"Harry Sullivan is an imbecile!!"—the fourth Doctor; "Revenge of the Cybermen."

After all, what would the Doctor be without them?

Where and Whence They Came and Left

Susan was with the first Doctor at the beginning of the series. Her schoolteachers, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, were abducted by the Doctor when they stumbled curiously into the Tardis. Susan left because she fell in love. Vicki came on board because she was the sole survivor of a crashed ship. Ian and Barbara ran off together when the Doctor provided them with a way home. Stephen stumbled into the Tardis because he was a klutz. Vicki left because she fell in love. Katarina was helping Stephen into the Tardis when it took off; she promptly died in the next story. Sara Kingdom was helping the Doctor fight the Daleks and promptly died. Dodo stumbled into the Tardis, thinking it was a real Police Box. Stephen left to lead a colony. Dodo left to recuperate after having had her mind controlled by a computer. Ben and Polly were kidnapped. Jamie was invited to join the crew. Ben and Polly ran away together at the earliest opportunity. Victoria joined because she was orphaned by the Daleks, and left when she was adopted. Zoe stowed away. Jamie and Zoe both left against their will when they were returned to their own time periods by the Time Lords. The Brigadier first met the Doctor when aliens threatened Earth. Liz Shaw joined the Doctor when she was assigned as a scientific advisor to UNIT, and promptly left when the Doctor usurped her position. Jo Grant joined the Doctor as a UNIT operative. Benton met the Doctor as a member of UNIT. Captain Mike Yates also met the Doctor as a member of UNIT. Jo left because she fell in love. Sarah Jane Smith joined the Doctor because she's a nosey journalist. Captain Yates left UNIT because he went stark raving mad. Harry Sullivan joined the Tardis crew when the Doctor and Sarah tried to take him for a spin in the Tardis, and they had a bit of trouble getting back to the right time period. The Brigadier and Benton lost contact with the Doctor for years when the Time Lord stopped being UNIT's scientific advisor. Harry left the Tardis crew the next time the Doctor landed on Earth in his time period. Sarah left when the Doctor dumped her on Earth in the aforementioned time period. Leela joined the crew because she stowed away. K-9 joined the crew because he was invited. Leela left because she fell in love; K-9 Mark I left with her. K-9 Mark II was created by the Doctor. Romanadvoratrelundar was assigned by the Time Lords as his assistant. Adric stowed away. K-9 Mark II had to be left behind in E-Space, and Romana stayed with him. Nyssa joined because she was orphaned and her home planet destroyed. Tegan was whisked away because she thought the Tardis was a real Police Box. Adric was killed when he crashed into Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs. Turlough came aboard on the pretext of wanting the Doctor to get him home, even though he was secretly working against the Doctor at the time. Nyssa left to find a cure for Lazar's Disease. Kamelion joined because the Doctor dragged him into the Tardis to get him out of the Master's power. Tegan left because she was tired of all the violence. Turlough left because he was allowed to return home. Kamelion asked the Doctor to kill him so that the Master could no longer use him for evil purposes. Peri joined because she wanted to travel. Peri left because either a) she died when her brain was overprinted with that of a green slug, or b) she was married to the warrior King Yrcanos (either way, a grizly fate indeed). Mel joined for god knows why (you know the sixth Doctor was unstable if he invited her along) and left because she wanted to travel with a pirate. Ace joined because she had nowhere else to go...and that's it for the television companions.

In Detail: The Companions at their Finest

Susan Foreman

Ian Chesterton

Barbara Wright

Vicki

Stephen Taylor

Dorothea (Dodo) Chaplet

Katarina

Sara Kingdom

Ben Jackson

Polly Wright

Jamie McCrimmon

Victoria Waterfield

Zoe Heriot

Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart

Dr. Elizabeth Shaw

Sergeant John Benton

Jo Grant

Captain Mike Yates

Sarah Jane Smith

Harry Sullivan

Leela, Warrior of the Sevateem

K-9 Mark I

K-9 Mark II

Romanadvoratrelundar

Adric

Nyssa

Tegan Jovanka

Vizlor Turlough

Kamelion

Perpugilliam Brown

Melanie Bush

Ace

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