The ninth Doctor is a man of great contrasts. On one hand, he has a very outgoing personality, a large grin, great zeal for life and especially for adventure, boundless energy, and his favorite exclamation is "Fantastic!" On the other hand, he can be very sullen and brooding, tetchy and snappish, and is easily put into a foul mood. This dual personality seems to derive from the suffering this incarnation has endured prior to our meeting him: he was apparently a crucial player in the Time War, a conflict between the Daleks and the Time Lords which ravaged the universe, laying waste to the higher beings, and ultimately annihilating both the Time Lords - their home planet, Gallifrey, burning away - and the Daleks. Now the last of the Time Lords, having failed to save even his own planet, the ninth Doctor suffers from survivor guilt, and is left travelling the universe on his own because he has no-one else.
More so than any of his previous incarnations, and in direct contrast to his predecessor, the ninth Doctor finds human emotions to be highly alien. He fails to understand that Rose might be worried about Mickey's life, and her shocked reaction to letting the Gelth recycle human corpses. He doesn't always consider what kind of emotional ramifications his actions might have on those around him - dropping Rose in the middle of an alien melting pot, for example, or taking her back in time to witness her father's death. This Doctor prioritizes the big issues rather than the minor details. He dislikes domestic life and close ties to friends or family, preferring instead to keep people at arm's reach. Although he likes humans and finds them exciting, he is often dumbfounded by their stupidity, and has no qualms about telling them so. While he can be quite easygoing, he is truly driven by his anger and rage. However, if he overreacts to a situation or is unintentionally rude enough to hurt someone's feelings, he is quick to apologize if necessary. He is also (perhaps surprisingly) very tactile, ready to hug anyone and fond of holding hands with Rose to demonstrate their close relationship.
One of the ninth Doctor's most oustanding features is the ability that he has to inspire others. By introducing people to new ideas and encouraging them to see beyond their usual worldview, he helps them to better themselves and take control of their situations. Aside from the obvious example of Rose, he reinvigorates a world-weary Dickens, helps Mickey transition from a coward to a useful member of the team, convinces Cathica to start asking questions about her environment rather than blindly accepting it, inspires Jack to conquer his cowardice, and helps Lynda think outside the narrow box of her existence. Perhaps as a result of his traumatic experience in the War, he is also a very trusting individual, desperately wanting to believe the best in others even when it seems unlikely.
If, however, he finds that his trust has been misplaced, he is not inclined toward leniency. The ninth Doctor has little patience with people who are only out to help themselves, who lie and make excuses for their immoral behavior. He is quick to judge people, and can be intolerant of their faults. This Doctor is selective about who earns his respect, and if he has decided that someone is not worthy of it, he is more likely to treat them harshly than he is to give them a second chance. Although he can lose his temper, and although he may deal harshly with hostile aliens, the Doctor - perhaps sickened by the killing of the Time War - cannot bring himself to commit mass murder, whether as retaliation and protection (against the Daleks) or as a necessary and/or mercy killing (of the humans who survive on the Dalek-bombarded Earth).
The Doctor can speed-read much faster than a human. He likes steak and chips, and drinks alcohol, including red wine. He is a competent dancer, although he does not appear to enjoy it very much.
The ninth Doctor has very close-cropped dark hair, blue eyes, high cheekbones and a lanky frame. He typically wears a somber but practical outfit of a battered leather jacket, trousers, and a V-neck jumper in colors as varied as cranberry (9A, 9J), plum (9B), black (9C, 9D, 9K), sage (9E, 9F, 9G), and eggplant (9H).
