Top 10 ‘Doctor Who’ Companions to Bring Back

With the 50th Anniversary starting to creep up on us we’re going to see the return of one of the most popular and famous of the Doctor’s Companions – Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). This isn’t the first time a previous companion has returned – both Sarah Jane and K9 rejoined the Doctor in Tooth and Claw and a whole mess of characters turned up for The Five Doctors. Over the years the Doctor has been joined by dozens of companions, some of which are due another adventure or two.

10. Mel Bush

Mel squeezes onto the list because she was dealt a short straw on her original run. She was introduced during the tail end of the Sixth Doctor’s era and the ‘Trail of the Time Lord’ story. Chronologically Mel were introduced to viewers part way through her story with the intention of explaining how she wound up on the TARDIS later. When the unexpected removal of Colin Baker in the lead role that idea got put on the backburner and then never resolved. Before long she was gone with no rhyme or reason. It would be worth bringing Mel back in just to give her a backstory,

9. Victoria

Victoria was unlike other Doctor Who companions in that she wasn’t sassy, adventure seeking or quirky. What she was was scared. She was raised as a lady and had no business being with the Doctor, but the death of her father left her in his care. She was very different from the usual passengers of the TARDIS, which is just what makes her interesting. Plus, technically, she’s still the ward of the Doctor.

8. Susan Foreman

Susan was the first companion to travel with the Doctor, being his Grand-daughter who left Gallifrey with him. After many adventures, along with humans Ian and Barbara, Susan found love during the 2164AD invasion of Earth by the Daleks. When it came time for the Doctor to leave he locked her out of the TARDIS so she would follow her heart, promising to return for her one day. Did he forget?

7. Turlough

When the Doctor first met Turlough the exiled alien was posing as a pubic school boy on Earth. Under the direction of the Black Guardian he joined the Doctor with the intention of assassinating him, but the Doctor eventually helped him see the light. After a number of adventures Turlough returned to his homeworld as a ruler. Still, there was that potential for evil, which is unlikely to have been tempered by becoming the ruler of a planet of people. Bringing him back as a villain has plenty of potential.

6. Ace

Dorothy ‘Ace’ was one of the best developed characters in the long run of Doctor Who. The sixteen year old punk found herself transported to an alien world where she promptly went about fitting in. When meeting the Doctor she was given the chance to learn more about herself and the events that made her who she is. Future, unfilmed plans for the character saw her become the first outsider to join the Time Lord Academy. We could pick the character arc back up with her returning as a human Time Lord.

5. Tegan

Although Tegan stayed with the Doctor for a long time, almost the entire tenure of the Fifth Doctor, she doesn’t get talked about in the same manner as Sarah Jane, Jamie or Ace. Nonetheless Tegan was a significant part of the Doctor’s history, going through a number of developments in character and tackling some major villains, including the Mara. Tegan is a bold personality who readily speaks her mind, and sometimes the Doctor needs someone to keep him in line.

4. Jo Grant

Although she wouldn’t work well with the current Doctor (two goofballs wouldn’t have the greatest dynamic) she’s got the right blend of naivety and curiosity that the Doctor often does work well with. Jo was left with the Doctor when he was an active member of UNIT and the Brig needed to keep them both out of the way. She was a bright and energetic personality who light up many episodes.

3. K9

The Doctor’s iconic robot canine is more than a companion, he’s an icon. There is never a reason not to bring K9 back into the fray.

2. Zoe

Zoe is one of the few companions who could match wits with the Doctor in the field of advanced science. Although young and sometimes inexperienced Zoe came from a point in the future where training in psychics and mathematics is commonplace, equipping her with more knowledge of space and time travel that the average traveller. The Doctor and Zoe always had a strong bond based out of respect.

1. Romana

There’s only a few other Time Lords in the show aside from the Doctor. We have the Master, the Monk, the Rani and a few others, but the only one to feature over an extended period of time is Romana. Joining the Fourth Doctor on his quest for the Key to Time Romana underwent a regeneration while travelling with him. During their journey they came to care deeply for each other (although this could have been a result of Tom Baker and Lalla Ward hooking up) but she left him to protect a slave race. Their relationship never felt completely resolved, leaving the door open for a return, perhaps with a newly regenerated look.