vivdunstan

Was just pondering this. If I focus on a decade at a time, pulling out my absolute favourites, it would go:

1960s - Jamie (to be fair I haven't seen/heard all of this era of Who)
1970s - Sarah Jane and Romana I
1980s - Peri and Ace
1990s - nope, going to pass!
2000s - Rose and Donna
2010s - Amy and Clara
2020s - Ruby

And if I narrow those down to a top 3 favourite list:

1st - Sarah Jane
2nd - Romana I
3rd - Clara

Interesting that my favourite pre-dates my time watching as a Who fan. I only started watching as a youngster with Season 16 in 1978. I'd then see Sarah Jane Smith in K9 and Company, and "The Five Doctors". Then watched loads of her old stories before she returned to Doctor Who and got her own spinoff series.

Romana I was my first ever Who companion as a viewer. Great starting point!

And although Clara has her flaws, and annoys a lot of people, I really like her. There's a very "classic" feel to her, both as written and acted. So she definitely earns her place on my list.