Let’s Get to the Lions! (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Greg Tyler

In every Voltron television program to date — Voltron: Defender of the Universe, Voltron: The Third Dimension, Voltron Force, and Voltron: Legendary Defender — the Castle of Lions has been the home and base of operations of the Voltron Lions’ pilots and their closest allies. In a crisis, each Lion’s pilot often needs to make a quick exit from the Castle’s control room to his or her Lion.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Voltron: Legendary Defender to see how the Lions’ pilots, or paladins, move from the Castle’s control room or bridge to the Lions’ hangars.

This article goes reeeeeeeeeeeally deep. Writing stuff like this is one of many ways that I celebrate Voltron: Legendary Defender and everyone who brings this great program to life.

Our first stop is the bridge. Around its periphery, the bridge has six known exits:

Rear Center Exit: This is the main exit. It leads from the Bridge to basically anywhere else within the Castle.
Floor Exit: This exit is located along the centerline of the room, in front of Princess Allura’s usual work area, and behind Coran’s usual work area. This exit leads to the hangar of Black Lion, as we’ll see shortly.
Left Exit: This exit leads to the hangar of one of the non-black Lions.
Right Exit: This exit leads to the hangar of one of the non-black Lions.
Rear Right Exit: This exit leads to the hangar of one of the non-black Lions.
Rear Left Exit: This exit leads to the hangar of one of the non-black Lions.

In “Some Assembly Required,” we see the paladins exit the Castle’s bridge and travel to the hangars of all five Lions…twice. Unfortunately, the only exit that is easily associated with a single Lion is the Floor Exit, which Shiro uses to travel to the hangar of Black Lion, as shown below.

In “Some Assembly Required,” we see shots from outside two bridge exits, looking into the bridge.

One “outside looking in” shot is from outside the exit to Blue Lion’s hangar, looking into the bridge. Lance dominates the image, but we can see enough features of the bridge to identify which bridge exit he’s using: it’s the Rear Right Exit.

The other “outside looking in” shot is from outside the exit to Red Lion’s hangar, looking into the bridge. We see far less of the bridge in this shot, but we can see one exit that is more or less straight across the bridge from the exit to Red Lion’s hangar. Based on the perspective of the exit across the bridge, that exit might be the Left Exit, which would make the exit to Red Lion’s hangar the Right Exit. This isn’t a 100% sure thing, but it’s a reasonable guess.

If the exit to Blue Lion’s hangar is the Rear Right Exit, and the exit to Red Lion’s hangar is the Right Exit, then based purely on symmetry, the exit to the other “leg lion” – Yellow Lion – would be the Aft Left Exit, and the exit to the other “arm lion” – Green Lion – would be the Left Exit.

To summarize, it appears that:

The Floor Exit leads to Black Lion’s hangar.
The Left Exit might lead to Green Lion’s hangar.
The Right Exit might lead to Red Lion’s hangar.
The Rear Left Exit might lead to Yellow Lion’s hangar.
The Rear Right Exit leads to Blue Lion’s hangar.

“Taking Flight” and “Eye of the Storm” seem to add weight to our guesses. In these episode, we see the paladins on the bridge, seated at workstations that have appeared from beneath the floor.

Shiro sits at a console that’s built in to the Floor Exit.
Lance is seated at a console that’s positioned along the path from Allura’s work area to the Rear Right Exit, which we’ve previously determined to be the exit to Blue Lion’s hangar.
Keith’s console is positioned along the path from Allura’s area to the Right Exit, which we’ve guessed is the exit to Red Lion’s hangar.
Hunk’s console is on the path from Allura’s area to the Rear Left Exit, which we’ve guessed is the exit to Yellow Lion’s hangar.
Pidge is at a console on the path from Allura’s area to the Left Exit, which we’ve guessed is the exit to Green Lion’s hangar.

The very crude “bridge plan” diagram below shows the positions of the five Lion hangar exits.

Each exit leads to a platform that descends like an elevator in a cylindrical shaft.

Once the platform reaches the bottom of the shaft, the paladin steps forward, holds onto a grab bar, and rides with the grab bar as it proceeds along what appears to be a long, straight-line tunnel that slopes downward.

At end of this tunnel, the paladin lets go of the grab bar and drops feet first through another tunnel.

At the end of this tunnel, the paladin drops into his or her speeder.

The speeder then travels in a seemingly horizontal, straight-line tunnel to a point directly beneath the Lion’s hangar.

The speeder then rides a platform that ascends until the speeder seemingly enters the sliding double-door hatch on the Lion’s chest.

In “The Ark of Taujeer,” during Keith’s dream sequence, we see the next step in a paladin’s journey to his or her Lion. The speeder stops rising once it reaches the platform on which the Lion rests, and it begins to move toward the Lion.

The speeder presumably enters the Lion through the double-door speeder hatch on the Lion’s chest, as we see happen in episodes such as “Return to the Balmera.”

For each paladin, the next thing we see is the paladin, seated in a chair, in a chamber behind the cockpit. A pair of sliding doors separates the chamber from the cockpit. The doors slide open, and the seated paladin moves forward and into the cockpit.

In “Some Assembly Required,” we can see that the Lion cockpit chair differs from the seat in the speeder.

This suggests that, after the speeder enters the Lion through the chest, the paladin exits the speeder and sits in a chair that raises into position behind the cockpit. (I point this out because, in Voltron: Defender of the Universe, the seat of the “speeder” actually became the Lion’s cockpit seat.)

Now that we’ve covered how the paladins access their Lions from the Castle of Lions’ bridge, let’s look at how the Lions exit the Castle.

The three shots below, from “Crystal Venom,” “Return to the Balmera,” and “Taking Flight,” show which Lion exits which of the Castle’s exit ports.

The shot below, from “Taking Flight,” contradicts the shots from “Crystal Venom,” “Return to the Balmera,” and even the “Taking Flight” shot showing the launch of Blue Lion, so this shot probably has an easily made animation error.

To summarize, assuming the erroneous shot from “Taking Flight” can be ignored:

Black Lion exits the Castle through a port at the bow of the main hull
Red Lion exits the Castle through a port at the bow of the top right (dorsal starboard) nacelle
Green Lion exits the Castle through a port at the bow of the top left (dorsal port) nacelle
Blue Lion exits the Castle through a port at the bow of the bottom right (ventral starboard) nacelle
Yellow Lion exits the Castle through a port at the bow of the bottom left (ventral port) nacelle

Interestingly, the arrangement of the hangar exit ports is inconsistent with the arrangement of the exits on the bridge.

The paths of Keith and Lance, and the paths of Pidge and Hunk, would need to “criss-cross” so that each paladin can reach his or her Lion. This wouldn’t be a big deal, because Keith and Pidge’s paths could easily be “higher” or “lower” within the Castle than Lance and Hunk’s paths.

We’ve now walked through the path that each paladin follows from the bridge to the hangar of his or her Lion. Let’s take a quick look at the hangars.

When the Castle of Lions is on the ground, in “Castle mode,” the hangars’ floors are aligned with the ground. In other words, for a Lion to launch out of the Castle, it flies up and out through an exit port in the “roof.”

When the Castle of Lions is flying and in “Castleship mode,” the hangars’ floors pivot ninety degrees so that when each Lion launches out of the Castle, it shoots forward and out through an exit port in the “front.”

Finally, let’s look at the strut that connects each nacelle to the Castle’s main hull. As the shot below shows, the strut has multiple segments, and they appear to be articulated. A speeder traveling from the main hull to a nacelle might have a bumpy ride going through the strut! In all seriousness, I’d imagine the inside of a tunnel through the strut looking something like the inside of a jet bridge.

And… that’s it! The next time you visit the Castle of Lions, now you’ll know how to get to each Lion.

Voltron 101

Posted on April 16, 2017 by Greg Tyler

(This article is based on material that I wrote for the “Voltron 101” episode of Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast.)

Introduction

This article is a primer for all things Voltron. If you’re a new fan who was introduced to Voltron through the all-new series, Voltron: Legendary Defender, and you’re curious about what came before, then this article is for you. If you’re a fan from days of long ago – 1984 – and you’re curious about what came after, then this article is for you. If you’re the friend or loved one of a Voltron fan, or if you can’t tell Voltron from Optimus Prime, then this article is for you.

This article focuses only on the various Voltron television programs. It skips details about the making of these shows, and it skips some of the more arcane facts about the shows. That’s because the goal is to welcome as many readers as possible to the entirety of the Voltron universe, without overwhelming you with too much information.

Premise

Voltron is about a group of young heroes who protect all that is good from all that is evil, with the help of their incredible machines that can easily hold their own in battle. In times of great danger, these heroes can combine their machines into a super robot called Voltron. Just as the super robot Voltron is more powerful than its individual components, Voltron’s pilots, when working together, comprise a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts. In short, Voltron is fantastic sci-fi action that focuses on a very down-to-earth concept: overcoming incredible obstacles through the power of friendship and teamwork.

Voltron: Defender of the Universe (1984-1986)

On Monday, September 10, 1984, kids of all ages were captivated with amazing sights and sounds as a new animated television series first hit air waves. The series was called Voltron: Defender of the Universe.

Lion Force

The series’ earliest episodes focus on the Voltron Lion Force – a team of five, brave space explorers who operate five distinctly colored robot lions. Team leader Keith controls the Black Lion. The sarcastic Lance operates the Red Lion. The short, spectacled and smart Pidge flies the Green Lion. The brawny, tough, yet soft-hearted Hunk pilots the Yellow Lion, and the pensive, noble Sven controls the Blue Lion. The space explorers discover the Lions on a planet called Arus – a planet that had been devastated, and its population decimated, by prolonged conflict with the forces of the evil King Zarkon of Planet Doom. Among the casualties of this conflict was Planet Arus’ king, Alfor, leaving his daughter, Princess Allura, the only surviving member of the royal family. As the forces of Planet Doom – Zarkon, witch Haggar, and eventually Zarkon’s son, Prince Lotor – continue their attacks on Arus and other planets in the Far Universe, the Voltron Force defend the innocent using their mighty Lions. Often Zarkon would send a Robeast – an enormous, magic-enhanced, mechanical monster – and to defeat it, the Voltron Force would combine their Lions into Voltron.

Soon after the series begins, Blue Lion pilot Sven is seriously injured during a skirmish with Haggar. Sven is taken to the planet Ebb in order to heal, and Princess Allura succeeds him as pilot of the Blue Lion. As the Lion Force story progresses, Zarkon becomes an even more dangerous threat, Prince Lotor becomes increasingly obsessed with marrying the unwilling Princess Allura, and the Voltron Force continues to fight on behalf of the good people whom Zarkon seeks to conquer.

Vehicle Team

As the Voltron Lion Force defends the Far Universe, the Near Universe is protected by another group of space explorers – the Voltron Vehicle Team.

The Voltron Vehicle Team is assigned to the Stellar Ship Explorer, which explores the universe in search of knowledge, new allies, and habitable planets on which people of the overcrowded planets of the benevolent Galaxy Alliance can settle and establish new homes. The Voltron Vehicle Team’s 15 members are divided equally into three sub-teams – the Air Team, led by hot-headed Voltron Force captain Jeff; the Sea Team, led by the insightful alien Krik; and the Land Team, led by the level-headed geologist Cliff. Each team member operates an advanced, combat-ready exploration vehicle.

An additional function of this Voltron Force is defense against the attacks of the Drule Empire, a militaristic force that seeks to dominate the universe. Like Zarkon, the Drules often use their own Robeasts in their offensives against the Explorer and its allies. To protect the Explorer and the Galaxy Alliance, the Voltron Vehicle Team can combine the 15 vehicles into an entirely different Voltron.

As the Vehicle Team story progresses, the Drules discover that their obsession with war is destroying their own home planet. While Drule leaders stubbornly and relentlessly escalate their campaign against the Galaxy Alliance, Commander Hazar eventually goes rogue and pursues peace with the Galaxy Alliance, in order to save his people from the imminent destruction of his home world. Unfortunately, the peace-seeking efforts of Hazar and the Voltron Force are repeatedly thwarted by ongoing battles between the Drule military and the Galaxy Alliance.

Episodes

Voltron: Defender of the Universe consists of 125 episodes. 72 episodes feature the Voltron Lion Force, 52 episodes feature the Voltron Vehicle Team, and the final adventure, “Fleet of Doom,” features the Lion Force and Vehicle Team fighting side by side against the combined forces of King Zarkon and the Drule Empire.

Among television viewers, the Lion Force characters and robot proved to be much more popular than their Vehicle Team counterparts, to the point that the Vehicle Team has not yet been featured in any subsequently produced Voltron television program.

Anime Roots

Although most fans of Voltron: Defender of the Universe didn’t know it at the time, Voltron was produced using animation from two unrelated anime programs. Voltron’s Vehicle Team episodes were based on Armored Fleet Dairugger XV, and the first 52 Lion Force episodes of Voltron were based on Beast King Golion. The remaining episodes were animated specifically for Voltron. The Golion and Dairugger programs included violent content that Voltron’s producers thought to be inappropriate for children’s animation, so the material had to be heavily edited for Voltron.

Perhaps the most notable plot difference between Voltron and the original anime programs is the fate of original Blue Lion pilot Sven. In Voltron, Sven survives his battle with Haggar and eventually falls in love. In Beast King Golion, Sven is called Takashi Shirogane, and he dies as the result of his wounds from his battle with the witch, called Honerva.

Some other differences between Voltron and the original anime are in names of planets. For example, in Voltron, Allura rules Planet Arus, and King Zarkon controls Planet Doom. In Beast King Golion, the princess, named Fala, rules Planet Altea, and the emperor, named Daibazaal, controls Planet Galra.

The final episode of Voltron: Defender of the Universe first aired in 1986, but in 1997, some of the episodes – the 20 Lion Force episodes not adapted from Beast King Golion – were re-packaged as an entirely different series called The New Adventures of Voltron. This series has a flashy, computer-animated opening that gave its viewers a glimpse at what the next Voltron television series would be like.

Voltron: The Third Dimension (1998-2000)

On Saturday, September 12, 1998, Voltron: The Third Dimension premiered. This series is a “quasi-sequel” to the original Voltron program. Many of the recurring characters from the Lion Force episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe are featured in this series, and four of the original show’s voice cast members reprise many of their key roles in this series. The story begins about five years after a pivotal battle between the Voltron Force and Prince Lotor. Lotor had been severely injured during that battle, and his scarred body had to be augmented with cybernetic components in order to survive. The Voltron Force had disbanded and moved on with their lives. Zarkon had reformed and become minister of peace of the Galaxy Alliance, Haggar had disappeared, and the Galaxy Alliance’s 900 member worlds had entrusted governing duties to a robot called Amalgamus.

Voltron: The Third Dimension looks much different than its predecessor. Instead of traditional cel-based animation, The Third Dimension incorporates 3D-based computer generated imagery, or CGI. The animation was cutting-edge for its time, but it looks dated today.

In the first episode, Lotor escapes from a high-security prison, reconnecting with Haggar and resuming his attacks against the Galaxy Alliance. The Voltron Force reunites in order to stop him. As the story progresses, the Voltron Force often finds its hands tied due to Amalgamus’ reluctance to use the Lions, thinking it will cause unrest within the Alliance. Princess Allura learns more about the origins of the Voltron Lions. Eventually the Voltron Force has to save the entire Galaxy Alliance from Lotor, Haggar… and an ally who turns out to be less than trustworthy.

Although Voltron: The Third Dimension seems to be the least popular Voltron program among fans, it is entertaining, and it deserves more consideration than it often receives.

The 26th and final episode of Voltron: The Third Dimension aired in February 2000. Eleven years later, Voltron was needed once more.

Voltron Force (2011-2012)

On Thursday, June 16, 2011, Voltron Force premiered. Like Voltron: The Third Dimension, but unrelated to that show, Voltron Force is another “quasi-sequel” to the original Voltron program. Many of the recurring characters from the Lion Force episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe are featured in this series, although they are performed by different voice actors. The story begins several years after a pivotal battle between the Voltron Force and Lotor, now King of Planet Doom. Lotor was killed during the battle, and Haggar had disappeared. During a victory celebration on Earth, the Voltron Lions, minus their pilots, had inexplicably attacked a city, forcing Sky Marshall Wade of the Galaxy Alliance to lock up the Lions. The Voltron Force then disbanded and moved on with their lives.

In the first, feature-length episode, Lotor is brought back to life by a mysterious occult scientist called Maahox. Now infused with a dark energy called Haggarium, Lotor poses an even greater threat to the Galaxy Alliance than before, forcing the Voltron Force to disobey Sky Marshall Wade and reactivate the Voltron Lions. The Voltron pilots also take on three cadets: the impulsive Daniel, who dreams of piloting Black Lion and leading the Voltron Force; Vince, an intellectual but reluctant hero; and Princess Larmina, niece of Allura, who is highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Each Voltron Force pilot and cadet has a Voltcom – a gauntlet that can generate weapons catered to its wearer, as well as unlock long-hidden capabilities of Voltron, such as the ability of any of the five Lions to form Voltron’s torso and head, giving Voltron powers that are specific to the center Lion.

As the Voltron Force story progresses, Lotor and Maahox escalate their attacks, Sky Marshall Wade is revealed to be obsessed with power, Maahox is found to have his own evil motives, and the three Voltron Force cadets learn what it takes to be Voltron pilots.

The final episode of Voltron Force aired in April 2012. The series ended with a cliffhanger that has not been fully resolved, although a brief continuation of the plot is depicted in comic book form as the epilogue of a book called Voltron: From Days of Long Ago: A Thirtieth Anniversary Celebration. Let’s Voltron podcast host Marc Morrell was a co-author of this book. Check it out!

(Depending on one’s perspective, Voltron Force‘s episode count is either 26 or 24. As released on DVD in Region 4, Voltron Force consists of 26 half-hour episodes; however, when the series first aired on NickToons, the first three episodes were presented as a single, feature-length episode. The series is usually described as having 26 episodes.)

With twelve years between the end of Voltron: Defender of the Universe and the start of Voltron: The Third Dimension, and eleven years between the end of Voltron: The Third Dimension and the start of Voltron Force, one might have surmised that another Voltron television series wouldn’t debut until the mid-2020s. Fortunately, this time, Voltron was needed much sooner.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (2016-Present)

On Friday, June 10, 2016, Voltron: Legendary Defender premiered, with the entire eleven-episode first season being made available exclusively on Netflix. This series is an overt reboot of the Lion Force Voltron concept from Voltron: Defender of the Universe. The series’ showrunners have strived to make this new series as fun and entertaining as what long-time fans remember having watched over 30 years before. The characters were redesigned, but they were made to look similar enough to the original designs that they’d pass a “squint test.”

At a glance, the story begins much as Voltron: Defender of the Universe does: a team of five, brave space explorers find themselves becoming pilots of five distinctly colored robot lions. Some of the Lion/pilot assignments different in this series: although as before, Pidge flies the Green Lion, and Hunk pilots the Yellow Lion, Keith now controls the Red Lion, and Lance operates the Blue Lion. The Black Lion is now piloted by Shiro, the team leader, who is named after Takashi Shirogane from Beast King Golion – called Sven in Voltron: Defender of the Universe. As in previous Voltron programs, the Lion pilots – called Paladins in this series – can combine the Lions to form Voltron. The paladins are assisted by Princess Allura and her advisor, Coran. Their opponents are Emperor Zarkon, witch Haggar, and the Galra Empire.

Beyond the obvious similarities between Voltron: Legendary Defender and Voltron: Defender of the Universe, the two series are quite different. Most of the characters in the new series have compelling back stories and/or specific motivations that add depth and interest. One year before the events of the first episode, Shiro, and Pidge’s father and brother, had been exploring a moon of Pluto when they were abducted by the Galra. In the first episode, Shiro mysteriously returns to Earth with no memory of how he escaped the Galra – but Pidge’s family remains missing. When the future Voltron paladins discover Princess Allura and Coran, the pair had been in suspended animation for 10,000 years, during which time Zarkon had destroyed Altea and expanded his empire. Keith and Lance have a standing rivalry, and Pidge has a secret identity of sorts. Zarkon seeks not to destroy Voltron, but instead to capture it.

Voltron: Legendary Defender is a return to the original Voltron concept, with modern storytelling sensibilities, rich characterizations, high action, and top-notch writing and production values.

As of this writing, in April 2017, two seasons of Voltron: Legendary Defender have been released on Netflix, and a third season was officially announced at WonderCon 2017.

How to Watch

Here’s how can you watch Voltron.

Voltron: Defender of the Universe

Select episodes can be watched on the official Voltron YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/WEP).
All episodes are viewable on Amazon Video and iTunes.
In March 2017, twelve episodes were released on Netflix as part of a “series” called Voltron 84. Each episode is introduced by a cast or crew member from Voltron: Legendary Defender.

Voltron: The Third Dimension

Select episodes can be watched on the official Voltron YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/WEP).
All episodes are viewable on Amazon Video and iTunes.

Voltron Force

Select episodes can be watched on the official Voltron YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/WEP).
Voltron Force is occasionally available on Netflix, although it’s not available as of this writing.
All episodes were also released on now out-of-print DVDs.

Voltron: Legendary Defender

All episodes of Voltron: Legendary Defender are available exclusively on Netflix.

Beast King Golion

Select episodes can be watched on the official Voltron YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/WEP).

Armored Fleet Dairugger XV

As of this writing, the only way to watch Armored Fleet Dairugger XV is through now out-of-print DVDs.

Let’s Try Literally Building Voltron: The LEGO Ideas of Lendy Tayag

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Greg Tyler

In the second episode of Voltron: Legendary Defender, “Some Assembly Required,” the paladins of Voltron struggle to figure out how to combine the Lions and form Voltron. At one point, Keith suggests, “I mean, let’s try literally building Voltron, like, stacking on top of each other.”

That episode was released on Netflix in June 2016. Two months prior, Lendy Tayag was already way ahead of Keith and the other paladins, because he had assembled his own Voltron… from LEGO!

On April 11, 2016, Lendy’s model, called “Voltron – Defender of the Universe,” was posted to the website of LEGO Ideas. LEGO Ideas allows anyone to submit an original LEGO creation, and if within a certain period of time, that creation gains 10,000 supporters — that is, people who register with the site, vote for the project, and answer a short questionnaire about the project — than a LEGO review board will consider making an actual LEGO building set from that creation. Exciting, huh?

Later in April, Lendy’s Voltron model caught the attention of Gizmodo and then Nerdist. Even better, in just 22 short days, Lendy Tayag’s Voltron model reached the 10,000 supporters that it needed for LEGO to consider producing that model as a licensed building set!

To celebrate this achievement, and to introduce Lendy to fellow Voltron fans, Marc Morrell and I welcomed Lendy as a guest on Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast. Marc and I enjoyed chatting with Lendy, learning more about him as a person, how he became interested in Voltron and other giant robots, when and how he began designing them in LEGO, and what the experience was like of submitting his Voltron model to LEGO Ideas, seeing it gain so much support so quickly, and ultimately seeing it reach 10,000 supporters in such a short time.

By February 28, 2017, LEGO had reviewed Lendy’s Voltron model, plus eleven other projects that had reached 10,000 supporters between May and September 2016. On February 28, LEGO announced its Second 2016 Review Results:

Maia Weinstock’s Women of NASA project would move forward and become produced as an official LEGO building set
Lendy Tayag’s Voltron – Defender of the Universe project is still under consideration. An update will be given during the announcement of the Third 2016 Review Results.

Would we all like to have heard that LEGO had decided to produce a Voltron building set? Absolutely! On the other hand, working with a licensed property — especially one that is new to LEGO — is not always a simple, straightforward activity, so the fact that LEGO announced that it is still reviewing Lendy’s Voltron model shows that they are very much interested in the possibility of producing a Voltron set. Congratulations again to Lendy Tayag for this astounding achievement!

Lendy has since submitted more Voltron-themed projects to LEGO Ideas. None of these has yet achieved 10,000 supporters, but perhaps they will. And even if they don’t, if LEGO ultimately obtains a license to produce Voltron models, then perhaps LEGO will still consider these other Voltron projects.

Lendy’s models are incredibly cool. As an enthusiast of all incarnations of Voltron, I like all of his Voltron robot designs. As a supporter of the underdog that is Vehicle Team Voltron, I give special kudos to Lendy for representing that robot in LEGO form. Lendy’s Vehicle Team Voltron robot even separates into all 15 vehicles!

Lendy’s Castle of Lions model, with a full interior, is effectively a play environment that rivals the amazing Panosh Place Voltron Castle of Lions playset from 1985. It certainly rivals any LEGO Star Wars play environment.

Lendy has also submitted some non-Voltron giant robots as LEGO Ideas: Voltes V and Grendizer.

Congratulations again, Lendy! Voltron fans across the universe salute your enthusiasm and your LEGO model designing and building skills.

For more information about Lendy Tayag’s LEGO creations, check out the Len_d69 Creations Facebook page.

Let’s all show our support for all of Lendy Tayag’s great LEGO Ideas!

Encyclotron: Men in Black: Shiro, Sven, and the Shirogane Brothers

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Greg Tyler

“Encyclotron” articles are nuggets of information about Voltron lore. This is the first of those articles.

If you’re a fan of Voltron: Defender of the Universe, then you almost certainly remember Sven, the original pilot of Blue Lion.

If you’re a fan of Voltron: Legendary Defender, which you can now watch on Netflix streaming in many countries, then you can’t help but know Shiro, leader of the Voltron paladins, and pilot of Black Lion.

What do Sven and Shiro have in common? Some of the more obvious similarities are:

Both characters fly Voltron Lions
Both characters are quiet, level-headed, and pensive
Both characters wear black uniforms. (Each person is the “man in black” on his respective team.)

Most of our heroes from Voltron: Defender of the Universe were translated more or less directly to Voltron: Legendary Defender. Both shows have a Keith, a Lance, a Hunk, an Allura, a Pidge, a Coran, an Alfor, and even the mice. In contrast, Shiro’s origins in Voltron lore are less obvious to the casual fan.

Both Shiro in Voltron: Legendary Defender, and Sven in Voltron: Defender of the Universe, are based in part on Takashi Shirogane in Beast King Golion, the anime program from which many episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe were adapted. Eagle-eyed fans of Voltron: Legendary Defender probably noticed, in “Tears of the Balmera,” that Shiro’s full name is Takashi Shirogane.

Let’s examine each “man in black” from Voltron lore.

**Takashi Shirogane (Beast King Golion)**

In Beast King Golion, Shirogane is one of five astronauts from Earth of the year 1999. (Golion first aired in 1981-1982, so 1999 was… the future!) Returning from a space mission, the team discovers that, during their absence, Earth has been devastated by nuclear missiles in a third world war. The team also discovers a Galra slave ship capturing any surviving humans, including the astronauts.

The team soon finds itself imprisoned in Slave Castle on Planet Galra. While his teammates banter as they try to devise an escape plan, Shirogane says little, justifying his nickname: Quiet.

After the team escapes Galra, they land on Planet Altea, where they meet Princess Fala (Think: Allura) and learn of Golion (Think: Voltron). Royal advisor Raible (Think: Coran) tells them that they’ll reactivate the Lions that combine into Golion, and he gives them combat uniforms. For reasons never made clear, Shirogane’s uniform is trimmed with black.

When the team reactivates the robot Lions, Shirogane operates the Blue Lion — again, for reasons never made clear. Kogane (Think: Keith) flies Black Lion and continues to the lead the team, as he had during the astronauts’ original space mission.

In Golion‘s sixth episode, Shirogane rescues Kurogane (Think: Lance) from Galra witch Honerva (Think: Haggar). Shirogane fights Honerva alone, a task made more difficult when Honerva creates several duplicate images of herself, and she and her duplicates circle around him, laughing. (This moment was recreated with Shiro and Haggar in the Voltron: Legendary Defender episode “The Black Paladin.”)

Then Honerva blinds Shirogane with light from her staff, but the blinded pilot uses his mind’s eye to locate the true Honerva. Shirogane tries to attack, but the witch blocks his sword, Honerva’s cat bites his left ear, and then a Deathblack Beastman (Think: Robeast) strikes him multiple times. Shirogane dies in the arms of his friend, Kogane (Think: Keith).

Although Princess Fala (Think: Allura) begins to pilot Blue Lion in the next episode, Takashi Shirogane is not forgotten.

**Ryou Shirogane (Beast King Golion)**

In Golion‘s 41st episode, Princess Amue (adapted as Romelle in Voltron: Defender of the Universe), a slave on Planet Galra, is saved from a Galra firing squad by a mysterious Earthling. The princess’ savior is Ryou Shirogane, the younger brother of Takashi Shirogane. Ryou is aware that Takashi had become the pilot of Blue Lion, but Amue informs Ryou that Honerva subsequently killed Takashi.

Ryou Shirogane and the princess form an alliance to fight their common enemy: the Galra Empire, and over time they develop feelings for one another. In Golion‘s 52nd and final episode, Ryou Shirogane stabs the Galra Prince Imperial Sincline (Think: Lotor). Sincline slashes Ryou across the chest, and both fall to their deaths. Ryou Shirogane dies avenging his heroic older brother, and in so doing, he helps the Golion team to destroy the Galra Empire.

Technically, Ryou Shirogane isn’t a “man in black,” as it has been defined in this article, but Ryou’s role in Golion is directly tied to someone else who is.

**Sven (Voltron: Defender of the Universe)**

Long-time Voltron fans might recall the “Sven Lives” T-shirts that were first sold in the 2000s, as a reaction to Voltron fans’ recent discovery, through the just-released Beast King Golion DVD sets, that Sven’s Golion counterpart dies in that program. The “Sven Lives” shirts are fun, but there was never a need to assert that Sven lives, because in Voltron: Defender of the Universe, he does.

In Defender of the Universe, in an unspecified year of the distant future, Sven is one of five space explorers sent by the Galaxy Alliance to Planet Arus. As in Golion, the space explorers are captured and imprisoned, but in Voltron, they’re imprisoned in the Castle of Dungeons on Planet Doom.

The space explorers escape, meet Allura on Planet Arus, and become known as the Voltron Force. As in Golion, Sven dons a black-trimmed uniform and becomes the pilot of Blue Lion, for reasons that are never explained.

In Defender of the Universe‘s sixth Lion Force episode, Sven rescues Lance from Haggar. A battle unfolds between Sven and Haggar, Haggar’s cat bites his left ear, and a Robeast strikes Sven multiple times. Unlike in Golion, Sven survives the fight. Sven is seriously injured, to the point where he is taken, off-screen, to Planet Ebb for medical attention. Allura succeeds Sven as the pilot of Blue Lion.

Sven’s next significant appearance is in Defender of the Universe‘s 41st Lion Force episode. Sven, by now an escaped slave on Planet Doom, rescues Princess Romelle from Lotor’s firing squad. (The writers of Voltron: Defender of the Universe, noticing Ryou Shirogane’s strong resemblance to his older brother Takashi, cleverly chose to continue Sven’s story rather than introduce a new character.)

In the 52nd Lion Force episode, Sven and Lotor fight and fall from a great height, as Golion‘s Ryou and Sincline had, but in Voltron, both fall into water and survive. Sven’s bravery helps the Voltron Force defeat Zarkon’s forces — for the time being, anyway.

In Voltron: Defender of the Universe, the tales of the Lion Force would extend beyond the last episode of Beast King Golion, with 21 newly animated episodes. In these episodes, Sven has relocated to Princess Romelle’s kingdom on Planet Pollux, where he lives in a humble cabin from which he can watch over Romelle’s castle. Haggar soon destroys Sven’s cabin, but he remains on Pollux. Sven and Romelle admit their feelings for one another, but they don’t act on their feelings, since Sven is but a pilot. On the other hand, they do discuss pursuing a relationship once Zarkon is defeated.

In one of the later episodes, Sven temporarily returns to pilot Blue Lion in one desperate battle.

Since Voltron: Defender of the Universe never shows the Voltron Force definitively defeating Zarkon, it’s never revealed whether Sven and Romelle ever pursued a romantic relationship.

**Sven (Voltron Force)**

Voltron Force is a quasi-sequel to Voltron: Defender of the Universe. It takes place some years after the Voltron Force had defeated the forces of Planet Doom, but the story conflicts with several story points in the original Voltron show. One aspect of Defender of the Universe that does find its way to Voltron Force is the existence of Sven as the former pilot of Blue Lion.

In “Rogue Trip,” Voltron Force cadets Daniel and Vince meet Dudley, who describes himself as “Voltron’s biggest fan.” Because he “knows a guy who knows a guy,” Dudley has amassed a huge collection of Voltron artifacts. Daniel, himself a Voltron aficionado, identifies one of the artifacts as Sven’s uniform. Sven’s typical off-duty outfit is also shown to be in Dudley’s collection.

In “Ghost in the Lion,” Blue Lion is stolen and taken to the ice-cold planet Crydor. The Voltron Force discovers that Sven is the thief! Sven had made a deal with Lotor and Maahox, to give them Blue Lion in exchange for Lotor and Maahox curing Sven and his infant son of a haggarium infection, which Sven had contracted years ago from having been bitten by witch Haggar’s cat. Maahox alters the deal, planning to raise Sven’s son and train him to operate Blue Lion in the service of Lotor. Double-crossed, Sven briefly pilots Blue Lion as the team forms Voltron in order to rescue Allura and Sven’s son from Lotor. The Voltron Force offers to treat Sven’s haggarium infection back on Arus, but Sven declines the offer, saying his infection has progressed too far for it to be treatable. The Voltron Force has no choice but to leave Sven on Crydor, but they save Sven’s son, leaving him in the care of Allura’s childhood nanny.

The mother of Sven’s son is never identified.

**Shiro (Voltron: Legendary Defender)**

Shiro, full name Takashi Shirogane, is an experienced space explorer of the Galaxy Alliance. While on the first manned mission to Pluto’s moon, Kerberos, Shiro and his crewmates, Professor Holt and his son Matt, are abducted by aliens. The government of Earth covers up the Kerberos incident, claiming that the ship was lost due to pilot error.

One year later, Shiro returns, crashing on Earth in a small, alien spacecraft. He remembers very little about his time in captivity, and his escape, but he does remember that the Galra are a threat to Earth, and that the Galra are searching for a super weapon called Voltron.

Shiro has three visual reminders of his experience with the Galra — white hair in his bangs, a scar across his nose, and a cybernetic right arm.

Soon after crashing to Earth, Shiro is surrounded by Galaxy Garrison scientists and soldiers who want to quarantine him and render him unconscious before he can warn them about the Galra. Fortunately, three cadets from the space academy — Lance, Pidge and Hunk — and academy dropout Keith rescue Shiro. They discover a robot Blue Lion, which takes them to Planet Arus, where Shiro and the others discover Princess Allura. Allura tells them of the Galra threat, and she tasks them with reactivating all five Lions, combining them into Voltron, and stopping Galra emperor Zarkon.

Recognizing that Shiro is a natural leader, Allura tells him that he will lead this new team of Voltron paladins, and that he will fly Black Lion. And the adventure begins!

Over time Shiro learns more about what had happened to him when he was a Galra prisoner. His body had been altered by the Galra, and he became a champion gladiator for Zarkon’s amusement.

At the end of Voltron: Legendary Defender‘s first season, Shiro learns that Zarkon himself had been the previous paladin of Black Lion. During a battle against Zarkon’s witch Haggar — a battle reminiscent of Takashi Shirogane’s final fight in Beast King Golion — Shiro is injured.

In Voltron: Legendary Defender‘s second season, Shiro survives his wound, and he strengthens his bond with Black Lion. He learns that his escape from the Galra had been aided by Oolas, a rebel Galra, who noticed Shiro’s potential to one day help overthrow Zarkon.

Shiro also tells Keith that, should anything ever happen to Shiro, Keith should succeed him as the leader of the Voltron paladins.

In the final episode of the second season, during a climactic battle between Voltron and a heavily armored Zarkon, Shiro unlocks a new ability in Voltron, as Shiro flies Voltron through Zarkon as if Voltron were immaterial, and Shiro recovers the Black Bayard. The paladins use their bayards to unlock a new super weapon of Voltron: a blazing sword that impales and possibly kills the Galra emperor.

Although Voltron defeats Zarkon, the price is high. The paladins discover that Shiro has vanished from the cockpit of Black Lion. Only the Black Bayard remains.

As of this writing, Voltron: Legendary Defender‘s third season has not yet been announced. Many questions remain with respect to Shiro. Where is he? What happened to him? Will he ever return? Hopefully time will tell.

Men in Black

Voltron’s men in black — Takashi Shirogane from Beast King Golion, Sven from Voltron: Defender of the Universe, Sven from Voltron Force, and Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane from Voltron: Legendary Defender — are exciting and inspirational heroes who courageously defend their corners of the Voltron “multiverse.”

Addendum: Keith wore a black uniform in Voltron: The Third Dimension and Voltron Force, but Keith is better known for wearing red. A future article will cover the Voltron pilots who wear red.

Voltron: Legendary Defender – Season Two!

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Greg Tyler

As I type this blog entry, the presumably 13-episode second season of Voltron: Legendary Defender has dropped on Netflix. I’ll binge-watch this season over the weekend!