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Doctor Who is one of the longest-running sci-fi franchises of all time. As such, it's no surprise that the show has occasionally dabbled in other genres as well. Science fiction is a broad spectrum and encompasses plenty of subgenres and crossover genres. One of the most popular is sci-fi horror, which Doctor Who is no stranger to, especially in its modern iteration.

There are plenty of terrifying episodes throughout the revival, but not all of them are necessarily sci-fi horror. Stories that define this crossover subgenre use sci-fi elements — aliens, rogue technology, experiments gone wrong — to not only scare its audience, but explore the things we fear and why they're frightening. These episodes of Doctor Who are peak examples of revival-era stories that keep viewers on the edge of their seats, peeking through their fingers as the events unfold.

5 The Haunting Of Villa Diodati

villa-diodati

When discussing the origins of both science fiction and horror, it's impossible not to name Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. As such, it's little wonder that the famous author and her work were featured in Doctor Who. In this Series 12 episode, the Thirteenth Doctor and her friends find themselves in 1816, stuck in a mansion with Shelley and other prominent writers from the time.

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It's not just the allusions to Frankenstein that make this episode horrific, though. The dark and stormy atmosphere is a classic horror setting, as is the gothic Victorian mansion where the characters are trapped together. The episode also draws on body horror when depicting the lone Cyberman's grotesque, undead figure, so much that Mary Shelley is implied to use his image for inspiration in crafting her famous literary monster.

4 The Empty Child

People with gas masks for faces in Doctor Who

This Ninth Doctor episode was the first to truly terrify many New Who viewers. A ghostly child with a gas mask fused to its face wanders the war-torn streets of World War II-era London, forlornly asking "Are you my mummy?" It appears to be converting others to its gas-mask zombie state, and it's up to Rose and the Doctor to figure out why. The "creepy child" isn't an unfamiliar concept to horror lovers, but this episode has even more sci-fi horror concepts making up its core story.

Good intentions gone wrong are another classic element of sci-fi horror. This episode puts a twist on that formula by placing those good intentions on alien creatures, rather than overzealous scientists. Foreign tech from an alien ship mistakenly believes that the gas masks are a part of the human face, and attempts to "heal" those it encounters by turning them into the gas-mask zombies. However, the episode further subverts expectations by having those good intentions win out in the end: The alien technology re-learns and converts everyone back to normal, and just this once, everyone lives.

3 Midnight

doctor-who-midnight Cropped

Isolation, possession, paranoia — these are all ingredients in a great horror tale, and the Series 4 episode "Midnight" has them all. The Tenth Doctor is heading off on a tour across a planet to see the sights, while Donna waits back at the resort. As the transport heads through dangerous terrain to the site of a diamond waterfall, disaster strikes and the passengers are left stranded with their hostess. And very soon, it becomes clear that something from the outside made its way into the transport.

As the Doctor tries to help a woman, Sky, who has been possessed by the mysterious entity, the other passengers grow agitated, frustrated, and distrusting of the Doctor, Sky, and of each other. Stranded and not knowing when rescue will come, not knowing what the unknown entity wants, each of them is slowly consumed by fear. Sky's eerie mannerisms while possessed will haunt viewers long after the episode is over, but the scarier aspect is the insight into how people turn on each other in desperate situations.

Sally Sparrow faces the weeping angels in Doctor Who

The episode that introduced the Weeping Angels holds a special place in the hearts of many Doctor Who fans, mainly because it scared the pants off them. The alien creatures are a great horror monster — they only move and attack when no one is looking at them, capitalizing on the common human fear of what is lurking out of sight. And, of course, their horrific appearance adds to the fear factor. The episode incorporates jump-scares skillfully, using the Angels' fang-filled faces not just to elicit screams, but to demonstrate their power and why they are to be feared.

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This story is unique in that it not only uses sci-fi elements to terrify, but to save the day. The Doctor sends messages across time to Sally Sparrow, the heroine of this episode, to encourage her and give her the knowledge she needs to fight and survive. This elevates her to Final Girl status (a tried-and-true horror trope) as she and her friend defeat the monsters once and for all. Other episodes have featured the Weeping Angels in years since, but none have used the classic horror formula as successfully as "Blink."

1 Resolution

dalek possessing Lin in "Resolution"

Over the decades since their introduction, Daleks have become a staple of the Doctor Who franchise. They're a formidable foe, but tinny voices, campy retro design, and endless internet memes have made them less and less threatening. The 2019 New Year's Day special, however, made them not just threatening to the Doctor and her friends, but genuinely terrifying to those watching.

It's not often that we get to see a Dalek outside its metal container, but "Resolution" centers on just such a creature. Its design is horrific enough — with its grotesque tentatcles and slimy exterior, it's reminiscent of Lovecraftian monsters. But even scarier than its appearance are its abilities. The Dalek latches onto an archeologist named Lee, taking control of her body and motor functions to serve its own ends. This plays into the "body snatchers" trope, a classic element of sci-fi horror. It delves into the terror of not being able to control one's own actions, or to trust familiar faces.

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