Action Figure Barbecue: Action Figure Review: Edward "Torpedo" Leialoha from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

I'm slowly but surely making my way through the newest series of G.I. Joe: Classified Series releases and it's taking me a bit both because I received all of these figures at different times over a period of a month or more and because Hasbro dropped quite a bit of product at once. Today I'm checking out Edward "Torpedo" Leialoha, a figure I've been very excited for. Being comprised of the bests of the best in their respective fields, it definitely makes sense that the G.I. Joe team would have a few Navy S.E.A.L.S. in their ranks. Torpedo was the original S.E.A.L. on the Joe team and was released in the vintage A Real American hero line as part of the second series of figures in 1983. That was before I was collecting Joes as a kid (and probably a few months before I was even born) and my first Torpedo figure would actually be the 1997 Toys 'R Us exclusive with the raft. Torpedo had a few figures released during the late 1990s and early 200s revival, as well as during the 25th Anniversary, often being referred to as Chief Torpedo or Lt. Torpedo, but now Hasbro's going with the characters actual name of Edward Leialoha with "Torpedo" in the middle Works for me. This guy turned out great and I'm really excited to have him. Let's dive in and check out this Navy S.E.A.L. and underwater demolitions specialist after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 1/4th inches

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

Accessories: 2 Flippers, knife, sheathe, thigh pouch, rifle, magazine, speargun, dive computer, rebreather pack, and goggles.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

The Positives:

* Torpedo's wearing his one piece diving suit and it looks really cool. Again, while it's a form fitting piece of clothing Hasbro didn't just paint a blank body. There are visible seam lines between the grey and black parts of the diving suit and even a sculpted zipper in the back. How cool is that? Lots of other little accoutrements like the belt and the shoulder harness/ straps for the backpack just sell the look of this being a pretty specialized piece of gear for undersea operations.

* The original file card basically summarized Torpedo's personality as competent, determined, deadly, trustworthy, but not a lot of fun to be around. Punnily, he was said to have the personality of a "cold fish." He looks like a guy not to be messed with, though. I'm glad we're back receiving excellent portraits with lots of character in them. Torpedo's face is visible through the hood on his diving suit, which is a nice touch.

* The dive computer on Torpedo's right wrist is really a cool detail, one of those added elements or details that just makes these guys feel like modern soldiers rather than being stuck in the 1980s. It is a removable piece; just pop the hand off and it slides right over.

* The scuba mask fits perfectly over Torpedo's head, covering all of his face. There are quite a few paint applications on it, making it a really impressive piece. It just fits on there so darn well! It's a really cool piece and Torpedo looks great all decked out.

* His scuba backpack is small and sleek with ports for the oxygen tubes on his mask to attach. It looks like a very modern kit, not something from the 1980s.

* These swim fins are really cool! I love the black and red color scheme. They're kind of rubbery, too, and they fit over Torpedo's boots rather than just clipping into the foot peg hole.

* Since he's toting this weapon around while swimming and potentially into tight quarters, Torpedo comes with a short barreled rifle. This is a really sweet looking compact weapon. I love the design of this! The vintage Torpedo only had a spear gun, so it's nice to see the Classified Series version carrying something a bit more powerful and useful for when he's out of the water.

* The magazine is removable, too, which is always just a really fun detail on these figures.

* Torpedo's speargun is upgraded this time around, looking like a very modern speargun with a sleek design. The harpoon on the end is really cool with some decent sized barbs, and there's also a length of cord and a wrist strap. I'm not sure if a speargun really has any practical military uses but it's pretty cool and surely has some crazy uses. The speargun is a bit rubbery, but I don't find it to be overly so. Honestly, it's nice to not have to worry about the harpoon tip breaking off.

* Torpedo's knife is also really cool with a black blade covered with details like jimping and what looks like a line cutter on the top.

* Torpedo keeps his blade close at hand with this handy-dandy sheathe. It's removable, too.

* The articulation is excellent. While he's toting his scuba gear and some additional pouches and such, there still isn't much to restrict his poses. Everything is sturdy, the joints have a great range of motion, and Torpedo looks awesome in traditional combat poses or in swimming poses. Get a flight stand of some sort and he'd look really cool swimming across your shelf.

* Torpedo's scuba pack does have a notch on the back where his carbine can attach.

The Negatives:

* It's a bit of a loose fit, though, as it just relies on simple friction. Looks cool and displays OK, but if you're messing around with Torpedo it's probably going to fall off.

So far out of this most recent series of releases I'd put Torpedo at the top, followed by Rock 'n Roll, and then Copperhead. This series has all been excellent so far and I've still got three more figures to review from it. Torpedo is incredible, though, and a really cool Navy S.E.A.L. figure. I love the weapons, the portrait, and the scuba gear. He's a great modern take on the vintage figure that really comes equipped with some nice goodies. He's an Epic figure and one of the best Classified releases this year. It's nice to see that the last series of figures with Falcon was kind of a fluke and that G.I. Joe is back where it needs to be.

This is the first figure of Edward "Torpedo" Leialoha I've reviewed. For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:

Alley Viper

Alvin "Breaker" Kibbey

Arctic Mission Storm Shadow

Baroness with Cobra C.O.I.L.
Baroness (Retro)

Baroness (Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins)

B.A.T.
B.A.T. (Python Patrol)

Blue Ninjas

Cobra Commander

Cobra Commander (Regal Variant)

Cobra Infantry
Cobra Officer

Cobra Trooper (Special Missions: Cobra Island)