March 18, 2025
Find out - in their own words - why the Doctor only travels with the best...
Travelling through time and space with the Doctor can be thrilling, terrifying and life-changing - so there’s no one better to impart their wisdom than the Time Lord’s universe of friends.
Here are 25 inspiring, amusing and memorable quotes to live by from the Doctor’s fellow TARDIS travellers.
“She's wonderful and she's ordinary, but I love her for that.”
After her adventures through time and space, the revelation that Ruby's birth mother is simply an everyday woman helps her discover a whole new lease of life back on Earth.
“Isn’t it a better thing to travel hopefully than arrive?”
The Doctor’s granddaughter sets out a mantra for loving the journey, not the destination.
“You don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand. You say ‘no’!”
Even though the Doctor has returned her to her own time, Rose refuses to back down and emphasises that each person has a responsibility to make a difference.
“Any hope is better than none.”
Despite his accidental kidnapping by the Doctor, Susan’s teacher nevertheless has hope for his strange new circumstances.
“You see, Doc, the thing about grief is it needs time. I don't want to sit around my house waiting for it to go away. Cos that house is full of Grace and it makes it so much harder. But being with you and seeing all these things out there – it really helps.”
Having lost the love of his life, Grace, Graham considers the difficulties of the grieving process, and that however much time you have - even in a time machine - it might never be enough to spend with the ones you love.
“That's life, innit? Nobody gets by without some bruises.”
Dan reminds the Doctor that her past doesn’t define her, and everyone has some mistakes they’ve made along the way - it doesn’t diminish who you are in the present.
“It’s those things we don’t understand that frighten us.”
Trapped on a world of giant insects and moths, Barbara knows that knowledge is the key to bravery.
“You’re not turning me into a fish!”
Trapped on the lost city of Atlantis, Polly offers a generally good sentiment for life.
“I spent a lot of time with you thinking I was second best. But d’you know what? I am good!”
Having travelled across continents in the Year That Never Was to save the Doctor and the world, Martha is proud of her own worth as his equal.
“Goodness is not goodness that seeks advantage. Good is good in the final hour, in the deepest pit; without hope, without witness, without reward.”
Quoting from the diary of River Song, Nardole exemplifies the philosophy of the Doctor - to do good for good itself, without any external factors or agenda.
“When you've been with the Doctor as long as I have, you begin to realise you don't know what he's talking about.”
Jamie knows that the Doctor often doesn’t have all the answers but manages to come up with a solution - and convincingly blag his way through!
“Discussion is for the wise or the helpless and I am neither.”
As a born warrior traveling with a more pragmatic Time Lord, Leela reminds the Doctor to take action against evil, rather than just hypothesising.
“There’s nothing ‘only’ about being a girl!”
Sarah Jane is keen to remind Queen Thalira to stand up for herself and assert her rights, even in the face of extra-terrestrial discrimination.
“You do know that sarcasm's an adjusted stress reaction?”
Romana knows that sometimes when people are trying to be funny, it’s to cover up their discomfort with a situation, and that the real truth lies behind their words.
“Fear makes companions of us all.”
Clara tells a young Doctor that fear will always be with us, but that we can rise above it.
“My dad used to say that 'if' was the most powerful word in the English language.”
Tegan knows possibilities are powerful - especially if you’re facing off against the devious Master!
“Being rude isn’t honest. Neither is overreacting.”
Turlough - who can himself be a little rude, (even going so far as to attempt to kill the Doctor) - knows that honesty is a considered state, not just an emotional reaction.
“Who are you calling small?”
Ace won’t let anyone put her down - be they Doctor or Dalek!
“I don't need anyone to speak up for me. I'm quite capable of defending myself!”
Often underestimated, Mel knows how to make her voice heard, and refuses to let others do it for her. Nowadays, it’s what makes her such a capable field agent for UNIT!
“Get off my world.”
After a lifetime of defending our planet, the Brigadier only has to use a few words to assert his authority; the Earth is the home of humanity and is not for the taking.
“Travelling to the past, there's got to be rules. If I step on a butterfly, it could send ripples through time that mean I'm not even born yet in the first place and I could just disappear.”
Bill sets out useful advice for any future travellers – if only Ruby was there to hear it!
“Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone.”
Donna asks the Doctor to save just one person from the destruction of Pompeii, recognising the value of each individual life.
“The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship. Everything has its time. And everything ends.”
The world keeps turning and is built on every experience - be it happy, sad or somewhere in-between. Bending the universe to your own will, as the Krillitanes intend to do, would stop all progress and hope.
“My Nani says courage is knowing something will hurt and doing it anyway. Mind you, she also said it's the definition of stupidity.”
Even when faced with a horde of piratical Sea Devils, Yaz knows that she has to be courageous - and that courage and stupidity sometimes go hand in hand.
“You need to find a friend. Do that. Go and find one now.”
Joy reminds the Doctor that all his travels mean much less without company to share them with.
We’ll have to see in Season 2 how well he takes her up on the idea...
