Ranking The Companions of Doctor Who

5. River Song (2008-2015)

Appearances: Series Four: ‘Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead’; Series Five: ‘Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone’, ‘The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang’; Series Six: ‘The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon’, ‘A Good Man Goes to War/Let’s Kill Hitler’, ‘Closing Time’, ‘The Wedding of River Song’; Series Seven: ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’, ‘The Name of the Doctor’; Specials: ‘The Husbands of River Song’.

Professor River Song began as a mysterious future acquaintance of the Doctor but over one heck of a complex story arc we eventually learned that she was not only the Time Lady daughter of Amy and Rory but also the Doctor’s (sort of) wife! Alex Kingston was always a lot of fun in the role and she will go down as one of Steven Moffat’s biggest contributions to the show’s mythos.

 

4. Rose Tyler (2005-2010)

Appearances: Series One – Series Two; Series Four: ‘Partners in Crime’, ‘Turn Left’ – ‘Journey’s End’; Specials: ‘The End of Time: Part Two’.

If Sarah Jane is the definitive classic companion, then Rose Tyler is the archetypal companion of the modern era. In line with Russell T Davies’ more grounded vision for the show, Rose’s everyday humanity and depth of character brought the series down to Earth. And who isn’t touched by her doomed romance with the Tenth Doctor? Warning: above clip will induce tears.

 

3. Captain Jack Harkness (2005-2010)

Appearances: Series One: ‘The Empty Child’ – ‘The Parting of the Ways’; Series Three: ‘Utopia’ – ‘Last of the Time Lords’; Series Four: ‘The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End’; Specials: ‘The End of Time: Part Two’.

Captain Jack Harkness – Time Agent, con-man and dashing hero – is just a force of nature. The omnisexual action man is impossible to dislike as John Barrowman is so brilliantly larger-than-life in the part. We loved him in Torchwood, too, but it was always something special when he bounced off the Ninth, and later Tenth, Doctor. Can he please come back to the show at some point?

 

2. Donna Noble (2006-2010)

Appearances: Series Four; Specials: ‘The Runaway Bride’, ‘The End of Time: Parts One and Two’.

We wouldn’t have believed you if you had told us that gobby bride-to-be Donna would become one of the best companions ever, but that she did thanks to some stellar work from Catherine Tate and her brilliant dynamic with David Tennant. Through her travels with the Doctor, Donna found a strong sense of self-belief and higher purpose – only for it to be taken away in the most heartbreaking companion exit ever.

 

1. Amy Pond (2010-2013)

Appearances: Series Five – Series Six; Series Seven: ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ – ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’; Specials: ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe’, ‘The Time of the Doctor’.

This is a totally personal list, of course, and this fan of the Eleventh Doctor’s era has to pick Amy Pond as the best modern companion. The companion’s journey in the TARDIS is really about them growing up and Amy encapsulates that better than anyone. Over her time with the Doctor, she begins as the little orphan girl who waited and ends up as a mature, fully-rounded woman. Together, the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory were an endlessly watchable TARDIS team.