ot since Star Wars
had there been so much back story behind one "legend." A
long time ago, in this galaxy far, far away, a group of
scientists on the planet Arus created a robot named
Voltron as the ultimate defense system.
But bad guy Zarkon had it out for the robot, and after
being defeated several times in his futile attempts, he
sent his witch Hagar to do his dirty work for him.
Disguising herself as a goddess in distress, Hagar put a
curse on Voltron that split him into five lion-shaped
pieces and forced him into hibernation.
Lucky for Voltron, a band of space explorers came along
sometime around the 25th century and discovered the five
sleeping lions. And none too soon, as Zarkon had already
established his reign over the galaxy.
Each space explorer piloted one of the lion pieces. The
leader of the group was Keith, who helmed the Black Lion
and directed the formation of Voltron. Lance, the pilot of
the Red Lion, was the sassy one, never missing an
opportunity for a sarcastic comment. The Blue Lion pilot
was the Norwegian Sven, although he was replaced
mid-series by the beautiful Princess Allura and her
caretaker, Nanny. The tough guy of the pack, Hunk, piloted
the Yellow Lion, while the Green Lion pilot, Pidge, was
remarkably agile despite his outward geekiness.
When the danger got really heavy (and thankfully, it
did in every episode), the five lions would form the feet,
legs, arms, torso, and head of Voltron. The assembled
mega-robot wielded the mighty Sword of Arus in the defense
of his people and planet.
A host of other characters made this galaxy a bustling
one. There was Koran, the worry-wart diplomat of the
Castle of Lions (Voltron's base of operations), and
Allura’s dead father, Alfor, who would appear to his
daughter in frequent visions.
And then there were the evil folk. At Zarkon's side was
his right-hand man, the ineffectual Yurak, and Zarkon's
son Lotor, who desired only to take his father’s place as
King of Planet Doom. Hagar had her own cronies, including
a group of evil monsters known as Robeasts, which were
about as effective as a group of Stormtroopers.
Voltron: Defender of the Universe came to the U.S. in
1984 and took America's youth by storm. A second series
featured an all-new Voltron, this one composed of fifteen
space exploration vehicles fighting the alien Drules.
Titled Voltron: Defender of the Near Universe, the new
show never gained the popularity of the "Lion Force,"
fading into relative obscurity over the years.
In 1998, the original five-lion Voltron returned for
the computer-animated Voltron in the Third Dimension.