When I was seven years old, I watched Transformers and G.I. Joe on the same Saturday morning television block. They aired back to back, which meant that for approximately two hours every Saturday I was in a state of complete, uncomplicated joy. Autobots and Decepticons. Joes and Cobras. Giant robots and elite soldiers. Two universes that occupied the same television, the same toy aisle, the same corner of my imagination.
I spent a significant portion of my childhood making them interact anyway. My Optimus Prime and my Sgt. Slaughter figure had many adventures together on the living room carpet that were not sanctioned by either franchise. I was, in retrospect, ahead of my time.
The Transformers x G.I. Joe Kup Triple T Tank collaborative set is the official version of what seven-year-old me was doing on the living room carpet. I ordered it within minutes of finding it and I have no regrets whatsoever.
The Crossover I Didn't Know I Needed
Collaborative sets between franchises are common enough now, but a Transformers x G.I. Joe crossover is a specific kind of nostalgia that hits differently for anyone who grew up with both. These weren't just two cartoons that happened to be popular at the same time — they were part of the same cultural moment, the same Saturday morning ritual, the same toy aisle ecosystem. They belonged together in a way that felt obvious to every child who watched them and that took the official franchise holders thirty years to acknowledge.
The specific pairing of Kup and the Triple T tank is a choice that rewards knowledge of both franchises. Kup is one of the Autobots' most experienced soldiers — a veteran, a storyteller, the kind of character who's seen everything and has an anecdote about all of it. The Triple T is one of G.I. Joe's most iconic vehicles. Putting them together makes a kind of narrative sense that a more random pairing wouldn't have. Someone who knows both franchises made this decision, and it shows.
What's in the Box
The set includes a 9-inch Autobot Kup figure that converts into the Triple T tank in 34 steps, 3¾-inch articulated action figures of Sgt. Slaughter and Leatherneck, and 9 detailed accessories for action posing. The scale difference between the Transformer and the G.I. Joe figures is accurate to both franchises — Transformers are enormous, Joes are human-sized, and the set doesn't pretend otherwise. Kup in tank mode is the right size for the Joe figures to interact with, which is a detail that matters to anyone who spent their childhood thinking about these things.
The 34-step transformation is genuinely satisfying. It's not a simple flip-and-click — it's a proper transformation sequence that requires attention and rewards patience. I did it twice on the first evening, once to learn it and once to do it properly. The instructions are clear and the engineering is solid. Kup holds his tank configuration securely and his robot configuration with the kind of posability that the original 1980s toys never quite achieved.
Sgt. Slaughter and Leatherneck
The G.I. Joe figures are 3¾-inch scale, which is the classic G.I. Joe format — the size that defined the line in the 1980s and that feels immediately right in the hand. Sgt. Slaughter is rendered with the kind of accuracy that makes him immediately recognisable: the drill sergeant bearing, the characteristic look, the presence of a character who was genuinely larger than life even in animated form. Leatherneck is a solid addition — a Marine character who fits the military aesthetic of the set perfectly.
The articulation on both figures is significantly better than the original 1980s toys, which is the right approach for a modern collector set. They can be posed properly, which means the display possibilities are considerably more interesting than a static figure would allow.
Where They Live Now
Kup in robot mode is on my shelf, flanked by the two Joe figures. The tank mode is what I display when I want to show people the transformation — which I have done several times, because the 34-step transformation is genuinely impressive and people who don't know Transformers are always more interested than they expect to be.
My brother, who watched the same Saturday morning block with me thirty years ago, came over last weekend and stood in front of the shelf for a long time without saying anything. Then he said "that's exactly what we used to do on the carpet." I told him I knew. He asked where I'd found it. I sent him the link.
My Verdict
If you grew up with both Transformers and G.I. Joe, this set is for you. If you grew up with one and not the other, this set will make you want to revisit the one you missed. The Transformers x G.I. Joe Kup Triple T Tank collaborative set is a beautifully realised crossover that honours both franchises and delivers on thirty years of imagined collaboration.
Find it in our Toys collection and our wider Toys & Games collection. Yo Joe. Roll out.
— Jamie Sutherland
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