Nyssa is the princess of Traken, a planet that comes under the attack of the Master and is eventually completely destroyed, making her the sole Trakenite in the universe. In her first two stories, first her stepmother and then her father are killed, and finally her planet is eaten by a wave of entropy that threatens the entire universe. Consequentially, the Fifth Doctor takes her in, determined to protect and guide her.
Vislor Turlough is from the planet of Trion but, after a civil war there, he becomes a political exile. Stuck on the frustratingly primitive (to him) Earth of the 20th century (at the school where the currently retired Brigadier is working), he takes up the Black Guardian on his offer to take Turlough home if he’ll kill the Doctor. More about Turlough’s past is revealed throughout his run, before he leaves in Planet of Fire to return to his family and home world.
The Fifth Doctor is the first Doctor to feel every bit his age, which is of course contrasted by his physical appearance (Peter Davison was 29 when he took on the role, making him the youngest actor to play the Doctor until Matt Smith, who was 26 when he was cast). He’s thoughtful and still, far less wordy than his predecessor, and perhaps partially due to the youth of his Companions, the Fifth Doctor is the most paternal since the First Doctor. He can be stern, one of the earliest to show the Fury of a Time Lord so common to the modern series, but he also has a sense of fun, taking time off here and there to catch a game of cricket and relax. He’s also the most approachable of the Classic Doctors, with a breezy demeanor that contrasts the Fourth Doctor’s manic energy.
Perpugilliam Brown is an American college student on holiday with her stepfather when she nearly drowns and is saved by Turlough. Having been rescued and taken into the TARDIS to recover, Peri is aboard when it takes off, whisking her away with the Doctor, Turlough, and Kamelion to face off with the Master. Peri is studying botany in school, which comes in handy during her travels with the Doctor, and her parents are archeologists, giving her a solid background in that subject as well.
Tegan is an Australian on her way to Heathrow to start her job as a stewardess for Air Australia when her aunt’s car gets a flat tire and she enters the TARDIS thinking it’s a police box, intending to call for help. While she’s wandering through the TARDIS, the Master kills her aunt, causing her to be swept into the Doctor’s struggle against him.
Kamelion Voiced by: Gerald Flood Doctor(s): Fifth Doctor Tenure: 2 stories- The King’s Demons (March, 1983) and Planet of Fire (March, 1984) Background: Kamelion is a robot introduced in the control of the Master, as part of his nefarious scheme to undermine the reign of King John. The Master had discovered Kamelion prior to this …
Adric is a child genius, with a focus in math, from the 32nd century. Though he looks outwardly human, he’s actually Alzarian, or from Alzarius, a planet in E-Space (a parallel dimension). After working with the Doctor and Romana to help the Alzarians take to the stars, Adric stows away aboard the TARDIS and joins them on their adventures.