Edward 'Torpedo' Leialoha — G.I. Joe Classified Series #73

Overview

Edward ‘Torpedo’ Leialoha is figure #73 in the G.I. Joe Classified Series, Wave 10, 2023 at $24.99. The Joe team’s Navy SEAL and underwater operations specialist — one of the original 13 GI Joe team members from 1982, whose wet suit design was one of the vintage line’s most distinctive figure appearances. His Hawaiian background adds a specific Pacific identity to the team’s diverse roster.

File Card

Code Name: Torpedo
Real Name: Leialoha, Edward W.
Primary Specialty: Navy SEAL
Secondary Specialty: Underwater Demolitions
Birthplace: Oahu, Hawaii
Grade: E-6, Petty Officer First Class

Edward Leialoha’s Hawaiian background and Navy SEAL training give him both a Pacific operational familiarity and the most comprehensive underwater capability on the Joe team. Underwater demolitions adds a specific tactical tool — the ability to approach and destroy targets from below the waterline — that no other Joe team member provides.

The Wet Suit

The wet suit design is Torpedo’s defining visual element — he’s the figure that looks the least like the other Joe team members because his operational environment demands completely different gear. The Classified version updates the 1982 wet suit design with the texture and detail of the 2023 approach while maintaining the essential underwater operative aesthetic.

The Speargun

The speargun is the underwater specialist’s weapon — effective in water in ways that standard firearms aren’t. As a display accessory, it communicates the character’s operational specificity more immediately than any other single piece could.

Original 13 Status

Torpedo’s original 13 status makes him essential for any collector building a comprehensive founding-member display. His underwater role is unique among the original 13 — he’s the water entry point that the team’s other specialists don’t cover.

Verdict

Torpedo #73 is a strong Wave 10 figure delivering an original 13 member with the defining wet suit and speargun accessories. Essential for the complete original 13 display.

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Part of G.I. Joe Classified Series | Wave 10 | 2023. Related: Shipwreck #70 | Sgt. Stalker #46 | Rock N Roll #71.

Original 13 Completion Programme

Torpedo’s Wave 10 arrival continued the systematic coverage of the original 13 founding Joe team members. With Torpedo, Snake Eyes, Rock N Roll, Scarlett, Stalker, and Breaker represented, the programme was building toward a comprehensive founding-member display that would be one of the Classified line’s major collector achievements.

The underwater role is particularly important among the original 13 because it’s the one no other member covers — Torpedo isn’t a variant on an existing capability, he’s the only person on the team who can enter and operate in underwater environments. His presence is load-bearing for the team’s depicted operational range.

Wet Suit Design at 6” Scale

The wet suit presents specific design challenges at 6” scale: the full-body coverage creates a simpler surface than the layered tactical gear of most Classified figures, but simplicity means detail must come from texture, colour, and equipment. The Classified Torpedo handles this through operational equipment on the wet suit surface — breathing apparatus, knife, speargun holster — that give the figure visual complexity within the wet suit framework.

The Speargun’s Visual Role

The speargun communicates the underwater specialisation more immediately than any other single accessory could. A knife could belong to any number of characters; a speargun belongs specifically to an underwater operative. Its visual communication is efficient and immediate.

Secondary Market

Torpedo #73 has maintained secondary market prices near retail. Secondary prices typically run $28–38.

Torpedo and Naval Warfare Display

For collectors building a naval or amphibious operations display, Torpedo becomes the centrepiece figure. The wet suit, speargun, and knife create a figure that’s self-evidently underwater-capable — no additional context is required for the display to communicate the character’s function. Against a base that suggests water or a below-deck ship environment, Torpedo reads immediately as an operative in his element.

The Classified line’s eventual production of naval or coastal vehicles would give Torpedo an operational context on the surface. Until then, the figure works in an implied aquatic environment created through positioning and diorama elements. The wet suit is the costume that doesn’t need a vehicle to communicate its purpose.

Torpedo in the Classified Catalogue

The Torpedo figure at position #073 in the Classified catalogue represents the 2023 programme’s commitment to building out the GI Joe roster comprehensively. At $24.99, the figure delivered the underwater specialist identity that collectors needed for a complete display, and the design execution reflects the line’s mature approach to character translation from the vintage ARAH format to the premium 6” scale.

The Classified line’s consistent pricing progression — from $19.99 at launch to $24.99 for most 2023 releases — reflected both inflation and the increased accessory investment the programme was making. At $24.99 for a figure with this design quality, the value equation remained competitive with comparable collector figure lines.

The 2023 Programme’s Breadth

The 2023 Classified programme was the most diverse single year in the line’s history: Wave 8 through Wave 10 at standard retail, Tiger Force and Python Patrol via Target, Night Force via Walmart, Fan Channel multi-packs, Pulse exclusives, Amazon exclusives, and SDCC. The Torpedo figure was one piece of a programme that delivered more distinct character representations in a single year than many comparable collector lines achieve in their entire runs. For collectors engaged with the full programme, 2023 was both the most rewarding and the most demanding year the Classified line produced.

Torpedo alongside Rock N Roll in Wave 10 created a two-original-13-members wave moment that collectors building the founding roster appreciated. Having two original 13 figures in the same wave accelerated the completion programme while giving the wave a historical depth that single-original-13 waves couldn’t achieve.