Thursday, December 18, 2025

Action Figure Review: Kyle "Budo" Jesso from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   While 1986 and 1987 were my first years collecting G.I. Joe, 1988, 1989, and 1990 were probably the best. While there are fewer characters who became iconic to the brand, the design and engineering during that time was just incredible and those were the years during the vintage line when I was the most invested in picking out who I wanted during trips to the store. Budo was part of the 1988 line and was a very cool figure that offered something different; G.I. Joe had a few ninjas by that point so a Samurai was a cool change. Earlier this year I reviewed the Action Force Night Ops Senshi figure and I was pretty impressed by that guy, even mentioning that he felt like what a Classified Series Budo could be. At that point Budo hadn't been revealed, so I'm pleased to report that Budo does feel like he's been modernized, like Senshi, but he also has been given some very traditional armor and gear so he feels like a historical action figure, too. While the initial toyline for G.I. Joe: Retaliation wasn't that impressive, Hasbro eventually started releasing some incredibly impressive figures that had little to nothing to do with the film, including this very well made traditional take on Budo. I love that this Classified Series version of Budo captures all of these elements. He's one of the most impressive Classified Series figures of the year. Let's take a look at Kyle "Budo" Jesso after the break...




The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, balljointed drop down hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck base, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 2 swappable portraits, 3 swords, 2 helmets, bandanna, 2 chest armors, 2 waist armors, nodowa, rifle w/ bipod and magazine, pistol, holster, 2 short forearm guards, 2 long forearm guards, 2 greaves, sheath, and cape. 

Non-Scalper Price: $35-$41 dollars



Comparison:

* Just for fun, here's a shot of the Classified Series Budo (on the left) with my childhood A Real American Hero Budo (on the right). While the vintage figure is much brighter in color, detail-wise the Classified Series version does capture many elements that were easily overlooked. The only thing I wish the Classified Series figure had done differently is include the cool backpack with a bunch of grenades. Still, I approve of this update heartily!



The Positives:



* With all of his gear off Budo really does look like an Action Force figure, doesn't he? He's sporting a very simple and basic tactical look, kind of like something you'd see a special operative wear in a videogame. It's basic, sure, but this look for Budo is really just the base for multiple other looks. Still? I think he's pretty cool. And makes for a neat base figure or a covert operative. Budo doesn't always run around in full armor, right?









* Budo looks fairly similar to his vintage counterpart, just with the improvements that modern face printing and a larger scale can provide. His hair is cool; he's rocking a bit of a top know but also sporting a modern haircut with shaved sides. He's also got just a bit of a 5 o'clock shadow. 




* Budo's second portrait is really cool. It's very, very different from the first and does seem like it's a throwback to the 2013 version of the character. He's sporting some longer hair like you'd expect from a classic samurai and some short, neat facial hair. His eyes look a lot darker, too. This is such a cool figure with so many options. It gives me a bit of a John Wick vibe, too. Maybe Budo rocks this look when going undercover? It's an excellent portrait. 





* Budo's sporting some fairly normal boots though he's augmented them with some slick, fairly compact armored plates. He's also sporting some modern looking tactical kneepads. No one wants to bump their shins or bust a kneecap, so who can blame him for this, right? It's just smart accessorizing.






* Let's start by looking at what I think of as Budo's "modern" armor. It's actually the closest gear to his vintage ARAH look but it looks like modern military gear designed with a samurai aesthetic. Definitely something custom, though you just have to figure that with an ultra elite and classified unit like G.I. Joe, you can pretty much wear what you want. This is surely custom work, inspired by a samurai armored suit. The chest pad has the four red diamonds logo the original figure had (well, it wasn't red there), Budo's name (Jess, Kyle A.), radio gear, and some magazines (non-removable).



* The back has some MOLLE system straps as well as a few pouches for storage. Nothing really functional, but some solid detail. The shoulder pads are like the sode on samurai armor and hang freely over the biceps.



* I've always thought that the Japanese G.I. Joe packaging was some of the coolest ever produced and, in a tribute to that, Budo does have the Japanese G.I. Joe logo on his left sode. What a great detail!









* The two forearm guards with a red decorative detail on the back of the hand are removable and cam be popped on and off when you remove the hands. These two look and feel pretty substantial, matching the rest of Budo's gear.







* There's also a sheath for the medium length sword on the right hip of the belt and armor piece.



* Budo comes with two different kabuto, this first one being the more modern one but also the one that's more faithful to the vintage toy. It still looks more like a true samurai helmet than a military helmet, sure, but there is a headpiece in there for communications. The datemono is also prominent on top, giving off that cool vibe that surely makes some of the less skilled Cobra soldiers piss their pants. 




* Here's a shot of the back so you can see how impressive the armor detail is on the helmet. There's also a counter-weight pouch there.











* Want something to make Budo just look cool? Well, cooler than a modern military special forces samurai already is? Then how about this raggedy, red bandanna. I love it. It's just a nice burst of color that ties in with the rest of the red details already present. It's very tacti-cool. 









* Next up we'll tale a look at the more classic styled armor. Classic as in more accurate to the traditional armor, not classic as in based on the vintage ARAH figure. Budo's traditional samurai armor has a do (the chest armor) with attached shoulder pads, armored waist panels with a belt (haidate), greaves (suneate), and his gauntlets (tekko). Everything is pretty easy to put on and take off and it's an impressive outfit, especially considering it's the second set included with the figure. 








* The armored pieces are incredibly detailed and given a pretty impressive paintjob, too. There's far more paint detail here than on most Hasbro figures. 

















* The suneate are very easy to put on and look like they'd offer some pretty solid protection. They wrap over the legs (there are cuffs on the back side) and stay on fairly well. 









* He's a look at all of the arm protection. For melee combat encounters Budo is definitely armored like a tank for sure.
















* Check out the detail from behind! The paintwork is really precise here and stands out beautifully. 









* Both Budo's shorter swords can fit into the sheaths on his right hip, keeping them right at the ready for a samurai showdown. 









* There's also a nodowa that can fit around Budo's neck to offer him some throat protection. It can work with either armor, though it definitely feels more at home with the traditional suit of samurai armor. 







* You can also outfit Budo with a mino, a traditional straw cape. This really makes the traditional armor look elaborate and impressive. You surely don't have anything else like this in your collection, right?



* The second helmet has a facemask attached (a mempo) and an even larger crest (datemono) on the top. You can only fit Budo's head with the short hair in here, but since it covers most of his face, you can't tell that he doesn't have his long hair. 







* Budo's articulation is excellent and similar to most other figures in the line, so he has a great range of motion, is incredibly sturdy, and is a joy to play around with. His samurai armor is really well designed, so even when he's wearing a full suit you can still move him quite well. Places where his joints are do tend to be open, keeping the armor from inhibiting his movement much at all. He's ready to go toe-to-toe with some Cobra ninjas anytime, anywhere. 






* Budo comes with three swords of different lengths. I'm assuming the middle one is a katana and the shorter one is a wakizashi (it looks to long to be a tanto). Each blade has a nice pattern and certainly gets the job done. Not too many frills or anything (and no red blades); just a solid accessory.





* Next up is a very long sword. A very long sword! I believe this is a nodachi, a very long two-handed sword for combat on the battlefield. You know, when you have lots of room and need to make some powerful, impressive cuts. 





* Budo carries a scabbard for the nodachi that holds it securely and is easy to loop over his torso due to being able to unhook the green cord. It pops in and out on one side and stays pretty securely. 




* Budo's pistol is an excellent sidearm. It's reused from Agent Helix and is based on the pistols included with her 2009 Rise of Cobra figure. They were referred to as 10mm autopistols and they look to me a bit like the Springfield Armory 10mm XD-M Elite but with seriously extended magazines and  laser sights on the bottom. This is a great sculpt with a hollow barrel for firing effects, too.








* He's also sporting a holster that easily stores the pistol on his left hip. 




* I love that Budo is also sporting a firearm for some military operations with the Joe team when firepower and range are needed. It's the same weapon that came with Dusty with lots of cool attachments like a vertical forward grip, a scope, and an improved pistol grip. It's also sporting a functional bipod that swivels up and down. I like this for Budo as you can't always rely on a sword when your enemies have guns, too.





* The magazine is removable, too. Yippee!









The Negatives:


* I've only got one negative with Budo and it has to do with the sheathes for his katana and wakizashi: Why are they aligned so vertically? It seems like it would be tough to draw these easily. I'd expect the handles to be rotated forward a bit. It would be nice if they rotated a bit instead of being stuck in place.




   Budo is an absolutely insane figure. There are so many options here and he puts so many other "deluxe" action figures to shame. Two complete sets of armor, plus his standard outfit underneath, really give you a lot of options for display. This is an impressive figure and just a wonderfully creative take on the character. I'm sure just a Budo that was a straight up take on the vintage figure would have been fine, sure, but Hasbro's Joe team did something unique here and it absolutely paid off. I love when they move the line and the character designs forward! Budo is an Epic figure and one of the best 2025 releases out there; not just in the Classified Series.


This is the first figure of Budo/ Kyle Jesso that I've reviewed. For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:
Destro  
Flint  
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