Honestly, I believe it is for two reasons, which might not be all that related to the characters themselves:
- Most people experienced Doctor Who through David Tennant first. To them, he is their first Doctor. I’ve noticed that the trend amongst people in the fandom close to me is that the earlier you experienced your first Doctor—say, if your first Doctor was Four, or you watched the series starting with Eccleston and Nine—you’re more drawn to Matt Smith and Eleven. But for many people, just due to the fact that Tennant did three seasons, Ten was their first Doctor. That effects how people see the show, and how they believe that the Doctor should behave overall.
- People find David hotter, and more physically attractive.
I’m not saying that David’s performance isn’t brilliant, because it is, and I think that Ten is a fantastic look at to the Doctor’s inner psyche of rage and wrath. Personally, I believe that Eleven—due to the reasons in the post above, which is well-written and stated—is a more complete and, most importantly, compassionate Doctor. I believe that the Doctor should be concerned, first and foremost, with life; and that’s why Eleven’s child-like wonder, coupled with his ancient and kind soul, is so attractive to me.
