Top 10 Ways Snake Eyes is Different From the Rest of the GI Joe Franchise

When we first see Scarlett in “Snake Eyes”, she’s communicating with her allies while bad guys approach her. She takes a page out of Black Widow’s book and beats up enemies with her fists and a melee weapon while on the phone. Scarlett’s flawless fighting technique is one of the first hints this was a fresh take on the character. While she wasn’t afraid to jump into the battlefield in the original franchise, she often defeated opponents with intelligence instead of brawn. That version of Scarlett didn’t really get to branch out without her team and served as a love interest. The newer take on her character is completely independent and is a much more fearsome fighter. Maybe Scarlett should get an origin movie next.

The first two “G.I. Joe” films were full to the brim with over-the-top shootouts and explosive setpieces. “Snake Eyes” shakes up the usual formula by making most of the action scenes smaller. Although that might sound like a downgrade, the fights in the solo film are much more complex. The intricate choreography, talented stunt work and emphasis on melee weapons like swords make each clash tense, fun and absolutely unpredictable. It also helps that characters have to fight off small armies of goons several times. While you won’t find any crazy aerial battles in “Snake Eyes”, the smaller and complex action scenes will still keep you entertained.

If you’re walking around with a name as badass as Snake Eyes, you probably have a good reason for it. In the original franchise, Snake Eyes started going by that name after he met his teacher Hardmaster. But the solo film tells a more grim story. When Snake Eyes was young, his father was a member of G.I. Joe who was hunted and found by Cobra operatives. The villains said the poor Joe could live if he rolled a high number on a set of playing dice. But he rolled snake eyes and was assassinated while his son was nearby. After that fateful day, the warrior known as Snake Eyes wore the name as a constant reminder of his tragic past.

Throughout the franchise, these two warriors have a heated rivalry that stems from one bad incident. But before they were at each other’s throats, they were friends. The original franchise showed the two meeting when they were kids. In the “Snake Eyes” film, they don’t get to know each other until they’re adults. Storm Shadow, who was going by Tommy at the time, initially didn’t take Snake Eyes seriously. But the two become close after they fight off Yakuza members together. While Tommy is a skilled Arashikage warrior at this point in his life, Snake Eyes has a lot of catching up to do. Despite them meeting as adults, the history of the franchise repeats itself. After training together, their bonds of friendship are broken.

This iconic “G.I. Joe” femme fatale is infamous for stirring up trouble wherever she goes. Throughout “Snake Eyes”, the Baroness doesn’t seem to have any issues with assassinating enemies or causing mass devastation. But the original franchise painted a different picture of the villain. During “G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra”, it’s revealed that the Baroness was essentially brainwashed by her brother into becoming a villain. She eventually allies with the Joes to take her former Cobra bosses down. Although Baroness works with the Joes briefly in “Snake Eyes”, she hilariously abandons them when their mission gets too dangerous. The new Baroness clearly isn’t ready to be a heroine yet.

While Snake-Eyes is training with the Arishikage Clan, he meets Akiko. She’s shown to be an extremely skilled warrior who is completely loyal to her allies. Although Akiko was initially an outsider, she’s willing to fight her allies if it’s necessary to protect the Arashikage. Her constant suspicion of Snake Eyes creates a really interesting dynamic between the duo. Surprisingly, Akiko didn’t exist in the franchise before this point. Although Jinx played a similar role as an Arashikage ninja that was linked closely to Snake Eyes, he was the metnor in that relationship. Introducing Akiko as a badass ninja that shows Snake Eyes the ropes was a great move for the franchise.

Both the Joes and members of Cobra have access to technology that’s so advanced that it might as well be magic. Over the years, we’ve seen tiny robots alter people’s faces, combat armor turn fighters into literal supersoldiers and space weapons that can destroy cities. “Snake Eyes” is the only franchise film so far to feature advanced tech while fully embracing more magical elements. Not only does the movie feature an ancient item that can cause anyone to spontaneously combust, but it also has giant snakes that look like they were ripped out of “Harry Potter”. Adding mystical elements can help this franchise tell fresh stories. And it also means there’s a tiny chance we might see the Rock’s Roadblock character fight a giant animal.

How did a noble member of the Arashikage clan become a villain? During the first “G.I. Joe” movies, Storm Shadow was accused of slaying the clan’s Hard Master. He was seen as a villain for years until it was revealed that he was framed. In “Snake Eyes”, Storm Shadow begins the film as a man named Tommy who is in the running to lead his clan. But he breaks an important rule when he attempts to angrily destroy an enemy with fiery magic. Although Tommy devoted his life to the clan, he loses his birthright because of this one transgression and becomes Storm Shadow. While the warrior did commit the crime this time around, his descent into villainy is still tragic.

After Storm Shadow loses everything in “Snake Eyes”, he gets a visit from The Baroness. She offers to give him the power he would have had if he was still part of his clan. Storm Shadow accepts and begins the journey to join Cobra. He was manipulated into making that same choice in the original films. In “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”, it's revealed that Cobra operative Zartan was the one who cut down the Hard Master and framed a young Storm Shadow. Zartan then found the child and convinced him to join Cobra. This plan ended badly when Storm Shadow uncovered the truth and rebelled against the evil organization. Time will tell if Tommy will turn on Cobra after the events of “Snake Eyes”.

You could always count on Snake Eyes to do the right thing in the first two “G.I. Joe” films. But he’s much less noble in his solo outing. Snake Eyes is so obsessed with getting revenge on the man who assassinated his father that he betrays all of his allies to get his hands on the villain. Not only does he constantly lie to Storm Shadow’s face, but he steals a magical item from the Arashikage clan that Cobra intends to use for world domination. Fortunately, Snake Eyes sees the error of his ways and stops the villains from winning. But this version of the character still has a long way to go before he lives up to his reputation as a noble warrior.