Over the years, Doctor Who has featured many actors as companions to the titular Time Lord, but not many lasted a long time on the show. Doctor Who first premiered on the BBC in 1963, quickly becoming one of the most popular shows on television, at least until its 1989 cancelation. After a failed attempt at a revival in 1996, the series came back with a bang in 2005 under the supervision of Russell T. Davies. Fifteen actors have taken on the coveted role of the Doctor, but many more actors have portrayed traveling companions for the alien adventurer, most staying for only one or two seasons before departing.

When the series began, the role of the companion was simply a side character, acting as the audience's eyes and ears as the Doctor splurges information about the various time periods and planets they find themselves in. After its 2005 revival, however, companions have played a much larger role in Doctor Who, with their own backstories and families being explored, and the effect they have on the Doctor has been much more impactful. Ncuti Gatwa will become the Fifteenth Doctor in 2023, with Millie Gibson as his companion, Ruby Sunday. Here are all of the past companions to the Doctor and why the actors left their roles.

Related: Gatwa's Doctor Who Villain Wish Can Finish A Classic Tennant Story

Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman)

Susan Foreman talking to someone in a classroom in Doctor Who

Carole Ann Ford played Susan Foreman from 1963 to 1964, one of the First Doctor's companions and his granddaughter. While Ford was initially excited about the role, it soon turned out that she'd been promised things that wouldn't be delivered. She was told that Susan would be an acrobatic hero who had telepathic powers, but she was simply written as an ordinary teenager. Unhappy with the fact that the ambition she had for the character wouldn't be realized, Ford departed Doctor Who in 1964's "The Dalek Invasion Of Earth," after her contract with the series expired, though she did reprise the role in 1983's 20th anniversary special, "The Five Doctors."

Jacqueline Hill (Barbara Wright)

barbara wright doctor who

Jacqueline Hill played Barbara Wright from 1963 to 1965, a teacher at Coal Hill School in London alongside Ian Chesterton, who becomes interested in their unusual student, Susan, and soon finds herself on board the TARDIS. Barbara and Ian shared a romantic connection on the series, so when the time came, the pair were written out together, which occurred during 1965's "The Chase." After two years, Doctor Who was starting to become a strain and Hill felt she had accomplished all she could, asking then-producer Verity Lambert OBE to be written out and allow the series to try something new without any of the original companions left in the TARDIS.

William Russell (Ian Chesterton)

ian chesterton doctor who

William Russell played Ian Chesterton from 1963 to 1965, introduced as a science teacher at London's Coal Hill School, who wants to find out more about his student, Susan, who shows an aptitude for science, soon finding out that she's the Doctor's granddaughter. Russell never intended to stay as long as he did, and has stated that he wanted to get back to working in theater. Feeling completely fulfilled, he asked Verity Lambert OBE to be written out with a happy ending for Ian and Barbara. Russell reprised the role in 2022's BBC centenary special, "The Power of the Doctor," as a member of the Doctor Who companion support group.

Maureen O'Brien (Vicki)

vicki doctor who

Maureen O'Brien played Vicki for nine stories (38 episodes) in 1965, traveling with the First Doctor after the departure of his granddaughter, Susan. O'Brien has stated that she was desperate to leave pretty much as soon as she started, after realizing just what she had gotten herself into, but it was a change of producer that brought the final nail in the coffin for the young actor. Verity Lambert OBE left the series in 1965, replaced with John Wiles who was displeased with O'Brien's attitude on set, writing the character out during 1965's "The Myth Makers," making arrangements to have her removed while the cast were on a week-long break.

Related: Doctor Who: Flux Completes A Classic First Doctor Story

Peter Purves (Steven Taylor)

steven taylor doctor who

Peter Purves played Steven Taylor from 1965 to 1966, replacing Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright in the TARDIS after their departure in "The Chase." Purves was suggested to be Jacqueline Hill and William Russell's replacement by First Doctor actor William Hartnell and Maureen O'Brien, but not long after taking his first trip in the TARDIS, he became a casualty of another producer shake-up behind the scenes of Doctor Who. Innes Lloyd took over from John Wiles in 1966 and wanted to make the series more action-oriented and less whimsical than it had been, wanting to make the show more realistic, which unfortunately left Steven by the wayside in the shake-up.

Adrienne Hill (Katarina)

katarina doctor who

Adrienne Hill played Katarina for only five episodes in 1966, a Trojan handmaiden who was originally penned as a permanent replacement for Vicki, who departed Doctor Who in the same episode. Despite this, her role on the show was quickly reevaluated as the writer's found it challenging to write for someone so out of time, unused to modern items and scientific advancements. Hill was written out during her second story, where Katarina propels herself into space in an airlock, becoming the first of the Doctor's companions to die on Doctor Who. Hill's episodes would be lost until January 2004, when the second episode of "The Daleks' Master Plan" was recovered.

Jean Marsh (Sara Kingdom)

sara kingdom doctor who

Jean Marsh played Sara Kingdom in 1965's "The Daleks' Master Plan," taking over in the serial from Adrienne Hill who was written out during the story's second episode. Though Sara didn't continue as a regular companion, her involvement in the long-running story means she had more time on Doctor Who than her predecessor, so she must count as a companion. Unfortunately, Marsh could only commit to eight weeks on Doctor Who due to other scheduling conflicts, meaning she couldn't stay any longer after "The Daleks' Master Plan," one of Doctor Who's missing stories, so her character is aged up and killed off at the end of the story in 1966.

Jackie Lane (Dorothea "Dodo" Chaplet)

dodo chaplet doctor who

Jackie Lane played Dorothea "Dodo" Chaplet from February to July 1966. An Earth teenager, Dodo joins the First Doctor and Steven on board the TARDIS in 1966's "The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve," only staying for six stories before her character was written out after the expiration of her contract. Lane became another casualty of Innes Lloyd's shake-up of Doctor Who, wanting to take the series in a new direction, which meant that both Peter Purves and Lane were written out not too long after he took over the job. Lane has stated how disappointed she was that she didn't get a dramatic ending, like many other Doctor Who companions.

Related: Doctor Who: Pre-Hartnell Doctors Were Always Part Of The Plan

Anneke Wills (Polly Wright)

polly doctor who

Anneke Wills played Polly, often called Polly Wright in spinoff material, from 1966 to 1967, with she and Michael Craze being brought in to replace Peter Purves and Jackie Lane. The First Doctor regenerated in 1966's "The Tenth Planet," with Patrick Troughton replacing William Hartnell in the role, which both Polly and Ben Jackson were there to witness. After the change in actor for the Doctor, Wills stating that she found it hard to adjust to the changing series, as many aspects became much more modern, meaning Polly was written out not long after. The character cameoed in 2017's Christmas special, "Twice Upon a Time," alongside David Bradley's version o the First Doctor.

Michael Craze (Ben Jackson)

ben jackson doctor who

Michael Craze played Ben Jackson from 1966 to 1967, being introduced to Doctor Who in the same episode as Polly, "The War Machines." He is the other companion to witness the First Doctor's regeneration into the Second, and stays traveling until his departure with Polly in 1967's "The Faceless Ones," choosing to leave together. Both Anneke Wills and Craze joined the list of casualties from Innes Lloyd's shake-up behind the scenes, with neither happy about how they were abruptly written out of the series before they were initially scheduled to leave. They were, however, paid for the time they should have worked on Doctor Who, so there's a silver lining.

Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon)

jamie mccrimmon doctor who

Frazer Hines played Jamie McCrimmon from 1966 to 1969, a companion to the Second Doctor from 18th century Scotland, appearing in 112 episodes of Doctor Who before his eventual departure in 1969's "The War Games." He was originally planning to leave the series a lot earlier, but Patrick Troughton convinced him to stay until the end of the season so that he and his companion could leave the show together, as "The War Games" would feature the forced regeneration of the Second Doctor into the Third Doctor, portrayed by Jon Pertwee. Hines would appear again in the 1985 special episode, "The Two Doctors," alongside Troughton and Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker.

Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield)

victoria waterfield doctor who

Deborah Watling played Victoria Waterfield from 1967 to 1968, the daughter of a scientist from 1866 who is experimenting with time travel and catches the attention of the Daleks. Watling asked to be written off the show long before Victoria was set to depart the TARDIS, although the production team did try to keep her on for a further six stories which she had already been written into, only for her to deny. Watling reprised the role in the 1995 spinoff series, Downtime, which explores various Doctor Who companions investigating a mystery on Earth after their travels with the Doctor, including Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Third Doctor companion, Sarah Jane Smith.

Related: Doctor Who Finally Pays Off The Second Doctor's Weird Regeneration

Wendy Padbury (Zoe Heriot)

zoe heriot doctor who

Wendy Padbury played Zoe Heriot from 1968 to 1969, a young astrophysicist who traveled with the Second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon until the former's regeneration in "The War Games." Padbury had been asked to continue as the Third Doctor's companion after both Troughton and Frazer Hines left Doctor Who, but she decided against it. This did, however, work in the show's favor, as it enabled the production team to start with a completely new slate and reinvent the series for the Third Doctor, which they did by trapping the Doctor on Earth. Padbury briefly returned as Zoe Heriot alongside Troughton and Hines during 1983's 20th anniversary special, "The Five Doctors."

Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart)

brigadier lethbridge stewart doctor who

Nicholas Courtney played Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, known simply as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart or the Brigadier, from 1968 onwards, being an outlier among the Doctor's companions as he never really left the show. As one of the founders of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, aka UNIT, the Brigadier has a major role to play in Doctor Who from the Second Doctor's era onwards, but most prominently appearing in the Third Doctor's time working for UNIT on Earth. Even so, the Brigadier's legacy lives on with his daughter, Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) appearing in recent seasons, and his body even appearing as a Cyberman in 2014's Twelfth Doctor story, "Death in Heaven."

Caroline John (Liz Shaw)

liz shaw doctor who

Caroline John played Liz Shaw from January to June 1970, appearing as a brilliant scientist working with UNIT to investigate alien threats on Earth, where she meets the Third Doctor. John's departure was also due to a changeover in producers, with newcomer Barry Letts feeling as though Shaw was too clever, and the Doctor should have had a companion with lesser intelligence to make him look even more brilliant. It was for this reason alone that John was written out of Doctor Who, but almost coincidentally, John had been planning to leave anyway as she had recently discovered her pregnancy, so the stars seemed to align at the right time.

Katy Manning (Jo Grant)

jo grant doctor who

Katy Manning played Jo Grant from 1971 to 1973, replacing Caroline John as the Third Doctor's companion, and was literally Liz Shaw's replacement at UNIT after the former left her position at the end of 1970's "Inferno." Jo is considered to be the Third Doctor's real companion, having adventures with the Doctor for three years before Manning decided it was time to leave the series and move on to other acting work. Manning reprised the role alongside Elisabeth Sladen for two episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures in 2010, and then again in 2022's "The Power of the Doctor" as a member of Graham O'Brien's Doctor Who companion support group.

Related: Doctor Who Brings Back Third Doctor Trick To Beat Weeping Angels

Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith)

sarah jane smith doctor who

Elisabeth Sladen originally played Sarah Jane Smith from 1973 to 1976, an investigative journalist who first encounters the Third Doctor, and ends up traveling with him and witnessing his regeneration into the Fourth Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith quickly became one of the most popular Doctor Who companions, a title that still holds up to this day. Sladen decided to leave the series after three years, and Tom Baker tried to get producers to let the Doctor travel alone, as he didn't want another companion after her departure. Sladen never stopped playing Sarah Jane, getting her own spinoff series and appearing in multiple episodes of Doctor Who after the 2005 revival.

Ian Marter (Harry Sullivan)

harry sullivan doctor who

Ian Marter played Harry Sullivan from 1974 to 1975, a medical officer for UNIT who was first mentioned in the Third Doctor story, "Planet of the Spiders," but doesn't make an appearance until the Fourth Doctor's first adventure, "Robot." The character was written so that action scenes could take place as the production team expected an older actor to be taking over as the Doctor. However, when Tom Baker was cast, this was no longer an issue, so the decision was taken to write Marter out of future stories, with Harry choosing to return to London by train instead of continuing traveling with the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.

Louise Jameson (Leela)

leela doctor who

Louisa Jameson played Leela from 1977 to 1978, replacing Elisabeth Sladen's Sarah Jane Smith as the Fourth Doctor's regular companion. Leela was hugely popular after her introduction in "The Face of Evil," a warrior of the savage Sevateem tribe, the descendants of a human expedition that landed in the far future. Jameson was originally set to appear in many more stories, but chose to leave Doctor Who early in order to take up the role of Portia in The Merchant of Venice at the Bristol Old Vic, stating that "that was such a tempting carrot." She departed, staying on Gallifrey, along with the first version of the robot dog, K9.

Mary Tamm (Romana I)

romana i doctor who

Mary Tamm played the first incarnation of the Fourth Doctor's Time Lord companion, Romana, from 1978 to 1979, after the White Guardian assigned Romana to assist the Doctor during the quest for the Key to Time in "The Ribos Operation." There was a rumor, purportedly started by then-producer John Nathan-Turner, that Tamm was pregnant, which is why she left, however, Tamm has denied this over the years, instead saying that she simply chose not to return as she didn't feel like her character could be developed any further and that she had fallen into the same assistant role as previous companions.

Related: One Forgotten Tom Baker Story Explains Jodie Whittaker's Doctor Who Era

Lalla Ward (Romana II)

romana ii doctor who

Lalla Ward played the second incarnation of Romana from 1979 to 1981 after the character's regeneration just before 1979's "Destiny of the Daleks." Ward and Tom Baker soon began a romantic relationship, and one which wasn't always perfect, meaning there was often tension on set during filming, as confirmed by Adric actor Matthew Waterhouse. Eventually, Ward took the decision to leave, while Baker continued on as the Fourth Doctor, which helped both the tension on set and their relationship, as the pair married in 1980, only to divorce two years later. Romana would continue to be mentioned several times in subsequent Doctor Who stories, so she certainly had an impact.

Matthew Waterhouse (Adric)

adric doctor who

Matthew Waterhouse played Adric from 1980 to 1982, a native of the planet Alzarius in the parallel universe of E-Space. Adric was a popular companion, but Waterhouse had become frustrated at the lack of character development, so wasn't too displeased when he learned that Adric would be written out during the 1982 serial, "Earthshock." However, he was surprised to learn that he'd be the first Doctor Who companion in fifteen years to actually be killed off, as he dies trying to stop a Cyberman freighter crashing into the Earth, unbeknownst to him that it's actually the "meteor" that causes the extinction of the dinosaurs, and therefore the evolution of mankind.

Sarah Sutton (Nyssa)

nyssa doctor who

Sarah Sutton played Nyssa from 1981 to 1983, an aristocrat on Traken, she aids the Fourth Doctor and Adric in their battle with the Master that would eventually lead to the Doctor's regeneration. Fifth Doctor actor Peter Davison regarded Nyssa as his Doctor's perfect companion, feeling a special connection with her, so was upset when it was revealed that Sutton and Nathan-Turner had been in talks to write the character out of the series. Sutton took a break from acting after Doctor Who to focus on raising her family, but soon returned to the screen, even reprising the role of Nyssa occasionally over the years since her departure in 1983.

Janet Fielding (Tegan Jovanka)

tegan jovanka doctor who

Janet Fielding played Tegan Jovanka from 1981 to 1984, being introduced in Tom Baker's final adventure as the Fourth Doctor but going on to become a regular companion to the Fifth Doctor. Before her official departure, audiences were tricked into believing Fielding had already left Doctor Who as the Doctor abandoned Tegan in 1982's "Time-Flight." When Peter Davison announced his decision to leave the role of the Doctor to someone else, Fielding confirmed that she too would be leaving, though she would make an appearance in 2022's "The Power of the Doctor," alongside the Seventh Doctor's companion, Ace, working alongside UNIT in Jodie Whittaker's final adventure as the Thirteenth Doctor.

Related: Doctor Who Theory: The Grand Serpent Is Secretly A Fifth Doctor Villain

Mark Strickson (Vislor Turlough)

vislor turlough doctor who

Mark Strickson played Vislor Turlough from 1983 to 1984, a student of the retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, but the character is actually intent on double-crossing the Doctor, and it's eventually revealed he's an alien from the planet Trion. Though this might sound very exciting, Strickson quickly realized that his character wouldn't get the development he was promised, and decided to leave Doctor Who, much like Janet Fielding, once Peter Davison had announced his intention to pass the baton to the next Doctor. Strickson departed in the serial immediately preceding Davison's final adventure as the Fifth Doctor, finally leaving in 1984's "Planet of Fire" before Davison's departure in "The Caves of Androzani."

Gerald Flood (Kamelion)

kamelion doctor who

Gerald Flood voiced Kamelion from 1983 to 1984, first encountered by the Doctor, Vislor, and Tegan in 1215 A.D. as a tool being used by the Master, forcing Kamelion to pose as King John. Kamelion was originally written to be a regular companion for the Fifth Doctor, but the production team experienced several problems with the prop used for the character, meaning he was hastily written out of the series, and has since gone down in history as one of the Doctor's more obscure companions. Kamelion joined the club of companions that have died on the Doctor's watch, as he ends up getting shrunk by the Master's tissue compression eliminator.

Nicola Bryant (Peri Brown)

peri brown doctor who

Nicola Bryant played Peri Brown from 1984 to 1986, an American botany student from California who is introduced to the Fifth Doctor on the island on Lanzarote. She replaced Tegan and Vislor on the TARDIS for the Fifth Doctor's final adventure, witnessed his regeneration into the Sixth Doctor, and traveled with him until the season-long "Trial of a Time Lord." Bryant had signed a three-year contract, a year of which was eaten up by a long hiatus for Doctor Who. She had the opportunity to continue on after her contract had expired, but decided against it, probably wanting to go back to her British accent instead of faking the American.

Bonnie Langford (Mel Bush)

mel bush doctor who

Bonnie Langford played Mel Bush from 1986 to 1987, a 20th century computer programmer who traveled with the Sixth and Seventh Doctors. Langford replaced Nicola Bryant during the "Trial of a Time Lord" storyline, and her casting in the series had been controversial, not just with fans, but also with the production team. Nevertheless, the strength of her character made the producers want to keep her on, at least until her final serial, 1987's "Dragonfire," during which she chose to be written out as she felt there was nothing more she could add. She made a brief appearance in 2022's "The Power of the Doctor" in the companion support group.

Related: Doctor Who Reveals The 7th Doctor Got A Time Lord Weapon By Beating Thor

Sophie Aldred (Ace)

ace doctor who

Sophie Aldred played Ace from 1987 until Doctor Who's cancelation in 1989, but is still considered one of the Doctor's most popular companions as she was relatable and innovative for the time. She first appears in "Dragonfire" and replaces Bonnie Langford on board the TARDIS, but her story was never satisfyingly wrapped up as Doctor Who was put on hiatus and then canceled before Ace's story with the Seventh Doctor could end. Aldred appeared in the 2022 special, "The Power of the Doctor," alongside Janet Fielding, working with UNIT and the Thirteenth Doctor to stop the Master, the Daleks, and the Cybermen, and finally got redemption with the Seventh Doctor.

Daphne Ashbrook (Grace Holloway)

grace holloway doctor who

Daphne Ashbrook played Grace Holloway in the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie as the one-time companion to the Eighth Doctor, portrayed by Paul McGann. The 1996 movie was originally supposed to lead to a full revitalization of Doctor Who as a series, with McGann taking over from Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, but the film didn't perform well in the UK as it had been created for an American audience, so these plans didn't come to fruition. While it would have been great to see adventures with the Eighth Doctor and Grace, there are rumors McGann could return as the Doctor in future to get his time in the spotlight.

Billie Piper (Rose Tyler)

rose tyler doctor who

Billie Piper originally played Rose Tyler from 2005 to 2006, but returned on occasion throughout Russell T. Davies era of Doctor Who. As the first companion after the official revival of Doctor Who, Rose Tyler quickly became synonymous with the series, traveling with both Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor and David Tennant's Tenth, and forming a romantic connection with the latter. After season 2, Piper was ready for a career change, and since Doctor Who had made her a household name, she had no trouble finding work after departing the series, but Rose's Doctor Who departure certainly had a huge impact on the Doctor, and the companion returned several times over subsequent years.

Bruno Langley (Adam Mitchell)

adam mitchell doctor who

Bruno Langley played Adam Mitchell for two episodes of Doctor Who in 2005, being introduced as a worker in Henry van Statten's museum in "Dalek," and leaving the TARDIS with an information chip installed in his head in the next episode, "The Long Game." Langley's role had very little impact on the series, but just showed the dangers of traveling with a companion who is too big-headed or clever in the wrong ways, the opposite to Rose Tyler, so his inclusion in these episodes bonded Rose and the Doctor even more. Langley was only written into Doctor Who for those two episodes, so his departure didn't come as a surprise.

Related: Eccleston's Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Story Supports Multiverse Theory

John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness)

captain jack harkness doctor who

John Barrowman has portrayed Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and other related media since his introduction in the 2005 episode, "The Empty Child." Much like Nicholas Courtney with the role of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Captain Jack just won't leave the show, and has even led his own spinoff, Torchwood. Barrowman has appeared most recently in the 2021 New Year's Day special, "Revolution of the Daleks," opposite Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor, choosing at the end of the episode to stay on Earth and reconnect with old friends, including Gwen Cooper, which could spell good news for a Torchwood revival, especially now that Russell T. Davies is back in the driver's seat.

Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith)

mickey smith doctor who

Noel Clarke played Mickey Smith from 2005 to 2006, but has returned alongside Billie Piper as Rose Tyler in several episodes since his departure. Introduced as Rose's boyfriend, Mickey soon takes on a personality of his own and travels with the Tenth Doctor and Rose for a few episodes in Doctor Who's second season. Since Mickey was so closely tied to Rose, it came as no surprise when he left the TARDIS after Billie Piper's departure in that season's finale, "Doomsday." Clarke's most recent appearance came in Tennant's final episode as the Doctor, "The End of Time," which revealed that the companions Martha Jones and Mickey had actually married after their travels.

Catherine Tate (Donna Noble)

donna noble doctor who

Catherine Tate played Donna Noble during the 2006 Christmas special, "The Runaway Bride," but returned to the TARDIS for a full season alongside David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in 2008. Donna became one of the new series' most popular companions, and even ended up splicing her mind with that of the Doctor, which meant that she would have to have her memories wiped in order to save her. Tate was only ever intended to stay for one season, but has been confirmed to be returning with Tennant's new Fourteenth Doctor in 2023's 60th anniversary specials, probably since she was the Tenth Doctor's last regular companion, the pair must share a connection.

Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones)

Martha looks on in Doctor Who

Freema Agyeman played Martha Jones during the 2007 series of Doctor Who, traveling with the Tenth Doctor, which saw her fall in love with the Time Lord before eventually cutting ties after the events of "The Sound of Drums" and "Last of the Time Lords." Freema Agyeman left Doctor Who on good terms, with the intention being that she would appear in the spinoffs, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and cameo in future Doctor Who stories. Agyeman appeared in Torchwood season 2, and in several subsequent Doctor Who episodes, but hasn't been seen in the franchise since Tennant's final episode as the Tenth Doctor in "The End of Time."

Related: Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary: Every Tennant Set Photo & Reveal (So Far)

Kylie Minogue (Astrid Peth)

astrid peth doctor who

Kylie Minogue played Astrid Peth in the 2007 Christmas special, "Voyage of the Damned," becoming a one-time companion as Astrid sacrifices herself to save the Doctor during the episode. Apparently, there had been talks that Minogue could appear in Doctor Who in a recurring role after the success of her character in "Voyage of the Damned," but since this hasn't happened in the last fifteen years, it can be assumed that audiences won't be seeing Astrid Peth again. Catherine Tate became the regular companion for season 4 after the Doctor's adventure with Astrid, and after her, he went through a period of having only one-time companions before his eventual regeneration.

David Morrissey (Jackson Lake)

jackson lake doctor who

David Morrissey played Jackson Lake for the 2008 Christmas special, "The Next Doctor," never intended to be a regular companion for the Doctor, but helped ease the Tenth Doctor's pain after losing Donna Noble. Morrissey had been asked to appear in Doctor Who before his appearance in "The Next Doctor," but always had to decline due to his work on a variety of other projects. However, it was great to see him perform opposite David Tennant as a man who thought he was the Doctor, as Tennant had already played opposite a past Doctor in a Children in Need special featuring Fifth Doctor (and his real life father-in-law), Peter Davison.

Michelle Ryan (Lady Christina de Souza)

lady christina de souza doctor who

Michelle Ryan played Lady Christina de Souza during the 2009 Easter special, "Planet of the Dead," which featured the Doctor traveling alone on a London bus that crashes through a wormhole. As with the other companions featured in the 2009 special episodes of Doctor Who, Ryan was never intended to continue on for more than one episode, even though her fate is left uncertain as she flies away in the enhanced bus. Tennant and Ryan had brilliant chemistry on the sandy planet of San Helios, but it was never intended to last, with David Tennant's time coming to an end only a few episodes later in "The End of Time."

Lindsay Duncan (Adelaide Brooke)

adelaide brooke doctor who

Lindsay Duncan played Adelaide Brooke during the 2009 special episode, "The Waters of Mars," the penultimate episode of David Tennant's era as the Tenth Doctor. Similarly to Jackson Lake and Lady Christina de Souza, Adelaide Brooke was only ever meant to be a one-off companion to the Doctor, but it was brilliant to see such a big name take on a strong role in the series. Brooke provided the Doctor with some important lessons going into his final adventure against the Master, most notably that he's not "the Time Lord victorious," and he can't just do whatever he wants, no matter the consequences, sacrificing her life to prove her point.

Related: Every Doctor Who Actor That Returned In The Centenary Special

Bernard Cribbins (Wilfred Mott)

Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott in Doctor Who

Bernard Cribbins played Wilfred Mott from 2008 to 2010, mostly as a background character, him being Donna Noble's grandfather, but then as the Doctor's companion during "The End of Time" event at the end of the Tenth Doctor's life. Even after Catherine Tate's departure as Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott was an emotional pillar of the final season of Doctor Who before Russell T. Davies handed the reins over to Steven Moffat. Cribbins unfortunately died in July 2022, but not before he filmed scenes for the 60th anniversary specials in 2023, meaning he will be appearing as Wilfred Mott once again alongside old Doctor Who cast-mates David Tennant and Catherine Tate.

Karen Gillan (Amy Pond)

amy pond doctor who

Karen Gillan played Amy Pond from 2010 to 2012, the first companion of the Eleventh Doctor, introduced to him after he crash lands in her garden, and then returns twelve years later (then another two) and whisks her away to see the stars. Karen Gillan revealed that she and Steven Moffat discussed plans for Amy's departure, saying she felt it was her time to go, but wanted Amy to get what she wanted in the series. Amy departed with her husband, Rory Williams, in the haunting season 7 episode, "The Angels Take Manhattan," but returned as an illusion during the Eleventh Doctor's explosive regeneration in "The Time of the Doctor."

Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams)

rory williams doctor who

Arthur Darvill played Rory Williams from 2010 to 2012, being introduced along with Karen Gillan as the boyfriend, and eventual husband, to her Amy Pond. Being so closely tied to Amy Pond, it made sense for Rory to depart the TARDIS with her, and luckily, this matched up with both Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill's increased recognition after Doctor Who, with Gillan going on to portray Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Darvill experienced a rise in stardom on both stage and screen. With the way Amy and Rory's story ended, it's unlikely that they will be seen again in Doctor Who, but the Doctor certainly has good memories.

Alex Kingston (River Song)

river song doctor who

Alex Kingston played River Song periodically throughout Steven Moffat's run on Doctor Who between 2010 and 2015, after first appearing in the Tenth Doctor double-feature episodes, "Silence in the Library," and "Forest of the Dead." River was one of the most important characters in Doctor Who history, as the eventual wife of the Doctor, she probably knows more about him than anyone else. Steven Moffat tied up the story of River Song in "The Husbands of River Song," and though this doesn't shut the door on River returning in the future, it seems as though that particular Doctor Who story is over, especially since the Thirteenth Doctor didn't mention River.

Related: Doctor Who Finally Answers A Decade-Old Matt Smith Question

Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald)

clara oswald doctor who

Jenna Coleman played Clara Oswald from 2012 to 2015, the final companion of the Eleventh Doctor, who witnessed his regeneration into the Twelfth Doctor. Clara was built up throughout Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill's final episodes of Doctor Who, before the true character's introduction in 2013's "The Bells of Saint John." Coleman's contract ended after one season with Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor, but Coleman chose to stay on for another season to properly end Clara's story. Coleman went on to play Queen Victoria in the ITV drama, Victoria, not wanting to limit herself to staying on Doctor Who just because she could, since the series is always changing.

Matt Lucas (Nardole)

nardole doctor who

Matt Lucas played Nardole from 2015 to 2017, being introduced in the 2015 Christmas special, "The Husbands of River Song," and becoming a series regular in Peter Capaldi's final season as the Twelfth Doctor. Nardole was given an unusually abrupt ending for Doctor Who, something that hasn't been seen regularly since the 2005 revival. Matt Lucas was written out of Doctor Who alongside Michelle Gomez as Missy in the season 10 finale, "The Doctor Falls," but made a brief appearance with Bill Potts in the subsequent Christmas special, "Twice Upon a Time."

Pearl Mackie (Bill Potts)

bill potts doctor who

Pearl Mackie played Bill Potts during the 2017 season of Doctor Who opposite Peter Capaldi in his final adventures as the Doctor. Bill became a very popular companion after her time on the show, with many viewers feeling as though she was underused, however, with Steven Moffat's exit from the series and Chris Chibnall taking over, Doctor Who got a clean slate, which meant that Pearl Mackie had been fired from her role before her season had even aired. Perhaps Chibnall's era of Doctor Who would have been better received if he had kept a remnant of the past through the transition, nevertheless, Bill Potts got her happy ending.

Bradley Walsh (Graham O'Brien)

graham o'brien doctor who

Bradley Walsh played Graham O'Brien from 2018 to 2021, debuting as a new companion for Jodie Whittaker's first season as the Thirteenth Doctor. Graham is the husband of Ryan Sinclair's grandmother, choosing to travel with the Doctor after his wife's death as a symbol of her bravery. Walsh had been outspoken about how he found the filming schedule for Doctor Who grueling, expressing that he found it hard, relentless, and not easy, but that he had been looking forward to having a rest and wanted to leave on his own free will. He did appear once again in the 2022 special, "The Power of the Doctor," for Whittaker's final adventure.

Related: Jodie Whittaker's Final Line Perfectly Sums Up Her Thirteenth Doctor

Tosin Cole (Ryan Sinclair)

ryan sinclair doctor who

Tosin Cole played Ryan Sinclair from 2018 to 2021, introduced at the same time as Graham O'Brien as his step-grandson, though he soon falls into the habit of calling him grandad. While Cole didn't provide a reason for his departure during the 2021 New Year's Day special, "Revolution of the Daleks," it could be assumed that he was leaving for much the same reason as Bradley Walsh, as the pair left together. Cole didn't return for the 2022 special, "The Power of the Doctor," and now that Russell T. Davies has taken over control of Doctor Who once again, it's unlikely he'll want to revisit Chibnall's era of the show.

Mandip Gill (Yasmin Khan)

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Mandip Gill played Yasmin Khan from 2018 to 2022, being the most recent companion to leave the TARDIS as she departed at the end of "The Power of the Doctor," released in October 2023. It made sense for Yas to leave at the end of the Thirteenth Doctor's era, as they started together and should end together, particularly since they shared a special connection. Even so, Gill has hinted that Yas' exit from Doctor Who might not be permanent, suggesting there could be a return at some stage in the series, whether that be in 2023's special episodes, or in a season with Ncuti Gatwa, is yet to be seen.

John Bishop (Dan Lewis)

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John Bishop played Dan Lewis during 2021's "Flux" event, replacing Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole on the TARDIS. Dan was being built up to be a regular companion in later seasons of the series, potentially even outlasting Jodie Whittaker since he was introduced so late during her tenure. However, the BBC centenary special, "The Power of the Doctor," wrote Bishop out right at the very beginning in a ridiculously abrupt ending which paid no attention to the actual character arc. Though he does appear later in Graham's companion support group, Dan's exit from Doctor Who marks the start of some huge changes to come.

Next: Doctor Who's New Companion Continues RTD's Perfect Season 14 Change