Every Classic Doctor Who Companion Ranked From Worst To Best

1. Sarah-Jane Smith

Doctor Who The Seeds Of Doom Fourth Doctor Sarah Jane Smith
BBC

Sarah-Jane Smith travelled with the Third and Fourth Doctors, though she encountered the Fifth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors as well. Young, bubbly and infectiously upbeat, she would serve as something of a template for the most popular companion of them all, with many who followed attempting to fit the mould she made.

She was present on Skaro for the birth of the Daleks, something that shocked Davros when they encountered each other again at the Medusa Cascade. Fiesty and trustworthy, the Doctor went so far as to introduce her to people as his best friend when the situation arose, an honour rarely bestowed on these early companions.

She was one of the most confident and headstrong companions to travel in the TARDIS, keeping this spirit alive once she was returned to Earth by the Doctor, albeit an entire country away. She continued to investigate the strange and the startling and, though it took quite a while, her path did cross with the Doctor's again as they both investigated the Krillotane incident.

She was one of the last people to see the Tenth Doctor before his regeneration, sharing a silent but tearful smile with her old friend. Sadly, Elisabeth Sladen passed away not long after this, though she was able to film an episode with Matt Smith before her death.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"