Doctor Who: Top 7 Companions

Doctor Who has been on the air for over 50 years now. 50 years of the TARDIS, of Daleks, of catchphrases, and running. So much running.

Things have changed with Doctor Who. New Doctors, new TARDIS, and new sonic screwdrivers. But one thing that remains the same is the fact that the Doctor always travels with a companion. And that companion changes more frequently than the Doctor.

This post is going to go through the top 7 companions, from Old Who to New Who and in chronological order. This is focusing on people who continuously travelled with the Doctor. Not special guests.

So, let’s start at the very beginning…

[divider]Top 7 Doctor Who Companions[/divider]

1. Susan Foreman (1963-1964)

The Doctor’s own granddaughter. A young woman attending Coal Hill School and taught by two other companions. She is kind, quick-witted, and very curious. True, she’s only a companion for 1 year but let’s face it, guys, she’s the first! And I couldn’t leave Susan out! She’s family. She’s followed home one day after school by Ian and Barbara, two of her teachers, and they discover the TARDIS. And so begins the adventures. After defeating the Daleks, she decides to leave the Doctor and settled down with David Campbell.

 

 

 

2. Polly (1966-1967)

I can hear it now, “Really? Polly? Who the heck is Polly?!” Well, she’s pretty significant. She and Ben Jackson meet the Doctor (the First Doctor that is) one night and start travelling with him. They fight the Cybermen, the Macra, and, of course, the Daleks. But what makes Polly significant is that she witnesses the Doctor’s first regeneration. She sees the Doctor’s face change. And she believes, faster than Ben, that he is still the Doctor. And that’s awesome. She and Ben left the TARDIS and are now running an orphanage in India, at least according to our next companion.

 

 

3. Sarah Jane Smith (1973-1976, 2006-2011)

One of my favorite companions, hands down. She’s sassy, feisty, and smart. She’s able to keep the Doctor on his toes but also grounded. She’s also travelled with four of the Doctor’s regenerations. She started with the Third Doctor, continued with the Fourth, requested to leave and was thus dropped off back on Earth (just not in the exact spot she really needed to be left at). She ran into the Tenth Doctor in 2006 and travelled a bit with the Eleventh Doctor. She continues to save the world even without the Doctor’s help and will always be “my Sarah Jane” to him. But I’m not crying…you’re crying!

 

 

4. K-9 (1977-1981, 2006, 2008)

Not human. Not even alive. K-9 is a mobile computer with defensive weapons. And looks vaguely like a dog. And he is adorable. He first helped the Fourth Doctor and Leela. Leela decided to keep him when she left the Doctor and the Doctor constructed another one from spare parts. He stayed with Romana when she left. And later a third K-9 was gifted to Sarah Jane to help her in her endeavors. And much later, the Tenth Doctor left Sarah Jane with a fourth model, who lived with her and actually went to school with her son. Oh, and he also talks!

 

5. Rose Tyler (2005-2010)

The first companion of New Who. And she holds a special place in many fans hearts. She’s a smart aleck, adventurous, loveable, and loyal. She is very aware of how dangerous travelling with the Doctor is but she vows to travel with him forever. They have a bond that not many companions have with the Doctor. She witnesses the Ninth Doctor’s regeneration into the Tenth and their bond grows stronger. They get separated in parallel universes but she does all she can to come back to him, even if it isn’t permanent. She helps him and his new companion, Donna, in a few instances but must then return home to her universe with her half-human Doctor.

 

 

 

6. Donna Noble (2006-2010)

“Oi! Watch it, spaceman!” She and the Doctor were best friends. She’s sarcastic, grounded, smart, and thinks she is unimportant. She keeps the Doctor grounded and he shows her how important she really is. She meets him once, on her botched wedding day, and then actively seeks him out a year later and starts travelling with him. And they are awesome together. They help the Ood, witness Pompeii, stop the Daleks, and stop Davros. But stopping Davros was at the cost of Donna’s memories. She finally sees how important she is, and she has to forget it. And that is heartbreaking.

 

 

 

7. Rory Williams (2010-2012)

Oh, look! A guy companion! I know, I know, there have been many male companions but Rory, well, Rory is a good guy. He meets the Doctor through Amy Pond, his then girlfriend. They all travel together and he puts up with a lot. The Doctor thinks he’s a idiot and Amy seems to forget about him a lot. Until he dies. Yeah, he dies. But it’s okay, he comes back. As an Auton, a plastic creature. But it’s okay, he becomes human again when reality is restored. But guys, he guarded Amy for 2000 years. That’s dedication. And love. And when he is sent back to 1938 by a Weeping Angel, Amy joins him and they live out their lives happily.

 

 

 

So, there you have it, my pick for the top 7 Doctor Who companions. This isn’t to say I don’t like the rest. Believe me, I adore Amy, and Leela, and believe it or not, even Peri (don’t hate! She was my first companion!). But these 7 were significant in some way, either to the Doctor, to the show, or to other companions.

Feel like I should have someone else on the list? Leave a comment and let me know!

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