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This article is about the ship between Rose and the Tenth incarnation of the Doctor. You may be looking for the ship between Rose and the Ninth incarnation of the Doctor.
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I'm burning up a sun just to say good bye
—The Doctor[1]

TenRose is the non-binary ship between Rose Tyler and the Tenth Doctor from the Doctor Who fandom.

Canon[]

Rose Tyler was the companion of the Ninth Doctor, and was with him when he regenerated into the Tenth Doctor. After getting over her initial shock at his transformation, she and the Tenth Doctor quickly fall back into the close relationship that she shared with the Ninth Doctor, now amplified by a growing romantic tension between them.

Rose and the Tenth Doctor are largely thought of as one of the greatest love stories in the franchise.

They frequently bring out the best in each other, supporting and uplifting the other person, comforting them, and sometimes just acting totally giddy to be in each other's presence. They both display their trust in the other person's capabilities on numerous occasions, and seem uncommonly matched.

Despite the centrality of their relationship, the Tenth Doctor still flirts and develops deeper connections to some side characters (such as with Madame de Pompadour in "The Girl in the Fireplace"), sparking jealously in Rose, even though she is still dating her long-time boyfriend Mickey. As she falls more in love with the Doctor, her relationship with Mickey fades. Rose also expresses jealously over Sarah Jane Smith after realizing the Doctor has had many companions before her.

The two share many close moments across their single season together (including a character possessing Rose and then kissing the Doctor in her body), but they never truly share their feelings openly with each other until they are torn apart.

In the process of saving the world together, Rose is trapped in a parallel universe where the Doctor cannot reach her. He finds a way to send a message through to her by using up the energy of a star, appearing on a beach in her new world to have one final conversation. She confesses her love for him, and he appears poised to reciprocate until the rift abruptly closes, cutting off his final sentence.

The Doctor continues to miss her throughout the next two seasons, in which he travels with new companions Martha and Donna. His unresolved feelings for Rose prevent him and Martha from connecting properly, as she struggles with an unrequited crush on him.

Rose and the Doctor are reunited in the events of the Metacrisis, when colliding worlds means they get to see each other again. Despite her assertion that she has been trying to make her way back to him, and his obvious happiness at being with her again, they are separated again, this time by the Doctor's choice. When gravely wounded, he prevented his regeneration by redirecting the energy into his severed hand from his very first adventure with Rose, accidentally growing a human copy of himself (referred to in fandom as Tentoo). When he realizes that Tentoo has the ability to do what he cannot -- grow old with Rose and live a human life with her -- he decides to sacrifice his own happiness to give the woman he loves a happy ending. Rose resists the idea, but when she presses both Doctors to finish the sentence that was cut off in his final goodbye to her on that beach, the Doctor refuses to. Tentoo whispers something in her ear -- heavily implied to be, "I love you" -- and she kisses him. The Doctor returns to his TARDIS and flies away before she can protest.

Series 1[]

THE PARTING OF WAYS

The Ninth Doctor starts to regenerate and tells Rose that she was fantastic, and so was he. He then bursts with regeneration energy and transforms into his Tenth regeneration.

Series 2[]

THE CHRISTMAS INVASION

The TARDIS appears back on earth, and the Doctor walks out. The Doctor greets Mickie and Jackie before passing out, Rose walks out. Mickey asks who it is and Rose tells him that it's the Doctor. They bring him inside where Rose checks on him, unsure of what to do. Jackie asks about the face change, but Rose doesn't know, and it scares her.

After getting attacked by alien robots Mickey and Rose head home realizing that they're after the Doctor. At home she sees the new Christmas tree which suddenly comes to life and attacks them. Rose is able to get the Doctor awake long enough to use the sonic screwdriver to save them, before immediately passing out again.

Rose watches the Doctor passed out, feeling like the Doctor before wouldn't leave them like this. Mickey asks if she loves the Doctor, but she doesn't answer and instead turns around to hug him. The following day Harriet Jones goes on the tv to ask for the Doctor and Rose breaks down crying believing that the Doctor's never coming back.

Rose tells Jackie and Mickey to carry the Doctor to the TARDIS, since it's the only thing that she knows to do. They get the Doctor to the TARDIS, only for it to be transported to the alien ship. Rose walks out and is taken as the Doctor is still passed out in the TARDIS. The Sigorax threaten people, but they soon realize that they're speaking English. Rose realizes that the TARDIS translator is working again, and turns to the TARDIS just as the doors open and the Doctor walks out, asking if she missed him. She smiles at him.

The Doctor goes up to Rose and asks how he looks. She tells him he looks different, not good or bad, just different. He then asks the most important question: Is he ginger? Rose confirms that he isn't, which upsets him, since he'd never been ginger. He then is mad because Rose gave up on him before realizing it was rude. He then continues to question who he is now.

The Doctor battles the Sigorax and is able to save earth, and go back to celebrate Christmas. The Doctor picks himself a new outfit and walks into the apartment, and Rose smiles at him. They go outside to see that it's snowing, but the Doctor corrects her saying that it's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. Rose asks what he's going to do now, and he tells her its back to the TARDIS. She asks if he means on his own, but that makes him ask if she doesn't want to come anymore, which she does. They'd both thought that because he'd changed that she wouldn't end up going. He holds out a hand to her. She's hesitant to take it after it got cut off, but does, and asks where they're headed first. He points to the sky and says that way.

-

Throughout the season, Rose and the Tenth Doctor quickly grow used to each other and settle into a relationship that, despite clear romantic overtones, is characterized by comfort and an ease with how things are between them. This ease with the pace of their relationship changes only when they are separated at the end of the season, something they clearly thought would never happen (or were hoping was something they wouldn't have to seriously think about for years).

During the events of "New Earth", Rose is possessed by Cassandra, a human from the future who has been reduced to a flap of skin in her attempts to lengthen her life. While in Rose's body, Cassandra lays a passionate kiss on the Doctor, which leaves him briefly speechless. Shortly after, he grows suspicious of "Rose's" actions and determines it's not actually her. Cassandra transfers from Rose's body into the Doctor's body, and taunts Rose about her attraction to the Doctor, telling Rose that because she's been inside her head, she knows that Rose has been looking at the Doctor.

When Rose and the Doctor in "School Reunion" meet up with Sarah Jane Smith, a companion of a previous regeneration of the Doctor, Rose realizes that she isn't the first to travel with him. She and Sarah Jane treat each other with coldness at first, and she expresses anger to the Doctor that she feels like she's just one in a long line of many, and not as special to him as she'd assumed previously. He explains that his extended lifespan means he can never spend his life with her, even if she spends her entire life with him.

When the Tenth Doctor develops a connection with Reinette -- Madame de Pompadour -- while on a spaceship that allows them to step into moments across her lifespan, Rose again expresses disappointment and irritation, even though Mickey has joined them to travel and is with her on the spaceship while the Doctor visits Reinette. The Tenth Doctor decides to go to the past to save Reinette, believing that he will be trapped in her timeline with no way back to the spaceship. A shot shows Rose standing miserably in the spaceship, looking out at space, before we see the Doctor, standing miserably at Reinette's window, looking up at the night sky.

In "The Age of Steel", Mickey chooses to stay in a parallel world after the version of him in that universe -- Ricky -- is killed by a Cyberman. When Rose protests, Mickey tells her that he knows there's no room for him in her life anymore, that there is only her and the Doctor.

The two-parter "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit" sees Rose and the Doctor seemingly stranded on a planet orbiting a black hole after the TARDIS falls into the centre of the planet itself. They discuss the idea of the two of them having to return to the human world together without a time machine, with the Doctor expressing horror at having to get a mortgage, and Rose tentatively suggesting they could share.

Series 4[]

THE END OF TIME

Rose is walking in the snow on New Years, when she hears a noise. She turns to see the Doctor. She asks if he's alright, he says yeah. She asks if he had too much to drink, but he says it was something like that. She says that he should probably head home, and he agrees with her. She wishes him a happy New Year, and he wishes her one as well. She starts to walk away, but he quickly asks her what year it is. She laughs and questions how much he had. She then tells him it's the first day of 2005. He realizes that this is the year that she's going to meet him, and tells her that he thinks she'll have a great year. She questions how he knows this but nods along, and says "see ya." She then heads up to her apartment the Doctor smiling at her fondly one final time.

Moments[]

The Christmas Invasion

  • Rose takes care of the passed out Doctor.
  • Rose realizes that the TARDIS won't translate for her because the Doctor is hurt.
  • The Doctor questions if his new self is sexy, and winks at Rose.
  • Rose catches the robe the Doctor throws.
  • When describing the universe the Doctor calls the experience fantastic, and smiles at Rose.

Quotes[]

Rose“What are you going to do?”
Doctor“I've got the TARDIS. Same old life. Last of the Time Lords.”
Rose“On your own?”
— Doomsday
Rose:“What about me, what if I need you?”
Mickey:“Yeah, but Rose, you don’t. It’s just you and him, isn’t it. We had something a long time ago, but not anymore.”
— 2x06: Age of Steel
“I made my choice a long time ago. I'm never gonna leave you.”
— Rose[2]
“If they get back in touch, if you talk to Rose, just tell her — tell her… oh, she knows.”
— Doctor, 2x09: The Satan Pit
“If I believe in one thing, just one thing, I believe in her.”
— Doctor, referring to Rose, 2x09: The Satan Pit

Fanon[]

On AO3, it is the most written ship for both characters and The Doctor overall. It is also the most written ship in the Doctor Who (2005) and Doctor Who tags.

Fandom[]

FAN FICTION
Rose/Ten tag on AO3
10th Doctor/Rose tag on FanFiction.Net
TUMBLR
TenRose posts on Tumblr
RoseTen posts on Tumblr
TWITTER
tenrose posts on Twitter

Trivia[]

  • Rose is the first and last human the Tenth Doctor sees.
  • At Wizard Comic Con in 2015, actor David Tennant reportedly told fans that even if there was no on-screen confirmation, the Doctor and Rose were dating: "Rose was a girlfriend, even if they didn't say it."

Gallery[]

Main article: TenRose/Gallery

Variations[]

EightRose refers to the ship between the Eighth Doctor and Rose
ElevenRose refers to the ship between the Eleventh Doctor and Rose
FourteenRose refers to the ship between the Fourteenth Doctor and Rose
NineRose refers to the ship between the Ninth Doctor and Rose
TenJackRose refers to the ship between Jack Harkness, Ten and Rose
TenRoseMartha refers to the ship between Martha Jones, Ten and Rose
ThirteenRose refers to the ship between the Thirteenth Doctor and Rose

References[]

Navigation[]

Doctor Who Logo
Doctor Who ShipsDoctor Who Characters
SHIPS het JackRoseMickey x RosePondsRyasmin
femslash Clamy
non-binary NineMickeyNineRoseTenRoseThasminThrahamThoscheiTwissyTwiverWhouffaldiWhouffléYowzah
poly NineRoseMickeyNineJackRose
family RoseJackie
CHARACTERS f/n The DoctorRose Tyler
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