#VF Merla

[chibi-pix]

So, one day, @toasthoneyandstardust made a comment about Merla's outfit in the DDP comic and to bring that back while we were also talking about Pidge in Voltron Force. That led to me wanting to draw Merla as if in Voltron Force, but with more of the goth queen vibes of the DDP comic (where she's queen of the seventh kingdom of the Drule Empire). In the end, here we are. And pointing out Allura as queen? This must be later in season one or for my brain thinking of season two stuff. Also! Yeah, I had this be from a screenshot so I could nail the VF style a bit better.

Gotta love redraws.

Anyway! I hope y'all enjoy this one! Commissions are open on my Ko-fi. Until next time!

[bleh1bleh2]

You know, Voltron Force is actually a fun show. I finished it almost a week ago and am still thinking about it. Its only one season and never got renewed, but it has fairly satisfying character arcs and a very slight cliffhanger ending that is so intriguing to think about

I didnt think i would like it that much, especially when they introduced three new characters to be cadets in the voltron team. But Vince, especially, is such a charming character (i think Larmina is essentially Gwen Tennyson, but thats neither here or there. Shes fun overall) (i dont have any particular thoughts on Daniel. Hes fine)

I just think (spoilers) that the telepathic connection between daniel and vince is so fun. Does it have something to do with me immediately going "omg what if this were vld klance"? Whos to say. But then daniel is implied to become evil in s2, which combined with telepethy??? Literally in the mind of the enemy. Im obsessed.

[scattered-winter]

Hey, have you ever considered incorporating some some characters from Defenders of the Universe or Voltron Force?

Like Lotor’s fiancé, Merla, from DotU, and the villains Maahox, Kala, and Sky Marshal Wade from VF could all serve as interesting antagonists, be they one off threats or over arching villains.

And the Voltron Cadets from VF, and the pilots of Vehicle Voltron from DotU could serve to help fill out the ranks of the Galaxy Garrison or have other uses.

And I hope I’m not overwhelming with all this stuff, I just love your VLD rewrite and I think you’re a really cool person.

I haven't really thought about it much, just because I haven't seen any of the earlier versions and so honestly I have no idea whats going on over there and it's never been a priority for me to watch them (that might change ?? eventually ??? don't hold ur breath tho my To Watch list is 3 miles long) AND the plot for the rewrite is already really complicated and there are so many characters and subplots and moving parts that I don't think I want to like. add in More characters and subplots and moving parts unless I need to, ykw? that being SAID I do think it might be fun to maybe use the names for like. one-off random background characters!! they're not gonna be like. important to the plot really but idk maybe it'd be cool reusing some of the names from other versions. who can say

[toastess-with-the-mostess]

height chart!!!

Pidge tiny

Height chart height chart height chart-

@toastess-with-the-mostess @queenscene2 @breadstickcat @rubymoon-snape @lion-time

[nomadicism]

I just discovered Larmina who’s apparently supposed to Allura’s “niece” and can I just say that she makes more sense as Merla’s daughter (it’s the hair) since she’s resembles Merla a lot more than Allura (plus Allura’s never shown to have siblings so how could she exist in the first place)

Hi Anon, thank you for the Ask!

Ahh yes, Larmina.

Another creation of DotU retconning by the Voltron Force cartoon.

Larmina probably would have made more sense, and been more interesting as Merla's daughter...if Voltron Force (VF) hadn't also retconned the made-for-US season of Voltron DotU (Lion) where Merla appears.

Not to be salty, but that is one of the things that really bugged me about VF. Like I get why they went in the direction, but they could have done this awkward sequel that completely ignores Vehicle Voltron & 2nd Lion Voltron without making Larmina related to Allura.

Larmina can easily stand on her own merits as a character. She didn't need to be related to Allura, or at least not so directly. She could have been a distant relative via Romelle's side of the family, or Merla. (tangent: the reason Larmina has the ponytail is because that's a common visual trope for Action Girls)

Anyway, if you're diving fully into Voltron Force, pick up (or pirate) the comics for the sake of the Drule twins.

[voltronfandomhag]

What are the best and worst versions of Lotor?

This is subjective of course but I'd say the worst incarnation of the character is King Lotor from 2011's Voltron Force.

I mean, the potential was there. Again, people are probably going to disagree with me, but I really do think there was a good story to be had with Lotor's setup in VF. He died and then was brought back to life years later through the use of an addictive, corrupting, and unstable magical substance. Not only is he addicted to the stuff, it's destroying his mind. That's some really dark, traumatic stuff.

However, what we get is Lotor being turned into the show's buttmonkey and Kenny. He's just a boring maniacal villain whose inhuman stupidity gets him killed over and over again. All the trauma and dark themes they assigned to the character were either explored in the shallowest way possible or played for laughs. Honestly, I wish Lotor had just been sidelined like the other DoTU villains and hadn't appeared in VF at all.

Honestly, it's part of the reason I dislike V3D Lotor too. Again, this version of Lotor has gone through a seriously traumatic event. He was nearly killed, badly disfigured, and most of his body was replaced with cybernetics. A lot of focus was put on his disfigured face, but the show states 80% of his body was now cybernetic. Yeah. Most of his original body was GONE. But this trauma and disfigurement was played for laughs in the show while Lotor's characterization itself was boring and generic. However, he at least as voiced by Tim Curry and never became the complete joke VF Lotor was.

As for best version, I think I'd have to go with Devil's Due Lotor, specifically his characterization in the comic's second volume. He had a sense of honor and moral code (which didn't really line up human sensibilities, but why should it?), didn't have the creepy obsession with Allura, and his relationships with Merla and Sven were both great. Also, unlike the versions of Lotor listed above, his trauma isn't played for cheap yuks. Sadly, this incarnation of the character was taken from us far too soon. Good night, sweet prince.

[darkspellmaster]

Possibility who the lady in Red is from Episode 1 Season 3 of Voltron

I know the panel is still going on, and maybe someone may drop who the lady is. Sadly I have not seen her image, but there is at least two women that I know of that can fit the bill for who this could be.  Either Queen Merla, 

Who isn’t Galra, but certainly has the half breed look with the ears and the tone, as well as the red hair. This could be her, however she would probably not be just one of Lotor’s assistants, as seeing she is royalty and someone who doesn’t easily back down on anything, and probably wouldn’t just work under Lotor, unless he gave her word he would be her husband and she could rule with him. So I have to wonder if she’s this General or not, given her former obession with him.  The other choice and the one I think it will be, is General Kala from Voltron Force

So about Kala Kala is a Drule commander infamous for her military intellect and bloodlust

.“"I told you if it didn't work this time, I will destroy you!"”—Kala, "Defenders of Arus"

Kala was only in a handful of early episodes of Voltron Force but certainly made an impact being one of the few Female lead villains for the first half of the season. She eventually was turned into a Robeast Spider thing and was apparently killed off, but her skills as a fighter were unmatched, and she was one of the few Commanders of the Drule that managed to make it out of the fight with Voltron. She also lead Maahox, the crazy scientist, to revive Lotor, although for her actions Maahox turned her into a Robeast because he was annoyed that Lotor was going to have her in command over him.  One main reason why I thinking this might be her is because of the fact that she is a Commander and a military person who has a background that the team would want for this all female elite squad. Second, she is all red, and while she does look Robotic on the show that can easily be changed to a more human looking red form. Three, and most important, she’s one of the few female commanders that the series has and someone who obeys Lotor’s orders without question.  I think if they are going to bring Merla in they will during the second half of the season, or maybe season 4. For Kala though she could easily slip right into any role they need as her personality and back story are not too deeply rooted into the history of the franchise and she can easily be changed. Also her design is pretty kick ass in toy form. 

I’m hoping to get a shot of her at some point in time. Whats going to be interesting to see is how they’re going to use this Mystery lady in red to play on Lotor’s past and, we’re already seeing his scheme side, which is going to end up biting him in the back side in the end, as it always does. Kala tends to go for the strongest person in charge, in Voltron Force that was Lotor, and then the General from Earth that was a baddie later in the series. So her doing what Lotor says could end up having her shift sides to Zarkon or maybe someone else, Throk, if he proves to be a person that can be stronger then Lotor.  I have a feeling she’s going to be leading this band of women fighters. 

[toastess-with-the-mostess]

WAIT ACTUALLY THIS IS SUPER COOL

Love you Queenie!! Thank you for doing this

DoTU Preferences #3: Their favorite place to visit with you

requested by @toastess-with-the-mostess

Keith: The Library. You two exchange books and read all day. The librarian would have to tell you to stop giggling though.

Lance: The Beach. He’s a water baby. Also, he just wants to see your hot bod in a swimsuit. oOp.

Hunk: The Museum. Hunk’s a history buff so he likes to take you somewhere that you can both learn about something together.

Sven: The Movies. He likes to snake an arm around you while you watch. Cuuuute.

Allura: The Castle Gardens. She likes to go there a lot to think and just enjoy life and now she wants to share it with you too. Awww <3

Merla: The Arcade. She likes to beat your ass in games, but then make it up to you by using her tickets to buy you gifts.

Lotor: His bedroom. No I’m totally joking. The correct answer is: His spacecraft. He loves taking you on a ride. You two go on lots of fun adventures.

Romelle: The Mall. It’s mostly a Romelle thing, but you live for that look of happiness that radiates from her face when she finds that perfect outfit.

BONUS: Pidge: The kitchen because you’re a cat and he likes to sneak you food without Nanny watching

[lotorsshoulderpads]

Completely out of context quotes from the discord 

Oh horny comic book artists, show me the leather crop top and pants Merla

Lotor bleaches his hair white and denies it, claims it's natural

my gay awakening was Sexy Sven

theyre both drawn a bit homoerotically but that's just how it is sometimes 

tbh If DDP merla showed up in my dreams, tits out for Aphrodite, I'd do just about anything she told me. Sven's good.

Voltron Force Sven x Lotor for that Haggarium Addict Solidarity

DoTU/VF Allura is a vsco girl

*moans* "take me to the space hospital"

Zarkon getting Vibe Checked by the gay community

[mustlovelance]

So you've talked about how 80s Lance probably had PTSD and how it appeared in 3D (which I have to take your word for it as I've never watched that one) and I was wondering how that could appear in VLD. Obviously the show is ok with handling PTSD as a subject given Shiro's problems. Do you think Lance could develope it in this continuity as well? Season 5 looks like it's Lance heavy, maybe they go back to Earth and he sees his hometown get demolished by the Galra?

oooh, this is an interesting question.

V3D lance basically had confirmed canon PTSD–he was triggered by memories of his trauma to the point of incapacitation (which lotor took advantage of) and had a wicked disturbing nightmare about how he deserved to have his skin melt off in lava so he could die with his family–whereas DOTU lance’s PTSD is merely a theory (not canon) based on his paranoia/overprotectiveness. however, this wasn’t really a factor in his characterization in DDP or VF, and dynamite was a shitshow for everyone so it doesn’t count. 

shiro (sven), on the other hand, has always had some kind of…mental instability.

in DOTU, sven called himself a “wild man” who’s “crazy”, which…is as far as they would get to portraying PTSD in a children’s cartoon in 1984. 

in V3D, sven wasn’t there at all. 

in DDP, sven was mentally vulnerable, rejected by the blue lion because he was susceptible to mind control, and brainwashed by merla within his nightmares.

in VF, sven had haggarium poisoning, which tampered with his mind and made him behave erratically, and he had implied trauma because he was taking care of his infant son but no one had mentioned the fate of his presumed wife romelle or her planet.

in vld, shiro explicitly suffers from PTSD. 

this is basically a staple of shiro/sven’s character at this point. his mind does not cooperate with him in any continuity, whether it’s because of brain chemistry or trauma or both. he’s always fighting himself on some level. 

lance, historically, has not been like that. i don’t think vld lance is going to develop PTSD, because the basis of his PTSD in DOTU/V3D was that his family was slaughtered when he was very young. this was before he’d gotten the chance to develop resiliency or his core beliefs, so it had a tremendous impact on how he viewed himself, others, and his surroundings. that young child was basically a leaf in the wind, with no defenses against trauma. it’s no wonder he developed paranoia, which was only aided by his natural observant nature. he had very few positive experiences upon which to reach any other conclusion about the world than “it’s dangerous.” 

one thing that’s common in traumatized kids is the concept of confirmation bias in core beliefs. if a child believes that people are untrustworthy based on formative life experiences, then any future experiences that support this will be accepted and any experiences that contradict this will be justified/rationalized/rejected. if someone offers to help them and follows through on it, then the child may question their motives–do they truly want to help, or do they want sex/money/something else? if someone offers to help them and reveals that they just wanted something from the child, then they’re simply confirming what the child thinks they already know–that people are not trustworthy.

in the case of DOTU/V3D lance, he went through life believing that people are untrustworthy. i think that keith was the one who convinced him that some people are trustworthy–to which lance responded with eternal loyalty (lol), even though he was difficult about it. he had a select group of people whom he trusted, but everyone else was suspect, and potentially threatened both himself and those he trusted. 

in the case of VLD lance, we can assume that his core belief is that people are very trustworthy. not only does he trust his friends, but he also trusts strangers to the point of risking his own safety, and continues to do so. he naturally assumes the best of others, because his formative years taught him that people are good and the world is safe. 

in order to develop PTSD in the way that DOTU/V3D lance did, such trauma would need to destroy not only his core belief that people are trustworthy but also his resiliency developed by his years being loved by his family. that’s a lot to dismantle. 

i think lance would be devastated by the loss of his family, but i don’t think we’d see him develop paranoia and distrust of others. his family had shown him love for so long–and wouldn’t his mother be so sad if he gave up on the universe? wouldn’t she tell him to keep believing, to keep fighting? wouldn’t she want him to keep being that optimistic, trusting boy whom she loved so dearly? wouldn’t she have taught him that people are worth taking a chance for? wouldn’t she trust that he would be able to go on being the wonderful person that he was even if she wasn’t there? 

that’s not something that DOTU/V3D lance would be able to consider. he was too young to truly internalize such messages, even if his family had begun to teach him. it was easy for that lance to say, “everyone i love is dead, so i can’t trust anyone anymore”, when no one had shown him otherwise. 

if VLD lance were to develop PTSD, i don’t think it would at all manifest in the way that it did in previous lances. perhaps he’d have triggers, hyper-vigilance, emotional dysregulation, etc., but that characteristic paranoia, distrust, and overprotectiveness wouldn’t be present.

[lotorsshoulderpads]

“and my nephews can come and visit”

Let’s talk about Lotor’s nephews.

So this is gonna be real short because very, very little is know about these precious babies, but here’s the deal: In the final episode of the series, ep72: Breakin' Up Is Hard to Doom, Lotor said this line to Merla at 2:23.

So. Lotor has nephews.

Lotor is an uncle.

And that means Lotor isn’t an only child.

Some people theorize that these nephews are actually his children that he isn’t taking responsibility for, but to me that seems odd. For one thing, this line was part of the US exclusive episodes, where they had a lot more control over what went into the show, and I doubt they would give Lotor illegitimate children. That, and I think it would be weird for him to refuse to take responsibility for these kids but still want them around. Also please note that Merla knew these kids existed and didn’t question that he called them his nephews, so it must be common knowledge even outside the empire. Either Merla is just totally fine with him not taking responsibility for these kids, or she knows that they are actually his nephews. And on top of all that, it’s already well established that Zarkon is a dog in DotU. I’m not willing to rule out that this guy has more than one child. So, Lotor must have a sibling.

But we know nothing about this sibling, they weren’t even mentioned, so what can we possibly know about them? Well, we can infer a few things. One, that she is a girl. We can guess this because Zarkon refers to Lotor as his one and only son, so that’s pretty straight forward. And I also venture to guess that this girl is Lotor’s older sister. Lotor doesn’t seem that old. It depends on your age hcs, but I think we can all agree that he’s, at least by human developmental standards, in his late 20′s at the very oldest. So, if she was his younger sister, you’d think we would have seen her around, or at the very least, heard about when she got married and had her kids. But we didn’t. My theory is that she got married and had kids before Lotor was even introduced to the series, meaning by the last episode the kids could range from 3-6, depending on how many years you think passes from ep1 to ep72.

For funsies, I’m gonna throw in VF:

In VF lotor didn’t have nephews, but instead had two nieces, a pair of twins named Zora and Roza (real creative, I know).

Do I know nothing about them? Yes.

Would I die for them? Also yes.

[toastess-with-the-mostess]

Oh a cutie!!

And that symbolism

The strong, the fabulous, the amazing, Merla, the Queen of Darkness.

She doesn't actually stray too far from her canon design, but I made her armor more practical so that she can fight alongside her wife.

Also I changed the purple skirt to a metal plated one for practicality's sake.

I didn't give her a formal outfit because one: I was tired and two: sometimes she would totally roll up to a gala in full armor just because.

You may notice that the wedding band is on the other arm, rather than on the same arm as Allura's. That's not an error, that's just because in Bimmun culture you wear the wedding band on the opposite arm as your spouse in order to show that you both complement each other.

@toastess-with-the-mostess @queenscene2 @breadstickcat @rubymoon-snape @lion-time

[voltronfandomhag]

Thoughts On DoTU Fanon: The Keith and Lotor Rivalry

Re-watching DoTU causes me to question much of the commonly accepted fanon that floated around various fan sites and fourms when DoTU actually had an active fandom to speak of. Mainly it’s the claim Lotor knew Keith and Allura had something going on and that’s what fueled his hatred of Keith. It’s often discussed like it’s a stone cold fact, but I’d argue it’s a product of personal interpretation of the source material more than anything.

Many DoTU fans were convinced Lotor’s rivalry with Keith was caused by jealously over the Voltron Force captain’s relationship with Allura. A lot of this hinges on the idea the Keith/Allura relationship has always been romantic in nature.  But like I mentioned before, there wasn’t much Kallura content in the first season. There were scenes you could interpret has hinting at something more but it was just that: personal interpretation. And even in Lion Voltron’s second season, where they were definitely attracted to each other (holding hands, blushing, Allura getting getting jealous because another woman gave Keith a love token, etc), they were sort of stumbling through the early stages of building a relationship. And those little romantic moments they have together, like Keith giving Allura flowers he picked for her or Alfor’s ghost approving of Keith while he and Allura clasp hands? Lotor has no way of knowing about any of that.  Lotor says or does very little in either season that suggests he thinks or knows there’s something going on between the captain and princess.

There’s a scene in “To Soothe the Savage Robeast” that’s often cited as proof Lotor knows Keith and Allura have something going on. Lotor travels to Arus to warn Keith about Merla’s plan to kill Allura and the rest of the VF with a poisoned honey drink, resulting in this exchange:

Keith: “Lotor! What are you doing here on Arus?” Lotor: “ I’m here to give a bit of friendly advice: go back to the castle at once or Queen Merla will destroy you all.”

Keith: “Why would you warn me?”

Lotor: “I don’t care about you in the least but I do care about Allura. She’s about to be poisoned! I’d warn her myself but she wouldn’t believe me. We might not like each other but neither of us wants to see the princess hurt, do we?”

Keith: “Right!”

Again, to me this doesn't prove the claim the Lotor/Keith riviraly centers around romantic jealousy over Allura. While I can see how someone could interpret Lotor’s dialogue that way, Lotor does know Keith is Allura’s teammate, friend and protector. For those reasons alone Keith wouldn’t want to see her hurt. I’d say the animosity between Lotor and Keith began with Keith beat Lotor in a duel fair and square just for Lotor to bash his head with a rock.

 I’d also argue because Keith is the leader of the Voltron Force, he’s usually the one most responsible for Lotor’s defeats and he has had, with the exception of Allura, the most face-to-face confrontations with Lotor. Combine that with opposing worldviews and that Keith has bested Lotor in hand-to-hand combat more than once, making the humiliation Lotor suffers at Keith’s hands all the more personal, and you have the makings a bitter rivalry right there. So I while can see where someone could come to conclusion that Lotor and Keith’s rivalry is mostly romantic in nature, that’s not the only possible reason, factor, or interpretation. I don’t know, maybe I’m alone in feeling this way.

[lokimilf]

I WAS SO CONFUSED WHO MERLA WAS I DIDNT SEE IT SAID VF DJDJJD

I ship all the VF members with someone except him