The Doctor and their companion are a pair forged in friendship and camaraderie. Accompanying and supporting each other as they travel across the universe.
Time Lords have experienced everything. From emotions, to traumas and even witnessing the edges of galaxies.
Their companions, while being ordinary people, are otherworldly in their own human ways, and they remind the Doctor to retain their humanity as they adventure. As well as strengthen their own unique traits in realistic ways.
Spoilers: For the first and second reboot series
The Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler
Image credit: BBC
Most Doctor-companion relationships are platonic, but the connection between David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler was special.
Rose meets the Doctor when she was trapped in a basement by Autons(mannequin-resembling robots), and from there, their feelings grew.
She had previously known the Ninth Doctor and had a regular friendship with him, but the chemistry she shared with the Tenth Doctor made the pair incredibly memorable.
Series 1 and 2 introduced some of Doctor Who’s most iconic characters and enemies, like the evil Daleks, the iconic Donna Noble and the underrated Martha Jones. With all three making important appearances at different points in the show.
Rose is confident, brave and perceptive, which all compliment the Tenth Doctor’s similar attributes.
The pair’s separation by parallel universes was a heart-breaking moment. They were not in an official romantic relationship, but they still felt deep feelings for each other.
However, they were able to briefly reunite in series 4, only for them to realise their different lives would ultimately keep them apart. To resolve this, a copy of the Doctor was made from his severed hand(with the help of his regeneration ability) this brought a happy ending to the fans of the Tenth Doctor and Rose.
The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble
Image credit: BBC
Donna is one of the show’s most well-known companions.
A secretary played by comedian Catherine Tate, Donna follows the Tenth Doctor to the Qing Dynasty and into fights against the Daleks.
Their relationship was also platonic, which is refreshing because it shows a non-romantic relationship between a woman and a man. Sometimes the companion and the Doctor falling in love makes sense, but not all friendships need to lead to love.
Donna was once abrasive and even shallow, but during her travels with the Doctor, she became a more humble and compassionate person. She was a flawed person whose fiery attitude came from insecurity, which she learned to overcome as her confidence in herself grew.
The Doctor also learned from his adventures with her as well. Throughout their journeys, Donna kept her friend in check when he forget to show empathy or think things through.
Seeing both characters learn life lessons and improve themselves alongside each other is what makes this companion relationship so satisfying to watch.
The first time seeing each other after twenty years, sums up their relationship in one scene.
“Donna?”
“Doctor!”
They mouth behind separate panes of glass. After a funny exchange, they team up once again to take down the company Adipose.
Rose described her as the most important woman in all creation, and to many fans of the show, this couldn’t be more true.
The Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday
Image Credit: BBC
After saving a baby from goblin sky pirates, Ruby Sunday became the Fifteenth Doctor’s companion.
This pair resembles two best friends who have known each other since childhood, despite their short time spent together so far.
Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor is excitable, outgoing and travels to see spectacular sights like the rings surrounding a planet and the dinosaurs. He wants to bring Ruby along because they have a natural chemistry with each other. Their personalities pair well and they make a perfect duo when facing enemies and the unknown.
Ruby yearns to find her birth parents, and while the Doctor said it is not possible, she still holds out hope that could change.
The season’s episodes have their own plot and setting, but they all have a theme of self-discovery deep down; connecting each experience with Ruby’s need to know where she came from, and she connects with the Doctor this way as he too has lost his family.
Featured image credit: BBC. Sticker added by Brig.
Third year journalism student. 2025/2026 Lifestyle and Comment Editor at Brig. Published in The Yucatán Times, Mi Campeche and The Mourning Paper. Host of From the 40s with Air3Radio.
