Favorite Doctor Who companions

[Yuki-Anne]

Okay, I'm only going to go with those who have appeared in the new series, because otherwise there are far too many.

Donna Noble - I loved her personality and her chemistry with the Doctor, and I loved that they were explicitly just friends. After Rose and Martha, we needed someone to just be his pal. And you can see David Tennant's and Catherine Tate's real-life friendship shine through. They have great, hilarious chemistry wherever they appear together in British entertainment (and they do appear together a lot), and Doctor Who is no exeption.

Rory Williams - Just awesome. His loyalty, determination, and unquenchable love for his girl are the most amazing things. As a companion, he's hilarious, and as a character, he's impressive, yet still manages to maintain his every-man status. He never ceases to make you feel like you're watching an average guy, but his qualities are so far beyond average. What girl wouldn't want to end up with a guy like Rory?

Rose Tyler - I can't help it. She doesn't have any particularly outstanding qualities as a character. There's nothing altogether special about her. And maybe that's the best part. She, like Rory, is just the average girl you'd meet on the street. I think her strength is in how well written the character is, and how well the chemistry worked between Billie Piper and her costars, both Eccleston and Tennant. They made the romance so sweeping and epic that even though she would be actually a really boring character on her own, I couldn't help but love her.

Amy Pond - I think this character is carried pretty much entirely on Karen Gillan's screen presence, because when I think of some of her lines of dialogue in writing I can't help but think that they would be obnoxious. But Gillan carries Amy and gives her a lot of life, and I love Amy.

River Song - Okay. I really hated this character at first. I couldn't stand her, and I felt like she was being foisted onto us as this ridiculously smug love interest. But they've gone interesting places with the character, and I've come to really enjoy her whenever she shows up.

Also, I didn't vote for him, but I think he deserves an honorable mention: Wilfred Mott - Since when do old guys get to be companions? Since WILFRED EFFING MOTT, that's when. I love how subtly they introduced this character, and how kind and wise he is while at the same time giving you the impression that he's out of his league when it comes to tagging along with the doctor, and he knows it. He's such an interesting character to me. There are aspects of his character that are strangely childlike. He feels like a symbolic representation of the eternal child in all of us; no matter how old we are, there is still room for wonder, and he shows us that so well.

[Radical Dreamer]

Amy Pond, Rory Williams-Pond, River Song, and Martha Jones, in that order. XD Honorable mentions definitely go to Donna Noble and Wilfred Mott. XD

On Amy, I just adore everything about her character. XD She's the perfect blend of spunky, funny, smart, and brave, and she doesn't shy away when the Doctor needs someone to yell at him. XD And I mean really, [spoiler]she's the reason why the Doctor is still around after Big Bang 2. XD Who wouldn't love her? XD [/spoiler]

Rory, I actually started out not liking. And by the way he was introduced, he was holding the short end of the stick all the time, always coming up short when compared to the Doctor, and not really getting the chance to be quite as cool. I absolutely love where his character has gone, however. He's developed so much since his introduction, and as soon as he made the decision to [spoiler]wait 2,000 years alongside Amy and the Pandorica, I loved him. XD[/spoiler] As season 6 has progressed, he's just become more and more awesome, proving himself as a capable companion, loyal and loving husband, and an all-around well-written character. I love how they've used his insecurities with Amy to boost his confidence, rather than tearing it apart. XD

On River, I just think she's fabulous. XD I think the concept behind her character is VERY cool (if a little Time Traveler's Wife-ish), and I love going back and re-watching episodes featuring her from series 4-6. It's that variety of brain-twisting, mind-exploding time travel stuff that I really enjoy watching. XD

And I will never understand the people who don’t love Martha Jones. XD She’s my favorite of the pre-Moffat companions. XD Before I watched series 3, I heard a lot of people saying they hated her because she was “all over the Doctor” while he was still sad about Rose, so I didn’t quite know what to expect. I only knew that I didn’t really care for Rose at all, and was ready for the next companion. XD But seriously, she’s smart, she’s independent, she’s not hanging all over the Doctor all the time, and her (largely understated, from what I was expecting) infatuation with him in the storyline is what I would expect from any girl who got swept away through time by an attractive man in a blue box. XD The only problem I had was the direction that the writers took with Martha’s character in her last scene in The End of Time part 2. Mickey, seriously? She’s so much better than that. XD

As for Donna Noble, the only reason she didn't make my list of top favorites is because I felt like she never outgrew the "new companion" phase. I'm not really sure why, either. It could have something to do with the fact that I more or less marathonned series 4 over the course of 2-4 days. XD Even so, while I do like Donna (and I LOVE Catherine Tate, oh my goodness), she just didn't end up being one of my favorites. XD Odd, since I expected her to from the little I had seen with her before watching series 4. XD

[GeneD]

Donna Noble! I was not too happy with her (insecurities) in the last few eps of season 4, but man she is awesome. One of my favourite moments with her is when she finds the Doctor again in the first episode, the whole mime explanation thing through a window. Apparently Catherine Tate improved this and it is great. I loved the comedic things about her. Oi Spaceman! Now that I think about it, is she the only character to have given the Doctor a nickname?

Wilfred Mott is the best, most adorable old guy in television. Like Yuki-Anne said, he is totally in over his head but he does his utmost best and is so kind and sweet.

I like Rose and it was only long after she was no longer around that I found out a lot of people don't like her at all. So now I try and ignore them because I won't let my enjoyment be spoiled by them. She's cheeky and obnoxiously human but she is excited by the same things the Doctor is and gets me excited about them too. I'm not a huge fan of the whole romance angle, but to be honest I would most probably have gone the same way (like RD mentioned with Martha too).

Martha, jip liked her too. Was also surprised about all the hate. (Just realised why I only notice all of this way after I finished the season; since everyone's finished watching it way before me and are done talking about it.) I thought she and Mickey were cool together, mostly also because Mickey seemed to, for a lack of a better term, grow a pair. I don't think I ever saw all of season 3 though, so didn't see that much Martha.

Amy Pond is pretty great too, but for me she is suffering from a sort of reverse Rose-syndrome. It feels like everyone is so in love with her and maybe it just irritates me a little, which is silly but there it is. I do like her, but I am tired of hearing that’s she’s basically God’s gift to Doctordom. I am pretty sure if I watch s5 again and s6 she’ll grow on me a lot more.

Honourable mentions:
River, I haven’t seen enough of, but she is brilliant. Rory grew on me a lot more too after Amy’s Choice.
Captain Jack Harkness! I love him, but it’s good that they only use him in small doses, in Doctor Who at least, I know he has Torchwood.

-That doesn't really leave anyone out does it? XD

[Wolf-man]

Well...even though you are only going with the new series I still say that Romana needs to be on here because she's awesome. Also where is K-9!?

[bigsleepj]

I love Donna Noble the most, I think. I lwished she could have stayed longer with the series instead of her muted end. What a waste.

Also, David Tennant and Catherine Tate have re-united on stage for Much ado about Nothing.

[K. Ayato]

In no particular order:

River Song--'cause she had so much mystery about her and she was pretty awesome. Plus, [spoiler]she made a Dalek beg for mercy by the end of Season 5.[/spoiler]

Amy Pond--I really like her because even when she's in trouble, she does everything she can to fight back. She's got spunk, which I like in female characters.

Rory Williams--Started off as a butt monkey in Season 5, but he's come a long way. And he doesn't hesitate to use his medical skills in an emergency.

Donna Noble--I admit I've not seen much episodes with the 10th Doctor, except during the marathon they played before Season 6 premiered, but I was impressed with Donna's character. Older, yet still sassy.

[Cognitive Gear]

Anyone but Rose. She's a bland wish-fulfillment character for young women.

To rank them, though: Amy/Rory (I have come to count them as one. I don't think either would be nearly as good without the other.) River, Martha, then Donna.

[Yuki-Anne]

Anyone but Rose. She's a bland wish-fulfillment character for young women.

I can think of far blander and more repulsive wish-fulfillment characters for young women. But this thread isn't about Twilight.

[rocklobster]

I'm voting for Sarah Jane because she is and always will be awesome. If you folks haven't seen Sarah Jane Adventures, you should. You have no excuse. You can buy it on Amazon or other places if you can't watch it on BBC. It's just as awesome as Doctor Who itself, and not just the episodes where the 10th and 11th doctors show up. I also nominate K9.
And yes, it's really sad that Elizabeth Sladen is now dead. Especially since Big Finish was all set to finally do an audio drama that would reunite Tom Baker and Elizabeth Sladen for the first time in several years. I would've loved to hear that!:waah!: