10½ Best Male Companions In Doctor Who History

1. Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart - Nicholas Courtney

Who else could it have been?

No other companion has appeared in action alongside five Doctors and it may be said that few supporting characters knew the unfathomable Time Lord better. Despite his incredible skepticism regarding some of the Doctor's seemingly more outlandish ideas, the Brigadier proved ever adaptable time and again despite would-be alien invaders' all-too-frequent, maddening imperviousness to bullets.

The Brigadier also enjoys the distinction of being the only companion to feature in two anniversary specials, those of the 10th and 20th. "The Three Doctors" is a particularly typical romp among the Brig's appearances, as he consistently employs his "reasonable" explanations for an increasingly surreal world loaded with anti-matter monsters and changing visages around him; when said logic is invariably and incomprehensibly debunked, no matter. "So this is what you've been doing with UNIT funds and equipment all this time," dropped in episode two of the 10-year celebration, is the single best TARDIS entrance line of all-time.

Ten years later, Lethbridge-Stewart would also appear alongside the Fifth Doctor for "Mawdryn Undead" and "The Five Doctors." In these two stories plus the final season's "Battlefield," the old soldier was ultimately given a thorough storyline of which even modern-day supporting cast may be jealous.

Plus, the good ol' Brig also offers the ultimate argument-stopper among over-enthusiastic fans seeking to determine the superiority of one Doctor over another: "Splendid chap. All of them."

"Just an old soldier trying to do his best"? Ah, Brigadier, you were so much more. To the Doctor and to us.

Who do you think was the greatest male companion in Doctor Who history? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread.