10½ Best Male Companions In Doctor Who History

8. Steven Taylor - Peter Purves

Steven was what Harry might have been: the strapping young lad who would play the Riker to William Hartnell's Picard-esque figure. As a citizen of Earth in the 23rd citizen, Steven was another in the tech-savvy line of companions (e.g. Vicki, Sara Kingdom) so often seen in the earliest years of the show. And as a frankly massive body alongside the Doctor, Steven was frequently tasked with the heavy lifting, typically with the heavy hand-to-hand combat, and sometimes with the heavy drinking at the pub.

This formula beginning with "The Chase" worked so well that Steven's time in the TARDIS ran for 10 stories, nearly spanning Hartnell's term from Ian and Barbara's departure to the end. When Hartnell's now well-known health issues began necessitating days off for the main actor, Steven was more than capable of stepping into the leading-man role for entire episodes of "The Gunfighters" and "The Time Meddler," just to name a couple.

Also notable: Steven's status as the first-ever male companion to travel alone with the Doctor.

And wow, does any companion in the history of the show ever take as many lumps as this kid? Seriously, in his tenure, he manages to get beaten up more often than in Harrison Ford's entire movie career.