ICYMI – The reviews are in! Both Bobby Bee of @beesbattlegrounds and Adam of @sharkys_pix fame have secured their copies of the G.I.Joe Classified Series Professor Rottclaw & Cobra Deinonychus and have posted reviews on their respective YouTube channels. Both are outlined below and linked in my profile linktree.
What are their thoughts on this new duo? Scroll through below to check out both reviews along with photography shared by both reviewers, capped off with official product photography and details from Hasbro, along with my final thoughts, of course! Here’s the scoop:
Bee’s Battlegrounds
A look at the GIJoe Classified Professor Rottclaw and Cobra Deinonychus figure and pet set as well as some comparisons to other animal companions from previous releases and the original Dino Hunter Low Light
Here’s an early look at the G.I. Joe Classified Professor Rottclaw & Cobra Deinonychus set.
Hope you enjoy the review and if so, feel free to hit the like or HYPE buttons. Not subscribed to the channel? Well you know how to fix that.
You can also find me on insta at sharkys_pix id you’d like to see photos of the set and the rest of my collection.
Thanks for watching and stay tuned for more GI Joe toy goodness hitting the channel soon 😉
Below is official product photography and details for the G.I. Joe Classified Series #196, Professor Rottclaw & Cobra Deinonychus – asking price of $51.99:
G.I. Joe Classified Series #196, Professor Rottclaw & Cobra Deinonychus
Code Name: PROFESSOR ROTTCLAW
File Name: Killgore, Crispin
Primary Specialty: Paleontology; Genetic Engineering
Secondary Specialty: Paleo-Viper Pack Leader
Birthplace: Johannesburg, South Africa
Crispin Killgore grew up a child of privilege, his family’s vast wealth granting him every luxury imaginable, but no money could provide this young boy’s greatest wish – a real-life dinosaur of his very own. His obsession with all things prehistoric drove him to studies combining cutting edge genetic research with paleontology. As his methods began pushing ethical boundaries, he sought out Cobra and Dr. Mindbender as the only organization with the adequate facilities and capital to realize his experiments – reviving a Deinonychus from extinction. Professor Rottclaw now serves as pack leader of Cobra’s Paleo-Viper forces pairing the troopers with his creations which they attempt to wrangle and direct against the enemies of Cobra with mixed results.
“Professor Rottclaw has no real allegiance to or belief in the ideals of Cobra. He’d serve anyone who helps him play with his ‘toys’.”
- Introducing an all-new character and design! adding the Paleo-Viper Pack Leader and a fully-articulated, realistic Dinosaur to the ranks of Cobra and into G.I. Joe lore. Buy multiple and pose the figure with the alternate Paleo-Viper helmet head to troop-build your Cobra Dinosaur Legions!
- This Professor Rottclaw figure comes with 3 accessory pieces including whip, Paleo-Viper helmet alternate head, and weapon accessory. Cobra Deinonychus comes with skull and jaw armor, bridle, and unassembled tail.
- Cobra Deinonychus is a pet companion figure with 20 points of articulation: poseable arms, legs, tail, and claws; movable shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, ankle, and knee joints; articulated head, neck and jaw; and comes with skull armor and bridle accessories to customize your dino pack.
- #196 in the Classified Series sequence. The window-box display showcases the figure along with accessory loadout, figure-specific File Card Icons, gorgeous original character artwork, and dynamic digital renders.
- Wherever there’s trouble, G.I. Joe is there. G.I. Joe is a highly skilled special operations force of men and women from around the globe tasked with defending the world from Cobra, a ruthless criminal organization bent on total domination.
- The G.I. Joe Classified Series evolves the retro G.I. Joe toys fans know and love into a highly articulated 6-inch (15 cm) scale with exceptional deco and articulation for cool poseability to create dazzling dioramas (some poses may require additional support).
As with the Dino Hunters back in the 90s, there seems to be very little “middle ground” when it comes to this release – Either fans love it, or they hate it.
I personally think it’s awesome. A Raptor is something that Cobra would most definitely have in their beast lineup. Add a cool new character and we’re in business! Now, let me be upfront: I don’t have this one in hand yet. It’s slated for a July 2026 release, and pre-orders only just opened up in March. But I’ve pored over the official images, consumed both reviews above, dug through the product details, and soaked up everything the Joe community has been saying since the Toy Fair 2026 reveal and honestly? This set has me fired up in a very nostalgic way, as it gives me big “Dino Hunters” vibes.
When Hasbro teased that dinosaurs were coming to the Classified Series, I think a lot of us collectively lost our minds a little. Cobra Dinosaurs was something Joe fans were not expecting to see in 2026, and the reveal landed with serious impact. The backstory they cooked up for the character is genuinely compelling: Crispin Killgore grew up a child of privilege obsessed with all things prehistoric, and as his methods began pushing ethical boundaries, he sought out Cobra and Dr. Mindbender as the only organization with the adequate facilities and capital to realize his experiments, reviving a Deinonychus from extinction. That’s wild, pulpy G.I. Joe lore at its finest, and it fits perfectly into the Classified universe.
From the images, Rottclaw looks like a genuinely fresh design. He’s not just a repainted Viper (for the most part), this feels like a character Hasbro put real thought into. Professor Rottclaw serves as Pack Leader of Cobra’s Paleo-Viper troopers, training them to handle the genetically-engineered Cobra Deinonychus raptor packs. His accessories match the character concept well: Professor Rottclaw includes a whip, a Paleo-Viper helmet alternate head, and a weapon accessory. The whip is a perfect touch for a dinosaur wrangler (from Croc Master, no?) and gives off very “mad scientist meets velociraptor cowboy” energy.
The alternate Paleo-Viper helmeted head is a smart money gr…er…move by Hasbro and one of the more collector-friendly decisions on this release. Buy multiple and pose the figure with the alternate Paleo-Viper helmet head to troop-build your Cobra Dinosaur Legions. The troop-building angle is always appreciated, and it gives army-builders a reason to grab more than one without it feeling completely like cheap cash grab.
Now, as far as his dino pal goes, let’s be honest: the raptor is the highlight of the set, especially with the focus on dinos across the collecting community. Cobra Deinonychus is a pet companion figure with 20 points of articulation: poseable arms, legs, tail, and claws; movable shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, ankle, and knee joints; articulated head, neck, and jaw and comes with skull armor and bridle accessories to customize your dino pack. JFC. Twenty points of articulation on a companion dino figure is legitimately impressive and should allow for some spectacular poses. The skull and jaw armor give it a real sense of menace, like something that escaped a Cobra bio-weapons lab, which, of course, it did.
Early community reactions (see above) back this up. When Joe collectors are already saying they could see themselves grabbing three of these for a diorama spread, that’s a strong signal.
This is a pre-order I placed without much hesitation, and I suspect a lot of Joe fans feel the same way. It’s a wholly original character with a strong backstory, a raptor with serious articulation chops, and troop-building potential baked right in. Hopefully more Cobra dinos will come to life with this new Paleo-Viper Unit because if this set sells well, the door is wide open for an entire prehistoric Cobra menagerie. GIVE ME A DINO HUNTERS VAMP, LOW LIGHT AND AMBUSH, PLEASE.
Verdict (Pre-Release): 🦖 Strong Pre-Order | 4.5/5 (pending in-hand confirmation)
Note: My faux review is based on official product images, retailer listings, and community reactions. A full in-hand review will follow upon release.
Alright friends, you know the drill, sound off: Did you add the Professor to your Classified preorders?
Thanks as always go to Adam & Bobby for their reviews! Make sure to give @beesbattlegrounds and @sharkys_pix a follow if you aren’t already!
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