X Review: Kamakura

Kamakura has had 5 previous incarnations, and was released in 2003 carded in a two-pack with Night Creeper in the G.I. Joe vs Cobra line. He was carded in two-packs till 2005 when he was released with the Ninja Lightning motorcycle, and then singly with ROC and now Retaliation.

From the classic filecard:

File Name: Classified
SN: Classified
Grade: E-5
Primary Specialty: Infantry
Secondary Specialty: Intelligence

Trained by Snake Eyes in over twelve forms of hand-to-hand combat, Kamakura is as versatile with a katana(sword) or kusari-gama(chain and sickle) as he is with a standard issue M4 assault rifle. No one is quite sure how the young ninja convinced Snake Eyes to take him under his tutelage, but Kamakura bears the same Arashikage ninja clan tattoo as both Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. Perhaps Snake Eyes felt it was his responsibility to pass on the clan’s traditions, since its only other living Arashikage master has joined Cobra forces. While he’s one of the most skilled fighters on the G.I. Joe team, Kamakura hasn’t yet reached the level of his master, and Snake Eyes isn’t afraid to knock him down in hard randori(sparring) if he forgets. Kamakura is, however, a little more personable to have around. He tends to lurk in the background and prefers to tackle his assignments as quickly and quietly as possible.

Motto: “We don’t know how KAMAKURA talked SNAKE EYES into teaching him all those moves, but I do know the hardest part of his training wasn’t the bruises and bumps. It was his six month vow of silence.”