G.I. Joe Classified Series Kyle Budo Jesso action figure review No.174 (2025)
After his reveal, it seems like Budo is a lock to be in my Top 5 GI Joe Classified Series releases for 2025. I’ve always thought he had a cool look and was one of the characters that suffered the most from not being featured in the Sunbow GI Joe cartoon series.
Budo was part of the underrated great 1988 lineup of Joes that’s now starting to get some attention in the Classified Series.
Let’s see if the Joe samurai has what it takes to be a cut above the other 2025 contenders or if he was all hype.
Packaging: Budo is a deluxe figure, which basically just means the package is slightly larger than the standard figure release. The larger window allows for a better view of all of his accessories — definitely a plus in Budo’s case.
Per the norm, we get the QR Code to nowhere and the skills stats on the right side along. Along the left side is a pretty cool drawing of Budo ready for battle.
Over on the back, we get a render of Budo in a garden at a samurai temple. This is a very scenic backdrop with the red leaves turning color showing the change of seasons. Budo is also featured in his alternate gear to show the various display options.
For his skill set, Budo ranks a 4 in bladed weapons, a 3 in martial arts and a 2 in foot soldier and hand to hand combat.
Likeness: Budo looks awesome. His original Real American Hero design was a fun hybrid of a samurai warrior and a basic Joe infantry trooper. The Classified Series team plays that up further with the extra level of sculpt and detail that has become the norm for the line.
His head sculpt is really focused like he’s ready to take on a slew of Cobras. Hasbro sculpted his hair pulled back in a top knot. This is one of my favorite portraits the CS team has done so far.
He’s got modernized samurai gear with lacquered plates on his shoulders, forearms and skirt piece. His chest piece has samurai leanings but still done in the armor style of other Joes complete with his name on the front. He’s got pouches, but they’re not traditional Joe ware as they have drawstrings to close them.
The kamon, or diamond plate pattern in the center of his chest armor, is retained from the RAH design. Budo also keeps the slanted belt with a sheath and kneepads from the RAH look.
In another cool hybrid of the classic samurai/modern soldier take, he has shin armor with a cord-like material to tie them on as opposed to buckles. These are the elements that really make Budo stand out among even some of the top tier designed figures in the CS line.
Scale: Budo didn’t have a lengthy stint in the comic books but appeared to be about regular height. Considering his gear, he doesn’t need to be too tall otherwise he’d look too imposing. He’s about the same height as most Joes though the samurai gear makes him look bulkier than most figures. For point of reference, the first Duke is a little shorter than more recent releases.
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Paint: Budo has a higher degree of difficulty with his paint job considering all the different demands from his outfit. His shirt is grey, which helps accentuate the brown armor.
The details like the black elements on his armor also provide a nice visual pop. The kamon has red and silver paint apps and his name printing came out clean. In another unique touch, Budo’s left shoulder pad has GI Joe written in Japanese, which is another very cool touch.
His head sculpt also has a little extra detail with a faint goatee and mustache forming. The CS team added a faint bit of windburn around his cheeks as well.
This is a high-level paint job. His light grey knee pads contrast nicely with the black shin armor and brown boots. Budo’s green gloves and pants offer a nice base for the rest of the colors.
Articulation: Budo is highly proficient at martial arts, swordplay and shootouts so he definitely requires a high level of articulation. Despite the extra padding with the samurai armor, Budo is extremely smooth to pose.
Thanks to the various ways he can conduct his warfare there’s no shortage of fun options to prep him for a fight. I wish his right hand could grip the katana tighter.
Budo has:
- head
- neck
- shoulders (butterfly)
- elbow (double-jointed)
- forearm
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- mid-torso
- torso
- waist
- hips (ball-jointed)
- drop down hips
- knees (double-jointed)
- ankles
Accessories: As a deluxe figure, Budo has a ton of gear that’s enough to basically provide two figures in one.
He’s got his default armor samurai helmet. The RAH version had a strip that extended from the helmet to cover his nose while this one ditches the strip. Instead of making it all red, it has some leather padding around it as well. I’ve always thought the forked metal section of his helmet looked cool and the CS upgrade makes it look even better as if Budo could use it as a weapon in a pinch.
Budo has three swords of varying lengths with a large katana, a sword and the third, more of a dagger.
What makes him stand out and accounts for his deluxe price point is his alternate samurai gear.
The chest armor is more similar to the RAH design with a much more elaborate pattern and none of the modern flourishes. I’m kinda torn as to which one I like more, but with this being a separate piece you can mix and match to get the outfit style of your choice.
Additionally, the alternate set has a longer full skirt piece with a red sash around it. This piece has two sheathes on the right hip, which some collectors argue is inaccurate since he couldn’t properly draw them from his right hand.
For his alternate armor, there’s red leather padding for his forearms that matches up with the red sash and scarf.
Budo can also utilize a straw-like cloak collar to drape over his shoulders and back. Want a less conspicuous neck piece? There’s also a red scarf you can use although that seems like a better fit for the modern attire.
Next up is one of Budo’s coolest accessory pieces — the alternate oni mask. This looks pretty sinister and has incredible detail and paint apps. It almost feels too cool to not be utilized in the display in some manner. There is accompanying neck piece to further protect him. He also has a sheath that can be slung around his back.
As Budo is not just a samurai, he also has a pistol and an assault rifle when he needs to take Cobra down from a distance.
Finally, Budo has an alternate portrait. This one has his hair down and his facial hair further grown out. This allows for all kinds of storytelling possibilities to imagine how he got into this predicament.
Even better, with the removable armor and gear, you can just use this portrait for a stripped down, streamlined Budo in very basic soldier Joe mode. There are so many options with him and Budo really does offer up a lot of fun posing options.
Worth It? Budo is one of the better examples of a deluxe figure in the Classified Series lineup with so many display options that his $34.99 price tag feels like a very fair price point.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Where to Get It? Budo hasn’t been a regular retail fixture yet, but he’s still easy to grab online at Amazon or Entertainment Earth, which has the full case of that wave.
As an Amazon and Entertainment Earth affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.