Review: Doctor Who Vortex Edition release of The Fourteenth Doctor and The Meep from The Star Beast
- Mephitsu
- Jun 21
- 7 min read
“I don't need to pretend, for I am The Beep of all The Meeps!”
The second of what is promised to be five Doctor Who Vortex Edition exclusives for 2025 was revealed by Character Toys on the 16th June 2025, shopping the same day and in the hands of most collectors who ordered on release date by the end of the same week. The set was of the Vortex releases to date as a genuine two pack, with two figures packed into a single box. It was made up of a new Fourteenth Doctor and The Meep, both as seen in the 2023 episode ‘The Star Beast’.
The Vortex Edition figures are exclusive to Character Toys and are badged as a higher grade release to the standard Doctor Who figures, either through updated articulation, enhanced paintwork, or additional accessories. To date, we have seen a double figure bundle of the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday kick off the line in 2024, and then in 202,5 a set featuring the Third Doctor alongside a roleplay Sonic Screwdriver. The Star Beast set follows the same principles of packaging design as these first two releases, a white box with angled corner sections and a TARDIS image at the bottom left corner and the current Doctor Who logo on the top left. The vortex colouring, applied over the white base and around the window of the box, is coloured specifically for each Doctor and Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor has been given a rainbow effect compared to the pink for Ncuti Gatwa, and the orange used on the Jon Pertwee set.
The rear of the box is plain white with Characters lengthy and overly extensive background for the episode and characters. This text details the full story rather than provides a synopsis. As a Collector Set, the box can be opened and the contents removed via an internal plastic tray, with the Doctor and Meep secured by cotton ties, and the smaller pieces taped into position.
The cardback behind the figures features a diorama image of the location, filmed at Camden Town in London. This could be useable as a diorama with a bit of work, but as it stands is very much inclusive of the plain brown cardboard colouring on the sides, with the joints held in place with tape.
We start with the Fourteenth Doctor, who is essentially the same figure as released in 2023 as part of the ‘Power of the Doctor’ 2-Pack with Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor. This version of Tennant loses the coat and therefore the figure is inclusive of new arms while everything else remains as it was in 2023. The Doctor is wearing a checked waistcoat and matching trousers, with the base brown colour over printed with the checked pattern. The waistcoat also features painted buttons and round the back, the rear panel changes to a blue colour with a waist strap and a silver fastener. Underneath the waistcoat, we have a white shirt and grey tie with a mottled effect of white on grey. The outfit concludes with Tennant’s usual plimsole shoes, this time grey with a white sole and turquoise trim.
The earlier figure of the Fifteenth Doctor did have some proportionality issues, particularly around the arms. The new shirt sleeve arms for this 2025 release has seen that issue resolved with the arms visibly shorter when the figures are compared side by side.
vs 2023 Power of the Doctor Release (right)
The headsculpt, the same one as used in 2023, is a good likeness to the older Tennant as he played the Fourteenth Doctor and while not at the level of other lines and realistic facial printing, this one is an improvement on the past release in terms of skin tone and the detailing around the eyes in particular, very much as promised under the Vortex Edition remit of improved decor. This improvement can also be seen in the sculpted hair with its front quiff and sideburns. Rather than a single tone, the hair section features a base brown and an overlay of darker tones to create variation in the hair piece alongside the depth of sculpt.
The Doctor comes with the newer Sonic Screwdriver, a small piece that is perfectly scaled to fit in the grip of the right hand. Despite the size, it still features visible detailing like the prop and the right colour application from the blue emitter, to the beige central segment, and the black, silver and gold end section.
Articulation on the Fourteenth Doctor is not enhanced, and the figure features a relatively standard set of 14 points of articulation, and these include visible pins in both the elbows and knees. This all provides a relatively wooden set of movement options, although the figure can extend the shoulders out as well as up. We do still have issues here with the bicep swivel, which looks unnatural when turned, and it is too easy to over extend thejoint and eventually pop it off completely, disconnecting the arm from the body. The articulation also shows signs of being too tight a fit with the upper thighs rubbing if you bend the legs at the hips and damaging the upper thigh decor after just a few movements.
The Doctor has no ankle rockers, an innovation seen only on the Fifteenth Doctor to date, but stands relatively well in most positions.
Moving on to The Meep, we have a brand new figure, developed from the ground up for this set. Due to the creature design, the figure has taken some decisions to maximise the accuracy of looks over articulation. The entire bottom half of the figure is sculpted as a fixed squatted position with four-toed feet protruding from the base of the legs to provide a stable base. Above this is the chest section and two fully articulated arms. This is all cast in white plastic with sculpted fur detail and an applied darker off-white colour to vary the fur detailing around The Meep’s joints.
The head has the same fur sculpted finish, and in the same colour scheme with a base white and darker off white section surround the rear of the head and over the crown. The ears project out in a vibrant skin tone pink, with a similar colour used on the small nose and mouth. The eyes are glorious and include a glassy finish with a wide-eyed stare set into The Meep’s expression.
The Meep also comes with an alternative ‘evil’ head once their plans are revealed on Earth. This utilises the same fur design, the same application of glassy eyes now narrowed, and with a more sinister ‘sneering’ expression, complete with exposed razor-sharp teeth painted white against a black mouth. The head swaps out easily via a small peg section, and you can also vary The Meep’s hands with three pairs of hands available to recreate the various looks from the episode including hands to sit under The Meep’s chin looking helpless, to outreached palms, to a hand that incorporates The Meep’s blaster in a silver finish.
The Meep includes 8 points of articulation, six of which are across the arms with a shoulder joint that extends the arms up and out, a pinless elbow that bends to 90 degrees or so, and a basic wrist pivot. The other two joints are a ball joint waist allowing some twist and lean in the upper body, and the neck joint, which moves the head back and forth and to a lesser extent, to the side.
As an exclusive release and a limited run, the Doctor and Meep set does command a more premium price of £44.99, but that is inclusive of free UK delivery. That essentially breaks down to £22.50 a figure, which is on par with some of the 6-inch collector lines and about a fiver more per figure than the single Doctor Who releases we saw in 2023, albeit these were not Vortex Edition premium figures. For Who collector,s it is nice to see new products and new characters join the line, and to that end, the price tag is digestible and the set is reported to have sold 80% of the overall allocation in the first few days.
It is unusual for The Doctor, as a figure, to be upstaged by another character in a box set but the Star Beast set headliner is very much The Meep both in terms of a fully new developed figure, the multiple accessories and twin headsculpts, but also for the finish aesthetically albeit with a lessoned set of articulation than normal. The Doctor is still an impressive figure, improving on the coated version by way of better proportioned arms and significantly enhanced facial decor. The downsides are the pinned joints, very visible on the white shirt sleeves in particular, and the clashing joints where moving the legs has the figure rubbing and damaging its own paintwork.
With two sets down and three to go, it is clear that any doubts about the Vortex Edition series from that Third Doctor set have been reduced, if not eliminated, with the release of this set. It is now clear that Character Toys are still very much in the market to develop and release new characters and aliens into the line, and we, for one, look forward to whatever is coming next!
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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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