The modern joes definitely had some gems. The 2012 skystriker and eaglehawk were and still are some of my favorite toys as a kid. Even with all the vintage toys my dad got me, I played with that eaglehawk every time to rescue ace from the skystriker when Cobra shot him down. Could they have been better toys, most certainly. But I did what I could with what I had. And at the end of the day, having fun was the objective, and mission accomplished.
I love Sigma 6! They got me back into collecting GI JOE (as a kid I grew up with the 'O'-ring figures and vehicles plus the 12" 1/6 scale ones before that) as smaller figures since my main thing has been collecting and building custom 1/6 in my 'kidult' life (motorcycles and guns in my adult life lol). I think the product designer in me just loves the innovations of the accessories and the geometric aesthetic of that series. Since very recently starting to collect the Classified line (run out of room and money for 1/6) I've dug out my Sigma 6 collection (I think I have 95% of the figures released with some duplicates) and thanks to the 'Wayback Machine' have found the old Sigma 6 Central site as matching the accessories to the correct figures is quite a challenge! LOL.
@@DestroIsMySpiritAnimalI have seen the video of GI Joe Resolute. It was the only animated GI Joe feature with a TV-14 V rating(it was more violent). Cobra Commander was more of a real terrorist leader here.
My favorite line was the 25th anniversary/modern era line. It's what got me back into GIJoe and what started my collecting addiction,I mean journey. Which ended around the Pursuit of Cobra line. In between I wasted a lot of money on a lot of crap. Which is all in stores away and forgotten about until I stumble upon something GIjoe related. Like this channel..
I was in love with GI Joe as a kid, got as many guys as I was able to get, then I grew up. Fast forward to now, I stumbled across an antique mall and saw a 1985 Barbecue! Got him and started back down the Joe rabbit hole “pause”. Discovered the Classified series and ooooh maaan!!! It’s on and popping!!! My wife is going to be so mad.
Ahh, dopamine hit! Need to pull away. Another great video and full of Joe toys I had no clue about. I just want to say that as a kid, I pulled coins from under the couch and between the front car seats to buy GI Joe Real American Hero figures at our local True Value Hardware. I lived four hours from the nearest big stores that sold gobs of G.I. Joe toys, but even in a small, isolated town Joes were easy for literally any kid to buy and have fun with. The articulation and detail were not the same level as GI Joe Classified, but it was still amazing. Kids have far more imagination so we didn't need that anyhow. That the articulation and detail was there, plus the lore (comics, cartoon, movie, file cards and even package art) kept the line going and outpaced many other cool toys of the 1980s. My twin brother and I had every figure and vehicle from 1983 to 1986, most from 1982, 1987, and 1988. I don't recall how we convinced our parents to buy the USS Flag,, but I remember the day it arrived, 3-4 months after we ordered it. The delivery truck was as old beater Chevy from 1970s with wood rails around the truck bed, and the box was unbelievably huge. We could not convince our parents to get the Defiant space shuttle. Smart move on their part. I think the line started its decline in 1986 when Sci-Fi replaced Flash as the laser rifle trooper. It's not that Flash was replaced. It's that Sci-Fi was an awful neon green. There were still great figures to come, like Ambush and Big Ben in 1990, but 1986 was a turning point. I'm one of the few who didn't like the 1986 Cobra Vipers with their boring silver face shields and bright red arm guards. Snow Vipers from the year before - amazing! How were they followed up with these guys?
I went in hard on the 25th line. Started with those two 5 pack collector sets and then just went from there. I ended up passing those down (probably 30+ figures) to both of my boys (ages 6 and 9) which I think is what spurned their interest in the Classified line. And it's exactly as you say - the Classified line looks so good, but is also great for play.
I enjoy your videos. I did not know that there were so many different lines of G.I. Joe. I regret missing out on the 1/18 scale versions of the Adventure Team figures. I also wanted to thank you for directing me towards Gridiron Studios, they have some really cool stuff.
Glad to see some love for the Dark Ninja Master (Sigma 6). There were some great Sigma figures, especially towards the end of the toy line, with fun modular accessories. Incredible to think, that these 8" figures, loaded with accessories, were selling for between $10 and $15 in 2005 to 2007.
@@DestroIsMySpiritAnimal Oh man, I bought 2 Dark Ninja Masters back around 2014 (when I bought my first Sigmas, actually), one loose and one MIB. Much much less than $100 back then, fortunately!
@@DestroIsMySpiritAnimal My favorite Sigmas are from 2007, when they were moving away from that black "Sigma suit" design and getting a bit more ARAH in spirit. Maybe if they had started with that in 2005, and made them 6" rather than 8", it would have faired better.
I was going to say that Classified should've been first, but yeah, when you include all the vehicles with the figures, the original was definitely the best line! Great list. Awesome to see all the incarnations of GI Joe, good and bad!
G.I. Joe ARAH line’s success may not be repeatable but it remains iconic. As big a piece of pop cultural and toy history as Pokémon, Star Wars, Barbie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in my view.
Best lines for me is 1. Pursuit of Cobra 2. 30th 3. Retaliation 4. 50th 5. Figure Subscription Service 6. Con Exclusives ( 2009 onwards ) 7. Renegades 8. Rise of Cobra 9. 25th 10. Classifieds 11. A Real American Hero
Venom vs ..imagine being in line and seeing a guy get Wolves DNA and then grizzly and then shark and as you step up you read your injection and it's HAMPSTER 😂
You got the top spot 100% correct. In the 80’s with the toys, comic books & cartoons..it was a trifecta of awesome. Never to be done again. Yo Joe!! I do want to see Joe’s getting after Barbie in her sequel movie.. she needs a Real American Hero not that wimp Ken ;)
Awesome video man! I am always waiting to see what you’ll put out next! I really enjoy your videos! It would be very difficult for me to make this list. I could easily get the worst out of the way but the great stuff is where I go back and forth.
Great video. I learned some things that I probably should’ve already known lol! Two versions missed that I enjoyed were the kre-o line, and the real American hero collection from 2000.
I know that's how Kwinn was referred to in the comics, but "eskimo" is now considered a derogatory term (similar to "redskin"). The proper term is Inuit.
Just got into the classified line a couple weeks back and absolutely agree with your points! They seem very well made for the price, and that makes me confident to buy them loose or sealed. Love your content!
Excellent video, very cool and informative. I grew up in the 80's and had the first 3 years or so of the 3 3/4" line, absolutely loved them. I even had the straight arm characters that were kind of a hot mess because they fell apart (thumbs).
Nooooo! Dude, I loved the Hall of Fame collection! I was in 2nd year of high school and hadn't owned a Joe, for a few years. These made me get back into GI Joe, for a short time. I understand your point about using later versions of these characters, but in my opinion, they were pretty tight!
your top 3 is totally spot on! I Love Classified, but it will never beat ARAH. ARAH could be collected at volume, and the space requirement was very small.
I bought a couple character load-outs for my Breaker figure, the Doc load-out and all the V.A,M.P. upgrades. It all got a little expensive. The Adventure Team figures were Collector's Club figures , and now they sell for $300 a piece on ebay...yikes.
Saw a mint on card sigma six dark ninja master at a vintage toy shop. $70 bucks, it'll probably get more expensive as the years go on. I remember seeing them all over big lots in the late 2000s
They could use the 80s series like Legos. Just release parts little screw drivers and oh rings. There are glasses repair kits After figuring out how to make your own guys made joes bad ass.
I said once it and I'll say it again, I'm learning a lot about my favorite toy brand ever from watching your vids!!! Obviously your ranking is not the same as my ranking but thats ok. Dude you said it, when you find the "correct formula" and its not broken, then dont fix it! Maybe at one point the moms didn't want to buy GI Joes but i guaranty the dads were there for that.... cause you know, the dad F is secretary and the mom kick him out and he feels bad and buys all kind of toys to the kid.... you know how the story goes
Some of the ones listed separately I see as continuations of earlier lines (see below). My top five would be: 1. A Real American Hero (80’s-90’s) 2. 25th, ROC, POC, 50th 3. GI vs Cobra, Valor vs Venom, Spy Troops 4. 12 Inch 1970’s 5. Hall of Fame - just needed more of these Reaction could have been great if they’d have executed it differently. Lower prices, more Joe characters (instead of Joe troops and stupid variants like CC, Destro, Baroness in disguise). I just can’t get into the 6 inch Classified. They feel cheap to me and the scale brings back neither the nostalgia of the 70’s 12 inch or the 80’s 3.75 inch.
Pretty good list. Xtreme looked like the guy from Kenner who did the first reboot of Star Wars and they were all muscly. The concept wasn’t that bad in theory aiming for really young kids. My kids liked them at the time. I really enjoyed Hall of Fame, it was great to see them in the original 12” format, but the body buck did suck and very barbi. If they used the version that came out a few years later that were more generic or Adventure Team inspired, it would have been tops, especially with all the extra packs you could get. Holds a special place to me for reasons. Sgt Salvage would have been a really cool line if they kept it to the ARAH size. But still enjoyed it. Sigma 6 I feel like is underrated. They were really odd, but the 2” inch figs were actually super cool and the vehicles are awesome, and work well with lots of options. The big figures are cool too, but yeah a little odd lol. 3: the original 60s Joes, besides what ever hand shape they have 😂 they were amazing. 2: 70s Adventure Team. Being born in 72 it was hitting me with my older bros joes handed down. And we had a farm to play with them and the crazy big vehicles! So perfect. 1: yeah I was 10, so ARAH was amazing and all of the vehicles etc. So much playability. Clutch is my fav because of the OG joes having that black beard too, so I was instantly in. You forgot Super Joe 😜 but I don’t blame you, be right there with Xtreme lol. Good stuff. Cheers
I’m clearly around your age, so I agree with your final two. I started doing the Classified series, but they started coming out with too many, too fast, so I only picked ones that are more retro, that look like the original. I did jump on a couple of the actual Classified Retro figures like Scarlet and Duke. I have fallen in with the Ultimates line though. I find them to be quite fun, and can keep up with the release schedule of those a lot better. They also represent what I liked about the look of the originals better. Snow Job was definitely my favorite figure of all time though. I tracked down a mint version of his original o-ring figure, as well as his snowmobile. Of course I got the Classified version as well. If only they would make his snowmobile now. 😊
Just in terms of something being insulting and disregarding lore I gotta say the winner was the Halo tv show against the games/books. One of my biggest disappointments haha. Anyway, awesome video, thanks for doing what you do. loving the content as I go backwards checking it out.
Always considered 25th to club figures all in between 1 line. Even though has different names 39th pursuit 50th movie figs etc they all had same look and style
I love good countdown and list and we might have differences but that cool. I just want leave comment on one your videos for while now but this one really sparked me. Anyway keep up great list buddy
Classified Too High. Renegades too low. I'd probably go 1 RAH 2 PoC 3 Renegades 4 RoC 5 Classified 6 Super7 Ultimates. I've also enjoyed some of the figures coming in the ReAction line, even if that style figure isn't my favorite.
In England 12inch GI Joe was called action man 🤔 so growing up i thought Gi Joe small figure's were a completely separate toy🤔 and i don't think Gi Joe had the same appeal in England 🤔 we just had big action man 👍
I completely agree with your top two choices. Classified is a great looking line. And the vintage 80s line is where I got interested, and the size and articulation made it great. Best vehicles. I wouldn't rank Sigma Six as high as you but what I like about lists is that the reasons I don't like things are the reasons you do. Also if I agree if I were a kid would have loved the play features. Entertaining video.
Thanks, yeah my love of Sigma 6 is a bit odd, as for the most part, they have a lot of features I typically don't like: Cartoonish design, too much sci-fi, etc. But they are fun
My first ever GI JOE was a GI Joe VS. Cobra, and it was so ugly and cheap that it ruined the toy line for me for nearly the rest of my life. I threw mine into the trashcan after playing with it once. 24 years later, I saw the Classifieds in the store a few times and didn't pay them any mind, "oh its that ugly thing from when I was a kid" and moved on. I see the light now. As of last month, I have now collected almost every single Classified and it's the consistently highest quality figures I've ever seen. I hope Classifieds are selling well and they keep making them. I'll keep buying them!
Did you end up getting the classified Mutt and Junkyard? Its so fucking awesome. My ONLY complaint is they didn't include the mac 10 he originally had.
I think the retro line should have been two separate entries, cause yes the single packed figures weren't great, but there was also the vehicles that came with classic o-ring figures as well as the two packs, especially the Duke/Cobra Commander one that came with so many accessories from the start of the g.i. Joe movie 🤷
Great video, most entertaining - thank you :), I just can not take to the classified line as the scale is just way off for Joes, I still try picking up obscure and cool looking 4 inch figures - unfortunately usually expensive FSS or SDCC :)
Pursuit of Cobra was a really good line with some great figures. I think the PoC Snow Job is still my favorite version of that character and hopefully we'll see a Classified figure with that outfit and gear load-out at some point. I definitely remember the horror that was GI Joe Extreme. However, even Star Wars figures were hitting the steroids in the mid-1990s, so it was just a weird time in general for action figures. In order to be successful, in my opinion, GI Joe needs to strike that perfect balance of about 70-80% realistic, modern-military gear and 20-30% science fiction. If the sci-fi element takes over too much, then it just kills the appeal of the franchise. This is why I think those early Classified waves really missed the mark so badly; but now that Hasbro is actually listening to the fans again, I think Classified has become one of the best toy lines being produced right now.
@@DestroIsMySpiritAnimal - I will say though that the plastic technology had improved and the hands seem more rubbery that they can hold weapons without fear of breaking thumbs and fingers. They still hold up!
I agree with most of your assessments however I take umbrage with your take on DTC Major Bludd. The DTC line isn't great I'll agree, however that Bludd was awesome, possibly the high point in aesthetic design of that line. Most mercenary look since his OG figure.
So if I wanted to get a couple of the Classifieds to display and I was a huge cobra commander, crimson guard and eel mark are there multiple versions of them out there? if so, what are the best ones do you think?
The Crimson Guard are great figures. I'd get the Retro card back because the packaging is great, and it is the same figure. With Cobra Commander, I'd hold off. The retro version will be out in a few months. Although I did like the first version as well. There is also a "Ceremonial dress" figure that is great. It's out of print, but you can get it on Aliexpress for not too much The Eels are pretty disappointing.
You know what pisses me off about the gi joe movies? HOw off they are from the brand. All you need to do is make a movie with a squad of guys ripped right out of the predator, heart break ridge or Commando. A cool 90s mid to low budget action movie and they would of nailed it. Sure you could tone the violence down a little bit for that pg-13 rating but its all you needed. At the base of it after the 3 3/4 inch line gi joe was a group of grunts taking on terrorists with some scifi tech. It was their skill vs Cobra's numbers and technology. Hell john woo's face off is a better joe movie then the joe movies.
Loathe the original 12 inch or Barbie size. Loathe Sigma 6 appearance goofy loathe anything exclusive and I hope and wish what was exclusive then IS NOT REPEATED AS EXCLUSIVE IN THE CLASSIFIED LINE... like Oktober Guards. #1 forever #1 then Pursuit of Cobra and CLASSIFIED 25th 4th. Comic packs makes it as my top 5
Transformers gets my number 2 slot. They were not as much fun to play with, as they had limited mobility, but still up there with the greatest toy lines
