The poor Ood... They were a truly peaceful race but the Doctor seemed to always meet them when they were anything but.
In fact, the Ood race was a cause for guilt in the Doctor because he was unable to save them time after time. However, when an opportunity arose for the Doctor to save the Ood he did everything in his power to do exactly that. And he did, thanks, in great part, to Donna Noble.
I have researched the Ood so you can easily find and buy whatever you need do dress up as a member of this kind race. From their tentacle faces and clothing to their communicator ball and hindbrain, here is everything you need to dress up in an Ood costume.
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Clothing
Ood Mask
The head of an Ood distinguishes it from other humanoid creatures. They have bald heads, squished faces, and tentacles covering their mouths.
The most important aspect of an Ood outfit is the mask. Fortunately, there are many to choose from. Some are incredibly realistic, like the one seen here, while others are a bit more casual, which you will see on Etsy.
Oh, one more thing. The color of the eyes on your mask is important. The Ood race is telepathic and red eyes indicate that an Ood is connected to the collective hive mind. Some people mistakenly think that red eyes means an Ood is diseased, since they are often seen in Doctor Who episodes as aggressive when their eyes turn red, but it simply means the Ood has linked back to the hive. White eyes, on the other hand, means it is not connected, which is how they often look when they are slaves to humans.
Black Shirt
The clothes worn by Oods are very simple. The most common look is a black shirt that buttons all the way up. I have found two options for you to wear with your outfit - a traditional Chinese jacket or a chef's coat. Both button all the way up and have long sleeves. These aren't identical to an Ood's shirt, but they are so close the I'll bet no one will no the difference.
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Grey Shirt
Oods were also seen wearing shirts that were a sort of steel grey. It's a bit trickier to find a grey shirt that resembles the Ood shirt, but I found two styles you can choose from. The first actually a Neo costume (from "The Matrix"). The costume includes the coat and glasses seen here, so you'll need to save the glasses for another day when you dress up as an Ood. The other is a grayish blue chef's coat.
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Gloves
I don't know why, but Oods almost always wore gloves. Maybe it was to protect them from the feeling of the communication ball?
Pants
Oods also wore black pants, so you should, too. I've chosen Dockers because they are both casual and dressy, making them a very comfortable choice.
Shoes
The shoes worn by Oods were very basic, similar to the Dr. Martens loafer you see below. Avoid shoes that lace up, have buckles or tassels, or any other kind of adornment.
Optional Accessories
Oods hold either globes or hindbrains in their hands. Some masks include one of these items, but not all do. What you see below will help you in case your mask doesn't have either item.
Communication Ball (aka Translator Globe)
The first time the Doctor met an Ood it's head was connected to a white glowing ball that it held in its hands. The Doctor thought that all Oods had this ball until there came a time when he realized this was a human creation, that humans removed the hindbrains that Oods are born with and replaced them with the communication balls. This made them docile and subservient to humans, and also gave them a way to speak to us, since they are born without vocal cords.
The ball held by an Ood is known by many names. These include communication ball, translator globe, and translation sphere. Despite my best efforts, I've been unable to find a replica of the ball, but I did find excellent instructions on how to make your own here.
If you don't want to make your own then here is a super simple alternative - hold a white lightbulb. You can even attach tubing to it, which you can also attach to your mask. You can even draw a black circle around the middle circumference of the bulb for authenticity. I highly recommend that you use an LED bulb, since I have many of them in my house and can say with experience that their bodies are much more durable than regular bulbs, making them less likely to break if you drop them.
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Hindbrain
The 10th Doctor and Donna Noble were shocked and horrified to learn that Ood are born with an external brain, called a hindbrain, that they hold in their hands. Just like the communication ball, I wasn't able to find a replica of the hindbrain, but you can create your own with the items seen here. Just remember that the brain should be small enough to fit into one hand. I found squishy brains that are perfect for this purpose.
The cord attached to the brain and head looks like an umbilical cord but I regret that I wasn't able to find either a fake umbilical cord or flesh colored tubing so the white will do. Of course, you can always spray paint it to make it look more natural.
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Sigma Patch
Ood are race that have a hive mentality. From what I can tell, they are all equal, but there was one of this race who wasn't. Ood Sigma was the personal servant of Klineman Halpen, and he was pivotal in helping his race escape enslavement from humans. He wore a large Σ (the greek letter Sigma) on the right side of his uniform.
You can show the world that you are no ordinary Ood by adding a sigma to your outfit. You can draw it on with a marker, or you can add a patch, seen below.
Update: The patch seen below has gone out of stock and I can't find another one to replace it. eBay will probably be your best option.
