This Special Edition Character Profile is courtesy of Legion supporter Emily Ronkar, who is very excited that the new season of Doctor Who premieres today!
“Don’t be so daft. I’m nothing special.” – Donna Noble
Growing steadily in popularity over the last ten years, Doctor Who has provided its innumerable fans with a wide variety of companions in the more recent series, from Rose Tyler to Clara Oswald. Challenge a Whovian to name a favorite and she or he will do so with gusto and great fervor. In fact, I recommend you allow enough time and guzzle enough java for a good discussion, because now that you’ve brought it up, yes, thank you, we do have an opinion, and you’re in for the long haul.
One of the more popular fan favorites is the incomparable Donna Noble, also known as the Doctor-Donna. As the 3rd companion to the 10th Doctor (David Tennant), the great Catherine Tate brings Donna to life, bringing sassiness, stubbornness, and sarcasm into Donna as though it were the breath of life itself.
Making her first appearance as the Runaway Bride in “Doomsday” [2:14] Donna returns in season four when her path crosses with the Doctor once again in “Partners In Crime” [4:2], and thereafter becomes his companion for the remainder of the season.
“Listen, I don’t know what sort of kids you’ve been flying around with in outer space but you’re not telling me to shut up”- Donna Noble (“The Fires of Pompeii” [4:3])
Donna’s greatest character strength is her ability to challenge the Doctor in so many ways, from his morals to his patience. She saves him from himself. Her strong personality and knowledge of self make her a positive role model for both the Doctor, and for the millions of fans. She sees adventure and takes a leap in even the darkest doomsday situations, opening her eyes to the unfathomable amounts of worlds not previously known to her. Her previously narrow scope of world gets blown to bits the minute she meets the Doctor, and Donna never looks back.
While she may not be a ninja, possess super powers, or know her way around an M16, her fire and passion give her more bravery than even she realized she possessed until called upon. In the epic episode “Turn Left” [4:12] the beginning of the Darkness is set in motion, and only the smallest decision made by Donna Noble, to turn left instead of right, can stop an alternate timeline from coming to fruition. With her newfound knowledge of what she must do to save millions, Donna finds that in order to live in her current timeline, [SPOILERS, DARLING], she must die to prevent a separate one.
A simple temp from Chiswick (with the fastest word-per-minute typing record, thank you!) Donna’s most important achievement is becoming the Doctor-Donna. In “Journey’s End” [4:13], as the existence of the Universe is threatened, Donna unknowingly steps into a dual role as part Human/part Time-Lord, a combination of which had never previously been forged—for good reason. While her new Time Lord knowledge brings brilliance, intimate details of Time and Space, and even more sass, because, well, Donna, it comes at a terrible price. Donna becomes the great hero to the Universe… and loses her memory of her life with the Doctor. In that one shining moment, Donna proves that one person, no matter how small they may view themselves, can change the course of the future and improve the lives of many.
“I just want you to know, there are worlds out there, safe in the sky because of her. That there are people living in the light and singing songs of Donna Noble, a thousand, million lightyears away. They will never forget her, while she can never remember. But for one moment—one shining moment—she was the most important woman in the whole wide universe.”
– The Doctor (“Journey’s End” [4:13])