Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Action Figure Review: Cobra-La Royal Guard from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 


   I don't believe I haven't reviewed a G.I. Joe: Classified Series figure since last month! It's time to remedy that as I have a few more lined up for review, starting with today's Cobra-La Royal Guard. Cobra-La is definitely getting more respect these days with their inclusion in the Energon Universe comic books by Skybound and the excellent redesigns we're seeing in the Classified Series, which is a far cry from how they were perceived in the past. It feels like people used to hate Cobra-La. So far in the Classified Series we've received Nemesis Immortal/ Enforcer and Pythona, both individual characters, but with the Cobra-La Royal Guard we now have a troop builder for this faction. In the vintage line the Cobra-La Roya Guard came packaged in a 3-pack with Nemesis Enforcer and Golobulus but for the Classified Series the Royal Guard is packed individually, allowing for easier army building. Right? Well, yes, technically, but I do think it's wild how much stuff Hasbro included with this figure. If you have an extra body you could likely make two complete figures and have parts left over. I'm going to discuss this in more depth later on but I do want to point out that this feels like a single packaged figure with enough stuff for at least a two-pack. Ready to check out the Cobra-La Royal Guard? Then join me after the break...






The Facts:

Height: 67 3/4ths inches

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

Accessories: 4 swappable portraits, 2 wings, cape, 4 pauldrons, 4 wrist guards, sword, staff, and pistol.  

Non-Scalper Price: $43 dollars





Comparison:

* Here's a quick shot of the Classified Series Cobra-La Royal Guard (left) with my vintage childhood Royal Guard (right). I tried to use the parts included with the Classified Series version to recreate the vintage figure as best as I could and I think it makes a nice update to that figure. My vintage figure is missing the antenna (probably since the 1980s) and the pistol, though I really thought I had the pistol in my Joe parts bin somewhere. Hopefully I'll stumble across it at some point. 


The Positives:

* Here's a look at the basic Royal Guard. This guy has swappable forearm guards and pauldrons as well as a cape and wings. Oh, and four swappable heads. Lots of options. This seems like a good place to start, though: The basic figure. Like the rest of Cobra-La, the Royal Guard's armor looks both hi-tech and organic. Natural science and creatures are the basic of Cobra-La technology and they have a very odd, unusual appearance. There's a lot of grey for the Royal Guard's body suit with the red and bone colored plates serving as the armor. There are some excellent details here and lots of different textures. Good color blending, too. Everything looks natural and the joints are mostly nicely hidden where the different armored bits join. 









* Here's a look at the back. The basic figure doesn't have any shading or a wash or anything that stands out but the different colors do look pretty cool and really break the figure up, giving the illusion of this guy really sporting different layers of exoskeleton-like armor.












* The boots, knees, and thigh guards are all really cool. I love the bone colored armored plates and such that seem to be growing out of the thigh armor. The boot swivels are hidden at the top of the high boots and the thigh swivels are tucked inside the thigh guards.









* Two separate pairs of forearm guards are included. This pair is the less ornate and just features the red chitinous armor with the bone colored... what ever they are... on them. You just pop off the hands and slide the forearm guards over the forearms easily. It's pretty simple. 







* The second pair of forearm guards is pretty cool as the bone-like material has formed blades and spikes, turning these not just into defensive armor but offensive weaponry. I wonder if the Royal Guards can control their armor to produce these weapons, kind of like Wolverine ejecting and retracting his claws. 



* There are also two pair of pauldrons. The first is pretty basic. You can see the front of them in a few pictures above but here's a shot from the rear as they show off more detail. 









* The second pair of pauldrons are larger and much fiercer looking than the first pair. These are massive, covered in spikes. 












* Want a cape for the Royal Guard? They wore capes in the movie, so adding them in here is a nice inclusion. It's a decent piece of material; nothing too fancy but nothing that feels obviously cheap and flimsy. There is a hole on each side that you plug in using the balljoints of the pauldrons. Yes, the pauldrons attach via balljoints, so they have a little motion, and they stay on pretty nicely. The cape does look cool. I really like the way this guy looks sporting it.




* What if you want something more insectile than just a cape? The Classified team has you covered! How about some shiny blue wings for your Royal Guard? I don't remember the wings being a part of any previous Royal Guard design but they're a neat extra that really allow you to build some unique troops. They plug in to two holes on the back and can be worn with the pauldrons. They're just swivel joints, so no fancy movement, but they really look nice and stand out amidst all that red. 



* Four swappable heads are included. Yes, four. That's quite an assortment of different looks for a character now known for having any others than this one here. It's a great sculpt that balances the looks of the animated movie, the vintage toy, and the Energon Universe Royal Guards while amplifying the detail. The blue insect-like eyes are awesome and I love the odd mouthpiece that extends into an antenna of sorts. It's a great design and a wonderful take on the vintage figure.






* Next up is a helmeted portrait that looks pretty similar to the first except for the giant chitinous growths jutting out from the front and sides. Can the Royal Guards cause these to grow out of their helmets to use them as a weapon or are these elements for perhaps a more elite division of the Royal Guards? It's a really unique look. Imagine the Royal Guard headbutting someone, splitting their skull in half with his bone blade? Gnarly. 





* Hasbro has included two unmasked portraits for the Royal Guard as well, which is a pretty big surprise. I mean, yes, we know they were coming, but it's not something I would have expected. The unmasked Royal Guards have bluish skin, bald heads, and slightly exaggerated features. This guy also has some scars which make him look a little bit like Akronus, one of the Royal Guards who accompanies Pythona in the Energon Universe comics (Void Rivals). It's a cool look that gives you some more display options, allows you to use this figure as a named character, and ties the figure in with the current Joe media.



* The second unmasked portrait is really quite unnerving. This guy looks similar to the other unmasked portrait but with no scars. That grin and those gleefully evil eyes are what really make this guy stand out. He's just creepy! I could see wanting to have three of the Royal Guards: One normal, one wearing the "elite" bone armor, and one with this creepy face. This guy is one to look out for. He's the kind of guy you really don't want to fight against, but you don't really want him on your team, either. 



* As a bigger guy wearing lots of armor there are a few limits to the articulation. Not much, sure, but you're definitely not going to be folding the Royal Guard up like a pretzel. Still, he moves well and has all of the articulation you'd expect. He's sturdy, too, and stands really well even with all of his armor on. Many of the joints are hidden at he places where the armor covers the body, so that's a nice design element 





* Three weapons are included, the first being a grey pistol. It looks like it could be a standard pistol of some unusual design, sure, but it's probably some sort of weird bioorganic laser pistol or it shoots little creatures or something. Cobra-La is pretty weird, after all. 









* This cool holster on the Royal Guard's hip holds his pistol nice and secure. Definitely something I wish the vintage figure had since I can't find mine anywhere!









* The primary weapon for the Royal Guards always seems to be this crazy sword. Large, unwieldy, impractical, and absolutely freaking cool. This thing is so boss. The vintage figure had a silver sword while the swords in the animated movie look to be gold or bronze. This one? It's the chitin or bone material found on the armor with a specialized handle.







* This longer staff gives the Royal Guard another weapon that I believe was in the animated movie. It's really long and can easily be held with two hands. This is a nice weapon if you truly use these guys as guards protecting Serpentor or Golobulus. 







The Negatives:

* Look at all the stuff this guy comes with! That's a ton of extra stuff. Usually that's not an issue ("my steak is too juicy; my lobster is too buttery; Dr. Pepper is just too refreshing") but considering this is an army builder, if you want more than one figure you're paying an upcharge for stuff you might not use. Honestly, this really should have been a 2-pack. Thrown in one extra base figure, one more pistol and sword, and maybe an extra basic head and cape and this would have been a great two-pack. As it is, it feels like overkill for a troop builder.



      My negative up there isn't really a knock on this guy because he's amazing; it's more just an observation about how I really think the sale of this guy could have been improved. As a figure itself the Cobra-La Royal Guard is incredible. This is definitely one of those Classified Series figures that takes a less popular figure from the vintage line and reinterprets in in such a way that it feels both faithful to the old design while also offering up something new and wildly changed. There's a ton of options here and they're so unique that I think I do want to get ahold of a second figure. This guy is Epic and is far more deluxe than most other deluxe offerings from similar lines.


This is the first Cobra-La Royal Guard that I've reviewed. For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:
Destro  
Flint  







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