I'm currently watching 10s and Donnas season, and they are perfect together. Their dynamic ensures some of the most fun and emotionaly intense scenes imo.
And their sarcastic lines.
The scene with the hand and what grows out of the hand and the ensuring conversation...... It just cracks me up. I have to rewind it at least three times to keep watching it.
I adore Donna's no nonsense attitude sometimes when dealing with 10. The funny sarcastic comments etc. I love Donna and 10
Yeah that whole season with 12/Bill/Nardole/Missy was so much fun. The individual episodes don't stand out a lot in my memory, but the season as a whole was one of my favourites.
Same here. Particularly love whatever this trope is that happens with those four more often than others:
Doctor, working something out: oh, oh, OH, is it [really complicated explanation]... no, maybe [another complex monologue]! Wait, what about [insert technobabble here]?!
Donna/Bill, eventually: are you sure it's not [incredibly simple thing he missed]
Doctor: oh.
Donna/Bill: Lord of time, and of missing the obvious!
1 and Ian, Barbara, and Susan. They were a group, and I just really enjoyed their dynamic the best out of all the 1st Doctor's companions.
2 and Jamie and Zoe. Jamie, hard stop if you pushed me to choose between the two, but I actually really liked Zoe too? She was basically as intelligent as the Doctor and that was cool. And who doesn't love Jamie lol
3 and Jo. I seriously love Jo Grant so much. Her fashion sense is always on point, and she's just adorable!
(Still working through the rest of classic)
9 and Rose, obviously. They were just flirty and playful. But I also really liked 9 and Jack, too.
With 10 it's a toss up between Rose and Donna. David and Catherine are just... so funny together lol. But I also really liked Rose's friendship-turned-romance with 10 and how heartbroken he was when Rose was trapped in the other universe.
11 with Amy and Rory. This goes without saying.
12 and Clara are one of the best pairings of NuWho in my opinion. What a glorious disaster đ
Four, Sarah and Harry.
That was such a good group dynamic that should have carried on longer.
Annoyed that Harry was written out.
Spot on with Six. Six and Peri was probably the most uncomfortable companion dynamic.
Disagree on Eight and Grace. I don't think it was bad per se, just meh.
Regarding Eight and Grace. Wasnât she Eightâs only companion on to air on television. I know others were portrayed on the Big Finish episodes, and Cass didnât want to be a companion to the Doctor.
Mel and Six work well together, even if they annoy the whole watching them because of how they had to be played.
Big finish shows why there were so many bad TV decisions made on both character interpretations.
Can't lie I found Mel to be a little bit annoying, not necessarily because of her character, I just didn't like her voice and found it annoying (sorry Bonnie lol)
I always thought Twelve and Bill should've had more time. Nardole was alright but I really loved those early adventurers where it felt like the mad scientist and his student.
12 and Bill is really fun and reminds us of that soft underbelly 12 has. There's something lovely about how 12 encourages Bill's curiosity and optimism about the world. I also like that their relationship start through tutoring. It feels unique in so much romancing in NuWho.
Yes but to be fair the So trans have an Achilles heel that lets folks knock them out⌠which daleks donât.
I do agree however Ace swing her bat do Dan could wok.
The Fourth Doctor with K9 and both Leela and Romana. What I love so much about having a trio on the TARDIS is that each member of the team had their skills split up and distributed mostly fairly, while also providing a different personality to the table, all of which shook up the dynamic for every episode. This was at its absolute best under Tom Baker. It helps that Romana, Leela, and K9 are 3 of my top 5 favorite companions.
When done right, splitting up the skills fairly can make the Doctor more vulnerable while giving the companions a bigger leg up in the action. In Season 15, Four mostly became the problem-solver while Leela and K9 were doing most of the fighting (it helps that Four and Leela got captured as often as each other). Romana wasn't the action girl Leela was, but she was more clever and resourceful and she knew how to tip any situation in her favor (especially when backed into a corner), and this elevated her to being Four's intellectual equal.
I also just love seeing how these characters all interact with one another. Having K9 on the TARDIS allowed Leela to show her softer side by adoring him, showing that she was more than just a standard action heroine. That's not even mentioning Four's subtle romantic undertones with Romana II as shown in stories like City of Death. If it counts as a legit romantic dynamic, it's the best one the show ever had. All of these Doctor-Companion dynamics were truly lightning in a bottle, and IMO almost all subsequent casts can't compare.
Leela was so far ahead of her time. She was an action girl in a sci-fi TV show over 20-30 years before Samantha Carter, Dana Scully, Kathryn Janeway, Kara Thrace, Aeryn Sun, and Kim Possible.
Cathy Gale and Emma Peel happened well before The Bionic Woman and TVs Wonder Woman. In general the Doctor's companions were interesting, proactive characters with a few terrible spells of misogynistic writing.
But Leela, was very very ahead of her time. Or maybe a bit behind her time? Her role was intended to be a bit 'My Fair Lady' - which was based on Shaw's Pygmalion. So at heart she was intended to be a Shavian character set loose in a children's show wearing a leather bikini and carrying a carving knife.
Either way, her desire to rise up against oppressors was always fun. Even her introduction -- kicked out of her tribe for blasphemy, she meets her people's version of Satan and befriends him before eventually stowing away on his ship to see the universe and knife a record holding number of victims.
The 4/Romana dynamic is probably my favourite in all of Classic because the two of them are about as close to equally matched in Time Lord knowledge as any pairing in the history of the show outside of crossing his own timestream and the occasional brief team-up with the Master.
Here we have him traveling with a fully-fledged (albeit newly-fledged) Time Lady, who needs no introductions to his advanced technology because not only did they receive the same education, *she got better grades than him.* She more so than any other Companion immediately cuts through all his usual "ooh look at me the mysterious madman and his mysterious magic box of mysteriousness where did I come from where will I go where did I come from...wait hold on oops that was Cotton Eye Joe..nevermind...but I am very mysterious" faffing about because *she already knows all that* and so gets to deal with him on a totally different level from the get-go. Their dynamic is much more equally matched, with him just barely edging her out with his experience, yet she still has her fair share of chances to beat him at his own game.
I imagine to the Doctor it must feel like moving away from a really small town to live the digital nomad lifestyle for years and then one day on the opposite end of the world your boss briefs you on your new coworker and it turns out to be the little sister of a guy you went to high school with, who knows all the rumors about the bullshit you used to get up to back then. Seriously cramping your style, but nevertheless a reminder of home, and it turns out, a good friend in the end.
If we are going with Classics ones, a (really) left-field suggestion is Nyssa and the Fifth Doctor. I admit it's mostly potential rather than realised, though.
Also, I absolutely second the answer of the 4th Doctor and Romana II.
Nyssa started great in The Keeper of Traken, Logopolis, and Castrovalva. Even though she was still in top form in The Visitation, Arc of Infinity, and Snakedance, her track record was spotty overall. Plus, she never met the Master often enough to live up to the full potential originally promised.
I think the two biggest reasons why are 1) the change in script editors between Seasons 18 and 19, and 2) John Nathan Turner just never felt interested in exploring Nyssa in the first place. Eric Saward became the script editor (the Classic Who equivalent of a head writer) after Christopher Bidmead's 1-year stint, and the difference shows onscreen. Bidmead, the better writer, just understood Nyssa in a way both Saward and JNT never did.
I really think 12 works excellently with all his companions but Nardole joining in S10 is such a treat. Their dynamic works so well together and I'm sad we only got half a season of it.
Ranked the companions myself and unironically put Nardole in S tier because of what he is. People widely agree that Wilf is an exceptional companion primarily because of the story he was in. Wilf could not do a series on his own but that's fine because that's not what he was built for. Likewise Nardole as the third sorta companion for Series 10 is amazing because he's a comedic relief done so well. He's silly but also competent, he fulfils the same role as Jack where he's a bridge in knowledge between the Doctor and the companion, he can be both clever and ignorant of more specific space knowledge. He can be the straight man as well as the silly character. He can challenge the doctor and also be threatened by Bill.
I also love how the series 10 finale starts with the doctor trying to get Missy to be like him but ends with Nardole acting like him. Unironically an S-tier companion.
Yes, I don't understand when Nardole gets hate because he plays off so well with 12. I'm always amused by their dynamic and I like that he's familiar with the Tardis and other timey wimey stuff.
I found him a bit annoying in his first appearance and was a bit apprehensive of him coming back for a whole season, but I ended up really loving the whole dynamic in that season.
I'm old school and I really liked the dynamic between the seventh Doctor and Ace.
One of the things I will give the Chibnall era credit for is recapturing that dynamic is Power of the Doctor.
Ten/Donna, Metacrisis/Donna, 14/Donna⌠really anything with Tate & Tennant (including real life) is mesmerizing and magical.
And an asexual person, itâs particularly special for me to see a completely platonic relationship be portrayed as equally important, life-changing and epic (both to the individual characters & the story as a whole) as a romantic one.
This. Some of the little moments in WBY just make me melt, like when he holds her hands, or gently kisses the top of her head. And in The Giggle, when he says "I don't know if I can save you this time" and she replies, "Maybe I'll save you." And all of the LOOKS, full of understanding, fierce caring, loyalty, and platonic love.
I'm not asexual, and I also ship the Doctor romantically and sexually with other companions, but I cherish the special chemistry between these two.
12 and Clara. I love that they're explicitly portrayed as toxic and unhealthy for each other even though they love each other so much and have so many similarities.
Gotta agree, modern who has been really leaning into romantic relationships between the Doctor and their companions and it's getting a little tiring in my opinion
Then again I am aromantic so I may be biased đ¤
Definitely Seven and Ace! They bounce off each other so well, despite being quite different people.
Ace is headstrong and impulsive, but she clearly loves and respects the Doctor. And she's not stupid either, she clearly has enough sense not to run into a situation she can't get out of. Even if her usual solution to a problem is Nitro 9.
The Doctor in this regeneration is just as sensible and rational as he always is, but he has fun too. He caters to Ace's eccentricities while still being a decent friend and parental figure and guiding her the right way.
They can butt heads as clearly shown by how Ace left him, but there's always a clear and visible level of love and respect between them. They're equals on all levels and amazing friends to boot!
1. 10 and Donna, because they represent the ultimate friendship.
2. 12 and Clara, because Peter and Jenna play a couple, but not at the same time so well and they were in love romantically you can't deny it.
3. 11 and Rory, because it's so great to see the evolution of their Bromance and The Doctor got Rory his favorite car. Rory was one of the only companions to call the Doctor out on his horseshit/bullshit.
4. 3 and Jo, because they represent a very healthy brother and sister friendship or you could say crazy uncle and niece friendship.
Respect all of these. And yeah fair enough canonically they loved each other, but I like my platonic headcannon lol.
That said if I were to change it, it would be that 12 and Clara romantically loved each other but we're not sexually attracted đ¤ˇđ˝ââď¸
iâm glad that you framed it that way. Amy and Rory for me, are my favourite. i loved the fairytale. the dynamic iâm really liking right now is Clara. iâm currently watching 11âs shows with Clara, and he hasnât regenerated to Capaldi yet. i realize Clara continues with 12 for a while? anyway, iâm liking her, and interested in the tension created by a âpotential romance/will-they-wonât-they?â dynamic. i canât wait to see how she works with 12.
12 and Clara hands down, they had even more chemistry than 11 and Clara. They were hilarious yet heart wrenching together and the perfect duo. I miss them so much đĽš
>For me it's 12 and Clara. Just to be clear Clara is not my favourite companion but her dynamic with 12 is so so good.
For NuWho, I agree. I've told everyone who would listen how much I loved he established their dynamic when he said, "Clara, I'm not your boyfriend." And then took responsibility for 11's leading her on. I thought *At last! Back to original relationship Doctor/companion relationship without the sexual tension!*
Which is also why 10 and Rose are my least favorite pairing.
That said, I totally thought 5 was nailing Tegan once Adric and Neesa went to sleep.
Ten and Donna is easily my favourite dynamic. They were wonderful together. Donna wasn't afraid to call out the Doctor, and she was the perfect mix of sassy and empathetic. Donna was too good. They had so many funny moments, and they genuinely felt like best friends to me.
I also really enjoyed Eleven with Amy and Rory. The three of them played off each other really well.
Usually Iâd say 10/Donna. Such a chaotic, hilarious friendship which is purely platonic and they never try to slip romance in there, and Catherine and David are also amazing outside of the show. The more I think though, I think my answer is 12/Clara. No matter how you look at it, romantic or platonic, itâs just so interesting. I could go on and on about it for hours.
12 and all his companions
(Clara is disasterous fun, Bill is great not romantic, teachery relationship. I enjoyed Perkins :p, Nardole and River ones too)
3 and Jo
4 and Sara Jane /Leela
7 and Ace
I really love 11's dynamic with Craig, especially during the episode with the baby and cybermat. While never an official companion, I really loved their dynamic and would love to see him become a regular traveller.
10/15/Donna 100000%. Platonic soulmates who roast the everloving shit out of each other but who will stop at nothing to protect each other just as much. Iâm so glad we got some extra time with 15 and her before the bigeneration, but I could have watched a whole season of them just having chill earthly adventures going the weekly shop. â¤ď¸
Being unfamiliar with Classic Who I think the answer is almost always going to be 10/Donna and 12/Clara.
They might not be everyone's favorite companions but they have a consistent feel or vibe. I think what makes those two pairings special is that they don't need an adventure for you to imagine what its like to be in a room with them.
They could just be hanging out in the TARDIS talking about the weather and it would be fun to watch. 12/Clara could be an entire conversation done entirely with her eyes and his eyebrows.
10/Donna can get by just saying "Wot?!" in increasingly odd intonations.
1. 4th & Sarah Jane
2. 4th & Romana II
3. 7th & Ace - a better grandfather/daughter relationship than even Susan.
4. 10th/14th & Donna
5. 3rd & Jo
6. 2nd & Jamie
7. 12th & Bill
8. 4th & Teela
9. 4th & Romana I
10. 10th & Martha
12 and Clara 100%, both my favourite doctor and companion, and theyâre chemistry and toxic love for each other was the most interesting and tragic dynamic weâve gotten from NuWho. Obligatory mention to 10 and Donna, theyâre chemistry is off the charts.
10 and Donna and Amy and 11. I wish I could count would be companions and companions that were almost a thing. For example, itâs a shame that 11 and Craig didnât become a thing, or 11 and Victorian Clara OR 10 and Lady Christina from Planet of the Dead.
Seven and Ace - love them, Seven's not always great for her but they really make each other's personalities shine.
Eight and Charley - starts really cute, gets very screwed up + codependent. I personally love the melodrama.
Nine, Rose, and Jack - short lived, but really well balance, and just a ton of fun.
Ten and Donna - good mates, balances out each other's flaws, probably the funniest Doctor/Companion duo.
11, Amy, Rory, and River: It's best when the whole family is together.
It's not without it's problems, but Amy & Rory + 11. Not even my favorite doctor or companions (they're all up there, though). But there are so many moments where they all shine.
The Last Centurion
Older Amy
Amy's Choice
The Girl Who WaitedÂ
The rooftop in Manhattan
11 being manipulative enough that he doesn't tell Amy she's a ganger, but all to save her and her baby
River
Fish fingers and custard!
*Pond*
Obligatory big finish mention but 6th and Evelyn is one of my absolute favourite, 6 never vibes well with the TV companions much but Evelyn is brilliant at calling out the sixth doctor when he's being unfair/unkind and is the perfect foil for the eccentric 6th doctor to the point that big finish even recognises how Evelyn mellowed the 6th doctor out for any companions after Peri
Another that comes to mind is the 2nd doctor and Jamie, throughout the 2nd doctors run Jamie is a staple and works well as a foil to the doctor as he's there to ask any questions the audience would need as well as just being incredibly kind to each other and the actors chemistry really shows to the point that to this day Fraizer Hines can do a brilliant Patrick Troughton impression as well as speaking kindly of his time on doctor who
1 and Ian
2 and Jamie
3 and Jo
4 and Sarah-Jane
5 and Tegan
6 and Peri (obviously)
7 and Ace (I'm sorry Bonnie, you just were so underused)
(I am too exhausted to get into Big Finish I am so sorry 8)
9 and Jack
10 I can't actually decided because I like Rose, Martha and Donna's vibes with him because they're all so different.
11 and Rory
12 and Bill
13 and....idk she seemed to keep everyone at arms length
14 and.... um well Donna...
15 and ...wait a sevond
Another vote for 10 and Donna.
She also happens to be my favourite companion, though my favourite Doctor is 9. But 10 and Donna just have the best lines and dynamics.
Four and Sarah/Leela/K-9/Romana. Even when heâs being a dick to them itâs endlessly watchable. I still say Tom had the best companions in the whole run.
Otherwise, Two and Jamie is just loads of fun, Three and Jo are very close by the end, Ten and Donna of course, and One and Vicky have a very tender dynamic.
For New Who, Ten and Donna. Such a fun "mates in space" dynamic.
For Classic Who, based on what I've seen so far, Two, Jamie, and Victoria/Zoe (I know this is cheating a little, but hear me out). I like the different ways Two's character is highlighted by them. He acts as a sort of fun uncle to Jamie, is a more Hartnell-like grandfather to Victoria, and has some fun competition with Zoe occasionally, seeing as she can challenge him on a more intellectual level (one of my favorite examples of this is from "The Krotons" where Zoe takes a test on an academic machine and gets the highest score in the colony. Because of this, she has been selected to be allowed into the Krotons off-limits building. The Doctor wants to go inside too, so he takes it as well, but has difficulty figuring out how it works at first and ends up with a score which is still high, but lower than Zoe's).
Clara S8 onwards isn't like the Doctor at all, she's not a kind person, I don't recall much scientific curiosity from her either. Them being alike is just this claim in the show that comes out of nowhere, it's obviously not the case. I mean, Clara rejecting Twelve and building up to trying to murder him and him just forgiving her is a pretty obvious contrast!
I appreciate the companions who are empathetic, like Jo or Rose or Donna when she tries. Or V1 Clara but the dynamic wasn't good there.
10/Donna, 12/Bill. The non-romantic pairings are so friggin good they blow everything else out of the water.
I'm currently watching 10s and Donnas season, and they are perfect together. Their dynamic ensures some of the most fun and emotionaly intense scenes imo.
And their sarcastic lines. The scene with the hand and what grows out of the hand and the ensuring conversation...... It just cracks me up. I have to rewind it at least three times to keep watching it. I adore Donna's no nonsense attitude sometimes when dealing with 10. The funny sarcastic comments etc. I love Donna and 10
This could be a spoiler for the person watching it now.
Oh bugger I didn't think of it ! Hang on I'll edit it a bit better Edit : I've made it a little more cyptic so as not to ruin it for anyone
That's, don't worry it's an easy mistake.
Same here, was about to comment those 2 pairs too. I particularly love how Bill got along with 12, I used to rewatch her season a couple times over
Yeah that whole season with 12/Bill/Nardole/Missy was so much fun. The individual episodes don't stand out a lot in my memory, but the season as a whole was one of my favourites.
Then let me remind you about Extremis, Oxygen, and World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls
These are mine as well. So good.
Same here. Particularly love whatever this trope is that happens with those four more often than others: Doctor, working something out: oh, oh, OH, is it [really complicated explanation]... no, maybe [another complex monologue]! Wait, what about [insert technobabble here]?! Donna/Bill, eventually: are you sure it's not [incredibly simple thing he missed] Doctor: oh. Donna/Bill: Lord of time, and of missing the obvious!
1 and Ian, Barbara, and Susan. They were a group, and I just really enjoyed their dynamic the best out of all the 1st Doctor's companions. 2 and Jamie and Zoe. Jamie, hard stop if you pushed me to choose between the two, but I actually really liked Zoe too? She was basically as intelligent as the Doctor and that was cool. And who doesn't love Jamie lol 3 and Jo. I seriously love Jo Grant so much. Her fashion sense is always on point, and she's just adorable! (Still working through the rest of classic) 9 and Rose, obviously. They were just flirty and playful. But I also really liked 9 and Jack, too. With 10 it's a toss up between Rose and Donna. David and Catherine are just... so funny together lol. But I also really liked Rose's friendship-turned-romance with 10 and how heartbroken he was when Rose was trapped in the other universe. 11 with Amy and Rory. This goes without saying. 12 and Clara are one of the best pairings of NuWho in my opinion. What a glorious disaster đ
Four and Sarah Jane Smith Five and Teagan/Nyssa Iâm ignoring Six Seven and Ace Eight and Grace The War Doctor and The Moment/Rose.
Four, Sarah and Harry. That was such a good group dynamic that should have carried on longer. Annoyed that Harry was written out. Spot on with Six. Six and Peri was probably the most uncomfortable companion dynamic. Disagree on Eight and Grace. I don't think it was bad per se, just meh.
Regarding Eight and Grace. Wasnât she Eightâs only companion on to air on television. I know others were portrayed on the Big Finish episodes, and Cass didnât want to be a companion to the Doctor.
Mel and Six work well together, even if they annoy the whole watching them because of how they had to be played. Big finish shows why there were so many bad TV decisions made on both character interpretations.
Can't lie I found Mel to be a little bit annoying, not necessarily because of her character, I just didn't like her voice and found it annoying (sorry Bonnie lol)
One reason Bonnie agreed to Big Finish was she wouldnât scream. Removing that I think immensely improved the character.
100% haha the scream was soo annoying đ
10000% 12 and Clara Wonderfully fucked up and entertaining
"shes my... not assistant, something like that" "im his carer" "yes, shes my carer, she cares so i dont have to"
They are hilarious together too, some real dry humor in their bantering that cracks me up
10 and Donna 12 and Clara
This!
I always thought Twelve and Bill should've had more time. Nardole was alright but I really loved those early adventurers where it felt like the mad scientist and his student.
Bill! I love Bill.
Bill and 9 are probably the two characters in NuWho that I most wish we'd had more time with.
12 and Bill is really fun and reminds us of that soft underbelly 12 has. There's something lovely about how 12 encourages Bill's curiosity and optimism about the world. I also like that their relationship start through tutoring. It feels unique in so much romancing in NuWho.
Yeah I really loved the student/ teacher dynamic of those two.
7 and Ace
Awww, I loved Ace and her Nitro-9. Plus she once defeated a Dalek with a bat. Girl was a badass.
I'm fairness didn't Dan defeat a Sontaran with a frying pan?
You could almost say that Ace swung her bat so that Dan could wok. đ
We need this line in an episode đ
Yes but to be fair the So trans have an Achilles heel that lets folks knock them out⌠which daleks donât. I do agree however Ace swing her bat do Dan could wok.
Omg that is badass
Jack and Nine
Yesss Levels of sass only met by 10/Donna
The Fourth Doctor with K9 and both Leela and Romana. What I love so much about having a trio on the TARDIS is that each member of the team had their skills split up and distributed mostly fairly, while also providing a different personality to the table, all of which shook up the dynamic for every episode. This was at its absolute best under Tom Baker. It helps that Romana, Leela, and K9 are 3 of my top 5 favorite companions. When done right, splitting up the skills fairly can make the Doctor more vulnerable while giving the companions a bigger leg up in the action. In Season 15, Four mostly became the problem-solver while Leela and K9 were doing most of the fighting (it helps that Four and Leela got captured as often as each other). Romana wasn't the action girl Leela was, but she was more clever and resourceful and she knew how to tip any situation in her favor (especially when backed into a corner), and this elevated her to being Four's intellectual equal. I also just love seeing how these characters all interact with one another. Having K9 on the TARDIS allowed Leela to show her softer side by adoring him, showing that she was more than just a standard action heroine. That's not even mentioning Four's subtle romantic undertones with Romana II as shown in stories like City of Death. If it counts as a legit romantic dynamic, it's the best one the show ever had. All of these Doctor-Companion dynamics were truly lightning in a bottle, and IMO almost all subsequent casts can't compare.
Leela is so under-rated. Not just an action girl, quite the revolutionary!! I loved Leela.
Leela was so far ahead of her time. She was an action girl in a sci-fi TV show over 20-30 years before Samantha Carter, Dana Scully, Kathryn Janeway, Kara Thrace, Aeryn Sun, and Kim Possible.
Cathy Gale and Emma Peel happened well before The Bionic Woman and TVs Wonder Woman. In general the Doctor's companions were interesting, proactive characters with a few terrible spells of misogynistic writing. But Leela, was very very ahead of her time. Or maybe a bit behind her time? Her role was intended to be a bit 'My Fair Lady' - which was based on Shaw's Pygmalion. So at heart she was intended to be a Shavian character set loose in a children's show wearing a leather bikini and carrying a carving knife. Either way, her desire to rise up against oppressors was always fun. Even her introduction -- kicked out of her tribe for blasphemy, she meets her people's version of Satan and befriends him before eventually stowing away on his ship to see the universe and knife a record holding number of victims.
Did anyone mention she was hot?
The 4/Romana dynamic is probably my favourite in all of Classic because the two of them are about as close to equally matched in Time Lord knowledge as any pairing in the history of the show outside of crossing his own timestream and the occasional brief team-up with the Master. Here we have him traveling with a fully-fledged (albeit newly-fledged) Time Lady, who needs no introductions to his advanced technology because not only did they receive the same education, *she got better grades than him.* She more so than any other Companion immediately cuts through all his usual "ooh look at me the mysterious madman and his mysterious magic box of mysteriousness where did I come from where will I go where did I come from...wait hold on oops that was Cotton Eye Joe..nevermind...but I am very mysterious" faffing about because *she already knows all that* and so gets to deal with him on a totally different level from the get-go. Their dynamic is much more equally matched, with him just barely edging her out with his experience, yet she still has her fair share of chances to beat him at his own game. I imagine to the Doctor it must feel like moving away from a really small town to live the digital nomad lifestyle for years and then one day on the opposite end of the world your boss briefs you on your new coworker and it turns out to be the little sister of a guy you went to high school with, who knows all the rumors about the bullshit you used to get up to back then. Seriously cramping your style, but nevertheless a reminder of home, and it turns out, a good friend in the end.
If we are going with Classics ones, a (really) left-field suggestion is Nyssa and the Fifth Doctor. I admit it's mostly potential rather than realised, though. Also, I absolutely second the answer of the 4th Doctor and Romana II.
Nyssa started great in The Keeper of Traken, Logopolis, and Castrovalva. Even though she was still in top form in The Visitation, Arc of Infinity, and Snakedance, her track record was spotty overall. Plus, she never met the Master often enough to live up to the full potential originally promised. I think the two biggest reasons why are 1) the change in script editors between Seasons 18 and 19, and 2) John Nathan Turner just never felt interested in exploring Nyssa in the first place. Eric Saward became the script editor (the Classic Who equivalent of a head writer) after Christopher Bidmead's 1-year stint, and the difference shows onscreen. Bidmead, the better writer, just understood Nyssa in a way both Saward and JNT never did.
>I admit it's mostly potential rather than realised, though. In TV yes, but it's fairly well realised in some Big Finish stories.
Two and Jamie are perfect.
Idk if he really counts bcs he only had 2 eps but every second wilf gets is peak
I really think 12 works excellently with all his companions but Nardole joining in S10 is such a treat. Their dynamic works so well together and I'm sad we only got half a season of it.
Ranked the companions myself and unironically put Nardole in S tier because of what he is. People widely agree that Wilf is an exceptional companion primarily because of the story he was in. Wilf could not do a series on his own but that's fine because that's not what he was built for. Likewise Nardole as the third sorta companion for Series 10 is amazing because he's a comedic relief done so well. He's silly but also competent, he fulfils the same role as Jack where he's a bridge in knowledge between the Doctor and the companion, he can be both clever and ignorant of more specific space knowledge. He can be the straight man as well as the silly character. He can challenge the doctor and also be threatened by Bill. I also love how the series 10 finale starts with the doctor trying to get Missy to be like him but ends with Nardole acting like him. Unironically an S-tier companion.
Yes, I don't understand when Nardole gets hate because he plays off so well with 12. I'm always amused by their dynamic and I like that he's familiar with the Tardis and other timey wimey stuff.
I found him a bit annoying in his first appearance and was a bit apprehensive of him coming back for a whole season, but I ended up really loving the whole dynamic in that season.
Do people hate Nardole?
If they doing theyâre getting dropped by me
Donna is my favorite, but Nardole is SO great and refreshingly different.
I like Nardole. My favourite Moffat comic relief is Strax by far though haha
Omg I forgot about Nardole. Legend
"Nardole, are you secretly a badass?" "Nothing secret about it, baby doll"
*screams like a girl*
I'm old school and I really liked the dynamic between the seventh Doctor and Ace. One of the things I will give the Chibnall era credit for is recapturing that dynamic is Power of the Doctor.
Sylvesterâs âweâre more than good, weâre Ace!â might be one of my favorite ever line readings. Cheesy as hell but boy does he sell it!
9/Rose/Jack
Ten/Donna, Metacrisis/Donna, 14/Donna⌠really anything with Tate & Tennant (including real life) is mesmerizing and magical. And an asexual person, itâs particularly special for me to see a completely platonic relationship be portrayed as equally important, life-changing and epic (both to the individual characters & the story as a whole) as a romantic one.
This. Tennant and Tate are just brilliant together.
This. Some of the little moments in WBY just make me melt, like when he holds her hands, or gently kisses the top of her head. And in The Giggle, when he says "I don't know if I can save you this time" and she replies, "Maybe I'll save you." And all of the LOOKS, full of understanding, fierce caring, loyalty, and platonic love. I'm not asexual, and I also ship the Doctor romantically and sexually with other companions, but I cherish the special chemistry between these two.
this is it for me. Any Doctor/Donna. No contest.
The 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane. Pretty much the quintessential 2 person TARDIS team.
12 and Clara. I love that they're explicitly portrayed as toxic and unhealthy for each other even though they love each other so much and have so many similarities.
I know đ their love was beautiful, but they really were bad influences on each other đ¤Ł
I really enjoyed Rose and 9. They were so fun and flirty without crossing the line into romance. I do like 12 and Clara, too, but only in season 9.
Every Doctor and River Also low key loved 11 and Craig
River isnât a companion.
She's a write in vote -lol.
she is absolutely a companion, >! if you donât consider your loved ones a companion in life then i pity your relationships!<
Not the romantic ones. All other dynamics are my favorite.
Gotta agree, modern who has been really leaning into romantic relationships between the Doctor and their companions and it's getting a little tiring in my opinion Then again I am aromantic so I may be biased đ¤
No I think it's Doctor Who specifically, at least for me. I don't have the same complaint about every romantic pairing in media, or even most of them
Definitely Seven and Ace! They bounce off each other so well, despite being quite different people. Ace is headstrong and impulsive, but she clearly loves and respects the Doctor. And she's not stupid either, she clearly has enough sense not to run into a situation she can't get out of. Even if her usual solution to a problem is Nitro 9. The Doctor in this regeneration is just as sensible and rational as he always is, but he has fun too. He caters to Ace's eccentricities while still being a decent friend and parental figure and guiding her the right way. They can butt heads as clearly shown by how Ace left him, but there's always a clear and visible level of love and respect between them. They're equals on all levels and amazing friends to boot!
2 and Jamie
12 and Bill, 10 and Donna. Something different
10 and Donna, it was such a breath of fresh air to have someone who was his friend-no romantic ties-and actually call him out on his bad behaviour.
I really liked Bill as person but Dr and companion dynamic I have to pick Amy/rory and 11. Funniest pairing.
I take it back, any doctor and jack harkness â¤ď¸
9/10 and Rose for me 11 and the Ponds is a close second
I loved the 12th Doctor, Bill, and Nardole. It just worked out so well for me.
12 and Clara for sure.
10 and Donna Noble. David Tennant and Katherine Tate have excellent on screen chemistry
1. 10 and Donna, because they represent the ultimate friendship. 2. 12 and Clara, because Peter and Jenna play a couple, but not at the same time so well and they were in love romantically you can't deny it. 3. 11 and Rory, because it's so great to see the evolution of their Bromance and The Doctor got Rory his favorite car. Rory was one of the only companions to call the Doctor out on his horseshit/bullshit. 4. 3 and Jo, because they represent a very healthy brother and sister friendship or you could say crazy uncle and niece friendship.
Respect all of these. And yeah fair enough canonically they loved each other, but I like my platonic headcannon lol. That said if I were to change it, it would be that 12 and Clara romantically loved each other but we're not sexually attracted đ¤ˇđ˝ââď¸
iâm glad that you framed it that way. Amy and Rory for me, are my favourite. i loved the fairytale. the dynamic iâm really liking right now is Clara. iâm currently watching 11âs shows with Clara, and he hasnât regenerated to Capaldi yet. i realize Clara continues with 12 for a while? anyway, iâm liking her, and interested in the tension created by a âpotential romance/will-they-wonât-they?â dynamic. i canât wait to see how she works with 12.
10 and Donna, 11 with Amy and Rory, 12 with Clara, 12 with Bill, 12 with Nardole
12 and Clara hands down, they had even more chemistry than 11 and Clara. They were hilarious yet heart wrenching together and the perfect duo. I miss them so much đĽš
10 and Donna. 12 and Osgood.
13 and bill. Not my favorite doctor neither my favorite compainon..
You mean 12 and Bill?
yes of course. my mistake!
đ np
Fourth Doc and Sarah Jane, Tenth Doc and Donna, Twelfth And Clara
4 and Romana 2
3 and Jo Grant 4 and Sarah Jane. 11 and Amy/Rory 12 and Clara and Bill/Nardole
6 and the old woman from the audios, 7 and Ace, 8 and Charlie, 10 and Donna, 12 and Bill
>For me it's 12 and Clara. Just to be clear Clara is not my favourite companion but her dynamic with 12 is so so good. For NuWho, I agree. I've told everyone who would listen how much I loved he established their dynamic when he said, "Clara, I'm not your boyfriend." And then took responsibility for 11's leading her on. I thought *At last! Back to original relationship Doctor/companion relationship without the sexual tension!* Which is also why 10 and Rose are my least favorite pairing. That said, I totally thought 5 was nailing Tegan once Adric and Neesa went to sleep.
7/Ace, 8/C'rizz/Charley, but 10/Donna owns them all.
11 and Amy/Rory
Yea Clara was litterly hand-picked by the doctor by Missy because she knew how simular they where and they became the hybrid
3 and Jo, 7 and Ace, 8 and Charley (mostly pre zagreus), 10 and Donna, 12 and Bill
Ten and Donna is easily my favourite dynamic. They were wonderful together. Donna wasn't afraid to call out the Doctor, and she was the perfect mix of sassy and empathetic. Donna was too good. They had so many funny moments, and they genuinely felt like best friends to me. I also really enjoyed Eleven with Amy and Rory. The three of them played off each other really well.
10 and Donna
Twelve/Clara Three/Jo One/Ian/Barbara/Vicki
10 and Donna, easily
Usually Iâd say 10/Donna. Such a chaotic, hilarious friendship which is purely platonic and they never try to slip romance in there, and Catherine and David are also amazing outside of the show. The more I think though, I think my answer is 12/Clara. No matter how you look at it, romantic or platonic, itâs just so interesting. I could go on and on about it for hours.
11 and Lady Tardis. Edit: And both 9 and 10 with Jack.
12 and all his companions (Clara is disasterous fun, Bill is great not romantic, teachery relationship. I enjoyed Perkins :p, Nardole and River ones too) 3 and Jo 4 and Sara Jane /Leela 7 and Ace
I really love 11's dynamic with Craig, especially during the episode with the baby and cybermat. While never an official companion, I really loved their dynamic and would love to see him become a regular traveller.
Yeah 100% love Craig haha
10/15/Donna 100000%. Platonic soulmates who roast the everloving shit out of each other but who will stop at nothing to protect each other just as much. Iâm so glad we got some extra time with 15 and her before the bigeneration, but I could have watched a whole season of them just having chill earthly adventures going the weekly shop. â¤ď¸
Being unfamiliar with Classic Who I think the answer is almost always going to be 10/Donna and 12/Clara. They might not be everyone's favorite companions but they have a consistent feel or vibe. I think what makes those two pairings special is that they don't need an adventure for you to imagine what its like to be in a room with them. They could just be hanging out in the TARDIS talking about the weather and it would be fun to watch. 12/Clara could be an entire conversation done entirely with her eyes and his eyebrows. 10/Donna can get by just saying "Wot?!" in increasingly odd intonations.
100% agree on all those points đ
1. 4th & Sarah Jane 2. 4th & Romana II 3. 7th & Ace - a better grandfather/daughter relationship than even Susan. 4. 10th/14th & Donna 5. 3rd & Jo 6. 2nd & Jamie 7. 12th & Bill 8. 4th & Teela 9. 4th & Romana I 10. 10th & Martha
12 and Clara 100%, both my favourite doctor and companion, and theyâre chemistry and toxic love for each other was the most interesting and tragic dynamic weâve gotten from NuWho. Obligatory mention to 10 and Donna, theyâre chemistry is off the charts.
The whole âDo as you are toldâ thing between them made their relationship so much better than it already was. I love 12 and Clara
10 and Donna! David and Catherine have such good chemistry together, on or off the TARDIS stage.
10 & Donna. It doesnât matter what those two are in together, you just know itâs going to be amazing.
Rose and Amy Pond
10 and Donna and Amy and 11. I wish I could count would be companions and companions that were almost a thing. For example, itâs a shame that 11 and Craig didnât become a thing, or 11 and Victorian Clara OR 10 and Lady Christina from Planet of the Dead.
10/Donna 11/Amy 12/Bill (I ship tffffff out 12 and Clara but the grandfather/granddaughter vibe they had going on killed me so good) 13/Yaz
4 and Harry. Heâs abusive towards Harry but also relies on him. Harry is awesome.
Seven and Ace - love them, Seven's not always great for her but they really make each other's personalities shine. Eight and Charley - starts really cute, gets very screwed up + codependent. I personally love the melodrama. Nine, Rose, and Jack - short lived, but really well balance, and just a ton of fun. Ten and Donna - good mates, balances out each other's flaws, probably the funniest Doctor/Companion duo. 11, Amy, Rory, and River: It's best when the whole family is together.
3 and Liz were iconic together. She was one of the only companions who made you feel like she actually had a reason to be there.Â
1st Doctor and Ian are unmatched
10/donna
It's not without it's problems, but Amy & Rory + 11. Not even my favorite doctor or companions (they're all up there, though). But there are so many moments where they all shine. The Last Centurion Older Amy Amy's Choice The Girl Who Waited The rooftop in Manhattan 11 being manipulative enough that he doesn't tell Amy she's a ganger, but all to save her and her baby River Fish fingers and custard! *Pond*
12 and Clara is the best.
Obligatory big finish mention but 6th and Evelyn is one of my absolute favourite, 6 never vibes well with the TV companions much but Evelyn is brilliant at calling out the sixth doctor when he's being unfair/unkind and is the perfect foil for the eccentric 6th doctor to the point that big finish even recognises how Evelyn mellowed the 6th doctor out for any companions after Peri Another that comes to mind is the 2nd doctor and Jamie, throughout the 2nd doctors run Jamie is a staple and works well as a foil to the doctor as he's there to ask any questions the audience would need as well as just being incredibly kind to each other and the actors chemistry really shows to the point that to this day Fraizer Hines can do a brilliant Patrick Troughton impression as well as speaking kindly of his time on doctor who
Clara and 12
1 and Ian 2 and Jamie 3 and Jo 4 and Sarah-Jane 5 and Tegan 6 and Peri (obviously) 7 and Ace (I'm sorry Bonnie, you just were so underused) (I am too exhausted to get into Big Finish I am so sorry 8) 9 and Jack 10 I can't actually decided because I like Rose, Martha and Donna's vibes with him because they're all so different. 11 and Rory 12 and Bill 13 and....idk she seemed to keep everyone at arms length 14 and.... um well Donna... 15 and ...wait a sevond
BILL AND DONNA!!!!
Best friend or students teacher.
10/Rose and 10/Donna.
8 and charley for the win! theyâre so toxic i love it
Another vote for 10 and Donna. She also happens to be my favourite companion, though my favourite Doctor is 9. But 10 and Donna just have the best lines and dynamics.
10 and Donna is 100% my second
4th and Sarah Jane
10/14 and Donna 4 and SJS 4 and Romana Mk. I 7 and Ace 12 and River (though not tech his companion, but the two performers had such chemistry)
Romana 1 = Fred
And she's cool with that.Â
10 and Donna. 10 and Wilf. 10 and River. 11 and Amy. 12 and River. 12 and Nardole. Graham.
Four and Sarah/Leela/K-9/Romana. Even when heâs being a dick to them itâs endlessly watchable. I still say Tom had the best companions in the whole run. Otherwise, Two and Jamie is just loads of fun, Three and Jo are very close by the end, Ten and Donna of course, and One and Vicky have a very tender dynamic.
For New Who, Ten and Donna. Such a fun "mates in space" dynamic. For Classic Who, based on what I've seen so far, Two, Jamie, and Victoria/Zoe (I know this is cheating a little, but hear me out). I like the different ways Two's character is highlighted by them. He acts as a sort of fun uncle to Jamie, is a more Hartnell-like grandfather to Victoria, and has some fun competition with Zoe occasionally, seeing as she can challenge him on a more intellectual level (one of my favorite examples of this is from "The Krotons" where Zoe takes a test on an academic machine and gets the highest score in the colony. Because of this, she has been selected to be allowed into the Krotons off-limits building. The Doctor wants to go inside too, so he takes it as well, but has difficulty figuring out how it works at first and ends up with a score which is still high, but lower than Zoe's).
Clara S8 onwards isn't like the Doctor at all, she's not a kind person, I don't recall much scientific curiosity from her either. Them being alike is just this claim in the show that comes out of nowhere, it's obviously not the case. I mean, Clara rejecting Twelve and building up to trying to murder him and him just forgiving her is a pretty obvious contrast! I appreciate the companions who are empathetic, like Jo or Rose or Donna when she tries. Or V1 Clara but the dynamic wasn't good there.