Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who History of the Daleks #21 Set

Release Date: August 2025

RRP: £21.99

Despite seemingly having all odds against it, the B&M exclusive Doctor Who figure range has now continued on for several years. A big part of that range has been the "History of the Daleks" sets, and with Character Options now having run out of classic stories to cover things are starting to get a little more interesting. The modern iteration of Doctor Who may have less variants in terms of design and colour, but that doesn't mean it isn't without its surprises. Arriving in stores unannounced and to everyone's surprise was History of the Daleks #21, featuring two Executioner Daleks (or Death Squad Daleks if you'd prefer) from 2022's Eve of the Daleks. Not only is this the first time the Thirteenth Doctor era has been covered in History of the Daleks, but it's also the most recent story the range has represented.

Any semblance of chronological order has gone completely out of the window with the History of the Daleks releases now - both in terms of their actual numbering and the order they're being released in stores. For example, set #19 was of course based on The Parting of the Ways, then the next to be released in stores is this, and then for the next wave of B&M releases we're jumping all the way back to Remembrance of the Daleks (again) with set #20. Understandably it's to make the releases a little more varied rather than just releasing exactly the same mould over and over with slight variations, but it does make the numbering system feel a little defunct.  That aside, History of the Daleks set #21 comes in packaging that matches the previous couple of releases, but interestingly using pale red accents (presumably to represent the Thirteenth Doctor era) instead of the previously seen orange (Ninth-Tenth era).The front features an open window section showing off the Daleks on their moulded plastic bubble, with an image of the TARDIS in the bottom corner. Both sides of the box feature the set name and Doctor Who logo, while the back features an extensive synopsis of Eve of the Daleks. Upon opening the box the Daleks will need to be cut free from their plastic prison, as the bubble has been glued onto the backing tray.

The Executioner Daleks are a repaint of the standard new series Dalek mould, sporting a revised colour scheme and newly moulded appendages. The new colours are a much darker metallic bronze, with paler gold slats and hemispheres. The metallic finish on the Daleks looks particularly good, but the chocolatey colours are a bit more up for debate (see further down in the review). The new appendages however are simply fantastic. First up we have the new style claw arm, first seen in 2021's Revolution of the Daleks but returning once again the following year in Eve of the Daleks. The claw here has been moulded in a slightly open position, giving it a cupped look similar to that of a standard manipulator arm. However the gaps between the pronged sections make it very distinct amongst other Daleks. It's a shame that the two Daleks included in the set don't have them moulded in different positions (particularly since on screen they mostly glide around with them completely closed), but it's a minor complaint. Far more interesting (and unique to this story) however are the new Gatling gun attachments, allowing for rapid fire extermination. These are standard gun arms with a thick multi-barrel section added to the end, giving it an appropriately heavy-duty look. Both appendages have also been given a wash of black paint on top of the silver to give them a more battle-worn look. Despite both Daleks in the set being virtually identical, they do each have their own unique ID tag underneath the eyestalk.

Comparing it alongside the Parting of the Ways Assault Dalek (which is the most recent and arguably most screen-accurate representation of a standard bronze Dalek) really highlights just how dark the colours are on these Executioner Daleks. Granted the colour palette probably hasn't stayed strictly the same over the years, but these feel like quite a radical departure. In reality it's not so much that the Daleks that appear in Eve of the Daleks are this colour scheme, and more that the story predominantly takes place in a darkened building with very limited lighting - giving the illusion that they're a lot darker. Pictures from the episode itself may give that impression, but behind the scenes images of the props are quite clearly the standard livery. While it is nice that Character Options tried to make these releases more of a variant with this alternate colour scheme, but it doesn't quite work when placed alongside standard Daleks. If you want to give them a bit of extra headcanon though, you can always say that the Death Squad Daleks have different livery to denote their rank.

The articulation has remained the same across all Character Options Dalek figures since the very beginning, whether it's a classic or modern variant you're handing. Both figures sport a 360-degree rotating dome, moveable eyestalks and ball jointed appendages. The bases also have three free-rolling wheels (one pivoted at the front and then two fixed position ones at the back) built into them, allowing them to glide across surfaces in typical Dalek fashion. I continue to be slightly saddened that Character have never come up version with a rotating midsection, but given how the toys are constructed (and the limited budget for new moulds/tooling), it isn't something anyone should be expecting from new releases. Outside of that special (and admittedly rarely used) feature, these can do everything you'd expect a basic Dalek figure to do.

Even if there is some debate to be had around just how screen-accurate the colours are, History of the Daleks #21 is the most positive proof that these sets can continue moving forwards into the currently untouched areas of Doctor Who. The limited tooling budgets these sets continue to have still make it unlikely to see Revolution of the Daleks' Defence Drones anytime soon, but Eve of the Daleks representation before anything from the Eleventh or Twelfth Doctor era is a very big surprise. The newly tooled parts included look fantastic, the quality of the Gatling gun alone making up for the lack of variation in claw parts between the two. While I'm not sure Character Options have anything this surprising up their sleeves for the range again, I am more than happy to be proved wrong.