"OK. Name: the Doctor. Occupation: not a doctor. Current status: just passing by. Employer: myself. Address: that blue box over there."
Doctor Who returned to our screens under the stewardship of Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor at Christmas 2023, with a full series airing in the Spring of 2024. Under this new era, once again headed by Russel T. Davis, the Character Options Action Figure line finds itself regenerated to what they are referring to as their Generation 3 Doctor Who collector figures.
The 5-inch line dates back as far as 2005 and Christopher Eccleston’s 9th Doctor. These were the Generation 1 figures covering both the 9th, 10th, and 11th Doctor eras but also bringing us figures from the Classic era. The next evolution of the Character line came around the time of the 12th Doctor and initially saw the 5-inch line parked and replaced with 3.75-inch figures. The smaller scale failed to take off and the larger line - now badged as a 5.5-inch collector line - bounced back in 2014 with single-release boxed figures from the 12th Doctor era as well as some repacked carded figures from the 9th-11th Doctor years.Â
Since then the line has dwindled and been supported by exclusive releases direct from Character or at B&M stores in the UK with multi-packs being a key theme as was recycling and tweaking of existing characters. And so we reach 2024 and Generation 3 of the Doctor Who line which kicks off with a Character Options Exclusive bundle of the 15th Doctor and Ruby Sunday - a bundled set they are calling the Vortex Edition.
The figures arrive in a cardboard outer case and within this, there is a white sleeve that holds the two individual boxes into the ‘bundle’ in which they were sold. This outer sleeve has no details other than the current Doctor Who logo as used across the BBC merchandise, as well as a barcode and some legal details around the back. The sleeve has no reference to the contents of the set - and even the exposed corners showing through from the boxes within only carry two more Who logos and the barcodes for the individual boxes. All-in-all, the outer sleeve feels redundant, and perhaps an afterthought to bundle these two figures into one release.
Inside the outer sleeve are a pair of windowboxes with cut-off corners, creating an interesting shape for display, and slightly more of a challenge to open if you intend to keep the boxes for repacking later. The boxes show off the figures beautifully as well as matching - in theme - to the latest B&M and other Character Exclusive releases, employing the same background, TARDIS image, and diamond callouts of key information. The accent colour scheme - specific to each Doctor - is used on the box and the card back behind the figure with a pink hue apparently assigned to the 15th Doctor. The rear of the boxes has an image of the character, a large diamond call out detailing the key upgrades of the Generation 3 figures. Beneath this is a short character bio.
Each box opens via the top or bottom flap, but you will also have to un-slot the angled section as well to slide out the contents. The figures are sat into their cardback trays in clear plastic shaped trays with white cotton ties holding the figure in place. These ties do throw off the overall look for boxed collectors and seem to be an odd addition for an item only sold online.
We start with the 15th Doctor who is a brand new sculpt and is very much showcasing what these new Phase 3 figures are all about. The Doctor is wearing his outfit from his debut in The Church on Ruby Road with a sculpted open-neck shirt with a striped pattern, blue trousers, his burgundy overcoat, and red, white, and black trainers. The applied decor is the best we’ve seen on a Who figure with a wash to weather the coat and particular details picked out across the costume including the buttons and belt on the coat, the laces on the trainers, and the various chains and pendants around the Doctor’s neck.
We also have rings sculpted and painted on the hands, while the head sculpt is a wonderful likeness to Ncuti Gatwa and while not obviously photo printed there is a definite jump in overall realism to the previous figures.
Articulation has also taken plenty of steps forward, with the entirety of the figure now using internal pins which enhances the look overall. We also now get a ball joint neck so the head has more motion and the ability to offer some characterization in posing. The arms come with a full ball joint shoulder as well as an elbow joint with bend and rotation. There is a word of caution here as when you bend the elbow the edge of the upper bicep can get stretched, leaving some stress marks in the plastic.
The waist joint is now a ball joint allowing torso movement for the first time in the line and the legs themselves include a ball joint hip which I found less than extensive as it sounds and very much fixed into neutral positions despite coaxing with some mild heat treatment. Lower down we keep the thigh swivels, the knee then mirrors the elbow with pivot and swivel. And we finally get ankle joints helping extend the posing options further. All in all, we count 16 points of articulation, comparable to other lines of a similar scale.Â
The Doctor is fun to pose, particularly with the included accessories starting with the first Psyhcic Paper accessory in the line which comes in a flexible plastic with a dark grey outer sleeve and a painted white panel. This doesn’t quite fit snugly in either hand, so it will fall out if dislodged. The same can be said of the Sonic Screwdriver which is a lovely scaled replica of the prop in a silver base colour with blue and gold segments. It too will prop in the Doctor’s right hand, but not securely gripped and perhaps one key element these Phase 3 figures are missing are alternative hands to work with the accessories.
The final accessory is from Boom! which isn’t quite contemporary to the outfit but is a a bit of fun. The Villengard mine is a circular scaled piece that sits flat to the floor with a green edge and white and black upper panel which looks to be an applied sticker. There are no peg holes on the Doctor’s feet, and no pegs on the mine so it's not a true stand - but it can be posed with the figures, particularly thanks to the updated articulation.
Moving over to Ruby Sunday and she too is designed to be wearing her outfit from The Church on Ruby Road, making her and the Doctor a story match for display. Ruby’s outfit includes a textured red sweater with outer black coat with white painted fur trim. She is then wearing a printed pattern checked skirt, grey tights, and a pair of ankle boots. While she doesn’t feature any obvious weathering - the detailing on Ruby is similar to the Doctor with painted silver jewelry on her neck and fingers as well as silver studs on her boots and a slightly lighter brown/black sole.Â
Ruby’s head is not quite as good a likeness as Gatwa’s, capturing the look of actor Mille Gibson but perhaps not quite her expression with a suppressed smile around her mouth. Like the Doctor the Facial details are crisper on Ruby but not quite at the photo realism stage used on other lines. The team at Character has also chosen to give Ruby a very specific pointing gesture on her right hand which works brilliantly if you want her pointing - but less so in other positions. Like the Doctor alternative hands are a miss here.
Ruby has the same 16 points of articulation as the Doctor with ball joint neck and waist, ball joint shoulders, rotating elbow joints, ball joint hips, thigh swivel, and knee joint. There is one difference in that Ruby does not get a true ankle rocker, but rather a swivel at the top of her boots.
Ruby comes with two accessories, her handbag which can sit around her neck and over either shoulder, and her mobile phone. The bag is OK but won’t always sit naturally because the strap cannot get under the large collars of the coat. The phone is a better piece with a red case and black screen with her camera visible on the back. This fits more snugly than either of the Doctor’s pieces and is pinched into Ruby’s left hand for posing - with options also to use the right hand, although the pointing finger doesn’t quite look right with the phone in hand.
Together the Doctor and Ruby Sunday look great, and while they are suitably enhanced versus previous releases, the scale has not been adjusted and the variance is not something that will make your older figures look considerably out of place. It is however a hope that these new figures will be successful and that the figures of the Doctor and Ruby can be fleshed out on display with a TARDIS of their own, and perhaps some enemies and allies alongside.
Keep Track of all the Doctor Who figures from Character Options at our comprehensive
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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