Yaz’s ability to think quickly and leap into the action of every episode without question made her a memorable character due to her consistent appetite for adventure. She thrived in the TARDIS across the three seasons she appeared in, and her character was successfully developed to allow her to showcase her confidence, intelligence and level-headedness. Whilst her love and respect for The Doctor and others around her made her shine, Yaz had other arguably lesser known, or overlooked, qualities that made her even more likeable.
5 Married To The Job
Yaz’s Doctor Who debut sees her as PC Yasmin Khan, a young police officer part of Hallamshire Police desperately seeking to move up the ranks and advance her police career. Thanks to her experience on the job, whilst adventuring with The Doctor across different planets and time periods, she displayed that she was an excellent negotiator and successful in escaping seemingly impossible situations. She was also incredibly calming to other characters, particularly in the Season 11 episode “It Takes You Away” where she is able to reassure young Hanne.
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Being passionate about her work, her family considered her to be married to her job. It ultimately impacted everything that she did, and many qualities are likely in part due to her police training. She would know how to support bereaved families, help children to feel safe, and know how to use a weapon safely. These moments trickle through every episode that Yaz features in, and remind the viewer that she uses initiative and empathy of equal measure.
4 Massive History Nerd
It is fair to say that Yaz’s knowledge of history sets her apart from her fellow companions as a quick, clever thinker. She is able to voice the significance of major historical events, such as Rosa Parks’ story in one of her first episodes, “Rosa,” and appreciates her personal sacrifice.
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Yaz’s knowledge helps The Doctor in “Rosa” with keeping the details of history in the correct order. Likewise, she demonstrates her underrated personal strength when she meets the younger version of her grandmother in “Demons of the Punjab” in Pakistan. She manages not to destroy her own timeline by saying too much. Finally, she shows her ability to take the lead in Season 13 when traveling in the early 1900s with Dan and Professor Jericho during The Flux. Her historical prowess and resourcefulness are certainly their saving grace during this time.
3 Unafraid To Interrogate The Doctor
Despite it being revealed that Yaz had developed romantic feelings for The Doctor, Yaz cemented her legacy as one of those companions whi could successfully challenge The Doctor as they sought to save the day. From judging her fashion sense, to having debates about the state of the universe, The Doctor listened to Yaz and slowly grew to trust her and value her input.
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In addition to this, Yaz became one of the few companions to learn how to properly fly the TARDIS. Through this, she continually pushed boundaries with her relationship to The Doctor and interrogated the definition of a companion by refusing to just go with the flow. She achieved this along with plenty of comedic charm as well
2 Overcame Bullying And Defied All The Odds
It is revealed in Yaz’s story arc that she was bullied for an entire year, causing her to struggle at school and home and consequently run away. Found on the moors by PC Anita Patel, viewers are given the heart-warming scene in “Can You Hear Me,” and it is revealed that this event inspired Yaz to become a police officer. Whilst this episode clearly demonstrates that the companions in ‘Flux era’ Doctor Who continued to defy all the odds, it separates Yaz as having the most transformative origin story.
Perhaps acting as the origin of many of Yaz’s qualities, her bullying story shows that her determination and resilience shine through even more. These moments should certainly not be underrated, as it clearly acts as a message to younger Doctor Who viewers that things always get better.
1 Making Doctor Who History
In a first for the esteemed BBC show, Yaz became the first televised companion of South Asian and Muslim origin. The show tackles the effects of present-day racism and discrimination that Yaz experiences as a woman and a police officer, as well as racism in the past as shown in the Rosa Parks episode (“Rosa”) of Season 11.
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With Yaz’s family being of Pakistani descent, Doctor Who delves into her family history and also current family culture, and what it is like for her to grow up as a British Asian individual in the UK. This, along with her apparent queerness, resonated with fans worldwide. Not only did Yaz make history for the show, but also a huge difference. It is no secret that this representation mattered, and still matters, but Yaz’s character continues to highlight that Doctor Who is taking greater strides to be more inclusive.
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