Voltron: Legendary Defender facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre	Action Adventure Science fantasy Mecha Comedy-drama
Based on
Voices of	Josh Keaton Kimberly Brooks Steven Yeun Jeremy Shada Bex Taylor-Klaus Tyler Labine Rhys Darby Neil Kaplan Cree Summer A. J. Locascio
Opening theme	Alex Geringas
Composer(s)	Brad Breeck
Country of origin	United States (production) South Korea (animation)
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	78 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Joaquim Dos Santos Lauren Montgomery Ted Koplar Bob Koplar Yoo Jae Myung
Producer(s)	Ki Hyun Ryu (supervising) Choi Go Un Kim Seul Ki Lee Soo Kyung Kim Young Hyun (season 1−6) Han Seong Ho (season 7−8) Park Sang Ah (season 7−8)
Animator(s)	Studio Mir
Running time	23 minutes 69 minutes (The Rise of Voltron)
Production company(s)	DreamWorks Animation Television World Events Productions
Distributor	Netflix NBCUniversal Television Distribution
Release
Original network	Netflix
Picture format	1080p ( HDTV)
Audio format	Dolby Digital 5.1
Original release	June 10, 2016 (2016-06-10) – December 14, 2018 (2018-12-14)
Chronology
Preceded by	Voltron Voltron: Fleet of Doom Voltron: The Third Dimension Voltron Force

Voltron: Legendary Defender is an animated TV series. It was made by American companies DreamWorks Animation Television and World Events Productions. The animation was done by Mir in South Korea. This show is a new version of the Voltron story and the Japanese anime series Beast King GoLion.

The animation style mixes traditional anime-like drawings for characters and backgrounds with CGI for the giant robot battles. The story takes place in a science fiction world. Here, a special energy called "quintessence" powers vehicles and magic. The series follows the Paladins of Voltron. They must learn to work together to form the giant robot Voltron. Their mission is to defeat the evil Galra Empire.

The first season started on Netflix on June 10, 2016, with 11 episodes. The show was released worldwide in many countries. The second season came out on January 20, 2017, with 13 episodes. The third season premiered on August 4, 2017 (7 episodes). The fourth season followed on October 13, 2017 (6 episodes). The fifth season was released on March 2, 2018 (6 episodes). The sixth season came out on June 15, 2018 (7 episodes). A seventh season premiered on August 10, 2018 (13 episodes). The show's success led to comics, action figures, and other toys. The eighth and final season was released on December 14, 2018, with 13 episodes.

Story of Voltron: Legendary Defender

For thousands of years, the Galra Empire has caused trouble across the universe. They destroy civilizations and enslave many different alien races. The only known power strong enough to stop them is Voltron. Voltron is a legendary "Defender of the Universe." It is a 328-foot tall robot warrior made of five lion robots. The pilots of these lions are called Paladins.

During a big war that destroyed the planet Altea, King Alfor of Altea hid Voltron. He wanted to keep it from the evil Galran King Zarkon. King Alfor connected the five lions' energy to his daughter Allura's life force. He sent them to different parts of the universe. This was to wait for the next generation of Paladins. Princess Allura, her advisor Coran, and the Altean Castle of Lions were hidden on planet Arus with the Black Lion.

In the present day, the Galra Empire's search for Voltron brings them to Earth's solar system. A group of space pilots—Shiro, Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk—find the Blue Lion. They are quickly pulled into the Galran War. They meet Princess Allura and become the new Paladins. They bring the five lions together to form Voltron. This begins their fight to free the universe from the Galra Empire.

Meet the Characters

The Voltron Team

Shiro (Black Paladin)

• Josh Keaton voices Lieutenant / Commander Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane. He is the Black Paladin and pilot of the Black Lion. Shiro is the leader of the Defenders of the Universe. He was captured by the Galra Empire before the series began. He returned with a special robotic right arm. Shiro is a calm and strong leader. He helps guide the team from the Castle of Lions. Later, he becomes the captain of the Atlas, a Galaxy Garrison battleship.

Princess Allura (Blue Paladin)

• Kimberly Brooks voices Princess Allura. She is the princess of Altea and King Alfor's daughter. Allura is the last known female Altean. She pilots the Castle of Lions, which is both a castle and a spaceship. Allura leads the new Defenders in their mission to defeat Zarkon. She wants to finish her father's work. In season three, she becomes the new pilot of the Blue Lion. As an Altean, Allura has special abilities, including magic. She and Honerva sacrifice their lives to save all realities at the end of the series.

Keith (Red Paladin)

• Steven Yeun voices Keith. He is the Red Paladin and pilot of the Red Lion. Keith was expelled from the Galaxy Garrison academy. He is an orphan and often works alone. Keith is serious and sometimes hot-headed, but he learns to work with his team. In season two, he finds out he has Galra blood. Due to Shiro's absence, Keith becomes the new pilot of the Black Lion in season three. He later rejoins the Paladins and takes command of the Black Lion again. At the end of season 8, he changes the Blade of Marmora into a group that helps others.

Lance (Blue and Red Paladin)

• Jeremy Shada voices Lance. He is the Blue Paladin and pilot of the Blue Lion. Lance was a fighter pilot at Galaxy Garrison. He is confident and is known as the sharpshooter of the team. Lance sometimes doubts himself but is a loyal teammate. He becomes the new pilot of the Red Lion from season three onward. After the final battle, Lance returns to his family's farm. He spreads Allura's message and gains Altean markings.

Pidge (Green Paladin)

• Bex Taylor-Klaus voices Katie "Pidge Gunderson" Holt. She is the Green Paladin and pilot of the Green Lion. Katie pretended to be a boy named Pidge to join Galaxy Garrison. She wanted to find her father and brother who disappeared. Pidge is a brilliant technical genius. She can create special upgrades for the Green Lion, like a cloaking device. She eventually rescues her brother and father. After the final battle, Pidge and her family help lead the next generation of Legendary Defenders.

Hunk (Yellow Paladin)

• Tyler Labine voices Hunk. He is the Yellow Paladin and pilot of the Yellow Lion. Hunk was the engineer of his team at Galaxy Garrison. He is a kind and big-hearted person who loves to eat. Hunk is the emotional center of the team, helping them stay positive. He is determined to free those enslaved by Zarkon. After the final battle, Hunk starts a cooking business to bring worlds together through food.

Coran (Royal Advisor)

• Rhys Darby voices Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe. He is the royal advisor to Princess Allura's family. Coran is the last known male Altean. He is energetic and very protective of Allura. Coran often tells long stories about his past adventures. Despite his quirky personality, he is a loyal and strong ally to the princess and the Paladins.

The Galra Empire Villains

Emperor Zarkon

• Neil Kaplan voices Emperor Zarkon. He is the cruel ruler of the Galra Empire. Zarkon has conquered most of the known universe over ten thousand years. He wants the Voltron Lions because they are a threat to his power. He was also the original Black Paladin. Zarkon is defeated by Voltron in season two but later revived. He is eventually slain by his son, Lotor. In season 8, Zarkon's spirit helps the Paladins.

Witch Haggar / Honerva

• Cree Summer voices Witch Haggar / Honerva. She is Zarkon's main advisor and leader of the Druids. Haggar is a dangerous sorceress and a mad scientist. She uses dark magic and science to create powerful weapons and giant robot monsters called "Robeasts." She also drains quintessence from planets for the Galra. Haggar is later revealed to be Honerva, Zarkon's wife and an Altean alchemist. She lost her memories due to corruption. Honerva becomes the main villain in season 8. She tries to destroy all realities to find a perfect one. She and Allura work together to save existence, sacrificing their lives.

Prince Lotor

• A. J. Locascio voices Prince Lotor. He is the son of Zarkon and Honerva, making him part Galra and part Altean. Lotor takes control of the Galra Empire when his father is unable to lead. He believes in gaining strength from worthy followers, not just by conquering. Lotor forms an alliance with the Paladins for a time. However, it is revealed that he secretly used Alteans for his own plans. Lotor fights Voltron with his own giant robot. He is defeated and left in the Quintessence field.

How Voltron: Legendary Defender Was Made

On January 5, 2016, Netflix and DreamWorks Animation announced a new Voltron series. It was a reboot, similar to the Ducktales reboot. Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos, known for their work on Avatar: The Last Airbender, were the showrunners. Tim Hedrick was the head writer.

The voice cast was announced on March 25, 2016. It included Steven Yeun as Keith, Jeremy Shada as Lance, Bex Taylor-Klaus as Pidge, Josh Keaton as Shiro, Tyler Labine as Hunk, Kimberly Brooks as Princess Allura, Rhys Darby as Coran, and Neil Kaplan as Emperor Zarkon. Cree Summer later joined as Witch Haggar. The first season premiered on June 10, 2016, with 13 episodes.

Season two premiered on Netflix on January 20, 2017, with 13 episodes. The third season came out on August 4, 2017 (7 episodes). The fourth season premiered in October 2017 (6 episodes). The show was planned for 78 episodes in total. The fifth season premiered on March 2, 2018 (6 episodes). The sixth season premiered on June 15, 2018 (7 episodes). The seventh season premiered on August 10, 2018 (13 episodes). The eighth and final season premiered on December 14, 2018 (13 episodes).

Fan Community Feedback

The show's community sometimes had strong disagreements. Tyler Labine, who voiced Hunk, spoke about this on his Instagram. He said that "unwarranted hate and vitriol" was just "noise" and that the creators cared deeply about the show and its fans. He reminded everyone that sometimes the people in charge cannot always do things exactly as they wish.

Episodes List

Awards and Recognitions

Voltron: Legendary Defender and its cast received several awards and nominations.

Voltron Comics

Three comic series were announced in January 2016. These comics tell stories that happen between the episodes of the show. They help fill in the gaps between seasons.

Volume 1 (2016)

The first comic series had five issues. It was published by Lion Forge Comics. The stories were written by Tim Hedrick and Mitch Iverson. Digital Art Chefs created the illustrations. This volume was collected into a graphic novel released in January 2017. A special animated version of issue 1 was released on YouTube in June 2017. This story takes place between the first season episodes "Rebirth" and "Crystal Venom."

Volume 2 (2017)

The second comic series also had five issues. It started in October 2017. The story takes place between the second season episodes "Shiro's Escape" and "Greening the Cube." This volume was collected into a trade paperback released in January 2018.

Volume 3 (2018)

Volume 3 of the comics began in July 2018. This story is set between season 4 and season 5 of the show. This volume was collected into a trade paperback released in January 2019.

Home Video Releases

The first two seasons of Voltron: Legendary Defender were released on DVD in North America on June 12, 2018. They were also released in Australia in October 2018. DVDs were also available in the UK, Italy, and Germany. A box set for seasons 3-6 was released in June 2019. Seasons 1-6 are available to buy digitally on platforms like iTunes and Google Play.

Video Games

DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles (2017)

A virtual-reality video game based on the series was released in 2017. It is called Voltron VR Chronicles. Players could play it on Steam, Oculus, and PlayStation 4.

Voltron: Cubes of Olkarion (2019)

A real-time strategy video game called Voltron: Cubes of Olkarion was created by indie developer Gbanga. It won the 2018 Universal GameDev Challenge. The game was released on Steam Early Access in August 2019. In this game, players compete against each other. They place and destroy blocks with different features on a grid.

See also

In Spanish: Voltron: Legendary Defender para niños