Doctor Who: Beautiful Fan Take on Time Lord's Worst Fear Explains it All
Even the Doctor has something he is scared of.
From the second serial of Doctor Who season 8, titled The Mind of Evil, we know that Doctor is afraid of burning. While it seems to be an entirely legitimate thing to be scared of, some fans believe that there is a deeper meaning of the Time Lord's cautiousness when it comes to fire.
As we know, Doctor is bound to regenerate into a completely new person from time to time. As convenient as it seems, such a type of immortality is now always the best thing for him: sometimes, regeneration can be a tragic experience (yes, we know you're thinking of that "I don't wanna go" moment).
When analyzing Doctor's fear of burning revealed in The Mind of Evil, Redditor TheEnder36 offered an unexpected parallel. What if it's not fire that Doctor fears so much, but rather his imminent regeneration?
After all, the entire process does involve a lot of electricity when it comes to visual effects. Besides, Doctors said that regeneration feels like every cell in their body is burning. According to the Redditor, the fire that Doctor is afraid of might subconsciously be connected to having to regenerate.
And yes, we know that it's about that memory of the Earth being destroyed in an Inferno. While this is the first reason, it does not necessarily ditch the fan's headcanon.
They sort of confirm your headcanon in his last episode.
"In order to defeat the Eight-legs, he has to go into the cave which will destroy his body. But he's told that he had to "face his fear" in order to save everyone. When he tells Sarah Jane he's going back, she tries to argue with him and he even says it's time for him to "face his fear," Redditor Sir_Von_Tittyfuck suggested.
The year 2023 will certainly be good for the Doctor Who fandom, as the show is set to return with several 60th anniversary specials, that, among other things, will have iconic David Tennant's Doctor returning for some more time-traveling. The exact premiere date will be specified by BBC later.