#champion!Shiro

[tarantula-hawk-wasp]

Oh do not seek to know what lies Behind these mild and patient eyes For I have seen the demons power And even let the monster run In certain unforgotten hours

The fire that sleeps within the blood Can waken to a burning flood That sweeps away whatever moves Before the wordless killers eyes

Shiro's time as Champion lives rent free in my head but the show said you get crumbs and nothing more

[discordiansamba]

thinking about that idea where Keith really is a port brat raised on the fringes of the Galra Empire but taking it in a different direction this time. He was still born on Earth, and Krolia left him and his dad like she does in canon, but they later wind up abducted when the Galra come back a third time (though Heath manages to prevent them from finding out about the blue lion).

The Galra establish that Keith is half-Galra, so he's separated from his dad at a young age to be raised as a part of the Empire. He runs away when he's a teenager, and ends up as part of a group of Galra delinquents who typically make trouble for the soldiers while dodging the draft themselves. He's passively looking for his dad (he can barely remember him) and is not really looking for his mom at all when he hears a rumor that the current Champion looks just like him.

When he hears that he'll be brought to the colony he lives in... curiosity gets the best of him. He wants to see this Champion for himself.

[utenapilled]

having a normal one

[kep1er-kep1ianworld]

Mashiro

[kismetconstellations]

Shiro from Voltron for the character ask game

To spare my poor followers' dashboards a massive wall of text, my answers will be found behind the cut. Let's regroup there, shall we?

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

I love Shiro because he demonstrates so perfectly that a person's trauma does not have to define them. No matter what kind of Hell they've been subjected to, they always have the option to remain gentle, compassionate, and kind. Even when they're afraid. Even when they believe themselves to be "broken", or monstrous because of what they had to do to survive.

One can rise above attempts to break them, and be so much more than the people who mistreated them tried to force them to be.

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

His personality. Even when he isn't being everything that epitomizes a true hero- brave, selfless, strong-willed, empathetic, always looking after others and willing to risk his life for them at the drop of a hat- he's so much fun to watch. From his moments of tired, resigned irritation and bemusement with others' antics,

to his quiet fascination with Altean technology and concepts, like water pouches and their time measurement system,

to the moments where he's just a great big dorky sweetheart.

People who think he's "boring" because he's a workaholic soldier who isn't as inclined to shenanigans and over the top reactions as his younger comrades aren't paying attention. He's an extremely dynamic, multi-faceted character just begging to be explored by someone who loves him and all of his depth and multitudes.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

How he's handled by the team of inept showrunners who helmed this messy disaster of a cartoon.

He has no real support system, something I can only imagine is due to him being the commanding officer to a group of teenagers he can't truly confide in, and the intention to have him fill a Doomed Mentor role, despite him being inadvertently written as The Chosen One. His biological family is virtually non-existent. The only other proper adult he could look to for advice is the designated comic relief. There were opportunities for him to be taken in by the Holts, given their mutual fondness for each other, or even Allura and Coran. Allura and Shiro seemed to have developed an even stronger bond (offscreen, of course) after she saved his life.

(I have a theory that Allura's quintessence alchemy altered Shiro's DNA, which is why his new arm could only be safely powered by the Balmeran crystal from Allura's tiara, and the Atlas, similarly powered by Altean magic, responds to Shiro and Shiro alone, establishing a mental link with him the same way Allura had with the Castle of Lions. But, that's for another unhinged essay.)

And, when Coran confronts Iverson about strapping Shiro to a table in the pilot, he refers to Shiro as "our Shiro".

But, neither of these avenues were ever explored, as Shiro was "retired" and relegated to side-character status, leaving him isolated from everyone, including his best friend who loves him.

The ableism surrounding his disability is disgusting. He's a forced amputee twice over. He spends most of an entire season standing mute on the sidelines without a right arm, and there's absolutely no acknowledgement of his missing limb, that his best friend is the reason why it's gone, or inquiries into how being rendered effectively "useless" after coming back from the dead is affecting Shiro's already poor mental health.

(Does Shiro sleep? Does he have pajamas he can even change into, or is he supposed to wear the Black Paladin armor the entire trip back to Earth? Is he able to shower with that stump, or does it pose an electrocution hazard if it comes into contact with water? Is there anything available for him to do so he isn't standing silently around, losing his mind?)

His best friend's mother tells him to stay out of a fight, and he meekly accepts the order, never making another attempt to be anything other than a helpless bystander until he's been outfitted with a new arm that he, once again, has no say in the design of. An arm that is bulky and over-sized, impractical, likely extremely uncomfortable, and sickeningly mirrors his abuser's.

The same abuser who filled his head with taunts about his previous prosthetic being the "strongest part" of him, and the same abuser who tortured him and is implied to have raped him.

An ally tells him that he would be stronger with "two robotic arms", almost mocking the fact that Shiro's right arm was deliberately taken from him to be replaced by a weapon. And, this is never called out or questioned.

A punch that he lands on his abuser with his organic fist only incites a mocking sneer before Shiro is flung across the body of the ship that they're fighting on like a ragdoll.

After being made to feel washed-up and old at twenty-six, Shiro participates in an arm-wrestling tournament that he wins-- using the ill-proportioned prosthetic modeled after his abuser's.

I don't know if there was no one on the staff who was aware of the vile implications in this handling of a disabled character, but when one considers the similar grotesque handling of intense trauma and passive suicidal ideation... It doesn't exactly paint a pretty picture of the ideas and beliefs that went into the writing on this show.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

This is so silly and indulgent, but... What immediately comes to mind is, instead of him dying in the second season's finale and spending four entire seasons helplessly roaming and languishing on the Astral Plane, I would have him magically transported to the beach episode of a slice of life anime.

He would get to play volleyball with and be fawned over by a bunch of pretty, shirtless men with glistening, sun-kissed skin. As he deserves. ( ᵘ ᵕ ᵘ ⁎)

5. What’s the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

"Lazarus Drug", by Meg Washington. Longtime followers of my silly little blog might be aware of my love for Bluey, which is how I was introduced to this gorgeous piece of music. It was used to masterful effect in the twenty-eight minute special episode, The Sign.

When I was struggling to come up with a title for my Shiro-centric character study/fix-it fic, "Lazarus Drug" proved to be a lifesaver.

"And when I hear you calling, Like you were always there, I rise until I'm hanging in the Middle of the air

And when I hear you calling, I split like I'm a snake With golden light like fingers And, then I start to break

Into a billion pieces Oh, I shatter into constellations Like I've never been more here Like I completely disappear

I'm nothingness, but shining And everywhere at once I'm everything and everyone Who is or ever was."

6. What’s something you have in common with this character?

Less than stellar mental health as a result of trauma.

7. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

There are so many jaw-droppingly stunning and breathtaking pieces of Shiro fan art out there. I also greatly appreciate fanfics, meta, and analyses that take all of his trauma and his disability, and how they would realistically impact his daily life, into account.

Christening him "The Unkillable Gay", and "Gay God", is also pretty darned fantastic.

8. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Dark Shiro, Shiro-bashing (usually in tandem with Allura-bashing), sidelining him due to ageism, ignoring his canon sexuality to give Keith reason to angst over Shiro not accepting him in K/L fics, minimizing Shiro's role in Keith's life to focus on their preferred ship, having Shiro adopt or be biologically related to Keith, especially if Adam is co-parenting and Keith has more of a bond with him than Shiro (it's pretty obvious why certain shippers do this), depicting him as high-libido and sexually aggressive/an Alpha/dominant/top, even more so when he gets off on being called "daddy", expressing a belief that he should have stayed dead in service of Keith's character, treating him and his clone as the same person... Just to name a few.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

I don't see why not.

10. Could you be best friends with this character?

I'd love to think that I could be. But, realistically, I'd be too nervous to ever approach him and strike up a conversation. >////<'

11. Would you date this character?

Though he is undeniably gorgeous, we are romantically incompatible, I'm afraid.

12. What’s a headcanon you have for this character?

Shiro moved to the United States with his grandfather in late childhood, between the ages of eight and ten. That's why he speaks perfect English with no trace of an accent.

13. What’s an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

☆

14. Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.

Classic Hollywood pilot aesthetic; aviation jacket with (faux) fur lining, patches on the sleeve, and a tight t-shirt or tank top underneath, sometimes with aviator sunglasses folded over the collar or worn over his eyes, military dog tags around his neck, the sort of clingy, curve-flattering pants that he canonically favors, and knee-high combat boots. Scarf is optional.

I also love a soft formal look on him. Crisp dress shirt and tie with a vest over top, perfectly tailored slacks, and shiny black loafers.

15. What’s your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn’t matter if it’s canon or not.)

I'm going to go with Shiro/Keith, though I very much have a fondness for Shiro/Hunk, as well.

Keith's devotion to Shiro is exactly the level of devotion that Shiro deserves, though Keith could stand to tone the intensity of it down just a tad. His willingness to throw his life away for Shiro would be a massive source of anxiety for Shiro, and something they'd have to discuss, among many other topics, before entering a serious romantic relationship.

And, Hunk is such a sweetheart, he'd spoil and pamper Shiro in all of the best ways. When he's of legal consenting age, of course.

(I also may or may not crack-ship him with Sven.)

16. What’s your least favorite ship for this character?

Romantic Shiro/Pidge, and Shiro/Sendak. An adult gay man and a female child, and a trauma survivor and his personal tormentor is a great big "no thanks" for me.

17. What’s a ship for this character you don’t hate but it’s not your favorite that you’re fine with?

Shiro/Lance, and Shiro/Matt. I prefer Shiro and Matt as friends, and overexposure to Lance thanks to a hyper-zealous fanbase has done a fairly good job of putting me off of him. Which sucks, because I genuinely like him just fine in the show, itself. I don't mind either ship, and have read fic for them. They're just not prospects for Shiro that I ever seriously entertain.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

I love Shiro and Pidge's relationship in the early episodes. The way he is so gentle, encouraging, and protective with her, basically becoming a second older brother, and how she comes to trust and rely on him as a confidante, enough that she personally seeks him out to tell him that she plans to leave the team to search for her father and brother, knowing he will understand, stole my heart almost immediately, and stole it hard.

It's incredibly disheartening that, after his resurrection, we only get tidbits and table scraps of that relationship.

Why did Shiro start riding with her in the Green Lion on the journey back to Earth? Who knows? The writers certainly weren't going to tell us, because Shiro was so thoroughly a side-character, by that point, he and Pidge- if I'm recalling correctly- only talked to each other onscreen one time.

Never forget what they took from us.

(Also ignore that they forgot to draw Shiro's scar.)

19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don’t like?

No offense to Mr. Set-Dressing, but there is nothing that points to these characters having any sort of even platonic relationship, let alone the kind of chemistry that would lead to a marriage a few years down the line. They never address each other by name, or at all, when they're not exchanging commands in the heat of battle. "Curtis" has more personal interaction with Acxa. And, I swear Shiro only looks away from the console on the Atlas's bridge to physically acknowledge this man once.

The animators certainly did poor "Curtis" no favors, either, by making him look like a sad, pathetic older man who couldn't lift or dip his strapping younger groom on their wedding day.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn’t matter?

I adore the idea of Shiro and Allura as best friends, and would have loved to have seen some genuine interaction between the Real Shiro and Matt, after Shiro attacked Matt to save his life. Alas...

21. If you’re a fic writer and have written for this character, what’s your favorite thing to do when you’re writing for this character? What’s something you don’t like?

I've only very recently started writing for Shiro, and don't see myself doing much more than the aforementioned character study/fix-it fic. That said, I love getting into his head to really flesh him out, his psychology, his illness, his failed relationship, his experience in captivity, and using the members of his found family as conduits for him to realize just how special and good to his core he truly is. Like what should have happened in canon.

I don't like writing about him suffering, but part of recovering from trauma is processing it. And, processing often involves reliving the traumatic event as you walk a trusted friend, loved one, or mental health professional through it in the hopes that they will then offer you the greatly needed comfort and support and skills to cope that you didn't have, at the time it occurred.

22. If you’re a fic reader, what’s something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don’t like?

I love in-character portrayals of Shiro in Hurt/Comfort settings that address the sheer magnitude of his trauma, and emphasize how unfailingly brave, strong, compassionate, and altruistic in spite of it all that he has always been and always will be.

I'm not a fan of him being treated like he's "oblivious", or "emotionally constipated" for not immediately acting on an Anguished Declaration of Love that Keith gave to "Kuron", and prefaced with, "You're my brother".

And, I've covered before, in detail, how much it irks and baffles me when Lance fans give Lance traits distinct and exclusive to Shiro in an effort to try to turn him into Shiro, instead of accepting him as he is.

23. Favorite picture of this character?

Tough call, since there are so many, but, I do think this one is the winner:

I love that, despite his strong jaw, his features are so gentle and soft, and the silver hair truly lends him an ethereal quality. That arm is ghastly, but it doesn't detract from just how pretty Shiro is, and how much that Admiral coat flatters him.

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

I don't participate in the fandom at all, but I've carried a torch for Leonardo from the 2003 incarnation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since the show was still actively airing and in production. There are so many similarities between Shiro and 2003 Leo that one could almost say there's a specific type of character that I'm drawn to like gravity hurtling a ship into a planet with a crash-landing imminent and the projected number of casualties astronomical.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

My first impression of Shiro, when I watched the pilot and second episode back in 2016, was that he was my favorite character of the lot. I was drawn to him for all of the reasons stated above. But, once I became aware of the online fandom drama, I backed off, only watching three more episodes (A Little Adventure and Lions' Pride I and II) in 2018 for Shiro/Keith shipping reasons before becoming a lurker on the peripheral, exploring fanmade content without engaging with the show, itself. It wasn't until earlier this year that I finally grit my teeth, braced myself, and committed to watching at least the seasons where the Real Shiro is featured in full.

I both immensely regret that decision for the sheer levels of frustration, fury, and deeply-rooted sadness at all of the wasted potential that I opened myself up to, and don't regret it at all. Because, I sincerely love Shiro and wish with all of my heart that he, and especially Allura and Coran and even Hunk, were handled by infinitely better writers in an infinitely better show.

----

Thank you so very, very much for asking! ❤

[oliveden]

lance still does see shiro as his hero in the supernatural au because shiro used to be an olympic athlete in karate. he quit because of his muscle disease.

shiro finds this out later and is so embarassed. lance i'm retired. lance you literally have magic powers it's not that impressive.

(it is, in fact, that impressive, and it does save their lives.)

[void-tiger]

Sorry, Shiro.

You have hEDS now. Not “just” epilepsy.

I make the rules. It fits. RIP buddy.

[empty-blog-for-lurking]

All my Lances have some flavor of gender fuckery/non binary going on with them however it's only sr!Lance who has sat down, thought about it hard and realized that "hmmm actually? To be completely honest? I kinda like being not a boy. It's nice, this is nice😊" Rest of them are too far gone for the Realization™, too deep in the shithole they have dug themselves in

[yelmor-boots]

[angstandhappiness]

NEAT

Hi. Resident sword geek. I knew I’d get around to this eventually, but the “sword” provided to Shiro when he was about to step into the Galra gladiatorial ring is really kind of a fascinating bit of design that really deserves a bit of meta attention.

Note: This is clearly a fictional sci-fi invention of a melee weapon that does not have an exact real world counterpart to my knowledge, but it is still interesting to look at what real world weapons might have acted as inspiration (intentional or not) for the weapon and what meaning that potentially adds to it. This is all just meta musings/conjecture, so don’t take it as hard fact.

The closest real world design I seem to be able to find for the general blade shape and size is the heavy Ram Dao of Nepal and India. [link | link | link] This sword was believed to be typically used for sacrificial purposes, often of large herd animals. The curve and most of the weight being at the end of the blade makes it more effective for heavy slicing moves intended to sever heads (or for Shiro’s uses in-story, limbs) from the body in a minimum amount of strokes for minimum effort. The goddess Kali is shown to be holding heavy Ram Dao in many of the illustrations of them. Kali is perceived in Hindu tradition to be a destroyer of principally evil forces, a divine protector, and a bestower of liberation. She is often depicted standing or dancing on the prone body of her consort, Shiva. 

The other sword design I’ve put up there is a Ngombe Ngulu, [link | link] a sword from the Congo that is believed to have been used as a symbol of prestige, trading currency, and as an sacrificial and/or executioner’s weapon. It is highly debatable whether the old colonist records of the sword’s use for cannibalism have much (or any) basis in reality, but they were used as symbols of prestige and trade goods. It’s design, much like the Ram Dao, makes it very effective for decapitations and severing limbs. It is likely they were (being swords) put to use against animals or people at some points in history. Regardless of the accuracy, it’s widely believed belief to have been used in the execution of prisoners, enemies, and/or sacrifices is not to be overlooked though when looking at the design as potential inspiration for a symbol/weapon in a story.

Both of these sword designs have a general effective shape and weighting we see in numerous cultures across the world, which is to say they are in a basic sickle shape. Sickles are widely used as farming tools because the shape makes cutting more effective with less effort so many cultures developed similar weapons in that basic form. It just works by physics so many people came to the same general form in development. In Western European culture, the Sickle, especially in it’s long-handled format, is widely associated with “Death” or “The Reaper” as a personification of the concept. The long handled version of a sickle usually has extra handles attached perpendicularly to the long part of the weapon, much like the perpendicular handles seen on the Galran Gladiator Sword.

That this is a sword design specifically associated with ritual sacrifice or execution and Death (as an entity) or a goddess associated with similar qualities to Kali –if any aspect of that meaning were presumed to be present in Galran culture– makes it a very interesting weapon to put in the hands of gladiators, especially prisoner-slaves and could be interpreted to have traditional and/or cultural significance for the Galrans, especially based upon the results a gladiator gets in the arena while wielding such a weapon. A prisoner-slave gladiator who reaps repeated wins while wielding this weapon with such cultural significance –even 10,000 years later when it is likely the practices it is rooted in may be largely out of favor or unpracticed– might be given special considerations or treated as “favored” in some fashion by thier captors. Elevated to a position of “Champion”, given slightly improved living conditions or treated as a sponsor’s favorite (or “pet”), experimented upon as being considered to be proven of better stock (or “chosen”), or more effort is spent to preserve thier life when experimented upon because of long-standing cultural associations with that traditional weapon in the gladiatorial field.

Just some interesting thoughts of potential Galran cultural expressions.

Additionally, that horizontal handle is also reminiscient of a police “nightstick”, and when combined with the rifle-butt-like end that has been attached to the Galran Gladiator sword as a counterweight (a design that recoups some balance and speed lost by such a heavy-ended blade) –knowing that our creators and designers for VLD are based in the US– it might be considered some low level of reference to recent gun and police violence in the US. Of course it might just be to give the weapon a general gun-like silhouette because the designer thought guns are cool.

[iota-in-space]

I do think Voltron happened in a weird time period where, during the writing process there wasn’t really much queer representation in children’s media. (As well as, how much of that rep was deep and complex and focused heavily on the relationship between the m/m or f/f ships? Vs just an implication that two characters got together?) So Execs would be hesitant to make that big step to have a queer relationship, there’s a market of homophobic viewers (and straight up countries) they’d loss. It’s too risky.

Then as Voltron came out representation was getting a bit better, both in cartoons and just in society in general (rainbow capitalism and stuff, they’re profiting from us but at least they’re including us ya know.) So maybe Execs could live with a character being implied to possibly be gay in some kind of way. And there was groundwork for Shiro to be revealed as gay rep, if they ever decided to go that route. It could be a possibility.

And the fans wanted queer representation. And eventually the higher ups were ok with a male character saying to another gay man “You’re like a brother to me. I love you.” In the most gut wrenching voice that made the actual VA cry while recording. A younger generation didn’t grow up with the necessity to add subtext to queer relationships. In more recent years characters were just queer. So they’ve got no idea of the “no homo bro” trope. Why would they need to? Ironically enough the “You’re like a brother to me” line was probably meant to add deniability to the gay allegations to keep a broader audience. But the people who were the most loud about championing Queer Representation saw that and went No They Are Not Gay.

[tarantula-hawk-wasp]

Broken.....

couldn't decide which version I liked better. thematically connected to @rockingthegraveyard s post about the shiro broken motif in s1

[discordiansamba]

also while I'm thinking about AUs, thinking about the weapon AU and the sense of sympathy that Keith eventually develops for those around him as he starts to become more of a person.

For Shiro, who got a taste of what it was like to be in his shoes during his time as Champion, but with the stakes higher than they ever had been for him.

For Kuron, who was created as a tool to be used against the paladins without his knowledge. As much as he hurt him, he was a square piece trying to fit into a round peg, trying to be someone he wasn't without ever knowing why it didn't fit.

For Ranveig's superweapon, who was taken from its home and forced to become a monster all because of one man's desire for more power. Retroactively, for the robeasts, for much the same reason.

[iamurpaladin]

I honestly don't think keith would care about murder.

Not even just in the sense of like. Murder in a space war. I mean he condones that too, but not just that.

Shiro comes back after being champion and he's like but keith. I killed people!

And Keith's just kinda like ok. And?

He stole shiros car. I feel like he's seen plenty of crime, and it just follows that for the right reasons (self defence, provocation) he wouldn't care about murder.

The other paladins all have moments when they're like Oh God We're Killing People but not keith.

Keith is cool with it.

[kep1er-kep1ianworld]

Mashiro

[kismetconstellations]

Shiro + ♦️

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

Along with his heavily implied (canonical) recurrent insomnia, and carrying so much tension that he unconsciously clenches his jaw, gritting his teeth to the point of discomfort, Shiro's mouth tends to fall open when he is sleeping, because he's unable to get enough air through his nasal passages. The bridge of his nose healed improperly from the injury he sustained during his time in captivity that left him with his prominent facial scar. This improperly healed breakage also causes him to occasionally snore, which startles him out of his sleep, and, to his eternal mortification, drool, thanks to his open mouth. All of which combine with his hypervigilance and fear of being seen as weak and incentivize him to ensure that he's never sleeping where someone else can see him.

When his insomnia is at its worst, and his brain and body are their most restless, he opts for exercise and/or reading (he'll do both simultaneously when he can), charting the stars, and general maintenance check-ins with the Atlas. He refuses to remain idle when he can be useful.

His hobbies consist of listening to classical music (Gustav Holst's The Planets Suite and the selection, Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, from it, being particular favorites), indulging in Sci-Fi films (with a soft spot for B-movies) and anime, sharpening his skills in all of his personal areas of study (fitness, combat, conflict resolution, Astronomy, Astrophysics, alien languages, intergalactic cultural disparities, obligatory intergalactic cultural and species sensitivity training, Philosophy, meditation, and Altean quintessence alchemy-- something that plays a much larger role in his day to day life than he ever anticipated, since it saved his life, powers his ship and his right arm, and slightly altered his genetic makeup. Plus, learning about it gives him all the more opportunity to spend time with one of his best and dearest friends), and building his own custom hoverbike from scratch.

---

Thank you very much for asking! ❤