After 50 years of Doctor Who everyone has a favorite companion and the list isn't shy in number. Adric, Ace, Susan, Mickey, Rose, Sarah Jane, and Romana just cover the tip of the iceberg. For each Doctor, their relationship to their companions and how they communicate is entirely different, with each bringing their own twist to the series.
Martha was a companion to the Tenth Doctor while Clara was a companion to the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors. They both had their strengths as well as their respective shining moments and weaknesses, but who was the better companion? Here's a look at five times Martha was a better companion than Clara and vice versa.
MARTHA: She Was Relatable
Everyone likes to think that their life with the Doctor would automatically make them untouchable to anyone, that they would be the companion who wouldn't ask the questions like if it's okay to step on a butterfly or if their skin color would be something to worry about. Martha knew that she was going into unchartered territory. She was the companion to call her mom and ask her for help on a quiz, to yell in frustration, and roll her eyes. She wouldn't let the Doctor push her around, putting down a chair and waiting until he talked to her properly. She told Shakespeare his breath smelt because it's 1599 and oral hygiene wasn't at its peak. She loved Harry Potter. She gave sass and stood up for herself with ultimate sarcasm. The Doctor confided in her because she cared and listened.
CLARA: She Called Out The Doctor's Behavior
Clara was a strong-minded and smart companion. She wasn't afraid to tell the Doctor off when he crossed the line, and he did it a lot, even if he thought it was a loving gesture. In season 8 episode "Kill The Moon," Clara told the Doctor to shut up because she was sick of listening to him. She didn't appreciate being put in patronizing situations.
She told him how she felt, that she didn't feel respected and how he made her feel like an idiot. She told him to clear off, then to get into his "lonely bloody Tardis and don't come back." But as much as she could yell at him, Clara would always yell for him and him.
MARTHA: Knew When It Was Time To Leave
Martha loved the Doctor and her adventures with him. But she knew when it was time to leave. She saw her family witness a year of destruction and turmoil, and couldn't run away from her responsibilities. She always stood up for herself and was one of the only companions in the 2005 series onward to willingly leave the Doctor.
She was never a replacement for Rose even if she was made to feel that way. For many people, pulling themselves out of toxic situations is a challenge, and Martha faced hers. She knew that it was time to move on. Some viewers might not think Martha's exit was a sad one, but even Donna could see the impact she had made on the Doctor.
CLARA: She Traveled In Her Own T.A.R.D.I.S.
In season 8 episode "Flatline," the Doctor is trapped in a shrinking T.A.R.D.I.S. and it's up to Clara to investigate what's going on. She uses this moment as an opportunity to make fun of the Doctor and his authority, saying that because she has the sonic screwdriver and physic paper, she's the Doctor now. Then, in season 9 episode "Hell Bent," the audience witnesses Clara and Ashildr fly away in their own T.A.R.D.I.S. after the Doctor has his mind wiped of any memories of his former companion. After having lost so much during her travels with the Doctor and now losing him entirely, but gaining all of time and space, this is a bittersweet moment for Clara and the viewers.
MARTHA: Worked For Torchwood
After Martha leaves the Doctor she goes on to work for Torchwood. She moved on with her life and experienced personal growth. When Martha and Donna met, the Doctor expected it to be an uncomfortable situation but to his surprise, the two women got along, unlike when Rose first met past companion Sarah Jane Smith. In season 4 episode "Journey's End," Martha had the Osterhagen key but delayed her use of it, ultimately stopping the authorization of the earth's self-destruction system. The companion also starred in several episodes of Torchwood with Captain Jack's Torchwood team.
CLARA: Her Oswin Oswald Incarnation
Oswin Oswald was introduced in season 7 episode "Asylum Of The Daleks." In the span of one episode, this trapped and brilliant starliner Alaska crew member captured the hearts of the Whovian viewers and made a lasting impact on the Eleventh Doctor. With her questionable supply of milk and eggs and the ability to stay hidden from the Daleks, her story wasn't making sense. Until it did.
Oswin Oswald was a human who had been given a full conversion of mind and body by the Daleks, harnessing her genius as one of them. But her humanity saved the Doctor, Amy, and Rory while killing and making all the Daleks forget who the Doctor was.
MARTHA: The Family of Blood
The 2007 season 3 two-part episodes "Human Nature" and "The Family Of Blood" were ranked 9.0/10 and 9.2/10 respectively on IMDB, and for good reason. For the audience, Martha Jones was the link to space and time, the Doctor and her adventures. Without her, The Doctor would have been lost to the human he was forced to become, John Smith. Martha saved him despite the ridicule she had to face as she worked as a maid in England 1913. Martha knows her worth and just how smart she is. A medical student with enough humility to do what needs to be done and love the person she's saving even if that love isn't returned.
CLARA: She Sacrificed Herself
Clara's death in series 9 episode "Face The Raven" was an emotional killer. By this time in the series, Clara and the Twelfth Doctor's friendship had reached toxic levels. Not because of their hatred to one another, but because of their willingness to do anything for each other whatever the cost. So when Clara had to face the raven and die because she chose to save Rigsy, it wasn't an easy decision for either of them. She makes the Doctor promise not to be a warrior but a doctor. Then changes her mind. It's not a promise, it's an order, an order not to insult her memory or exact revenge so that no one else will suffer after she dies -- that they both have to be brave.
MARTHA: The Woman Who Walked The Earth
In the epic three-part finale that saw the return of series one favorite Captain Jack Harkness, Martha's time to shine was at hand. It's easy for any companion to do what is brave or what is needed when the Doctor is there. But with one final whisper in her ear, she looked to her family and knew that she wouldn't see them for a year. Martha Jones outsmarted the Master. And it wasn't with a weapon. It was with her stories, determination, and love. She was the companion to save the entire world from its cannibalized future and paradoxical demise.
CLARA: Born To Save The Doctor
Clara Oswald was a companion who made appearances from 2012 to 2017. Her character was a companion to both the Eleventh Doctor and Twelfth Doctor. In the 50th Anniversary episode of Doctor Who, she met the Tenth Doctor and The War Doctor. Her relationship with each of them gave more opportunities for the audience to see different sides to her. When Clara entered the Doctor's time stream and became split versions of herself spread throughout the Doctor's history it was made known that Clara had interacted with all of the Doctor's incarnations. She was the one to direct the First Doctor to his T.A.R.D.I.S. She had helped the Doctor with many past mistakes and saved him even when he wasn't aware of her presence. "Run you clever boy and ."