Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who The Fifteenth Doctor (Vortex Edition)

Release Date: October 2024

RRP: £39.99 (2-pack with Ruby Sunday)

Even though there has been a steady string of exclusive releases at either B&M stores or the Character Options website for some time now, the Doctor Who figure line hasn't been faring too well when it comes to capitalising on the current series. Brand new characters are few and far between, with what little we do get coming months/years are the series they hail from has aired. Things might be picking up with the latest era though, as Character Options have finally unveiled their Fifteenth Doctor figure. Portrayed onscreen by Ncuti Gatwa, this figure will be made available in two versions – firstly a special "Vortex Edition" exclusive to Character's website, and then a retail edition (with a different costume and packaging) slightly later.

Both the Vortex Edition Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday were released as part of an online exclusive two-pack, with the two figures bundled together in a special slipcase as well as their individual packaging. The slipcase is a plain white cardboard sleeve designed similarly to last year's Regeneration Set, featuring only the new classic-styled Doctor Who logo on the front and back and then the full BBC Doctor Who text across the sides.

"Full of energy and unafraid to show his emotions, the fashion-forward Fifteenth Doctor is one of the most empathetic incarnations of the Time Lord. With an unrelenting need to fix problems and help those in danger, the Fifteenth Doctor's sense for adventure and love for the universe propels him throughout time and space."

The individual packaging however is a lot fancier, with one selling point of the Vortex Edition release being that the box can be opened with damaging it so that the figure can be placed in and out for storage/display. The box itself is a peculiar six-sided design (most likely coincidentally) shaped like the letter D, with a window section at the front of the box to show off the figure inside. The front of the box also proudly displays the Doctor Who logo and TARDIS graphic, as well as the character name, scale, and that this is a "Vortex Edition Collector Figure". The back of the box has also been given a nice overhaul that brings it closer in line with Hasbro's collector figure lines, featuring an image of the Fifteenth Doctor as well as a short character bio. There's also a small text box summarising what's special about the Vortex Edition figures, boasting a "higher specification deco" as well as improved articulation. Inside the figure and accessories are tied down to a moulded plastic tray, which is in turn slotted into a cardboard tray.

The Vortex Edition figure of the Fifteenth Doctor is based on the character as he appears in The Church on Ruby Road, and while this incarnation sports an ever-changing wardrobe there's a good argument for this to be considered his most iconic (so far) given it hails from his first solo adventure (and all the subsequent promotion there was leading up to his debut). The retail version is similar, but will instead be based on how the Doctor appeared in Space Babies. On first glance it's immediately clear that Character Options weren't exaggerating in regards to a "higher specification deco", with this figure sporting an impressive paint job that helps accentuate its sculpt. The sculpts in this line are rarely outright bad, but the flat colours they've had in the past don't do a great job of selling them. This however is fantastic looking figure with a superb likeness to Ncuti Gatwa, as well as a variety of different finishes and textures on both the clothing and skin. The coat of course being the most prominent of all, with its leathery textured finish as well as darker shading and painted buckles. The striped top is coloured accurately to the actual costume, and the trousers sporting moulded creases in addition to their bright colouring. Even the proper sneakers and jewellery is all accounted for, making this figure a particular stickler for screen accuracy.

But as impressive as these sculpt improvements may be, the real excitement lies in the fact that Character have completely reworked the articulation for this figure – bringing it far more in line with what one would expect from a collectors' figure in 2024. Altogether the Fifteenth Doctor features; 

- Ball jointed head, waist and hips 

- Swivel hinge shoulders, elbows, knees and ankles 

- Wrist and thigh swivels 

Right away it's impressive how Character have been able to rework the poseability on this figure without altering the overall look or size of the figure too much – even though this is a considerable improvement engineering-wise 15 can still sit comfortably among previous figures in the line and not look out of place. But these truly are the improvements the line has desperately needed for so long. Swivel hinge shoulders aren't a completely new addition but weren't previously a regular occurrence, while proper ankle joints are a huge change to how expressive the figure can be when it comes to posing. Not all of it is perfect (there isn't a great deal of bend on the elbows or knees for example), but combined all of it makes this feel like the kind of figure Doctor Who fans deserve to be getting. There is one pretty significant flaw in all of this though, and to be honest its one even the likes of Hasbro and Bandai haven’t even ironed out properly yet so it's not a shock to see Character fall for it as well. All that articulation is great, but with a heavy soft plastic coat covering the figure most of the upper leg movement (the waist, hips and knees especially) is significantly hindered. It's not impossible to get the figure into decent poses, but it certainly isn't as easy as it should be. Of course the only real way to avoid this is to go soft goods like the Star Wars Black Series does, which isn't really something anyone should expect Character to explore. So while what's here is VERY good, it's just a shame that the figure can't quite explore the movement to its full potential.

Another bonus the Vortex Edition has over the retail version is the nice little selection of accessories the figure has. This version of the Fifteenth Doctor comes with his Sonic Screwdriver, the Psychic Paper and the landmine the Doctor inadvertently steps on (and is thus stuck on for the entire episode) in Boom. The retail edition of the figure will only come with the Sonic Screwdriver. All three accessories are very nicely moulded and detailed, with the Sonic Screwdriver especially featuring some gorgeous metallic paint and intricate moulding for its size. Simple as it may be the Psychic Paper is a huge win for Doctor Who collectors everywhere, as this is the first time a figure in this scale has ever been released with it. Which is rather shocking when you consider just how many Tenth and Eleventh Doctor figures there's been over the years. Both accessories fit into the Doctor's right hand comfortably, while the landmine can just be used as a base piece of sorts. Admittedly it isn't all that exciting compared to the handheld accessories, but it is cool to get episode-specific pieces once in a while.

Long overdue as it may be, Character Options have made a HUGE leap forwards with The Fifteenth Doctor (Vortex Edition). Between the improvements made to the sculpting and paintwork as well as the much-needed overhauling of the articulation, Character haven't just justified the price increase of these figures – they've brought them one step closer to being comparable to larger and more established collector figure efforts. That said, there's still room for improvement even if the mistakes being made are exactly the same as the likes of Hasbro often do. What's the point of all that great articulation if there's a heavy soft plastic coat spoiling all of it? The figure has so much more to offer than it's actually capable of, and while that may be slightly disappointing in regards to the Fifteenth Doctor it bodes well for the future of the Doctor Who line should these Vortex Edition figures continue.