Sven (Voltron) facts for kids

Sven is a brave fictional character from the Voltron universe. He is a key member of the Voltron Force, a team of heroes who pilot giant robot lions that combine to form the mighty Voltron. Sven first appeared in the original Voltron TV series in 1984.

Sven's Origins

Sven's character was created by combining two different characters from the Japanese show Beast King Go Lion. One was Takashi Shirogane, who was the first pilot of the Blue Lion. The other was Takashi's brother, Ryou Shirogane. Because they looked alike, the creators of Voltron decided to make Sven a single character who survived his adventures. In Voltron: Legendary Defender, the actor Josh Keaton who voiced Sven found out he needed a Scandinavian accent just one day before recording!

Sven in Voltron: Defender of the Universe

Sven was part of a special team sent by the Galaxy Alliance to explore the planet Arus. During this mission, he was captured and taken to Planet Doom. After a daring escape, he made it to Arus and became the pilot of the Blue Lion. Later, Sven bravely saved his teammate Lance from an attack by the evil witch Haggar. Sven was badly hurt and had to go to a space hospital. Because of his injuries, Princess Allura, the ruler of Arus, took over as the Blue Lion's pilot. Sven later rejoined the Voltron Force to help his friend Romelle escape from Planet Doom.

Sven in Voltron Force

Sven also appears in the 2011 series Voltron Force. In an episode called “Ghost in the Lion,” we learn that Sven, as a former Blue Lion pilot, was infected by Haggar's cat. To keep the infection from taking over his mind, he had to live in a very cold place.

Sven in Voltron: Legendary Defender

In Voltron: Legendary Defender, Sven is a version of Shiro from a different reality. He is part of a rebel group called the Guns of Gamara, who fight against the Altean Empire. Sven bravely gave his life to protect his friend Felix, taking an energy blast for him.

Sven also appears in the episode "Hole in the Sky." In this episode, Sven saves Lance, and his comments about going to a space hospital are a nod to what happened to him in the original Voltron: Defender of the Universe series. The creators of the show often talked about the original Sven when looking for ideas from the classic Voltron.

Sven in the Comics

In the 2011 Devil's Due comic books, Sven's full name is revealed as Sven Holgersson. In the comics, Sven is 27 years old, making him the oldest member of the Voltron team. The comic book version of Sven has a deeper story than his cartoon counterpart and plays a very important role.

Not much is known about Sven's past, except that he was once part of an elite Navy squad, similar to special forces. He joined a team to search for the legendary robot Voltron on the distant planet Arus. Sven was often quiet and kept to himself, perhaps because he was the oldest and most mature. In the comics, Sven never got to properly form Voltron or wear his classic black uniform. This was because he had a brain issue that made the magic of Voltron reject him. This problem also caused him to fall under the control of Queen Merla and Haggar. While under their influence, he betrayed his friends and Arus by stealing important files from the Castle of Lions.

Sven was then sent on a mission with Prince Lotor, where they had to work together to survive. Later, during a conflict, Sven crashed on planet Pollux and was found by Princess Romelle.