With Doctor Who season 8 finished up this weekend and just one Christmas special to go for the year, we’ve already come up with ideas for the types of companions the Doctor should take on next.

Let’s face it, Clara’s story is finished. With Danny Pink no longer in the picture and her lie to the Doctor about being just fine at the season 8 finale, we can’t see a fathomable way for Moffat to stretch out her story another season longer.

While she’s most likely to return this holiday season for the Christmas special, it’s been rumored for months now that Jenna Coleman will be leaving after. Now, with what we’ve seen from this year’s finale we’re more confident that those rumors are indeed true.

But who’s going to take her place? It’s a question the fandom loves to ask itself whenever an actor decides to leave the show, and so we’re continuing the tradition of theorizing and hoping for our ideal companions.

Yes, the Paternoster gang would be a great (while unoriginal) set of companions, we’re not looking for specific characters here. This article is going to be a list of our ideal companion types, with no specific character or actors in mind. If you agree with one of our companion ideas, or if you have one of your very own be sure to comment below!

A Brotherly Companion – Tariq Kyle

My ideal companion would be a male companion, finally. Someone the Doctor can pick up as an actual companion and not some forced romantic interest. His relationship with the Doctor would be like a younger brother to an older sibling, he’d mess up and annoy the Doctor but then the Doctor would be able to take him in and teach him things and they could bond over the weirdest parts of the universe. Someone the Doctor can really relate to and care about as a family member; a brother he never had.
Age range: Mid to late 20s
Strongest personality trait: Comedic, light hearted.
Profession: Something small time, like a waiter or cafe barista.

An Older Companion – Donya Abramo

In the recent run of Doctor Who the companions have all been quite young, barring the brief stint by Wilfred Mott. But why couldn’t someone older and more seasoned to the world join the Doctor on his next trip? Male or female would work, and there’s a wealth of talent from British actors that could take up the mantle and hold their own against Capaldi. Someone who could take off the rose-coloured glasses and approach situations across the galaxy with a weariness that only someone who has lived through so much could — and in return, the Doctor could inject a little liveliness and colour back into their own life. Because if there’s one thing that’s been missing recently it’s the feeling of hope that the Doctor inspires in others.
Age range: Early 40s or older
Strongest personality trait Someone who absolutely won’t take any of the Doctor’s crap — and gives him the much needed reality check he needs sometimes.
Profession A lawyer would be interesting, or someone in law enforcement — someone who has seen the best and the worst in humanity.

An Alien Companion – Laura Byrne Cristiano

The Doctor can travel all of time and space, so why not bring an alien on board? It’s something that certainly happened in the classic Doctor Who era. Nyssa and Adric are two, well-loved former alien companions of the Doctor’s. Fans cried buckets when Adric died, sacrificing himself in order to save others. These companions can be humanoid, they don’t have to be bogged down in prosthetics. The important thing is that they get emotionally involved in the Doctor’s missions, and have personalities that we can latch on to.
Age range: Any really, but a intellectual who looks 12, or an innocent who looks 50 could be fun.
Strongest personality trait: Quizzical, someone who questions the oddities of earth culture, and the Doctor’s history.
Profession: Something totally unique, a job that we don’t have on earth.

A Non-Contemporary Companion – Natalie Fisher

Does the TARDIS have a homing device set to 21st century London? Sure, this is a beloved British institution (with a low budget) so they sort of make the most of what they have on hand, but come on. The Doctor’s got plenty of friends in all eras – past and future – yet he never picks up a long term traveling companion from anywhere but the present day. It’d be really great to see a companion whose home base is another time and place – Victorian England, 1960s America, a human/alien hybrid settlement on another planet in the 51st century. It’s understandable that the companion serves as the audience perspective, so they tend to keep their knowledge on a similar level to ours, but it’s getting a little bit old now. A way to have the best of both worlds might be the option of two permanent companions – not unheard of for Doctor Who – one from the present day, and one from another time and place. If you’ve gotta thrown in romance, make it between these two as they struggle to work each other out and eventually decide where their future lies.
Age range: 20s – 30s.
Strongest personality trait: Progressive. Especially for someone from the past – don’t make them the cliche of being shocked and appalled at every turn.
Profession: If we’re talking about someone from the past – university student or inventor, someone with the capacity and curiosity to accept and believe what’s happening to them. For a futuristic companion, maybe someone in technology who constantly snarks at the Doctor about how outdated the TARDIS is.

What’s your ideal ‘Doctor Who’ companion type?

We’ve told you our theories for the best companion to join the Doctor, now tell us yours!

Leave current characters and actors aside. Just tell us what kind of person you want to see fill in Clara’s shoes.