Wilfred Mott
The grandfather of Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott, makes a couple of appearances in Doctor Who before he ever steps foot on the TARDIS, thanks to his job manning a newspaper stand in London over the Christmas holidays. Since London is pretty much always being attacked by aliens on Christmas Day, Wilf is pretty knowledgeable on the subject and more than ready than most to believe in the Doctor and his adventures. By the time a mind-wiped Donna is returned to the Noble family at the conclusion of “Journey’s End,” it’s Wilf who says goodbye to the Doctor, treating him like family and promising to remember him always. (That isn’t, of course, the last time the two see each other, because Doctor Who loves to break your heart as many times as possible, but it’s a sign of how far their relationship has come.)
Wilf is basically the doting, protective family member we all wish we had. He’s a bit eccentric, but not in a creepy way. He’s loyal and brave, but also like a human cuddly sweater, and he generally makes us all feel better whenever he’s around. His character serves as a wonderful emotional stand-in for the audience, simply because he wears his emotions on his sleeve all the time. (There’s a reason that GIF of Bernard Cribbins saluting while his chin wobbles and his eyes fill with tears is so popular.) And most importantly, he loves Donna beyond anything and encourages her in her dreams of adventure.
Best Episode: “The End of Time, Part Two.” Is there anything more heartbreaking than watching the Doctor’s realization that Wilf is actually the answer to the “he will knock four times” prophecy? Or Wilf’s plea to Ten that the Doctor just let him die because he’s lived a full life already? (Of course, we all know that the Doctor can’t do that, and probably Wilf does too, but it means so much that he tried to sacrifice himself for this weirdo alien who spirited his granddaughter away.)