Many G.I. Joe fans, both active and casual, list Snake Eyes among their favorite Joe characters. The silent commando has risen above most of his comrades and gained a bit of iconic status among fanboys.
Snake Eyes’ file card classifies him as a ninja commando, and those who follow know he was a member of the Arashikage clan, of which Cobra ninja Storm Shadow is a fellow alumni. For a full description/history of his character go here. When G.I. Joe was first repackaged in 1982 as a 3 3/4 inch action figure, complete with a Marvel comic book title written by Larry Hama and soon after a Sunbow cartoon series, Snake Eyes was among the first wave of characters released.
His visual design was unique- he wore all black and his face was hidden behind a mask. His character backstory was equally engaging- he never spoke and his history was somewhat clouded. He generated instant intrigue, and quickly became many fans’ favorite character. Most G.I. Joe characters only had one action figure/comic/cartoon design throughout the life of the series, but Snake Eyes is one of the few who have gone through multiple design updates. The overall look remained: black gear, supposedly disfigured face hidden by a mask, generously strapped with swords and guns; but the changes were visible.
Here we examine the many looks of Snake Eyes over the years:
Original Snake Eyes
Before the rise of Kung-Fu Grip, this version of Snake Eyes was included in the first release of the 3 3/4 inch action figures. All black color scheme, minimal decoration and built-in weaponry. Solid black goggles and 4 small slits on the mask. This was the version that appeared in the Marvel comic series for the first 25-30 issues.
Snake Eyes Version 2
As soon as Larry Hama and Hasbro realized they had a fan favorite in Snake Eyes, they began tweaking his look to keep him updated and also presumably to move more merchandise. The second version (known to collectors as “v2”) saw the addition of gray accents into the costume and more grenades and built-in weapons.
The most noticeable change might also be the longest lasting in our collective memory. His black goggles were replaced by a visor, still shielding his eyes and face from curious fans. The breathing slits were removed and we saw the slight outline of his mouth as well.
Snake Eyes Version 3
Larry Hama (writer of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero) is one of the finest comic writers of all time, and one of his strengths was devising special missions and storylines to keep G.I. Joe characters fresh (a Joe can only battle Cobra for so long before boredom sets in). The comic title had reached the 100 issue mark, which was an amazing feat for a comic series that was developed primarily as a way to market the action figure line.
In 1999, Snake Eyes’ kinda-girlfriend Scarlett was in a coma, and instead of sitting in the hospital pining away, Storm Shadow sent our pal Snakes on a super-secret, mega-dangerous mission to take his mind off of it. Enter costume design #3. Here the visor is replaced by what looks like tanning goggles, which are firmly embedded in his mask. Silver supplants gray as the secondary color, and the weapons cache has multiplied again. This guy was certainly ready for whatever special mission Hama could send him on.
Snake Eyes Version 4
In 1991 Snake Eyes got yet another makeover, this one incorporating the most color of any redesign to date, because NINETIES. Hasbro’s core group of collectors were starting to notice girls over action figures, and they needed to do something to keep them around. Enter ninjas (more ninjas) and bright colors.
To date, there have been 58 more action figure versions of Snake Eyes, most of them based on the basic v2 look. Besides arctic variants, and the addition of green (and a little purple), the drastic design changes stopped after version 4.
Snake Eyes (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra)
The suit that was designed for Ray Park in the first live-action G.I. Joe movie was based on Snake Eyes version 2, going with the visor as the eyewear of choice. The most visible addition is the prominent placement of the red Arashikage emblem on his shoulder and on the sword. In the cartoon and comics, the symbol was tattooed on Snake’s arm, which allowed for a dramatic and timely reveal.
It appears that the Snake Eyes we’ll see in G.I. Joe: Retaliation will also be based on the iconic look of Snake Eyes v2, with perhaps some “Nolan Batman-inspired” functional straps and Kevlar sections. The visor seems to have a bit more shine to it, I’m almost expecting a message to flash across it, a la the Tele-Vipers. The lips have been replaced by ridges, more of a nod to v1 Snake Eyes.
Regardless of the exact design, Snake Eyes is firmly entrenched on the Mt. Rushmore of G.I. Joes thanks to Larry Hama, Hasbro, and others. Thanks for almost 30 great years, Snakes. Here’s to 30 more.
I love all of his looks, but v2 IS Snake Eyes.
Yup, I totally agree with you!
I do like some of the arctic variations of Snakes but these are the main iconic looks. Looking forward to next weekend! Retaliation is here!
Hi. I’m eclectik and I hate Snake eyes.
A couple of the figures are cool though.
“Hi, eclectik.”