We take a look back at some of the best companion exits in Doctor Who’s history…
#4: Jamie and Zoe (‘The War Games’)
To deal the battle schemes of the War Lord, the second Doctor had to resort to calling for help from his own people. It cost him his liberty and a further regeneration, but they weren’t the only things he lost.
Faithful companions Jamie and Zoe were returned to their own times, their memories cruelly wiped of all but their first adventure with the Time Lord. Sadly, that also meant Jamie would never remember her either.
#3: Donna (‘Journey’s End’)
Stuck in a TARDIS on the edge of destruction, Donna interacted with the Doctor’s pickled hand and ended up on the receiving end of a bolt of regenerative energy. As the DoctorDonna she burned bright, but had to be stopped to save her life and was condemned to a death of personality, and a mind wipe of sorts, in order to grant her a safer, more mundane human life.
Donna too suffered a slight return in ‘The End of Time’, but never enough to spoil that heart-rending finale.
#2: Adric (‘Earthshock’)
Has a companion’s exit ever made more of an impact? Literally, in his case as the accidently time-travelling, Cyber-controlled space freighter he was on was implied to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs! No theme music played and credits rolled over a black backdrop and the remnants of his broken gold star badge.
Despite the character being petulant and annoying much of the time, more akin to annoying younger brother than the initial concept of an artful dodger in space, there’s no denying that Adric left in style.
#1: Peri (‘The Trial of a Time Lord’)
As you watch a Doctor Who story and the stakes get bigger and bigger, you count on our hero having a plan. With the Doctor acting out of character, and the fact that he was viewing events alone in that Gallifreyan Courtroom, things didn’t look great for Peri.
Chosen as the receptacle for the brain of the Mentor, Lord Kiv, the show delivered a chilling moment as Peri stood bald headed from the transfer operation and spoke with an inhuman voice: “Protect me! I am your Lord and Master.” With the Doctor taken out of time, it fell to enraged warrior King Yrcarnos to resolve the situation by killing everything in sight.
Despite being slightly negated by the bizarre revelation that she’d been rescued and turned into Brian Blessed’s bride at a later date, arguably a worse fate, Peri’s departure was a highly memorable shocker… as was her replacement!
What’s your favourite Doctor Who companion exit? Let us know below…