Review: Doctor Who Vortex Edition The Master and TARDIS from Character Toys

"Peoples of the Universe, please attend carefully."

While several actors have portrayed The Master over the years in Doctor Who, the two that are synonymous with the Classic Era are Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley. Delgado, a staple during the 3rd Doctor era, was released as a figure by Character Options back in 2010 alongside an Axon creature. The same figure was released again in 2011 with his Computer Bank TARDIS from The Time Monster, and for a final time in a B&M 3-pack in 2016. Ainley, on the other hand, has only had a solitary release, a two-pack in 2010 alongside the Fifth Doctor in a set from Planet of Fire. Rather than depicting Ainley in his iconic costume, the set depicted The Master in a three-piece suit and tie. We would go on to get releases of the Ainley-era TARDIS with the Grandfather Clock released in a Keeper of Traken set in 2011, and the Doric column in 2012 in a set with the newly regenerated Fifth Doctor from Castrovalva. 

Having waited many, many years, the Character Toys team has finally filled the Anthony Ainley gap in our Doctor Who collections with the Autumn 2025 Vortex Edition release of The Master and his TARDIS, a set exclusive to the Character Toys online store. 

The Master set uses the current packaging design and branding for Doctor Who, a white base box with TARDIS imagery in one corner, the 60th Anniversary diamond logo in the top left, and a coloured vortex design which is colour-coded to the Doctor from whose era the set is taken. In this case, it is the blue of the 4th Doctor era to reflect the Ainley Master’s first appearance in The Keeper of Traken and onward into Tom Baker’s final story, Logopolis. The box itself is shaped with an angled corner on the right-hand side, with this spine and the opposite left-hand side left relatively plain with the BBC Doctor Who text, but no direct reference to the set's contents. 

The set name is referenced on the box front on the lower panel with further information provided via TARDIS blue Diamond call outs on the box front that confirm the contents, the scale at 5.5 inch, and the set being a ‘High Decor Vortex Edition Figure’. The back of the box is entirely dedicated to text, and also repeats the Diamond Call out confirmations of the scale and the Vortex Edition, now going into more detail about the Vortex releases, quoting ‘higher specification decor’. Alongside this is the usual in-depth background text from Character that details the history of Anthony Ainley’s Master from his ‘body stealing’ in the Keeper of Traken, to the end of the Classic run in Survival, and his apparent ‘end’ in the 1996 TV Movie. There are also references to the sound clips on Ainley used in the modern series, including Utopia in 2007 and most recently The Giggle in 2023 - all snippets of info that are lovely to read and for me are appreciated more than replicating the plot and outcome of the Dr Who story from which the figure is based.

The Master, accessories, and TARDIS are secured into an inner plastic tray with white cotton ties. As this is an online-only item with no real risk of shop theft, the ongoing use of these very visual ties feels unnecessary, particularly for those keeping the set boxed.

Behind the tray is an inner cardback that is created by the Character art team to represent the Pharos Project (Jodrell Bank) Radio Telescope control room from Logopolis. It comes complete with three sides, a small base, and an upper panel, as well as a 3D element where the doorway is set into the set, with the sky visible beyond. 

The Master is presented in the iconic black costume with its flamboyant, fluffy sleeves, the rear tabard, and the raised collar. Much of this is cast in black plastic and relies on the sculpted details on the cloth and buttons rather than any paint decor. We do get a gloss black application on The Master’s shoes, and we also get the gold design around the collar, trimmed in silver, which is impressive at this scale. 

The head sculpt is new and is much improved on the 2010 Planet of Fire release, with a likeness that is clearly Anthony Ainley and painted in a much more realistic style than perhaps we have been used to seeing in the Doctor Who line, particularly the eyes. 

vs the other Classic Era Master figures from 2010, Planet of Fire Centre, Delgado right

There are two heads included, allowing you to choose from a neutral look and a second head that recreates Ainley’s maniacal smile. The smiling head is as good, if not better, in terms of likeness and decor. The heads on the Vortex releases have moved away from the head and neck as a single piece, with the head now fitted to a ball joint and plugging into a neck that is sculpted as part of the torso.

Swapping these out is easy enough, but after just a few swaps, I can already feel some looseness as the plastic of the neck is stretched - so be mindful of that. Also, be mindful that if you intend to use the spare head on another body to create a different look for The Master, then this will be more complex than a simple swap, with some work needed to create a neck piece to accommodate the new head. 

Articulation was initially quoted as a feature of the Vortex releases, but that has since been removed in more recent releases, and The Master uses the same visible pinned joints at the knees and elbows, the same cut at the thigh and bicep, and with no ankle joints to aid in stances outside that of a neutral position. We have 16 joints in total, with the newer neck joint the most impactful in replicating some of the mannerisms of The Master with the ability to tilt, as well as look up and down - the older figures could simply rotate. 

I found the arms the most restrictive as there is no outward shoulder joint, as has been included more recently, allowing the arms only to rotate around the shoulder, and the elbows also only able to bend in this same axis. Outbound arm movement is therefore reliant on the bicep swivel, but due to the voluminous sleeves, the biceps cannot turn fully as they are blocked by the torso. Using this older arm configuration and also not expanding into the use of ankle rockers after their solitary use on the Fifteenth Doctor also has an impact on posing potential.

The accessories are really well thought out and reflect the Master’s time in Doctor Who, spanning the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Doctor eras. We get two versions of his TCE device: a black cylinder with a gold end panel. The emitter for the device varies on the two versions, allowing you to display The Master with a closed or opened version, the opened version featuring additional silver paint apps within the four-leaf open emitter. These both fit into the shaped right hand with sufficient arm movement to have these extended against the Master’s enemies.

The other two accessories pay homage to the TV Movie where the Ainley Master apparently meets his end at the hands of the Daleks. We have the Funeral Casket that the 7th Doctor uses to hold The Master’s remains in the TARDIS as he transports him to Gallifrey. This is a working box, scaled to the figure and featuring Gallifrey scroll design in gold, including the Seal of Rassilon. There is also a sculpted lock and keyhole, and ornate trim to the top of the box, and sculpted handles to either side and with feet on the base. A pair of simple hinges allows the box to be opened, revealing a rich red interior. 

Inside this, you can place the Internment Orb, which contains The Master’s remains in the TV movie. This is a smaller piece and therefore the details are more limited, but the shape mimics that seen on screen with the central orb and then extended trim around the side to hold the piece in place. This Orb can be held or will sit in the Funeral Casket, and can be held within even with the lid closed. 

While The Master can hold both the Casket and the Orb, this is of course not accurate to the lore of Doctor Who (and a bit morbid) but it is a nice touch that Character have included such parts to allow us to continue world building in the Doctor Who line after such a long time, and these do present a nice new accessory and display alongside the Big Finish 7th Doctor from 2019.

Funeral Casket with the Big Finish 7th Doctor (2019)

The final element of the set is The Master’s TARDIS in its Doric Column disguise, as seen in Logopolis, Castrolva, and Time Flight before its outer appearance changed. Character have said this is the original blow-molded hollow TARDIS from the 2011 Castovalba set, but the new version has gained a few mm in height. The column features the outline of a door as well as the ridges of the column and the upper and lower plinths. 

The paintwork is darker on this newer 2025 release, relying now more on a wash over the base colour, while the original had drybrushing to lighten the base colour. There are no opening doors despite the hollow nature of the piece, and the blow-molding has left some variations in finish with the TARDIS we received in our set purchased from Character having a slightly uneven base and not quite standing true.

For £44.99 including free post in the UK, the price reflects the limited nature of the release and cannot be compared directly to the pricing we see in B&M or against comparable collector lines of similar sizing. For your £45, you get a brand new figure, extra head, four accessories, and a full-size TARDIS, so there is a good sense of value for money. Purists or those wanting a definitive Ainley Master set might also have asked for the Shrunken person accessory from the Castovalva set, and perhaps a removable cape to recreate the Five Doctors look, perhaps even a Seal of the High Council. 

While the backing card is not designed as such to be a pull out diorama piece, it does fulfil that option without much fuss, although purists may want to disguise the plain cardboard sides. I love the fact the Master can step through the 3D door element.

The figure scales well with the existing line, while looking contemporary among them, despite the improved decor that is a key element of the Vortex releases. I, for one, had lots of fun sharing the Master with the various Doctors he has encountered over the years.

The Master posed with various Doctors from the Character Toys line

I can see many collectors getting a couple of sets rather than have to choose which head sculpt to use and who to pose him with. We do have to now wonder - and hope - if there will be any further use of this new sculpt with variants like that from The Five Doctors and the specific look from Survival, certainly high on people's wish list.

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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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