The 10 Greatest Doctor Who Companions Of The Modern Era

Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor isn't the only new lead coming to Doctor Who in the near future. After one last appearance in the upcoming Christmas special, current companion Pearl Mackie - who plays Bill Potts - will be vacating the show along with her Doctor Peter Capaldi, leaving the door open for a new companion to take her place. Casting the next companion will be a tough decision for the producers as, arguably, the role of the Doctor's best pal is the most important element of the show. It might be called Doctor Who, but it's the companion who acts as the audiences' eyes and ears. We experience the Doctor and his world through them. If we don't like the companion, we can't get into the show. Interestingly, one report says that a very different companion will travel the universe with Doctor No. 13 - 57-year-old British comedian Bradley Walsh. Whether there's any truth to that or not remains to be seen, but let's hope Whittaker's partner in crime time is inspired by the best companions that have come before. Just who are the greatest companions of the 21st century Doctor Who though? We answer that very question for you right here, and it all begins on the next page... 10) Rory Williams/Mickey Smith Over the past ten seasons of the new Doctor Who, there have been two similarly-conceived "boyfriend companions." Namely, Mickey Smith and Rory Williams. Though their only reason to travel in the TARDIS was their connection to the main female companion at the time - Rose Tyler and Amy Pond, respectively - they both grew from out-of-their-depth comic relief characters into badass heroes in their own right. Noel Clarke's Mickey began as little more than a dopey coward - so it was no surprise that Rose quickly switched her affections to the Doctor. Though he failed to win her back, Mickey moved on and eventually became a gun-toting enemy of the Cybermen. Or, as he put it, "Mickey Smith, defending the Earth." Introduced three seasons later, Rory took the basic template of Mickey's story and ran with it. Unlike Mickey, however, Rory was able to win over his beloved Amy and continually proved that he was the man for her with his impressive feats of heroism. Most notably, he protected her for 2000 years when she was trapped inside the Pandorica. 9) Sarah Jane Smith As Doctor Who fans of a certain age will testify, Sarah Jane Smith is the companion of the classic era of the show. Serving with two of the most popular Doctors ever - Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker - the feminist investigative journalist became an icon to Whovians everywhere. It was a wonderful surprise for longtime lovers of the show, then, when Sarah Jane returned to the modern series. Beginning in 2006, she formed a bond with David Tennant's Tenth Doctor and appeared in several episodes across his era. Though she was never a full time companion of his incarnation, the character's long established history with the show means that Jane still deserves a place on this list. Her presence in the modern series really helped cement the connection between the original run and its 21st century follow-up. Her return to the world of Doctor Who proved so popular that Sarah Jane was granted her own spinoff show, The Sarah Jane Adventures. This series, aimed at younger audiences, was set to continue for years and years but sadly, it came to an untimely end in 2011 with the tragic death of actress Elisabeth Sladen. 8) Martha Jones Whoever followed up Billie Piper's Rose Tyler after she left at the end of season 2 was always going to have a tough job. As such, Freema Agyeman's Martha Jones is often overlooked by fans, as she only lasted a single season as a full time companion. This is a great shame, as Martha is actually a terrific character. A trainee doctor herself, Martha's story arc revolved around her unrequited crush on the Doctor. While he was still pining after Rose, he was unaware that his new best friend had developed feelings for him. Though this romantic angle put off some viewers, it made Martha a very sympathetic character. Let's not forget, though, that Ms. Jones is also incredibly badass. At multiple times across season 3, the Doctor is totally reliant on Martha to save his skin. Her finest moment comes in the finale. In a post-apocalyptic timeline ruled over by the Master, she travels the Earth and inspires hope across the planet. 7) River Song River Song seems to be the most "Marmite" character ever to appear in Doctor Who. While some fans never warmed up to her due to how radical she was, others love her for the same reasons. Whatever your opinion, you have to admit that River is one of the most high-concept creations you'll find in the show. A bit like a cross between Lara Croft and The Time Traveller's Wife, Professor River Song is a gun-toting, time-travelling archaeologist who it later turns out is - spoilers, sweeties - the Doctor's wife. Tragically, the pair keep meeting in the wrong order. The first time the Doctor met River, for example, was the day that she died. As the only woman to manage to tie the Time Lord down (well, that we know of), Professor Song is undoubtedly one of the strongest female characters the show has given us. She's been such a major part of Steven Moffat's time on the series, in fact, that she's encountered David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi's Doctors. 6) Clara Oswald Jenna Coleman's Clara Oswald has the honour of being the longest serving companion of the modern series. While most stayed for one or two seasons, Clara travelled with both the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors across three seasons (that aired over four years). And there's a good reason for that. It's hard to deny that the Impossible Girl is the most important woman in the Doctor's life. At one point, Clara was fractured across the time vortex, which meant she was able to watch over the Doctor throughout his timeline. Later, she gave him the inspiration to save his home planet instead of destroy it. Last but not least, she also encountered the Time Lord when he was just a child, and potentially gave him the inspiration to be the hero he would later become. Even death couldn't stop Clara, and she found a way to become immortal and travel the universe in her own TARDIS. Given the character's unstoppability, then, it's no surprise that she's set to return to the show for a cameo in Peter Capaldi's last episode this Christmas. 5) Rose Tyler When Doctor Who came back in 2005, one of the best innovations that writer Russell T. Davies made to the format of the show was to promote the companion from mere sidekick to co-lead. From now on the woman at the Doctor's side would be just as important, if not more so, than the Doctor himself. The first character who proved that this new arrangement could work was Rose Tyler (who fittingly debuted in the episode "Rose"). Initially a bored young woman from a crowded London tower block, Rose discovered a new lease of life when travelling with the Doctor. Through her eyes, the audience got a feeling of how amazing it would be to see all of time and space and how it would totally change your outlook and make you a better person. Rose's slow-burning love story with the Doctor is also a favourite of many fans, culminating in the heartbreaking season 2 finale which saw the (literally) star-crossed lovers forced apart. Yes, Rose appeared a few times in later episodes, arguably lessening the impact of her exit, but her original run on the show is still a triumph. 4) Amy Pond What marks out the best Doctor Who companions is how much they grow as people across their time in the TARDIS. In that way, the Doctor is a bit like Mary Poppins (y'all). He takes his friends on adventures until they've "grown up" and then he leaves them. This is very true of Amy. Originally, she's clearly struggling from arrested development. Over her two and a bit seasons on the show, though, Amy grows as a person - she falls in love, gets married, has a daughter and helps save the universe many, many times. It's not for nothing that Karen Gillan has since gone on to be a massive star, featuring as part of the ensemble cast of Marvel's hit Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Even her Doctor, Matt Smith, hasn't managed to appear in one of those yet. 3) Bill Potts This year has been terrific for diversification in Doctor Who. Not only did the BBC respond to what a lot of fans wanted by hiring an actress to play the Doctor, but they also cast a woman of colour to portray the first ever gay female companion. As winningly played by newcomer Pearl Mackie, Bill Potts is set to only stick around for this year's season 10, but she's so good that she's been instantly adored by fans. After a few seasons of complex storylines that often cut into characterization, Bill came as a breath of fresh air. She was hugely relatable: a sci-fi savvy student who asked all the questions the viewers ask when watching the show. Like many companions, she also received a bittersweet ending. Although horrifically upgraded into a Cyberman, Bill's soul (kind of) was able to survive and see the stars with the ghost (kind of) of her former flame Heather. She may not be returning for season 11, but we look forward to her final appearance in the upcoming Christmas special. 2) Captain Jack Harkness Whatever plots and arcs they're given to work with, if a character doesn't have personality then they aren't going to be entertaining to watch. That's not a worry with Captain Jack Harkness, though, as he has one of the biggest personalities ever on Doctor Who. A Time Agent from the 51st century, Jack is probably most known for his dashing, flirtatious nature. Described as pansexual, the Captain is seemingly attracted to each and every person that he meets and has been lauded as one of sci-fi's greatest LGBT heroes. Beyond that, Jack is just a fascinating character. Over his travels with the Doctor, he was granted immortality and much drama has been mined from his immeasurably long life. It's no wonder that his popularity was such that he starred in cult favourite spinoff Torchwood, which fans are forever campaigning to bring back to the screen. 1) Donna Noble It's incredibly tough to chose the finest companion to grace the modern series of Doctor Who, but one candidate has to be Catherine Tate's big-mouthed, big-hearted Donna Noble. Going by her initial appearance as a comic relief bride who accidentally gets transported to the TARDIS, we would never have thought that Donna would make a great companion. However, when brought back for season 4, Donna's character grew, organically yet exponentially, into someone with a lot more depth. It became clear that Donna's sharp tongue was just a symptom of her own insecurity. Yet over her travels she became, as the Doctor put it, "the most important woman in the whole wide universe." Perhaps the best thing about Donna, though, is her brilliantly unfussy relationship with the Doctor. Unlike a lot of modern Doctor-companion dynamics, theirs was purely that of two best friends without any complicated romantic feelings cluttering up the TARDIS. Donna also acted as the Doctor's conscience on many an occasion: most notably, when she convinced him to save a family from the destruction of Pompeii. That's Donna for you - the noblest Doctor Who companion of them all.