Gung Ho — G.I. Joe Classified Series #07

Overview

Gung Ho is figure #07 in the G.I. Joe Classified Series, Wave 2, 2020 at $19.99. He’s the first figure in the Classified line to generate genuinely mixed critical reception — not a bad figure by any measure, but one where specific execution choices created frustration against the backdrop of an otherwise strong wave. The Action Figure Barbecue review summed it up directly: “Gung Ho is disappointing. He’s not a bad figure by any means but his headsculpt just doesn’t impress me (and it totally feels like it should).”

He’s also the first figure to demonstrate the Classified Series’ tooling reuse philosophy explicitly — he’s built primarily on the Roadblock Wave 1 body, with a new head, new vest, and a different left kneecap. For a line barely two waves in, it’s an early signal that Hasbro would be systematic about getting the most out of tooling investment.

File Card

Code Name: Gung Ho
Real Name: LaFitte, Ettienne R.
Primary Specialty: Marine Infantry
Secondary Specialty: Jungle Warfare
Birthplace: Fer-de-Lance, Louisiana
Grade: E-5, Corporal

Gung Ho is the team’s Cajun Marine — loud, enthusiastic, and entirely at home in a firefight. He had five figures in the original vintage line plus sixteen more across various relaunch eras, making him one of the more frequently produced Joes. His defining visual across all incarnations is the bare chest and vest combination, which the Classified version maintains. The original 1983 figure had a chest tattoo with the Marine Corps logo; this Classified version replaces that with a different tribal-style design because the Marine Corps logo is copyrighted. It’s a reasonable substitution that doesn’t significantly affect the figure’s identity.

The Tooling Reuse

The Roadblock body provides the core structure — arms, torso, and most legs. The differences are: new head sculpt and military cap, new more armoured vest (removable), different left kneecap sculpt. The Action Figure Barbecue review notes that Gung Ho “also reuses some of the accessories from the Target Cobra Island Roadblock.” The body reuse works because Gung Ho and Roadblock share the “large, brawny soldier” archetype — the proportions fit the character. The Toy Box review noted Gung Ho is “aesthetically one of the best figures produced so far for this line” despite the head concerns, crediting the visual design overall.

The Head Sculpt Debate

The headsculpt is the consistent criticism. Action Figure Barbecue: “his headsculpt just doesn’t impress me.” The Toy Box review called him a successful “Gung Ho and biker Village People in one fell swoop” — a backhanded compliment. The military cap is part of the issue: it keeps wanting to fall off, which undermines display stability, and its fit has been flagged by multiple reviewers. Gung Ho’s personality demands something more physically imposing or more expressive, and the relatively bland head execution misses that opportunity.

The chest tattoo design itself is well-executed — it reads clearly as a tattoo at scale, and the different colour from the vest makes it work visually even though the Marine Corps logo couldn’t be reproduced.

The Figure

Standard Classified articulation on the Roadblock body — comprehensive, unrestricted, with butterfly shoulders working well for the two-handed weapon poses Gung Ho needs. The vest is easily removable if you want an alternative display configuration, though the torso detail holds up without it. Colour palette is deliberately darker than the original — dark green and grey replace the vintage sea-foam green, giving a more serious military appearance.

The team comms device on his right shoulder is present, consistent with Roadblock and Scarlett from Wave 1 — maintaining the unit-unity visual element across the early Joes.

Accessories

Grenade launcher with drum magazine — the primary weapon and the strongest accessory in the set. It strikes a balance between real-world firearm and Classified-era futuristic weapon that reviewers consistently praised. The vintage Gung Ho came with a grenade launcher; the continuity is appropriate. Two-handed poses with butterfly shoulder joints work well.

Rifle — secondary long-arm.

Removable vest — armoured, detailed with grenades sculpted on the shoulder. The grenades are a different colour and moulded separately from the vest, which adds visual differentiation. Not removable as individual pieces, but the vest itself comes off cleanly.

Backpack — known issue: the peg feels loose and the backpack tends to fall out, especially when laden with weapons. Same issue as noted on Snake Eyes. The peg security is a consistent Wave 1/2 quality note.

Removable cap — fits over the head but falls off easily, which is a frustrating display issue.

Elbow pad — small single piece.

Grenade pouch — removable, attaches to the left hip.

The weapons lack paint applications — same criticism across Wave 2 generally. Gunmetal/silver looks decent but misses the mark when accessories like Duke’s Wave 1 weapons set the bar higher.

Army Builder Potential

Unlike Wave 1 figures, Gung Ho doesn’t have obvious army builder appeal. He’s a named character with a specific head sculpt. But the vest and body combination mean he pairs well on the display shelf with other Joes building out the team roster.

Verdict

Gung Ho #07 is a solid figure held back by a missed headsculpt and a hat that won’t stay on. The grenade launcher is excellent, the tooling reuse is sensible, and the overall visual reads correctly as Gung Ho. If the head had matched the rest of the execution, this would be a clear winner. As-is, it’s a good figure with a specific known frustration. Worth owning for any serious Classified collection; approach with calibrated expectations on the face.

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Part of G.I. Joe Classified Series | Wave 2 | 2020. Related: Roadblock #01 | Flint #26 | Cobra Commander #06.