I was of a single-digit age when I first watched VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE in 1984. Over four decades later, I still recall having been confused by the ways in which the show’s opening narration refers to universes, galaxies, and solar systems. Here is the troubling part of the narration, with all the astronomical terms emphasized.
From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend: the legend of Voltron, Defender of The Universe — a mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil. As Voltron’s legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy. On planet Earth, a Galaxy Alliance was formed. Together with the good planets of the solar system, they maintained peace throughout the universe…until a new horrible menace threatened the galaxy.
The opening narration seems to suggest that a universe, a galaxy, and a solar system are the same thing. Even at that young age, I already understood what a solar system was, what a galaxy was, and what the universe was. They weren’t the same thing.
A solar system is a group of planets that orbit one or more suns.
A galaxy is a group of solar systems.
The universe is the group of galaxies and…everything else.
Despite this understanding, I was also young enough to have thought that because VOLTRON was written by grown-ups, maybe they knew things about space that I didn’t. Maybe Optimus Prime’s voice actor was using those astronomical terms correctly in some way that I didn’t yet understand.
The Right Stuff
As an adult, I’ve assumed that the writer used the terms “universe” and “galaxy” and “solar system” interchangeably, as if they were synonyms, simply to prevent the use of the word “universe” from exceeding the use of the word “the.”
Does the narration misuse the terms? Let’s examine.
“The legend of Voltron, Defender of the Universe,” comes “from uncharted regions of the universe.” This is fine.
“Voltron’s legend grew,” and it is implied that the legend catalyzed the peace that “settled across the galaxy.” Based on the next statement, “the galaxy” is presumably the Milky Way, home to Earth. This is fine.
“On Planet Earth, a Galaxy Alliance was formed.” This is fine.
The next statement is not so fine.
Houston, We Have a Problem?
The next, last space statement is where things seem to fall apart.
“Together with the good planets of the solar system, they maintained peace throughout the universe…until a new horrible menace threatened the galaxy.”
“They” refers to the Galaxy Alliance. It seems that the Alliance’s initial members included Earth and other “good planets” in Earth’s solar system. In the real world, we know of no sentient life on any planet but Earth, so VOLTRON‘s non-Earth “good planets” are presumably colonies. The presence of colony planets might be a precursor to the overcrowded galaxy that is repeatedly mentioned in the Vehicle Team episodes of VOLTRON.
What is unclear is why or how the Galaxy Alliance, whose initial members hail from a single solar system, could maintain “peace throughout the universe,” or even Earth’s galaxy. Perhaps the Alliance began with an overly ambitious charter, or maybe the charter was humbler at the start and gradually expanded to “throughout the universe” as more planets joined the Alliance from beyond Earth’s solar system and even beyond Earth’s galaxy. Example Alliance member planets from non-Earth solar systems include Arus, Pollux, Krik and Cinda’s home world, and Wolo and Tangor’s home world. Regardless, the claim that the Alliance “maintained peace throughout the universe” seems to be hyperbole at best.
Whatever peace existed would not last, because of whatever “new, horrible menace threatened the galaxy” that caused Voltron to be “needed once more.” It’s unclear whether the “new, horrible menace” had threatened other galaxies before it threatened the Milky Way, or whether the Milky Way was the first or only galaxy to be threatened by the “menace.”
Rymill mentions that in “The Daleks’ Master Plan,” story writer Terry Nation “mistakenly believed that the term ‘galaxy’ and ‘solar system’ were interchangeable.” As another example of odd uses of astronomical terminology in the mid-20th century, Rymill describes a “highly influential” 1955 Disney documentary called MAN AND THE MOON, which “helped bring many science concepts to the mainstream.” Rymill’s video includes a clip from the documentary that demonstrates that it “was quite happy to use ‘universe’ to mean ‘solar system.'”
As more examples of seemingly incorrect references to astronomical terms, Rymill describes writings of science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. “In his novel 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, published in 1968,”… [Clarke] refers to our galaxy, the Milky Way, as ‘our local universe.'” In Clarke’s 1953 novel CHILDHOOD’S END, “he [referred] to the island galaxy of which our sun was a member as ‘our own Universe,'” and he “describes the galaxy as ‘a spiral nebula.'”
To justify the Disney documentary, Clarke, and Terry Nation’s peculiar use of astronomical terms, Rymill explains that “prior to the 1920s, it was accepted by many that our galaxy, the Milky Way, constituted the entire universe, and everything that could be observed with the most powerful telescopes, was situated inside our galaxy. This included impressive spiral formations, such as…one…in the constellation of Andromeda. It was known at the time as the Andromeda Nebula.”
Rymill further explains that until astronomer Edwin Hubble’s 1924 observations proved the existence of other galaxies, our Milky Way galaxy was indeed thought to be the entire universe, and what we now know to be spiral galaxies such as Andromeda were thought to have been nebulae within our galaxy.
Rymill points out that because “Master Plan” writer Terry Nation was born in 1930, “any book he picked up in his youth would likely have been espousing redundant astronomical ideas. The term ‘galaxy’ had once referred to everything in existence, but was then recalibrated to mean just one unremrkable island in the universe, except that some people were using the word ‘universe’ to also mean ‘galaxy’ and ‘solar system.’ So we should cut Nation a little slack for this mistake.”
VOLTRON‘s opening narration was likely written by the program’s original head writer, Jameson Brewer. Brewer was born in 1916, nearly a decade before Hubble’s discovery of other galaxies, and before Arthur C. Clarke (1917) and Terry Nation (1930) were born. If Nation and Clarke can be excused for occasional gaffs in the use of astronomical terms, then Jameson Brewer can as well. In the case of VOLTRON‘s opening narration, I already provided speculative reasons for why its use of the astronomical terms might be correct in the context of VOLTRON lore.
Conclusion
VOLTRON‘s opening narration contains what to a television audience of the 1980s and beyond might seem to be incorrect use of the terms “universe,” “galaxy,” and “solar system.” By digging a bit deeper, these uses can be explained and perhaps excused. With a bit of imagination and creativity, the odd use of the terms can be considered correct. Either way, it’s all in good fun!
On March 12, 2026, The official Voltron and The Voltron Store Facebook pages announced that a DVD set of the entire 78-episode, eight-season series of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER is available for pre-order. The DVD set is scheduled to be released on March 31, exclusively at The Voltron Store. Click here to pre-order.
This is a huge announcement for fans of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER, which premiered on Netflix in June 2016. Although episodes of the first 52 episodes – the first six seasons – had previously been released on DVD and made available for digital purchase on sites like Amazon, there has been no legal way to watch the last 26 episodes – the last two seasons – of the show since Netflix removed “VLD” from its line-up in December 2024.
This article was written in 2026, the tenth-anniversary year of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER. 2026 and ten are momentous numbers for this great show, and to celebrate, I thought I’d share some more numbers – production numbers from episodes of the show.
What Is a Production Number?
A production number is a unique and persistent identifier for a given episode. It allows the production team to refer to an episode in a consistent way.
Episode titles can change throughout preproduction, production, and even postproduction. For example, in the original STAR TREK, the episode “The Corbomite Maneuver” had the working title of “Danger Zone.”
The sequence of episodes can change as well. Returning to the original STAR TREK, the episode “The Man Trap” was the eighth episode to be produced, but it was the first episode to air.
The sequence of episodes’ production numbers doesn’t always correspond with the intended “narrative sequence” of the episodes. The Star Trek franchise provides an example of this phenomenon, too. Actor Leonard Nimoy guest-starred in a two consecutive episodes of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. Due to Nimoy’s busy schedule, those episodes — “Unification I” and “Unification II” — were filmed in reverse order. “Unification I” takes place before “Unification II,” but because of the swapped production schedule, the production number of “Unification I” (40275-208) is higher than that of “Unification II” (40275-207).
In general, production numbers aren’t shared outside production offices. They aren’t a secret; they just aren’t that interesting to most people. They are of interest to me, which is I decided to try to learn the production numbers of all episodes of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER. This has not been an easy task, and unfortunately, as of this writing, it is also not a finished task.
Sources
My sources for VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER episodes’ production numbers are listed below.
Form Podcast
The first source of production number information that I found was Form Podcast, produced by Nerdist and hosted by Kyle Anderson. In 2018, Form Podcast reviewed episodes from the first through fourth seasons of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER alongside guests who worked on the show. Podcast episodes that provided VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER production number information are listed below.
Episode 1 featured guests Joaquim Dos Santos and reviewed “The Rise of Voltron.” This podcast episode also revealed that “The Rise of Voltron” had been produced as three episodes: “The New Alliance,” “From Days of Long Ago,” and “Defenders of the Universe.” The production number of “The New Alliance” was revealed to be 101, and it was stated that the three episodes were produced together, suggesting that the production numbers of “From Days of Long Ago” and “Defenders of the Universe” are 102 and 103, respectively. This podcast episode also strongly implied, but did not state outright, that the production number of “Crystal Venom” is 111.
Episode 9 featured guests Eugene Lee, Lauren Montgomery, Christie Tseng, and Anthony Wu, and it reviewed “Crystal Venom.” This podcast episode also revealed the production number of “The Legend Begins” to be 207.
Episode 25 featured guests Joaquim Dos Santos and reviewed “Changing of the Guard.” This podcast episode strongly implied that the production number of “Changing of the Guard” is 201, and it strongly implied that the production number of “A Little Adventure” is 301. The episode also revealed that VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER was produced in three production seasons or blocks, each containing 26 episodes. In general, episodes of the first production season have production numbers 101 through 126, episodes of the second production season have production numbers 201 through 226, and episodes of the third production block have production numbers 301 through 326.
Episode 28 featured guests Joaquim Dos Santos and Chris Palmer, and it reviewed “Hole in the Sky.” This podcast episode once again revealed the production number of “The Legend Begins” to be 207.
Episode 30 featured guests Mitch Iverson and reviewed “Tailing a Comet.” This podcast episode also revealed that the production number of “Changing of the Guard” is 201.
Episode 31 featured guests Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery and reviewed “The Legend Begins.” This podcast episode also revealed that the production number of “The Depths” is 114.
Episode 33 featured guests Lauren Montgomery, Steve Ahn, and Mitch Iverson. This podcast episode also reviewed “Reunion” and revealed its production number to be 205.
Shamus Kelley
The second source of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER production numbers was not a podcast, but rather a person: writer Shamus Kelley. Shamus is perhaps best known for his writing for Den of Geek. He also hosts RoboSkullCast: A Robotech Podcast with his friend Nick. I met Shamus in person at WonderCon 2017, and Shamus has been a guest in mulitple episodes of Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast. Shamus is kind, insightful, and witty, and under circumstances that have to be read to be believed, Shamus acquired a collection of VOLTRON production art and related materials from some episodes of the show’s first two seasons. Shamus generously mailed some of the production art to me, and more recently he has begun to list pieces from his own collection for sale on Ebay. Shamus shared photos of some of his VOLTRON production art and materials, and analysis of those photos has revealed the production numbers of several episodes. Over time I’ll analyze more photos from his collection, as well as art from my own collection, in hopes of learning even more episodes’ production numbers.
Thanks to Shamus’ photos of his art collection, production numbers of the following episodes were revealed or confirmed:
“The New Alliance” (Production #101)
“From Days of Long Ago” (Production #102)
“Defenders of the Universe” (Production #103)
“Some Assembly Required” (Production #104)
“Return of the Gladiator” (Production #105)
“The Fall of the Castle of Lions” (Production #106)
“Return to the Balmera” (Production #109)
“Crystal Venom” (Production #111)
“Space Mall” (Production #120)
“The Blade of Marmora” (Production #121)
Benjamin Kaltenecker
The third source of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER production numbers was line producer Benjamin Kaltenecker. In 2017, Marc Morrell and I interviewed Benjamin on Let’s Voltron: The Official Podcast in Episode #97. At VoltCon 2021, Marc and I met Benjamin in person, and interviewed him once more. Benjamin is incredibly kind and generous, and in 2026, he was kind enough to send me screen shots of spreadsheets that contained the production numbers (201-226 and 301-326) of every episode from VOLTRON’s third through eighth seasons. Thank you, Benjamin!
Emily Eiden
Emily Eiden, who lent her vocal talents and acting artistry to VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER as Shay, kindly shared the production numbers of the four episodes in which she played the character:
“Tears of the Balmera” – Production #107
“Return to the Balmera” – Production #109
“Rebirth” – Production #110
“Stayin’ Alive” – Production #124
Thank you, Emily!
The Numbers
This table contains VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER episodes and their production numbers, if known. I will update this article with new information if it becomes available.
As of this writing, I do not yet know the production numbers of 12 episodes from VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER‘s first two seasons. If you have evidence of these episodes’ production numbers, then please contact me (Greg Tyler) by way of Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast. Thank you!
The abbreviated column headers are as follows:
Prod #: Production number
Prod Seas: “Production season” number
Ep #: Episode number according to non-Netflix sources such as Amazon and DVDs, which treat “The Rise of Voltron” as three episodes instead of one
Nf Ep #: Episode number according to Netflix (which treats “The Rise of Voltron” as one episode instead of three)
Seas #: Season number
Ep # in Seas: Episode number within a season, according to non-Netflix sources
Nf Ep # in Seas: Episode number within a season, according to Netflix
Title: Episode title
OAD: Original air date
Prod #
Prod Seas
Ep #
Nf Ep #
Seas #
Ep # in Seas
Nf Ep # in Seas
Title
OAD
101-103
1
N/A
1
1
N/A
1
The Rise of Voltron
2016-06-10
101
1
1
N/A
1
1
N/A
The New Alliance
2016-06-10 (as part of “Rise”)
102
1
2
N/A
1
2
N/A
From Days of Long Ago
2016-06-10 (as part of “Rise”)
103
1
3
N/A
1
3
N/A
Defenders of the Universe
2016-06-10 (as part of “Rise”)
104
1
4
2
1
4
2
Some Assembly Required
2016-06-10
105
1
5
3
1
5
3
Return of the Gladiator
2016-06-10
106
1
6
4
1
6
4
The Fall of the Castle of Lions
2016-06-10
107
1
7
5
1
7
5
Tears of the Balmera
2016-06-10
?
1
8
6
1
8
6
Taking Flight
2016-06-10
109
1
9
7
1
9
7
Return to the Balmera
2016-06-10
110
1
10
8
1
10
8
Rebirth
2016-06-10
111
1
11
9
1
11
9
Crystal Venom
2016-06-10
?
1
12
10
1
12
10
Collection and Extraction
2016-06-10
?
1
13
11
1
13
11
The Black Paladin
2016-06-10
?
1
14
12
2
1
1
Across the Universe
2017-01-20
114
1
15
13
2
2
2
The Depths
2017-01-20
?
1
16
14
2
3
3
Shiro’s Escape
2017-01-20
?
1
17
15
2
4
4
Greening the Cube
2017-01-20
?
1
18
16
2
5
5
Eye of the Storm
2017-01-20
?
1
19
17
2
6
6
The Ark of Taujeer
2017-01-20
120
1
20
18
2
7
7
Space Mall
2017-01-20
121
1
21
19
2
8
8
The Blade of Marmora
2017-01-20
?
1
22
20
2
9
9
The Belly of the Weblum
2017-01-20
?
1
23
21
2
10
10
Escape from Beta Traz
2017-01-20
124
1
24
22
2
11
11
Stayin’ Alive
2017-01-20
?
1
25
23
2
12
12
Best Laid Plans
2017-01-20
?
1
26
24
2
13
13
Blackout
2017-01-20
201
2
27
25
3
1
1
Changing of the Guard
2017-08-04
202
2
28
26
3
2
2
Red Paladin
2017-08-04
203
2
29
27
3
3
3
The Hunted
2017-08-04
204
2
30
28
3
4
4
Hole in the Sky
2017-08-04
206
2
31
29
3
5
5
The Journey
2017-08-04
208
2
32
30
3
6
6
Tailing a Comet
2017-08-04
207
2
33
31
3
7
7
The Legend Begins
2017-08-04
209
2
34
32
4
1
2
Code of Honor
2017-10-13
205
2
35
33
4
2
2
Reunion
2017-10-13
210
2
36
34
4
3
3
Black Site
2017-10-13
211
2
37
35
4
4
4
The Voltron Show!
2017-10-13
212
2
38
36
4
5
5
Begin the Blitz
2017-10-13
213
2
39
37
4
6
6
A New Defender
2017-10-13
214
2
40
38
5
1
1
The Prisoner
2018-03-02
215
2
41
39
5
2
2
Blood Duel
2018-03-02
216
2
42
40
5
3
3
Postmortem
2018-03-02
217
2
43
41
5
4
4
Kral Zera
2018-03-02
218
2
44
42
5
5
5
Bloodlines
2018-03-02
219
2
45
43
5
6
6
White Lion
2018-03-02
220
2
46
44
6
1
1
Omega Shield
2018-06-15
221
2
47
45
6
2
2
Razor’s Edge
2018-06-15
222
2
48
46
6
3
3
Monsters & Mana
2018-06-15
223
2
49
47
6
4
4
The Colony
2018-06-15
224
2
50
48
6
5
5
The Black Paladins
2018-06-15
225
2
51
49
6
6
6
All Good Things
2018-06-15
226
2
52
50
6
7
7
Defender of All Universes
2018-06-15
301
3
53
51
7
1
1
A Little Adventure
2018-08-10
302
3
54
52
7
2
2
The Road Home
2018-08-10
303
3
55
53
7
3
3
The Way Forward
2018-08-10
307
3
56
54
7
4
4
The Feud!
2018-08-10
305
3
57
55
7
5
5
The Ruins
2018-08-10
304
3
58
56
7
6
6
The Journey Within
2018-08-10
306
3
59
57
7
7
7
The Last Stand, Part 1
2018-08-10
308
3
60
58
7
8
8
The Last Stand, Part 2
2018-08-10
309
3
61
59
7
9
9
Know Your Enemy
2018-08-10
310
3
62
60
7
10
10
Heart of the Lion
2018-08-10
311
3
63
61
7
11
11
Trial by Fire
2018-08-10
312
3
64
62
7
12
12
Lions’ Pride, Part 1
2018-08-10
313
3
65
63
7
13
13
Lions’ Pride, Part 2
2018-08-10
314
3
66
64
8
1
1
Launch Date
2018-12-14
315
3
67
65
8
2
2
Shadows
2018-12-14
316
3
68
66
8
3
3
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
2018-12-14
317
3
69
67
8
4
4
Battle Scars
2018-12-14
318
3
70
68
8
5
5
The Grudge
2018-12-14
319
3
71
69
8
6
6
Genesis
2018-12-14
320
3
72
70
8
7
7
Day Forty-Seven
2018-12-14
321
3
73
71
8
8
8
Clear Day
2018-12-14
322
3
74
72
8
9
9
Knights of Light, Part 1
2018-12-14
323
3
75
73
8
10
10
Knights of Light, Part 2
2018-12-14
324
3
76
74
8
11
11
Uncharted Regions
2018-12-14
325
3
77
75
8
12
12
The Zenith
2018-12-14
326
3
78
76
8
13
13
The End is the Beginning
2018-12-14
Conclusion
VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER is a great show. I loved it as it was being released on Netflix between 2016 and 2018, and I love it now. Production numbers are a geeky peek behind the scenes into an aspect of how the show was made.
This article was updated June 9, 2026, with information provided by Emily Eiden.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This article is the first in what will be 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.
Like ROBOTECH, VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE (VDU) was adapted from episodes of multiple anime programs. To date, unlike ROBOTECH, VOLTRON never had tie-in art books that featured art from the TV show or the anime programs from which it was adapted.
To appreciate the visual designs of VOLTRON, fans must take a closer look at the show itself. This article begins to do so by examining the vehicles 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.
It is somewhat challenging to identify distinct designs from VOLTRON episodes, because:
The line art is hand-drawn and inked, so shapes, proportions, and details can vary from episode to episode, shot to shot, and even frame to frame.
The art is hand-painted, so there can be a lot of color variation from episode to episode, shot to shot, and even frame to frame.
The episodes are available only in standard definition.
Some vehicles are shown in a small number of shots, and many don’t have great “beauty shots.”
While researching for this article, I examined all 52 Vehicle Team episodes of VOLTRON, and I discovered 35 vehicle types that are clearly associated with the Drule Empire of the Near Universe.
Vehicle Type Identifiers
Neither VOLTRON nor DAIRUGGER established formal names for Drule or Galveston vehicle types, respectively. To facilitate examination of these vehicle 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 vehicles 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} identifies the category of the vehicle type. Category codes are defined in the table below.
{Number} is a natural number.
Category Code
Category
Description
MSX
Military Spacecraft – Carrier/Command
Military spacecraft of this category are large enough to accommodate at least one standing Robeast within the forward hull. The Robeast can exit the craft through a large hatch at the bow.
MSA
Military Spacecraft – Battleship
Military spacecraft of this category are presumably smaller than MSX ships, and they seemingly cannot transport or launch Robeasts.
MSB
Military Spacecraft – Small
Military spacecraft of this category are presumably smaller than MSX and MSA ships. They seem to operate mainly as personnel transports or ground vehicle carriers.
MF
Military Fighter
Military vehicles of this category are small, flying fighter craft.
MG
Military Ground Vehicle
Military ground vehicles, such as tanks.
N
Non-Military Vehicle
Any type of seemingly non-military craft, such as cars.
Category Codes for Vehicles of the Drule Empire (Near Universe)
Vehicle Types – Summary Information
The table below provides summary information for each vehicle type. Click the type’s ID to view detail information about, and additional images of, the vehicle type.
DEN-MSX-2 Robeast-launching carriers generally serve as command ships for officers such as Borgum and Twyla.
DEN-MSX-2 ships first appear in #124 “Hazar is Demoted,” as Hazar and Dorma depart Planet Drule in an DEN-MSX-2 ship. The ship appears again in recap footage in #125 “Just Like Earth.” After that, DEN-MSX-2 ships are not seen until #134 “Hazar Bucks the Empire,” and from this point onward, DEN-MSX-2 ships seem to have replaced DEN-MSX-1 ships entirely.
DEN-MSX-2 ships look like scarier versions of DEN-MSX-1 ships. Compared to DEN-MSX-1 ships, DEN-MSX-2 ships have additional spires and “hooks” that extend from various points along the fuselage.
DEN-MSX-2 ships can “land” on a planetary surface. When landed, a hatch on either side of the fuselage can be lowered to the ground, enabling DEN-MG-2 tanks to enter or exit storage bays within the ship.
DEN-MSA-1 ships are presumably smaller than the DEN-MSX-1 ships that they typically accompany. These ships’ first and last appearances are the same episodes as those of DEN-MSX-1 ships.
DEN-MSA-1 ships have blunt noses, twin large, ventral pods, and a single, hook-like bridge stalk that extends dorsally from the dorsal rear hull.
DEN-MSA-1 ships seem to be used primarily on the front lines.
DEN-MSA-2 ships are presumably smaller than the DEN-MSX-1 ships that they typically accompany. These ships’ last appearance is the same episode as those of DEN-MSX-1 and DEN-MSA-1 ships.
DEN-MSA-2 ships have twin spikes that protrude forward from the bow. They also have a large wedge that protrudes ventrally from the fuselage.
DEN-MSA-2 ships seem to be used primarily on the front lines.
DEN-MSA-3 ships are presumably smaller than the DEN-MSX-2 ships that they typically accompany. Whether by deliberate intent or coincidence, DEN-MSA-3 ships look like scarier versions of DEN-MSA-1 ships.
DEN-MSA-3 ships have a vertical spire that protrudes to dorsal from the bow, and a barbed spire that protrudes to ventral from the bow.
When viewed from the side, DEN-MSB-1 ships are relatively sleek “space planes.” They seem to be similar in size to a 20th-century passenger airliner of Earth. They have a port-side hatch through which passengers can enter and exit the ship.
Much like the vehicles of the Voltron Sea Team, and the Aqua Fighter, DEN-MSB-2 ships can operate underwater, and they can rise to the surface of a body of water. DEN-MSB-2 ships are smaller than the Aqua Fighter.
DEN-MSB-3 ships are small, sleek spacecraft. They have a set of laterally arranged front windows, and a single spire that protrudes dorsally from the aft dorsal hull. DEN-MSB-3 ships can land on a planet’s surface. The ships can be launched from the Robeast-launching bow hatch of DEN-MSX-2 ships.
DEN-MSB-4 ships consist of a forward fuselage connected by spindly struts to large twin pods. The ships can land on a ski beneath each of the twin pods. DEN-MSB-4 ships can carry multiple DEN-MG-2 tanks in the fuselage.
DEN-MSB-7 ships are small personnel transport craft. They have chunky proportions, twin side pods, and an access hatch and circular portholes on either side of the fuselage.
DEN-MSB-8 ships are secret attack ships that can be rendered invisible.
The nose of an DEN-MSB-8 ship resembles the tip of a harpoon, with a pointy tip and vanes that protrude to dorsal and to ventral. The stern has spires that also protrude to dorsal and to ventral.
DEN-MF-1 fighters are chariot-like vehicles with an exposed platform for a standing pilot, who operates the fighter by gripping twin control spires. DEN-MF-1 fighters can fly in space or in planetary atmospheres.
DEN-MF-2 fighters vaguely resemble a bee stinger. They have a pilot compartment with a single seat. The compartment has an open top, offering no protection from outside elements. DEN-MF-1 fighters can fly in space or in planetary atmospheres.
The DEN-MF-2 fighter is most prominently featured in “A Temporary Truce,” when it is flown and crashed by Sandu, repaired by the Voltron Vehicle Team and technicians from the Stellar Ship Explorer, and then shot down by Drule captain Zabor.
DEN-MG-1 tanks can be dropped from ventral launch bays of planet-orbiting DEN-MSX-1 and DEN-MSA-1 ships. The tanks can descend from orbit in single file. DEN-MG-1 tanks have dual, downward pointing thrusters on either side of the body. The most prominent feature of the tank is a dome-like turret with a long twin barrels.
DEN-MG-2 tanks can be dropped from ventral launch bays of larger, planet-orbiting ships. The tanks can descend from orbit in single file. DEN-MSB-4 and DEN-MSX-2 ships can carry multiple DEN-MG-2 tanks in the fuselage.
DEN-MG-2 tanks can hover over a planetary surface for extended periods, whether fully upright or pitched downward slightly. DEN-MG-2 tanks have an upper body, which is armed with multiple cannons and is connected by an underside strut to the lower body, which drives the tank treads. Tank operators occupy a compartment in the upper body, which is accessible through a topside hatch.
DEN-MG-4 armed transports are open-top hovering craft with a forward-pointing cannon and front and rear bench seats that, in total, can comfortably accommodate at least four occupants. The cannon can be aimed and fired manually.
DEN-N-1 hover cars are sleek vehicles that transport up to two occupants. DEN-N-1 hover cars resemble a catamaran, with two large side assemblies, one on either side of the passenger compartment. DEN-N-1 hover cars have small wings near the rear. DEN-N-1 cars have retractable, transparent tops. On Planet Drule, Dorma frequently drives a DEN-N-1 hover car.
DEN-N-2 hover cabs are used on Planet Drule to transport a small number of passengers. The single-occupant seats of the DEN-N-2 are arranged front-to-back, facing forward. DEN-N-2 hover cabs have a pointy nose, a streamlined fuselage, twin engine nacelles at the top of the fuselage, and an engine nacelle on either side of the fuselage.
Seen in just one shot of one episode, the DEN-N-3 hover cab is presumably similiar in function to the DEN-N-2 hover cab. The DEN-N-3 has two engine nacelles at the top.
DEN-N-4 hover trains are street vehicles on Planet Drule. They consist of a small cab with a pointed nose, windows on the front and sides, three cylindrical nacelles on top, and a door on either side. The cab can pull at least two boxy cars.
Drule rebel Bakki uses a DEN-N-4 hover train to capture Dorma and convince her to join the Underground Resistance Force.
DEN-N-5 hover cabs are used on Planet Drule to transport a single passenger. Superficially similar to DEN-N-1 hover cars, the DEN-N-5 hover cab’s passenger compartment contains two single-occupant seats arranged front-to-back, facing forward. The passenger comparment is accessible by a large, transparent roof hatch that opens upward about a hinge at the rear. The DEN-N-5 resembles a catamaran, with two large side assemblies, one on either side of the passenger compartment. DEN-N-5 hover cabs have small wings near the rear.
In the DEN-N-5’s single appearance, a Drule robot drives a hover cab to transport Mozak to his home.
DEN-N-6 hover sedans are used on Planet Drule. The hover sedan has a boxy body with a pointed nose, large windows on the front, back, and sides, small wings on the sides, and a left-side hatch that hinges upward.
On Planet Drule, an DEN-N-6 hover sedan is seen parked among other hover cars. Dorma and Hazar use the sedan to flee from pursuing Drule robots.
DEN-N-7 hover cars are used on Planet Drule. They have wide but sleekbodies, a topside fin at the rear, and single front driver seat, and a single rear seat. Each seat has an open top. Dorma and Hazar use an DEN-N-7 hover car on Drule.
DEN-N-8 hover cars have a large fin on the back of the body, and they have at least two spikes that protrude forward from the front of the vehicle. On Planet Drule, multiple, identical DEN-N-8 hover cars are seen traveling on a busy street.
DEN-N-10 hover cars appear to have a cylindrical structure that protrudes from the top of the vehicle body, behind the passenger compartment. On Planet Drule, multiple, identical DEN-N-10 hover cars are seen traveling on a busy street.
With stubby, chunky proportions, an DEN-N-11 hover car resembles a toy jet. On Planet Drule, an DEN-N-11 hover car is seen parked among other hover cars.
In the DEN-N-12’s only appearance, only the front of the vehicle is seen. Its passenger compartment has highly stylized windows. On Planet Drule, an DEN-N-12 hover car is seen parked among other hover cars.
DEN-N-13 hover cars have side pods with pointed front ends and, at the rear, topside and outboard fins. On Planet Drule, an DEN-N-13 hover car is seen parked among other hover cars.
In the DEN-N-15’s only appearance, only the front of the vehicle is seen. The vehicle’s passenger compartment has a bulbous overhead window, and the vehicle body has an underlung pod. On Planet Drule, an DEN-N-15 hover car is seen parked among other hover cars.
It is somewhat surprising that, in an anime program that was produced to air one episode per week for 52 consecutive weeks, ARMORED FLEET DAIRUGGER XV contained so many vehicle designs – 35 for the Galveston Empire alone. VOLTRON benefited from this variety of impressive artwork, and fans of both programs have as well.
Future LionsAndPilotsAndBots… Dot Com articles will examine even more designs from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE.
VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE takes place in Earth’s future, during a time when Earth is an integral part of an interstellar union known as the Galaxy Alliance, and spaceflight between star systems is commonplace.
No aired episode of the program establishes when the VOLTRON story takes place.
On the other hand, VOLTRON’s century was revealed on the packaging of some VOLTRON videocassettes. In the images below, some 1980s home video releases of VOLTRON, specifically those sold by CBS FOX, include copy on the backs of the boxes, stating that “it is the 25th century.”
Released in the mid-2000s, the Media Blasters DVD releases of VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE include all three unaired pilot episodes of the show. The first pilot features the Vehicle Team, and the second and third pilots feature the Lion Force. The first pilot also includes voiceover narration by Commander Hawkins, who, like the CBS FOX videocassette boxes, states “it’s the 25th century.”
Some other marketing materials also establish VOLTRON’s time period as the 25th century. These materials might be the focus of a future article.
Unlike VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, the anime programs from which VOLTRON was adapted, 1981’s BEAST KING GOLION and 1982’s ARMORED FLEET DAIRUGGER XV were set in entirely different time periods.
BEAST KING GOLION was set in 1999, and ARMORED FLEET DAIRUGGER XV was set 2200. The two anime programs had entirely unrelated stories. VOLTRON recontextualized both programs’ stories as taking place in a single continuity.
Why did VOLTRON’s writers establish the show’s setting as the 25th century? Jameson Brewer, VOLTRON’s original head writer, likely made that decision. Unfortunately, Brewer died in 2003, so we can only speculate. I’ve done just that, and I’m reasonably certain that VOLTRON’s 25th-century setting was inspired by a far older science-fiction phenomenon: Buck Rogers.
The Buck Rogers comic strip ran in US newspapers from January 7, 1929, until 1967. In the comic strip, the character of Buck Rogers falls into a cave and succumbs to a strange gas that places him in suspended animation until he awakens in the 25th century — specifically in the year 2429.
A Buck Rogers radio adaptation premiered in 1932. Universal Pictures released a film serial adaptation in 1939. In 1979, just five years before VOLTRON’s 1984 television debut, the made-for-television movie BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY was released theatrically, followed later that year by a weekly television series of the same name and cast on the NBC television network. In the BUCK ROGERS movie and TV series, Buck Rogers emerges from suspended animation in the year 2491.
Jameson Brewer was born in 1916. He would have been 12 or 13 when the Buck Rogers comic strip was published, roughly 16 when the radio program first aired, and in his early twenties when the film serial first ran. Even if Brewer had never been exposed to Buck Rogers media during his younger years, he would almost certainly have known of its existence from its enormous popularity.
At a minimum, Brewer would likely have been aware of BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY.
The first pilot episode of VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE was adapted from the ARMORED FLEET DAIRUGGER XV episode “Galactic Clash.” The imagery of the first VOLTRON pilot is somewhat reminiscent of BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY. Maybe Jameson Brewer was inspired by a memory of Buck Rogers, whether recent or from days of long ago, when he presumably made the decision to set VOLTRON in the 25th century.
How tall is Voltron? The answer depends on which Voltron is being referenced.
Voltron, as seen in VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER (2016-2018)
Voltron, as seen in VOLTRON FORCE (2011-2012)
Voltron, as seen in VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION (1998-2000)
Stealth Voltron, as seen in VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION (1998-2000)
Lion Force Voltron, as seen in VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE (1984-1985) and VOLTRON: FLEET OF DOOM (1986)
Vehicle Team Voltron, as seen in VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE (1984-1985) and VOLTRON: FLEET OF DOOM (1986)
Let’s do some analysis to figure out how big each of these big bots “really” is.
I apologize for the low quality of some of the images that are featured in this article. I chose to focus on data rather than “pretty pictures.”
Voltron from VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER
During the Netflix run of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER, the height of that program’s Voltron robot was established, fairly clearly, in at least two references.
Voltron Website
By May 26, 2016, but by this writing, no longer online, the official Voltron website (at http://www.voltron.com/legendary) contained a page of basic information about VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFNDER‘s characters and technology, including Voltron. As shown in this screen capture from the website, the Voltron page described Voltron as “a mighty warrior standing at over 100 meters tall.”
Official Voltron Facebook Page
A May 7, 2016 post on the Voltron Facebook page, still online as of this writing (link), includes a low-resolution diagram of Voltron, the Statue of Liberty, and the Taj Mahal, with dimensions and dimension lines to show how tall each object is. The diagram establishes Voltron’s standing height as 100.584 meters. Since 2.54 centimeters equals exactly one inch, 100.584 meters is exactly 330 feet. Likely for artistic reasons, the diagram uses a perspective rendering of Voltron, rather than an orthographic rendering. (A perspective rendering represents what an object would look like through an eye or camera lens. An orthographic rendering is like a blueprint drawing.)
A quirk about the image is that the dimension line makes it appear as if Voltron’s height is measured from the bottoms of Voltron’s feet to the tips of its wings in some arbitrarily extended position. A standing height would be more realistically measured from the bottoms of the feet to the top of the head.
By examining the diagram in Adobe Illustrator, if Voltron’s height is 100.584 from feet to wing tips, then I estimate the robot’s height from feet to the top of the head — the crown, so to speak — to be 84.1 meters (276 feet), and I estimate the robot’s height from feet to the tips of the horns on the robot’s head to be 85.4 meters (280 feet). With all that said, are we really meant to believe that Voltron’s height was measured from the robot’s feet to the tips of arbitrary posed wings?
One thing to keep in mind that is that this image was released over one month before the June 16, 2016, release of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER. Height measurements and dimension lines aside, this image is less an “engineering drawing” than an artistic composition that offers a preview of the robot itself. For this reason, despite the dimension line on the image, we might surmise that the robot’s height is “really” measured to the top of the head. Let’s examine another image and see if that might indeed be true.
A July 14, 2016 post on the Voltron Facebook page, still online as of this writing (link), includes a color rendering of Voltron striking a pose, wings down, next to Big Ben. According to the Big Ben page on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ben), Big Ben’s tower stands 96 meters (316 feet) tall. Voltron is not standing at attention, but the robot, from feet to top-of-head, or feet to tops-of horns, appears to be slightly shorter than Big Ben — but not as short as the 84.1 to 85.4 meters that the May 16, 2016, Facebook diagram suggests. The July 14, 2016 image is also an artistic composition, and like the May 16, 2016, it almost certainly wasn’t meant to be a precise reference. The choice to make Voltron slightly shorter than Big Ben might have been a purely aesthetic decision.
It’s probably safe to assume that Voltron’s 100.584-meter (330-foot) standing height is “really” measured from the bottoms of the robot’s feet to the top of its head – which might or might be the tips of its horns.
Lion Force Voltron from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE
Before I began researching for this article, I had encountered numerous online claims that Lion Force Voltron’s standing height is 60 meters (197 feet). I wanted to see if there was evidence to support these claims.
The 2014 book VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO: A THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, by Brian Smith, Marc Morrell, Joshua Bernard, and Jacob Chabot, establishes that Lion Force Voltron stands “at an awe-inspiring 300 feet tall.” 300 feet is 91.4 meters. This measurement is over 50% taller than the oft-claimed 60-meter figure. What is the origin of the 60-meter claim?
Before we investigate where the 60-meter claim might have originated, I should point out that the very book from which the 300-foot height is established also offers some evidence for Voltron being 60 meters tall.
FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO contains a section that I have described as a “Robeast Rolodex” — a short description of many of the Robeasts that Lion Force Voltron and Vehicle Team Voltron encounters in VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, and that Voltron encounters in VOLTRON FORCE. Far Universe Entry #60, “Drule Voltron 1,” describes the Haggar-created Voltron lookalike Robeast that Lion Force Voltron battles in the VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE episode “Voltron Vs. Voltron” (Production Number 244). This entry describes the Voltron lookalike as being 200 feet tall, or 61.0 meters. In the episode, Voltron and its lookalike are clearly intended to be the same size.
In 1997, toy company Trendmasters released a plastic and die cast metal toy of Lion Force Voltron that, despite minor changes, was basically a re-release of Matchbox’s 1985 Voltron III, or Lion Force Voltron toy, which in turn was basically a re-release of the 1981 Popy / Bandai GB-36 Golion toy in Japan. One panel of the Trendmasters toy’s box contains size information about, not Voltron, but rather each of the five lions that combine to form Voltron.
The panel specifies each lion’s height, in meters.
Black Lion: 40 meters (131 feet)
Red and Green Lions: 20 meters (98 feet)
Blue and Yellow Lions: 30 meters (66 feet)
Based on how the lions are reconfigured to form Voltron, Voltron’s height can be estimated by adding the length of Black Lion to the length of Blue or Yellow Lion. Each lion is much longer than it is tall, so if these metrics are accurate, then Lion Force Voltron would be significantly taller than even the 300-foot (91.4-meter) claim in FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO.
In search of more information about Lion Force Voltron’s height, let’s go back further — waaaaaay back, to the instructions of the Popy/Bandai Golion GB-36 toy. As a reminder, most Lion Force Voltron episodes of VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE were adapted from the 1981 anime program BEAST KING GOLION. Thanks to Voltron collector Brad Schneider for providing these photos.
Because the Golion instructions are in Japanese, I used Google Translate and my smartphone’s camera to translate the Japanese text.
The translated instructions reveal the height of Golion and the lengths of each lion.
Golion height: 60 meters (197 feet)
Black Lion length: 40 meters (131 feet)
Red and Green Lion lengths: 20 meters (98 feet)
Blue and Yellow Lion lengths: 30 meters (66 feet)
The lion length values do match the “height” values that Trendmasters printed on their Voltron toy box.
The instructions of Bandai’s 2017 Soul of Chogokin GX-71 Golion also contain the same metrics, as shown in the translated photos below.
What do we conclude from this evidence? Unlike VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER, the evidence is somewhat contradictory, but my conclusion is that Lion Force Voltron, like Golion, has a standing height of 60 meters (197 feet).
Vehicle Team Voltron from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE
Before I began researching for this article, I had encountered numerous online claims that Vehicle Team Voltron’s standing height is 60 meters (197 feet). I wanted to see if there was evidence to support these claims.
The 2014 book VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO: A THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, by Brian Smith, Marc Morrell, Joshua Bernard, and Jacob Chabot, establishes that Vehicle Team Voltron stands “at over 300 feet tall.” On the other hand, since the book uses the 300-foot height for Lion Force Vfoltron, and a 200-foot height for the Voltron lookalike Robeast, its claim about Vehicle Team Voltron’s height is similarly suspicious.
In VOLTRON: FLEET OF DOOM (1986), Vehicle Team Voltron and Lion Force Voltron are shown to be roughly the same size. This, coupled with my conclusion about Lion Force Voltron being 60 meters (197 feet) tall, suggests to me that Vehicle Team Voltron also has a standing height of about 60 meters.
I own a Popy/Bandai Dairugger DX toy — the toy that corresponds most closely to the Popy/Bandai Golion GB-36 toy from which I posted photos of the instructions. Unfortunately, my Dairugger toy does not include its original instructions. I will update this page with Dairugger DX instructions if I should find someone who owns them and is willing to share photos.
The instructions of Bandai’s 2019 Soul of Chogokin GX-88 Dairugger reveal Dairugger’s height to be, like Golion, 60 meters.
Voltron from VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION
Voltron from VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION is of the same “classic-style” design as Lion Force Voltron from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, except for minor, stylistic changes. Having seen no evidence to the contrary, I assume that Voltron from VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION is of the same standing height as Lion Force Voltron from the 1980s program. As previously mentioned, that height is 60 meters (197 feet).
Stealth Voltron from VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION
In the VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION episode “Consider the Alternatives,” Stealth Voltron encounters a classic-style Voltron from an alternate universe. The robots appear to be of similar size. Having seen no evidence to the contrary, I assume that Stealth Voltron is of similar standing height as that of classic-style Voltron from VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION: approximately 60 meters (197 feet).
Voltron from VOLTRON FORCE
One thing that I didn’t mention about VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO: A THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION is that the book’s “in-universe” sections treat VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, VOLTRON FORCE, and the six VOLTRON FORCE comics by VIZ Media as having a shared continuity. The book suggests that the visual differences between Lion Force Voltron from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE and VOLTRON FORCE are the result of upgrades that were performed by the Voltron Force: Keith, Lance, Pidge, Princess Allura, and Hunk. Arguing whether that makes sense is outside the scope of this article. What is in scope is that the book’s mention of Lion Force Voltron being “an awe-inspiring 300 feet tall” — that is, 91.4 meters tall — applies to Voltron regardless of its visual appearance. This means that Voltron from VOLTRON FORCE, like Voltron from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, is 300 feet (91.4 meters). That said, as previously mentioned, the Voltron lookalike Robeast iss said to be 200 feet — 61.0 meters — tall.
The height of Voltron from VOLTRON FORCE is the most ambiguous of all the Voltron robots, because I have been unable to find any references that are more definitive than the contradictory figures in FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO. In the VOLTRON FORCE cartoon itself, and likely also in every Voltron production, the sizes of the lions and Voltron can vary from shot to shot or scene to scene. Simply for its relevance to the plot, if we choose this image from the episode “Clash of the Lions,” we can see that Voltron’s head is large enough, with Voltron’s face retracted, to allow Sky Marshall Wade to stand inside Black Lion’s open mouth. This is consistent with many other episodes, which show Voltron Force pilots and cadets entering and exiting the individual lions by way of the lions’ mouths.
Based on visual evidence that I will provide in a future article, an adult human could stand inside the mouth of a lion that forms a 60-meter-tall Voltron. For that reason, unless any future contradictory information, I’ll assume that Voltron from VOLTRON FORCE, like all other Voltron robots except the version from VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER, is about 60 meters (197 feet) tall.
Conclusion
To summarize, based on as much evidence as I have found, and with conclusions and assumptions that I drew from sometimes conflicting sources, the Voltron robots have the following heights:
Lion Force Voltron from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE: 60 meters (197 feet)
Vehicle Team Voltron from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE: 60 meters (197 feet)
“Classic-style” Voltron from VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION: 60 meters (197 feet)
Stealth Voltron from VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION: 60 meters (197 feet)
Voltron from VOLTRON FORCE: 60 meters (197 feet) (barring evidence to the contrary)
Voltron from VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER: 100.584 meters (330 feet)
Many longtime Voltron fans know that the original concept for 1980s animated television series VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE was to have been a trilogy, produced by adapting, and loosely connecting, three unrelated, anime programs that had been created by Toei Animation. The programs were to have been:
ARMORED FLEET DAIRUGGER XV (1982-1983)
LIGHTSPEED ELECTROID ALBEGAS (1983-1984)
BEAST KING GOLION (1981-1982)
As an aside, Voltron’s producers, World Events Productions (WEP), intended to select MIRAI ROBO DALTANIOUS (1979-1980) as one of the three programs, but due to a miscommunication, Toei sent BEAST KING GOLION instead.
WEP moved forward with DAIRUGGER, ALBEGAS, and GOLION far enough for toy company Matchbox to repurpose those programs’ super robot toys as licensed Voltron toys. The super robot from DAIRUGGER was dubbed “Voltron I” of the Near Universe; the ALBEGAS super robot was called “Voltron II” of the Middle Universe; and the GOLION robot was “Voltron III” of the Far Universe.
At some point, WEP determined that the GOLION imagery was overwhelmingly more popular than that of DAIRUGGER, so WEP abandoned its seemingly not-yet-initiated plan to adapt ALBEGAS, and chose instead to animate, from scratch and with reused footage, 21 new episodes based on GOLION. WEP would also release an original, two-part “feature” called “Fleet of Doom,” featuring only the GOLION and DAIRUGGER robots and characters.
Since then, “Voltron II,” which would have been born of ALBEGAS, has been little more than an obscure footnote in Voltron history.
In April 2020, the TOEI TOKUSATSU WORLD OFFICIAL YouTube page released the first two episodes of LIGHTSPEED ELECTROID ALBEGAS, with English subtitles. This allowed most fans of 1980s VOLTRON to enjoy this program for the first time.
Russell’s website posits what VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE episodes adapted from LIGHTSPEED ELECTROID ALBEGAS might have been like. On the site’s Summary page, he suggests character names and a premise that connects the ALBEGAS concept with the VOLTRON episodes that WEP had created based on GOLION and DAIRUGGER.
It should be noted that Russell’s story is fan fiction; as such, it is not licensed by WEP or Toei Animation; however, the story is entertaining and worth reading.
The story is a quick read that is reminiscent of James Blish’s short-story adaptations of episodes of the 1960s STAR TREK television program. 1980s VOLTRON fans might liken Russell’s short story to Jack McKinney’s ROBOTECH novels, each of which adapts a handful of ROBOTECH episodes.
Russell’s story, like the ALBEGAS episode that it adapts, introduces three teenagers who have built their own award-winning, gigantic humanoid mechs. A species of hostile aliens launches a surprise attack on the planet, and the teens try to defend their home using their mechs. The attackers quickly overpower the mechs and force the teens to retreat, but with the help of one teen’s father, the mechs are upgraded into more formidable combat mechs that, unbeknownst even to the teens, have a mighty secret.
Russell’s Voltron story generally follows the ALBEGAS story. Because WEP had described its “Voltron II” as being the Defender of the Middle Universe, and because VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE depicts a planet Earth that is only rarely under direct threat, Russell’s Voltron story recontextualizes the setting of the ALBEGAS story from Earth to a planet called Otoko. ALBEGAS’ alien menace is recontextualized as being associated with the Drule Empire — the villains of the DAIRUGGER-based VOLTRON episodes, and associates of the villains of the GOLION-based VOLTRON episodes.
Russell’s story adds a scene that arguably better establishes the story’s primary villains of the series than ALBEGAS did — while also serving as “time filler” for scenes that Russell chooses to remove. ALBEGAS’ first episode shows the home life of one of the three teens, including siblings, a homemaker mother, and a painter father who is overly defensive about not being unfaithful to his wife. Russell’s story omits much of this material, perhaps because the home is in a city neighborhood with many prominent, Japanese-language signs that, in an adapted animated episode, would be difficult to edit around. (In the 1980s, it was common for American-adapted animation from Japan to omit Japanese-specific cultural cues.) Russell’s story also omits scenes involving a “comic relief” ALBEGAS side character — Goro, a buffoonish student who, like the hero teens, has developed his own mech, but with far less success.
Russell’s story wouldn’t be a Voltron story without independently piloted craft that combine into a giant robot called Voltron. This Voltron, a direct adaptation of ALBEGAS’ giant mech Albegas, does not disappoint. The “form Voltron” sequence reads as if it might have been inspired by Viewpoint Productions’ fan edit of ALBEGAS’ combination sequence. Whatever the case, the written sequence works well.
Russell’s story also weaves in a bit of trivial minutiae to explain how this new Voltron came to be. To fans with a deep knowledge of VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, this is a nice touch that adds a sense of continuity that the actual television program rarely had itself.
Jason Russell’s “Voltron II” story is a fun glimpse at what might have been, had WEP created VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE episodes from LIGHTSPEED ELECTROID ALBEGAS. I recommend the story to longtime Voltron fans, and I recommend that the tale be read a second time alongside a video of ALBEGAS’ first episode. It’s fun!
VOLTRON FORCE (2011-2012) was a fun show. Unfortunately, the show had little tie-in merchandise. One of the show’s licensed merchandisers was costume-making company Rubie’s. The company produced a child-size costume of the Voltron robot, and a separately sold Blazing Sword costume accessory.
For several years I have had the costume and sword accessory. Recently I decided to open the package and photograph it. Here are the photos. Enjoy!
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Front of Sealed Package
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Back of Sealed Package
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Costume Size Decal (Large)
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Costume Contents
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Back of Package – Note the snaps
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Package outer bag opened, cardboard insert unfolded
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Contents removed from package outer bag
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Contents removed from package outer bag
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit and hand and shoe covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit and hand and shoe covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Hand and shoe covers (in bag)
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Hand and shoe covers (in bag)
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Hand and shoe covers (in untaped bag)
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Hand and shoe covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Hand and shoe covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Hand and shoe covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Hand covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Hand covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Hand covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Shoe covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Mask
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Mask
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Mask
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Shoe covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Shoe covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Shoe covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Shoe covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Shoe covers, hand covers, mask, jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Mask
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Mask
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Mask
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Mask
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Blue Lion shoe cover
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Yellow Lion shoe cover
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Mask
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Hand covers
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Package cardboard insert
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit – note hooked loop fastener for Red Lion hand cover
VOLTRON FORCE Costume – Jumpsuit – note hooked loop fastener for Green Lion hand cover
I just created this guide to the pilots and vehicles of Vehicle Team Voltron from VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE. Enjoy! (Click the image to view it at full size.)
