We continue the countdown of the Top 25 Doctor Who Companions of all time!
15. K9
History:
A robotic dog that made it's first appearance in 1977 in The Invisible Enemy story. During the run of the character there have been four incarnations of the unit. The first two units journeyed with the fourth Doctor. The unit was programmed to be both loyal and logical and were able to take orders directly and almost to a fault. K9's collar looked similar to the fourth Doctor's long scarf. K9 was equipped with a laser that was concealed in it's nose. It also has a vast computer brain that holds volumes of information. During The Armageddon Factor, an enemy of the Doctor named the Shadow turned K9 to his will giving K9 an evil personality. In Warriors' Gate the unit is severely damaged to the point that it can only operate while being in E-Space. Trapped in a parallel universe (E-Space), the Doctor gives K9 to Romana (another companion) who decides to stay in the alternate reality and go on her own path. K9 makes a brief appearance in the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors. It later appears in 2006's episode School Reunion where Rose Tyler described K9 as "So disco!". After sacrificing itself to stop the Krillitane leader Lucas Finch, the tenth Doctor gives Sarah Jane a new model although retaining all of it's previous knowledge and memory.
Memorable Quotes:
"Affirmative."
"Optimism: belief that everything will work out well. Irrational, bordering on insane."
"Negative, master."
14. Clara Oswald
History:
Originally appearing in the seventh series premier Asylum of the Daleks, she did not take on the role of the Doctors companion until the following Christmas Special; The Snowmen. She is first introduced as Oswin Oswald, a character who later dies. Soon after she is seen again, this time as a barmaid and a governess from Victorian England named Clara Oswin Oswald who the Doctor invites to join him on the TARDIS. Clara soon after falls to her death leaving behind the mystery of the girl that keeps dying in different time lines. The Doctor is perplexed by this girl and finally meets her again in The Bells of Saint John in the current time line. During the episode Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS it is revealed that the TARDIS does not like her. Clara proves herself to be quite the computer hack, even able to gain access to the Daleks computers and erasing all memory and mentioning of the Doctor in their memory banks. The mystery that surrounds Clara is solved in the seventh series finally The Name of the Doctor. The Doctor discovers that incarnations of Clara have been scattered along the Doctors time line for the sole purpose of saving the Doctors life. She has interacted with all eleven incarnations of the Doctor, saving his life where she goes mostly unnoticed each time. She gets lost in time but is eventually saved by the eleventh Doctor and brought back into the current time stream. For Clara it has always been about her vulnerability which makes her many deaths heart wrenching. Although snarky and argumentative with the Doctor at times it is their chemistry together that makes her character instantly likable. Clara loves to bake souffles. I look forward to seeing her higher on this list in a few years.
Memorable Quotes:
"Run … run, you clever boy … and remember."
"But this is what I’ve already done. You’ve already seen me do it. I’m the Impossible Girl, and this is why."
"I don’t know where I am. I just know I’m running. Sometimes it’s like I’ve lived a thousand lives in a thousand places. I’m born, I live, I die. And always, there’s the Doctor. Always, I’m running to save the Doctor, again, and again, and again. And he hardly ever hears me. But I’ve always been there."
13. Wilfred Mott
History:
More than being the tenth Doctors final companion in The End of Time, as well as the oldest companion ever, Wilfred Mott has the distinction of being Donna Noble's grandfather. An amateur astronomer, Wilfred spends many evenings star gazing as he is a believer of extraterrestrial life. A strong patriot, Wilfred was always a staunch supporter of the Queen. A great way of describing the character was given by Laura Pledger of Radio Times where she wrote: "When he wasn't making you smile, Wilfred Mott broke your heart.". During The End of Time while trying to defeat the Master, Wilf traps himself inside a radiation booth. The Doctor, having defeated both the Master and the Time Lords, hears the fulfillment of the prophecy "He will knock four times.", as Wilfred knocks four times on the window of the booth to get the Doctors attention. Claiming he has already "had his time" Wilfred tells the Doctor he is willing to die. The Doctor enters the opposite booth sacrificing himself by taking the radiation blast instead of Wilfred. The fatal dose of radiation begins the Doctors long regeneration process. After returning Wilfred to Earth the Doctor tells him he will see him one more time. That one more time is Donna's wedding. As the Doctor takes off for the final time Mott sadly salutes the Doctor.
Memorable Quotes:
"It's gone dark... it's them aliens again, I'll bet my pension. What do you want this time, you green swine? You get back inside, Sylvia, they always want the women!"
"But, every night, Doctor... when it gets dark, and the stars come out, I'll look up on her behalf. I'll look up at the sky and think of you."
"God Bless the Cactuses."
"And you go with him, that wonderful Doctor. You go and see the stars...then, bring a bit of them back for your old Gramps."
12. Mickey Smith
History:
Mickey is first introduced as the boyfriend of the ninth Doctor's companion Rose Tyler in the first episode if the first series titled Rose. Throughout the first series he has trouble facing his fears and confronting danger. In the second season he joins Rose and the tenth Doctor as a companion. In the two-parter Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel the Doctor and his companions end up in a parallel universe. In this reality, Mickey is mistaken for "Ricky Smith" this worlds version of him. Here he is the leader of a resistance group called the Preachers. After "Ricky" is killed, Mickey decides to stay in this world to look after his parallel world Grandmother who is actually dead in his world. He returns later in the series to help the Doctor defeat both the Daleks and the Cybermen. At the end of the Doomsday episode he returns to the alternate universe where Rose joins him as she is now trapped there with him. Mickey would return again in Journey's End where he helps the Doctor take on Davros, the creator of the Daleks. Along with fellow companions Captain Jack, Martha, and Donna he helps pilot the Tardis back to Earth. After landing he decides against going back to the alternate universe as he has broken up with girlfriend Rose and his alternate universe Grandmother has now also died. He leaves with Captain Jack and Martha. In the tenth Doctor's final episode The End of Time Mickey is seen with Martha, who he is now married to, hunting a Sontaran sniper who the Doctor saves them from. Mickey goes from "zero to hero" during the first series with the ninth Doctor and by the time the tenth Doctor offers him a spot in the TARDIS crew, Mickey was more than ready. Mickey is very skilled with computers.
Memorable Quotes:
"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?"
"Me? I'm their man in Havana. I'm their technical support. I'm... Oh my god. I'm the tin dog!"
"You can talk, Captain Cheesecake!"
11. Ace
History:
Originally from London in the 20th century, Ace joins the seventh Doctor as the final companion of the original series run. She featured in nine stories. She first appears as a 16 year old in Dragonfire. The Doctor and his companion Mel find Ace on the planet Svartos where she was stranded after a chemistry experiment went awry. After Mel decides to part ways with the Doctor Ace is more than happy to join him. Ace covers up her own fears and insecurities with a streetwise tough exterior. She carries a powerful weapon with her in her backpack at all times that she calls Nitro-9 of which the Doctor does not approve of. She calls the Doctor "Professor" as he seems to be most interested in her continued education; allowing her to figure out some of the answers to her questions for herself instead of answering them for her. Ace's final appearance (aside from the Dimensions in Space charity event) was in the final story on the original Doctor Who run Survival. It is not fully known what exactly happened to Ace after her last appearance and before the Doctor Who TV movie in 1996.
Memorable Quotes:
"Professor... I'm not a little girl."
"Do you know any nice people? You know, normal people. Not power-crazed nutters trying to take over the universe."
"Of course not. I'm a good girl: I do what I'm told."
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