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"Accused of a crime they didn't commit, a ragtag band of fugitives fights a covert battle to clear their names and expose the insidious enemy that is...Cobra. Some call them outlaws. Some call them heroes. But these determined men and women think of themselves only as ordinary Joes. And this is their story."

The newest installment in Hasbro's on-going G.I. Joe franchise, G.I. Joe: Renegades is an Animated Series airing on The Hub. The show lasted for 26 episodes, running from November 2010 to July, 2011.

Renegades changes things up by having the team being wanted fugitives for destroying a Cobra Industries pharmaceutical plant. The truth of the matter is that counter-intel agent Shana "Scarlett" O'Hara recruited a small team of soldiers, Conrad "Duke" Hauser, Nicky "Tunnel Rat" Lee, Marvin "Roadblock" Hinton and Wallace "Ripcord" Weems (and Snake Eyes as backup) to infiltrate the plant. They found bio-weapon research going on, but were discovered by Cobra agents. The ensuing conflict resulted in the destruction of the plant and the evidence O'Hara was looking for.

They are now on the run from both the government and Cobra operatives, all the while trying to expose Cobra Industries for the terrorist organization it truly is, with a stolen heavily armored Cobra Industries truck as their only home. They're pursued by Duke's old rival, Dashiell Fairborne, aka "Flint", and Duke's old friend, Lady Jaye, who want to bring them in to face the consequences for their actions. Along the way they gather additional allies to combat Cobra and help people in need of their skills.

Jeff Kline serves as the show's executive producer, with Henry Gilroy and Marty Isenberg, who previously worked on Hasbro properties Beast Machines and Transformers: Animated.

It now has a character sheet.

Full episodes of the show are available to watch on the official G.I. Joe YouTube channel. Here's the playlist.


This show features the following tropes:

  • 2D Visuals, 3D Effects: The Bio-Vipers and some vehicle scenes occasionally drift into being computer generated in an otherwise 2D-animated series. Ripcord's Bio-Viper form and the Sewer Viper from "The Anomaly" are also noticeable.
  • Acid Pool: How Cobra Commander is defeated at the end of the final episode. He survives, but his face is badly burned.
  • Acoustic License: In "The Anaconda Strain", the Joes converse with each other using indoor voices while on board a decompressing plane.
  • Adaptational Badass:
    • As is the trend, Cobra Commander is pretty far removed from the screechy and ineffectual Big Bad of the 80's show. He is never caught off guard and when he vows vengeance for a defeat, he MEANS it.
    • Major Bludd, too. His cornier elements are basically nonexistent. Although he still takes a lot of lumps, it only serves to emphasize how much of a Determinator he is. Even getting pummeled and losing an eye and an arm don't deter him from seeking vengeance.
  • Adaptational Wimp: On the flip side, since Cobra Commander is so much more effective, Destro's attempts to backstab him get correspondingly ineffective, and he suffers a lot for his attempts.
  • Adaptation Distillation: The series draws from the original mythos, along with parts of the recent GI Joe The Rise Of Cobra film, using the movie's version of Ripcord, a younger Duke, and a look for Doctor Mindbender and Cobra Commander based upon the movies'.
  • Adaptation Name Change:
    • While otherwise based on his original incarnation (being an American soldier and Roadblock's cousin), Heavy Duty has "Herschel Dalton" as his real name, not "Lamont Morris".
    • Vincent Falcone (Lt. Falcon) had his last name changed to "Hauser", due to going the route of the animated movie of him being Duke's brother.
    • Of a sort, as Stalker had "One" added to his codename in a flashback to Duke's past.
    • While most continuities don't bother to tell us what Cobra Commander's name even is, here it's Adam DeCobray as opposed to the movie franchise name of Rex Lewis. (That being said, the entirely Adam DeCobray identity is a false one, so it's unlikely to be his real name.)
  • Adaptation Species Change: Serpentor appears and is still genetically-engineered by Dr. Mindbender—but this series' Serpentor is a giant snake creature, not a human.
  • A Father to His Men: Destro is fiercely protective of his company and its employees, as is Duke to anyone who serves under him.
  • All Just a Dream: If the Creative Closing Credits of the original Hub broadcast of the finale is to be believed, the entire series was RAH Duke's dream.
  • And Knowing Is Half the Battle: Dropped as a Mythology Gag in the end of the first episode teaser and some promos...an ad that focuses on COBRA as a benevolent, caring company that works for the benefit of all mankind, amber waves of grain and all, before cutting to the Joes fighting for their lives against COBRA security.
  • An Offer You Can't Refuse: Cobra Commander would like to make you his counter-offer while you're being devoured by a giant snake.
  • A-Team Firing: Usually averted, since the main enemies tend to be Bio Vipers, who the Joes are free to shoot with impunity. The trope is lampshaded in "Cousins": The cold open features a lineup of US Army troops taking aim at a firing range with their new laser rifles. None of them hits a goddamn thing, before Flint yells at them that they need to get used to the new weapons.
  • Awesome, but Impractical: Played with. The Coyote's gadgets have certainly saved the group on multiple occasions, but the maintenance of such a complicated piece of machinery for fugitives on the run can be problematic at times, even with a mechanic on hand.
  • Badass Biker: Zartan and the Dreadnoks, of course. And now Snake Eyes.
  • Badass Longcoat: The Baroness wears a nice-looking longcoat in this continuity.
    • The episode "Rage" gives Snake-Eyes one. He still has it in the next episode, and even continues to wear it on and off in future episodes.
  • Bait the Dog:
    • In "Rage" The team saves a street priest from a homeless veteran suffering a PTSD episode. We later see the man handing out hot coffee to other freezing homeless people but it's all a ploy to drug them and kidnap them for experiments as the priest is actually a MARS scientist. He'd been attacked earlier because he'd been experimenting on that man.
    • In "The Anaconda Strain," Dr. Schurr and Dr. Monev are researching a pathogen that mutates people. Though Schurr's suit ruptures, Monev manages to quarantine him, and even as Schurr mutates, Monev still tries to keep him company and helps the Joes go for an antidote. Though Dr. Monev later traps them and leaves them to die, revealing he deliberately sabotaged Schurr's suit and wanted to study the virus's effects on humans. He had made a cure and kept it from Schurr, ultimately planning to assist COBRA in a global outbreak and selling the cure to only those who could afford it. A fitting debut for Dr. Venom.
  • Bash Brothers: The three primary heirs of the Arashikage Dynasty, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow and Jinx, all fight against Destro's mechs together. Made especially signficant due to Storm Shadows recent Heel–Face Turn.
  • Batman Gambit: Attempted by Destro in "Enemy of my Enemy".
  • Bavarian Fire Drill: Attempted by Scarlett to get Duke out of jail after he's arrested. Every attempt fails utterly.
    • She eventually does discover an approach that works, in a funny moment at her own expense.
  • The Big Guy: Roadblock. He looks to be about a foot taller than everyone else and is built like a tank. His younger cousin, Heavy Duty shares the family resemblance.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: In an interesting take on this trope, both Tunnel Rat and Roadblock end up part of an experiment by M.A.R.S. Industries to incite the rage impulse in the brain in order to control mechs. The problem the experimenters were encountering was that all test subjects were getting exhausted and too unfocused to be efficient operators. Tunnel Rat did as well as anyone else but Roadblock proved to be able to keep somewhat cognitive and focused while under it's influence, yet still forced into an Unstoppable Rage. The implications is that despite his generally jovial nature Roadblock has the most experience with keeping his anger in check, and everyone else is grateful for that.
    • When Flint is interrogating Roadblock he reminds the latter of his criminal past as Former Teen Rebel, something that greatly annoys Roadblock. His cousin sees him as the family screw-up and isn't surprised that he went AWOL after blowing up the COBRA building, implying that he may not have been that good at controlling his temper at one point.
  • Blob Monster: The COBRA Bio-Vipers, which are giant amorphous piles of plant matter created by Mindbender. And Ripcord, who can turn into one at will.
  • Bloodless Carnage: There is some violence in this series, but, bar a single, blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment where young Snake Eyes clutches his sliced, bleeding throat in a flashback, no blood.
  • Bluff the Impostor: When Zartan get's his camo suit, allowing him to mimic other people, they naturally try this when he takes on Duke's form. Roadblock asks the a trick question only for both to say that they didn't know the answer.
  • By-the-Book Cop: Flint really doesn't have any of his own opinions on the "renegades", knowing only that he's been assigned to take them in. (And his old high school footbal rival is on the team.) The worst part is that all of his speculation about their motives, though incorrect, actually make sense.
  • Black Dude Dies First: Ripcord, who dies in the premiere and is subsequently removed from the opening credits. Subverted; it turns out he was Not Quite Dead, but we don't learn this until twenty episodes later, long after the finality of his "death" has become convincing.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: Happens to all the Joes save Tunnel Rat and Snake Eyes, who only pretends when they come under the sway of Tomax and Xamot's cult.
  • Butt-Monkey: Tunnel Rat never gets a break.
  • Bystander Syndrome: Implied with Scarlett, who would rather the team just focus on clearing their names.
  • Can't Kill You, Still Need You: As the series progresses, this is the only thing that stops Cobra Commander from pulling a You Have Failed Me on his subordinates. A notable example: after the latest failure, CC considers offing Mindbender until the doctor smugly reminds him that only he can help with his deteriorating health. CC takes the point but still zaps him painfully just for not liking his tone.
  • Chekhov's Gun: Scarlet is shown putting on armor in the first ep and later survives a hit because it was under her coat.
  • A Child Shall Lead Them: When Jinx returns to the Arashikage clan.
  • Chocolate of Romance: In "Castle Destro," Destro invites Baroness over for a date offering her european chocolate and chocolate fondue strawberries. He himself cannot eat any because of the mask, and we learn that he's on a liquid diet on account of only feeding himself via straws.
  • Chronic Hero Syndrome: Everywhere the team goes, Duke finds some wrong he has to right. Scarlett occasionally calls him out on it.
    • Interestingly enough, when the episode's goal is to gather some sort of evidence to clear the team's good name, their roles totally switch and Duke does the calling-out.
  • Continuity Cameo: Frequent. If you're familiar with the toyline or earlier adaptations, a lot of one-shot characters will seem very familiar to you.
  • Clean Cut: Ninja people, dear reader.
  • Clear My Name: Being combined with The A-Team, this one's a given. Snake-Eyes as well, who was thought to have killed the Hard Master; his name is eventually cleared.
  • Cliffhanger: While the main plot thread of the series concludes with the Joes stopping Cobra's plans and clearing their names, the finale shot reveals Cobra Commander survived the destruction of his mansion and vowing vengeance against the Joes. Since the show wasn't picked up for another season, this doesn't go anywhere.
  • Clothing Damage: Tends to happen to Snake Eyes, though never enough that we can see his face (though at one point a bit of his mouth was visible). Predictably, his ninja costume is always fully repaired the next episode, if not the very next scene.
    • Firefly suffers some noticeable burns to his uniform after Snake Eyes sends his bomb back at him.
  • Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: General Hawk is only referred to by his real name, Clayton Abernathy. Likewise, a flashback to Duke's past has Tripwire merely referred to by his real name, Tormod Skoog. Similarly, Dr. Archibald Monev doesn't use the codename Doctor Venom. Otherwise, this is averted in three ways.
    • The first being many characters including Duke himself, Flint, Lady Jaye, Heavy Duty, Snake Eyes, Stalker (shown in the same flashback as Tripwire, though modified to Stalker One), Shipwreck, Snow Job, Frost Bite, Wild Bill, Lift-Ticket, Red Star, Steeler, Jinx, and most of Cobra's other agents already had theirs before the series. (Cobra Commander doesn't actually refer to himself as such until the finale; otherwise, he just uses the "Commander" portion when he isn't being addressed as his alias of Adam DeCobray.)
    • The second is many other characters including Scarlett, Roadblock, Tunnel Rat, Ripcord, Destro, Breaker, Airtight, and Barbecue gain theirs over the course of the series.
    • Thirdly, a few characters who don't outside of Tripwire and General Hawk aren't in the military: While this wouldn't affect Carl Greer as "Doc" is commonly used as a short version of "doctor", anyway, it does mean Courtney Kreiger, Christopher Lavigne, and Vince Hauser aren't respectively called "Cover Girl", "Law", and "Lt. Falcon".
  • Composite Character:
    • Vinnie Hauser has the first name of most incarnations of Lt. Falcon, but is the brother of Duke like Falcon's animated counterpart.
    • Heavy Duty is an American soldier and Roadbock's cousin like his original incarnation, but his real name is that of his film counterpart's, Hershel Dalton (as opposed to Lamont A. Morris).
  • Continuity Cameo: The show sticks in various other Joes and the occasional COBRA member as people the main characters encounter during their travels. Whether these cameo characters are addressed in-story by their real names or codenames depends on the situation.
    • "Rage": Ralph Pulaski (Steeler) is among the veterans being experimented by Scrap-Iron. Carl Greer (Doc) also appears as the one treating the veterans at the local hospital.
    • "Busted": Christopher Lavigne (Law) and his faithful dog, Order, work at the prison Duke has been sent to.
    • "Firefight": Gabriel Kelly (Barbecue) is the local firefighter who initially thinks COBRA is doing good and that the Joes are the bad guys.
    • "Homecoming": In Part 1, Vincent Hauser is based on Falcon, recreating the sibling relationship from the animated movie. Part 2 also features Tormod Skoog (Tripwire) as the man Duke saves from a landmine in one flashback and Lonzo Wilkinson (Stalker) as the commanding officer in another.
    • "Knockoffs": Wild Bill joins the Falcons as Flint's helicopter pilot.
    • "White Out": Harlan Moore (Snow Job) appears as Tunnel Rat's old friend. Farley Seward (Frostbite) appears in flashback as one of their friends who died in an avalanche. Snake-Eyes also encounters Timber and eventually leaves him with Moore.
    • "Shipwrecked": Hector Delgado (Shipwreck), of course, but he also has a poster of Courtney Kreiger (Covergirl).
    • "Union of the Snake": Anatoly Krimov (Red Star of the Oktober Guard) is the local rebel leader the Joes work with.
    • "The Anaconda Strain": Dr. Kurt Schnurr (Airtight) and Dr. Archibald Monev (Doctor Venom) are the ones working on the Anaconda Strain. Schnurr is deliberately infected and eventually gets his trademark suit to prevent him from spreading it.
    • "Prodigal": Victor Sikorski (Lift-Ticket) appears as another one of the Falcons' pilots.
    • "Cousins": Heavy Duty appears as Roadblock's cousin, though this episode use the Hershel Dalton version of the character from The Rise of Cobra instead of the Lamont Morris version.
  • Continuity Nod: A unique way of using this merged with a Myth Arc. Each episode works as its own story, but each episode often makes a reference to where they were or what they did in previous episodes.
  • Cool Car: Major Bludd's Mad Max inspired ride and the Joe's commandeered van, the Coyote. Both also count as a Weaponized Car.
    • Major Bludd's car is essentially the Thunder Machine from the RAH line (a Dreadnok vehicle). Which itself was Mad Max inspired.
  • Cool Train: Cobra has a maglev train in the caverns beneath their facility in the pilot. And we later learn that they're building tunnels throughout the country, building an entire train system to move their troops.
  • Cool Versus Awesome: Most of the show, but the shining example is when Snake Eyes, Jinx, and Storm Shadow put their differences aside to fight against a platoon of Cobra Mini-Mecha. It's so cool, you might die from watching it.
  • Covers Always Lie: The DVD covers often ignore Storm Shadow's Renegade look and draw him in a design reminiscent of his classic appearance; his mask is a single part without exposing his bangs, the shirt is different, and sometimes the sleeves are absent (ala this page's picture).
  • Cult: Led by Tomax and Xamot.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: Iron Grenadiers with Powered Armor give the Joes one of these. Then the Mecha-Vipers show up.
  • Darker and Edgier: While not even on the level of Resolute, this is a far cry from the kiddie-fied fare of the '80s cartoons.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Tunnel Rat often makes sarcastic comments.
    • Duke gets a couple of good moments of this in "Busted" towards Scarlett as well, as does Scarlett in the sceond part "Homecoming" towards Flint.
  • Death by Origin Story: This continuity's version of Frostbite is definitively dead; he and Snow Job went skiing back when they were in the army, an avalanche was triggered and Frostbite was killed. His death is the reason Snow Job left the service and fell into depression.
  • Degraded Boss: In its second appearance, the Bio-Viper inverts the trope. Their third appearance plays it straight, although justified by a design flaw that made them both smarter but lost their regeneration abilities after a headshot. Reverted when they are upgraded into a more deadly Mech-Viper. ...Basically every version of the Bio-Vipers carries with them different strengths and weaknesses.
  • Disabled in the Adaptation:
    • Most versions of G.I. Joe's General Hawk has the use of both eyes. In Renegades, General Abernathy is shown wearing an eyepatch over his right eye, suggesting at the least that he's lost the vision in it.
    • As part of the rather lax dress code of the original team, Airtight wore a hazmat suit to protect himself. In Renegades, he's infected with an infectious disease by Cobra and wear the suit to protect others from his condition.
    • Cobra Commander is depicted as a Dark Lord on Life Support with his faceplate's function changed to be a breathing mask.
  • Diabolus ex Machina: Every time they find some evidence, it gets lost or trashed through sheer bad luck or some other fashion right up until the series' end.
  • Disposable Vagrant: James McCullen kidnaps homeless veterans off the street and forces them to test his new combat mechs in order to find the perfect human brainwaves on which to base machine's the A.I. Tunnel Rat and Roadblock wind up in his clutches, with Roadblock providing the ideal brainwave pattern.
  • Does This Remind You of Anything?: The opening Cobra Industries promo has Adam DeCobray -– Cobra Commander in disguise –- picking an apple off of a tree and handing it to a boy and girl, referencing the serpent temping Adam and Eve with fruit.
  • The Driver: After his introduction in Shipwrecked, Shipwreck gives the Joes rides from port to port for a few episodes until they return to the US.
  • Dynamic Entry/Stealth Hi/Bye: Snake-Eyes is almost never seen actually traveling with the rest of the Joes, and makes a habit of just showing up, out of nowhere, several minutes into an episode, usually to kick someone in the face.
  • Expy: Not necessarily for past G.I. Joe characters, but for The A-Team. Roadblock shares B.A.'s role as the Mr. Fixit and on occasion, the Scary Black Man (he's usually a Gentle Giant), while Flint and Lady Jaye fill the roles of Colonel Lynch and Captain Sosa respectively. And Dr. Mindbender is a lot like The Headmaster, minus the leetspeak (Marty Eisenberg worked on both shows). Tunnel Rat is a human Rattrap.
  • Embarrassing Nickname: Heavy Duty got his moniker not from his tremendous stature or his numerous tours of service, but from his grandmother changing his diapers as a child.
  • Evolving Credits: Many. Episode 1 and 2 had title cards for Duke, Scarlett, Tunnel Rat, Roadblock and Ripcord. After Ripcord's death, he is replaced with Flint and Lady Jaye's title cards. It changes again when Ripcord turn out to be alive, leaving out Flint and Lady Jaye's title cards.
  • Eyepatch of Power: General Abernathy, who may be an older man in this incarnation, but is rather clearly an experienced military officer and badass. Also, doubtless, Major Bludd.
  • Face–Heel Turn: Jinx, after Storm Shadow convinces her that Snake Eyes killed her father, gives up the codename she chose for herself as Snake Eyes' apprentice, and returns to Japan and the Arashikage, who most definitely did not keep to the new path like the Hard Master wanted. She switches sides again later, after she learns the truth.
  • The Faceless: While we've seen Snake-Eyes without a mask in flashbacks, we have yet to see his face in the present story.
  • Failure Is the Only Option: Every time the Joes gain some evidence to clear their names, it ends up lost.
  • Family-Friendly Firearms: As is GI Joe tradition. In fact, Tunnel Rat even says the old trope name, "Where did they get lasers?!" Played with; it's made clear that the energy weapons are not standard-issue (we even see a good, old-fashioned sniper rifle in a flashback) but we never come across anyone who doesn't have access to them.
    • In "Cousins", troops from Flint's unit are seen training with plasma rifles. They're apparently harder to aim as none of them are hitting their marks and Flint admonishes that they're not "your daddies' M16s!"
  • Family-Unfriendly Death: Quite a bit. Cobra is nowhere near as ineffective as they were in previous cartoons and traitors are rewarded as they deserve when they outlive their usefulness.
  • Family-Unfriendly Violence: A good deal of it to go with the FUD. A notable example in "Cousins" is Bludd getting his arm bitten off by an alligator. Even the Baroness is shocked that he's still standing.
    Bludd: I hope you choke on it, sport!
  • Foreshadowing: Early in the first part of Homecoming, Duke's brother Vince says he'll turn Duke in himself if that's what it takes to keep him away from their parents. He wasn't kidding.
    • In Cutting Edge, Baroness coldly berating Cobra Commander for insulting her competence as well as his lack of the breathing device he's needed for several episodes are hints that he's really Zartan.
    • In Knockoffs, Roadblock mentions the only person he knows with feet rivaling his in size is his cousin Herschel. Herschel later shows up as part of Flint's team.
  • Follow the Chaos: Cobra Commander once notes that if military helicopters are present, the Joes have to be close by.
  • Forklift Fu: Duke plows into Major Bludd with a forklift. It doesn't work.
  • Freudian Slip: Jinx notes that Snake Eyes' relationship with Scarlett isn't like that with his other students. Scarlett is surprised, and denies it, saying she's "just high-maintenance". Perhaps not the best phrase to use to deny that sort of relationship with someone.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: Good and evil characters display scars either to show how rugged they are or to make them look more threatening. "Fire Fighters" made good use of the trope with Barbecue and Firefly, both carrying notable burn scars. For Barbecue it symbolizes his injury in the line of duty and shows off why a job like his is important, whilst Firefly is covered in, likely self-inflicted, burns to demonstrate his obsession with fire and who dangerous he is.
  • Grand Finale: The show's producers were aware going in that the show would go into a hiatus it would never return from, so the two-part finale "Revelations" concludes the season's overarching plot of the Joes clearing their names and outing COBRA as a terrorist organization. It was clearly meant to continue, however, as the fates of multiple characters (Destro, Baroness, and Mindbender) were left in the air, several characters grew closer to their mainstream counterparts, and the ending implied the Joes would become a government task force, and most importantly, Cobra Commander is revealed to have survived, setting the stage for the traditional Joe-Cobra conflict.
  • Grenade Hot Potato: In "Fire Fight," Firefly learns why it's a bad idea to throw incendiary grenades at a ninja.
    • Also, Duke:
    Ripcord:"You just airballed a hand-grenade!"
  • Heel–Face Turn: Jinx and Storm Shadow stop targeting Snake Eyes and leave Cobra after the truth about the Hard Master's death comes out.
  • Heroic Sacrifice:
    • Ripcord performs one, killing himself and blowing up the COBRA factory, though ultimately he survived.
    • The defective Bio-Viper from "Anomaly" performs one; restraining a berserk Ripcord, freeing him from Mindbender's control chip in the process and absorbing four other Bio-Vipers that were about to explode and take part of the city with them.
  • Hero Antagonist: Flint serves in this role, as he's constantly trying to arrest the fugitive Joes and refuses to believe that Cobra framed them.
  • Hero with Bad Publicity: Obviously, though the Joes do tend to meet people (usually burned by Cobra) that support them. At the end of "Fire Fight", Cobra Commander essentially orders the Baroness to invoke this trope as much as possible to make the Joes' lives more difficult.
  • He Who Fights Monsters: In "Union of the Snake", Duke calls out Red Star on this, stating how his and the Oktober Guard's obsession with getting revenge on the Cisarovnas by any means necessary makes him no better than the despots he despises. In the end, Red Star shows Duke respect for his way of thinking even if he hasn't come around to it, yet.
  • Hidden in Plain Sight: How Cobra maintains their cover.
    • The Coyote's cloaking abilities can allow it to take the appearance of non-assuming vehicles, such as a family RV.
  • History Repeats: Storm Shadow ultimately tried to kill Snake Eyes, allegedly due to murdering his master, but partly because of favoritism, Jinx switches sides, due to not being able to understand that Snake Eyes didn't murder her father, and was also a rival to Scarlett, another student. The cycle is ultimately broken.
  • Hoistby Their Own Petard: The Joes would consistently use COBRA's tech to best their enemies, the Coyote being once one of COBRA's high-tech trucks.
  • Horrible Judge of Character: Zigzagged with the Mayor in "Fire Fight." He leads the charge against COBRA industries as their Dam has damaged their town's economy and ecology. The Mayor also distrusts local fireman (future GI Joe "Barbecue") because of his pro-COBRA leanings and even after he saves the Mayor's house from burning, the Mayor still accuses him of having something to do with the crime. When Barbecue mentions that it could have been the Joes, the Mayor jumps to their defense immediately, seeing through the veil of their bad publicity because they too oppose COBRA. The Mayor's definitely a more complicated example than most expressing both poor judgement and uncommon insight into the characters though by episodes end he comes to believe in Barbecue.
  • Hourglass Plot: Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow share one. After Snake Eyes is accused of poisoning Hard Master, Snake Eyes is forced to flee the Arashikage and live as a ronin which sets him on the path of joining the Joes. Meanwhile, Storm Shadow becomes de facto leader of the clan with his uncle's death. Towards the end of the series, Storm Shadow realizes that he was indirectly responsible for Hard Master's death and exiles himself from the clan, while Snake Eyes is absolved.
  • How Do I Shot Web?: Ripcord laments that his new Bioviper powers don't come with an instruction manual.
  • "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Duke has one with Bio-viper Ripcord.
  • Immune to Bullets: The Bio-Viper can't be shot down.
  • Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: The Cobra troops keep missing their mark despite their military training and high-end weaponry. The Bio-Vipers aren't any better either.
  • Impromptu Tracheotomy: The reason why Snake Eyes can't speak. The episodes themselves show him attempting to perform a deliberate tracheotomy twice when the Hard Master and Scarlett go into anaphylactic shock. He's unable to do so both times and during the first he is interrupted by Storm Shadow throwing a Shuriken at him, slashing his throat and piercing his tranche.
  • Infinite Supplies: Except when it's meaningfully relevant for it to be finite, of course. This Trope applies (and doesn't) to all sides of the conflict.
  • Interchangeable Asian Cultures: This trope is thrown out of a 3 story window in a particularly hilarious scene. In order to infiltrate a high class Cobra-sponsored party, the Joes abduct a Chinese corporate officer and have Nicky dress up like him.
    Cobra greeter: Gutentag! My Mandarin is rusty... er,(greeting in Mandarin).
    Nicky: Whoa! What's with the racial? Just because I look Chinese you assume I speak it?
    Cobra greeter: B-But... You are the head of a Chinese phone company...
  • Instant Awesome: Just Add Mecha!: Courtesy of M.A.R.S. industries.
  • Interservice Rivalry: When the Joes are pressed into work on Shipwreck's boat and Duke ends up hanging off the side scraping barnacles from the hull, he says, "This is why I didn't enlist in the Navy."note 
  • In the Back: Baroness resorts to this when Snake Eyes turns to face Storm Shadow. She only managed to burn his shoulder slightly, and Storm Shadow discouraged any further attempts.
  • Ironic Echo: In Episode 2, Baroness says that if the Bio-Viper isn't retrieved, she's gonna tell Cobra Commander and he'll be disappointed, when Dr. Mindbender is protesting blowing up the Joes and the Bio-Viper, he says that Cobra Commander will be very disappointed if she blows it up.
  • Ironic Echo Cut:
    Flint: Duke would never be stupid enough to go back there.
    (cut)
    Scarlett (to Duke) I can't believe I let you talk me into going back there.
    And then later on:
    Flint: Looks like Duke might be just that stupid after all.
  • It's Personal: Storm Shadow's entire reason for joining with Cobra is to have a better shot at taking revenge on Snake Eyes, whom he blames for the death of his uncle.
    • After losing an eye, Major Bludd makes it clear to Baroness that next time he'll be willing to go after the Joes for free.
  • Jerk Jock...with a Heart of Gold: Flint likes rubbing it in Duke's face that his tackle in the High School Football State Championship game won the game for his team, and even harassed him at the burger joint Duke worked at after high school. But he did show some regret after realizing that injuring Duke's knee in that tackle cost him a football scholarship, and was even the one to point him in the direction of military enlistment for a gifted athlete.
  • Jetpack: The Joes grab one in The Union of the Snake.
  • Land Mine Goes "Click!": An interesting occurrence. In a flashback, Private Skoog (also know as Tripwire, though not in-series) steps on a mine that Duke missed. It goes click. Duke tries to keep him calm while they think of a plan, but Skoog panics and passes out. Duke tackles him before the mine, a bouncing betty, goes off, saving them both, but leaving Duke with a rather nasty scar on his back.
  • Leave Him to Me!: Storm Shadow makes it very clear to the Combat Pragmatist Baroness that he won't have her interfering in his duel with Snake Eyes.
  • Love Redeems: Averted. Baroness and Destro fall for each other and remain very much evil.
  • Love Triangle: One pops up between Snake-Eyes, Scarlett and Duke. It is hinted at during the series, but doesn't really become blatant until Going Underground.
  • MacGyvering: It's gonna happen, what with the lack of material support that comes of being fugitives. In episode 3, for example, Duke defuses a bomb using, among other things, a piece of chewed gum.
    • Subverted when Roadblock tries to fix a complicated piece of electronics in the truck with an extension cord and the workaround doesn't work.
  • Made of Iron: Even by cartoon standards Major Bludd takes an incredible amount of punishment in his debut episode, even losing an eye at the end, and none of it so much as slows him down.
  • Mark of Shame: James McCullen's new name, Destro, and the new face to go with it.
  • Mathematician's Answer:
    Roadblock: Soooo, we freeing another prisoner or preventing another outbreak?
    Scarlett: Yes.
  • Meaningful Name: The nicknames the others pick up. Scarlett for her red hair, Duke for being something of a John Wayne type, Tunnel Rat for being at home in the dirt, Roadblock for being just so dang massive...
  • Mistaken for Racist: Played for Laughs when the Joes attempt to crash Cobra's Christmas party posing as members of a charity drive dressed as Santa and his Elves.
    Guard: "Can I see some I.D.?
    Tunnel-Rat: "Santa does not carry I.D."
    Guard: "You don't look like you're from the north pole."
    Roadblock: "That some kind of slur? Gonna report you to Adam DeCobray himself!"
  • The Mole: Lady Jaye is this for the Joes, using every opportunity to slow down Flint behind the scenes. Baroness may also be seen as one.
    • Breaker had one in Cobra. Operative word being had.
  • Mood Whiplash: The Homecoming episode. It ended with the Joes having a Christmas dinner at Duke's parents. It looks like they're finally going to have a break from running for a change and on top of that, having a decent meal. However, Vincent, Duke's brother, blamed Duke for the family's hardships. He has called the MP and the Joes are arrested by Flint, minus Snake Eyes.
  • Motorcycle Dominoes: Snake-Eyes uses this to get the Dreadnok's attention.
  • Mugging the Monster: James McCullen playing hardball with Cobra Industries. It doesn't end well.
    • In Cousins, this is done subtly; After his trap knocks down Ripcord, Major Bludd ignores him long enough to get an armful of Bio-Viper as he approaches Duke with a bowie knife drawn.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Storm Shadow learning the actual details of what happened between Snake Eyes and the Hard Master made him realize he was the one responsible, he tried to poison Snake Eyes and the cups got switched. Storm Shadow immediately regretted his actions and went on the run.
    • A minor one in Duke and Flint's backstory: After tackling Duke to keep him from turning a high school football game around at the last second, Flint meets Duke again working the drive-thru at a Burger Fool. When Duke limps out with his foot in a cast, Flint realizes just how much the loss cost him. It's his attempts to make up for it that steer Duke towards the military.
  • Mysterious Past: We never learn anything about this version of Cobra Commander's backstory, or even anything about the illness he suffers from.
  • Mythology Gag: The infamous "Now you know, And Knowing Is Half the Battle" line from the original series? That's part of Cobra's corporate slogan.
    • The battlecry of the classic team "Yo Joe!" has been dropped a few times in a more casual greeting. "Yo Joes..."
    • Several episodes have featured Joes from the original series in minor roles; for example, in the episode "Rage", the veteran Roadblock is forced to fight is named Ralph Pulaski (in the original continuity, Pulaski was Steeler, the Joes' tank driver) and the doctor that treats Tunnel Rat is named Dr. Greer (Carl Greer, aka Doc, served as the team's battlefield medic).
    • Cobra's now has one as the giant snake Cobra Commander keeps as a pet is named Serpentor, after the Cobra Emperor of the Sunbow series.
    • In "Prodigal", Cobra Commander dons a full, featureless faceplate like many Cobra Commanders before him have worn. Prior to that, his look seems to be inspired by "the Doctor" version of the character from the first live action film (mostly the metal mask that covers all but one eye).
    • Remember how the original Roadblock had that habit of speaking in rhyme? The current incarnation once uttered "We can go, we can stay; I'm good either way."
    • In "Shipwrecked", we meet this show's version of...you guessed it, Shipwreck. He named his vessel Courtney, after the woman on a poster taped outside the cabin. Duke remarks that it's model Courtney Krieger, which is the real name of Cover Girl from the original series (apparently, she's blonde as opposed to the original auburn).
    • Also, at the end of the final episode, Duke gets a scar under his left eye during his battle with Cobra Commander, which is a Call-Back to the old 12-inch G.I. Joe toys from the 60's.
    • The sound of missiles firing is the same sound effect from the DIC Entertainment episodes.
    • After Zartan gets ahold of the holographic projector in "Knockoffs", he cycles through several disguises, including one that resembles his classic look. This seemingly becomes his default appearance later in the series.
    • When Destro pilots the prototype HISS tank in the finale, he's wearing a black and red outfit with a large red neck collar, a modernized version of his 80s appearance.
  • Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: Mecha-Vipers and Shadow-Vipers.
    • Jinx returns in "Cutting Edge" sporting a spiffy robot suit filled to the brim with, well... cutting edge technology.
  • No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup: Played with: the holographic technology Baroness acquired from a quirky Mad Scientist was explicitly the only prototype, and Cobra Commander wanted it to remain that way for his exclusive use so they destroyed the facility and wiped the mind of the scientist who designed it. Problem is, it has a DNA encoder and will only work for Zartan because he was the first to put it on.
  • Oh, Crap!: James McCullen when Adam DeCobray reveals his true identity as Cobra Commander to him.
  • Only I Can Kill Him: Very few people in the universe have any kind of chance against Snake Eyes or Storm Shadow one-on-one, except each other.
  • Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Historically, Destro has always been Scottish, but for this series, it seems nobody realized that Clancy Brown was actually doing an Irish accent throughout the series (probably because, well... an awful lot of Americans can't tell the difference). Realization seemed to dawn with the finale, in which Brown suddenly started added a lot of exaggerated Scottish touches to certain phrase, but on the whole, spent the whole episode oscillating back and forth between the two dialects.
    • Although there is a difference between the two accents, many people from both sides have been mistaken for the other by virtue of how similar they are anyway (with varying degrees of acceptance).
  • Out of Focus: Flint, and by extension, Lady Jaye, during the second half of the only season. Past "Knockoffs", the two actually miss a good five episodes once the Joes enter Canada and start sailing around with Shipwreck, but even after that, their appearances are mostly quick "one and done" deals and they still don't appear in every episode. Topped off with their final appearances when the Joes turn themselves in with the proof they needed. General Abernathy does all the talking, pleased as can be, as is most of the other military personnel there including Lady Jaye, Heavy Duty, and a newly recruited Breaker, except for Flint, who pretty much stands there slack-jawed and flabbergasted.
  • Overshadowed by Awesome: Snake-Eyes is generally the game-breaker of the group, usually saving everyone almost Once an Episode. But besides him, Duke is probably the most well-rounded soldier and fighter of the group, and when put into a prison environment he more than holds his own against the other inmates.
  • Paper-Thin Disguise: Subverted. On an occasion when Duke is arrested Scarlett tries to bluff her way into both a police station and a county record office by posing as a lawyer and a government agent respectively. Both attempts fail because the front desk staff at each location are cool-headed and competent enough to demand to see her identification then refuse her entry when she can’t produce it.
  • Parrying Bullets: Snake Eyes can deflect frickin' lasers with his swords. Half-justified in they're lasers, i.e. light, and he takes very good care of his weapon which includes polishing it to a mirror finish. Now for how he gets it in place in time...
  • Patriot in Exile: The elite team of soldiers are framed for an attack and have to clear their names while being chased by the government and fighting COBRA.
  • Pillow Pregnancy: When the Bavarian Fire Drill doesn't work to get Duke out of jail, Scarlett manages to infiltrate the place by posing as a trailer trash babymama whose lover is doing time. When she finally gets to Duke, he takes a look at her and goes, "How long was I inside?"
  • Powered Armor: Again, courtesy of M.A.R.S. Industries. May cause fits of Unstoppable Rage. Cobra Commander uses his own custom exo-armor suit in the finale when he gets off his throne to fight the Joes after they invade his mansion.
  • Predatory Business: COBRA, as noted above.
  • Punny Name: The "M.A.S.S. Transit Device", get it?
    • In case you didn't get it, the M.A.S.S. Device returns in the two-part Grand Finale.
  • Race Lift: As in GI Joe The Rise Of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Resolute, Ripcord is black. Lady Jaye is also reinterpreted as being of hispanic descent, despite keeping her original WASP-y surname of Hart-Burnett.
  • Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Despite being exemplary soldiers Roadblock and Tunnel Rat have a spotty record, Tunnel Rat for trespassing in New York sewers and Roadblock for unspecified juvenile delinquency. Besides that, Scarlett's obsession with COBRA before the incident didn't make her many friends in the counter-intel circle and Duke has a bit of a stubborn streak.
  • Reassigned to Antarctica: At the start of "Shipwrecked", two Cobra mooks are standing outside a very out of the way facility in the middle of a blizzard, asking how they got reassigned. By messing up the security detail at Baroness' home and some dam, respectively.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Usually, Scarlett is the calm blue, reigning in Duke's more aggressive red...unless Cobra is involved, in which case their roles completely and fully switch.
  • Refuge in Audacity + Lampshade Hanging: In "Homecoming", after the Joes are captured, Flint points out that their stories about COBRA still sound ridiculous and fantastical.
  • Remake Cameo:
    • Michael Bell (Duke) and B.J. Ward (Scarlett) from the original cartoon make a cameo as Duke's parents.
    • The Hard Master is played by Keone Young, the voice of Storm Shadow on the Sunbow cartoon.
  • Right Hand Versus Left Hand: Described by Duke after a failed raid on a industrial plant. They didn't get the information they were looking for but Duke noticed that there was infighting between the Bio-Vipers (Dr. Mindbender's work) and the Mech suits (Destro's work), meaning Cobra is not a unified organization.
  • Running Gag: The apple pies in episode 1.
    • Though it's on the minor side, Flint has more than once had his jeep compromised and has gone through at least 2 different ones. He's also had his cool beret blown off his head at least twice.
  • Sacrificial Lamb: Ripcord apparently dies in the first episode.
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: In his back-story, Duke rescued a soldier from a pressure-sensitive mine and injured himself in the process. He refused a commendation for bravery because it was his unit and he gave the all clear signal on mine sweeping. Even though his commanding officers already knew all of that, Duke refused it on principle.
  • Sdrawkcab Name: Dr. Monev is Dr. Venom spelled backwards.
  • Serial Prostheses: Major Bludd appears to be heading this way. He loses an eye the first time he runs into the Joes, and his arm the second time. Had the series continued, he'd practically be a robot down the line.
  • Series Continuity Error: The opening credits list Flint as a Warrant Officer on his "file card" (which he traditionally is in most continuities), but he's specifically a Lieutenant in the show (and it would be impossible for him to be one in this series to boot, Warrant Officers are prior senior enlisted).
  • She Is Not My Girlfriend: Flint joked that Duke is Lady Jaye's boyfriend because the two were involved in a mission once. She is quick to deny it and there really isn't anything going on between those two.
  • Ship Tease: Happens a lot with Snake Eyes and Scarlett and Duke and Scarlett.
  • Shout-Out:
    • As of the third episode, the theme narration is a direct reference to that of The A-Team.
    • In "Homecoming", Roadblock makes a hilariously bad attempt to fake out the Baroness when she calls the technicians the Joes have just knocked out. Tunnel Rat promptly shoots the console. Han Solo would be proud.
    • From "The Anomaly"
  • Somewhere, a Herpetologist Is Crying: Rattlesnakes will not slither into freezing cold puddles for the sole purpose of biting someone.
  • The Speechless: As always, Snake Eyes is silent. It is established in "Return of the Arashikage" that he can't talk because Storm Shadow slit his throat.
  • Spot the Impostor: Played straight when Roadblock and Duke prove to each other neither is Zartan by repeating Roadblock's childhood facts from earlier in the episode. Played with later when Zartan is impersonating Duke. When the Joes catch up to them and try a question only Duke would know the answer to, he can't remember and they both say "no idea." Snake Eyes can tell them apart by their different heartbeats, and kicks Zartan in the face.
  • Status Quo Is God: Zigzagged. By the show's very nature, the Joe's can't clear their name or else they're no longer "renegades", but in spite of that the show does allow for growth and change. This is best exemplified in episode 5 where the scanner they've fought for (that can exonerate them) is predictably destroyed at the last moment, but they unlock new features for their armored vehicle and give it a name,; both of these things carry over to the next episodes.
  • Tank Goodness: Destro unveils his HISS (High-Speed Sentry) tank in the final episode. It shoots plasma volleys while being totally invulnerable to any kind of plasma attack, and appears to be significantly faster and more maneuverable than any tank should be in real life.
  • Technicolor Fire: Firefly's incendiary bombs explode and burn blue at first, then turn orange.
  • That Came Out Wrong: The Sheriff in "Dreadnoks Rising" gets one when his crush compliments him and he replies by saying she should see him out of uniform. He realizes the implications of what he just said and attempts to explain that he didn't mean anything lecherous by his statement before telling her to forget it.
  • Token Good Cop: The episode 'Busted' gives us Christopher Lavigne (Law) as a heroic prison guard. The Joes have to free Duke from a corrupt prison. The prison is run by horrible guards who force their prisoners to fight each other. The only good guards are Christopher Lavigne and his dog Order, this continuity's version of Law & Order, lesser-known Joes. Christopher wants to fight back against the corruption of the other guards, however he has no power or evidence to overthrow the Captain. He does help Duke when the other Joes storm the prison to save him.
  • The Ace: Snake Eyes full tilt.
  • The Chessmaster: James McCullen tries to show off his skills in this department in "Enemy of my Enemy", playing the Joes and Cobra against each-other. Unfortunately for him, he severely underestimated who he's dealing with.
  • Training the Peaceful Villagers: The Joes train the denizens of a small town to deal with the Drednoks.
  • Two-Faced:
    • Scrap-Iron ends up having half of his face horribly scarred in "Rage".
    • In "The Anaconda Strain", Dr. Kurt Schnurr (also known as Airtight) gets infected with the titular virus. Before he is given the antidote, half of his face becomes reptilian.
  • The Unreveal: Snake Eyes gets captured by a biker gang, lead by Zartan, who likes to take a trinket from each person he harasses. He takes Snake Eyes visor and the only thing the audience knows is his eyes are uncovered, but otherwise hidden from view. Zartan and his gang are noticeably freaked out by something, enough that Zartan returns his visor. This is repeated again in another episode when a cult "hypnotizes" Snake Eyes.
  • Ultimate Universe: The series is a completely new continuity with several elements of and allusions to the original series here and there.
  • Unstoppable Rage: James McCullen uses some Applied Phlebotinum to try and deliberately invoke this trope. It works a bit too well.
  • Villain with Good Publicity: COBRA is a well respected producer of pharmaceuticals, technologies, military weaponry, and better-than-homemade apple pie.
  • The Virus: The Anaconda Strain from the episode of the same name, which would have been used by Cobra to make a lot of people suffer a horrible death.
  • Walking the Earth: Interesting for this trope they often cite which state they are in and often make use of real cities, with the continuity between each episode having them an appropriate distance from the previous location. They aren't crossing the United States between episodes and don't have an extremely vague setting for each adventure.
    • Later, Shipwreck allowed the team use of his boat, allowing the Renegades to have European adventures.
    • In "Prodigal", Roadblock says they've been on the run for almost six months. The episode first aired six months minus two weeks after the premiere.
  • Weaponized Car: See Cool Car.
  • We Help the Helpless: Duke more or less feels that this should be the team's approach to (eventually) clearing their names, unlike Scarlett's implied "not my problem" attitude.
  • Wham Episode: "Prodigal", where Ripcord turns out to be alive and well and now has Bio-Viper powers.
  • Wham Shot: At the end of the Grand Finale, Cobra Commander crawling out of the wreckage of his mansion — face burned — vowing "They want to start a war with Cobra? Then...Cobra will finish it."
  • Written-In Absence: In "The Anomaly", Snake Eyes and Scarlett are completely absent minus a cameo in a bad dream that Ripcord had, which is explained off that the two are on a mission of some sort. Then, in the next episode, "Cutting Edge", all the other Joes get the same treatment with Scarlett citing them being held up in the Bronx as the reason, which they were. What is interesting to note about this is that sans Ripcord who was allegedly dead, these two episodes are the only time any of the Joes ever miss an episode, and anyway, the latter episode focused more on Jinx and her subplot and Scarlett was out of commission in one way or the other throughout the majority of it.
  • You Can't Thwart Stage One: The Joes have found evidence to clear their names on more than one occasion, but Cobra successfully stop them every time. It's only at the end of the finale that they successfully bring the proof to the authorities.
  • You Don't Look Like You: Many of the prominent characters of the franchise look noticeably different from how they're usually depicted. For instance, Scarlett no longer wears a form-fitting body suit and Roadblock has sideburns.
  • You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With: Invoked by Adam DeCobray to James McCullen, moments before revealing his true identity as Cobra Commander to him.
  • You Have to Believe Me!: Played straight, then averted slightly. Flint doesn't even come close to believing Duke's claims about Cobra Pharmaceuticals at first, but after being on the receiving end of Baroness and having his life saved by Duke, he comes around slightly.
  • Your Princess Is in Another Castle!: Also overlaps with Disc-One Final Boss in the spirit of the Trope. In the episode "Anaconda Strain", all seems well when the Joes rescue Dr. Kurt and cures him of the titular virus. He and his daughter Elena get on a plane from Mexico to the US to hide out from Cobra and the two wave a teary but grateful goodbye to the Joes, Scarlett in particular, for bringing them back together. Except, of course, for the fact that there's still a good 5 minutes left in the episode, Mr. Peepers, a lab rat in similar circumstance to Dr. Kurt who was also thought cured seems to be regressing, and Scarlett finds out from data she procured from the lab that the rat and Dr. Kurt have now become carriers for the virus and the plane they are on and the other passengers within are in danger.
  • You Won't Feel a Thing!: Dr. Mindbender basically says this when he has Storm Shadow hooked up to a machine, hooked up to Tomax and Xamot, that will let him mentally control the Shadow Vipers. He's lying of course and Storm Shadow, Tomax, Xamot, and the six Vipers are all painfully electrocuted. Storm Shadow tries to garrote him after that stunt.

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