Commander Kala was created specifically for VOLTRON FORCE. Over the course of the program’s first and only season, she evolved from mysterious and evil to really, really creepy.
Ignoring the montage of images at the end of the teaser in “New School Defenders” (Episode 1), Kala is first “properly” seen and mentioned later in the episode. Coran tells Sky Marshall Wade that “our sources have intercepted increased chatter about this mysterious Commander Kala specifically mentioning Lotor.”
Kala is next seen in “Defenders of Arus” (Episode 2). A Drule explorer ship reports to Kala that it has reached the Haggarium Quasar. Kala commands the ship’s captain to launch a pod to collect a sample of Haggarium from the quasar. The quasar reacts violently, ultimately consuming the Drule ship and its crew. As the captain realizes that he has met his fate, Kala’s only words to him are that he has failed her.
Soon afterward, from the safety of her own ship, Kala tells Maahox that his “attempts to harness the power of the Haggarium Quasar seem futile. And have cost a good portion of the fleet.” She also reminds Maahox that, if this attempt were to fail, she would destroy him. Soon afterward, a pod containing Haggarium emerges from the Quasar.
Later in the episode, Kala witnesses Maahox’s use of the Haggarium sample to return the long-dead Drule king Lotor to life.
Maahox introduces himself and Kala to Lotor. He tells Lotor, “This is Commander Kala from the planet Darkor. What she lacks in personality, she makes up for in tactical brilliance. And blood lust.”
Maahox tells Lotor that, to celebrate Lotor’s “rebirthday,” Kala has sent a “neatly packaged gift” to Arus — a coffin containing a Robeast. The Voltron Lions defeat the Robeast, which upsets Lotor, but Kala reassures him: “That Robeast’s defeat was part of my plan. It was a relic from your days. A minor challenge to bring Voltron back into the open. We have something much more powerful in store.”
Maahox tells Lotor that nature provides “some of the best raw material for Robeasts.” And he and Kala present, in a glass orb, an alien spider.
Maahox then tells Lotor — and Kala — that spiders need “the brain capacity for reason – for strategy.” Maahox says they will “give this to our next generation of Haggarium-powered Robeasts.” Maahox then presses a button and encases Kala and the spider inside a clear containment cylinder.
Taken by surprise, Kala drops the orb, and it shatters. The Kala protests that “this wasn’t part of [her] plan.” As she screams and the spider attacks her leg, Maahox replies that “it was part of [his].”
Maahox pulls a lever, and the cylinder fills with Haggarium energy.
Kala and the spider dissipate into a cloud of energized particles. Maahox tells the energized particles, “Don’t fight it, dear Commander. I promise…you’ll love what I’ve done with you.”
In the next episode, “Defenders of the Universe” (Episode 3), Maahox reveals that in Lotor’s absence, Kala had trained soldiers for Lotor to command.
Soon afterward, Lotor’s fleet arrives at Arus. One of the Drule ships launches a coffin-shaped transport ship that lands in a canyon.
Detecting the arrival of a Robeast, and with Black Lion temporarily out of commission, the Voltron Force pilots the other four Lions to the canyon. Red Lion is soon caught in Haggarium webs, and the Voltron Force sees the new Robeast for the first time. It’s the alien spider, increased to a massive size, powered by Haggarium, and controlled by Kala’s mind. (Kala’s body was presumably destroyed when she was merged with the spider.)
Sky Marshall Wade, who had already been attacking Arus with his robotic army, notices that a Robeast has attacked the Voltron Lions, and he responds by launching his own Lion Robeast to destroy them all.
The Voltron Lions prove to be no match for either the Kala Robeast or Wade’s Lion Robeast. Fortunately for the Lions, the two Robeasts attack each other.
The Kala Robeast easily pierces the Lion Robeast’s armor in multiple places. As the Lion Robeast is damaged, Wade, who is controlling the monster from his office on Earth, using a mind-control device, is shocked with an energy overload.
The Kala Robeast cocoons itself and Wade’s Lion Robeast. The cocoon flares with Haggarium energy. As it does, Wade continues to feel the effects — perhaps more than in a physical sense.
A much larger Robeast emerges — Kala’s Robeast has merged with Wade’s Lion Robeast. Its feet now look like those of Wade’s Lion Robeast.
The combined Robeast traps the four Lions in its Haggarium webs. Fortunately Black Lion is soon brought back online. It frees the other Lions, and they form Voltron. Weakened by its proximity to Haggarium, Voltron becomes cocooned with the Robeast. It seems the Robeast will next merge with Voltron.
With an unexplained power boost from Vince, Voltron forms the Blazing Sword while inside the cocoon, and it destroys the Robeast.
Voltron wraps the remains of the Haggarium-filled Robeast in its own webs and throws it into space.
Unbeknownst to the Voltron Force, the Robeast begins to reassemble itself using Haggarium strands.
The Kala Robeast is not seen again until “I, Voltron” (Episode 21). On Earth, as the Galaxy Alliance council sentences Sky Marshall Wade — who was arrested in “Clash of the Lions” (Episode 13) — the Kala Robeast breaks into the courtroom, frees Wade, and flies into space. Wade acts as if he had foreknowledge of his own rescue.
The Voltron Force tracks the Robeast’s Haggarium trail to a cluster of seven moons between which are large Haggarium webs. By this time, Hunk has begun to refer to the Robeast as a “Lider” — half the original Spider Robeast, and half Wade’s Lion Robeast. Over time the rest of the team begins to use the term.
Daniel, whose mind is temporarily in Voltron, follows the trail to the moon cluster. Upon arrival, “Dan-tron” notices the energy-draining effects of Haggarium.
Daniel lands on the large, central moon, and the Kala Robeast, which has now also merged with Wade’s mind — and seemingly destroyed his body, as had presumably been done with Kala’s — emerges from a crater to greet Voltron. The Robeast’s legs are more heavily armored than before, which suggests that the Robeast has merged with spacecraft and upgraded itself further. The Robeast is now much larger than Voltron.
The Robeast, speaking with a blend of Wade and Kala’s voices, realizes that Daniel’s mind has merged with Voltron. The Robeast soon traps the weakened “Dan-tron” in a ball of Haggarium web.
The Voltron Force enters the ball of web and discovers that the Robeast has trapped Voltron, physically and mentally. Pidge comments, “This thing and Daniel and Voltron are in some kind of mental stasis. Their brains must be merging before their bodies follow suit.”
The team decides that Vince, with his special powers, should try to retrieve Daniel from the mental stasis, while the rest of the team tries to break Voltron from the Robeast’s physical grasp.
Vince dons the mind-link interface — the same physical device that had previously caused Daniel’s mind to enter Voltron — and he uses it and his Voltcom to interface with Voltron by plugging the fist of his Voltcom-wearing arm into a socket in Voltron’s chest.
Vince enters a “Voltron mindspace,” but the web-like patterns make it clear that the Robeast is also inside Voltron’s computer brain.
Vince sees an avatar of Wade, advancing toward an avatar of Daniel, who is “dressed” in a wireframe representation of Voltron. Wade, in a voice mixed with Kala’s, tells Daniel to “stop fighting us! Surrender Voltron or be destroyed!”
Vince knocks Wade away from Daniel, who is trapped in webs, but Kala appears behind Daniel.
Vince pleads with Daniel to wake up. Outside the mindspace, the rest of the Voltron Force notices that Voltron’s eyes have opened and are glowing with Haggarium energy.
In the mindspace, Daniel’s eyes also glow with energy. Vince asks Kala what she has done to him. Kala replies, in a voice mixed with Wade’s, “Planted the seed. Of chaos. Just as was done to me.” The dual voice continues, “When Kala’s Robeast merged with mine, so too did our minds. Mind control devices are a dangerous endeavor.”
The Kala avatar continues, “Of course, he resisted at first.”
Both avatars continue, with primarily Wade’s voice, “But, then I realized the strength I gained by merging with her. We have been able to hear each other’s thoughts and coordinate our future plans. For some time, our connection was beyond my ability to comprehend, but I had A LOT of time to think while I waited in jail.”
They continue as they merge into an avatar of the Robeast: “Our bond really grew there. Now we will merge with Voltron… and your friend. Which leaves very little use for you!”
Outside, the Voltron Force has nearly severed the Robeast’s connections — its claws — to Voltron. In the Voltron mindspace, the Robeast avatar deals what it intends to be a killing strike at Vince, but its claw passes through Vince’s chest. The Robeast avatar flickers. Outside, the Voltron Force finishes freeing Voltron from the Robeast’s grasp. In the Voltron mindspace, the Robeast’s avatar, and the Haggarium webs, flicker. Vince strikes at the Robeast avatar with his Voltcom “finger wires,” and the Robeast vanishes entirely from the Voltron mindspace.
Vince convinces Daniel to exit Voltron. They grasp hands, Daniel’s eyes flash, and his avatar’s “wireframe costume” disappears. Their avatars disappear from the Voltron mindspace, and outside, Vince withdraws his hand and finger wires from Voltron’s chest socket. Vince removes from his own head and holds the mind-control interface, which glows, as he says, “I got him.”
Keith and Lance tear a large hole in the side of the ball of Haggarium web that contains Voltron, and the Voltron Force tows Voltron out using a Galaxy Alliance fighter craft. The Robeast begins to stir. Hunk decides to buy the team time by setting Awesometron’s generator to overdrive and setting Awesometron on a collision course with the Robeast. The Robeast grasps Awesometron with its legs, planning to merge with it when it explodes, scattering debris of the Robeast and Awesometron.
The Robeast immediately begins to re-assemble itself, but the Voltron Force is able to tow Voltron back to Arus.
On Arus, Vince uses the mind-link interface and his Voltcom finger wires, to return Daniel’s mind back to his body. When Daniel awakens, he and Vince are surprised to discover that they can now read each other’s minds.
The Kala Robeast is seen next — and for the final time — in “Deceive and Conquer” (Episode 25). The Robeast arrives on Planet Doom. Kala seeks revenge against Maahox, who had originally turned her into the Robeast. Kala is dominant for most of what transpires.
When the Kala Robeast arrives on Doom, seeking revenge against Maahox, Daniel learns that the Haggarium infection that began in “I, Voltron” enables him to read the Robeast’s mind. He sees through “Kala’s” eyes as it approaches and attacks Maahox. The Robeast looks the same as it had when the Voltron Force had last encountered it. Kala tells Maahox, in a voice mixed with Wade’s, “You did this to me! You double-crossed me, turned me into a monstrosity.”
Kala’s first strikes miss Maahox and pierce the recently reconstructed Castle Doom. Lotor, now super-charged with Haggarium, tells Kala not to damage his castle. They begin to fight.
The Robeast then pauses, and its minds begin to quarrel. Kala wants only revenge against Maahox, whereas Wade wants to stop Lotor first, since he is their greatest immediate threat. In their confusion, the super-charged Lotor buries the Robeast beneath rock.
Back on Arus, Daniel experiences the Robeast’s pain. When it subsides, he tells Vince and Larmina, “That thing that infected me… the Lider. If I’m gonna be cured, I think we have to destroy it.” He persuades his friends to agree to convince the rest of the Voltron Force that they need to stop the Kala Robeast, while not revealing that Daniel’s has the Haggarium infection.
Back on Doom, the fight between the Robeast and Lotor continues. Before Lotor can bury the Robeast entirely, the Robeast shoots a glob of webbing that covers Lotor’s upper body. The Robeast pulls Lotor into its mandibles and envelops Lotor in a cocoon that glows with Lotor’s super-charged Haggarium energy.
Maahox compliments the Robeast: “Bravo! Wonderful! Breathtaking, even. Taking down a Haggarium-powered foe and absorbing his essence into your own? Commander Kala – and, I presume, Sky Marshal Wade – you have turned Lotor’s destruction into an art!”
As soon as the cocoon has completely covered Lotor, it glows with Haggarium energy. The Robeast “eats” the cocoon, while replying, “I don’t see what you’re smiling about, Maahox. I’m coming for you.”
Maahox replies, amused, “I know, I know. And you seem so excited about it, I almost hate to even point this out. But I believe something you ate is disagreeing with you.”
The Robeast glows purple, its abdomen begins to swell, and purple energy radiates from its abdomen. The Robeast screams in three voices — Kala’s, Wade’s, and Lotor’s. Back at the Castle of Lions, Daniel senses that the Robeast is merging with Lotor. He and Vince convince the rest of the Voltron Force to go to Planet Doom to investigate and stop a surge of Haggarium.
On Planet Doom, the Voltron Force discovers that the Robeast — the “Lider” — has merged with Lotor and evolved into a new form. It now resembles a biped with six additional, spider leg-like appendages, and its former Lider head now resembles a helmet atop a gigantic version of Lotor’s face.
VINCE
Kala…Wade…and Lotor?
HUNK
“Lotolider?”
LANCE
Not the time, Hunk.
When the Robeast speaks, Lotor’s is the only audible voice. It prepares to attack the Lions, but the Lions first manage to combine into Voltron.
The “Lotolider” retains its predecessor’s ability to shoot Haggarium strands — this time from its spider-leg appendages.
Lotor adapts quite well to his new form.
Fortunately for Voltron, Daniel can read the Robeast’s mind, so he is able to direct the team to dodge the Robeast’s attacks and then counterattack.
Lotor soon discovers that he can also read Daniel’s mind, and he begins to use this to his advantage. When Daniel realizes that the mind link is bidirectional, he asks Vince and Larmina to help him.
Larmina replies, “Why not? They’ve got a three-brained beast.”
Daniel, Vince, and Larmina connect their Voltcoms to the consoles of their Lions, and each activates his or her “boost” to Voltron’s abilities — Larmina’s “Butt Kick Boost,” Vince’s “Power Boost,” and Daniel’s “Speed Boost.” Voltron finishes off the Robeast with its Blazing Sword. The strike destroys the Robeast, leaving behind a mist of Haggarium and a field of debris.
Maahox later gathers the remains of the Robeast and uses some of Castle Doom’s Haggarium to return Lotor to life in his original body.
Lotor quickly learns why Maahox has resurrected him — so that Maahox can reveal his now completed plan — to create an entirely new Haggarium-powered Robeast from Castle Doom itself. Maahox then crushes Lotor’s body and pilots the new Robeast off-planet for a battle to end all battles against Voltron.
As for the Lotolider — or Lider — or Spider Robeast — or Commander Kala, she is never seen or mentioned again, which might suggest that Voltron had destroyed her. Indeed, the minds of Kala and Wade might have been destroyed as soon as Lotor took control of the “Lotolider” Robeast. On the other hand, perhaps the Robeast, without Lotor, reassembled itself once more.