The Doctor Who Companion You Are Based On Your Zodiac Sign
On November 23, 1963, "Doctor Who" premiered on the BBC. It would go on to become the longest-running sci-fi series in history. The show remains a cultural institution more than 50 years later, and audiences still watch the adventures of a renegade Time Lord called the Doctor traveling through all of time and space, righting wrongs while trying to make everyone's lives a little better.
The most important thing to understand about the Doctor is that they can regenerate when close to death. This narratively convenient Time Lord trait is the reason why so many actors have had a chance to make the role their own. Every time the Doctor changes, so does the show. Sometimes these changes are minor, and sometimes they're seismic. What never changes, however, is the conceit that this alien with two hearts and the ability to change form is trying to visit as much of the universe as possible with their friends, also known as companions.
From the very beginning, each Doctor has had their own unique companions. There have been so many companions with their own origins and personalities that it can be hard to keep them all straight. Instead of creating an exhaustive guide to each, we're looking at how they match with the signs of the zodiac to give you a better idea of who some of them are and which ones might fit your personality.
Aries: Ace
It's been said that individuals born under the sign of Aries can handle conflict, are self-confident, and don't back down from bullies. If that is the case, the one companion who fits that description like a glove is Ace. First appearing in the story "Dragonfire," Ace is a young woman from Perivale, London, with attitude, a chip on her shoulder, and a passion for homemade explosives.
She wears an oversized jacket with her name on it, calls the Seventh Doctor "professor," and doesn't respond well to threats. As her time in the TARDIS continues, audiences watch her mature, becoming less brash and more calculating in her actions. Interestingly, this somewhat mirrors the growth of her doctor, who was played by Sylvester McCoy. When his tenure started, the Seventh Doctor was more like a silent film tramp than a Time Lord. However, by his second season, he had deepened, growing darker and more mysterious. His character growth likely influenced Ace's change as well.
Perhaps the best evidence of Ace exhibiting all the best Aries traits comes in the 1988 story "Remembrance of the Daleks." In one truly iconic scene, instead of screaming and running from the demented Daleks, which would be an acceptable response, Ace takes a bat to the Dalek, doing some pretty serious damage. No, conflict is definitely not a problem for Ace.
Taurus: K9
Folks born under the sign of Taurus are said to be calm, steady figures. If your world is chaos, they've got your back. Perhaps no companion of the Doctor is more clear-headed, logical, and calm than his robot dog K9. Introduced in the Tom Baker story "The Invisible Enemy" from 1977, K9 participates in several adventures with the Doctor. In 1981, he even starred in a failed spin-off with another companion, Sarah Jane Smith, called "K9 and Company." He returned to the series, along with Sarah Jane, in the 2006 story "School Reunion." This led to the more successful spin-off "The Sarah Jane Adventures" and eventually his own show, "K9."
What makes K9 a Taurus is his lack of emotions. If the TARDIS is being attacked, would you rather have an emotional human who is unable to grasp the situation and how to get out of it, or the calm, logical, and often brilliant mind of a robotic dog incapable of losing control? K-9 doesn't argue, although he will insist on things very sternly. He doesn't dream of being more than what he is. K9 is all he needs to be.
Some may argue that a robot who mostly delivers exposition isn't really a companion. However, K9 travels with the Doctor, assists with information and calculations, and he isn't terrible in a fight thanks to the laser that emits from his nose. These qualifications make the K9 every bit as legitimate as any other companion.
Gemini: Bill Potts
Some of the characteristics associated with the Gemini zodiac sign are a sense of humor, curiosity, and perceptiveness. During the tenth season of modern "Doctor Who," the Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, met his new companion, Bill Potts. She is a very clever, inquisitive, and funny person who just so happens to be the show's first openly gay companion, as noted by the BBC. For the first time since Donna Noble, the Doctor has another companion who simply enjoys traveling with the Doctor immensely, allowing them to get along like lifelong friends.
One of the reasons that Bill is capable of learning things on the run is that she asks so many questions. Of course, the narrative role of a companion is to ask questions — if they didn't, the audience would have no idea what was going on half the time. Bill changes up this trope by asking different questions than you might expect. For instance, in the 2017 Christmas Special "Twice Upon A Time," Bill meets what she believes at the time to be the Doctor's first incarnation. As they chat, Bill asks what the Doctor was running from when he fled the planet Gallifrey. This stops the Doctor, and he replies, "That's rather a good question." Bill responds by saying, "Questions are kinda my thing."
Her interest in science, unique perspectives, and unwavering bravery help make Bill a brilliant character and align her with the sign of the Gemini.
Cancer: Clara Oswald
Personality traits associated with the Cancer sign consist of hidden depths of complexity, mystery, and overwhelming emotions. From her first introduction in Season 7's "Asylum of the Daleks," Clara Oswald has been a mystery. It is revealed that she has existed through the entirety of the Doctor's lives, but neither of them knew it. Her constant appearances as different people throughout time and space earned her the nickname the Impossible Girl.
There are a few characteristics about Clara that are obvious. She is quick-witted, funny, kind, and brave. However, the more we learn about her, the more we see raw emotion. Although she often smirks in the face of danger, she feels love and pain so deeply that they can sometimes overtake her. When the Doctor is dying, her passion and loyalty demand she enters his fractured timestream to save his life. When the man she loves is taken from her, she is willing to destroy herself, the Doctor, the Tardis, and maybe even all of time, just to get him back.
Like any Cancer, no matter how much we learn about Clara, the Impossible Girl will always remain a bit of an enigma.
Leo: Donna Noble
When "Doctor Who" returned to television in 2005, the first two regular companions, Rose Tyler and Martha Jones, pine for the Doctor. In the case of the former, the feelings were mutual. With Martha, not only were her feelings not reciprocated, they were barely recognized. So, when Catherine Tate joined the cast to reprise her role as Donna Noble in Season 4, it was a relief for the Doctor to travel with someone he could just be friends with.
Donna and the Doctor first met on Christmas Day in 2006 when she was supposed to be getting married in "The Runaway Bride." Although they went their separate ways at the end of that adventure, Donna could not forget him. Her life as a temp seemed small and unimportant. She wants to run away with the Doctor to see everything the cosmos has to offer. Her longing is so intense that she starts looking for the Doctor herself, eventually running into him while investigating a shady weight loss company.
It's believed that Leos like to show off while also being extremely loving. Donna is certainly someone who likes to be noticed, but she also cares very deeply for other people. This is exemplified during her first trip back in time to Pompeii. While the Doctor has accepted that the residents of Pompeii have to die, as it is a fixed point in time, Donna ultimately convinces him to just save one family.
Virgo: Romana
Virgos are believed to be particular in their habits and very intelligent. Romana is both. She first appears in the TARDIS to help the Doctor find the segments to the Key to Time and isn't remotely impressed by him. She gloats about graduating from the Academy "with a triple first," an achievement the Doctor initially scoffs at. That is until she points out it is significantly better than his accomplishment of "scraping through with fifty-one percent at the second attempt." Right off the bat, Romana asserts herself as the Doctor's equal.
Romana is a Time Lord. She is the first Gallifreyan to travel with the Doctor since his granddaughter, Susan Foreman. Unlike Susan, however, Romana actually regenerates. The second form of Romana is every bit as intelligent and assertive, but also a bit friendlier with the Doctor. While the original Romana grew to respect the Doctor, this second Romana seems to enjoy his company and appreciates the time away from Gallifrey. She stops assisting the Doctor and begins existing with him.
Regardless of which incarnation of Romana is being discussed, however, the fact remains that she is fiercely intelligent and very particular about her role in the world, much like those born under the sign of Virgo.
Libra: Yasmin Khan
It's said that Libras have a difficult personality to fully grasp, as they don't necessarily represent any single obvious trait. However, empathy is key to the Libra character. The ability to tap into another person's emotions and assess whether they are scared, happy, or hurting is a skill thought to be shared by many a Libra. This ability is also held by the Thirteenth Doctor's longest-serving companion, Yasmin Khan.
Before entering the Tardis back in 2018, Yasmin was a young police officer who felt she could do more than just write tickets. She wanted to be an active participant in making the world a better place. Luckily, a woman came falling out of the sky who would end up taking her all over the universe. Yaz is often tasked with asking questions of the locals while the Doctor wanders off to investigate something else. This is where her experience as a police officer comes in, as she appears very comfortable while asking strangers questions. She is also very good at comforting people, and there are several scenes of Yaz sitting with someone she just met and consoling them.
Sometimes she's extroverted, ready to take on anything. Other times, she is withdrawn and introverted. This, of course, simply means she is a three-dimensional character with shifting moods, but it also makes it difficult to get a read on exactly what kind of person she is — just like a true Libra.
Scorpio: Vislor Turlough
Scorpio is symbolized by a scorpion, arachnids capable of surprising their victims and injecting them with venom using their menacing tails. You could not have asked for a better representation of the character of Vislor Turlough if you tried. A companion of the Fifth Doctor, Turlough (as he is often referred to) joins the TARDIS crew under false pretenses. While appearing to be a fairly harmless individual interested in traveling through space and time, Turlough was actually meant to be the Doctor's assassin.
Living on Earth as a political exile from the planet Trion, Turlough wants nothing more than to return home. His boredom on Earth manifests in destructive behavior. The first time we meet Turlough, he has stolen the car of the Doctor's old friend, retired brigadier-turned-teacher, Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, for a joy ride that winds up putting him in the hospital. During this accident, he is summoned by a being known as the Black Guardian, who tasks him with murdering the Doctor in return for safe passage back to Trion.
It is said that Scorpios are difficult to get to know and that their elusive nature doesn't give very much away. This is absolutely true of Turlough, who manages to travel with the Doctor without giving his intentions away. Until, that is, he rejects his deal with the Black Guardian and decides to continue traveling with the Doctor as a friend, not a villain.
Sagittarius: Rose Tyler
The original run of "Doctor Who" ended in December of 1989 with the conclusion of a story titled "Survival." Besides a TV movie that aired in 1996, that was it for televised "Doctor Who" until the series returned in 2005, leaving a 16-year gap without a continuous run of "Doctor Who" stories, as noted by the BBC. This means that for many viewers, "Rose" was their first episode of "Doctor Who," and Rose Tyler was their very first companion.
Rose personifies the attributes of a Sagittarius by constantly looking forward. When we first meet her, she is in a relationship that isn't going anywhere while working a tedious job and living with her mother. She wants more but isn't sure how to get it. Then a bunch of mannequins come to life, and a man in a leather jacket tells her to run. From this tiny glimpse of the greater universe, Rose becomes infatuated with seeing more of it and learning whatever she can.
During her time with the Doctor, it takes some time for Rose to find her feet. It wasn't until the Time Lord regenerates into the Tenth Doctor and the two of them go gallivanting around the universe that she decides what she wants out of life — to travel with the Doctor forever. Her time with him ends, however, and they're forced to live in different universes. Her quest to learn who she is and what she wants continues.
Capricorn: Sarah Jane Smith
"The Time Warrior" features a lot of firsts for "Doctor Who." The opening titles change, Gallifrey is mentioned by name for the first time, the Sontarans make their first appearance, and the world is introduced to Sarah Jane Smith. Few companions have stood the test of time like Sarah Jane. She begins her tenure with the Third Doctor and continues with the Fourth. She appears in the failed spin-off "K9 and Company," eventually returns to the show in 2006, and finally gets her own program, "The Sarah Jane Adventures." In fact, if the actress Elisabeth Sladen hadn't died in 2011, she might still be an active part of "Doctor Who" today.
Some say that Capricorns aren't eager to attract attention and aren't interested in having the whole world look at them admiringly. Instead, Capricorns would prefer to be respected for their actions and accomplishments. For Sarah Jane Smith, an ambitious woman in a world dominated by men, this is certainly the case. She's not looking for compliments on her looks or fashion sense. Sarah Jane is a talented, independent journalist and expects to be treated as such. Even in her own series, Sarah Jane tracks and confronts aliens with no one but her closest friends having any idea that she's a bona fide hero.
Aquarius: Martha Jones
Aquarians are believed to be extroverted outcasts. While they are great at making friends and convincing people to join in the fun, those born under this sign often feel separate. When considering this, the companion that immediately leaps to mind is Martha Jones. She only stays with the Doctor for a single season but pops up again in Season 4, in the Tenth Doctor's finale, "The End of Time," and makes a brief appearance in the more mature spin-off series "Torchwood."
Her time with the Doctor is slightly tragic in that he never comes around to truly appreciating her. Even though she spends much of her time doing whatever she can to help, he so shaken by the loss of Rose to see that Martha is equally as dedicated to him. In that way, she lives a kind of isolated life. Beyond that, she spends years pretending to be a maid at a boy's school in the early twentieth century to keep herself and the Doctor safe. When the Master essentially takes over Earth and keeps the Doctor as his prisoner, it's Martha who spends a year uniting people across the world to take up the cause and save him.
Pisces: Rory Williams
Every now and again, a companion comes along who isn't thrilled by the idea of traveling through all of time and space. For instance, Tegan Jovanka just wants to get back to her job as an air hostess at Heathrow Airport. Another example is Rory Williams, the nurse who has loved Amelia Pond since they were children. Unfortunately for Rory, Amelia was so enamored by the memory of a raggedy man crashing into her garden when she was a little girl that she has a hard time letting Rory know just how deeply she loves him in return.
Rory spends life assuming he could never measure up to the raggedy man, who, of course, turns out to be the Doctor. All he wants is to take care of people and be with Amy. He's on his way to doing that when the Doctor suddenly shows up and whisks her away in his Tardis. Eventually, he joins them, making Amy and Rory the first married couple in the TARDIS. Yet the whole time he's there, one can't help but think that he would be out of there the minute his wife showed the slightest boredom with meeting historical figures and aliens.
What makes Rory a Pisces is his drive to look after people and his desire to go through his life unnoticed. While tolerating his time with the Doctor, he learns that his devotion to Amy is his superpower.