Introduction
This article is part of a series of articles that examines some of the artwork from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE and the anime programs from which it was adapted.
This article examines the military installations, or bases, of the “Near Universe” Drule Empire from the Vehicle Team episodes of VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE. These episodes were adapted from the anime program ARMORED FLEET DAIRUGGER XV (DXV), and VOLTRON‘s “Near Universe” Drule Empire was adapted from DAIRUGGER‘s Galveston Empire.
This article does not examine the home planet of the “Near Universe” Drule Empire, the planet Drule.
While researching for this article, I examined all 52 Vehicle Team episodes of VOLTRON, and I discovered 10 base types that are clearly associated with the Drule Empire of the Near Universe.
Base Type Identifiers
Neither VOLTRON nor DAIRUGGER established formal names for Drule or Galveston base types, respectively. To facilitate examination of these base types, I defined a unique identifier for each type. The identifiers follow the format:
{Authority Code}-{Category Code}-{Number}
where:
- {Authority Code} identifies the operating authority for bases of that type. For each type that is associated with VOLTRON’s Drule Empire of the Near Universe, the Authority Code is “DEN” (for Drule Empire – Near Universe).
- {Category Code} is “I” for installation – that is, a base.
- {Number} is a natural number.
Base Types – Summary Information
The table below provides summary information for each base type. Click the type’s ID to view detail information about, and additional images of, the base type.
| Image | Base Type ID | First Episode (VDU) | First Episode (DXV) | Last Episode (VDU) | Last Episode (DXV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | DEN-MI-1 | #101 “In Search of New Worlds” (reusing footage from #102 “First Day on a New World”) | #2 “The Isolated Regiment” | #133 “Captain Newley Returns” | #33 “The New Allied Fleet to the Rescue” |
 | DEN-MI-2 | #134 “Hazar Bucks the Empire” | #34 “Planet of the Burning Cave” | #146 “It Could Be a Long War” | #46 “The Fall of the Survey Base” |
 | DEN-MI-3 | #123 “Hazar on the Carpet” | #23 “The Mission to Recapture Planet K” | #124 “Hazar is Demoted” | #24 “Riot on Galveston” |
 | DEN-MI-4 | #126 “The Planet Trap” | #26 “The Snare of the Hell Planet” | #126 “The Planet Trap” | #26 “The Snare of the Hell Planet” |
 | DEN-MI-5 | #129 “Revolt of the Slaves” | #29 “Uprising of the Space Fort” | #129 “Revolt of the Slaves” | #29 “Uprising of the Space Fort” |
 | DEN-MI-6 | #139 “That’s the Old Ball Game” | #39 “The Tears of a Rugby Player” | #139 “That’s the Old Ball Game” | #39 “The Tears of a Rugby Player” |
 | DEN-MI-7 | #141 “Another Solar System” | #41 “Discovery of the New World” | #141 “Another Solar System” | #41 “Discovery of the New World” |
 | DEN-MI-8 | #147 “Color Me Invisible” | #47 “The Invisible Super Weapon” | #147 “Color Me Invisible” | #47 “The Invisible Super Weapon” |
 | DEN-MI-9 | #148 “Time Is Running Out” | #48 “Get Past the Tenth Planet” | #148 “Time Is Running Out” | #48 “Get Past the Tenth Planet” |
 | DEN-MI-10 | #149 “Zero Hour Approaches” | #49 “Entering the Final Zone of Defense” | #149 “Zero Hour Approaches” | #49 “Entering the Final Zone of Defense” |
Base Types – Detailed Information
DEN-MI-1
DEN-MI-1 military installations are large space stations that are not built on the surface of any planet. A prominent feature of these bases is a long, forward-protruding command tower at the top, flanked by twin hangar bay hatches.
DEN-MI-1 bases can contain multiple MSX-1 and smaller ships, and they can launch long-range missiles.
Commander Hazar commands multiple fleets from a DEN-MI-1 base. Long after Hazar is reassigned elsewhere, Vehicle Team Voltron leads a successful attack that destroys Hazar’s old base.
Return to Vehicle Types – Summary Information
DEN-MI-2
DEN-MI-2 bases are large structures that are built on the surface of a moon or planet, incorporated into geological structures such as a mountain. Like DEN-MI-1 bases, DEN-MI-2 bases have a long, forward-protruding command tower at the top, flanked by twin hangar bay hatches.
A DEN-MI-2 base is located on a battered moon that is constantly pelted by meteorites.
Another DEN-MI-2 base is located on a planet that resembles the moon of the other DEN-MI-2 base. The Stellar Ship Explorer and Voltron Force journey to the planet to meet the newly defeated ex-leaders of the Drule Empire.
(In ARMORED FLEET DAIRUGGER XV, only one DEN-MI-2 base is shown. For one DAIRUGGER-turned-VOLTRON episode that features the base [DAIRUGGER #46 “The Fall of the Survey Base”, adapted as VOLTRON #146 “It Could Be a Long War”], the VOLTRON writers treat the base as if were a second base of the same type, located on a similar-looking world.)
Return to Vehicle Types – Summary Information
DEN-MI-3
DEN-MI-3 bases are built on the surface of a moon or planet. They consist of an arrangement of buildings interconnected by a network of streets. Many of the buildings have weapons that can fire at overhead aircraft or spacecraft.
DEN-MI-2 bases can contain multiple MSX-2 and smaller ships, and they can launch long-range missiles.
The Voltron Vehicle Team encounters a DEN-MI-3 base on a Drule outpost planet.
Return to Vehicle Types – Summary Information
DEN-MI-4
DEN-MI-4 bases are built on the surface of a moon or planet. They consist of a grouping of domes.
The Voltron Vehicle Team encountered an unmanned DEN-MI-4 base on an Earth-like planet with a low-oxygen atmosphere.
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DEN-MI-5
DEN-MI-5 bases are constructed beneath the surface of a planet or moon. Such bases have subsurface-to-air/space missiles that can be launched from underground silos that have ports scattered about the surface of the planet or moon.
Commander Flazon commands a DEN-MI-5 base on the planet Veema.
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DEN-MI-6
DEN-MI-6 bases can serve as supply bases for the Drule Empire. DEN-MI-6 bases include a large building that, when viewed from above, resembles an uppercase T, and has a dome-like tower at the intersection of the T.
After a DEN-MI-6 base is destroyed on the planet Erbee, the Voltron Vehicle Team befriends an abandoned group of Drule soldiers such as Lieutenant Antor.
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DEN-MI-7
DEN-MI-7 bases are temporary installations that can be set up on the surface of a planet or moon.
Captain Garo’s expeditionary force sets up a temporary DEN-MI-7 base. When the Stellar Ship Explorer reaches the planet, the ill-equipped Drule force abandons the base.
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DEN-MI-8
DEN-MI-8 fortresses are built on the surface of a planet or moon. The DEN-MI-8 base is an enormous, elaborate, castle-like structure with multiple towers. DEN-MI-8 bases can be equipped with DEN-MSB-8 ship launchers. The base can be surrounded by manned missile launchers that can emerge from concealed locations below ground or in the sides of hills.
The Voltron Vehicle Team discovers a seemingly abandoned DEN-MI-8 base on the arctic frost planet Altéus. The base is secretly manned, and leveraging the size of the base and the planet’s icy conditions, the Drules conceal a Robeast behind that stands with its back against one side of the base.
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DEN-MI-9
DEN-MI-9 bases are angular structures that are built on the surface of a planet or moon. DEN-MI-9 bases can launch magnetic mines into space. The bases are protected by snake-like laser blasters that emerge from the below ground from areas surrounding the base.
Captain Laro commands a DEN-MI-9 base on an arctic planet as the Voltron Vehicle Team approaches.
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DEN-MI-10
DEN-MI-10 bases can be built into a network of interconnected asteroids. They contain hangars from which a stinger attack force of DEN-MF-2 fighters can be launched. The base can fire lasers and a solar fire ray, as well as missiles from launchers that emerge from within the asteroid.
In an asteroid field near planet Drule, the Voltron Vehicle Team encounters and destroys a DEN-MI-10 base commanded by Captain Holtes.
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Conclusion
The 52 Vehicle Team episodes of VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE feature ten notably different types of “Near Universe” Drule bases. These designs demonstrate the imagination and creativity of the artists of ARMORED FLEET DAIRUGGER XV.
Future LionsAndPilotsAndBots… Dot Com articles will examine even more designs from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE.