Top Five Big Damn Hero Moments: Leela (Doctor Who)

Obviously, as easily the most badass classic Who companion, Leela has no shortage of Big Damn Hero moments.  The Sevateem warrior is handy with a dagger (and a Janis thorn, despite the Doctor’s objections,) knows her way around hand-to-hand combat, and is a quick study on guns.  As with most of the Doctor’s more badass companions, though, I’ve tried to put together a list that’s a little more varied than “five times Leela kicked someone’s ass” (spoilers.)

Fighting Mister Sin (Series 14, Episode 23 – “The Talons of Weng-Chiang:  Episode 3”)

Leela is prepared when Mister Sin arrives at Professor Litefoot’s house.  Having already knocked out the professor, Mister Sin creeps toward her, knife outstretched, and Leela returns like for like, grabbing a steak knife off the table and expertly throwing it straight into his neck.  Of course (because Who isn’t about to have Leela actually kill someone by knifing them in the jugular,) it turns out Mister Sin don’t go down that way.  When he’s unphased by the knife attack, Leela does the smart thing:  fall back and regroup.  She also does the cool thing, vaulting over a chair, running across the table, and diving out the window – Leela gets all the action moves!

Tailing Li H’sen (Series 14, Episode 23 – “The Talons of Weng-Chiang:  Episode 3”)

Brave and smart!  Leela follows Li H’sen back to the theatre, taking cover while he puts his hypnotic mojo on an unsuspecting woman.  Then, when Li H’sen is out of the room, Leela swaps clothes with the woman and hides her away, getting Li H’sen to instead take her back to Greel’s lair with him.  Since Leela is only pretending to be hypnotized, this gives her valuable intel on where to find the baddies and a primo opportunity for a first skirmish with Greel; nicely done.

Killing the Rutan (Series 15, Episode 4 – “Horror of Fang Rock:  Episode 4”)

While the particulars of this moment aren’t anything extraordinary – Leela fires a mortar at the Rutan – it’s here for the swagger points.  Leela seeks it out afterwards and finds the Rutan dying in the stairwell, where she scoffs at its promise of revenge.  “Enjoy your death as I enjoyed killing you.”  I know the Doctor doesn’t approve, but seriously, how badass is that?

Fighting the Infected (Series 15, Episode 7 – “The Invisible Enemy:  Episode 3”)

While the cloned Doctor and Leela are miniaturized and injected into the Doctor’s bloodstream to locate the nucleus of the Virus (it’s Who, just go with it,) the Infected are keen to stop that happening.  With the Doctor himself unconscious, it’s up to Leela (and K9) to hold them back.  This is a fun example of how Leela adapts over the course of her time on the show; while she fights as strategically as ever, she also learns her way around weapons she would’ve never used as one of the Sevateem, like blasters.  Cool action scene that shows off Leela’s boldness, as well as her smarts.

Keeping the Faith (Series 15, Episode 23 – “The Invasion of Time:  Episode 3”)

At this point in the story, everything seems to suggest that the Doctor is in league with the bad guys.  He’s been shifty and secretive, he lowered Gallifrey’s defenses to let the enemy in, and he appears to have turned on Leela personally, banishing her from the Citadel.  But Leela remains loyal, sure that it’s all part of the Doctor’s plan, calm in the knowledge that she doesn’t have to understand it to help him carry it out.  Rodan argues with her, insisting that “reason dictates” that the Doctor is a traitor.  Leela, fiercely, replies, “Then reason is a liar!”  This is maybe an odd Big Damn Hero moment to include, especially for a companion who regularly kicks so much ass, but this display of trust and devotion is brave too, and I love that Leela is unflinching in her belief in the Doctor’s character.