Too soon? Probably.
Category: Voltron
Blue Lion – Made in the USA (Voltron: Defender of the Universe)
In the Voltron: Defender of the Universe episode “The Lion Has New Claws” — the episode immediately following the one in which Blue Lion pilot Sven is seriously injured — Princess Allura secretly takes Blue Lion for a ride in the middle of the night. Despite the princess’ attempt to be stealthy, an alarm sounds in the Castle of Lions. Keith, Lance, and Pidge race to Castle Control and check the monitor for the cause of the alarm.
The monitor shows a simple wireframe of a lion flying erratically. The lion wireframe is accompanied by seem tiny, barely legible English text. I point out that it’s English because this episode was animated in Japan for a Japanese audience as part of Beast King Golion. Even if the monitor text is fully legible, it appears for about one second — hardly enough time for someone with little fluency in English to have read.
Anyway, here is the monitor, showing the text.
The most legible text is… MADE IN THE U.S.A.
Made in the USA? This is the planet Arus, not Earth!
A closer look reveals the source of the text — it’s the back of a package of… Push-Pins!
I wasn’t able to read all of the text, but here’s what I was able to decipher:
…Push-Pins instead of thumbtacks to put up…
…calendars, pennants and light wall decorations.
…tie-backs, shelf paper…and
…other household uses.…Push-Pin between thumb and forefinger and insert
…of the…. They are easily removed…the
…The…-tempered steel…the
…possible…. Millions of Push-Pins are used…
…decorations, the…, the…and…
…as a superior pin-… device.. Push-Pin…the
In both aluminum and plastic, the plastic available in
red, yellow, green, white, and blue.…and…up to 100…
…In schools, apartments, or office buildings where nails
are not allowed – use the new 2-in-1 “…-…”
…picture hanger. Will support up to… pounds
while eliminating the use of nails,…
and picture…MADE IN U.S.A.
I’m not sure why the Castle of Lions’ monitor would display text about Push-Pins while displaying an animated wireframe of Blue Lion. Maybe Coran had left the interstellar feed of the Home Shopping Club on overnight.
Voltron Legendary Defender’s Sixth Season Released – Fake Spoilers
Today Netflix released the seven-episode sixth season of Voltron Legendary Defender! To celebrate, here are some of the fake spoilers that I tweeted on Twitter in the days and weeks leading up to the release. For all of these tweets, plus many more by many fellow Voltron fans, click here.
#FakeVLDS6Spoiler Varkon discovered to be Keith's great aunt. @Voltron @LetsVoltron @VoltronStore
— Greg Tyler (@LetsVoltronGreg) June 4, 2018
#FakeVLDS6Spoiler Lotor wins the lotor-ry. @Voltron @LetsVoltron @VoltronStore @AJLoCascio
— Greg Tyler (@LetsVoltronGreg) June 4, 2018
#FakeVLDS6Spoiler Hunk and Shay, plus a bit of gene splicing, produce #HayHay @Voltron @LetsVoltron @VoltronStore @TyLabine @EmilyEiden pic.twitter.com/oL52vmvYt6
— Greg Tyler (@LetsVoltronGreg) June 5, 2018
#FakeVLDS6Spoiler Blue Lion gets a pair of Blue Lion slippers. @Voltron @LetsVoltron @VoltronStore
— Greg Tyler (@LetsVoltronGreg) June 6, 2018
#FakeVLDS6Spoiler Castleship fuses with Haggar and a scaultrite-producing creature, and is renamed to the Castle of Lions, the Witch, and the Weblum. @Voltron @LetsVoltron @VoltronStore
— Greg Tyler (@LetsVoltronGreg) June 6, 2018
#FakeVLDS6Spoiler The new big bad is an astrophysicist who destroys non-spherical planets with rational thought. The big bad will be defeated by one loud swoosh of Voltron's Blazing Sword, in space, where there's no sound or oxygen. @Voltron @LetsVoltron @VoltronStore
— Greg Tyler (@LetsVoltronGreg) June 5, 2018
#FakeVLDS6Spoiler Citizens of the Galra Empire reveal what will *really* make them peaceful: infinite supplies of @evanescence . @AmyLeeEV @Voltron @LetsVoltron @VoltronStore
— Greg Tyler (@LetsVoltronGreg) June 12, 2018
Time and Time Again – Another Voltron Legendary Defender Chronology
As a fan of “metafiction” books such as Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology, the Star Trek Chronology, and Timeline of the Planet of the Apes, I’m fascinated by how some enthusiasts of a television or movie-based fictional universe create chronologies from clues in the TV episodes or films. In two previous articles on this website (https://lionsandpilotsandbots.com/2017/12/27/5-11-14-and-monday-chronologizing-voltron-legendary-defender/, https://lionsandpilotsandbots.com/2017/11/12/yearning-for-a-year-voltron-legendary-defender/), I attempted to start a Voltron Legendary Defender chronology from clues in the episodes.
I decided to try once more, now incorporating information from Voltron Legendary Defender: The Paladin’s Handbook, plus additional information from the television program that I had not previously considered.
Data Points:
- In “The New Alliance” (the first part of “The Rise of Voltron”), Lance records a Galaxy Garrison Flight Log with a date of “5-11-14.”
- In “The New Alliance,” in daylight on the day after “5-11-14” – Shiro, Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk leave Earth in Blue Lion.
- In “Some Assembly Required,” Hunk recalls his last night on Earth being on a Monday.
- In “Reunion,” Matt Holt’s false grave marker displays an incorrect birth date of “0010.05.25,” and a death date of “0014.04.28.”
- In “Reunion,” shortly before the launch of the Kerberos Mission, Katie Holt wonders how she’ll “have to go through middle school without” her brother Matt.
- In “From Days of Long Ago”, Shiro states that he had been “locked up by aliens for a year.”
- In “Tears of the Balmera,” Sam Holt hints that the Kerberos Mission’s journey from Earth to Kerberos will take two months.
- In “Tears of the Balmera,” the public announcement of the missing Kerberos Mission crew was made five months after the mission’s launch.
- Voltron Legendary Defender: The Paladin’s Handbook states that Katie Holt (Pidge) was 14 when the Kerberos Mission launched.
- Voltron Legendary Defender: The Paladin’s Handbook provides the age and birth month and day-of-month for each Paladin from Earth:
- Shiro: Age 25, born February 29 (during a leap year, since February 29 is a “Leap Year Day”)
- Keith: Age 18, born October 23
- Lance: Age 17, born July 28
- Hunk: Age 17, born January 13
- Pidge (Katie Holt): Age 15, born April 3
- Voltron Legendary Defender: The Paladin’s Handbook describes Allura as a teenager.
Assumptions:
- “5-11-14” is the actual date on which Lance records the Galaxy Garrison Flight Log.
- “5-11-14” is an Earth calendar date, rather than something exotic like a Star Trek “stardate.”
- “5-11-14,” Hunk’s last night on Earth, is a Monday.
- “0014.04.28” is a plausible date of death for Matt Holt. In “Reunion,” Pidge notices the incorrect birth date on Matt’s false grave marker, but she does not seem to question the plausibility of the death date.
- The dates on Matt Holt’s false grave marker are Earth calendar dates.
- “5-11-14” occurs sometime between Earth years 2100 and 2599. Preferably the date occurs sometime between 2200 and 2499, to avoid dates which are “too soon” or “too distant” in the future. (This date range is a personal preference.)
- On Earth, an academic year begins sometime between June and August, and it ends sometime between May and July. (These month ranges accommodate year-round schools and schools with summer breaks between academic years.)
- Most kids begin kindergarten at age five and complete kindergarten at age six.
- Pidge’s middle school included the seventh and eighth grades, and possibly also an earlier grade or two.
- For Pidge to express concern about going through middle school without Matt, she would need to be in the eighth grade or earlier as of the launch of the Kerberos Mission.
My approach to creating a Voltron Legendary Defender chronology was as follows:
- Compute all reasonable Earth calendar dates that “5-11-14” might represent.
- Although the format of “5-11-14” is likely either month/day/year or day/month/year, assume it could be any permutation of year, month, and day. (Having said that, month/year/day and day/year/month would be… strange.)
- If “5” is a year, then allow the possibility that “5” could be a one-digit year or a two-digit year. (Having said that, a one-digit year would be… strange.)
- Compute all reasonable Earth calendar dates that “0010.05.25” and “0014.04.28” might represent.
- Assume both dates have the same format.
- Although the format of the dates is likely year/month/day, assume it could be any permutation of year, month, and day.
- For “0014.04.28” to be a plausible date of death for Matt Holt, it should be no earlier than roughly two months after the Kerberos Mission launch date, and it should be no later than when Pidge discovered Matt’s false grave marker (sometime not much later than 5-11-14).
- Score each possible “5-11-14” date according to the following criteria:
- Format Score: If the “5” in “5-11-14” is a two-digit year, and the format isn’t “strange” (day/year/month or month/year/day), then the date is given one point. If the “5” is a one-digit year or the format is “strange,” then the date is given only 0.7 points.
- Monday Score: If 5-11-14 is a Monday, then the date is given 1 point; otherwise it is given 0 points.
- Matt Score: If “0014.04.28” can be parsed to a plausible death date relative to 5-11-14, then the date is given 1 point; otherwise it is given 0 points.
- Shiro Score: If Shiro’s age can be 25 as of 5-11-14, then the date is given one point. If Shiro’s age can be 26 as of 5-11-14, then the date is given 0.7 points. Otherwise the date is given 0 points. (I assumed that age 26 was acceptable, although not ideal. A 26-year-old Shiro’s age could still be 25 in the Galaxy Garrison records as of 5-11-14, if the Garrison had assumed that he was dead.)
- Total Score: Add the previously mentioned scores.
- Adjusted Total Score: If “5-11-14” is between 2200 and 2499, then multiply the score by 1. Otherwise, if “5-11-14” is between 2100 and 2599, the multiply the score by 0.7. This reflects my bias that dates between 2100 and 2199 are acceptable but “too soon” in the future, and that dates between 2500 and 2599 are acceptable but “too distant” in the future.
- Sort the “5-11-14” dates by Adjusted Total Scores, from highest to lowest. The highest-scoring “5-11-14” date “wins.”
Result:
- Based on the approach above, the highest-scoring date parsed from “5-11-14” is May 11, 2314. (This is consistent with my reckoning here: https://lionsandpilotsandbots.com/2017/12/27/5-11-14-and-monday-chronologizing-voltron-legendary-defender/.)
- May 11, 2314 has a reasonable format. (It’s neither month/year/day nor day/year/month.)
- May 11, 2314 is a Monday.
- Matt’s false date of death can be parsed to April 28, 2314, which is plausible. Matt’s false date of birth can be parsed to May 25 during some year ending in 10 – likely 2210 or earlier, making him at least 104 as of his falsified death. (This age would be absurd to Pidge or anyone else who had known Matt on Earth. On the other hand, Matt’s non-human rebel comrades would not likely know a human’s average life expectancy — but even they would be suspicious of a 2310 birth year, making Matt only four years old as of his falsified death.)
- For Shiro to be 25 as of May 11, 2314, his February 29 birth month and day would need to be in the year 2289. Unfortunately, 2289 is not a leap year. The closest leap year is 2288, which would make Shiro 26 as of May 11, 2314.
- (The single highest-scoring date parsed from “5-11-14” which enabled Shiro to be 25 as of that date is November 14, 2405. Unfortunately, no plausible date of death for Matt Holt could be parsed from “0014.04.28”, and the adjusted total score of November 14, 2405, was less than that of May 11, 2314.)
- Derived dates:
- As previously stated, Matt Holt’s false date of death is April 28, 2314 – about two weeks before Shiro crashed to Earth. Matt Holt’s false and incorrect date of birth is May 25 of some year ending in 10.
- Shiro, age 26 as of 5-11-14, was born on February 29, 2288.
- Keith, age 18 as of 5-11-14, was born on October 23, 2295.
- Lance, age 17 as of 5-11-14, was born on July 28, 2296.
- Hunk, age 17 as of 5-11-14, was born on January 13, 2297. Hunk is about six months younger than Lance.
- Pidge, age 15 as of 5-11-14, was born on April 3, 2299. Pidge had turned 15 about a month before 5-11-14.
- For Pidge to have been 14 when the Kerberos Mission launched, the launch date could be no earlier than Pidge’s 14th birthday, April 3, 2313. Shiro returned to Earth on May 11, 2314, after about a year in Galra captivity, which followed a two-month flight from Earth to Kerberos. If Shiro spent slightly less than a full year in Galra custody, and/or the flight from Earth to Kerberos took slightly less than two months, then the launch date of the Kerberos Mission could plausibly be on or shortly after April 3, 2313. Since Pidge’s birthday isn’t mentioned in “Tears of the Balmera,” it’s likely that the launch date was soon after rather than on April 3, 2313. If so, then the Kerberos Mission crew could plausibly have been captured shortly after their arrival on Kerberos in early June 2313 – meaning Shiro would have spent about eleven months (close enough to round up to a year) in Galra captivity. In conclusion…
- The Kerberos Mission launched in April 2313, sometime soon after April 3.
- The Kerberos Mission reached Kerberos in early June 2313. Soon afterward, the crew was captured by the Galra.
- Pidge and her mother watched the news announcement of the disappearance of the Kerberos Mission in September 2313, about five months after the mission launched. In “Tears of the Balmera,” Pidge was surprised by the news announcement, but in “Reunion,” it was established that Pidge could communicate with Matt using a secret code. This implies that, for about three months after the Kerberos Mission crew was captured, Pidge was unable to communicate with Matt. Perhaps other factors had already prevented Pidge from communicating with Matt, so that she could still be surprised by news of the crew’s loss.
- The future Paladins left Earth in Blue Lion on the morning after 5-11-14; that is, on May 12, 2314. On this date they reached Arus and inadvertently revived Princess Allura and Coran from cryo-sleep.
- Allura and Coran, in cryo-sleep for 10,000 years by the time of their revival, would have been placed in cryo-sleep in roughly 7787 B.C.E.
- If we conjecture that Allura was 17 years old when she and Coran were placed in cryo-sleep, then she would have been born in roughly 7804 B.C.E.
- The Castle of Lions, built some 10,600 years prior to 5-11-14, would have been built in roughly 8387 B.C.E.
- About Pidge’s grade in school:
- As of the April 2313 launch date of the Kerberos Mission, Pidge was 14 years old, but she had not yet completed middle school. If like many kids, she began kindergarten at age five and completed it age six, then she would have begun eighth grade (a middle school grade) when she was 13 and completed it when she was 14. It’s plausible that a 14-year-old Pidge was in the final months of middle school when Matt departed Earth with the Kerberos Mission.
Partial Chronology
- 8387 B.C.E. (approximate): The Castle of Lions is built.
- 7804 B.C.E. (approximate): Allura is born.
- 7787 B.C.E. (approximate): Allura and Coran are placed in cryo-sleep.
- February 29, 2288: Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane is born.
- October 23, 2295: Keith is born.
- July 28, 2296: Lance is born.
- January 13, 2297: Hunk is born.
- April 3, 2299: Pidge is born.
- April 3, 2313: Pidge becomes 14 years old.
- April 2313 (shortly after April 3): The Kerberos Mission is launched. At this point, 14-year-old Pidge is an eighth-grade middle school student, and Shiro is 25 years old.
- June 2313: The Kerberos Mission reaches Kerberos. Shortly after its arrival, the crew is captured by the Galra.
- September 2313: Pidge and her mother watch a news announcement that the Kerberos Mission has been lost.
- April 28, 2314: According to Matt Holt’s false grave marker, Matt Holt died on this date. (The marker’s false and incorrect date of Matt’s birth is May 25 of some year ending in 10.)
- May 11, 2314: Lance, Hunk, and Pidge fail a simulated Galaxy Garrison rescue mission. That night, Shiro crashes to Earth.
- May 12, 2314: Shiro, Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk leave Earth in Blue Lion. They reach Arus, where the group inadvertently revives Allura and Coran from cryo-sleep.
This chronology is conjectural, but it holds together surprisingly well. I doubt that there will ever be a “canon” chronology for Voltron Legendary Defender, but for now, this partial one is good enough for me. In the future, I’ll probably add information from more episodes as well as tie-in fiction.
In the meantime, I hope this chronology doesn’t tick off too many fellow fans. (See what I did there?)
The Shake Ups – Legendary Defenders: Voltron-Inspired Album Releasing June 1
The Shake Ups, a band that specializes in pop culture-themed “power pop” music, is releasing a Voltron-inspired album on June 1, 2018. Entitled The Shake Ups – Legendary Defenders, the album features 15 tracks that cover Voltron Legendary Defender and Voltron: Defender of the Universe. The tracks cover a variety of topics in Voltron lore, from Shiro, Haggar, and even the Space Mice from Voltron Legendary Defender to the Voltron Vehicle Team from Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
In a Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast episode scheduled to be released on June 1, Marc Morrell and I spoke with band members Patrick O’Connor and Savannah O’Connor about the upcoming album. The Shake Ups were kind enough to allow Marc and I an early listen to the album, and… well… it’s a lot of fun! There’s something to like in each of the tracks. My personal favorites are “Space Mice”, “Quiznak!”, and “Team Punk.”
If you like Voltron and music, you’ll like Voltron music — and you’ll like this album, so check it out!
Playmates Toys – No Pidge, Allura, Hunk Action Figures
It has been reported on social media that Playmates Toys has decided not to produce Voltron Legendary Defender action figures of Pidge, Princess Allura, and Hunk. Although Playmates Toys released twelve action figures in its basic assortment, only three were of characters from the show — Shiro, Keith, and Lance. The other basic figures consisted of the five (non-transforming/combining) Lions, three Voltrons, and Robeast Myzax.
At various toy fairs, Playmates had teased figures of Pidge, Allura, and Hunk, as well as King Zarkon and Robeast Drazil. Zarkon and Drazil were not shown at the most recent toy fair, February’s New York Toy Fair 2018, which suggests that by that point, Playmates had already decided not to proceed with making those two figures. Other no-shows at NYTF 2018 that had appeared at previous toy fairs were a super-sized, non-transforming/combining Red Lion, which would have been bundled with an exclusive variant of the Keith figure, and a super-sized, non-transforming/combining Blue Lion, which would have been bundled with an exclusive variant of Lance.
This Voltron collector is saddened that only half the Paladins of Voltron are represented as action figures.
The link below is to the toy review video of Shiro, Keith, Lance, and Cannon Fire Voltron basic action figures, which I made for the Let’s Voltron YouTube channel.
Castle Ships in Voltron Lore
In the first-season Voltron Legendary Defender episode “Taking Flight,” the Castle of Lions tears itself from the surface of the planet Arus, and assumes what became its ongoing new form: a spacecraft. Its crew informally called it the “Castle-ship.”
Voltron Legendary Defender wasn’t the Voltron-related program with a Castle-turned-spaceship.
In Beast King Golion, one of the anime programs that were adapted into Voltron: Defender of the Universe, the Golion Team calls Castle Gradam its home. In the 50th episode, “The Great Storming of Galra,” Raible reveals that the Castle can convert to a spaceship. The Golion Team uses the ship as part of a final assault on the planet Galra.
The Castle’s transformation initiates when Raible inserts a special key into the Castle’s main console.
The Castle does not launch from Altea until Golion‘s 52nd and final episode, “Burn Galra Castle.”
Because Golion‘s 52 episodes were adapted into episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe, Castle Gradam and its ship mode appear in Voltron, although in the latter program the Castle is called the Castle of Lions. In Voltron, the Castle’s ship mode is revealed in “Zarkon Becomes a Robeast,” which was adapted from Golion‘s “The Great Storming of Galra.”
The Castle of Lions’ ship mode makes a notable reappearance in “Fleet of Doom,” the two-part final story that was animated entirely new for Voltron. In that story, the Castle of Lions transports the Lions to the Galaxy Alliance’s Power Base, to rendezvous with the Voltron Vehicle Team and remove the Drule/Doom forces that threatened the base.
Although Voltron: The Third Dimension featured a Castle of Lions, no ship mode is seen or referenced in the program’s 26 episodes. Perhaps a ship mode would have been revealed had more episodes been produced.
In the 26th and final episode of Voltron Force, the spirit of King Alfor activates the Castle of Lions’ transformation to its spaceship mode. The Castle’s ship mode is a surprise even to Princess Allura. The Castle helps Voltron win a decisive victory over Maahox.
Castles-turned-spacecraft are seemingly as much a part of Voltron lore as the Defenders of the Universe themselves.
Same But Different: The First Episodes of Beast King Golion and Voltron: Defender of the Universe
As a longtime Voltron fan, and as co-host of Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast, I am sometimes asked which episode of Voltron: Defender of the Universe is my favorite. My response has probably varied over the years, but the episode that I find myself watching most frequently is “Space Explorers Captured,” the first episode in original air date order, and the first episode to feature the Lion Force characters.
During my most recent re-watch of the episode, as well as “Escape from Slave Castle,” the Beast King Golion episode from which it was adapted, I realized why I’m so fascinated with “Space Explorers Captured”: unlike nearly every other episode of Voltron: Defender of the Universe, “Space Explorers Captured” isn’t a straight adaptation, with violent shots removed for an audience of largely American youths – the Voltron episode has its own distinct narrative, and it sets up a surprisingly different premise from that of Beast King Golion – and all of this is accomplished with clever editing and new writing.
Golion #1 Story | Voltron #1 Story |
---|---|
On the planet Galra, five earthlings are in a cell in Slave Castle. The earthlings had been captured shortly after returning from a space mission and their discovery that, in their absence, Earth had been devastated during World War III.
The earthlings escape Galra in a Galra slave ship. Emperor Daibazaal orders Sadak to pursue. Sadak’s ship shoots down the escape ship as it approaches the planet Altea. The escape ship’s descent is watched from an ancient castle by a beautiful princess. Before the ship crashes, a strange beam of light emanates from a statue in front of an ancient castle. The ship’s descent slows, and the earthlings’ leader, Kogane, takes the controls and flies the ship past the castle. |
Five Space Explorers from Earth’s Galaxy Garrison reach the planet Arus, which is under attack by the forces of King Zarkon. The Explorers’ ship is captured, and the Space Explorers are taken to the planet Doom.
The Space Explorers escape Doom in a slave ship. Zarkon orders Commander Yurak to pursue. Yurak’s ship shoots down the escape ship as it approaches the planet Arus. The escape ship’s descent is slowed by a strange beam of light emanating from a statue in front of the legendary Castle of Lions. Keith, captain of the Space Explorers, tells his team the legend of Voltron. With hope that the Space Explorers can locate and bring back Voltron, Keith guides the escape ship past the Castle of Lions. |
Golion #1 Premise | Voltron #1 Premise |
---|---|
Several thousand years ago, the mysetrious robot Golion arrogantly challenged the Goddess of the Universe to a fight. The goddess punished Golion for its arrogance by splitting it into five parts, each a robot Lion.
In 1999, five earthling space explorers from the war-ravaged planet Earth rediscover the robot Lions and form Golion, to protect the planet Altea and its allies from Emperor Daibazaal and the Galra Empire. |
Some years ago, King Zarkon’s witch Haggar placed a curse on the mighty robot Voltron, splitting it into five parts, each a robot Lion.
Now (the future – in an unspecified year), five Space Explorers from the Galaxy Garrison rediscover teh robot Lions and form Voltron, to protecdt the universe from Zarkon and the forces of Doom. |
I also studied the Voltron premiere episode, and I discovered that — Ignoring the opening, closing, teaser for the next episode, and minor edits such as trimming violent Golion content, the first Voltron episode is comprised of:
- Eight segments from the first Beast King Golion episode. (The overwhelming majority of the content is from this episode.) In the Voltron episode, these segments are re-sequenced and given a different context.
- Three short segments from the third Beast King Golion episode. These segments support Voltron’s altered premise.
- Two short segments and one longer segment from the first episode of Armored Fleet Dairugger XV, the anime program from which the Vehicle Team episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe were adapted. These segments also support Voltron’s altered premise.
Here is a breakdown of the segments in Voltron‘s first episode:
To contrast the first episode of Voltron: Defender of the Universe with that of Beast King Golion, here are the segments of the Golion premiere:
“Space Explorers Captured,” the first Lion Force episode of Voltron: Defender of the Universe, is surprisingly different than its Beast King Golion counterpart, “Escape from Slave Castle.” The episodes are a testament to how important editing can be in telling a story — or two. IF you’ve not watched these in a while, or ever, then check them out.
Somewhere in Time: Lion Forge Comics, VR Chronicles, and Voltron Legendary Defender
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.
Matchbox 1985 and 1986 Toy Fair Catalogs
In the 1980s, and still today, toy makers try to entice retailers to purchase current and possible future toy offerings at an annual trade show called New York Toy Fair. In the pre-Internet era of the 1980s, a toy maker would give printed catalogs to retailers, so that they would be aware of the toys that the company made, how to order them, and other information.
In the mid-1980s, Voltron: Defender of the Universe was a hot toy property, and Matchbox was Voltron’s first licensed toy maker. All of Matchbox’s Voltron toy offerings were modified re-releases of toys that had originally been produced by Popy, later Bandai, for the anime programs that were adapted to make Voltron.
Here are some photos of Matchbox’s 1985 and 1986 Toy Fair catalogs!
1985
Front Cover
What’s that on the cover? Is that Voltron? Yes — it’s Voltron I! There’s not a lion to be found… yet. Given Matchbox’s history with small toy cars, this Voltron does seem to be the most appropriate robot to feature on the cover of the catalog.
Pages 48-49
It’s Voltron I! This mighty robot had five toy offerings:
- 700211 Voltron I Air Warrior Set
- 700212 Voltron I Space Warrior Set
- 700213 Voltron I Land Warrior Set
- 700002 Voltron I Miniature Space Warrior Robot
- 700210 Voltron I The Deluxe Warrior Set.
If I were a nitpicker, I would point out that the forearm vehicles are swapped in the photo of The Deluxe Warrior Set — and in the photo of the Land Warrior Set. I’d also point out that the Air Warrior Set, Space Warrior Set, and Land Warrior Set did not have die-cast parts. It’s good that I’m not a nitpicker.
Note the “NEW! TV” markings on each page. Having a television program as a promotional outlet for toys was and still is hugely important to a retailer.
Pages 50-51
It’s Voltron II! This mighty robot had four toy offerings:
- 700100 Voltron II Miniature Red Gladiator Robot
- 700110 Voltron II Miniature Blue Gladiator Robot
- 700120 Voltron II Miniature Black Gladiator Robot
- 700220 Voltron II The Deluxe Gladiator Set.
These toys are also “NEW! TV” — but Voltron II never appeared on TV, at least not in the Voltron: Defender of the Universe program. To my knowledge, Matchbox never even televised ads for this poor guy, who incidentally is horribly mis-transformed on page 51. As shown in the catalog, the Blue Gladiator Robot’s head seems to be stuck in the ro-butt of the Black Gladiator Robot, whose head seems to be stuck in the ro-butt of the Red Gladiator Robot. It’s a good thing that robots don’t feel pain.
Pages 52-53
It’s Voltron III — or what most people today simply call Voltron. This mighty robot had five toy offerings:
- 700201 Voltron III Giant Black Lion Robot
- 700202 Voltron III Yellow and Green Mighty Lion Robots Set
- 700203 Voltron III Blue and Red Mighty Lion Robots Set
- 700001 Voltron III Miniature Lion Space Robot
- 700200 Voltron III The Deluxe Lion Set
Again, it’s good that I’m not a nitpicker, because if I were, I’d point out that, in the photo of The Deluxe Lion Set:
- The rear feet of Blue and Yellow Lions are pointed incorrectly.
- The front legs of Blue and Yellow Lions are posed incorrectly.
- Black Lion’s rear legs (Voltron’s thighs) are posed very strangely.
- Black Lion’s shoulders (Voltron’s shoulders) are oriented incorrectly.
- Black Lion has a yellow button on its left shoulder. This play feature was never present in the released Voltron toy.
Voltron III’s “NEW! TV” markings are the most apropos of the three robots, because after the first run of Voltron: Defender of the Universe, “Voltron I” all but disappeared from television, and as I already mentioned, “Voltron II” never made it to TV.
1986
Front Cover
What the heck are those toys? They aren’t Voltron toys, and more strangely, they aren’t the tiny, die-cast toy cars for which Matchbox was best known. Read on, fearless reader!
Table of Contents
Voltron scored two fewer pages in 1986 than it enjoyed in 1985. Then… there’s this thing called Robotech, which spanned 36 pages — whereas Matchbox’s traditional die-cast cars had only 22 pages. What gives?
Pages 30-31
If you’re thinking that these toys look like 1985’s “Voltron I” toys, then you’re thinking correctly. At some point, Matchbox must have gotten a memo from World Events Productions that the Roman numerals became passe sometime between when the TV program’s pilot episodes were made and when the “real” episodes were made. The renamed offerings were:
- 700211 Strato-Fighter
- 700212 Aqua-Fighter
- 700213 Turbo-Terrain-Fighter
- 700002 Miniature Vehicle Team Voltron
- 700210 Vehicle Team Voltron
Why was the “Aqua-Fighter” previously called the “Space Warrior?” I have no idea.
Pages 32-33
By 1986, poor “Voltron II” had disappeared even from Matchbox’s toy offerings. Fortunately “Voltron III” was still around, albeit renamed. The 1986 offerings for this Voltron robot were:
- 700201 Giant Black Lion
- 700202 Yellow and Green Lions
- 700203 Blue and Red Lions
- 700001 Miniature Lion Force Voltron
- 700200 Lion Force Voltron
- 700401 Blazing Sword Set
- 700402 Miniature Blazing Sword Set
The new-to-1986 items, 700401 and 700402, probably came along because someone at Matchbox realized that Voltron had become kind of well known for using a sword.
The Lion Force Voltron toy is once again mis-transformed:
- The rear feet of Blue and Yellow Lions are pointed incorrectly.
- The front legs of Blue Lion seem to be posed incorrectly.
- Black Lion’s shoulders (Voltron’s shoulders) are oriented correctly; however, Black Lion’s lower front legs are sticking out as if whoever set up the toy didn’t know that the lower front legs could be folded inside the shoulders.
Pages 34-35
These pages have nothing to do with Voltron, but they have everything to do with the catalog’s cover, as well as the most prominently featured licensed property in the catalog: Robotech, another animated program made by adapting multiple anime programs. Matchbox put a huge investment into Robotech. The company launched an enormous product line targeted at boys and girls, and it was co-financing the production of a 65-episode sequel to Robotech, called Robotech II: The Sentinels. Unfortunately retailer interest at 1986 New York Toy Fair was well below expectations. This and other factors led to Matchbox abandoning Robotech II: The Sentinels mid-production. But that’s a story for a different website.
And there you have it — Voltron as it appeared in Matchbox’s 1985 and 1986 Toy Fair retailer catalogs.