All 20 Past Members of the Torchwood Team & What Happened to Them

Throughout its four seasons, Torchwood featured a team of 20 members working in Cardiff and later, the United States. As the first spin-off from Doctor Who following its 2005 revival, Torchwood tackled more adult and realistic topics than the original series, including LGBTQ+ relationships, questions about life and death, and the darker side of human nature. From 2006 to 2011, Torchwood became a hit with older viewers, largely thanks to its compelling characters and contribution to the Doctor Who universe.

The show Torchwood began in 2006 with the episode “Everything Changes,” introducing us to Gwen Cooper, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato, and Ianto Jones, who formed the core team led by Captain Jack Harkness. Despite recent concerns about actor John Barrowman’s behavior, Torchwood remains a thrilling series of adventures connected to Doctor Who, following the Torchwood team and the various characters who join them over time. This list specifically focuses on the members of Captain Jack Harkness’ Torchwood team, and excludes the Torchwood One staff seen in Doctor Who.

20) Captain Jack Harkness

Jack Harkness, a time-traveling con artist, first appeared in the Doctor Who episode “The Empty Child,” which was set during World War II. He met the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) and they saved his life. He then traveled with them until the Daleks killed him. Rose transferred the energy of the TARDIS into him, making him immortal. Using a device called a Vortex Manipulator, he traveled back in time after the Doctor and Rose left him. He eventually ended up in Cardiff during the 1800s, where he was discovered and recruited by the Torchwood Institute.

Jack stayed in Cardiff, hoping the Doctor would return to recharge the TARDIS using the Rift—which eventually happened in the 2007 episode “Utopia.” He started as a member of the Torchwood team in the 1800s and later became a leader after his original team died. Over time, Jack’s team changed a lot, eventually moving to the United States where he and Gwen Cooper built a new group. Due to serious accusations against the actor, it’s unlikely Jack will appear in any future Torchwood projects.

19) Gwen Cooper

Gwen Cooper, a Welsh police officer, joins the Torchwood team after discovering their use of the Resurrection Gauntlet in the very first episode, “Everything Changes.” She brings her police skills to the investigation of alien encounters and the people affected by them, quickly becoming a vital part of the team. Gwen is a confident, capable, and engaging character, and she’s the only other original member, besides Jack, who survives the series. Later, she becomes a wife and mother and, outside of the main storyline, leads her own Torchwood branch.

18) Owen Harper

Owen Harper, played by Burn Gorman, joined Torchwood after a tragic event: his fiancée was killed by an alien creature that invaded her brain. As the team’s doctor, he investigated alien remains to understand their secrets, and he developed romantic relationships with colleagues like Gwen Cooper and Suzie Costello. Though he died in the episode “Reset,” he was briefly resurrected using the Resurrection Gauntlet, leaving him permanently in a state between life and death. Ultimately, Owen sacrificed himself in “Exit Wounds” to stop a nuclear disaster, resulting in the complete destruction of his body.

17) Toshiko Sato

Toshiko Sato, played by Naoko Mori, was a key member of the Torchwood team in the 2000s. Viewers may remember her from a previous appearance in Doctor Who’s “Aliens of London,” where she examined a crashed alien spacecraft and a strange, modified pig near Big Ben. Before joining Torchwood, Tosh had been held by UNIT after expertly duplicating a sonic modulator design she’d taken from them – a skill that impressed Jack Harkness. Throughout the series, Tosh secretly loved Owen, but her feelings weren’t returned. She confessed her feelings just before her death in the episode “Exit Wounds,” after being fatally shot by Jack’s estranged brother, Gray (Ethan Brooke).

16) Ianto Jones

Ianto Jones, played by Gareth David-Lloyd, became a key part of the Torchwood team in 2006. He and his girlfriend, Lisa (Bethan Walker), worked at Torchwood One in London. During the episodes “Army of Ghosts” and “Doomsday,” Lisa was partially turned into a Cyberman. Ianto joined Jack Harkness’ team hoping to find a way to save her, but unfortunately, the transformation was too advanced. Ianto eventually became a full member of the team, quickly becoming popular with fans for his humor, sarcasm, and playful dynamic with Jack. He tragically died when a deadly virus was released into Thames House by the 456 ambassador during Torchwood: Children of Men.

15) Rhys Williams

Rhys Williams (Kai Owen) didn’t initially know about his wife Gwen Cooper’s work with Torchwood, but he later became a valuable member of the team. His first involvement was in the ‘Meat’ incident, where he assisted in stopping the exploitation of a creature known as the Cash Cow, and Gwen chose not to erase his memory of the event. Rhys continued to help Torchwood, even on his wedding day during a fight with Gray and Captain John (James Marsters), throughout the ‘Children of Earth’ crisis, and again during ‘Torchwood: Miracle Day’. He often voiced his concerns about Gwen returning to Torchwood after they became parents, but always supported her in the end.

14) Adam Smith

In the Doctor Who episode “Adam,” Adam Smith (played by Rhys Myers) was an alien who fed on people’s memories. He subtly inserted himself into the Torchwood team’s pasts, appearing as a long-standing member. He manipulated each team member – making Tosh fall for him, Owen become softer, and Gwen see him as a friend, unintentionally causing her to forget her fiancé, Rhys. Ianto and Jack discovered his deception and killed him, erasing everyone’s memories of him, although traces of his presence lingered in the Hub.

13) Suzie Costello

Suzie Costello was one of the original members of the Torchwood team when the show began in 2006, serving as Jack Harkness’ second-in-command. However, an investigation by Gwen Cooper into a series of murders in Cardiff uncovered the shocking truth: Suzie was the killer, driven mad by an obsession with avoiding death and a powerful artifact called the Resurrection Gauntlet. After Jack revealed his immortality, Suzie took her own life, allowing Gwen to take her place. She was later brought back to life, only to be killed again in the episode “They Keep Killing Suzie.” Eventually, her body and belongings were stored in cold storage at the Torchwood Hub, which was later destroyed during the events of Children of Earth.

12) Gerald Kneale

Gerald Kneale led Torchwood Three in 1918 and appeared in the story “To the Last Man,” which centered on the connection between Toshiko and World War I soldier Tommy Brockless (played by Anthony Lewis). Kneale was responsible for ordering Brockless to be awakened each June 21st, giving Tosh one day a year with him until Brockless returned to his own time. Comic books expanded on Kneale’s story, showing he joined Torchwood Three in 1907 and retired after a colleague died. He passed away in 1942, notably not during active duty – a rare fate for a Torchwood member.

11) Harriet Derbyshire

Harriet Derbyshire’s death led to Kneale resigning as the head of Torchwood, as she had been a close friend and colleague throughout his time with the organization. They worked together in 1918 to find Tommy Brockless, investigating strange events and time anomalies at St. Teilo’s Hospital in Cardiff. After collaborating with Jack Harkness during the Rift War! comic book storyline, Derbyshire tragically died in 1919 at just 26 years old, making her death a particularly sad moment in Torchwood’s history.

10) Alex Hopkins

In the “Fragments” episode, we saw Jack Harkness’s previous team through flashbacks. This team was led by Alex Hopkins (Julian Lewis Jones), and he opened a strange Object 1 just before the year 2000. Object 1 showed Hopkins disturbing visions of Torchwood’s future—including the 456 incident and Miracle Day—convinced that his team wasn’t prepared for the new century. He then killed everyone. Jack Harkness confronted him, and Hopkins gave Jack command before taking his own life.

In the world of Doctor Who, Alex Hopkins contacted Yvonne Hartman (played by Tracy-Ann Oberman) after he eliminated his team. He cautioned her that Torchwood wasn’t prepared for an impending threat, and this warning motivated her to climb the ranks and take charge, ensuring the organization was ready. Though Yvonne Hartman later died fighting Cybermen in the episodes “Army of Ghosts” and “Doomsday,” her strong will shone through even as she was being modified, ultimately proving Hopkins’ initial assessment incorrect.

9) Alice Guppy

Several episodes of Torchwood, including “Fragments,” explored the show’s origins in the 19th century, revealing how Jack Harkness first encountered the original Torchwood team in Cardiff. Alice Guppy, a key member of that team, recruited Jack after discovering his immortality and connection to the Doctor. Queen Victoria established Torchwood in 1879 after the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler showed her the threats lurking in space. As a result, she named the Doctor an enemy of the Crown in the Torchwood Charter, explaining why the 19th-century team sought him out.

8) Emily Holroyd

In 1899, Emily Holroyd (played by Heather Craney) and her partner, Alice Guppy, were responsible for bringing Jack Harkness into Torchwood Cardiff. Later, in the 1900s, Holroyd wrote a set of guidelines for future Torchwood teams. These guidelines stated that if a leader was unavailable, the team member with the most experience would take charge. Specifically, Holroyd arranged that Jack Harkness would become the leader if the current leader died or retired, recognizing he would likely be the most seasoned member. This demonstrated her strong belief in Jack’s abilities.

7) Charles Gaskell

I remember when Charles Gaskell joined Torchwood Cardiff back in 1899. He’d actually been a sailor in the Royal Navy before that, and he quickly became a valuable member of the team, especially when Jack Harkness was first recruited. A couple of years later, in 1901, Gaskell and Alice Guppy stumbled upon something incredible – an older version of Jack, buried in a huge grave by his own brother, as you might know from the ‘Exit Wounds’ incident. It was Gaskell who really pioneered the cryosleep technology we used to keep people frozen for long periods. After they found that older Jack in 1901, though, nobody really knows what happened to Gaskell, Guppy, or even Emily Holroyd – they just kind of disappeared from the records.

6) Lois Habiba

The Torchwood: Children of Earth storyline dramatically changed the show’s direction. It centered around a terrifying event where an alien race, known as the 456, demanded 10% of all children as a form of recreation. Lois Habiba, a worker at the Home Office (played by Cush Jumbo), joined forces with Torchwood, acting as their inside contact during negotiations with the 456 – aliens Jack had encountered previously. Despite her crucial role in saving millions of children, Lois was ultimately imprisoned on espionage charges. She was likely freed by her boss and ally, Bridget Spears (Susan Brown), but her association with Torchwood was permanently ended.

5) Rex Matheson

Following the popularity of Children of Earth, Torchwood: Miracle Day focused on a global phenomenon called Miracle Day, where everyone on Earth suddenly became immortal – except for Jack Harkness. CIA agent Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer) initially brought Jack and Gwen Cooper to the US to investigate this strange event, but he soon joined their team as they went on the run. Rex received a blood transfusion from Jack, which ultimately allowed them to stop the effects of the immortality, but also made Rex immortal himself. Later, Rex rose to become Deputy Director of the CIA and continued to work on dismantling the influence of the Three Families.

4) Esther Drummond

Esther Drummond, a CIA analyst played by Alexa Havins, teamed up with the relocated Torchwood team to investigate the Miracle, working alongside Rex Matheson. She played a crucial role in uncovering the truth about the Three Families and stopping the Miracle, even coming up with the plan to use Jack’s blood to protect Rex. This ultimately allowed them to destroy the Blessing in both Shanghai and Buenos Aires, meaning Esther’s contribution was essential to ending the Miracle. Sadly, Esther was later killed by The Cousin (Chris Butler), who was guarding the Blessing in Argentina.

3) Oswald Danes

Oswald Danes, a former teacher and convicted sex offender played by Bill Pullman, was one of the most difficult people Jack and Gwen ever brought onto the Torchwood team. Originally scheduled for execution, he was saved by the Miracle, a mysterious event, and unexpectedly became a public figure for the PhiCorp organization despite his crimes. Eventually, Danes grew weary of his new life and assisted Torchwood in reversing the Miracle and restoring death. He sacrificed himself, along with Frances Fisher’s character, The Mother, using a bomb to destroy the Blessing’s Shanghai base and ensure the Miracle could never happen again.

2) Dr. Vera Juarez

Dr. Vera Juarez (Arlene Tur) suffered one of the most horrifying deaths in Torchwood. A talented surgeon, she became a key advisor during the early days of the Miracle, and her recommendations led to the creation of “overflow camps.” These camps were used to sort seemingly deceased citizens based on the degree of their death, with those in Category 1 being burned alive. Juarez herself was condemned to this fate after she discovered and threatened to reveal that Colin Maloney (Marc Vann) was incorrectly classifying people at his camp. Maloney then left her to burn, and Rex Matheson shockingly filmed the event.

1) Dr. Martha Jones

Following her adventures with the Tenth Doctor and Jack Harkness during the events of “The Year That Never Was,” Martha Jones briefly joined the Torchwood team in the episode “Reset.” She assisted them in investigating deaths at the Pharm, an operation that tragically led to Owen Harper’s initial death. Martha temporarily filled the role of Torchwood’s medical officer, but stepped down after Owen was brought back to life and her expertise was no longer required. She eventually returned to working with UNIT, and later reunited with the Doctor and Jack in “The Stolen Earth” and “Journey’s End.”

In the final episodes of the Tenth Doctor’s adventures, “The End of Time — Part 2,” we learn that Martha is working as a freelance medical professional and battling Sontarans alongside her husband, Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke). This marks her last appearance in the Doctor Who universe on screen. However, books, comics, and other related media show that Martha became close friends with Sarah Jane Smith (played by the late Elisabeth Sladen) and later mourned her passing at a memorial service. She also had encounters with the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), cementing her legacy as one of the Doctor’s most memorable and important companions.

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2025-12-05 20:16