Zartan — G.I. Joe Classified Series #23

Overview

Zartan is figure #23 in the G.I. Joe Classified Series, Wave 3, 2021 at $19.99. He’s one of the most anticipated figures of the line’s first full year — a character with genuine mystique in the franchise, a design that demands creative interpretation at the 6” scale, and a personality that has no equivalent among the Cobra ranks. Wave 3 delivered a figure that handled the complexity of Zartan’s shifting appearance concept thoughtfully.

Wave 3 arrived in 2021 alongside Cobra Infantry (#24) and marked the first retail wave after the Origins movie detour. The line was clearly finding its design voice by this point — Zartan is noticeably more interesting in execution than some of the early Wave 1 figures.

File Card

Code Name: Zartan
Real Name: Unknown
Primary Specialty: Disguise / Espionage
Secondary Specialty: Ventriloquism, Multilingualism
Birthplace: Unknown

Zartan is one of the few GI Joe characters whose actual identity and background are genuinely unknown even within the fiction. He’s a mercenary and master of disguise who leads the Dreadnoks — a biker gang that works for Cobra — while maintaining his own separate agenda. His comics backstory gave him a surprising depth: an early appearance revealed he has a split personality and genuine psychological complexity, and his willingness to betray both Cobra and the Dreadnoks for the right price made him a credible threat regardless of which side he was technically working for.

The character’s original 1984 figure came with a feature where light exposure would change his skin colour — a gimmick that made him memorable as a toy even if the science was shaky. The Classified version nods to this through sculpt and design choices rather than an actual colour-change mechanism.

Original Figure Comparison

The 1984 Zartan wore a hooded costume in a distinctive teal/blue-green that stood out on the toy aisle. The Classified version keeps the hooded silhouette as the essential design element while updating the outfit into something more tactical and layered. The hood remains removable. The colour palette is darker and more muted than the vintage version, consistent with the Classified aesthetic shift away from bright vintage colours.

The face-change concept from the original — the idea that Zartan can shift his appearance — is handled in the Classified version through an articulated head detail that suggests the technology of disguise rather than attempting to literally replicate a colour-change gimmick.

The Figure

The sculpt gives Zartan a lean, angular physique that reads as mobile and quick rather than powerful — appropriate for a character whose primary skills are speed, deception, and agility rather than brute force. The layered costume elements work well at 6” scale, with the removable hood being the key configuration option.

Articulation follows the standard Classified scheme. No significant known QC issues specific to this release.

Accessories

Crossbow — a specific Zartan signature that connects back to his vintage figure and multiple subsequent appearances. The crossbow reinforces his preference for ranged weapons that are quieter than firearms — appropriate for a character who values infiltration over direct combat.

Rifle — primary firearm.

Knife — secondary blade.

Removable hood — the configuration choice that most affects the figure’s display personality. Hooded Zartan reads as an operative in the field. Un-hooded Zartan reads as the Dreadnok leader in his own territory.

The Master of Disguise Variant

The same year, Hasbro released Zartan (Master of Disguise) #31 as a PulseCon exclusive at $36.99 — a premium version with the multiple-faces concept more fully realised, additional accessories, and a more elaborate presentation. The two figures serve different purposes: #23 is the standard retail version suitable as the primary Zartan in a Classified display; #31 is the premium collector version for those who wanted maximum character depth. The existence of #31 doesn’t diminish #23, but collectors deciding between them should know #31 exists before committing.

Zartan in the Classified Roster

Zartan’s arrival in Wave 3 completed the most essential Cobra villain roster for a 2021 display: Cobra Commander (#06), Destro (#03), Baroness (#13), and now Zartan gave collectors the four most prominent Cobra figures from the original comics and cartoon. Each represents a different aspect of Cobra’s organisational structure — supreme leadership, weapons supply, intelligence, and deniable operations. Zartan’s placement in Wave 3 rather than Wave 1 was a deliberate pacing decision, and the figure justified the wait.

Verdict

Zartan #23 is a strong retail figure that handles a complex character’s design demands well. The crossbow, removable hood, and face-change head concept all pay appropriate tribute to the character’s vintage identity while fitting the Classified aesthetic. If you want maximum Zartan depth, #31 (Master of Disguise) is the premium version; #23 is the essential retail foundation.

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Part of G.I. Joe Classified Series | Wave 3 | 2021. Related: Zartan (Master of Disguise) #31 | Cobra Commander #06 | Dreadnok Ripper #102.

The Dreadnoks Connection

Zartan’s relationship with the Dreadnoks — the biker gang that appears across the franchise as Cobra’s most chaotic and least disciplined allies — defines his secondary character role. He’s their leader in title but frequently acts independently of them, using the gang as cover or muscle when needed and ignoring them when not. The Classified line eventually produced individual Dreadnok figures (Ripper #102, Buzzer #106, Torch #123, Gnawgahyde #125), giving Zartan a proper gang to lead on the display shelf. Having Zartan without at least one Dreadnok is like having Cobra Commander without any troopers — technically complete, functionally lonely.

Light Sensitivity

The original Zartan’s skin-change gimmick was explained in the file card as Zartan having a condition that makes his skin photosensitive — it changes colour in sunlight. It was never entirely clear whether this was meant seriously or as a hand-wave explanation for the colour-change plastic. Larry Hama’s comics treated Zartan as a baseline human with exceptional training rather than a supernatural entity, while the cartoon leaned into various fantastical elements. The Classified version takes no strong position on this, which is probably the right call for a collector-focused line that wants to respect both interpretations.