BBCOn this very day, 53 years ago, British TV viewers were introduced to a rogue Time Lord who liked to get timey wimey inside his spaceship disguised as a blue police box and a cultural institution was born.
Over 800 episodes, 12 incarnations of its main character, and and one massive 16-year gap in production later, Doctor Who remains a global phenomenon. In honor of the momentous occasion, we thought we'd turn our attention to that other crucial element of the long-running series: The companion.
The Doctor never travels alone, instead bringing one lucky human (or sometimes more) along in the TARDIS to explore all of time and space alongside him. Some have been exceptional, becoming icons in their own right, while others are best being completely forgotten about. (Looking at you, Adam!) With that in mind, it's time for a ranking!
(For the purposes of practicality and our sanity, we're only ranking the Doctor's companions from the modern-day revival. We're not masochists, after all.)
To find out which companion came out on top, be sure to click through our new gallery. Don't agree with the order? Let us know in the comments below!
The Doctor Who Christmas special, "The Return of Doctor Mysterio," premieres Sunday, Dec. 25 on BBC America. The new season debuts in spring 2017.