# G.I. Joe: Resolute
**G.I. Joe: Resolute** is a 2009 American animated micro-series based on the [G.I. Joe](https://www.edgepedia.org/g-i-joe) toy and media franchise, produced by Hasbro as 60 minutes of content presented as ten 5-minute webisodes and one 10-minute finale, and aimed at adult fans of the brand rather than children.[1](https://generalsjoesreborn.com/2009/04/hasbro-announces-gi-joe-resolute-april-17th-on-adultswimcom/) It was written by the comic writer [Warren Ellis](https://www.edgepedia.org/warren-ellis), directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, animated by Titmouse Studios, and developed with executive producer Sam Register.[2](https://animesuperhero.com/g-i-joe-resolute-to-premiere-on-adult-swim-on-april-25-2009-updated-04-17/) • [1](https://generalsjoesreborn.com/2009/04/hasbro-announces-gi-joe-resolute-april-17th-on-adultswimcom/) The series re-imagines the G.I. Joe versus [Cobra](https://www.edgepedia.org/cobra-g-i-joe) conflict in a darker, more violent, and more contemporary register than the 1980s cartoon, with real guns instead of lasers and permanent character deaths.[3](https://thatshelf.com/gi-joe-resolute-soon-available-in-canada/) • [4](https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/reviews/60691-g-i-joe-resolute)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | 60 minutes of content in 11 episodes: ten 5-minute installments and one 10-minute finale[1](https://generalsjoesreborn.com/2009/04/hasbro-announces-gi-joe-resolute-april-17th-on-adultswimcom/) |
| Premiere | First episode posted on AdultSwim.com on April 17, 2009; broadcast finale on Adult Swim on April 25, 2009 at midnight[1](https://generalsjoesreborn.com/2009/04/hasbro-announces-gi-joe-resolute-april-17th-on-adultswimcom/) |
| Creative team | Written by Warren Ellis; directed by Joaquim Dos Santos; animated by Titmouse Studios; executive producer Sam Register[2](https://animesuperhero.com/g-i-joe-resolute-to-premiere-on-adult-swim-on-april-25-2009-updated-04-17/) |
| Rating | TV-14; the DVD carries a 58-minute running time in widescreen 1.85:1[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/reviews/60691-g-i-joe-resolute) |
| Voice cast | Steve Blum as Duke, Grey DeLisle as Scarlett, Charlie Adler as Cobra Commander, and Eric Bauza as Cobra Soldiers; four actors voiced the entire film[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/reviews/60691-g-i-joe-resolute) |
| Home video | DVD released November 3, 2009[5](https://www.bullmoose.com/p/1729528/g-i-joe-resolute-g-i-joe-resolute-nr) |
| Audience score | 7.5/10 on IMDb[6](https://screenwiseapp.com/media/g-i-joe-resolute-show) |
## Spoilers
### Story and style
The premise keeps the franchise's core conflict: G.I. Joe, a classified special operations unit, fights a secret war against Cobra, and in Resolute the battle "has never been more intense," with the official description stressing that "even the good guys can die."[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/reviews/60691-g-i-joe-resolute) The story runs in three main parts: Snake Eyes facing off against [Storm Shadow](https://www.edgepedia.org/storm-shadow), Duke and Scarlett raiding a Cobra base in Russia, and the remaining Joes raiding another base in North America.[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/reviews/60691-g-i-joe-resolute)
The series departs from the 1980s cartoon in tone and mechanics. Characters fire real guns with real bullets rather than red and blue lasers, blood is shown when Snake Eyes cuts someone down with his sword, and the film kills off two major characters, one from each side, within the first four minutes to establish that any character is expendable.[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/reviews/60691-g-i-joe-resolute) Parent-oriented coverage describes the violence as explicit and lethal, including an orbital particle cannon used against Moscow, and rates the show as appropriate for older teens and adults rather than children.[6](https://screenwiseapp.com/media/g-i-joe-resolute-show) The animation adopts an anime-influenced look with dramatic camera angles, painted backgrounds, and fast-paced action, and the Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow duel is repeatedly singled out as a highlight.[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/reviews/60691-g-i-joe-resolute) • [6](https://screenwiseapp.com/media/g-i-joe-resolute-show)
## Production and intent
Hasbro announced the series in November 2008 as a PG-13 animated micro-series for the first quarter of 2009, with Ellis and Dos Santos at the helm and the production house Titmouse, known for *Metalocalypse*, behind the animation.[7](https://www.toyark.com/2008/11/21/g-i-joe-resolute-2009-animated-web-series-261) The company positioned it explicitly for "the adult fan that grew up with the brand in the 80's," and Michael Verrecchia, Director of G.I. Joe Entertainment Marketing, described [Adult Swim](https://www.edgepedia.org/adult-swim) as the broadcast platform suited to its "more sophisticated animation style and story than prior animation."[1](https://generalsjoesreborn.com/2009/04/hasbro-announces-gi-joe-resolute-april-17th-on-adultswimcom/) Sample clips received standing ovations at both the G.I. Joe Convention (JoeCon) and [San Diego Comic-Con](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-diego-comic-con) in 2008.[1](https://generalsjoesreborn.com/2009/04/hasbro-announces-gi-joe-resolute-april-17th-on-adultswimcom/)
Ellis was a deliberate outsider choice. He told a Hasbro representative that he had "never even seen a G.I. Joe [and] couldn't tell you what they look like," to which the representative answered, "Excellent, [you're] just the guy we need."[3](https://thatshelf.com/gi-joe-resolute-soon-available-in-canada/) The series was also timed to draw attention to the live-action film *G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra*, which reached theaters in August 2009.[3](https://thatshelf.com/gi-joe-resolute-soon-available-in-canada/)
## Release
The rollout was online-first. Beginning April 17, 2009, fans could watch the first five minutes on AdultSwim.com, with subsequent installments posted on the website leading up to a full presentation of the series.[1](https://generalsjoesreborn.com/2009/04/hasbro-announces-gi-joe-resolute-april-17th-on-adultswimcom/) The April 25 midnight broadcast on Adult Swim marked the first time viewers could see the final 10 minutes on television; afterward, all episodes including the finale were available online.[1](https://generalsjoesreborn.com/2009/04/hasbro-announces-gi-joe-resolute-april-17th-on-adultswimcom/) In Canada, the official premiere was on TeleToon on Friday, April 24, at 11:15 PM EST, since the online release was initially restricted to the United States.[3](https://thatshelf.com/gi-joe-resolute-soon-available-in-canada/)
A DVD followed on November 3, 2009, splicing the webisodes into a 58-minute film with [Dolby Digital](https://www.edgepedia.org/dolby-digital) 5.1 sound, Spanish and French subtitles, and bonus features including a short "Now You Know" teaser, an interview with the filmmakers answering fan questions, storyboards, and Joe Files character profiles.[5](https://www.bullmoose.com/p/1729528/g-i-joe-resolute-g-i-joe-resolute-nr) • [4](https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/reviews/60691-g-i-joe-resolute) The film has since circulated on streaming and free platforms, including Amazon Prime Video and Tubi, and on the official G.I. Joe YouTube channel.[8](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/gi-joe-resolute/SWMeH9HJqaEobuuStE1Ck2/showtimes/) • [9](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md5nNifdASw)
## Reception and merchandise
Contemporary reviews were favorable. ComingSoon.net called it "the G.I. Joe that fans have been waiting for," cooler than the original TV show while resembling the Joe universe more than the live-action film did, though it noted the film feels like short episodes spliced together rather than a continuous movie script.[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/reviews/60691-g-i-joe-resolute) The series holds a 7.5/10 on IMDb.[6](https://screenwiseapp.com/media/g-i-joe-resolute-show)
Hasbro supported the series with toys. A Resolute boxed 5-pack was released alongside a wave of 3 3/4-inch single-carded figures, and in a November 2009 question-and-answer session the company said new Resolute packs were planned for fall 2010, though still being finalized.[10](https://www.cooltoyreview.com/Hasbro_GIJoe-GIJoe_25th_ResoluteBox.asp) • [11](https://www.actionfigurepics.com/2009/11/afp-hasbro-g-i-joe-qa-for-9199)
## References
1. [Hasbro announces G.I. Joe Resolute! April 17th on AdultSwim.com, GeneralsJoes (official Hasbro press release reproduced)](https://generalsjoesreborn.com/2009/04/hasbro-announces-gi-joe-resolute-april-17th-on-adultswimcom/)
2. ["G.I. Joe: Resolute" to Premiere on Adult Swim on April 25, 2009, Anime Superhero News](https://animesuperhero.com/g-i-joe-resolute-to-premiere-on-adult-swim-on-april-25-2009-updated-04-17/)
3. [G.I. Joe: Resolute soon available in Canada, That Shelf](https://thatshelf.com/gi-joe-resolute-soon-available-in-canada/)
4. [G.I. Joe: Resolute DVD review, ComingSoon.net](https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/reviews/60691-g-i-joe-resolute)
5. [G.I. Joe: Resolute DVD listing, Bull Moose](https://www.bullmoose.com/p/1729528/g-i-joe-resolute-g-i-joe-resolute-nr)
6. [G.I. Joe: Resolute WISE Score & Parent Review, Screenwise](https://screenwiseapp.com/media/g-i-joe-resolute-show)
7. [G.I. Joe Resolute 2009 Animated Web Series, The Toyark](https://www.toyark.com/2008/11/21/g-i-joe-resolute-2009-animated-web-series-261)
8. [G.I. Joe: Resolute showtimes and streaming availability, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/gi-joe-resolute/SWMeH9HJqaEobuuStE1Ck2/showtimes/)
9. [GI Joe Resolute - History & Retrospective, Toy Kennections (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md5nNifdASw)
10. [Cool Toy Review: G.I. Joe Resolute Battle Pack](https://www.cooltoyreview.com/Hasbro_GIJoe-GIJoe_25th_ResoluteBox.asp)
11. [AFP Hasbro G.I. Joe Q&A, ActionFigurePics.com](https://www.actionfigurepics.com/2009/11/afp-hasbro-g-i-joe-qa-for-9199)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Early English-language web series (1997–mid 2010s)*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license