[TAO's Note: Step inside to the crazier side of GI Joe with this zany Sigma 6 figure from Hasbro. Clark takes us back a few years with a look at Dark Ninja Master, one of the weirder GI Joe characters of all time. Read on to see whether or not he's a good figure despite his "differences".]
Name: Dark Ninja Master
Line: G.I. Joe Sigma 6
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: Summer 2007
Scale: 8 in. (figure is 9.25 in. tall)
Price: Online $19.99-$39.99
The Dark Ninja Master has a surprisingly detailed sculpt, and it fits in great with the animated look that Sigma 6 was striving for. He has leather-looking straps around his upper arms, wrists and hands and lower legs. He also has armor sculpted to his shins, and they are well detailed with rivots and decorative knee guards. His head looks like it is wrapped in old tattered rags that give him a mummy vibe. All of his muscles have deep cuts to make him look ripped. I like his exaggerated proportions, with his huge shoulders and tiny waist. You also have to appreciate that crazy hairdo, if that doesn’t scream “don’t mess with me” then I don’t know what does.
Sculpt Score: 8 / 10
The paint is what really makes this figure look great. He is a freaky looking pale guy with red tattoos all over his body. The brown used for the straps on his body and face have a great matte finish which gives the impression of leather, and he has creepy dead eyes looking from behind his bandages. His skin is a great, ghostly white, and it is all painted on. His body and arms are actually cast in red translucent plastic, all that white you see is paint, and it is very well applied. The white is nice and thick and the translucent red makes it seem that his tattoos glow when the light hits them just right, but the light does not bleed through the paint easily. Overall this is just an impressive looking figure as far as the paint goes, just check out that Arashikaga tattoo on his back!
Paint Score: 8 / 10
Dark Ninja Master has Hasbro joints everywhere. His shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles are all swivel hinge joints. He also has a ball joint neck, ab crunch, swivel waist, and his right hand has the kung-fu grip feature which was brought back in the last waves of Sigma 6, and accomplished with a spring loaded hinge joint. The battle grip worked really well for several figures, but not so much here. His hand is just too big to look like it is gripping properly, and the hinge is place near the base of his thumb, instead of the knuckles of his fingers, so it just not the way the hand would close. All of his joints have a good range of motion, and the elbows and knees can bend a full 90 degrees. He may have benefited from some double-jointed elbows or knees, but it would have made his sculpt look horrible. Hasbro made a few figures (mostly Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow variants) with double-jointed knees and elbows, but they really broke up the look of the sculpt, and I prefer losing that articulation if it makes the figure look better overall. I also want to point out that the pegs from his hips go into his pelvis parallel to the ground. This means that he can kick straight out in front of him. Hasbro has gone back to this hip style for some of the Marvel Legends and Star Wars figures, but they have the post going up into the torso at an angle. I don’t know why they changed it, but they need to go back to the Sigma 6 hip.
Articulation Score: 8 / 10
This Demon Ninja is loaded with throwing knives, shurikens, swords, cleavers, and many other sharp objects with which to eviscerate his foes. His weapons are just as exaggerated as he, just look at the size of that main sword, it is as long as he is tall! He also comes with two battle masks, maybe because he can’t show expressions with those dead eyes and head wrappings, with his masks we now know when he is angry, and when he is psychotic! He may not fit into your G.I. Joe mythos, but nevertheless the Dark Ninja Master is one fun toy.
Fun Score: 10 / 10
When he was in stores you could get this figure for fifteen dollars. At $14.99 you got yourself a very large, well-painted and articulated figure that was loaded with accessories. Unfortunately it looks like you can’t find him for less than about $30 online, so if you want one you may just have to exhibit a lot of patience to see if you can get one cheaper. He wasn’t easy to find when he was at retail. I only saw him (or any other figures from his wave) ony once at a Walmart, and I’m glad I went ahead and picked him up, because they had one of each figure from his wave and when I went back the next day to get a Destro they were all gone.
Value Score: 7 / 10
8 / 10 - Good sculpt that exhibits the animated style very well.
8 / 10 - Impressive paint, mostly because his painted skin that forms his tattoos.
8 / 10 - Standard articulation for Sigma 6, and all the joints are tight so he can hold a pose.
10 / 10 - Incredibly fun figure, crazy look and great accessories.
7 / 10 - At $14.99 he was no great bargain, I wouldn’t pay much more than that for him.
82 / 100 - This is a Great Toy
The Dark Ninja Master truly is a great toy, but not necessarily a great G.I. Joe. I guess if the Sigma 6 cartoon had lasted longer it would have gone down some weird ghostly ninja route. In my opinion the show was bad enough as it was, although I loved the figures I had a hard time watching a full episode. The Dark Ninja Master is just a ridiculous figure, but in a good way. If you were lucky enough to get one, then you picked up a darn fine toy, if you missed out one him, then don’t feel too bad because he may be too zany to fit into your G.I. Joe world.
-Clark
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