ManyDoctor Whocompanions’ best stories actually happened after they officially left the TARDIS. Several ofDoctor Who’s companions were too ambitious for TV, at least some audiences considered them to be, so it made sense thattheir best stories occurred after their official tenure. While most ofthe greatestDoctor Whostories of all timewere on-screen adventures, many Whoniverse lovers weren’t aware of certain companions’ stories after they departed from the show.
Doctor Who’s lore also expanded into Big Finish audio dramas, written prose stories, comics, and even webcasts. Whether they were happy endings or tough fallouts, these other projects allowed viewers to be reunited with their all-time favorite characters and learn about their lives after their days in the TARDIS, whether they were a long-term traveler or aone-offDoctor Whocompanion.
10Martha Jones
Left The TARDIS: Modern Era, Season 3, Episode 13 “Last Of The Time Lords”
Martha Jones was a hugely underratedDoctor Whocompanion, and many believed that she wasn’t anything more than a doe-eyed obsessive whose only notable trait was that she was in love with the Doctor. This was, of course, completely incorrect, and her story after she departed the TARDIS in the season 3 finale, “Last of the Time Lords,” proved this.
After she stopped the Saxon Master and reversed the events of The Year That Never Was,Martha’s medical training was expedited byDoctor Who’s UNIT, and she worked for the organization as a fully fledged doctor. “The Sontaran Stratagem” and “The Poison Sky,” one ofthe bestDoctor Whotwo-part storiesever, showed just how strong and self-sufficient Martha was, both with and without the Doctor.
Doctor Who Referencing Martha’s Debut Is A Reminder Of The Modern Show’s Most Underused Companion
Martha Jones was one of the Doctor’s earliest companions in the modern era, but despite getting a mention in the 2024 special, she was underutilized.
Martha’s time working for Torchwood also demonstrated how brilliant she wasdealing with alien threats, and her connection with the team was essential to her saving the day in several Big Finish audio dramas andDoctor Whoprose stories. While she was great alongside the Doctor, Martha was ultimately better after she left the TARDIS.
9Adam Mitchell
Left The TARDIS: Modern Era, Season 1, Episode 7 “The Long Game”
While theDoctor Whotheory that Adam Mitchell was Davros was disproved, he strangely ended up becoming a tyrannous villain anyway, just not the creator of the Daleks. After the Ninth Doctor dropped Adam back on Earth at the end of “The Long Game,” and was left to a life of isolation because of the alien technology inserted in his forehead, the short-lived companion was understandably bitter.
Adam became one of the biggest antagonists inDoctor Who’s other forms of media,and the prose “Welcome Home” established that the death of his mother set him on a path of destruction. Adam learned about the Time Lords and their ability to regenerate, and plotted to kidnap several companionsto get revenge onevery incarnation of the Doctor inDoctor Who, not just the Ninth.
Some of his wildest escapades included using Cyber technology to steal a vortex manipulator from a Time Agent, teaming up with the Tremas Master, and even violently kicking the Ninth Doctor. While it was shocking to see this character’s development progress in this way, there was no doubt that Adam’s post-TARDIS adventures were more exciting than the two episodes ofDoctor Whohe appeared in.
8Mel Bush
Left The TARDIS: Classic Era, Season 24, Serial 4 “Dragonfire”
Bonnie Langford’s Mel Bushwas one of few companions to work with both classic and modern era Doctors, and one of her best stories was easily “The Giggle,” her first on-screen appearance in years. Mel departed the TARDIS in the classic era serial “Dragonfire,” when she decided to remain with Sabalom Glitz and travel with him instead.
Interestingly,Mel’s canon split into several different accounts, all of which were very intriguing. The prose of “Dragonfire” established that Mel really wanted to look for somewhere to belong, rather than her decision to leave having anything to do with traveling the universe.
The audio drama “A Life of Crime” stated that the companion was sold by Glitz in order to pay off his debts, and she later reunited with the Seventh Doctor and Ace and had adventures with them, whereas the webcast “24 Carat” saw Mel run a galaxy-wide carrot juice empire that made her a huge success. However,Doctor Who’s official canon saw Mel return to Earthafter Glitz’s death, and following decades of a happy partnership with him,she settled back down on her home planet and worked for UNIT.
7Jo Grant
Left The TARDIS: Classic Era, Season 10, Serial 5 “The Green Death”
Jo Grant was one of the fewcompanions inTales of the TARDISwhose fate after leaving the Doctor was explored in further depth, although this wasn’t the first time she returned to the franchise before this. Jo decided to say goodbye to the Third Doctor in “The Green Death” after she fell in love with Cliff and planned to marry him.
Jo worked with different tribes across the world, saved lives, and even sailed down the Yangtze River in a tea chest.
After leaving, Jo tried to stay in touch with the Doctor via UNIT and ultimately failed, but this didn’t stop her from having adventures of her own. Jo worked with different tribes across the world, saved lives, and even sailed down the Yangtze River in a tea chest.The Sarah Jane Adventuresepisode “Death of the Doctor” revealed that the Time Lord witnessed all of Jo’s wacky escapades, too.
Several audio dramas established that Jo and Cliff’s marriage fell apart, but one thing that was always certain was that they had many children.Jo’sseven children and thirteen grandchildrenwere her greatest pride, and despite the big family, it never stopped her from helping save the world.
6Sarah Jane Smith
Left The TARDIS: Classic Era, Season 14, Serial 3 “The Hand Of Fear”
Sarah Jane Smith, by far, had the best post-TARDIS story of anyDoctor Whocompanion. Elisabeth Sladen’s iconic character leftDoctor Whoin the serial “The Hand of Fear” when the Doctor had to return to Gallifrey, although he learned centuries later in “School Reunion” that he dropped her off in Aberdeen, Scotland, rather than her home of Croydon, England.
While this was heartbreaking,Sarah Jane later led not one, but twoDoctor WhoTV spinoffs:K-9 and CompanyandThe Sarah Jane Adventures. Considering Sarah Jane was always headstrong and mostly independent, it was fascinating to see her become a mother to Luke and Sky, as well as an important figure in Rani, Clyde, and Maria’s lives.
Sarah Jane had her own TARDIS, the supercomputer Mr. Smith in her attic, her own sonic device, and her own companions, and so essentially became the Doctor in many ways. “The Power of the Doctor” made a beautiful tribute to Sarah Jane, but it couldn’t even begin to honor all of her, especially the adventures she had off-screen, too.
5Ace
Left The TARDIS: Classic Era, Season 26, Serial 4 “Survival”
Although Ace didn’t technically leave the TARDIS in “Survival,” as it was the last serial ofDoctor Who’s classic erabefore cancelation, the story serves as her final official adventure on-screen. Despite this, Ace was a trailblazer of aDoctor Whocompanionand a delight in every installment she appeared in. Her timeline outside of the show’s canon was massively complicated, but incredible.
Some narratives saw Ace be melded by the Seventh Doctor so she could attend the Time Lord Academy, andothers saw her become an agent of the Celestial Intervention Agency. Ace was at the forefront of manyamazingDoctor Whostories that weren’t on TV. For example, in the audio drama “Soldier Obscura,” her memory of Gallifrey and the Time War was wiped, and she was returned to Earth.
Ace later started up “A Charitable Earth,” a charity for underprivileged children, which “Death of the Doctor” also referenced, too. Even though Ace had an astounding run inDoctor Whowhen she was an active companion, her legacy truly didn’t begin until after she left the TARDIS.
4Nyssa
Left The TARDIS: Classic Era, Season 20, Serial 4 “Terminus”
It was saddening when Nyssa left the TARDIS in “Terminus,” especially as she had traveled with two incarnations of the Doctor. However, her decision was selfless, as Nyssa left so that she could help work on a cure and separate the hospital from the titular incorporation.
Nyssa worked non-stop to create a vaccination for Lazar’s disease, and the prose “Asylum” established her travels across the galaxy in order to learn more about the illness and the general political climate. She even played a part inDoctor Who’s first Time Warand worked on a hospital ship to help the injured. WhileNyssa’s life after she left the TARDIS wasn’t as glamorous or safe as others, she made the Doctor proud of her.
An older version of Nyssa rejoined the Fifth Doctor on his travels in multiple Big Finish audios, too, although the prose story “The Doctor’s Companions” established thatshe ultimately settled on Earth where she reunited with Tegan. After their appearance in “Power of the Doctor,”Doctor Whofinally made the speculation that there was something romantic between them canon, whenTales of the TARDISand the audio drama “Farewell, Sarah Jane” confirmed they were now a couple.
3Captain Jack Harkness
Left The TARDIS: Modern Era, Season 1, Episode 13 “The Parting Of The Ways”
AlthoughCaptain Jack Harkness’ stories in theDoctor Whouniverse were brought to an end in recent years, audiences couldn’t deny that his stories after he left the TARDIS were incredible. The Ninth Doctor abandoned Jack in “The Parting of the Ways” after the Bad Wolf made him immortal, and so the charismatic ex-companion returned to 21st century Earth and waited for the Time Lord to return.
The events ofTorchwood,Doctor Who’s Big Finish audios, prose, and comics, all demonstrated how layered Jack was.
Jack was the leader of Torchwood Three, and his adventures throughout human history were wild, even before he met the likes of Gwen, Ianto, Tosh, Owen, and Suzie. Even when Jack served as a temporary companion in seasons 3, 4, and 12 ofDoctor Who’s modern era, it proved just how much his character had improved since his debut.
Doctor Who: Why John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Won’t Be Returning
John Barrowman starred as Captain Jack in Doctor Who and Torchwood, but historic allegations mean the character won’t be returning anytime soon.
The events ofTorchwood,Doctor Who’s Big Finish audios, prose, and comics, all demonstratedhow layered Jack was. His stories after Torchwood Three was destroyed were particularly profound, and his final goodbye with the ghost ofGareth David-Lloyd’s Ianto Jonesin the audio drama “The House of the Dead” was especially heartbreaking.
2Susan Foreman
Left The TARDIS: Classic Era, Season 2, Serial 2 “The Dalek Invasion Of Earth”
The Doctor’s granddaughter inDoctor Who, Susan Foreman, was the first ever companion. Susan left the TARDIS and her grandfather in “The Daleks,” after she fell in love with a human and stayed with him to help rebuild Earth’s society. While she returned in“The Five Doctors,”it established little about Susan’s lifesince the Doctor said goodbye to her.
However, the Big Finish audios delved further into Susan’s fate. Some stories confirmed that Susan’s alien origins remained a secret, but others contradicted this, like when she ran to be the leader of humanity in “After the Daleks.” Certain accounts deemed that Susan and David adopted three war orphans and named two after Barbara and Ian, and that despite becoming a mother, she never stopped searching for anything the Daleks left behind after theirDoctor Whoinvasion of Earth.
While the audio drama “To the Death” was a harrowing story for Susan, it stood as one of her best, mainly because the way she handled her son’s death was so incredible.Susan also fought on the front line of the Time War, and although her fate was difficult and traumatic, her off-screen adventures proved her a fantastic character.
1Romana
Left The TARDIS: Classic Era, Season 18, Serial 5 “Warriors' Gate”
Romana’s fate after she decided to help the Tharils rebuild in the serial “Warriors' Gate” was astonishing. After she said goodbye to the Fourth Doctor, Romana later returned to Gallifrey and took a seat on the High Council of Time Lords. The story “Goth Opera” established that Romana eventually became the President, but in “The Apocalypse Element,” it was revealed that she was captured and imprisoned by the Daleks for over two decades.
Still, she managed to escape and reclaimedher title as Gallifrey’s President. Many Big Finish audios andDoctor Whoprose stories focused on Romana embark on all manner of adventures. Before the Time War, she fought strange zombies, explored alternate realities, and even trapped a future version of herself.
1 Time Doctor Who Recast A Companion - Why The Original Romana Was Replaced
Over the span of 60 years, The Doctor traveled the universe alongside different companions, however, there was one time a companion was recast.
Romana famously stepped down from her role upon the outbreak of the war, tried to assassinate Rassilon, and regenerated several times in these additionalDoctor Whoprojects. While Romana was an exciting companion during her travels in the TARDIS, her life after was even more dramatic.
Doctor Who
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Doctor Who: Released on June 03, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
Doctor Who: Doctor Who is a British sci-fi television series debuting in 1963, following The Doctor, a time-traveling alien Time Lord. The Doctor explores the universe in the TARDIS, accompanied by companions, confronting various adversaries and striving to save civilizations while addressing injustices.
An alien from the planet Gallifrey travels through time and space to explore, solve problems and fight injustice while also making friends with human beings. His spaceship, called TARDIS, resembles a police box, but it is much more than it appears to be.
