There have been dozens upon dozens of monsters featured in Doctor Who throughout its long history. Alien races have been encountered in almost every single serial of this iconic science fiction franchise, and a lot of them made multiple appearances throughout the twenty-six years of Classic Who. When the series came back in 2005, fans wondered which villains and creatures would return.
Over the years, New Who has re-introduced a handful of Classic Who monsters: the Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, Autons, Zygons, Ice Warriors, Macra, and the Silurians. However, there are still monsters from Classic Who that deserve to make a re-appearance in the show, or at the very least in a Doctor Who game. Here are just a few that long-time fans would love to see again.
7 Wirrn: Predators From Andromeda
The Wirrn are the apex predator of the Andromeda Galaxy, first appearing in "The Ark in Space: (1975), a Fourth Doctor serial. They later appeared again in The Stones of Blood (1978), but have failed to make a second return.
Insectoid alien races are always creepy, but run the risk of becoming cheesy, especially if the effects and makeup are bad — and Classic Who was often low-budget. Doctor Who has much greater special effects capabilities in the modern iteration, so it would be great to see the Wirrn show up for a New Who story. Modern Doctor Who has already shown an insectoid race with the Vespiform in "The Unicorn and the Wasp" in Series 4, so why not bring back this classic?
6 Krynoids: Galactic Weeds
The Krynoids first appeared in "The Seeds of Doom" (1976), a Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) serial. These alien plants arrive on planets as spores, and then take them over. They're fearsome creatures, and in this serial almost killed one of the best Doctor Who companions: Sarah Jane Smith.
The Krynoids are fearsome creatures, but special effects of Classic Who let them down. A return to New Who would offer them a chance to be as visually appealing as they are narratively. In terms of the latter, there's a lot of scope for a New Who Krynoid story, especially with all the current discussion regarding environmental concerns.
5 Axons: Tendrils And Goo
The Axons first appeared in the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) serial, "The Claws of Axos." An entity that can clone itself and wants to feast on all of space and time, the Axos and Axons minions are a truly fearsome villain.
New Who could do the Axons much more justice with the superior special effects, as some fans often find that the Axons in Classic Who look a little silly. They definitely deserve a re-appearance in New Who, especially since all they want to do is get their hands on a TARDIS console room.
4 Rutans: Sworn Enemies Of The Sontarans
Despite being mentioned in every Sontaran story, the Rutans have only appeared in one serial: "The Horror of Fang Rock (1977)." Sworn enemies of the Sontarans, they are a one-off character we'd love to return.
The Sontarans have appeared in multiple New Who episodes. Their history as brutal enemies of the Rutans has always been an interesting, core part of their species lore, but has never been fully explored. With the New Who budget, it would be interesting to see them return. Such an episode could cover a skirmish between the two races in their everlasting war.
3 Raston Warrior Robot: Unbeatable Killing Machine
The Raston Warrior Robot only appeared in one episode of Doctor Who, "The Five Doctors," and only briefly at that. An unbeatable killing machine that stalks the Death Zone on Gallifrey, these machines would be great to see reimagined in the modern series, perhaps as the cause of the Doctor's death in a Doctor's final episode.
The effects these days would be more sophisticated, and better able to complement their abilities. Not only would today's technology do them justice visually, but they would present an interesting challenge narratively for the Doctor and their companions. The show's main characters would have to outsmart an unbeatable robot as if they were heroes taking on the Terminator.
2 Sea Devils: Ancestors To The Humans
The Sea Devils first appeared during the Third Doctors run, in a serial titled after themselves. Cousins to the underground-dwelling Silurians, these aquatic lifeforms went into deep hibernation, waking up to discover that the humans had taken the planet for themselves.
The Silurians have already returned in New Who on numerous occasions, so it would be great to see the Sea Devils return as well. A reimagining of these creatures might appear on an episode featuring sub-marines, increasing the tension of being trapped underwater.
1 Sensorites: Telepathic Cousins Of The Ood
The Sensorites first appeared way back during the run of the First Doctor (William Hartnell), in one of his Doctor's first episodes (and thus one of the first episodes of the franchise). In a serial titled after them, these creatures kidnap the Doctor and his companions and attempt to negotiate the removal of Earth Empire ships from their atmosphere, as it is causing their people to get sick.
The Sensorites were revealed to be the natives of the Ood's neighboring planet. As the Ood appeared a few times during the Tenth Doctor's (David Tennant's) run, this gives them a connectionsto the modern series. It would be great to see these fascinating creatures again, to reimagine how their telepathic attacks could be used against the Doctor and their companions.