April 17th, 2026
99 comments
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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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GuyTheZygon
April 17th, 2026 - 7:09pmPersonallY I think this is terrific news! Best set of releases in Years!!! Wirrn was on mY want list for ages, though the abdomen looks a mite truncated (and what are those, feet???) just got to see if it’s better than the Eaglemoss one which I envied (not being a collector) plus glad theY’ve gone for the Abom Yeti rather than Web of Fear; Liz Shaw and a Primordial as well, one this is the stuff of dreams, get behind it folks! *Classic-wise, Still holding out for Alpha Centauri, Mature Krynoid, Hieronymous, Eldrad and Carnival Auton though, c’mon Character, wave after maybe?!
lister
April 17th, 2026 - 6:55pmAs a US fan who doesn’t really collect Nu Who toys, these sets don’t really do me a lot of good I’m afraid. I’d absolutely be interested in the Liz and Wirrn sets, and I certainly want the Yeti, but the rest don’t really interest me, even if I could get them in the States. And I know the Fourth Doctor comes with a bunch of new accessories, but I really just don’t need another Tom Baker figure at this point.
I haven’t even been able to get the Tegan set yet. There’s a good amount of new tooling in these sets, so my hope is that Character won’t want to waste it and they’ll find a way to get some of these figures out in other ways down the road.
Peter C
April 17th, 2026 - 5:56pmIt was mentioned that there would be five sets. Looking at first glance you would expect the 4th Doctor and Wirrn to be one set together, but they are separate. Looking at it, it looks like they are one set and the Yeti is also another of the five. A bit of a joke if each set is £44.99, so you either have an unfinished Yeti or people are expected to pay over the odds to complete a figure. I get that you don’t have to buy every one, but the whole point of the collect and build is to get each part of it. Plus most people, as mentioned earlier will want to get the Yeti as it’s a classic monster. Including Mr Ring a Ding, whilst some people might like it, it isn’t the most popular one, but to complete the Yeti, it’ll likely be another £45. I like the look of the Liz set. Will definitely want that. I know everyone has differing opinions, but £45 a set in this current climate, is very steep. Although I appreciate these figures are still being produced, the cost is likely to put me off being able to get all of them, which may be the same for other people. The rumours of a classic TARDIS set would have been better as it you miss part of it is a wall you will still get a mostly functioning set, but what can you do with a Yeti with no legs for example?
Scotel
April 17th, 2026 - 6:06pmThe proposed TARDIS set would have been a completely separate thing. You wouldn’t be getting TARDIS components with a figure.
Peter C
April 17th, 2026 - 6:19pmThere was a mock up online somewhere, think YouTube, where it suggested each wall being separate, along with the console, from 5-7 era. Although, as you say, not sure how they’d do it re the console. They did a side of the Pandorica in a previous wave, so I would think each wall of the TARDIS like that. It was just a rumour at the time though.
Scotel
April 17th, 2026 - 6:29pmIt was a bit more than a rumour, Al Dewar went into details of how it was going to work.
Because of the cost and needing to know how much to manufacture it would be done by a subscription, you would sign up and receive one piece every month for a year. Having people skip a wall was exactly what they were trying to avoid (and I think we can all guess which piece would be left until last). But having committed to doing what they were planning in 2026 (which we now know was the Yeti build a figure) adding this on top would have been too much of a risk.
War Chief.
April 17th, 2026 - 5:03pmFYI, all we need is a Quark figure, and the rogues gallery of War Games part 12 monsters, will be complete…!
Amypondfan
April 17th, 2026 - 5:22pmPart 10 not that who fans are pedantic lol
cosmosboy98
April 17th, 2026 - 4:04pmFirst collect-and-build since *2010 with the pandorica! This may be the first CaB I finish (only got two pieces of K1, one of vespiform, bought the completed Gelth 2nd hand and have found 5/6 sides of the pandorica.
First impressions were concern about cost: £225 for 8 figures / ~£28 per figure. On reflection I’m grateful these figures are still being produced in 2026, and understanding that niche low-run novelty items are high cost. As a completist I’m happy to get all, and economise in other areas of my life.
Most excited for Yeti, Wirrin & Cybermen. Love the shift in focus over the last couple of years to favour vibrant monsters over Dr & Dalek variant. Do we expect the Yeti to still feature the cutaway chest with control orb? Is the Primoid a reuse of Dr Constantine body? Looks like it. Hopeful for a proper Gen-3 revamp of 4th Doc articulation to make that figure desirable on its own, not just the yeti piece!
Scotel
April 17th, 2026 - 4:09pmThe Fourth Doctor has Gen 3 articulation (although the Primord does indeed look like an old sculpt).
cosmosboy98
April 17th, 2026 - 4:20pmAh yes I can see the internal pinned arms. Can’t see any difference in legs and neck articulation. The Daemons 3rd doc was marketed as a Gen 3 tho clearly it wasn’t!
Forgot to add; really hope this wave is successful and am excited by future possibilities. I’d really like to see a subscription/ bundle model option introduced; I’d happily pay upfront for all sets at a slightly discounted price.
Scotel
April 17th, 2026 - 4:30pmGen 3 had two different elements to it, there’s a new improved articulation system but there’s also a new paint application system they are using which gives much better results. All the Vortex figures use the new paint application method (so the new Third Doctor looks a lot better than the older ones) but not all of them have the articulation.
DeliveryRus
April 17th, 2026 - 3:47pmStrange to release YET more nuwho style cybemen first….
you would have thought Liz would have been set 1 with been new.
as that may have killed people wanting to buy all the sets to get the Yeti.
Jamie
April 17th, 2026 - 3:57pmYet more? We have been waiting for these Cybermen since 2013! Its one of the most requested figures and I’m very excited to see them.
FH
April 17th, 2026 - 4:00pmYet more? We’ve only ever had one style of New Series Cyberman in the entire range, despite there now being multiple redesigns since. Compare that to Classic Who where we’ve gotten literally every single Cyberman design except Wheel In Space unless I’m mistaken.
Scotel
April 17th, 2026 - 4:01pmThe people wanting the Yeti will almost certainly get all the sets anyway, leading with NuWho (especially with the priority pre-order bonus) will pressure people who would only buy classic into getting those two sets and between them the Nightmare Cybermen have been probably the most in demand modern figures for over a decade at this point.
cosmosboy98
April 17th, 2026 - 4:16pmScotel could you expand on the priority pre-order bonus? Do you mean the early access or an additional bonus incentive?
Amypondfan
April 17th, 2026 - 4:17pmFh I think wheel is the only style we didn’t get. Nu who we only got the cybus design with various versions such as cyberleader and destroyed Pandorica but we had no designs from Moffat era onwards
Scotel
April 17th, 2026 - 4:28pm@cosmoboy98
If you order one set you’ll get early access to the next set
Jonny S
April 17th, 2026 - 3:18pmThese look amazing!!! I’ve not felt like this since firing my PC up after school to see the first Series 5 wave announced back in 2010.
I love the concept of a build-a-figure wave released after a few months in collector set style. This is the perfect way to give collectors what the retail highstreet for so many years has disallowed us.
That said, due to the nature of my significantly slimmed down collection today, the majority of these no longer fit my shelf. So this will be a line I dabble in rather than buy everything. However, given the right character selection in the future – more updates to the Doctors, and more 2005-Capaldi era stuff – I could definitely see myself buying all the sets in a future line up one day. I just hope enough people back this initial line for that to be possible down the road!
Out of this bunch, the only one I’m interested in is the 4th Doctor. I have always wanted a soft goods scarf on a Character Options 5″ 4th Doctor figure. I think it does the scarf way more justice to how it actually looks on screen, and gives more flexibility for how he wears it. To hear he comes with loads of accessories as well is absolutely amazing! I can’t wait!!
daz
April 17th, 2026 - 3:04pmIt is definitely a good range but is it worth spending £225 though to get the yeti.
If it had been a build the Tardis Interior range I’d have paid it.
Should have done Belinda instead if 15 or at least 15 without his coat or something different.
I can see the cyberman selling out due to Army Builders.
Just bought the Wrath Warriors. Great price.
Scotel
April 17th, 2026 - 3:17pmI fear if it was the build a TARDIS (especially as described with lights and sounds) it would have been a lot more than £225.
For a price comparison, another toy company are doing a “build a Star Trek bridge” next year, and the price is going to be about £475. The TARDIS would be a bit smaller, but that’s the sort of price range you are looking at just for a large scale playset of this sort of quality.
FH
April 17th, 2026 - 2:31pm@booboo I’ve seen you mentioning the specific accessories that come with the 4th Doctor, where are you getting this info out of curiosity? I can’t seem to find it.
booboo
April 17th, 2026 - 2:39pmAl Dewar
Shada Waistcoat
Tartan Vest/Tank top and red cravat
‘Stop!’ hand
Cupped Hand
Jelly Babies
Sonic Screwdriver
Alternative Head without hat
FH
April 17th, 2026 - 4:44pmThanks booboo. 🙂
TimelordTim
April 17th, 2026 - 2:19pmWow, these look great!
Liz will be an instant purchase.
The Cybermen and Wirrn sets are very likely purchases as well.
Undecided on the 15th and 4th sets, but the Yeti makes them a bit more tempting.
Looking forward to their releases.
rich
April 17th, 2026 - 1:41pm45 quid lol
Mike
April 17th, 2026 - 1:37pmI can’t wait for these sets to come out. They all look fantastic. But I’m a bit confused by Al Dewar’s comment – “Even the pre-existing Liz Shaw figure has been refined to be as good as it can be!” What pre-existing Liz Shaw figure?? Have I missed something?
booboo
April 17th, 2026 - 2:01pmI think pre-existing means it was tooled or sculpted a while ago but never released and they have improved on that
Scotel
April 17th, 2026 - 2:02pmHe did an interview a while back where he was asked about classic companions and mentioned a scrapped “Season 7” set which had a Third Doctor (with a new head sculpt), Liz Shaw and Primord but that the figures would probably see the light of day somewhere down the line, this is the evolution of that set.
vladnag
April 17th, 2026 - 2:05pmThe Liz Shaw figure has been known about for a while, they where going to do an inferno set a while ago but it got leaked so they scrapped it and Liz has been waiting for a release!
So Al is saying the older figure has been updated to fit with the newer versions
Mike
April 17th, 2026 - 7:32pmGreat. Thanks everyone. Glad to know that I hadn’t missed a figure!
War Chief.
April 17th, 2026 - 1:34pmCouldn’t they have done the New Mondas Cybermen from Peter Capaldi Dr who….? I really wanted those at the time (still do..!) and the John Simm Master from that story, and Peter Capaldi in his grey jacket, and black velvet one….
(none of these ever came to light, of course…)
Still…..Yeti…!! And Wirrin….!!
The Outcast
April 17th, 2026 - 3:02pmMaybe they will do the 2017 Mondasian Cybermen at somepoint, always possible in future.