1. The Brigadier
Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, to give him his full title, was the number one of UNIT, the alien-busting organisation that the Doctor sometimes acts as a consultant for, and is the number one of our list. Quite apart from anything else, the Brig holds the record for meeting the most incarnations of the Doctor (seven, including anniversary specials, and eight, including appearances as a Cyberman), helping each of them save the day in his usual British, stiff-upper lip style. The Brigadier, a crusty figure of the establishment and a soldier at that, and the Doctor should be enemies but instead the two share a strong dependence in the other from the start which them grows into a close friendship. Despite their differences - the Doctor's preference for peaceful negotiation, the Brigadier's to shoot first and ask questions later - the pair both shared the same goal, to defend the planet whatever the cost. As the Twelfth Doctor said, 'the Earth's darkest hour... where else would he be?' Though the wonderful Nicholas Courtney never made an appearance in the revived series, the Brigadier's presence was always keenly felt. The Brig showed up in an episode of spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures and in one moving moment the Eleventh Doctor received a call that the Brigadier had passed away. Famously, though, he was resurrected as a Cyberman last year, proving that you just can't keep a good Brig down. It's testament to the Brigadier's brilliance that even though technically he's not even a proper companion (he never travelled in the TARDIS) he is at the top of this list nonetheless. Really, though, no one else could take the top spot. Of all the men who have befriended the Doctor, the Brigadier, as one of the Time Lord's greatest allies, is the best. Like our picks? Are you a particular fan of other male companions like Steven or Ben or even Adam (well, someone has to be)? Leave your thoughts below!