Every Classic Doctor Who Companion Ranked From Worst To Best

The Doctor has had some WONDERFUL friends in their time. And Adric.

The Doctor and Ace
BBC

In Doctor Who, the contemporary incarnations are often seen as the most important elements of the show. However, the Doctor would never get very far without the slew of talented, fun, dangerous and bonkers companions who have joined him along the way. While there is a list of the modern companions ranked here, the classic series has many, many more to choose from.

To put it bluntly, the Doctor does tend to go through companions. Some elect to leave him while some are left behind, sometimes accidentally and sometimes deliberately. Almost every time, the Doctor expresses deep sadness at their departures, even if that is quickly replaced by excitement to meet the next victim/companion.

In this show, flying in the TARDIS can be as dangerous as shaking plungers with a Dalek, but who are the friends that left the biggest mark on Whovian history?

27. Adric

The Doctor and Ace
BBC Studios

Matthew Waterhouse has been tied to Adric since the incredibly annoying character made his debut in the Fourth Doctor serial Full Circle. He was from E-Space, was a genius also a misogynist for good measure. These traits combined to make Adric the least popular companion of the classic era.

It's important to note that it wasn't all Waterhouse's fault, though his acting skills were certainly behind some of his co-stars. Adric would be a difficult character for anyone to pull off. He was brash, arrogant and tended to be right on many occasions, which did nothing to temper him or give him some humility.

His death was shocking but also preventable, something the Doctor himself states in the aftermath. Yes, he could go back in time and save Adric. And he chooses not to, which tells the audience everything they need to know about Adric's standing in the TARDIS gang's eyes.

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Writer. Reader. Host. I'm Seán, I live in Ireland and I'm the poster child for dangerous obsessions with Star Trek. Check me out on Twitter @seanferrick