September 04, 2026
Everything you need to know about the Doctor's most trusted gizmo...
The Doctor isn’t like most heroes. The Time Lord never carries a weapon (“Only idiots carry knives”), instead relying on brain-power, bravery and a lot of luck to get out of tricky situations. But there are times when even the Doctor’s amazing mind needs some help to get stuff done more quickly, and that’s when a sonic screwdriver can come in very handy.
As the Fugitive Doctor gets her hands on a sonic of her own in Circuit Breaker adventure The Kaleidoscope, let's revisit the history of the Time Lord's favourite tool...
Super sonic
The very first thing the Doctor used this incredible tool for was literally unscrewing some screws – although it soon turned out to have far greater capabilities, thanks to the powerful, miniaturised technology it contained.
When some parasitic seaweed went on the rampage, the Second Doctor used the sonic to amplify his friend Victoria’s screams, and the laser wave it created saw off the mutant menace. This first sonic didn’t look as high-tech or flashy as some of the later models, and was basically a simple metal rod, but it got the job done!
Multi-function
The Third Doctor was a snappy dresser, and got a nifty new sonic to match. It was mostly silver, with a black-and-yellow striped bit at the top that pulled down to activate the device. It was bigger than before, with a removable emitter head that could be swapped to provide different functions.
Once, the Doctor even popped a mirror on there to hypnotise an angry beast. Another attachment was handy for reversing the polarity of the neutron flow, which was this Doctor’s go-to plan for dealing with all sorts of problems.
The Fourth Doctor found lots of inventive new uses for his favourite device – everything from detonating land mines and creating holes in force-fields to safe-cracking and setting off fire alarms. Mostly, though, he used it to open doors – he definitely wasn’t the kind of Doctor who liked being told where he could and couldn’t go!
Destroyed!
The Fifth Doctor didn’t have much luck with the sonic – he only got to use it a handful of times before it was destroyed by a fishy reptile-type called a Terileptil. The Doctor was devastated by the loss of his trusty tool – “I feel like you’ve just killed an old friend,” he said.
The Doctor didn’t replace the sonic for ages – the next time we saw one was when the Seventh Doctor used a similar model to seal a casket containing the Master’s remains.
The War Doctor also used a modified version of this sonic during the Time War, but had swapped the emitter head for a more simple light-up one.
TARDIS connections
By the time the Ninth Doctor came along he had a completely new sonic. This one had a cracked coral handle, and was more closely connected to the TARDIS than before – it could even make new copies on demand.
This version had one major drawback – it didn’t work on wood! Deadlock seals were also beyond its capabilities. However, it did have much more extensive scanning, diagnostic and medical capabilities and could act as a remote control for some TARDIS functions.
Best of all, though, was its ability to make free money pour out of cash machines! This model served the Tenth Doctor too, but when it was severely damaged soon after his regeneration, it was time for a major change!
Telepathy
The TARDIS gave the Eleventh Doctor a souped-up new screwdriver with a whole new look. It was larger than before, packed with more functions, and had an extendable tip that glowed green.
For the first time, the user could control the sonic telepathically by just thinking of a function, rather than having to input the required setting manually. It still didn’t work on wood, though! The TARDIS was kept busy creating replacement sonics, as the Doctor lost or destroyed it in ever-more inventive ways – it was even eaten by a shark once!
Sonic sunglasses!
After inheriting his predecessor's sonic, the Twelfth Doctor decided he was over screwdrivers altogether! For a while, it looked like he really meant it – he even got into the wearable tech trend by creating a pair of sonic sunglasses with similar functions as a replacement.
Eventually, the TARDIS presented the Doctor with another revamped model – a slick, metallic blue version with loads of extras attached.
Sheffield steel
After crash-landing in Sheffield with no TARDIS, a body that was still cooking, and two alien mysteries to solve, the Thirteenth Doctor realised she was missing something – her sonic screwdriver. As there was no TARDIS around to fire out a replacement, she had to take matters into her own hands.
With only a warehouse full of junk, an abandoned alien bulb filled with tech, a load of old spoons and a blowtorch at her disposal, the Doctor got busy. She hammered, soldered, glued, chiselled, welded, poured and, finally, froze it all into place, creating a sonic screwdriver like no other. A curved steel frame protects the golden, crystalline heart, and there’s even a tiny screen to study readings on. It might look weirder and be more unpredictable than the ones she’s had in the past, and it tends to splutter when asked do anything tricky, but the Doctor is rightly proud of her handiwork.
Sonic shields?!
After regenerating into a familiar face, the Fourteenth Doctor found himself with an all-new screwdriver, with some familiar flair! Sporting some of the best features of their previous designs, this souped-up sonic was capable of generating hard-light constructs in the air.
The Doctor took full advantage of this nifty new feature to create screens to read diagnostic information, as well as crafting large bullet-proof shields to escape the crossfire between UNIT soldiers and Wrarth Warriors.
Accessorising tech
The ever-stylish Fifteenth Doctor not only had a different look for every adventure, but a whole range of sonics to match! Opting for an all-new "remote control meets Swiss Army knife "-style design that reflected the sonic's infinite capabilities, this powerful device contained pop-out peripherals such as a lens for scanning things in detail, as well as a plug-in port for connecting directly to other technology.
But while one of the stand-out details of this particular sonic was its vibrant blue and gold colouring, the Doctor's device had a number of colourful casings to match his varied wardrobe!
UNIT standard issue
Coming from an earlier point in the Doctor's timeline, the Fugitive Doctor has never been one for "gizmos", opting instead for a strong word and perhaps the nearest firearm to solve her problems. However, when UNIT's Black Archive experts Osgood and her assistant Andrew call in the Fugitive for help, they commission a specially-designed sonic to help the Doctor on her mission to return corrupted artefacts to their original point in time and space.
This unique sonic design shares a lot more similarities with an actual screwdriver - even including a pocket clip on its TARDIS-blue handle for ease of access!
But will an all-new sonic help or hinder the Fugitive on her adventures? You can find out by reading The Kaleidoscope, out now in hardback and ebook from BBC Books.
