Even though Doctor Who is primarily about time travel and saving the world and the universe all over again, there's more to the show than just time-traveling shenanigans and various monsters. An equally important part is the bond between the characters. The Doctor and the companions as well as other characters are often very close - either because they are in love or because they have built a strong friendship over time.
As a result, it's even more devastating when something bad happens and this bond is disrupted. Doctor Who is full of emotional scenes that made the audience cry in some cases, and the characters separating are some of the most intense moments of the show.
Amy And Rory Disappear
Rory's and Amy's departure was shocking for a lot of the viewers because it happened all of a sudden. It looked like the Doctor, Amy, Rory, and River outsmarted the Weeping Angels and managed to defeat them. But the last Weeping Angel showed up and sent Rory into the past, where he also died.
Amy decided to follow her husband, despite the Doctor pleading her to stay. The Doctor, Amy, and River all broke down in tears because they realized they wouldn't be able to see each other again. Amy barely got to say goodbye to her best friend and her daughter, before she vanished too.
Rose And The Doctor Are In Different Universes
Another moment of triumph that quickly turned into a tragedy happened in the second season. It looked like the Tenth Doctor and Rose would get rid of all the Daleks. But Rose had slipped and would have died if Pete Tyler hadn't saved her.
As a result, Rose vanished and was trapped in a different universe than the Doctor, with no way how to reach him. At the end of the scene, Rose and the Doctor are standing against the same wall but in different universes, sad and crying.
Rose And The Doctor Say Their Goodbyes
At least the Doctor and Rose got to say their goodbyes after having been forcefully separated. Unfortunately, neither of them can cross over to the other universe. They have one last brief conversation on a beach on Rose's Earth before they have to part ways again, this time presumably for good.
Rose expresses her love for the Doctor but before he can say it back, he vanishes and can't return. The scene is highly emotional because both the characters and the fans realize that this is the end of the road for the Doctor and Rose.
Pete Tyler Corrects The Timeline
Speaking of Rose, her dad, Pete, died during a car accident when she was just a little girl. When Rose travels back in time with the Ninth Doctor, she tries to save her dad's life. And even though she succeeds for a time, it has terrible consequences on the timeline.
In the end, Pete realizes what is going on and sacrifices his life to fix things. At least this time, he and Rose get to say their goodbyes, however heart-wrenching they are.
John Smith Gives Up His Potential Life
In the third season, the Doctor disguises himself as a human to hide from his enemies. During his time as his human alias, John Smith, the Doctor falls in love with the school nurse, Joan Redfern. But John eventually learns the truth and realizes he has to leave and come back to his original self.
Before they say their goodbyes, John and Joan see what their future could have been like had the Doctor stayed human. They would have gotten married, had children, and would have been happy together. That makes the end of their relationship even sadder.
Martha Travels The Earth To Save Everyone
Martha Jones is one of the most underrated companions on Doctor Who. She was intelligent, brave, and extremely selfless. She proved all this when she traveled the Earth during the year that never was and spread the word about the Doctor.
During this year, Martha was separated from her family, who was captured by the Master. Martha must have been worried for her family but she kept going, determined to fulfill her mission. It worked, and Martha then made the decision to say goodbye to the Doctor and stay with her family instead - because they needed her more after everything they had been through.
Danny Dies During A Phone Call To Clara
Even though it takes them a while, Clara and Danny get together eventually and are happy. Yet their happiness abruptly ends during a phone call they share. Clara tells Danny she loves him and he says it back.
But by the time Clara repeats she loves him and says this will be the last time she's saying these words to anyone, Danny is already dead. A car hits him and he dies on spot. The scene's even sadder because unlike a Dalek attack or a conversion to Cyberman, this can happen to anyone.
The Doctor Erases Donna's Memory
Doctor and Donna weren't a couple, unlike some of the other characters on this list, but that doesn't change the fact their goodbye was heartbreaking. The Doctor had to take away all of Donna's memories of him and all the amazing things she did in order to save her life.
He succeeded but lost his friend in the process and Donna lost her memory of all her brave deeds. The scene is made even sadder by the fact Donna cries and begs the Doctor not to take her memories away before he actually does it.
Reinette Never Travels With The Doctor
Reinette Poisson or Madame de Pompadour was one of the best could-have-been companions on the show. She and the Doctor met when Reinette was a child and then reunited on several other occasions during Reinette's life. At their last visit, the Doctor promised Reinette that the next time he would see her, she could leave and travel in the TARDIS with him, see the stars as she wanted.
But before the Doctor got to Reinette again, she had already passed and all that was left of her was the sad letter she wrote to the Doctor before her death.
The Eleventh Doctor Sees River After Her Death
River Song (otherwise known as Melody Pond) died several times on the show due to the time-traveling shenanigans. But one of the most devastating scenes happened when the Eleventh Doctor met her again and it turned out that River was dead by now, and he was the only one who could see her. They at least got to share a kiss before River disappeared.