Doctor Who: 15 Greatest NuWho Deaths So Far
6. River Song (Forest Of The Dead)
Another companion who appeared and died in the show before the majority of their time was up was River Song, played by Alex Kingston. Viewers would discover she was the Doctor's wife, as well as the daughter of companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams. However, in her first appearance, fans knew none of this. All they knew was that she was a mysterious archeologist who's past shared a lot with the Doctor's future.
That might have taken some of the emotional impact out of her death scene. After all, it came when we didn't know anything about the character. However, the idea that the character knows the Time Lord very well is evident from Kingston's performance, and her self-sacrifice to save him still manages to be a saddening moment. She does get to continue living, in a manner of speaking, being uploaded to the library's mainframe, but the power of her sacrifice is still there.
Furthermore, this is a key moment in building towards the next three series of Doctor Who. All throughout their relationship, the spectre of River's death is hanging over her relationship with the Doctor, adding an extra layer to proceedings. And it all starts here, making this one of the most important deaths of the revival.