Doctor Who fans are sharing their saddest goodbyes

With apologies to Elton, goodbye sometimes really is the hardest word – and even when it comes to bidding farewell to beloved fictional characters, it can be a real wrench to see them go.

And in no TV show is that pain better represented than Doctor Who, a series that leaves a litter of former Time Lords, companions and other characters in its wake over its constantly-regenerating 55-plus years of broadcasting.

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So when one fan-run Twitter account asked fans to share a few of their more wrenching goodbyes, there were more than a few contenders…especially when it came to the era of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor

Though of course, the more recent years of Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi brought back some pretty emotional goodbyes too.

Interestingly, while overall there were plenty of votes for Karen Gillan’s departure as Amy Pond or the final farewells of Doctors David Tennant, Peter Capaldi and Matt Smith (more than we've included here), there was also a lot of love for some goodbyes in the classic series.

Jon Pertwee’s sad final moments with companion Jo Grant (Katy Manning) in The Green Death were particularly noted, for one example, while goodbyes to various other Doctors and companions were remembered misty-eyed.

Of course, in Doctor Who nobody’s ever really gone – time machines help with reunions, after all – but even if it was just au revoir, it’s good to see just how much of an impact these characters made on the viewers. Anyone got any tissues?

Doctor Who returns to BBC1 in 2020