G.I. Joe Classified Series Retro Scarlett review

Scarlett got the most extensive makeover of the first wave of G.I. Joe Classified Series figures. It wasn’t a terrible figure so much as it had way too much going on. Scarlett’s original Real American Hero design was pretty simplistic and fit in fine with the rest of the Original 13.

It wasn’t shocking when Hasbro announced a Retro subset of the Classified Series line that Scarlett quickly became a favorite for the old school treatment. From the moment the Retro Scarlett was revealed it seemed like Hasbro had an easy Top 5 candidate for Best of 2024 Classified Series contender.

Let’s see if this retro upgrade hits the target or if she’s still off the mark.

Packaging: Hasbro definitely took to heart collector issues with the weak card back from the earliest Retro figures. This wave features a much thicker, sturdier card stock.

Like all the Retro figures there’s no second window for the accessories. At least the layout cleanly showcases the various accessories in the tray.

As usual, the artwork is styled to resemble the original pose of the character while incorporating the new elements to the figure. The art style is OK though it doesn’t look as dramatic as the original art. Unlike most of the Retro figures, Scarlett gets some tweaks to her bio, which now states she exceled in training in all four military branches. That’s a nice addition and helps explain why she’s such a dangerous fighter.

I do miss seeing Scarlett’s stats from the first CS figure. Since I didn’t have the iconography code broken down initially, here’s her breakdown now. She is a 4 in intelligence and classified, 3 in martial arts and a 2 in arrow weapons.

Likeness: Scarlett’s head sculpt is excellent. I did really like the original CS figure’s head sculpt even if it made her look a bit too young. This one finds that great balance of making her look like an experienced soldier and not too old. The sculpt doesn’t try and make her a beauty queen.

Going retro means Scarlett shifts fully classic. She gets the turtleneck like Grunt, Stalker and Breaker. Her one-piece body suit returns, but this is an improvement over the original RAH figure.

Hasbro initially revealed Scarlett’s apparently all-new base body with the HasLab Dragonfly Glenda figure render, but it’s nice to see Scarlett debuted the mold.

The card art of the RAH Scarlett featured a zipper along the left ribcage and above the left breast. That level of detailing wasn’t necessary or essential back in 1982. In a nice surprise, the Retro sculpt includes these zipper elements. This is a great example of going above and beyond even when it’s not needed.

Naturally the waffle pattern on her right shoulder pad and grenade affixed to her left side are intact. Scarlett’s gloves are angled and start just below her elbow.

Her two shuriken are nicely sculpted like ninja stars. In her inner left forearm, Scarlett has a derringer.

Unless Scarlett has some Pym Particles no one told me about the scale of the pistol is far too small for her to even pull the trigger. It was a good thought, just a rare instance of bad execution in the CS line. That also doesn’t look right since the pistol should be on her inner right arm, but the card art has it on the other side.

To plus up the original look in a sensible manner, the sculptors gave Scarlett a hip quiver. This makes sense as an easier way to load her crossbow.

The RAH Scarlett had a data pad of some sort on her right thigh. That’s attached this time via a thigh strap.

On her left leg, Scarlett has a sheath for her knife. It’s not floating against her leg like the RAH figure and has a two-strap thigh sheath. Scarlett’s high boots start just below her knee with pouches on either side.

Paint: There’s a lot less colors for the sake of colors with the Retro version. Scarlett’s red hair is much darker than the orange of the first CS figure. The face printing is excellent with strong work with the soft make-up around her eyes and cheeks. She’s also got a nice amount of freckles.

Smaller details like the red shoulder pad, the zipper and the throwing stars are cleanly applied. I always considered her costume to be a pale orange and grey-ish purple.

The first CS figure emphasized that color scheme while this one is more toned down. It prevents Scarlett from being the walking target of the team and blend in better on covert ops with Snake Eyes and Stalker.

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Scale: While Scarlett has a new base body, she’s not throwing the scale off. She’s still looking up at Snake Eyes, Stalker, Clutch, etc.

Articulation: This new base body maintains a superb solid level of articulation. Scarlett can hit all the reasonable poses you should expect for an elite level martial artist/covert agent on the Joe squad.

Unlike some other Joes, Scarlett’s holsters and straps are fairly tight and don’t bunch up or slide down easily with every pose.

Her drop-down hips work very smoothly in helping Scarlett hitting deep stances and flying side or high kicks.

 

Retro Scarlett 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: Like wave mate Duke, Scarlett has a ton of gear.

First up she’s got two ponytail pieces.

One rests flat against her back while the other has some bend and motion to it like her hair would react when she moves. This was such a fun way to get Scarlett in more action-oriented poses without getting the hair in the way.

Scarlett’s main weapon is her crossbow. This one features better detail than the initial Scarlett figure though it is missing the string. It has a portion for you to notch the bolt in a nice touch.

Hasbro included four bolts each with different arrowheads to incorporate their various functions. All four can fit in the quiver although keeping them locked in the crossbow is more of an issue. This is my lone gripe with Scarlett.

For greater firepower, Scarlett also has the standard M-16 that came with Grunt.

It’s cast in tan, which is a weird color unless Scarlett is out in the desert with Snake Eyes and Dusty.

Next up, she’s got the XMLR-3A rifle that was the standard blaster from the cartoon. Her version is cast in tan so you can mix it up with your Joe army builders for some variety.

Finally, she’s got a pistol. This has great detailing and some paint apps on the top portion.

Scarlett also comes with swappable fists. Since she was regularly punching out Cobra troopers, I appreciate this option.

Additionally, she gets a knife. It’s got a tan hilt and a copper blade.

To store her gear, Scarlett has a backpack. I think this is also a new piece with a bunch of detailed pouches and posts for the larger guns.

And finally, she’s got a black stand to aid with poses.

Worth It?  The Retro figures are priced like the standard figures now at $25. Scarlett has so much gear that it feels like a fair price. Would an extra portrait been cool? Sure, but the value is definitely here for her.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Crossbow bolts aside, this is as close to a perfect Scarlett as I’d need. The great articulation and sensible, well thought out accessories make this a clear winner and a standout figure for 2024.

Where to Get It?  The Retro line used to be exclusive to Wal-Mart and Hasbro Pulse. To help more collectors access them, you can get Scarlett from Target. If you prefer the online route, Amazon and Entertainment Earth also have her available.

As an Amazon Associate and Entertainment Earth affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.