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Full Details: Five Brand New ‘Vortex’ Sets Plus The Collect & Build ‘Yeti’
Character Options introduces its first Doctor Who Collect & Build range in 17 years
Character Options has confirmed it is to release a Doctor Who Collect & Build range for the first time since 2009. The line will be made up of five exclusive “Vortex” Edition sets, with each box to include a part of a buildable character. Fans who collect all pieces from across the five packs will be able to complete a scaled replica of the ‘Yeti’ from 1967’s ‘The Abominable Snowmen’.
These sets will be available exclusively through www.character-online.com and will be launched at planned intervals from July.

The 2026 Collect & Build offering recognises some of Doctor Who’s most memorable chapters, with five iconic Vortex Edition characters to discover – plus the buildable Yeti. In order of their release, the sets are as follows:
- 1. Cybermen Set -with Yeti Head
- 2. Fifteenth Doctor Set – with Yeti Upper Torso
- 3. Fourth Doctor Set – with Yeti Legs and Feet
- 4. Season Seven Set – with Yeti Right Arm
- 5. Wirrn Set – with Yeti Left Arm
The Collect & Build ‘Abominable Snowman’ figure
The Abominable Snowmen Story from 1967 introduced the titular character, also known as a ‘Yeti’ to an audience that would go on to become fans and collectors. It was so memorable upon its initial appearance, that it spawned a second story the next year and is still beloved by fans 5 decades later. Now figure collectors have the chance to collect this large figure standing nearly 16 and a half centimetres tall, with multiple articulation points.
The complete ‘Yeti’ buildable figure can be completed only by collecting the individual body sections spread across the five Vortex releases for this year. The figure has a lot of moulded in details, not least the fur effect that has been achieved using a base mould colour plus multiple sprays and washes. The head features the eyes and prominent fangs of the original Yeti that were near impossible to see on-screen, but were unmissable in a behind the scenes documentary of the story creation.

“Something bigger and better with a modern take”
Al Dewar, Creative Director, Character Options, said: “This is a very interesting year for the Character Options Doctor Who range. It’s the first time we’ve introduced a Collect & Build figure for over a decade and a half. Plus, for the very first time we are showcasing the sets that we will be releasing up front!
“The Collect & Build Yeti figure should be a great surprise to most folk. Yes… it’s been well known for years that we created a Yeti sculpt for the ‘1968 Web of Fear’ version but when we examined that sculpt, we realised the scale was wrong and some minor damage had occurred. So, it seemed sensible to go back further to where it all started, up in Tibet, near the ‘Det Sen’ Monastery in 1967, with the original Abominable Snowmen. The Yetis are ‘big ole beasts!’ and I think we’ve brought something bigger and better with a modern take that lends itself well to articulation and play.
“Of course, the Collect & Build figure is just one of many things to look forward to, with five stunning new figure sets coming through – all upgraded to Vortex levels. Even the pre-existing Liz Shaw figure has been refined to be as good as it can be! The team has put their all into getting everything ready in time, and we can’t wait to bring the collectors something that’s so completely different.”
Find out more
Further information on the collection is now available on the Character Online website, where fans can also register to receive pre‑launch updates. More details on each Collect & Build set will be revealed in the lead‑up to each release, with the first set launching from July 2026, exclusively via www.character-online.com
(RRP £44.99).









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Jacob
April 17th, 2026 - 1:08pmWhat episodes are the 15th doctor costume the 4th doctor costume and the liz Shaw costume for the figures
DanWFA
April 17th, 2026 - 1:38pm15th Doctor is from Joy to the World
4th Doctor is from a few storys as you can change the waistcoat you get the Shada Waistcoat
and the Tartan Vest/Tank top and red cravat
Liz is from The Silurians
FH
April 17th, 2026 - 1:39pmThe 15th Doctor is from Joy To The World. I think it might specifically be from the promo images for it though. I didn’t watch the episode but I heard the red coat he wears in the promo images he doesn’t actually wear in the episode? I don’t know though, maybe someone can confirm.
FH
April 17th, 2026 - 2:29pmOr maybe it’s just the lighting, can’t tell if its painted ot be the red coat or the normal leather coat we’ve seen previously.
Haza14
April 17th, 2026 - 1:08pmLove that these exist but the price of £45 feels too high for some of these sets. The double figure ones feel just about justifiable, but 15th and 4th Doctor feel far too high. The 15th Doctor set is a repainted figure that was previously available for £15-20, plus two very nice newly tooled accessories, but they are not worth anywhere near £25 in my opinion. The expense has put me off all the Vortex Editions so far. I have some regret about missing out on the 14th Doctor and Meep, which felt like the best value set so far. Having said all that, most of these are selling out it seems, so the strategy must be working. If this is the only way new figures can be produced for those that want them, then Character should be given credit for finding a way to make it viable. I also like that they have revealed everything up front, so you know what you’re getting yourself in for if you want to collect the Yeti. But to me, as lovely as they look, it’s not £225 worth of stuff for me personally. But pleased for those that want them. Finally getting the 2013 Cybermen in this scale is amazing! And the figures themselves do look fantastic.
Neil
April 17th, 2026 - 2:11pmVortex sets selling out you say? Wraith Warrior set dropped to half price…Glad I held off on that one!
Jamie
April 17th, 2026 - 1:00pmNightmare in Silver Cybermen, Mr Ring A Ding and the Yeti. Three of my most wanted figures all coming in one year! I’m so excited!
Summer
April 17th, 2026 - 5:14pmI am so excited, especially the Wirrn one of the most scariest monsters of my childhood cannot wait to get this action figure and not too worried about the other ones but this one definitely what’s happening with BNM are they not doing BM any more????
Doctorbendisco
April 17th, 2026 - 12:43pmCannot wait for these I will be buying all 5 sets
Gazza
April 17th, 2026 - 12:38pmTo be honest I only collect Classic Who sets so sets 3,4 & 5 look amazing .
The Yeti looks amazing too however it means I will have to purchase sets 1 & 2 (which I do not particularly want ) in order to get it
Josh Smith
April 17th, 2026 - 1:07pmexact same as me, I have no need for any modern sets
FH
April 17th, 2026 - 2:19pmThat’s kind of the point though, from a business perspective. The build-a-figure increases the amount of sets that’s fans will buy. Classic fans would’ve skipped the modern sets but now if they want a Yeti they need them all. It’s a way of maximizing profit while still catering to all fans. Unscrupulous? Arguably, but they’re a business at the end of the day.
Bob Hellier
April 17th, 2026 - 12:36pmlove the Liz Shaw figure is the primord Professor STAHLMAN Olaf Pooley from Inferno?
Gazza
April 17th, 2026 - 12:39pmYes it is
Davo
April 17th, 2026 - 12:29pmTo get these in Australia, assuming they’re all going to be £45 each, that’s about $85, so $425 for all 5. Postage on top.
I don’t want another Tom (I have 10, I think), nor another Ncuti. Not really that keen on the cybermen. If Ashad was one of them, then yes, I’d be very keen.
I do want the yeti figure, though. So I think I’ll be waiting til they’re all released before buying any of them, to see if I can save on postage. With the rising cost of living, though, I’ll probably have to give most of these a miss. Liz Shaw set would be highest priority, then the Wirrn, and that might be all I get.
The Outcast
April 17th, 2026 - 2:59pmThe 4th Doctor is a Gen III version – so it’s got pinless joints, improved articulation, etc. Also includes alternate left hands and a bag of jelly babies.
Apparently they’ve sorted it so Australian postage costs will be cheaper this time round, if that helps things.
Amypondfan
April 17th, 2026 - 12:21pmLove the cybermen. One of favourite designs. Reminds me of the moonbase/tomb version but upgraded to look cooler. Very happy.
CK
April 17th, 2026 - 12:14pmI wonder if the price will be reduced for the single figure packs? £45 for a single 4th Doctor seems a bit excessive!
booboo
April 17th, 2026 - 12:47pmhe comes with a lot of accessories but also the biggest Yeti parts
War Chief.
April 17th, 2026 - 11:38amI wish they were all coming out in July….!
Fh
April 17th, 2026 - 12:12pmWould be a strain on the wallet tho. At least a staggered released allows people a better chance without worrying about them getting sold out.
Vladnag
April 17th, 2026 - 11:28amThese all look amazing! So excited to start grabbing these, only ones i’m a little hesitant on are the 15th and 4th sets, the 4th Doctor looks good but I hope he comes with another figure considering the rest are deluxe/2 packs. Either way i’m excited for a new 4th Doctor figure with hopefully updated articulation, and i have plenty of scarfs around if I don’t like the soft goods
Alex Oswin
April 17th, 2026 - 11:24amThis is a great wave. The collect and build gimmick isn’t for me given the overall cost of the wave. But as a wave it’s got some good characters in covering a good mix of eras, very excited to finally see Liz Shaw! Also I love that they’re telling up in advance what these sets are and when they’ll be released, that type of direct communication about planned releases long overdue in my opinion.
bryan
April 17th, 2026 - 11:19amYeah but the yeti is only a part of the cost. I would have bought 4 of these sets anyway, so cyberman and last piece of yeti makes the cost only £45
I suppose you could say the yeti is free it’s the boxed figures that cost £224.
Paddy Troughton
April 17th, 2026 - 11:16amTroughton is my favourite doctor and been crying out for the yeti figure for YEARS. Bias aside this is a strong wave with a good range of eras touched apon. The only dud I would say of the range is the 4th doctor figure but the fact he has the new articulation is great. Unsure about the scarf though. Will be getting them all
Paddy Troughton
April 17th, 2026 - 11:36amApparently 4th doctor comes with
– Shada Waistcoat
– Tartan Vest/Tank top and red cravat
– ‘Stop!’ hand
– Cupped Hand
– Jelly Babies
– Sonic Screwdriver
– Alternative Head without hat
Very exciting
John 85
April 17th, 2026 - 2:18pmThat sounds great, where did you get this info?
Paddy Troughton
April 17th, 2026 - 3:28pmAl Dewar posted it on Gallifrey Base. Apparently had to rush these base figures out for press release so they weren’t able to include pictures of the accessorys
John 85
April 17th, 2026 - 3:40pmAh thanks, sounds very good
bryan
April 17th, 2026 - 11:15amWow what a fantastic line up. Liz is the top of the range for me, waited so long for a stunning liz Shaw figure.
Wirrin with grub superb not a figure i expected.
Nightmare in silver cybermen is a surprise (wheel cybermen are missing in action from classic series figures
Mr Lux and Dugadoo are lovely , much have preffered a snot monster
Wonder what will be in the 4th Doctor set, as the wirrin will be a set on its own (with Grub) surely.
Superb . OH THAT YETI IS BEAUTIFUL even nicer than the previous sculpt we didnt get. Fabulous
War Chief.
April 17th, 2026 - 11:06amNot sure the Liz figure will stand upright without falling over….(Tegan didn’t)….
Plus….starting in July…..3 months between figures….it will be this time in 2027 before we get a finished Yeti….
But….a Wirrin….!!!!!
Paul
April 17th, 2026 - 11:11amIt’s one a month from July onwards!!
Clay
April 17th, 2026 - 11:35amMy Tegan stands fine? Took a lil tinkering with the ankle articulation though. But it would be helpful if they came with stands, figures at this scale are often not that stable
DalekAgent
April 17th, 2026 - 11:01amI am excited for these but when you think about it to get the complete yeti figure it will cost £224.95 and yeah i know i have a choice to buy these or not but that is a lot of money
Spacewarp
April 17th, 2026 - 11:23am@DalekAgent I think you’re kind of looking at that the wrong way. Yes you’ll have to pay £225 to get the Yeti, but that’s for the separate sets. The Yeti is free. As the Vespiform, the Giant Robot, and the Cyber Controller were free.
Unusually these sets span 3rd, 4th, 12th, and 15th Doctor eras, so I’d guess anyone interested in the Yeti will buy all the sets and then sell the figures they don’t want. Conversely there will be those who buy just the set they’re interested in and sell the Yeti part. Ebay will be very interesting to watch.
Alex Oswin
April 17th, 2026 - 11:27amAgree with Spacewarp, I don’t think I’ll buy the full set so my Yeti pieces will be going on eBay for anyone who wants to complete the Yeti separately
cosmosboy98
April 17th, 2026 - 3:45pmI certainly don’t agree the Yeti is free. In the case of the 4th and 15th Docs it’s the larger Yeti components which will justify (for some) maintaining the higher price point. Otherwise they would usually include an additional figure, all the Vortex releases so far have had two main components!
Fh
April 17th, 2026 - 10:48amIs that a softgoods scarf on the 4th doctor? i hope not, just the other day I was praising CO for not skimping out by using softgoods unlike other famous toy lines (*cough* black series *cough*). CO have always done brilliantly by only using softgoods when absolutely necessary, so i hope this isn’t the start of that ending. :/ otherwise a great looking figure from what can be seen. 🙂
Moonbeam
April 17th, 2026 - 11:13amI would have thought a fabric scarf would be loads better than a moulded plastic one?
Fh
April 17th, 2026 - 12:02pmSome people argue softgoods are better, some argue they’re not. I think softgoods almost always look terrible compared to moulded products. Even from the image seen here it looks a bit ridiculous, kind of comically oversized and cumbersome but not in the way it’s meant to be. Not to mention, softgoods have significantly less durability, are a pain to fiddle about with and overall it just ruins the consistency of the figure.
the ergon
April 17th, 2026 - 12:14pmI,m not a fan of soft goods myself especially where the figure is for the most part plastic. It seems inconsistent and even worse when the garments are creased and never stay in place.
Jake
April 17th, 2026 - 10:45amAll we need now is news on the B&M figure sets.
Sime
April 17th, 2026 - 10:43amLove them all! Plus, Build a Yeti!
Andy R
April 17th, 2026 - 10:42amI think the season 7 Liz set would be my most immediate purchase out of the sets. I can see the Yeti being very very expensive on the secondary market sadly (since each individual set will be £45).. thats £225 for the Yeti just to start with.
Jake
April 17th, 2026 - 10:47amAll we need now is news on the B&M figure sets.
Going to be a good year for action figures
Mark Belsom
April 17th, 2026 - 10:36amOH MY GIDDY AUNT!!
CK
April 17th, 2026 - 10:36amSome nice figures but not happy with having to buy ones I don’t want just to get the Yeti. Hopefully it will get a standalone release in a few years like K1 did.
The ergon
April 17th, 2026 - 10:41amI should imagine the yeti will be standalone or as part of a second doctor set. The others look to be paired to their appropriate era. I,m guessing 15th with dugga do and Mr. Ring a ding next and together.
Fh
April 17th, 2026 - 10:44am@ergon the yeti isn’t standalone or part of a set, it’s a build a figure. You have to buy all the sets to get all the yeti parts to build it.
War Chief.
April 17th, 2026 - 10:48amIndeed, some of these (the more modern ones) I wouldn’t have bothered with, were it not for getting the Yeti arm, leg etc….
And is it me, or does the Primord seem to have one leg longer than the other….?
The ergon
April 17th, 2026 - 11:01amFh. Thanks. I had no idea but i will be buying all sets anyway. The Yeti is the ultimate incentive and never known anything like this since the vespiform build.
The ergon
April 17th, 2026 - 11:03amI never read the small print.LOL.
Clay
April 17th, 2026 - 11:32am@War Chief. : it looks like the left one is longer, it might be sculpted into a pose where it’s dragging that leg… But also this has been a weird longstanding problem with the line, since the original 8th Doctor figure at least. The 12th Doctor and Earthshock Cyberman are particularly affected, have to pose them with one knee bent to get them level!
War Chief.
April 17th, 2026 - 1:20pmMy 8th Doctor as well, Clay……! And the (original) Anthony Ainley Master, and William Hartnell as well…..
I hope the Primord is not going to lean over too much…..not for 45 quid…..and as i’ve said, the Liz figure probably won’t stand upright….
The Outcast
April 17th, 2026 - 2:53pmThe Yeti won’t get a standalone release, because it’s an online exclusive – that’s the rule with the exclusives, because otherwise it incentivises people to hold off, and this stuff doesn’t get made at all if that happens.
War Chief.
April 17th, 2026 - 10:32amWirrin…..!!! With grub thing……I’ve always wanted these….
Yeti….Primord ……..!
A pity those aren’t Wheel in Space Cybermen (I always thought Moffat’s Cybermen were rather naff)…..but hey….what exciting news…..!
Spacewarp
April 17th, 2026 - 11:28amI did see a screenshot of an old Wheel Cybe prototype so I know there were plans. Possibly shelved because it was too similar to the Tomb model. If I was Al though, and I wanted to release a Wheel version, I’d kill two birds with one stone and partner it with a Zoe figure. But just to buck continuity she’d be in the sparkly catsuit.
War Chief.
April 17th, 2026 - 1:23pmZoe in a catsuit……! Definately on my wish list…..
But back to earth, i’ve wanted a Wirrin figure i think since seeing The Ark in Space….in 1975….!
Mb
April 17th, 2026 - 10:30amWow.
The ergon
April 17th, 2026 - 10:29amJust seen. Some classic goodies amongst that lot. Looking forward the 4th and wirrn and the liz and stahlman/primord.
Fh
April 17th, 2026 - 10:29amOOOOOOH, they baited us LOOOOOL!!!! Fair play, fair play. Nice one Character. XD 🙂
Dalek Eye Stalk
April 17th, 2026 - 10:28amWOW! Looks like a stunning set!
Troughton’s Trousers
April 17th, 2026 - 10:25amCrikey! Fantastic news, and amazing figures!
Jamie
April 17th, 2026 - 10:25amAmazing. Just astounding.