The unwilling adventurer: Why Ian Chesterton is one of Doctor Who's best companions
By James Aggas
Nov 19th, 2024 marks the 100th birthday of William Russell. While the man himself didn't get to see it - sadly, only by a few months - we still want to celebrate that by looking at his iconic character Ian Chesterton. Ian was not just a major role for Russell; he was also incredibly influential for Doctor Who itself. Almost 61 years on, the character is still one of the most important companions in the show's history.
One thing I love about Doctor Who is how each era is distinctive, and that's especially true of the earliest era. While those early black-and-white stories are generally slow-paced - even for Classic Who - there's a wonderful sense of imagination to them. It also feels like Doctor Who hasn't quite defined itself, so it's fascinating to see that develop over the course of the first two seasons.
But what I love most about those early stories is the original TARDIS team, especially the human companions. Ian and Barbara make a great pairing, essentially starting out as the main point of view for the audience. While the Doctor is still an important character, he certainly isn't quite the hero that we're more familiar with when the series begins.
But it wasn't until reading fellow contributor Meagan's review of The Daleks that I suddenly realized something about Ian's character. Specifically, this key point she raises:
"Ian calls himself "a very unwilling adventurer," and he's the most active member of [the TARDIS crew]. "
- Meagan Bojarski
Ironically, while the point is made to address the weak characterization of the characters, it actually made me realize what I love most about Ian - the fact that he is an unwilling adventurer, or at least a reluctant one, but he still gets involved anyway.
Unlikely companions
What's important to remember about Ian is that he isn't just an "unwilling adventurer" - he's also an unwilling companion, too. This description applies to both him and Barbara - when the Doctor decided to leave Earth with them both on board the TARDIS, they didn't have any choice.
Unlike many later companions, a life of thrilling adventure wasn't what Ian and Barbara were looking for. They weren't two young people in their early twenties looking for some excitement in their life. Instead, they were two ordinary schoolteachers living in '60s England. Schoolteachers in their mid-to-late thirties, in fact! Even today, a lot of people are looking for more of a quiet life at this point.
Of course, after the Doctor makes the reckless decision to take off in the TARDIS with them on board, a life of excitement, adventure, and danger is what they're thrown into. It's a life they never wanted that takes time for them to adjust, but they do adapt to it, however reluctantly.
Gentleman hero
This brings me back to the description of Ian being an "unwilling adventurer". While the exact quote was made by Barbara to describe herself, it also describes Ian very well.
Ian is the kind of man who throws himself into danger not because he wants to, but because he needs to. He will take on Aztecs, Romans, and even Daleks to do what's right. In fact, he will take on all of them at once if it meant he could protect Barbara.
While Barbara handles herself well in many episodes of the series (her standing up to the Doctor in The Edge of Destruction is definitely a highlight), Ian is often shown to want to protect her from danger, at any cost. This might be due to the time that he's from. It might be due to something more romantic, something that seems to be hinted at, especially in The Romans.
It might even be due to a sense of guilt. While Barbara was the one who wanted to investigate Susan and the junkyard she lived in in the first place, it was Ian who pushed on when she wanted to back out. As a result, he might blame himself for every moment of danger they've faced afterward. Whatever the reason, like the much later companion Rory Williams, it's hard to dislike someone who will do anything to protect the people they care about. Especially if they do it while remaining utterly classy, too.
Strong morals
While Ian is often shown to be protecting Barbara, there is one other reason why he often chooses to get involved - or even why he chooses not to. Going back to The Daleks, there's a point in the story when the TARDIS crew has to sneak back into the Dalek city to find a vital TARDIS component. Without it, they can't leave Skaro. They all agree that they need the help of the Thals - a race devoted to pacifism at any cost - to fight the Daleks. All except Ian.
It's not that Ian doesn't want the Thals' help. But he doesn't want the Thals giving up their morals and getting killed for the wrong reasons. Ian believes the Thals should fight the Daleks to protect themselves, not to help them get back a tiny piece of equipment. And because Ian wants the Thals to fight for the right reasons, he's the only one of the TARDIS crew who convinces them.
This is something that appeals to me the most about Ian's character. Quite often, he doesn't want to get involved. He just wants to keep out of trouble and continue to hope that he and Barbara find a way home. But if his own sense of morality compels him to get involved, he will. Even if it causes him to clash with Barbara, who has her own distinctive sense of morality.
The most important companion
In some ways, an unwilling adventurer - or at least, a reluctant one - can be more interesting than a willing one. Especially if they continue to find themselves in trouble anyway. But an unwilling adventurer with a strong sense of morality, who gets involved and fights against evil, even against his own cautious nature, is even better.
And perhaps that's the reason why Ian is one of the most important companions. One so important that they returned to the show 57 years after their previous appearance, breaking a Guinness World Record in the process. Because doesn't that description remind you of someone else? A traveler who gets involved not because they want to, but because their morality compels them to?
Admittedly, that description really depends on the incarnation, but it's still a description that can apply to the Doctor. Considering how selfish and even dangerous the Doctor was in the beginning, it's hard to believe that he didn't get his sense of morality from a fellow adventurer - even an unwilling one. And that's why Ian Chesterton is still one of Doctor Who's greatest and most important companions to this day.