While the titular Time Lord is undoubtedly the show’s biggest draw, Doctor Who just wouldn’t be the same without its excellent cast of companions.
Highlights
- Doctor Who’s excellent cast of companions are essential to the show, providing both support and grounding to the Time Lord.
- Companions come and go, but some leave a lasting impression on viewers with their unique qualities and relationships with the Doctor.
- Standout companions include Catherine Tate’s Donna, who brings comedic relief and understanding to the Doctor, and Sarah-Jane Smith, who is arguably the most popular companion of the classic era.
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While the titular Time Lord is undoubtedly the show’s biggest draw, Doctor Who just wouldn’t be the same without its excellent cast of companions. These unsung heroes aren’t just there to keep the Doctor company, but also to help keep the eponymous Gallifreyan grounded as they travel together through time and space.
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There have been more than fifty companions over the years, although some have stuck around a lot longer than others. A few of them have even served as love interests, but most have shared a strictly platonic relationship with the Doctor. Though they all must leave the show eventually, some have left a lasting impression on viewers in their wake.
Updated December 11, 2023, by Tom Bowen: With more than 50 to choose from, trying to decide who is the best Doctor Who companion of all time is an incredibly difficult task. For one thing, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but their effectiveness as a companion can, and perhaps should also be assessed by how well they complement their respective Doctors. With this in mind, singling out the best Doctor Who companions becomes even more of a challenge. The 60th-anniversary specials saw several former companions return to the spotlight, but it was Catherine Tate as Donna Noble who ended up shining the brightest. Donna’s always been popular with fans of the series, but seems to have matured significantly during her time away from the show, much to the delight of many viewers.
18 Nardole
Portrayed by Matt Lucas
Given how stern and serious Peter Capaldi’s Doctor could be at times, it’s no wonder the show’s writers felt the need to bring in a bit of comic relief. This came in the form of Nardole, who served as the only non-human companion of the new Who era and the first in more than three decades. Given his background and fantastic sense of humor, Matt Lucas was arguably the perfect man for the job.
However, the Little Britain creator brought more to the role than just cheap laughs, with Nardole also responsible for his fair share of serious moments. The fact that he spent most of his time on Earth rather than traveling with the Doctor actually worked in his favor, as although it would’ve been nice to have seen a bit more of Nardole here and there, his limited screen time prevented his shtick from ever becoming stale.
17 Yasmin Khan
Portrayed by Mandip Gill
Yaz was perhaps a little overshadowed by Ryan and Graham during her first few seasons on the show. However, as time passed, she gradually grew into her role and eventually became one of the thirteenth doctor’s closest and most likable companions. Of course, just about anyone could appear likable if placed alongside Dan, so that may not be saying all that much.
Though it took a little while for the show to formally acknowledge Yaz’s feelings for the Doctor, the “will they won’t they” style relationship between the pair was one of the very few things that the show’s writers got right during Jodie Whittaker’s tenure as the Doctor. The fantastic on-screen chemistry between Whittaker and Mandip Gill really sold the relationship and helped to cement Yaz’s status as one of the best Doctor Who companions of all time.
16 Jo Grant
Portrayed by Katy Manning
Starring alongside the third Doctor, Jo Grant appeared in 77 episodes of the show over a three-year period, with her departure in The Green Death still one of the most emotive episodes in the entire history of the sci-fi series.
Given that she was introduced at a time when the feminist movement was at its peak, some bemoaned the character’s lack of progressiveness. Looking back now though, her determination, intelligence, and loyalty arguably made her an excellent role model, albeit a somewhat unconventional one.
15 Romana
Portrayed by Mary Tamm
The idea of the Doctor being accompanied by another Time Lord is certainly an interesting one, and Romana definitely lived up to expectations. Mary Tamm did a wonderful job of bringing the character to life, and though she ended up leaving the show after just a single season, her lasting impact on the Whoniverse can still be felt today.
There have been numerous iterations of Romana in the years since Tamm’s departure, both on the small screen and in the series’ many spin-off novels. The hunt for the six segments of the Key to Time and the showdowns with the Marshal and the Black Guardian were easily the character’s best moments though, and serve as a great advertisement for a more involved companion.
14 Leela
Portrayed by Louise Jameson
Leela (or The Lady, as she’s sometimes referred) joined forces with the fourth Doctor during his visit to the Face of Evil and helped him to put a stop to the corrupted supercomputer, Xoanon. She starts out as fairly primitive, though spending more time with the Doctor allows audiences to see another side of the character.
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That said, Leela’s use of force to get things done is something that sticks with her right to the very end; much to the dismay of the Doctor. This does make her an excellent bodyguard though, as evidenced by her time traveling with the second version of Romana a little later on.
13 Bill Potts
Portrayed by Pearl Mackie
For a series that’s renowned for celebrating campiness and diversity, it’s perhaps a little surprising that Bill was the first openly gay companion to travel with the Doctor. There’s far more to the character than just her sexuality though, with her strong personality arguably being her defining feature.
Bill didn’t spend as much time with the Doctor as some of the series’ other companions, but she was still able to squeeze in a few excellent adventures. The climax of the tenth series is particularly memorable, with her and Heather ultimately getting their “happily ever after” moment following several episodes of chaos and uncertainty.
12 Martha Jones
Portrayed by Freema Agyeman
Martha Jones joined the show just before Rose’s departure and is with the Doctor for some of his lowest points. Her unrequited feelings for him were a bit of a distraction at times, but they did at least lead to some real personal growth. She really blossoms into her role as a companion over time, demonstrating plenty of heroic qualities along the way.
After all memory of the Doctor is erased by the Master’s paradox machine, it is Martha, together with Jack and the rest of the resistance, who de-ages the Gallifreyan and helps to free the planet from the Master’s rule. With the earth once again safe, Martha bids farewell to her time-traveling life and settles down with Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Mickey.
11 Barbara Wright & Ian Chesterton
Portrayed by Jacqueline Hill & William Russell
Barbara and Ian were the first of several companion couples as well as the first companions to travel with the Doctor against their will. The former teachers accidentally find themselves inside the TARDIS after following Susan home one day and soon find themselves in the year 100,000 BCE. They’re present for the introduction of the Daleks and also visit the French Revolution and the Ancient Aztecs before their eventual escape.
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Due to the pair effectively being the Doctor’s prisoners, the relationship that they have with him is entirely unique when compared to other companions. They eventually come to a mutual understanding of sorts with the Doctor, although this doesn’t stop them from attempting to return to their old lives whenever an opportunity to do so presents itself.
10 Wilfred Mott
Portrayed by Bernard Cribbins
Wilf was already an incredibly likable character even before his brief time traveling with the Doctor. That he then helped to save the planet and was willing to sacrifice his life in the process only helped to make him more popular with fans of the long-running sci-fi show.
Though his time beneath the main spotlight was short, his role as Donna’s grandfather and, to some extent, the Doctor’s friend, makes Wilf fairly unique. Unlike other companions, who, for the most part, come and go pretty quickly these days, he lasted three whole years, albeit in a slightly more reserved role.
9 River Song
Portrayed by Alex Kingston
Whether or not River Song actually counts as a Doctor Who companion is perhaps a matter for debate. Assuming she does though, she has to be up there with some of the very best, having had a huge impact on both the series as a whole and its titular character. In fact, she touched the hearts of three different iterations of the Doctor before eventually giving her life to save them.
When fans think of River Song, most tend to remember a wonderfully intricate storyline that was carefully woven throughout both time and space. Her appearances were somewhat rare when compared to some of the other Doctor Who companions, but when she did show up, viewers knew that they could expect a good episode.
8 Jack Harkness
Portrayed by John Barrowman
While many of the series’ best companions tend to have their best moments with their second incarnation of the Doctor (see Sarah-Jane, Clara, and Rose), Captain Jack Harkness is at his very best while alongside the ninth Doctor. The similarities between Jack and Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor lead to some excellent moments, but Jack is a brilliant character in his own right.
John Barrowman’s was the first non-hetero character to appear in the series and was a big hit with audiences due to his no-nonsense approach to adventuring. This led to him returning multiple times throughout the series after his initial departure and also becoming the lead in the hugely popular spin-off series, Torchwood.
7 Dorothy “Ace” McShane
Portrayed by Sophie Aldred
Rarely does a companion consistently outshine the Doctor, but that’s exactly what Dorothy “Ace” McShane did. She joined the show at a difficult time, with ratings declining and cancellation imminent, yet was able to breathe new life into proceedings with her bravery, humor, and intelligence.
Ace stood strong when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, once taking out a Dalek with nothing more than an enhanced baseball bat. Had the series not been canceled, she would have gone on to become a Time Lord herself, but instead ends up starting the charity, “A Charitable Earth,” or ACE, for short.
6 Clara Oswald
Portrayed by Jenna Coleman
Clara’s first encounter with the Doctor came during Matt Smith’s time with the show, although it’s perhaps her adventures with the twelfth doctor that fans will remember most fondly. She can be a little bossy at times, but her wit and her willingness to throw herself into everything that she does more than make up for this.
Like Donna, Clara really helped the Doctor to remain grounded and wasn’t afraid to call him out for his over-the-top antics. She always did what she thought was right, even if it meant endangering her own life to do so. After Danny’s death, she loses a big part of herself but replaces it with a newfound bravery that only makes her more heroic and likable.
5 Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Portrayed by Nicholas Courtney
Often referred to as the Brigadier, Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart is one of the longest-serving companions in the history of Doctor Who. His first meeting with the Doctor came during the Great Intelligence’s invasion of London, although it was not until Jon Pertwee became the third Doctor that the pair really began to bond.
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Like Captain Jack Harkness, the Brigadier has a life away from the Doctor and is one of the founding members of the Unified Intelligence Task Force. He’s fought the Daleks, the Dominators, and the Cybermen and was even resurrected as one of the latter in a 2014 episode. His daughter Kate took up the mantle after his death and met the tenth, eleventh and twelfth doctors during her time with UNIT.
4 Amelia Pond & Rory Williams
Portrayed by Karen Gillan & Arthur Darvill
Like Barbara and Ian, Amy and Rory are something of a package deal, although that’s not to say that they don’t each bring something different to the table. Amy helped a lot with the awkward transition between the tenth and eleventh doctors, while Rory facilitated personal growth in both Amy and the Doctor himself.
At a time when some of the show’s storylines were starting to get a little out of hand, theirs were usually a little more reserved and down to earth. They helped to keep the show grounded, while still providing plenty of tense and emotional scenes in the process. Sadly, they only got to travel with the eleventh Doctor, although Arthur Darvill did star alongside both David Tennant and Jodie Whittaker in Broadchurch.
3 Rose Tyler
Portrayed by Billie Piper
While it’s true that most of the series’ companions go on to form a special bond with their respective Doctor or Doctors, none quite compare to the one shared by Rose and the tenth Doctor. It’s incredibly well-written and provides viewers with a glimpse of the Doctor’s human side. Even before that though, Rose had a big impact on the series.
Being the first companion of the modern era of Doctor Who may have phased some, but Billie Piper takes to the role like a duck to water. Rose’s outgoing personality helped to bring balance to Eccleston’s sullen and serious interpretation of the Doctor, while also playing a key, albeit, questionable, role in the events of the first series’ climax.
2 Donna Noble
Portrayed by Catherine Tate
Ever since her first appearance in “Doomsday,” Donna regularly served as the show’s comic relief, although there’s a lot more to her than just lightening the mood. After he loses Rose, the tenth Doctor starts to become a little withdrawn and it is only with Donna’s help that he’s finally able to return to his old self.
It would have been easy for the writers to set her up as another romantic interest, but the platonic relationship shared by Donna and the Doctor is arguably a lot more rewarding to viewers. She understands the Doctor better than most companions, as well as why it’s important for him to have a companion in the first place.
1 Sarah-Jane Smith
Portrayed by Elisabeth Sladen
Sarah-Jane Smith is easily the most popular companion of the classic era of Doctor Who and even returned for several of the modern episodes. She was first introduced as a traveling partner for the third Doctor back in 1973 though, before eventually going on to interact with eight of the other 12 doctors in some way, shape, or form.
She was there when Davros created the Daleks on Skaro and came up against many of the series’ most iconic villains at one point or another. Such was her popularity with series fans that Sarah-Jane even got her own spin-off series called The Sarah-Jane Adventures, which ran for five full seasons before Elisabeth Sladen’s untimely death in 2011.
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