The relationship between the Doctor and Rose was among the most exciting and impactful storylines of Doctor Who’s first couple of seasons, but like most things in this classic sci-fi show, their timeline was never simple. Rose was the first of several companions to appear in Doctor Who, building a complex relationship with the Doctor as they traveled through space and time in the TARDIS, saving lives and solving mysteries along the way. However, unlike most other companions, Rose’s relationship with the Doctor quickly turned romantic.

There have been plenty of companions across the years in Doctor Who, but Rose will always hold a special place in the Doctor’s heart. She’s been referenced several times since her exit from the show, and the lessons that the Doctor learned from their time together continued to prove useful throughout his later incarnations. The Doctor and Rose’s relationship was a huge turning point for the show’s titular protagonist, as he finally opened himself up and allowed himself to be truly vulnerable after the tragedies he’d faced in the Time War.

Season 1, Episode 1: Rose Meets The Doctor

Although it’s her relationship with the Tenth Doctor that’s often ed most fondly, Rose’s first encounter with the Time Lord was actually in his ninth incarnation, right at the beginning of the show ("Rose"). She found herself caught in the crossfire of the Doctor’s fight against the Autons, but thanks to the bravery that she displayed along the way, he decided to bring her along to see the rest of the universe. The pair clicked right from the beginning, with the Doctor’s dry sense of humor working perfectly with Rose’s sarcasm and skepticism.

Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode 12: Rose Strikes Up A Friendship With The Doctor, But Soon Face Their First Obstacle When Faced With The Daleks

Although they came close to death in episode 2 "The End Of The World", The Doctor and Rose eventually went on to have several great adventures, and with every episode, the pair grew closer and closer together. Despite the Ninth Doctor often being reclusive and solitary, he quickly became much more open and comionate when he was with Rose. The pair were a great match for each other, and their relationship definitely helped resolve much of the Doctor’s anger and bitterness following the Time War - with his famous "everybody lives" speech in episode 10 "The Doctor Dances" proving this.

In return, the Doctor seemed to open Rose's mind and show her that she was capable of doing many great things, which, in turn, increased her confidence and made her extremely selfless. Unfortunately, this rhythm didn't last very long. While Rose and the Doctor often came out on top with their victories, they did get outwitted in episode 12's "Bad Wolf" by the Daleks as the alien mutants managed to successfully separate the two.

S1E13-S2E1: Rose Struggles To Recognize The New Doctor But Agrees To Continue Travelling In The TARDIS

Although Rose became Bad Wolf to save the Doctor and the universe from the Daleks, her actions did have consequences as the Ninth Doctor was forced to absorb the heart of the TARDIS to save her life (episode 13 "The Parting of the Ways"). Unfortunately, this cost him his and he soon regenerated into the Tenth Doctor. While Rose didn't try to show her shock, it was clear that she was taken aback by this turn of events as she was forced to acknowledge that she still didn't know everything about the Doctor and whether he was still the same person.

Given that their relationship had been smooth sailing up to this point, this did prove to be an intriguing storyline as it meant that Rose and the Doctor would have to find new ways to adapt to their new circumstances - especially since this event also coincided with the Sycorax's invading Earth (2005 Christmas special "The Christmas Invasion"). However, after the Tenth Doctor still showed that he was just as courageous and heroic as the last, helping save the world from the Sycorax as well as several artificially-grown humans from the Sisters of Plentitude (season 2, episode 1 "New Earth"), she decided to give this new incarnation a chance.

Season 2, Episode 2-Season 2, Episode 12: Rose And The Doctor Develop Feelings For Each Other

The Tenth Doctor was much more friendly and carefree than his previous incarnation had been, and these were traits that Rose quickly fell in love with. Their flirting and joking in episodes, such as episode 3's "Tooth and Claw," episode 8's "The Impossible Planet", and episde 12's "Army of Ghosts", finally established Rose and the Doctor as a great couple, as they consistently had fun with each other and made the most of their adventures. Although David Tennant’s portrayal of the character still carried that solemn guilt and shame that characterized much of Christopher Ecclestone’s run, he always hid it behind a facade of humor and lightheartedness.

But Rose easily saw through this disguise, and she was the only person to truly understand the Doctor in these days. The pair constantly had each other’s backs, and most of the time, they didn’t even have to say a word to understand what the other was thinking and feeling. It was this deep connection that ultimately led the Doctor to view Rose as something more than just a companion, but he understood that their conflicting lifestyles meant they couldn’t be together in the way they both wanted. This complex dynamic made Rose one of Doctor Who’s best companions, and undoubtedly the Tenth Doctor’s closest friend.

Season 2, Episode 13 - Christmas Special 2006: Rose And The Doctor Are Separated, Leading To The Tenth Doctor Falling Into A Downward Spiral

Episode 13's "Doomsday", the heartbreaking finale to Doctor Who’s season 2, saw Rose and the Doctor finally torn apart as they protected the world from a Dalek and Cyberman incursion. After refusing to leave the Doctor’s side, Rose lost her strength and found herself trapped in a parallel dimension with her family and Mickey. Following an emotional goodbye on Bad Wolf Bay, the pair finally itted their feelings for each other before they were suddenly torn apart and forced to spend the next few years apart.

While the 2006 Christmas Special, "The Runaway Bride", didn't show how their separation affected Rose, the writers did hint that this was something the Doctor would continue to struggle with as he reminisced about their adventures and would look extremely solemn. It took both characters a long time to process their grief, but neither ever gave up on the possibility of finding each other again.

S3E1-S4E11: The Doctor Continues To Grieve The Loss Of Rose & Rose Tries To Find Her Way Back From The Parallel World

After quickly bonding with Martha Jones in season 3, episode 1 "Smith and Jones", and reuniting with Donna Noble in season 4, episode 1 "Partners in Crime", the Doctor tried to slowly move on with his life and accepted them as new engers. However, that didn't mean that Rose wasn't far off of his mind as he would often confide in Martha and Donna about his losses (as seen in season 3, episode 2 "The Shakespeare Code", season 3, episode 11 "Utopia" and season 4, episode 11 "Turn Left").

Although this part of Rose’s timeline isn’t really explored in the show, the character did reveal that she spent the several years attempting to escape the parallel universe and get back to the Doctor. Episodes, such as season 4, episode 9 “Midnight” and “Turn Left”, include brief hints towards her success, but she’s still unable to make a real breakthrough between universes. This subplot really emphasizes how much she still loves the Doctor, sacrificing all her time to find her way back to him. Even when given the chance to live peacefully with her parents, she still chooses the harder route back to the Doctor.

Season 4, Episode 12 - Season 4, Episode 13: Rose Reunites With The Doctor & Decides To Start A Life In Bad Wolf Bay

Thankfully, Rose eventually got her happy ending with the Meta-Crisis Doctor in the season 4 finale “Journey’s End” (episode 13). After escaping from the parallel universe to warn the Doctor of an approaching Dalek invasion in episode 12, "The Stolen Earth", the pair finally reunited and fought together one final time alongside the Doctor’s many other friends. But they both understood that their conflicting lives meant they couldn’t be together - so the Doctor found a bittersweet solution. After an accident involving the Doctor’s old severed hand, a clone version of the Time Lord was created without the ability to regenerate. This Meta-Crisis Doctor ed Rose in the parallel universe and they spent the rest of their lives together.

New Year's Eve Special 2010: The Doctor Says Goodbye To A Young Rose

Although “Journey’s End” was the last time Rose saw the original Doctor, it wasn’t the last time he saw her. Shortly before being forced to regenerate, the Tenth Doctor traveled back in time and spoke to Rose once more (several months before the pair had even met).

It’s an incredibly touching moment that brings the "The End of Time" (New Year's Eve Special 2010) to a full circle and proves just how much the Doctor loved Rose - and even though he sacrificed his own happiness to let her live happily with the Meta-Crisis Doctor, the moment proves that he’s never stopped caring about her. Even in the Tenth Doctor's last moments on Doctor Who, all he wanted was to see her.