G.I. Joe Classified Series Python Patrol Officer review

Despite my initial certainty I wasn’t getting into Python Patrol, the Python Patrol Cobra Officer marks my third member of this Cobra splinter faction. I blame Hasbro for making this line so fun that I’m getting characters that weren’t on my Top 200 list before it started.

With a third member of the squad along with the forthcoming Python Patrol Crimson Guardsman, I’m digging my little Python Patrol army.

Let’s see if the Cobra Officer keeps the trend going and getting into this subset line this deep was a good call.

Package: Like the other Python Patrol figures, this is the same as the original Cobra Officer with PP theme colors and a Cobra Island read out on the back of the package.

There’s no changes in the ranking with the Cobra Officer’s specialties so he has a 1-star rating in Leader, Light Weapons, Hand to Hand Combat and Sabotage.

The Cobra Officer didn’t get a bio from the Cobra character profiles page, although it should be the same as the Cobra Trooper.

Cobra Troopers form the core of the Cobra forces. Their ranks are made up of criminals from around the world who have been drawn to their sinister hiss and dark message that is the Cobra call. Typically wearing masks to hide their identity, they carry out chaos-causing missions handed down from Cobra Commander, who they faithfully serve without question.  

Likeness: There’s no changes from the Cobra Officer sculpt. Hasbro switched up the parts from the Cobra Officer allowing him to stand out from the other Cobra Troopers. Unlike the Python Patrol BAT and Viper, the Officer retains all of his default gear.

The torso has a ribbed chest plate overlay along with a strip to show off his rank insignia and the Officer has a new harness that’s more in line with the classic Cobra trooper style.

Paint: In a cool twist, Hasbro decided to diversify Cobra’s ranks so the Python Patrol officer is a black guy. Along with the upcoming Valkyrie and Televiper, Cobra is expanding its ranks.

Interestingly, the colors Hasbro used for the Officer are the ones they originally used for the Real American Hero Python Patrol Trooper. The PP Officer had a much darker color scheme so I get why Hasbro opted for the Trooper’s colors.

He’s got a lime green top with the Python Patrol cross hatch. His collar is red and his pants are black. The PP trooper’s helmet and mask were black to differentiate them from the normal trooper colors. The combination of brown skin and black helmet and mask don’t provide enough contrast. Maybe a red or grey mask would have helped?

The harness is a darker grey color — again, a bit darker than I’d like. Hasbro should have used a touch lighter grey to help make it pop a little more.

My figure didn’t have any paint issues. I was really impressed with how the Cobra logo turned out so clean.

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Scale: The Cobra troopers are the same height as the other basic Cobra grunts.

Articulation: You can get a ton of fun poses out of the Python Patrol Cobra Officer. There’s no articulation changes from the original model, which was fairly easy to position and move. Some of the joints feel a bit tough so I might try and loosen them up just a bit to avoid any breakage issues.

Python Patrol Cobra Officer has:

• head
• neck
• shoulders (butterfly)
• elbow (double-jointed)
• wrist
• wrist hinge
• mid-torso
• torso
• waist
• hips (ball-jointed)
• drop down hips
• knees (double-jointed)
• ankles

Accessories: Hasbro retained most of the accessories from the standard Cobra Officer.

His main weapon is an AK-47 style machine gun with removable clips and a little lime green to work in the Python Patrol scheme in the colors. There’s a laser pointer you can attach to the top for a bit more versatility.

Additionally, he’s got a backpack with the Cobra logo on the back to fit the AK-47. I appreciate when Hasbro sets up the accessories so the figures can actually store all their accessories.

Both the magazine and laser pointer can also be stored on the harness, so you don’t have to worry about losing the parts.

When tangling with the Joes up close, the officer has a longer knife, which has a really nicely sculpted grip and a blade that looks like it would cause some serious damage.

He also has a submachine gun, which can also use either of the removable clips. I love that Hasbro includes so many weapons with the army builders as it allows for easy visual distinction and adds to the whole army sense of these figures.

Finally, he’s got a modernized broomhandle Mauser. He lacks the Cobra Trooper armband, which wasn’t essential since this is a one-off Cobra Officer in a specialty role.

Worth It? Despite being a Target exclusive, the Python Patrol Cobra Officer remains the older $22.99 price point even while others in the line have jumped to $24.99.

Target has been quick to put these figures up for clearance. I grabbed the officer at $16.09. The PP figures have dropped pretty rapidly to as low as $6.99, but my area was seeing the officer supply dwindle so I jumped sooner.

Rating:  9.5 out of 10

I really like everything Hasbro packed into this army builder. Assuming we get some variations on this Cobra Trooper, Hasbro won’t need to make many changes to keep this one in heavy rotation for collectors.

Where to Get It? You don’t have to jump through any hoops to track down the Python Patrol Cobra Officer. Python Patrol and Tiger Force are exclusive to Target and they stock them pretty well. You can still get him from Target and Hasbro Pulse.

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