7. Clara (Oswin) Oswald
Clara (Oswin) Oswald is a wonderful addition to a fantastic line-up of companions. She's brilliant, fun-loving, and cute as a button in addition to being an empathetic, witty, and fascinating character. And she has more in store for us! One of the great things about Clara is the way she was introduced. Amy Pond and, especially, River Song were both introduced as characters that contained mystery that would tug at our intellects; whereas Clara was introduced as a character who tugged at our heartstrings. A lousy cook, a pretty face, a brilliant and caring individual who did everything in her power to help characters we had already grown to lovebut alas! We learn she is a Dalek. Fantastic! I'd get into how that was a great addition to the whole "who is our enemy" debate that has been dealt with so well through all 50 years of Doctor Who, but I need to focus on the task at hand. Clara is a character that we, as viewers, could all both relate to and empathize with from the beginning. She wasn't an aloof archaeologist withholding a secret or a mystery girl with a crack in her wall, she was an individual trapped in a place she didn't want to be, trying to make the best of it with wit and recipes for soufflé. I loved her from the start, and she only got better. Suffice it to say that she proves herself to be powerful, beautiful, sensitive, clever, and resourceful. Awesome.