doctor’s first episode, “The Eleventh Hour.” In the episode’s climax, the newly regenerated Doctor stares down the Atraxi ship that spent most of the episode threatening to destroy Earth. And right away, the Doctor manages to turn the tables on the invaders, taking control of the conversation. “Is this world protected?” he asks the Atraxi. “Because you're not the first lot to have come here, oh, there have been so many. And what you've got to ask is, what happened to them?“

The Atraxi ship then plays back a montage of the Doctor’s past enemies and previous regenerations, before the Eleventh Doctor steps forward in his trademark tweed jacket and bow tie. “Hello, I’m the Doctor,” he proudly declares. “Basically, run.” And sure enough, the Atraxi ship promptly departs. This speech is the perfect way to establish the Eleventh Doctor as a born performer who can end battles with words alone, and it’s a fitting finale for his debut episode.

Good Things and Bad Things

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A more bittersweet speech comes from the fan favorite episode “Vincent and the Doctor,” in which the Doctor and Amy Pond meet the legendary artist Vincent van Gogh. At the end of the episode, the duo return to Musée d'Orsay in modern day Paris, where they learn that despite their encounter with Van Gogh, he still took his own life not long after. Amy is devastated by this realization, convinced that she and the Doctor failed to make a difference in Vincent’s life. In response, the Doctor offers her words of comfort.

“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things,” he tells her. “The good things don't soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant. And we definitely added to his pile of good things.” It’s one of the most heartbreaking scenes in Doctor Who history, and it’s made even greater by Matt Smith’s delivery of this speech.

Hello, Stonehenge!

Still from the Doctor Who episode The Pandorica Opens

In “The Pandorica Opens,” a fleet of the Doctor’s greatest enemies converges on Stonehenge to claim the legendary Pandorica, and he steps up with microphone in hand, taking the stage with all the swagger and presence of a rock star. “Hello, Stonehenge! Who takes the Pandorica takes the universe! But bad news everyone, 'cause guess who!” He proudly announces, mocking his assembled rogues’ gallery. And for his next trick, he brings the fleet to a standstill with a simple shout of “I am talking!”

Reveling in the moment, the Doctor concludes his speech with a challenge to his foes: “So, if you're sitting up there in your silly little spaceships […] Remember every black day I ever stopped you, and then, and then, do the smart thing! Let somebody else try first.” And like that, the fleet falls back, all because of a single monologue. Fittingly, this speech is just as powerful in the fandom as it is within the episode, remaining one of the Eleventh Doctor’s defining moments to this day.

We’re All Stories

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The next episode, “The Big Bang,” is best known for its convoluted time travel shenanigans. But its greatest moment is arguably a scene towards the end, where the Doctor finds himself speaking to a young Amy Pond as she sleeps soundly. “I'll be a story in your head,” he tells her. “We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh? 'Cause it was, you know. It was the best. A daft old man who stole a magic box and ran away.”

The Eleventh Doctor has always felt like a fairy tale hero, and this speech does a perfect job capturing that vibe. It’s fantastical and whimsical, yet wistful and bittersweet.

Colonel Runaway

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In “A Good Man Goes To War,” the Doctor confronts a subordinate of the mysterious Silence, in charge of the space station where a captive Amy is being held. “Colonel Manton, I want you to tell your men to run away,” he says, jokingly at first. “I want you to be famous for those exact words… I want children laughing outside your door 'cause they've found the house of Colonel Runaway. And when people come to you and ask if trying to get to me through the people I love is in any way a good idea, I want you to tell them your name.”

The Doctor’s tone goes from playful to furious over the course of the speech, to the point that he even surprises himself with his anger. It’s a far cry from Eleven’s usual demeanor, which just makes it all the more striking.

Take My Memories

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In “The Rings of Akhaten,” the Doctor faces off against a planet-sized monster that feeds on memories, and is worshiped as a god by an entire system. “But you’re not a god,” the Doctor declares. “You’re just a parasite… So come on then… Take my memories.”

As he challenges the monster, the Doctor boasts of his many deeds. “I walked away from the Last Great Time War. I marked the passing of the Time Lords. I saw the birth of the universe, and I watched as time ran out, moment by moment, until nothing remained. No time. No space! Just me!” And finally, he screams in defiance of his enemy: “So come on then… take it all, baby!” It’s an incredible scene that exemplifies the Doctor’s indomitable willpower in the face of danger.

When The Doctor Was Me

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Finally, we have the Eleventh Doctor’s farewell speech to Clara in “The Time of the Doctor,” right before his regeneration. “We all change. When you think about it, we're all different people all through our lives,” he says. “You gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this. Not one day. I swear I will always remember when the Doctor was me.”

Not only is this speech a phenomenal curtain call for Eleven, it’s also a graceful sendoff for Matt Smith himself. A bit meta, yes, but not in a bad way. It’s only fitting that the Eleventh Doctor’s final moments see him delivering one last speech before he goes, and it’s definitely a great one.

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