Action Soldier (1966, 1970 & 1983)

action-soldier-jim-lone — Featured image credit: Jim Lone

1966 Key Features

The first Action Man Action Soldier was based on the 1964 G.I. Joe for the US market. As you may know, Palitoy’s Action Man figures are licensed copies of Hasbro’s G.I. Joe for the European market. When released, the 1966 Basic Soldier was a great success.

Accessories could be added to this basic soldier figure. The original release box art was a mistaken artist’s impression and was later corrected.

1970 Key Features

In 1970, the Action Man Action Soldier figure was replaced with a new range that featured realistic blonde or brown flock hair and a British-themed uniform. This shifted the action figure away from the US G.I. Joe’s look and catered to boys in the UK.

Similar to the range in 1966, equipment cards could be used to further customize the Action Soldier. In 1973, the Action Soldier naming convention was discontinued and renamed Soldier.

1983 Key Features

This Action Soldier was the last iteration of Action Man Soldier before it was retired in 1984. This latest figure had all the improvements from earlier years, including realistic hair, movable eyes (Eagle Eyes), and hands that could grip. For collectors, take note that the last produced versions featured noticeably bluer eyes.

Action Man Action Soldier Through The Years

1966 to 1969	1970 to 1973	1983 to 1984
Shirt	Jacket	Nylon jumper with epaulettes
Trousers	Trousers	Camouflage trousers with 1 pocket
Tall brown boots	Short boots	Short boots
Green cap	Blue beret	Black beret with badge
Metal dog tag	Submachine gun with a clip	Green scarf
Star card	Plastic dog tag (grey or silver)	Green belt
Army training manual	Star card	Black boots
Equipment manual	Equipment manual	SLR rifle with plastic strap
		Star card
		Instruction manual
		Equipment poster