10 Doctor Who Companions Who Were Better Than Their Doctors

4. Ian Chesterton And Barbara Wright (William Russell And Jacqueline Hill)

The first series of NuWho focused on Rose and the first series of Classic Who focused on Ian and Barbara. In Rose's defence, the Ninth Doctor was rather difficult to get on with, but at least he wasn't a vicious, grumbling old man who tried to throw his companions into the depths of space in his third episode. Yep, Rose really did have it pretty easy compared. It was all about these two in the show's formative years and they were introduced in the first episode, An Unearthly Child, as highly motivated and tough individuals. Even Barbara, who could have just as easily been a screaming woman, turned out to be one of the strongest female companions of the 60s (although against Susan, a companion so pathetic that one episode literally just involved her tripping over, this wasn't exactly a mean feat). What's more, they were both unwilling to take anything the First Doctor forced upon them (except the time he drugged them) and they were always brilliant driving forces, too. Hell, they were even driving the TARDIS by themselves by the end of the first series which is a prestigious accolade in itself. They didn't have to rip it open and absorb the energies of the time vortex, either. Some people just take things way too far.