Companion (Doctor Who)
TV series characters
In the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, a "companion" is a character who regularly travels and shares adventures with the series' central character, the alien time traveller known as the Doctor. Typically, a companion encounters the Doctor by chance and is subsequently invited to join them in adventures through time and space. The companion serves as the series' co-lead for the duration of their tenure, and often acts as an audience surrogate by mirroring the viewers' unfamiliarity with science fiction settings and concepts.
When Doctor Who began airing in 1963, companions Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) were the series's primary protagonists, whereas the Doctor served as an elusive but important supporting character. After Russell and Hill left the series, this dynamic was maintained through a succession of new companions, often originating from different eras of history, who filled their roles of a heroic male and an inquisitive young woman. The format changed in 1970 when actor Jon Pertwee introduced an action-oriented "leading man" interpretation of the Doctor which eliminated the need for a male companion. As Pertwee's Doctor was exiled to Earth, his companions were predominantly young women from contemporary England, which became standard in the series going forward. The Doctor has nevertheless continued to travel with male, historical and non-human companions.
As Doctor Who holds a prominent position in British pop culture, the Doctor's companions have attracted attention from critics and the media. Their characterisation has often reflected changing attitudes towards the depiction of women on screen. Early female companions have been criticised for being mere damsels in distress, while later companions have been praised for their independence and agency. From the 1990s onward, the series increasingly focused on their personal lives and family. Following a controversial kiss between the Doctor and companion Grace Holloway in the 1996 Doctor Who television film, the series has depicted occasional romances between the Doctor and their companions. The cultural backgrounds of the companions have become more diverse over time, with the introduction of the series' first non-white full-time companion (Martha Jones; 2007) and the first openly gay companion (Bill Potts; 2017). The Doctor's companions Jack Harkness, Sarah Jane Smith and K9 each feature as the lead character in the licensed spin-off television series Torchwood (2006-2011), The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-2011) and K9 (2009-2010) respectively.
The term "companion" is applied to these characters by the Doctor Who production team and appears in the BBC's promotional material, but is not typically used within the series' narrative. The Doctor has also referred to these characters as "friends" or "assistants"; the British press have also used the latter term. Critics differ on whether recurring characters who infrequently travel with the Doctor, such as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Jack Harkness and River Song, are considered companions.
01Development
Co-creator of Doctor Who, Sydney Newman, envisioned the regular cast comprising a senile male time traveller (the Doctor, played by William Hartnell) with a teenage girl companion for younger viewers to relate to (Susan Foreman, played by Carole Ann Ford), who are joined by a couple between whom romance could develop (Susan's schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, played by William Russell and Jacqueline Hill respectively). The Doctor was intended to be enigmatic with uncertain motives, with Ian in the more conventional "action hero" role. Writer Anthony Coburn decided to make Susan the Doctor's granddaughter to avoid the inappropriate implications of an older man travelling with an unrelated teenage girl. As Ian and Barbara were therefore the only regular characters to originate from present-day Earth, they provided the audiences' point of view in stories set in Earth's history and on alien worlds. Their reactions to the Doctor's adventures and mysterious behaviour reflected the audiences' own experience of the programme.
Ford departed the programme in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964). In the following serial, The Rescue (1965), the young orphan Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) is introduced as a new companion for the Doctor, preserving the programme's established balance of characters. Russell and Hill left the series in The Chase (1965) which left only the Doctor from the programme's original line-up. Ian and Barbara's narrative role was filled by the introduction of astronaut Steven Taylor (Peter Purves). This grouping of the Doctor, a heroic male and an inquisitive young female became the programme's pattern throughout the rest of the 1960s. The departure of a companion typically resulted in the immediate introduction of a character who could fill their narrative role.
The series' format drastically changed in 1970. The Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) was exiled to present-day Earth by the Time Lords and allied to the military organisation UNIT which resulted in a focus on Earth-bound stories rather than space adventures. Pertwee's Doctor was more of a "man of action" than his predecessors, which eliminated the need for a male companion. The Doctor also acquired a recurring supporting cast of UNIT personnel, which most notably included his laboratory assistant Liz Shaw (Caroline John), who was succeeded by Jo Grant (Katy Manning). After the Doctor's exile was lifted in The Three Doctors (1972-73), the programme's format shifted once more: while UNIT provided a regular "home base" for Earth-bound stories, the Doctor and Jo travelled through time and space as a two-person team with a close platonic bond. This dynamic, the Doctor with a singular young female companion from present-day England, became the template from which subsequent eras of Doctor Who have rarely diverged.
Definition
Although the term "companion" is commonly used by the BBC and other media to refer to characters who travel with the Doctor, there is no strict definition of the term. Characters who have travelled with the Doctor infrequently or on a single occasion, such as Jackie Tyler, Astrid Peth and Christina de Souza, are generally not considered companions. It is debated whether Sara Kingdom (Jean Marsh), who only travelled with the Doctor in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66), should be listed as a companion. Stephen Brook of The Guardian noted that the definition became less clear in the revived series due to the greater presence of recurring characters who infrequently travel with the Doctor and the inclusion of the lead cast members' names in the programme's opening title sequence.
02Characterisation
Narrative role
The Doctor's companions have assumed a variety of roles, involuntary passengers, assistants (particularly Liz Shaw), friends, and fellow adventurers; and, of course, he regularly gains new companions and loses old ones. Sometimes they return home, and sometimes they find new causes, or loves, on worlds they have visited. Some companions have taken trips in the TARDIS by accident like Tegan Jovanka. The Doctor's companions tend to be optimistic and resilient.
Companions generally travel in the TARDIS with the Doctor for more than one adventure. Sometimes a guest character takes a role in the story similar to that of a companion, such as photographer Isobel Watkins, who plays a significant role in The Invasion (1968), or Lynda Moss in "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways" (2005). In the revived era, some guest characters have gained companion status such as Mickey Smith, River Song, Wilfred Mott, and Craig Owens.
Steven Moffat described the term "companion" as "old-fashioned", stating: "the companion is kind of the main character... it's an opportunity to start the show all over again with somebody else meeting the Doctor and bringing out a different side of him.. The role of a companion in Doctor Who is not a supporting role, it's a co-lead." Moffat has noted that the introduction of a companion has enabled the show to somewhat begin again, with the same concepts being reintroduced through the companion's eyes.
An attempt was made in 1974 to reintroduce a male companion alongside the Doctor and his female companion, which would return the series to the dynamic it had seen in the 1960s. Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter) was introduced as it was envisaged that the Fourth Doctor would be played by an older actor who would have difficulty with stunts. However, 40-year-old Tom Baker proved adequate in this regard, so Harry was written out after one season. Additionally, producer Philip Hinchcliffe wanted to pare the cast back to two characters so that it "didn't feel that your hero was dragging a gang of helpers". He also felt that "there wasn't really room in my view, where we were taking the show, for two permanent companions." In The Invisible Enemy (1977), the Doctor acquired his first robotic companion, the robot dog K9 (voiced by John Leeson).
In 1980, producer John Nathan-Turner re-established the dynamic of the Doctor with three companions: Adric (Matthew Waterhouse), Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton). By the time of the Sixth Doctor in 1985, a single companion had become standard again.
When the series returned in 2005, a single female companion remained the standard format, though intermittent and short-term companions also featured. More consistent exceptions occurred between series 5 and 7, when the Eleventh Doctor travelled with Amy Pond and Rory Williams, and series 10, where the Twelfth Doctor appeared alongside Bill Potts and Nardole. In conjunction with the introduction of the first female Doctor in 2018, the Thirteenth Doctor's era features multiple companions (both male and female) throughout, whilst both the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctor predominantly travel with a single companion.
Personal lives
Companions' friends and families were rarely depicted in the classic era of Doctor Who, and most classic-era companions were orphans. Victoria Waterfield (Deborah Watling) is somewhat of an exception as she joins the Doctor in The Evil of the Daleks (1967) after her father is killed off. With Sydney Newman's original conception of the First Doctor (William Hartnell) as a "senile old man", the Doctor served as a surrogate father or grandfather figure to his companions. In the 2020 essay Doctor Who, Family and National Identity, Danny Nicol argued that early Doctor Who was influenced by 1960s children's literature "in which the disappearance of parents was treated as a prerequisite to the attainment of adventure." In the early 1980s, Doctor Who began to tentatively depict the companions' family. The absent parents of Ace (Sophie Aldred), the final companion of the classic series, maintain an ominous presence throughout her tenure. According to Matthew Jones in a 1995 article for Doctor Who Magazine, "For the first time since the Sixties, stories began to revolve around the companion, focusing on Ace's origins, loves and fears." In The Curse of Fenric (1989), Ace's encounter with an infant version of her mother resolves her hostility towards her parents. Nicol notes the significance "that one of classic Who’s most emotionally charged encounters with family occurred almost at the end of the programme's run."
When showrunner Russell T Davies was developing the first companion of the revived series (2005), Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), he felt it was necessary to examine the unavoidable questions of "do her family miss her?" and "has she gone missing?". Davies created Rose's mother Jackie Tyler (Camille Coduri) and boyfriend Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke), whose presence provided a narrative structure where Rose would frequently return home them in order to make her "real" and to "give her a life". Davies's tenure of the programme ushered in a new status quo where the domestic life of the Doctor's companions was frequently explored. Many family members of the revived series' companions have gone on to travel with the Doctor, such as Mickey, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate)'s grandfather Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins) and Amy Pond (Karen Gillan)'s fiancé Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill). In series 8 (2014), showrunner Steven Moffat explored the impact that travelling with the Doctor has on the home life of companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), with her boyfriend Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson) positioned in contrast to the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi). Moffat's tenure of the programme also saw the Doctor more closely involved in his companions' lives. The backstories of Amy Pond, River Song and Clara Oswald are closely tied to the Doctor.
Romance
Although the majority of his companions have been single women, romance between the Doctor and his companions was non-existent in the classic era of Doctor Who. Romantic storylines did not occur between companions, although companions Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright were envisioned with the opportunity of such a storyline arising. Lewis Knight and Louise Griffin of the Radio Times noted that companion Romana II (Lalla Ward)'s close relationship with the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) verges on romantic, reflecting Baker and Ward's real-life relationship and marriage. In the 1980s, Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner famously insisted "There's no hanky-panky in the TARDIS". Despite casting 29-year-old Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor (then the youngest actor to play the role), who was a comparable age to Janet Fielding, who played companion Tegan Jovanka, Nathan-Turner forbid the Doctor from putting his arm around Tegan or Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) on screen to avoid creating romantic tension between the characters. Davison felt that this decision made it difficult for writers to make the companions "more rounded".
In the 1996 television film Doctor Who, intended as a backdoor pilot for a new American-produced series, the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) kisses his new companion Grace Holloway (Daphne Ashbrook). The Doctor's first on-screen kiss was received negatively by fans. However, this was a precursor to the revived series where Doctor-companion romance was depicted more regularly. Davies stated in 2004: "If we can think of the perfect story for [the Doctor] to fall in love then he will... The purists may be up in arms." Throughout series 2 (2006), the Tenth Doctor and Rose develop a celibate romantic connection, the first between the Doctor and a companion. In the following series (2007), Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman)'s character arc focuses on her unreciprocated romantic feelings for the Doctor.
Doctor-companion romance was further explored with the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith). He rejects the advances of his companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), but forms a romantic connection with occasional companion River Song and ultimately marries her in "The Wedding of River Song" (2011). Clara's relationship with the Eleventh Doctor has been described as "flirtatious", though this was toned down when Capaldi succeeded Smith as the Twelfth Doctor. The Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker)'s romantic arc with companion Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill) marked the first same-sex romance between the Doctor and a companion.
In 2014, Dan Martin of The Guardian noted that Doctor-companion romances have "been a device designed to allow for hugely awkward comedic moments, and the advances rarely ever come the Doctor himself." In 2022, Molly Moss of the Radio Times noted that the few Doctor-companion romances of the programme have usually been depicted as celibate or unrequited.
Demographics
The demographic of the Doctor's companions has expanded over Doctor Who's history. While the classic series predominantly featured white, middle-class British companions, those originating from outer space were typically coded as British, later companions have increasingly represented different cultural backgrounds, nationalities and classes. Cockney sailor Ben Jackson (Michael Craze), introduced in The War Machines (1966), was the Doctor's first working-class companion. After Ace's introduction in Dragonfire (1987), companions from working-class households became increasingly common.
In the early 1980s, John Nathan-Turner introduced two contemporary companions of non-British nationality to break with convention: Australian flight attendant Tegan Jovanka, played by Australian actress Janet Fielding, and American botany student Peri Brown, played by British actress Nicola Bryant. Tegan was the first companion played by a non-British actor.
Every companion in the classic series was white. Media publications have described Martha Jones, who debuted in series 3 (2007), as the Doctor's first non-white companion despite Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke)'s short time travelling with the Doctor in the previous series. Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill), introduced in "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" (2018), is the Doctor's first companion of Asian heritage. With the introduction of British Asian companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) in 2025, she and black actor Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor make up the first wholly non-white TARDIS team.
LGBT companions have also been introduced to the programme. Writer Rona Munro intended for "lesbian subtext" to be present between Ace and the supporting character Karra in Survival (1989), but admitted that this was unclear. The "omnisexual" con man Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), who intermittently travelled with the Doctor after his introduction in "The Empty Child" (2005), was the first openly non-heterosexual character in Doctor Who. Companion Clara Oswald, introduced in 2012, has been interpreted as bisexual by critics. Lesbian canteen assistant Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie), introduced in "The Pilot" (2017), is considered the first openly gay companion. Classic-era companions have been retroactively established as LGBT in licensed spin-off media, including Tegan and Nyssa.
Robotic companions such as K9 and Kamelion, voiced by John Leeson / David Brierly and Gerald Flood respectively, have also been introduced.
Impact on the Doctor
In the original run of the show, companions were mostly written as leaving of their own accord, with only a few exceptions. The first death of a regular companion was of Adric in the 1982 serial Earthshock. This is different in the revived era, with companions more often given tragic endings and the show exploring the theme of loss more. Demaris Oxman makes further distinction of the way this theme is explored by different showrunners, arguing that companions in Steven Moffat's time as showrunner tended to have more tragic endings, while Russell T. Davies wrote departures closely tied to each companion's character.
The impact of such losses has been explored within the show. For example, the loss of Amy and Rory Williams drives the Eleventh Doctor into solitude in Victorian London where he refuses to get involved in the world's affairs anymore. Series 9 dealt with the Twelfth Doctor's growing fear over the potential of losing Clara Oswald. Her death in "Face the Raven" leads the Doctor to undertake extreme measures to undo her fate, as depicted in the Series 9 finale "Hell Bent". The impact of the death of his wife, River Song, is a subplot of both "The Husbands of River Song" and "The Return of Doctor Mysterio". Steven Moffat, showrunner from 2010 to 2017, has stated that companion deaths are "wrong for Doctor Who", explaining that he does not believe the show should represent the "grittiness" of real life. In the classic series, the Doctor did not keep in touch with former companions.
03List of companions on television
The "last serial" column only includes the last serial in which they appeared in a companion role and excludes minor roles, cameos, flashbacks, and so forth. Also, the table refers solely to adventures with the respective Doctor. Some companions who appear with two or more Doctors appear in separate tables.
First Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Seasons | First serial | Last serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Foreman | Carole Ann Ford | 1, 2, 1983 special | An Unearthly Child | "The Five Doctors" |
| Barbara Wright | Jacqueline Hill | 1, 2 | An Unearthly Child | The Chase |
| Ian Chesterton | William Russell | 1, 2 | An Unearthly Child | The Chase |
| Vicki | Maureen O'Brien | 2, 3 | The Rescue | The Myth Makers |
| Steven Taylor | Peter Purves | 2, 3 | The Chase | The Savages |
| Katarina | Adrienne Hill | 3 | The Myth Makers | The Daleks' Master Plan |
| Sara Kingdom | Jean Marsh | 3 | The Daleks' Master Plan | |
| Dodo Chaplet | Jackie Lane | 3 | The Ark | The War Machines |
| Polly | Anneke Wills | 3, 4 | The War Machines | The Tenth Planet |
| Ben Jackson | Michael Craze | 3, 4 | The War Machines | The Tenth Planet |
Second Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Seasons | First serial | Last serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polly | Anneke Wills | 4 | The Power of the Daleks | The Faceless Ones |
| Ben Jackson | Michael Craze | 4 | The Power of the Daleks | The Faceless Ones |
| Jamie McCrimmon | Frazer Hines | 4, 5, 6, 22 | The Highlanders | The Two Doctors |
| Victoria Waterfield | Deborah Watling | 4, 5 | The Evil of the Daleks | Fury from the Deep |
| Zoe Heriot | Wendy Padbury | 5, 6 | The Wheel in Space | The War Games |
| Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart | Nicholas Courtney | 1983 special | "The Five Doctors" | |
Third Doctor
The final three listed characters, all associated with UNIT during the Third Doctor's exile to Earth, are sometimes considered his companions despite appearing irregularly during his tenure.
| Companion | Actor | Seasons | First serial | Last serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liz Shaw | Caroline John | 7 | Spearhead from Space | Inferno |
| Jo Grant | Katy Manning | 8, 9, 10 | Terror of the Autons | The Green Death |
| Sarah Jane Smith | Elisabeth Sladen | 11, 1983 special | The Time Warrior | "The Five Doctors" |
| UNIT | ||||
| Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart | Nicholas Courtney | 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 | Spearhead from Space | Planet of the Spiders |
| Sergeant John Benton | John Levene | 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 | The Ambassadors of Death | Planet of the Spiders |
| Captain Mike Yates | Richard Franklin | 8, 9, 10, 11 | Terror of the Autons | Planet of the Spiders |
Fourth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Seasons | First serial | Last serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Jane Smith | Elisabeth Sladen | 12, 13, 14 | Robot | The Hand of Fear |
| Harry Sullivan | Ian Marter | 12, 13 | Robot | Terror of the Zygons |
| Leela | Louise Jameson | 14, 15 | The Face of Evil | The Invasion of Time |
| K9 | John Leeson / David Brierly (voices) | 15, 16, 17, 18 | The Invisible Enemy | Warriors' Gate |
| Romana I | Mary Tamm | 16 | The Ribos Operation | The Armageddon Factor |
| Romana II | Lalla Ward | 17, 18, 1983 special | Destiny of the Daleks | "The Five Doctors" |
| Adric | Matthew Waterhouse | 18 | Full Circle | Logopolis |
| Nyssa | Sarah Sutton | 18 | Logopolis | |
| Tegan Jovanka | Janet Fielding | 18 | Logopolis | |
Fifth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Seasons | First serial | Last serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adric | Matthew Waterhouse | 19 | Castrovalva | Earthshock |
| Nyssa | Sarah Sutton | 19, 20 | Castrovalva | Terminus |
| Tegan Jovanka | Janet Fielding | 19, 20, 21 | Castrovalva | Resurrection of the Daleks |
| Vislor Turlough | Mark Strickson | 20, 21 | Mawdryn Undead | Planet of Fire |
| Kamelion | Gerald Flood (voice) | 20, 21 | The King's Demons | Planet of Fire |
| Peri Brown | Nicola Bryant | 21 | Planet of Fire | The Caves of Androzani |
Sixth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Seasons | First serial | Last serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peri Brown | Nicola Bryant | 21, 22, 23 | The Twin Dilemma | Mindwarp |
| Mel Bush | Bonnie Langford | 23 | Terror of the Vervoids | The Ultimate Foe |
Seventh Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Seasons | First serial | Last serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Bush | Bonnie Langford | 24 | Time and the Rani | Dragonfire |
| Ace | Sophie Aldred | 24, 25, 26 | Dragonfire | Survival |
Eighth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Seasons | First serial | Last serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Holloway | Daphne Ashbrook | , | Doctor Who | |
Ninth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First episode | Last episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose Tyler | Billie Piper | 1 | "Rose" | "The Parting of the Ways" |
| Adam Mitchell | Bruno Langley | 1 | "Dalek" | "The Long Game" |
| Captain Jack Harkness | John Barrowman | 1 | "The Empty Child" | "The Parting of the Ways" |
Tenth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First episode | Last episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose Tyler | Billie Piper | 2, 4 | "The Christmas Invasion" | "Journey's End" |
| Mickey Smith | Noel Clarke | 2, 4 | "School Reunion" | "Journey's End" |
| Donna Noble | Catherine Tate | 2006 special, 4 | "The Runaway Bride" | "Journey's End" |
| Martha Jones | Freema Agyeman | 3, 4 | "Smith and Jones" | "Journey's End" |
| Captain Jack Harkness | John Barrowman | 3, 4 | "Utopia" | "Journey's End" |
| Astrid Peth | Kylie Minogue | 2007 special | "Voyage of the Damned" | |
| Sarah Jane Smith | Elisabeth Sladen | 2, 4 | "The Stolen Earth" | "Journey's End" |
| Jackson Lake | David Morrissey | 2008 special | "The Next Doctor" | |
| Rosita Farisi | Velile Tshabalala | 2008 special | "The Next Doctor" | |
| Lady Christina de Souza | Michelle Ryan | 2009 Easter special | "Planet of the Dead" | |
| Adelaide Brooke | Lindsay Duncan | 2009 Autumn special | "The Waters of Mars" | |
| Wilfred Mott | Bernard Cribbins | 2009-10 specials | "The End of Time Part One" | "The End of Time Part Two" |
Eleventh Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First episode | Last episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Pond | Karen Gillan | 5, 6, 7 | "The Eleventh Hour" | "The Angels Take Manhattan" |
| Rory Williams | Arthur Darvill | 5, 6, 7 | "The Vampires of Venice" | "The Angels Take Manhattan" |
| River Song | Alex Kingston | 6 | "The Impossible Astronaut" | "The Wedding of River Song" |
| Craig Owens | James Corden | 6 | "Closing Time" | |
| Clara Oswald | Jenna Coleman | 7, 2013 specials | "The Snowmen" | "The Time of the Doctor" |
Twelfth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First episode | Last episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clara Oswald | Jenna Coleman | 8, 9 | "Deep Breath" | "Hell Bent" |
| River Song | Alex Kingston | 2015 special | "The Husbands of River Song" | |
| Nardole | Matt Lucas | 2016 special, 10 | "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" | "The Doctor Falls" |
| Bill Potts | Pearl Mackie | 10, 2017 special | "The Pilot" | "Twice Upon a Time" |
Thirteenth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First episode | Last episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graham O'Brien | Bradley Walsh | 11, 12, 2021 special | "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" | "Revolution of the Daleks" |
| Ryan Sinclair | Tosin Cole | 11, 12, 2021 special | "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" | "Revolution of the Daleks" |
| Yasmin Khan | Mandip Gill | 11, 12, 13, 2022 specials | "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" | "The Power of the Doctor" |
| Captain Jack Harkness | John Barrowman | 2021 special | "Revolution of the Daleks" | |
| Dan Lewis | John Bishop | 13, 2022 specials | "The Halloween Apocalypse" | "The Power of the Doctor" |
| Ace | Sophie Aldred | 2022 specials | "The Power of the Doctor" | |
| Tegan Jovanka | Janet Fielding | 2022 specials | "The Power of the Doctor" | |
Fourteenth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First episode | Last episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donna Noble | Catherine Tate | 2023 specials | "The Star Beast" | "The Giggle" |
Fifteenth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First episode | Last episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby Sunday | Millie Gibson | 14, 15 | "The Church on Ruby Road" | "The Reality War" |
| Joy Almondo | Nicola Coughlan | 2024 special | "Joy to the World" | |
| Belinda Chandra | Varada Sethu | 15 | "The Robot Revolution" | "The Reality War" |
04List of companions from other media
The Doctor Who spin-off media have seen the creation of new characters acting as new companions to the Doctor. Most of them have been created to feature as companions for the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctor, in the new products presenting themselves as a prosecution of their adventures beyond the TV series, but there also are new companions for other Doctors.
First Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John and Gillian | , N/a | TV Comic strips | The Klepton Parasites (1964) | The Experimenters (1966) |
| Oliver Harper | Tom Allen | Big Finish Productions audios | The Perpetual Bond (2011) | The First Wave (2011) |
Second Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John and Gillian | , N/a | TV Comic strips | The Extortioners (1966-67) | Invasion of the Quarks (1968) |
Third Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Fitzoliver | Richard Pearce | BBC Radio dramas | The Paradise of Death (1993) | The Ghosts of N-Space (1996) |
Fourth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharon Davies | (later played by Rhianne Starbuck) | Doctor Who Magazine strips | Doctor Who and the Star Beast (1980) | Dreamers of Death (1981) |
| Mrs Wibbsey | Susan Jameson | BBC audiobooks | The Stuff of Nightmares (2009) | Survivors in Space (2011) |
| Ann Kelso | Jane Slavin | Big Finish Productions audios | The Sinestran Kill (2019) | The Perfect Prisoners (2019) |
| Margaret Hopwood | Nerys Hughes | Ice Heist! (2023) | The Ghost of Margaret (2023) | |
| Naomi Cross | Eleanor Crooks | The Storm of the Sea Devils (2024) | Dominant Species (2024) |
Fifth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gus Goodman | , N/a | Doctor Who Magazine strips | Lunar Lagoon (1983) | The Moderator (1984) |
| Erimem | Caroline Morris | Big Finish Productions audios | The Eye of the Scorpion (2001) | The Bride of Peladon (2008) |
| Thomas Brewster | John Pickard | The Haunting of Thomas Brewster (2008) | A Perfect World (2008) | |
| Amy | Ciara Janson | The Judgement of Isskar (2009) | The Chaos Pool (2009) | |
| Hannah Bartholomew | Francesca Hunt | Moonflesh (2014) | Masquerade (2014) | |
| Brooke | Joanna Horton | The Lady in the Lake (2018) | The Furies (2018) | |
| Marc | George Watkins | Tartarus (2019) | Nightmare of the Daleks (2021) |
Sixth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frobisher | (later played by Robert Jezek) | Doctor Who Magazine strips | The Shape Shifter (1984) | The World Shapers (1987) |
| Grant Markham | , N/a | Virgin Missing Adventures | Time of Your Life (1995) | Killing Ground (1996) |
| Evelyn Smythe | Maggie Stables | Big Finish Productions audios | The Marian Conspiracy (2000) | Thicker than Water (2005) |
| Charley Pollard | India Fisher | The Condemned (2007) | Blue Forgotten Planet (2009) | |
| Mila | India Fisher, Jess Robinson | Patient Zero (2009) | Blue Forgotten Planet (2009) | |
| Thomas Brewster | John Pickard | The Crimes of Thomas Brewster (2011) | Industrial Evolution (2011) | |
| Flip Jackson | Lisa Greenwood | The Curse of Davros (2012) | TBC | |
| Constance Clarke | Miranda Raison | Criss-Cross (2015) | TBC | |
| Hebe Harrison | Ruth Madeley | The Rotting Deep (2022) | The Wrong Side of History (2023) |
Seventh Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frobisher | (later played by Robert Jezek) | Doctor Who Magazine strips | A Cold Day in Hell! (1987-88) | |
| Olla | , N/a | A Cold Day in Hell! (1987-88) | Redemption! (1988) | |
| Bernice Summerfield | (later played by Lisa Bowerman) | Virgin New Adventures | Love and War (1992) | Happy Endings (1996) |
| Roz Forrester | (later played by Yasmin Bannerman) | Original Sin (1995) | So Vile a Sin (1997) | |
| Chris Cwej | (later played by Travis Oliver) | Lungbarrow (1997) | ||
| Hex Schofield | Philip Olivier | Big Finish Productions audios | The Harvest (2004) | Signs and Wonders (2014) |
| Elizabeth Klein | Tracey Childs | A Thousand Tiny Wings (2010) | Daleks Among Us (2013) | |
| Lysandra Aristedes | Maggie O'Neill | Project: Destiny (2010) | Gods and Monsters (2012) | |
| Raine Creevy | Beth Chalmers | Crime of the Century (2011) | UNIT: Dominion (2012) | |
| Sally Morgan | Amy Pemberton | House of Blue Fire (2011) | Afterlife (2013) | |
| Will Arrowsmith | Christian Edwards | Persuasion (2013) | Daleks Among Us (2013) | |
| Mags | Jessica Martin | The Monsters of Gokroth (2019) | An Alien Werewolf in London (2019) | |
| Naomi Cross | Eleanor Crooks | London Orbital (2022) | Catastrophix (2025) | |
| Ray | Sara Griffiths | Catastrophix (2025) | TBC | |
Eighth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stacy Townsend | , N/a | Radio Times strips | Dreadnought (1996) | Coda (1997) |
| Ssard | , N/a | |||
| Izzy Sinclair | (later played by Jemima Rooper) | Doctor Who Magazine strips | Endgame (1996) | Oblivion (2002-03) |
| Fey Truscott-Sade | , N/a | Tooth and Claw (1997) | Wormwood (1998) | |
| Destrii | , N/a | Ophidius (2001) | The Flood (2004-05) | |
| Bernice Summerfield | (later played by Lisa Bowerman) | Virgin New Adventures | The Dying Days (1997) | |
| Sam Jones | , N/a | Eighth Doctor Adventures | The Eight Doctors (1997) | Interference, Book Two (1999) |
| Fitz Kreiner | (later played by Matt Di Angelo) | The Taint (1999) | The Gallifrey Chronicles (2005) | |
| Compassion | (later played by Jackie Skarvellis) | Interference, Book One (1999) | The Ancestor Cell (2000) | |
| Anji Kapoor | , N/a | Escape Velocity (2001) | Timeless (2003) | |
| Trix MacMillan | , N/a | Time Zero (2002) | The Gallifrey Chronicles (2005) | |
| Charley Pollard | India Fisher | Big Finish Productions audios | Storm Warning (2001) | The Girl Who Never Was (2007) |
| C'rizz | Conrad Westmaas | The Creed of the Kromon (2004) | Absolution (2007) | |
| Lucie Miller | Sheridan Smith | Blood of the Daleks (2007) | To the Death (2011) | |
| Mary Shelley | Julie Cox | The Company of Friends (2009) | Army of Death (2011) | |
| Tamsin Drew | Niky Wardley | Situation Vacant (2010) | To the Death (2011) | |
| Molly O'Sullivan | Ruth Bradley, Sorcha Cusack | The Great War (2012) | Rule of the Eminence (2014) | |
| Liv Chenka | Nicola Walker | The Traitor (2014) | Best Year Ever (2022) | |
| Helen Sinclair | Hattie Morahan | The Red Lady (2015) | TBC | |
| Josie Day | , N/a | Titan Comics | The Pictures of Josephine Day (2015) | A Matter of Life and Death (2016) |
| Bliss | Rakhee Thakrar | Big Finish Productions audios | The Starship of Theseus (2017) | Restoration of the Daleks (2020) |
| Tania Bell | Rebecca Root | Lost Property (2020) | Best Year Ever (2022) | |
| Andy Davidson | Tom Price | Must-See TV (2020) | Best Year Ever (2022) | |
| Alex Campbell | Sonny McGann | Meanwhile, Elsewhere (2023) | TBC | |
| Cass Fermazzi | Emma Campbell-Jones | Meanwhile, Elsewhere (2023) | TBC | |
| Audacity Montague | Jaye Griffiths | The Devouring (2023) | TBC | |
| Alfie Steep | Sam Stafford | Chase (2026) | TBC | |
| Chase Moyo | Natalie Gumede | |||
War Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinder | , N/a | New Series Adventures | Engines of War (2014) | |
| Cardinal Ollistra | Jacqueline Pearce | Big Finish Productions audios | The Innocent (2015) | The Enigma Dimension (2017) |
| Case | Ajjaz Awad | Consequences (2021) | Exit Strategy (2023) | |
| Cora | Sheila Ruskin | Morbius the Mighty (2024) | ||
| Louisa Tickson | Daisy Ashford | Fallen Heroes (2025) | ||
| Nesta | Mitra Djalili | Cybergene (2025) | ||
Ninth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tara Mishra | , N/a | Titan Comics | Official Secrets (2016) | The Bidding War (2017) |
| Nova | Camilla Beeput | Big Finish Productions audios | Sphere of Freedom (2021) | Food Fight (2021) |
| Liv Chenka | Nicola Walker | Flatpack (2022) | ||
| Tania Bell | Rebecca Root | Flatpack (2022) | ||
| Callen Lennox | Adam Martyn | Red Darkness (2023) | The Green Gift (2023) | |
| Doyle | Harki Bhambra | Red Darkness (2023) | The Green Gift (2023) | |
| Bernice Summerfield | Lisa Bowerman | Ancient History (2024) | ||
Tenth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Majenta Pryce | , N/a | Doctor Who Magazine strips | Thinktwice (2008) | The Crimson Hand (2009-10) |
| Heather McCrimmon | , N/a | Doctor Who Adventures strips | The Chromosome Connection (2009) | Dead-line (2010) |
| Wolfgang Ryter | , N/a | Flight of the Giurgeax (2009) | Bad Wolfie (2009) | |
| Matthew Finnegan | , N/a | IDW Publishing comics | Silver Scream (2009) | Final Sacrifice (2010) |
| Emily Winter | , N/a | |||
| Gabby Gonzalez | , N/a | Titan Comics | Revolutions of Terror (2014) | The Good Companion (2018) |
| Cindy Wu | , N/a | Arena of Fear (2014) | ||
| Anubis | , N/a | Breakfast at Tyranny's (2017) | ||
| Anya Kingdom | Jane Slavin | Big Finish Productions audios | Buying Time (2021) | The Triumph of Davros (2021) |
| Mark Seven | Joe Sims | |||
| Rani Chandra | Anjli Mohindra | The Hidden (2026) | TBC |
Eleventh Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin | , N/a | IDW Publishing comics | When Worlds Collide (2011) | Space Squid (2011) |
| Decky Flamboon | , N/a | Doctor Who Adventures strips | Meteorite Meeting (2012) | The Tail of Decky Flamboon (2013) |
| Alice Obiefune | , N/a | Titan Comics | After Life (2014) | Without a Paddle (2018) |
| John Jones | , N/a | What He Wants... (2014) | The Scream (2017) | |
| ARC | , N/a | Whodunnit (2014) | The Comfort of the Good (2015) | |
| Abslom Daak | , N/a | The Then and the Now (2015) | Physician, Heal Thyself (2016) | |
| The Squire | , N/a | The Then and the Now (2015) | Gently Pulls the Strings (2016) | |
| The Sapling | , N/a | The Scream (2018) | Hungry Thirsty Roots (2018) | |
| Valarie Lockwood | Safiyya Ingar | Big Finish Productions audios | The Inheritance (2022) | Victory of the Doctor (2024) |
| Roanna | Mia Tomlinson | Daleks Victorious (2024) | Victory of the Doctor (2024) | |
| Eleanor Fong | Jasmine Bayes | The Final Cut (2026) | TBC |
Twelfth Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hattie Munroe | , N/a | Titan Comics | "The Twist" (2016) | "Beneath the Waves" (2017) |
| Jess Collins | , N/a | Doctor Who Magazine strips | "The Pestilent Heart" (2016) | "Doorway to Hell" (2017) |
| Maxwell Collins | , N/a | "Moving In" (2016) | ||
| Jata | , N/a | Doctor Who Adventures strips | "From the Horse's Mouth" (2016) | "Killer App" (2017) |
| Alex Yow | , N/a | New Series Adventures audiobooks | "The Lost Angel" | "The Lost Flame" |
| Brandon Yow | , N/a | |||
| Keira Sanstrom | Bhavnisha Parmar | Big Finish Productions audios | "Flight to Calandra" (2021) | "You Only Die Twice" (2024) |
| Ash Wilton | Gwithian Evans | "The Second Death" (2026) | TBC |
Fugitive Doctor
| Companion | Actor | Series | First story | Last story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taslo | , N/a | Titan Comics | Origins (2022) | |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Companion (Doctor Who)”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- DoctorWho Companions.png by BBC, Fair use
- Ace, Leela & Jo (11027151455).jpg by Matthew Wells from Chasetown, England, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred 1988 (filter balance).jpg by Jack1956, CC0
- Daphne Ashbrook.jpg by Gillian, CC BY 2.0
- The Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond.jpg by alun.vega, CC BY-SA 3.0
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