How many times can Doctor Who regenerate?
Andrew Mccoy
Updated on January 21, 2026
The idea that the Doctor has 12 regenerations is first mentioned in The Deadly Assassin, a 1976 episode from the Tom Baker era. The Master - an evil Time Lord close to his final regeneration - is said to have been offered a new cycle of lives in exchange for helping to rig the election of a new Time Lord leader.