diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
index 8b0a01f556e3..6d20618048a2 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
@@ -254,16 +254,18 @@ def get_tick_space(self):
         return self._axis.get_tick_space()
 
 
-class ThetaLocator(mticker.Locator):
-    """
-    Used to locate theta ticks.
-
-    This will work the same as the base locator except in the case that the
-    view spans the entire circle. In such cases, the previously used default
-    locations of every 45 degrees are returned.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, base):
+class ChoiceLocator(mticker.Locator):
+    def __init__(self, base=None, choices=None):
+        if choices is None:
+            choices = [
+                np.arange(-360, 360, 30.0),
+                np.arange(-360, 360, 45.0),
+                np.arange(-360, 360, 60.0),
+                np.arange(-360, 360, 90.0),
+            ]
+        if base is None:
+            base = mticker.AutoLocator()
+        self.choices = choices
         self.base = base
         self.axis = self.base.axis = _AxisWrapper(self.base.axis)
 
@@ -273,10 +275,45 @@ def set_axis(self, axis):
 
     def __call__(self):
         lim = self.axis.get_view_interval()
+        vmin = min(lim[0], lim[1])
+        vmax = max(lim[0], lim[1])
+        max_ticks = max(self.axis.get_tick_space() + 1, 2)
+        tick_interval = (vmax -vmin) / (max_ticks - 1)
+        tol = 1e-12
         if _is_full_circle_deg(lim[0], lim[1]):
             return np.deg2rad(min(lim)) + np.arange(8) * 2 * np.pi / 8
+        if (vmax - vmin > 60):
+            for ticks in self.choices:
+                in_range = (ticks >= vmin - tol) & (ticks <= vmax + tol)
+                ticks = ticks[in_range]
+                if len(ticks) > max_ticks:
+                    continue
+                if len(ticks) == max_ticks:
+                    if vmin != ticks[0]:
+                        ticks[0] = vmin
+                    if vmax != ticks[-1]:
+                        ticks[-1] = vmax
+                    return np.deg2rad(ticks)
+                if len(ticks) < max_ticks:
+                    if vmin != ticks[0]:
+                        if abs(ticks[0] - vmin) >= tick_interval:
+                            ticks = np.concatenate(([vmin], ticks))
+                        else:
+                            ticks[0] = vmin
+                    if vmax != ticks[-1]:
+                        if len(ticks) < max_ticks:
+                            if abs(vmax - ticks[-1]) >= tick_interval:
+                                ticks = np.concatenate((ticks, [vmax]))
+                            else:
+                                ticks[-1] = vmax
+                        else:
+                            ticks[-1] = vmax
+                return np.deg2rad(ticks)
         else:
             return np.deg2rad(self.base())
+        ticks = self.choices[-1]
+        ticks = ticks[(ticks >= vmin - tol) & (ticks <= vmax + tol)]
+        return ticks
 
     def view_limits(self, vmin, vmax):
         vmin, vmax = np.rad2deg((vmin, vmax))
@@ -387,7 +424,7 @@ class ThetaAxis(maxis.XAxis):
     _tick_class = ThetaTick
 
     def _wrap_locator_formatter(self):
-        self.set_major_locator(ThetaLocator(self.get_major_locator()))
+        self.set_major_locator(ChoiceLocator(self.get_major_locator()))
         self.set_major_formatter(ThetaFormatter())
         self.isDefault_majloc = True
         self.isDefault_majfmt = True
@@ -406,7 +443,6 @@ def _set_scale(self, value, **kwargs):
         # LinearScale.set_default_locators_and_formatters just set the major
         # locator to be an AutoLocator, so we customize it here to have ticks
         # at sensible degree multiples.
-        self.get_major_locator().set_params(steps=[1, 1.5, 3, 4.5, 9, 10])
         self._wrap_locator_formatter()
 
     def _copy_tick_props(self, src, dest):
@@ -421,6 +457,23 @@ def _copy_tick_props(self, src, dest):
         trans = dest._get_text2_transform()[0]
         dest.label2.set_transform(trans + dest._text2_translate)
 
+    def get_tick_space(self):
+        ends = mtransforms.Bbox.unit().transformed(
+            self.axes.transAxes - self.get_figure(root=False).dpi_scale_trans)
+
+        thetamin, thetamax = self.axes._realViewLim.intervalx
+        radius = min(ends.height, ends.width) * 72
+        if abs(thetamax - thetamin) > np.pi / 2:
+            radius /=2
+        angle = abs(thetamax - thetamin)
+        arc_length = radius * angle
+        size = self._get_tick_label_size('x') * 3
+        if size > 0:
+            return int(np.floor(arc_length / size))
+        else:
+            return 2**31 - 1
+
+
 
 class RadialLocator(mticker.Locator):
     """
@@ -1510,4 +1563,4 @@ def drag_pan(self, button, key, x, y):
 PolarAxes.InvertedPolarTransform = InvertedPolarTransform
 PolarAxes.ThetaFormatter = ThetaFormatter
 PolarAxes.RadialLocator = RadialLocator
-PolarAxes.ThetaLocator = ThetaLocator
+PolarAxes.ChoiceLocator = ChoiceLocator
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.pyi
index fc1d508579b5..50d56653764f 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.pyi
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.pyi
@@ -48,10 +48,11 @@ class _AxisWrapper:
     def set_data_interval(self, vmin: float, vmax: float) -> None: ...
     def get_tick_space(self) -> int: ...
 
-class ThetaLocator(mticker.Locator):
-    base: mticker.Locator
+class ChoiceLocator(mticker.Locator):
+    choices: list[np.ndarray]
+    base: mticker.Locator | None
     axis: _AxisWrapper | None
-    def __init__(self, base: mticker.Locator) -> None: ...
+    def __init__(self, base: mticker.Locator | None = ..., choices: list[np.ndarray] | None = ...) -> None: ...
 
 class ThetaTick(maxis.XTick):
     def __init__(self, axes: PolarAxes, *args, **kwargs) -> None: ...
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ class PolarAxes(Axes):
     InvertedPolarTransform: ClassVar[type] = InvertedPolarTransform
     ThetaFormatter: ClassVar[type] = ThetaFormatter
     RadialLocator: ClassVar[type] = RadialLocator
-    ThetaLocator: ClassVar[type] = ThetaLocator
+    ChoiceLocator: ClassVar[type] = ChoiceLocator
 
     name: str
     use_sticky_edges: bool