10 Saddest Doctor Who Companion Departures
6. Tegan Jovanka
Tegan was one of Doctor Who's most popular companions of all time. The self-proclaimed "mouth on legs" of the team was always there to offer an opinion and call the Doctor out when she thought he was wrong. She was strong, reliable and brave. So when her time came to leave, it was a gut-punch to fans who had loved her for so long.
Her exit was one that felt very real and was written beautifully. After a brutal battle with the Daleks in which she witnessed a lot of death, Tegan decides that she's had enough. The scene where she decides to leave is an example of some of the best writing in classic Who, and also some of the best acting.
It's a quiet, intimate scene with an atmospheric score, where Tegan tells the Doctor that she's tired and "it stopped being fun." It's clear the traumatic consequences travelling with the Doctor has affected her. It only hurts more when she runs back to see the TARDIS dematerialise and mutter "brave heart, Tegan."
It's a perfect example of how a companion exit doesn't have to involve death or something horrible happening to be painful viewing. It can be as simple as having enough and still hurt more than killing the character off.