There's just something about Rose Tyler. Maybe it was because she was the first companion of the Doctor Who reboot. Maybe it was Billie Piper's amazing acting. Maybe it was RTD's iconic writing. Maybe it was especially her ill-fated, chemistry-infused romance with the Tenth Doctor. Whatever the factors, they added up to one of the best Doctor Who companions across the board and one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.
Rose was instantly relatable
I've mentioned before the relatable scene where Rose wakes up with bedhead after she (quite literally) loses her job in her first episode. She also dresses like your average early 2000s teen, works a dead-end, low-income job, has a rocky yet close relationship with her mother, and spends time with her deadbeat boyfriend Mickey. Her biggest worries are where she's going to work now and if her mom will ever stop bothering her to get insurance money.
As a girl who grew up low-income, dresses for comfort over fashion, and definitely wakes up with bedhead, I found her instantly relatable. It also helped that I was very close in age to the character when I first began watching.
She inspired me to be more confident in my body
Perhaps it was the film quality of television at that time or the makeup and wardrobe choices of production, but Rose Tyler also looked ordinary. That's not to say she didn't have her fashion moments (especially in season 2) and Billie Piper is a lovely-looking actress in her own right, but there's something that sets her apart from the other companions of Doctor Who. She was one of the shortest in height, and she wore the average dress size of British women when the show came out.
As a plus-size and petite woman who does not fit the usual beauty standards of Martha Jones, Amy Pond, and Clara Oswald to name a few, I saw myself much more in Rose. To get to see her have adventures, be unconditionally loved, and never comment negatively on her own body still inspires me.
Her loyalty and compassion were seen as superpowers
One of my favorite scenes at the end of season one in "The Parting of the Ways" is when Rose argues with her mom in the diner about going to help the Doctor. She talks about how much he changed her life and how much she's learned from him about living, culminating with this amazing quote:
"You don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand. You say "no"! You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away!"Rose Tyler
Her loyalty to the Doctor literally saves the world, and not for the first time either.
Rose also shows immense compassion throughout the series, most memorably in "Dalek", "Father's Day", and "New Earth", and it's very fitting that she is the form The Moment takes in "The Day of the Doctor".
As someone on the emotionally softer side, I can look down on my loyalty and compassion as weaknesses or stumbling blocks. Looking at Rose and her adventures reminded me that these qualities are commendable.
She went for what she wanted
In her actions that divided the fandom and caused some to call her "selfish", Rose chose the Doctor and a life of adventure over everything else again and again. She was very clear in her purpose, in her love for the Doctor, and her rejection of anything that would take that away.
Whether it's loving my own tall man in a brown suit, taking steps forward in my professional and creative life, or pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I'm forever inspired by Rose Tyler.
She remains one of my favorite characters of all time.