First launched in 1964, the G.I. Joe franchise coined the term "action figure" and went on to sell hundreds of millions of toys. The franchise saw its heyday during the eighties, a time when the animated series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, aired on television. Since then, G.I. Joe has fallen out of relevancy, relegated to living in the shadow of its Hasbro sibling in Transformers. But while the franchise has left the mainstream, the characters of G.I. Joe have continued to live on in the hearts of many.
The Joes were neither aliens nor people with superpowers, but rather, elite operatives that came from military backgrounds. They fought against the villainous Cobra, a paramilitary organization bent on nothing less than world domination. We've now seen three live-action G.I. Joe movies, and despite their flaws, all of them featured an incredible cast of heroes and villains. Before G.I. Joe eventually makes a return to theaters, here's a look at seven of the best characters in the movie franchise, ranked.
7 General Joe Colton
Bruce Willisportrayed General Joe Colton in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the decorated hero that was the founder and leader of G.I. Joe. Willis brought a unique charm to the role, playing Colton as a remarkably brave and highly competent Joe who still had a good sense of humor. The events of Retaliation saw him supply the Joes with their weapons, work with Lady Jaye to save the president, and commemorate the Joes after defeating Cobra. The reason why Colton was not ranked higher on this list is because of his limited screen time and lack of character depth.
6 Baroness
Úrsula Corberó(Money Heist) portrayed the Baroness in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, a high-ranking leather-clad member of Cobra. The Baroness was the catalyst behind most of the events in the film by manipulating Snake Eyes into fetching her the "Jewel of the Sun." Tommy (the future Storm Shadow) was deeply hurt by Snake Eyes' actions, and the Baroness took advantage of his vulnerable state to absorb him into Cobra.
The Baroness portrayed by Sienna Miller in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was just as manipulative. However, unlike Corberó's intepretation, Miller's version was mind-controlled by her brother through the use of nanomites. The Baroness was the most dangerous Cobra agent next to Storm Shadow, but was able to break free of her programming and return to her true self.
5 Scarlett
Scarlett made her live-action debut in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, where she was portrayed by Rachel Nichols. The Rise of Cobra version was an intelligence officer that graduated from college at the age of 12, but never learned how to deal with basic things such as failure or romantic attraction. With the help of Ripcord, Scarlett got back on her feet after being defeated by the Baroness and saved the world.
Samara Weaving (Ready or Not, Scream VI) took over the role of Scarlett in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins and played her as a more confident Joe. Arriving in Tokyo to help Tommy (Storm Shadow) defend the Arashikage from Kenta, she was arguably the most heroic character in the film. She also helped Snake Eyes make peace with his past and directed him towards a better path.
4 Cobra Commander
Rexford Lewis was the "genius, egghead brother" of the Baroness and a former friend of Duke Hauser. After surviving an airstrike, Rex went undercover and re-emerged as a mad scientist that called himself "The Doctor." He later became the live-action Cobra Commander, a cartoonishly evil villain that was as if Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine had been rolled into one.
As Cobra Commander, Rex led the faction that was responsible for the destruction of the Eiffel Tower and all of London. He managed to survive both of the movies he was in, but with how much he antagonized the entire world, it's hard to imagine that he would be left alone. The over-the-top evil has defined Cobra Commander and set him apart from many movie supervillains.
3 Lady Jaye
Born into a military family, Lady Jaye was underestimated by her father for being a woman and enlisted with the hope of one day outranking him. Although her father died before that could happen, she continued to rise through the ranks and was promoted to Captain by the end of G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Lady Jaye was a highly skilled Joe, uncovering Cobra's secrets before everyone else and successfully rescuing the President from Zartan. Following G.I. Joe: Retaliation, actress Adrianne Palicki went on to star as Agent Bobbi Morse in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and as Ms. Perkins in John Wick.
2 Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow has always been a major highlight of the G.I. Joe movies, bringing an intensity on-screen that no other G.I. Joe characters have. The character was first played by Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game) and was the most memorable Cobra agent in the first two films. Storm Shadow's history with Snake Eyes created an interesting "frenemy" dynamic between the two, a relationship that evolved from The Rise of Cobra to Retaliation.
When the G.I. Joe movie franchise was rebooted with 2021's Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, Storm Shadow was once again, considered the standout character. The version played by Andrew Koji (Bullet Train, Warrior) was betrayed by Snake Eyes, which played a key role in his decision to join Cobra. Storm Shadow has been the most morally complex character in the G.I. Joe movies to date, which has been the primary reason why audiences have found him so endearing.
1 Snake Eyes
For as long as anyone can remember, Snake Eyes has always been the most popular character in the G.I. Joe franchise. The ninja-commando has skills surpassing that of any Joe or Cobra, using them to overcome insurmountable odds. In The Rise of Cobra and Retaliation, Ray Park's version never spoke nor took off his helmet, presenting a mysterious allure that has been core to the character of Snake Eyes.
When the G.I. Joe movie franchise was rebooted with Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians, Last Christmas) portrayed a new version of Snake Eyes that had not yet lost his voice or donned the suit. The film saw him pursue revenge and come to realize the error of his ways, but not before betraying Storm Shadow, who had looked to Snake Eyes as a brother. With Snake Eyes previously having had a reputation as an honorable warrior, his origin film beginning his journey as a deeply flawed man came as a huge surprise.
While some would prefer not to see his backstory, much of the character's appeal has come from the knowledge that Snake Eyes had to overcome countless trials and tribulations to become the greatest operative in all of G.I. Joe.
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