The Doctor Who universe has featured countless monsters and villains over the years, but none are quite as heartless as the Cybermen. Originally from Mondas, the species are devoid of any emotion and aim to convert humans into emotionless beings like them. They have been at the center of many of the Doctor's toughest battles, where they have posed a considerable threat.
Whilst some of the Cybermen's unfortunate victims have managed to overcome the emotional inhibitors which remove their emotions, others have proved less lucky. As a result, these quotes are a mixture of tragic and unfeeling lines, which convey the true horror behind the race's cruel conversion process.
Doctor Who's early Christmas Specials featured entirely new alien threats since the show first graced the Christmas slot in 2005, but this all changed in 2008 with the return of the Cybermen in "The Next Doctor." In this Special, the Cyber-Leader provides a particularly cold line, as the Cybermen prepare to crown Miss Hartigan their Cyber-King.
The Cyber-Leader's dialogue neatly conveys his views on emotion. The species' commanding officer sees feelings as an illness and believes that he is "rescuing" Miss Hartigan by removing her capacity to emote. It effectively communicates the Cyber-Leader's hard-hearted nature, who shows little concern for Hartigan's wishes to remain human.
The Cybermen have form when it comes to ruining the lives of the Doctor's companions, and the most recent example comes during Peter Capaldi's era. Considered by many viewers to be one of Doctor Who's best two-part stories, 2017's "World Enough And Time/The Doctor Falls" sees the Twelfth Doctor's friend Bill Potts converted into a Cyberman by the Master, where she delivers an especially haunting quote.
Cyber-Bill's line provides a pivotal moment for the Time Lord, as she reminds the Doctor how she waited for him to save her from Cyber-conversion. Not only does this represent Bill's own loss of faith in her friend, but it also leads to the Doctor's later dealings with depression, as he fails to come to terms with his colossal failure by the end of the two-part adventure.
The Russell T Davies era is responsible for some of New Who's most popular redesigns of classic enemies, including the Cybermen. "Rise Of The Cybermen/The Age Of Steel" introduces viewers to the Cybus version of the steel giants. The story's second part sees the Tenth Doctor and his new friend Mrs. Moore remove the emotional inhibitor from one of these Cybermen.
This quote reflects the horrifying nature of the Cyber-conversion process. Upon regaining her emotions, the Cyberman who was once a woman named Sally Phelan returns not to her human body but to a cold and lifeless metal exoskeleton. Added to this, the Doctor learns that she was due to marry her fiance Gareth the following day, making this a particularly cruel fate.
Considered one of the best Cybermen stories, "Earthshock" shows the Fifth Doctor and his companions Tegan, Nyssa, and Adric uncovering the Cybermen's plans to destroy the Earth. Upon discovering the presence of the Doctor and his friends, the Cyber-Leader instructs his androids to "destroy" them.
While surprisingly emotional for a member of the Cyber-race, this remains one of the most iconic Cyberman quotes. The Cyber-Leader's dialogue evokes a strong sense of history between the Doctor and the Cybermen, which has developed across their many encounters. The Cyber-Leader views the Doctor and their allies as a serious threat, which leads to one of the show's greatest cliffhangers.
The Cybermen have rarely appeared within Doctor Who's spin-offs, but on one rare occasion, a member of the Cyber-race featured within the series Torchwood. Series 1's fourth episode, entitled "Cyberwoman," reveals that Ianto has been keeping his partially converted girlfriend Lisa in the Torchwood hub's basement. Lisa's words come after she attempts to convert Doctor Tanizaki into a Cyberman.
This dialogue uttered by Ianto's girlfriend perfectly summarises the emotional conflict of the episode. "Cyberwoman's" main crux revolves around whether Ianto can help cure Lisa, or if she is beyond saving from the horrific Cyber-conversion she has endured. It's a line that teases how Lisa is slowly starting to lose her humanity, as her Cyber-conversion kicks in.
The Chibnall era has featured its own takes on the show's most iconic baddies, and the Cybermen have been particularly prominent. Considered one of the new series' best Cyberman stories, "The Haunting Of Villa Diodati" introduces audiences to one of the most shocking members of this race. His greatest line comes as Mary Shelley fails to appeal to partially-converted Ashad's humanity.
This Cyberman's chilling words highlight how occasionally a person can already be an emotionless killer before undergoing Cyber-conversion. Ashad's quote is cold and sadistic, as he casually recalls murdering his own children for standing against the Cybermen. It also suggests a strong devotion to the Cyber-army, implying that sometimes becoming a Cyberman isn't seen as such a bad thing.
The Daleks' popularity led to the show attempting to replicate that success on a number of occasions, but most of these attempts proved unsuccessful. Thankfully this all changed with "The Tenth Planet," which acts as the Cybermen's introduction. The serial is responsible for one of the show's most iconic moments, as the First Doctor and Polly discuss emotions with Cyberman Krail.
The resulting quote is the perfect representation of the Cybermen's views on emotions. Krail sees his emotional inhibitor as a "cure" for the pain which comes from being able to feel. The Cybermen are a race who believe it is better to live a life free of suffering than to experience the hardships which occur from potentially distressful situations.
Doctor Who's eighth series provides an especially exciting two-part finale. Considered to be one of the best Doctor Who stories featuring the Master, "Dark Water/Death In Heaven" sees the Cybermen team up with Missy in order to convert human corpses into being like them. One of their unfortunate victims is Danny Pink, whose lifeless body is used by the steel giants after he dies crossing the road.
As a partially-converted Cyberman, Danny delivers a rather thought-provoking line regarding the Doctor. Comparing the Time Lord to an "old general," Clara's boyfriend poses the viewpoint that the Doctor influences others to make the hard choices whilst he watches from the sidelines. It's a powerful quote that presents an interesting perspective on the Doctor's heroic deeds.
After a successful debut in "The Haunting Of Villa Diodati," Ashad's return comes in the following two-part finale. Entitled "Ascension Of The Cybermen/The Timeless Children," this finale revolves around the Lone Cyberman's attempts to revive the defeated Cyber-race, whilst the Master informs the Doctor about the "Timeless Child" conspiracy.
Ashad provides the opening narration for the first part here, as the episode zooms through the eye of an empty Cyber-head floating in space. His words reflect an unhinged attitude towards the Cyber-race. Ashad sees himself as being capable of leading the Cybermen to victory once again, positioning himself as their ruler.
The Cybermen's second appearance in the 2005 revival is also one of their most iconic. "Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday" sees the steel giants stealthily invade the Earth by posing as ghosts, before embarking on an all-out war with the Daleks. Caught in the conflict is Torchwood leader Yvonne Hartman, who is converted into a Cyberman.
This quote comes after Yvonne's Cyber-conversion, as she turns on her fellow Cybermen. Her patriotic pride overrides the emotional inhibitor in her Cyber chest unit, allowing Torchwood's leader to assist in the fight against the Cyber-race. This powerful piece of dialogue offers a form of redemption for Yvonne, who had previously fulfilled more of an antagonistic role.
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