Doctor Who: 10 Best Companion Performances In NuWho

If Deep Breath wasn't enough of an indication of Coleman's abilities, she steps it up a notch further in the Series 8 finale, Dark Water/Death in Heaven. The story is an emotional rollercoaster for Clara, with her boyfriend Danny Pink getting tragically killed before being brought back to life as a Cyberman.

She's chillingly detached after Danny's death, the sense of an inability to connect being an interesting and brave choice to show how deeply the death had affected Clara. This relays into one of the most memorable scenes of Series 8 - the volcano scene. Coleman shows off a crushing wave of emotion, getting to play with Clara's manipulative side but also remaining sympathetic by making the pain the character is going through feel real and vibrant. It helps to make one of the most electrifying scenes of the series in total, which is not a bad thing at all.

She's also great in Death in Heaven. What's so brilliant about her performance in the second part of the two-parter is how understated it is. Again she's going through agony, facing Danny as a Cyberman, but it's how quietly morose it is that plays into the pathos of the overall story.

Missy might get the headlines but Clara is just as important in making the episode work.