The only man who can flirt his way through time, death, and an intergalactic Dalek invasion.
Character Overview
Enter Captain Jack Harkness, the immortal, time-traveling conman-turned-hero who could probably seduce a Dalek if given five uninterrupted minutes and a candlelit room. First introduced during Christopher Eccleston’s run, Jack was meant to be a shady rogue with a spaceship and questionable morals. But then John Barrowman turned on the charm, and suddenly Jack was a full-fledged fan-favorite.
Originally a 51st-century con artist with a stolen ship, Jack quickly went from scamming to saving the universe. He flirted with the Doctor, he flirted with Rose, he flirted with… well, basically everyone who had a pulse (and possibly a few who didn’t). The Doctor tried to roll his eyes at Jack’s antics, but it was hard not to appreciate a companion who could shoot straight, banter better than most, and still manage to look like he just stepped out of a catalog shoot.
Then, of course, there’s the whole immortal thing. Thanks to Rose’s Bad Wolf power surge, Jack died and got better. And then died and got better again. And again. And again. You get the idea. Death stopped being a serious concern and became more of an inconvenience, like missing the bus or spilling coffee. This gave Jack centuries of adventuring (and brooding), most notably leading Torchwood, the Doctor Who spin-off where he went from cheeky flirt to world-weary immortal who still occasionally flirted with everyone.
Jack’s legacy? Being the first openly pansexual action hero on mainstream TV, redefining what a Doctor Who companion could be, and, of course, giving us the immortal line: “Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?”