Updated October 25, 2018, to include information from Volume 3 of the comics.
Because Voltron Legendary Defender is serialized, it’s interesting to try to figure out when different works of tie-in fiction take place. As of this writing, there have been three works of tie-in fiction that aren’t short story adaptations of episodes of the show:
- Voltron Legendary Defender Volume 1 – A five-issue comic book mini-series by Lion Forge Comics, published between July and November 2016
- Voltron Legendary Defender Volume 2: Pilgrimage – A five-issue comic book mini-series by Lion Forge Comics, published between October and December 2017
- Voltron Legendary Defender Volume 3 – A five-issue comic book mini-series by Lion Forge Comics, published between July and November 2018
- DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles – A virtual reality experience by Digital Domain, released on September 26, 2017
Let’s look at each of these and try to figure out when its story takes place relative to episodes of the Voltron Legendary Defender TV series.
Voltron Legendary Defender Volume 1
Issue 1 establishes that Princess Allura is resting from her having saved the life of the Balmera. This places all of Volume 1 between the first-season episodes “Rebirth” and “Crystal Venom.”
Voltron Legendary Defender Volume 2: Pilgrimage
Issue 1 states that “the Paladins of Voltron have just learned of the existence of ‘The Blade of Marmora.'” The Paladins learn of the Blade of Marmora in the second-season episode “Shiro’s Escape,” so all of Volume 2 occurs between “Shiro’s Escape” and “Greening the Cube.”
Voltron Legendary Defender Volume 3
Each issue’s credits page states that “this series’ story takes place in the Voltron universe between seasons 4 & 5.”
DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles
This story focuses on Lance, who is still Paladin of Blue Lion. The Paladins form Voltron without effort, Lance is already familiar with Blue Lion’s Sonic Cannon, the teludav of the Castle of Lions is operational, and Shiro is still Paladin of Black Lion. This places the story sometime after “The Depths,” when Lance discovers the Sonic Cannon, and before “Blackout,” when Shiro vanishes. The story features Commander Morvok, who was first seen in “The Ark of Taujeer,” but there is no solid evidence to indicate whether “The Ark of Taujeer” takes place before or after DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles.
We know it can’t take place between…
- “The Depths” and “Shiro’s Escape” – Because Shiro spends the entire time in recovery from the injuries that he suffered during “Across the Universe” (which occurred mostly in parallel with “The Depths”)
- “Greening the Cube” and “Eye of the Storm” – Because “Eye of the Storm” picks up right after “Greening the Cube” ends
- “Eye of the Storm” and “The Ark of Taujeer” – Because the teludav of the Castle of Lions doesn’t have enough teludav lenses to operate
- “The Ark of Taujeer” and “Space Mall” – Because the teludav of the Castle of Lions still needs scaultrite lenses
- “Space Mall” and “The Blade of Marmora” – Because at the end of “Space Mall,” the Castle sets course for the headquarters of The Blade of Marmora, and in “The Blade of Marmora,” the Castle arrives.
- “The Blade of Marmora” and “The Belly of the Weblum” – Because at the end of “The Blade of Marmora,” Kolivan boards the Castle and says that the Blades and the Paladins must make immediate plans to stop Zarkon, and when “The Belly of the Weblum” starts, the plan has already been devised.
- “The Belly of the Weblum” and “Escape from Beta Traz” – Because the episodes occur in parallel
- “Escape from Beta Traz” and “Stayin’ Alive” – Because the episodes occur mostly in parallel, and the Paladins and the Castle of Lions, separated as of the end of “Escape from Beta Traz,” reunite during “Stayin’ Alive”
- “Stayin’ Alive” and “Best Laid Plans” – Because “Stayin’ Alive” ends with the Castle and Paladins on Olkarion, and the Paladins discussing the upcoming execution of their battle plan against Zarkon, and “Best Laid Plans” begins on Olkarion with the Castle and Paladins still on Olkarion, preparing to execute their battle plan against Zarkon
- “Best Laid Plans” and “Blackout” – Because “Blackout” begins immediately after “Best Laid Plans”
By process of elimination, DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles can take place only between “Shiro’s Escape” and “Greening the Cube.” This means that, chronologically, Morvok’s appearance in DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles predates his appearance in “The Ark of Taujeer.”
DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles and Voltron Legendary Defender Volume 2: Pilgrimage both take place during the gap between “Shiro’s Escape” and “Greening the Cube.” Since Voltron Legendary Defender Volume 2: Pilgrimage, Issue #1, states that “the Paladins of Voltron have just learned of the existence of ‘The Blade of Marmora,'” it’s reasonable to assume that Voltron Legendary Defender Volume 2: Pilgrimage takes place just after “Shiro’s Escape,” and before DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles.
With more tie-in fiction being published in the coming months, such as some Simon Spotlight short stories, it will be interesting to try to figure out when they take place. For now, we’re out of time.