#sincline mech

[uf0621]

An unstructured, unsupported ramble about six lions, guardian spirits, and cosmic entities in VLD: 

context: I’ve gone down a bit of a rabbit hole in the last several months trying to understand the lore present in VLD, wondering if there was any kind of deeper meaning to the Lions and their Paladins. 

I’m looking at this as more of a possible explanation for the events of s8 specifically rather than what canon was actually going for, as I don’t have much evidence for any of this. Just some stuff from previous adaptations. idk i think it's all just a cool concept that i am totally normal about and definitely do not have 50k words written about it on my computer

I have many theories about the lore of Voltron, rooted in various adaptations as well as other less supported things, very likely not canon, but the concept of “true paladins” has been especially interesting to me.

Specifically the true Blue Paladin, because it’s Lance and Allura that often trip me up. The Blue Lion as a whole does if I’m being honest. No matter what I connect, the Blue Lion is always an anomaly. Lance doesn’t match the Blue Lion’s traits described by LM as well as the other’s match their first Lions, but suits the element of water perfectly. Obviously he was never meant to stay with Blue. Red is his character’s legacy lion and with his arc (or rather the one he was meant to have) he suits Red quite well, but you can see in the early seasons especially that they hinted at this version of Lance ending up in Black at some point. VLD’s Keith embodies the Red Lion’s attributes and the element of fire exactly, yet he ended up in Black, who he doesn’t share the traits of and only partially grows into, almost entirely offscreen. 

The Black Lion is a whole other thing for me. From keeping it’s connection to Zarkon despite Blue showing us you can in fact block a Paladin out, to choosing Keith over the far more qualified Allura, I have a lot of questions. I definitely think Shiro’s opinion was the main reason Keith got the role you know, lore wise. But legacy wise, I am aware that Keith always pilots Black so… that was certainly a way to have it all play out I guess. 

A lot of my theories have to do with the concept of the Lion’s being physical bodies for the Guardian Spirits, something the show did not touch on, but for some reason the handbooks did? Also the importance of the White Lion from Oriande !!!

Most recently I’ve gone down a cosmic entities route because of the lore from the original GoLion about the Goddess of the Universe, aka the “space goddess.” Essentially, Voltron challenged the Goddess, so to teach him humility, she separated him into five lions that crashed on Altea, where they waited thousands of years for the day they would reawaken to battle evil.

Since my first watch of VLD I always thought the White Lion was going to become important to Voltron. Then it never did, even after Shiro’s hair turned white and Honerva sacrificed the White Lion to bring the Sincline mech back. It’s always fascinated me that technically there are six lions in the universe. Combine that with the Goddess lore and you get a team of seven like many have uncovered the original season 8 included. (yes, this does include Lotor)

I also found it interesting that this symbol appears in the hall Allura and Lotor walk through in Oriande.

Looks a lot to me like a person sending out six lines from their open palms, or maybe calling them back, perhaps the Goddess and the six lions? 

Which brings me to my big theory: the six Guardian Spirits of the elements (including the white lion spirit of light) chose their “vessels” based on who matched their quintessence and embodied their element. So the s1 lineup + Lotor & the white lion.

Allura’s Quintesssence encompasses all of the elements, and is equivalent to the entirety of Voltron, as shown by her doing the eye connect thing with the mech itself. She is something else entirely. And I say “vessels” because those who embody each element may not end up the Paladin of their matching lion by the end of things. 

I believe the Lion’s first choice of Paladins in ep 1 was actually the Spirits finding their match. Shiro’s death forced a bit of a shuffle in the lineup, but it was a pretty harmonious shuffle? Once Keith worked out his issues. The left side of Voltron was unchanged, and the right side was reformed to balance out Keith becoming the leader.

While technically each spirit resides in its corresponding Lion, the actual mechs denote team positions. I’d like to think it truly doesn’t matter who pilots what lion, as it never did in previous adaptations, what matters is the team’s dynamic, and the connection of each spirit to a member of the team. 

The compatibility of the Paladins as a team is of the utmost importance. They can’t form Voltron if they aren’t one team, one entity. Therefore, the leader and right hand positions must be filled appropriately, and the two sides of Voltron must be balanced. 

This is why the Paladins never change armor colours. Lance represents water, but in the position of the Red Lion as right hand to the leader who represents fire now in Black. This balances them out, since the mechs cannot have their preferred vessels be their pilots (rip Shiro). Lance cools Keith down and provides stability his leadership would otherwise lack. To balance the right side of Voltron with a water spirit in the Red Lion, a fire persona (Allura) was chosen to pilot Blue. Allura I believe embodies all of the elements and more, but she is a fiery person with a personality a lot like Keiths.

On the topic of Allura, I think she was meant to end up as the Goddess of the Universe. But the question I have is whether Allura was always her or was simply going to become her?

I’m stuck on who I think the Goddess role was meant to go to. In GoLion she was her own cosmic entity. In Defenders of the Universe, it was Haggar who split the Lions apart, but in VLD Alfor split the Lions and Allura brought them back together through their connection to her life force? Then she became a cosmic entity at the end of s8? 

I have a completely unsupported concept that Allura’s mother could be the Goddess, as she seemed to have married Alfor after he created the Lions, so Allura’s connection to them/unique powers came from that? My sole basis for this is the emphasis on mothers in the last three seasons (Honerva, Krolia, Colleen), but otherwise I’ve got nothing lol. Well maybe something about the “motherly” lion choosing Allura, but that’s about it. Allura still ends up leaving the Blue Lion and becoming something more so idk, maybe Blue (the Lion, not the spirit) really is just a stepping stone and doesn’t have a true paladin at all. 

The multiple attempts to kill Shiro off invalidate most of my theory or rather prove it was not the intention of the writers, but I’m looking at this as more of a possible lore explanation for the events of s8 specifically rather than what canon was going for.

I like to focus on lore and world building in stories and Voltron provided a lot of cool concepts and ideas with no explanation for most of it. So lots of room to have fun and make things up basically  

When it comes to what could have went down when reality closed in on the Voltron/Atlas mech in s8, I like to think it had something to do with the Goddess and the six Guardian spirits connecting to the seven of them.

But again, I don’t have much canon evidence for any of this, it’s more along the lines of an explanation created using previous adaptation’s world building for some of the stuff that went down in VLD. 

and sorry for using the word lore so much, vld has broken me down into a shell of a person tbh so i don’t know how to speak anymore. the dyslexia is also hitting me hard this evening and i know without question that i can read (and spell!) the word lore 

[ladyandherbooks]

So this week I got a sudden urge to rewatch some of Voltron (only the Lotor scenes and episodes minus the Lotura break up, Romelle's Lotor backstory and Lotor's break down, I'll never be in the mood to rewatch them) and here are some of my thoughts since its been 5 years since this shows cataclysmic end.

The Lotor vs Zarkon fight is still great 5 years on. The best fight in the show by far.

Lotor's escape from Zarkon in season 4 is also great and one of the best examples of his skills as a pilot.

Lotor really was one of the most powerful characters on this show. He went up against so many foes who had a huge advantage against him and still managed to come out on top.

The Galra civil war with Lotor and Sendak as the leaders on either side with Honerva/Haggar plotting and manipulating from the shadows should have been of the main storyline post Lotor's ascension to the throne. They could have done so much with it.

For example, the reasons why certain Galran controlled planets and Galrans would choose either Lotor or Sendak. Perhaps some half or part Galra choose to follow Sendak and the paladins try to find out why. And some Galrans may only choose Lotor because they want to be on the winning side and believe that they will be rewarded for doing so. You could see a range of reasons as why certain Galrans chose a specific side and why.

There needed to be more focus on the prejudices faced by half and part Galra and what Lotor and his generals being in power would mean for the future of the empire.

Speaking of the generals, there really should have been 2 episodes dedicated to Team Sincline's backstory. We should have seen how they all met and how they became so close. And only 1 break up between them, when they reunited in season 6 they should have stayed together.

Speaking of staying I'm now imagining a better version of Lotor's break down. Allura defeats Lotor in space, not in the quintessence field. But when they (Voltron) approach Lotor to retrieve him Lotor, injured and still in the midst of a breakdown gets one more burst of energy and he tries to take them down only to be stopped at the last second by his generals who, knowing that Lotor wasn't truly himself quickly snuck back into the Sincline mech. They subdue him, take control of Sincline and flee before the paladins can react. They then take Lotor somewhere safe to hide out and help him. You could even include the 2 year timeskip and have Lotor be in such a bad way physically, emotionally and mentally that it takes him 2 years to heal and recover. Can you imagine how great that would have been? The angst, the emotions, the friendship, the fact that Axca, Ezor and Zethrid refuse to give up on him no matter how bad he gets in those 2 years. Add in Dayak at some point and it would be great.

Also Axca, Zethrid and Ezor should have learnt about what Haggar did to Narti in season 4 and Lotor should have also provided them with an explanation as well.

We should have also have seen Team Sincline fight in their mech at least once per season.

The show really did suffer from the split seasons from seasons 3 - 5. I know that LM and JDS had a set number of episodes but these seasons would have been better if they had all been 13 eps each. That way they could have explored all their storylines without the rush.

Too many cool and interesting concepts introduced but never explained or explored e.g. Lotor using the black bayard and being able to create 2 different weapons with it.

The moment that Honerva/Haggar remembered that Lotor is her son is still a great emotional moment.

The colony was a good idea that was executed with very little planning or care. It could have been a really good plot point to create a temporary rift between Lotor and the paladins e.g. have the reveal happen at the beginning of season 6, have a season or possibly 2 of angst and then have them work together again after Lotor has atoned in some way. Lotor could provide his actual explanation of what happened to the other Altaeans, the alliance would have remained intact just with the added rift between the paladins and Lotor where the paladins would still help Lotor stop the civil war but they would keep their distance and would only meet with him in public. Then once they had all truly reunited Allura and Lotor finally become a couple.

Also have their relationship be used against them by Sendak and his supporters who believe that this is evidence that they will soon be ruled by non-Galra and the hypocrisy in this belief considering how many planets and people the Galra rule.

[leakinghate]

Lets B-b-b-break it Down

I got me a cam vid of that NYCC trailer for VLD s8. Wanna tear it apart with me?

Cool.

Major SPOILERS below the cut. Not joking. This is like, all the spoilers. Every single spoiler that currently exists regarding VLD s8 is discussed below the cut.

1. The trailer starts with rainbow colors flying by as if we’re traveling through a tunnel in space. Honerva fades into focus center screen, her eyes are closed and she’s outlined with a purple-pink glowing aura. The colors in the background transition to a starscape. A few scenes transition in and out overlapping with each other and this one in visibility.

2. Honerva/Haggar in a hospital bed - reminiscent of her flashback from s5e2. Two figures stand at the foot of the bed, probably Zarkon and the doctor from the s5 flashback. Kova sits atop her where she is reclined.

3 .The doctor is holding baby Lotor; he is crying. It appears that the doctor is attempting to prompt Haggar to hold her child, but she is turned away, eyes open and unresponsive. 

4. Adult Lotor is on his knees, his back to us, watching a planet explode. The view draws back and Haggar and Zarkon can be seen watching him. None of their faces are visible. It seems likely that this is the destruction of the mining colony Lotor told Allura about while they were in Oriande.

5. The screen whites out and we’re in a new scene. A Galra cruiser can be seen in the Patrulian Zone, approaching the White Hole.

6. A crowd of at least 23 Alteans are in Oriande, standing on the walkway in front of the temple, facing it. The walkway is framed by 4 (possibly 6 with 2 partially obscured) visible White Knight mechs.

7. A White mech is crouched, holding its spear vertically, surrounded by a pink glow. It fills the screen.

8. A shot of Honerva from the chest up, her arms out to the sides, face stern and teeth grit in concentration. Pink energy rushes around her, partially obscuring her at times. She flashes through four different faces of herself: her Haggar look from the end of s6, Honerva pre-rift, what is apparently her new look for s8 as the Altean Commander, and one we have yet to see in context. Her unknown look is potentially herself as Empress of Daibazaal; she appears to be wearing a pre-rift empire uniform with a prominent ‘V’ on the chest, and she wears a crown reminiscent of Allura’s with a large, dark, diamond shaped crystal in the center and two extra points in the band above her temples.

9. Allura stands on the deck of the Atlas at a teleduv terminal, back to us. A wormhole sparks into existence out the viewport in front of her. The image fades into one of a different Altean - probably Honerva - standing in the same position in Oriande. They appear to be on the walkway in front of the temple facing away from it. The walkway appears to descend down a set of steps in front of them with a crowd of Alteans at the base of these steps watching on.

10. Two paladins are flying through space into something that is spilling out streams of blue-white light. Their feet are towards us and it is difficult to see them clearly. The one on the left is Hunk, the one on the right is probably Lance but may be Allura. The view zooms into the light. it resembles, but is not identical to, the phenomena encountered by the paladins in s7e6 - that ultimately transported them near to Earth.

11. Honerva in pink light flickering between her forms is briefly on screen again.

12. Voltron is diving downwards through several rings of clouds along the path of a bright pink-white beam. there are floating rocky islands viewed from above going past in the background. The scene is pink tinted. This may be in Oriande.

13. The Green Lion is dodging pink-white laser blasts in the foreground. The landscape is rocky and grey with a large base of some sort taking up most of the background. The base appears to be the same color scheme as the white mechs we have seen. It is white with pink lights reminiscent of the ones found on Empire structures. The base is mostly low-lying with a large double pointed tower in the center. Several large claw-like towers surround it in what looks like a ring, the curve inwards towards the center. At the very end of the clip the Blue Lion can also be seen.

14. A low view below a group of 4 people watching Voltron ascend upwards towards a large glowing pink-purple vortex. The people’s pointed ears mark them as Alteans. The sky is starry behind the clouds. Voltron disappears in a flash of white light.

15. The Robeast Myzax from s1e3 ‘Return of the Gladiator’ appears. Four of the lions, Green, Red, Yellow, and Blue, fly past it from right to left, firing and dodging its attacks. The lions appear partially transparent and phantom-like. The Robeast is solid, but shaded predominantly purple. This looks like it takes place in the astral realm or something akin to it.

16. From inside the Atlas the doors open, showing a figure silhouetted against a landscape far below partially obscured by clouds. The figure is wearing a spacesuit and helmet that look reminiscent of Garrison tech in color scheme. They have something across their back from their right shoulder to lower left side with lights on it. The landscape below them is green when visible and dominated by a base with a white and pink color scheme. It looks like the same base from the clip with Green and Blue; we see the same double pointed tower in the center of a ring with four spokes leading to it. One claw-tower is briefly visible.

17. The Atlas in robot form swings its arm forward and an MFE fighter launches from it. The camera follows the fighter as it flies across space towards the White Hole where it joins several other fighters in combat with a White Knight mech. The mech is firing pink lasers and holding its double ended spear. It appears to be guarding the white hole and a circular glowing pink structure that has been built around it. The circle is firing three continuous beams out into space from equidistant points along its circumference.

18. Voltron is fighting in the pink and purple sky of Oriande bearing double swords. It launches ten missiles, five from each leg.

19. A White mech is crouched, plunging its spear into the ground in a green field full of pink flowers. The field looks like the juniberry one we have seen in projections of Altea and in the Dome Romelle was found in. Pink light glows from the spear’s point of contact with the ground and the edges of the green field grow dark.

20. Eight blue-white object rocked across space trailing light, they converge in a circle where they halt in a circle surrounding a much smaller object too far away to make out. There is a structure of some sort floating in the far background in front of a glowing pink-purple vortex in space.

21. Five of the space pirates from s6e3 ‘The Way Forward’ stand atop a cliff looking cool. The one at the front is Zethrid. Immediately to the left of Zethrid is a cloaked figure dressed differently from the pirates. The figure appears to have a tail. The figure appears to be the bounty hunter that Pidge and Matt fought in s4e2 ‘Reunion’.

22. We see Honerva from behind with her hood up; she’s inside a structure of Empire build, with purple walls and pink lighting. She lowers her hood and turns around; she’s wearing a crown made of dark material with a large diamond shaped yellow crystal in the center. The crown itself is reminiscent of the headgear Zarkon wore in s1 & s2. She is glaring and looks displeased.

23. A pink-white laser beam is impacting a rocky planet causing boulders to float into the air. A person is mostly obscured in the foreground; the brown cloak and longer shaggy light-brown hair suggest that this person is Matt.

24. Two paladins in the middle-distance stand in a grey and dead looking forest, skeletal trees rising around them. The paladins appear to be Pidge and Allura. Pidge sinks to her knees on the ground, leaning forwards with her hands on the Earth.

25. Three aliens of an unknown race kneel on the ground, their eyes are closed and their hands in contact with the earth are glowing. The landscape is rock spires with veins of glowing blue crystal. An enormous blue crystal glows in the background. It looks similar to the scenes we observed on the Balmera back in s1 and s2.

26. The Altean from the end of s7 sits on a hospital bed, knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Her head is bowed and her gold eyes are open. She is wearing her space suit and has a sheet covering her legs. Wires run from her arms and back going off-screen.

27. A large crowd of mixed garrison and Coalition members is gathered around the table in the conference room at the Garrison. Shiro and Veronica stand at the head of the table. At the side of the table best visible sit, from right to left, Keith, Allura, Hunk, Lance, Coran, Romelle, and Iverson. Behind them stand the MFE pilots; Rizavi, Leifsdottir, Griffin, and Kinkade. Pidge can be seen leaning in on the opposite side of the table, but most of the others on that side are either obscured or have their backs to the viewer. Slav and Bezor are on the near end. Other recognizable characters in the crowd are Krolia, Kolivan, Vrepit Sal, Nyma, Olia, Matt, and Matt’s mysterious masked girlfriend.

28. Voltron is floating in space in front of a wrecked and derelict Galra cruiser. It appears to be a debris field of some kind with something large glowing in the background.

29. Allura and Lotor are somewhere inside a Galra structure with purple walls. Allura is in the foreground, slightly out of focus, facing forward, and only visible from the neck up. She is wearing a Garrison uniform and her expression is shocked/horrified with her eyes wide and her mouth closed. Lotor stands behind her, in focus, he is turned to the side looking towards Allura and down. His expression is resigned and sad. As the shot pans, Allura is more to the right side and Lotor is more central.

30. A section of a transformation sequence of a purple-toned mech we are as yet unfamiliar with.

31. A clawed hand comes to rest on a glowing ball of light secured in something. This looks like it may be part of a control interface.

32. Honerva is in a spacesuit looking determinedly into the camera. Her eyes start closed and when she opens them her irises are glowing yellow-orange like fire.

33. The Black Lion is flying towards an enormous mech that is silhouetted and partially whited out by a blinding light behind it. The mech is really huge, it reaches out a clawed hand to either grab or block Black and the hand is the size of the Lion itself.

34. A panning shot of Shiro looking heroic in a new black and white Garrison-styled uniform. He looks really good. There are at least five people standing behind him but two are obscured, the other three are Coran, Veronica, and Romelle. They are in front of grey-white panels - probably the Atlas.

35. The Atlas in ship form is floating horizontally across the mouth of a cave which people are exiting out of. Our view is from inside this cave which is a dark rock veined with glowing blue crystal. Small full crystals litter the ground. There are at least 23 people in the crowd, and they look to be from an as yet unknown alien race. They all have their backs to the camera.

36. Five Alteans are inside the Atlas around the ship’s crystal, one hand each stretched towards it. The crystal is shooting a beam of light upwards and the Alteans’ eyes are glowing yellow. The Alteans’ hair is blowing back from the force of the energy radiating off the crystal. Two of the Atlas’ crew are also in the shot, braced watching the action. Both are wearing Garrison uniforms but one is human while the other is a Unilu coalition fighter than has been seen but unnamed in prior seasons. The Alteans in the shot are the five in white and green uniforms in the NYCC poster that was given out. This is very interesting, as these five are unambiguously allied with Honerva according to the poster, yet whatever they’re doing in the clip is apparently in accordance with the crew of the Atlas. Seems that at some point these characters are convinced to switch their allegiances.

37. A very brief shot of eight large objects arranged in a circle floating in space. Glowing, sparkling light connects them and a beam is being shot from each towards the center of the circle. It resembles the spokes of a wheel. Whatever is a the center of the formation is glowing too brightly to be seen.

38. Five lights illuminate and flare on the headpiece of a new, previously unseen mech. The shot zooms into the largest, central light before it changes.

39. Several shot in quick succession that look to be happening in an astral realm of some kind. Pidge’s face looking alarmed. Allura swinging her whip to block a laser blast. Hunk holding his bayard weapon as the screen floods with yellow light. Lance firing his gun repeatedly while he screams.

40. Keith in the Black Lion’s cockpit as he’s hit by something. The ship rocks and pink-purple lightning flashes all around him. He recovers and shoves the right hand control arm forward.

41. A pink shield parts and an ominous pitch-black haloed mech extends an arm with massive scythe-like claws. It fires a blast of pink energy from its hand. Sincline is visible partially obscured on the left side of the screen, at the black mech’s right hand side. Something is not right with it, as all of its external lights apart from its eyes appear to be dark. A white diamond shaped structure reminiscent of the architecture in Oriande floats between the two mechs, with a second one just barely visible at the bottom of the screen.

41. Honerva appears in a cloud of black smoke between the feet of a mech. She is wearing a space suit. The scene is painted orange by what looks like a sunset. The mech may be Sincline, as it has a tail, but the design looks slightly different than what we saw in s6 - though it’s possible that time spent in the rift may have altered it. This scene was luckily released as an HQ screencap for promotional purposes!

42. Voltron slashes through two structures orbiting a planet with its double swords. The two structures simultaneously explode. Interestingly, it appears to have both it’s booster wings and the double swords activated. Combinations which have, in-show, required Keith & Lance, and Lance & Pidge respectively to use their bayards. On closer inspection, the ‘swords’ may in fact be a single spear, similar in design to the ones the White mechs have been observed to wield. What combination of paladins this requires has yet to be seen, but if I had to guess I’d say it may be Pidge & Allura - as Allura was shown to have proficiency with a staff in season 2.

And that’s the trailer!

How exciting. Let’s see what we can make of this, shall we?

43 scenes, I’ve numbered them for easy reference.

Some of them are fairly self-explanatory - the Garrison ones are likely first or second episode and connect with the end of s7. Those would be 27 and 34. I’m also going to include 26 in this group, as the surrounding architecture seems to be in the Garrison color; it also makes sense that the Altean would be placed in a hospital-like setting after being freed from her mech.

For the rest, first off, it’s obvious that 8 and 11 are just one scene split in two; they might very well even be the same scene repeated.

But that’s not the only group of clips that might go together; there are actually several that seem to be part of, if not the same scene, then the same episode.

Starting with 19, 7 looks like it could be that same mech seen from the front. And that’s not all. We know from s7e13 that those mechs drain quintessence with their weapons - likely what’s happening here. So what happens when you drain the life from something? Well, it could very well look like the scenery depicted in 24. Which of course shows Pidge and Allura on a mission somewhere. And since VLD doesn’t usually repeat character teams multiple times a season, it’s likely the same mission we see the Green and Blue Lions on in 13; which features the same structure seen in 16.

Here’s the hypothetical sequence: 16, 19, 7, 13, 24. This order is based on both a logical sequence of events and the time of day shown in the image.

It’s also plausible that 10 might belong to this episode as well, probably the paired plotline - since it features Hunk and Lance apparently alone.

Taking the visuals and the characters into question, it looks like the setting for this string of clips is a colony - whether it’s one of Lotor’s or a new base built by Honerva is yet to be seen.

Speaking of Honera, she’s got both new duds and a new ride. I’d bet good money that 30, 31, and 32 are all part of the transformation sequence for the spooky black mech showcased in 41 - we also see its headpiece light up in 38.

Also in 38 is Sincline, apparently retrieved from the rift. But, there’s something not quite right about it. The mech is partially obscured, but from what can be seen it appears that the external lighting that was visible in s6 has all gone dark. The eyes alone appear to still be alight. Whatever it means, it doesn’t bode well for Lotor. Who, by the way, also makes an apparently present-time appearance in the trailer; in 29. I TOLD YOU SO YOU FUCKERS I TOLD-

There has been much speculation as to whether or not Lotor is really there or if the brief clip is part of a flashback. In my own opinion; it’s both. Lotor is not an illusion as he is the character in focus in the clip, but as it is Allura’s reaction that is initially front and center it appears that the scene is equally between the two of them. If anything, I would guess the specific clip we have is transitory in nature; Allura is reacting to something off-screen and Lotor is now about to offer some commentary on the thing in question. Notably though, the architecture this scene happens in is the dark purple of the Empire; and I would argue that if anything this is the part that isn’t real.

While it’s certainly possible that 4 is a part of Honerva’s flashback, I think it much more likely that this is a memory of Lotor’s as the event shown was referenced as having been a formative experience for him. We already have two examples in canon of one person viewing another’s memories ( when Haggar revived Zarkon and when Keith and Krolia traveled through the Qunatum Abyss) so it wouldn’t be a stretch for it to happen again.

Even so, since we do unambiguously see Sincline, debating exactly how ‘real’ 29 is is a moot point: Lotor’s back, baby! All you haters leaving anon messages in my inbox can suck it, who’s delusional now assholes? I doubt we’re off the pain train yet, but vindication station is in sight! don’t count your chickens before they hatch don’t count on anything oh GOD this train could yet derail. Fuck. Fuck! But this looks good. It does. So far this is exactly what I expected, stay calm.

Anyway.

25 and 35 seem to feature the same landscape and new kind of aliens. It looks similar to the Balmera, and might simply be another one and its residents. Or, it could be a different kind of crystal-producing creature altogether.

And it looks like we’re in for some fun times in the astral realm! With both 15 and 39 pretty unambiguously set in the nebulous ‘quintessence vision’ we’ve seen a handful of times throughout the series. It looks like some previously defeated foes have come to visit as well! Only time will tell if they’re constructs of flesh and steel or mere memory.

But we’ve saved potentially the most interesting clips for last. First, 20 and 37 are definitely the same structure, showing respectively the formation and activation of it. Eight objects arranged in a circle around a central point. But what are they? It’s admittedly very difficult to make out, and we probably would deed access to a HD trailer to say for sure, but I’ve got a good guess. What else shoots through space trailing a tail of light but a comet?

Hey! It’s the right color scheme and everything!

Huh. Y’know what else shares that color scheme? That dark rock with thin, green-blue glowing veins?

This place.

Now, I’m not saying they’re all the same thing. But I wouldn’t rule out a connection. Balmeran crystals are what Alteans historically used to power their ships and likely are rich with quintessence, trans reality ore is associated with the rift, which is full of quintessence. There exists a plausible connection.

Also in 20 is a swirling purple vortex-like gate. I call it a gate because we can actually observe Voltron entering a similar looking structure in 14. And, while it’s easy to miss, it actually seems to be what the Black Lion and the huge unknown mecha are in front of - and possibly falling into - in 33.

I’d like to thank @legendofcarl for pointing out in this post that Honerva is actually piloting the temple in Oriande (in 9 here) as opposed to opening a wormhole. Because taking that into consideration, the white pyramidal structures in 41 are not just reminiscent of Oriande, they are Oriande. Specifically, the temple: it’s a ship. And it’s what is floating in front of the purple vortex in 20.

Which would indicate that the fight involving Sincline and the black mech in 41 is probably happening in front of that vortex and the wheel of comets as well. And those Alteans seen in 14? They’re likely on the Temple ship.

Why not tie some more in? The shots of identity-shifting Honerva clearly powering something off-screen in 8 & 11? They’re not the black mech from 41 - we see the inside of that one in 31 and 32. It might be that she’s inside the unknown mech from 33.

And it might be the robot she’s standing in front of in 42, because the more I look at it, the less it looks like Sincline.

For one, the colors are wrong. It’s not possible to tell the true colors because of the orange tone of the image, but Sincline’s legs are grey, its feet blue, and the pointed edges on the feet are bright orange. This mech clearly has the same color feet and legs, and the edging on the feet looks to be a lighter silver-white of some sort. The shape of the ankles and feet is off as well, if this was sincline there should be an extra piece incorporated into the joint at the front where the foot and leg meet. The ankles also look too narrow in proportion to the feet as well. Finally, Sincline’s tail is opaque, and we shouldn’t be able to see the sunset between the segments. The end of the tail, while indistinct in the screen, also looks to be either the wrong shape in general or have one fewer points than it should.

Can mechs fuse? Because if you meshed Sincline and the black mech together this is about what I’d expect. Darker color scheme, familiar yet different designs - and if it’s the same one as in 33, approximately twice the size of Voltron.

There’s a lot of exciting things in this trailer, and much to consider. But after laying this all out? I think this is probably all from the first few episodes. Because when you string it all together, there’s only a very small collection of scenes here. This probably doesn’t even include the mid-season event.

Oh Boy! I’m Excited!

I can’t wait for December 14th!

But I can’t leave you all without a few predictions can I? Just based on what we have here, what would I project for this section of the plot?

Well... The first episode should be spent on Earth, seeing how our paladins lives have been now that they’ve reconnected with their families, getting filled in by Matt and the rest of the coalition fighters on what exactly has been going down in the wider universe. Either the tail end of that or the beginning of the next episode should throw the Altean and whatever info she brings into the mix, and that info should be what prompts the team to return to space.

I’d wager they’ll head for the Altean Colony first thing - at least Allura will. This may be where the shots of Allura and Pidge on a mission will fit in, and on the flip side where Hunk and Lance will once again pair up and tackle something else pressing. That section with the pink and white base is probably the/an Altean Colony.

This is also where we will begin learning the truth about what is actually going on. That will put everything that I and the rest of the Lotor-fans have been theorizing to the test. No idea as of yet what side of this Romelle will shake out on, but here is where it will happen.

Oh, but whatever they find at the colony, it looks like Honerva’s already taken all the Chosen Alteans to Oriande. Oops, Paladins, you’re too late.

Honerva is out to retrieve Lotor from the rift.

She had Sendak attempt to capture the Lions in s7 because she needs a trans-reality comet as well as Altean Alchemy to access the Quintessence Field. Sendak was fine with this because he needed to prove Lotor was dead to enable someone else (himself, yo) to become Emperor, and Lotor has kinda been Shordinger’s Cat in this situation: simultaneously alive and dead because you can’t know for sure until you open the rift.

Honerva was probably watching through Sendak the same way she had been Shiro and Narti; when she saw he’d failed she sent the one mech she had prepared in attempt to catch the paladins while they were still weak from their battle.

But she lost that too.

Now, she’s either got herself some more trans-reality ore, or she’s found a substitute that just might work if you put enough of the stuff together. That’d be that lovely space-wheel we see.

The paladins realize she’s already left Oriande and catch up to her just in time to see Honerva rip open a hole in reality and haul her son back into the plot. That’s why Sincline appears to be powered down in that shot; it’s just been removed from the rift.

We’re missing some major pieces here, but SOMETHING happens during that showdown to split the Alteans’ alignment away from Honerva, change the appearance of her mech, and probably prompt Voltron to follow her through the spooky purple vortex in the sky.

And hey! What’s on the other side of a Hole in the Sky?

Other realities of course.

...

OMG OMG! Lotor is back, guys! He’s back! YEESSSSSSSS!

[wicoppi]

I’m,, uh, real real curious to see what’s going down in evil mecha town. 

[rebelbrat]

Tobias--and his ship--feel a sense of natural rivalry with Voltron because Tobias believes that Sincline is better and frankly, Sincline is sapient (and stuck-up) enough to agree. I mean. Since the Voltron of his universe was corrupted, Tobias literally built Sincline to defeat it--and it did! Ever since then he’s believed that Sincline is the greatest mech that was ever built, and that he has surpassed the alchemy of King Alfor to create the superior defender (and at the tender age of 18 no less). It’s a hill that he’ll absolutely die on in just about any situation.

It goes without saying that this sense of rivalry extends to the Voltron paladins. Tobias has a boner for competition and rivalry, whether of the teasing sort or the “were it not for the laws of the Torah I would have slaughtered you” sort--and oh boy, he will never stop messing with the Voltron paladins to teasingly remind them of who’s got the better ship and the highest IQ score ever recorded in human history. He would particularly enjoy mind games with Lance, who he considers just a liiiiiiittle slow and the most fun of the Voltron paladins to play with. As much as he finds common ground with Keith though, I can also imagine that Keith’s temper and tendency to jump into action would be fertile ground to sew his little tricks. He’d mess with Keith as much as with Lance at first, though he would probably stop screwing with Keith to that extent once he realizes how much the two have in common and gains some respect for him. Lance though? Good fucking luck for any Lance out there who dares to approach him. >:3

[chibi-pix]

Okay guys, I finally did it. After watching Voltron: Defender of the Universe, both the lion and vehicle forces, I finally got to watch Fleet of Doom. And I actually ended up sitting there to watch it instead of drawing. I know, surprising.  Now then, let’s go!

Kinda glad they brought Cossack along for the ride in this. He may be a bad guy, but he amuses me.  And seeing the Vehicle team again. I know it wasn’t that long ago, but I missed them. Even with that slight, momentary error I think I saw in Cliff’s uniform being the wrong colour. OH well. I will admit, it was strange that Zarkon and Lotor seemed to be on decent terms. Weren’t y’all wanting each other dead before? You know what, screw you two. Like father, like son. Both idiots.  “I hope you Drules keep up your end of the bargain.” I mean, Zarkon says it as though they aren’t the same race. I know technically they aren’t with their source materials, but still. No matter...  And them wanting to conquer the other. Typical idiots. 

Continuing on, I just adore Pidge’s excitement, especially about his brother. And that flashback was even more adorable since I’ve literally only seen like two stills from it. I loved it! And Lance and Wolo pulling Cliff into the pool. That was amusing. If I were Cliff, I wouldn’t trust them around a pool again. Or push them in the next time for funsies.  And Allura wants girl time with the ladies. Yes, let her enjoy girl time! 

Seeing Keith’s childhood memories/dream. Poor baby. He needs to be hugged and told that it will all be okay. I expected a normal princess kidnapping. I did not expect Haggar to steal Allura’s spirit. Good way to catch me by surprise, Voltron.  But can I just say Pidge listening for Allura’s heartbeat? I mean, it’s pretty innocent, but boobs. Resting his head on her chest. You were quick to decide that, Pidge, instead of checking for her pulse in general. But we still love you, buddy. And with Alfor taking Keith to find Allura, his “yes” as they disappear was just way too creepy. It did not sound right... And Keith taken to a forest. Be brave, Keith! With such a place being conquered by courage and imagination, I’m  sure I’d be fine. It’d be a walk in the park. 

Allura really doesn’t give up on others, huh? Always hoping for the good in others. Good for her, though, at least she still tries.  Though Haggar used to be good? And it was Zarkon’s fault she became who she was? Huh. Intriguing.  When Lance, Hunk, and Pidge were in trouble thanks to Cossack, I had honestly hoped that the vehicle team would show up and assist them. Lance finding a way to fight back when Cossack tried to turn them into a crane game was good, too.

It was nice being able to see the two Voltrons side by side. I’d love more of that, but alas. I shall live with this.  And Lotor making his own robeast Voltron... it just has me thinking of VLD with Lotor making the Sincline mech. Now seeing this, I’m definitely seeing the reference there. Very nice. I’mma be honest. Coran and Hawkins should have gotten their rears in gear sooner to protect the planet/base and fight off the Drules. They shouldn’t have waited for the others to point out that they need backup in keeping things safe. Really dudes?!  Lotor shouts out his moves though in control. He reminds me of an episode of Pokemon where Meowth was battling for his right to keep Togepi. And then he has the nerve to complain about the others ganging up on him being unfair. Dude, you’ve never been fair before. Pot, meet kettle. 

Haggar going to trick Zarkon, making herself young and beautiful. Zarkon is a total creeper. Though I wish I knew what happened next with that. I want to know how that interaction ends. Though I guess I can daydream and assume. 

Ah, and everything ends, everyone is happy and shaking hands. But I sure wish we had more Pidge and Chip interactions. I love the lads. 

Anyway! That be it! Voltron: Defender of the Universe and Fleet of Doom is complete! I surprisingly got through all of this. I’ll admit, sometimes my brain just screamed, especially at voices or 80s frequencies, but I made it through. And I actually enjoyed the series overall. 

Well, until next time!

[eldunea]

sees dragon talk on the dash……i need to go in-depth about my hc that the sincline mech is a dragon

[starfaring-princelotor]

-

Fifth Sight

-

Summary: You find Lotor, but bringing him back to reality is harder than expected.

★ Disclaimer: I do not ship Lotura and I respectfully ask that this story to not be tagged as Lotura. This is a Lotor x Reader/Self-Insert OC story which is in no way related to Allura at all. Please be respectful of my chosen pairing. ★

Warnings: Minor gaslighting, triggered moments, mentions of blood and death.

Touch Series: Part One___Part Two___Part Three___Part Four___Part Five

Taste Series: Part One___Part Two___Part Three___Part Four___Part Five

Sight Series: Part One___Part Two___Part Three___Part Four___Part Five

-

“The mind is a dangerous place. A place where anything and nothing can coexist at once. A place that will drive even the most virtuous of people to madness. A place where a careless soul can find themselves wandering aimlessly, lost for all of eternity.”

Lotor’s words echoed in your mind as you stared at the sharp-edged face of Sincline. It was much more intimidating up close, especially with those eyes radiating specks of power, of quintessence, directly at the two of you. He stood by your side to also take in the magnificent creation in terrifying, yet awed, appreciation. 

He tilted his head down just a bit, just enough that you noticed his solemn expression from the corner of your eye. “You must be careful. Do not trust what you see with your own two eyes. When I showed you my memories, it was my choice to do so. My choice to trust you, to share with you.” 

Now, you turned to fully face him. The defined, regal edges of his face, those nebulous eyes gazing far into space and beyond. He was worried. He was giving you all this information to prepare you for the worst, which you were absolutely sure he witnessed first-hand plenty of times before. The hoktril did more than control people’s bodies. It controlled their minds. 

And breaking that control? It comes with a hefty price.

“Sincline is different and so is your Emperor. One wrong move can start a series of irreversible damage, both to you and to him,” Lotor tried to suppress the guilt he felt over Narti, he tried so hard, “Not even in my reality have we had the proper research done about mind sharing. If this does not work, if you are...if you can not return to your own body, Kylan knows what must be done.”

“Yes. Yes, he informed me of what he will do if I fail.”

Four of the five years have already passed since both Voltron and Emperor Lotor disappeared. You know not what happened to the Coalition nor Blades of Marmora. All you knew was that this was the last year before the Galra Empire declares Lotor dead. The last year before another Kral Zera ceremony commences and someone else sits on the throne. 

But what happens after that? Would the universe be submerged in war for another 10,000 years? Can the universe survive that long without peace? Or will planets rely on the return of Voltron once more?

No. No, Kylan knows better than that. Voltron was not an ally anymore. Voltron was not reliable. It was no use depending on weapons of mass destruction to save those suffering under war. This was something Kylan understood and, after all that has happened? You would be slapped silly to believe anyone else would side with Voltron if they came back. 

No more one savior. It was time to unite everyone for a chance of peace, both through the Galra and the rest of the known universe. 

“Before I go, there is something...else I wish to share. Something personal,” his voice quieted down when he reached the last word.

You remained silent, allowing him to continue gifting you with his advice, but no more words followed his train of thought. Now, he took a few precious seconds to study you. Your complexion had paled slightly since he first laid his eyes on you. The shine in your hair? Dull and unkempt, save a quick run through with your fingers as a poor replacement for a comb. Overall, it seemed as though your health was failing. And failing fast.

It tugged at his heartstrings to see you like this, but you needn’t know that bit of information. Perhaps you just needed...time to recollect yourself. To take care of yourself without his aid. Sometimes, for one to grow, the best course of action is inaction. Step out of the way. Finding Lotor on your own would do you good. Reaching for that hope, achieving what you thought was impossible, it will do you good.

“What is it?” you asked after a prolonged moment of staring on both of your ends.

“Nothing. It is nothing.” Lotor raised his chin proudly, which you mimicked perfectly. 

Good, good. You still had that spark in you somewhere. That inner compass has not shattered yet. He hopes this trial will be successful. You have the tools, you have the means, you have the drive and the unbreakable will. You learned from the best, know the humbleness that came with your lessons, understood the risk of commanding the power of life-sharers. 

“I wish you all the luck in the universe.” 

But he knew, deep down, you didn’t need luck. Especially when he saw the elite skills of the survivor in your eyes. 

*

The plan was solid. Everything was set up how it should be, whether you failed or not. Your training was your strength, your mind resolute, and the choice? The final decision resting in your overworked hands? You were ready. And yet, some part of you, some small throbbing part in the scar on your shoulder, kept whispering caution signs. Warnings. Remember the past.

Remember how you almost died when you thought everything was going according to…

“Are you ready?” 

You took a deep breath, truly considering Kylan’s words. The Paladins were watching with tension thick in the air as the platform floated in front of the mech’s face. There was something unnerving about those hollow eyes, those quintessence-fueled mist leaking out of the corners of it. That feeling of being watched, being judged, being held under a microscope only intensified the closer you stepped towards it. 

It reminded you facing a door, completely unaware of what would happen when you opened it. 

“Kylan,” your voice held no inflection, no hesitation, but when you turned to face him, he saw something different flutter behind your eyes. 

Resolute, yes, but also...peaceful in a way he only saw in the most desperate of patients. Those who knew the road was ending. Those who still walked forward knowing their choices were running out. But even in the face of the unknown, there was always a choice. You were confident. You were ready for whatever you will witness within Sincline. 

This was not the final destination for you, but if it was, then you would be damn glad for Plan B. 

“You are ready,” he answered for you. 

And that was what you needed to hear. Closing your eyes, taking a deep breath, then reaching forward, your fingertips grazed the cold, dark metal. You pressed your palm flat against the faceplate, calm and collected, but your heart was loud in your ears. You’ve gone off by yourself before. You’ve survived by yourself before. Yet, this? Going somewhere no one else has gone before? Into a realm where the hypothetical soul resided?

It was a new frontier you weren’t sure you would return from. Or want to. 

With your mild glowing hand, you felt some force pulling you. From your wrist to your shoulder, your chest, your entire body, all the energy began draining from your very soul. What you expected was to feel cold, feel fear, feel a shared connection of some sort. A prodding into your mind, something familiar like with Kylan or with the Black Paladin. 

Panic should have instinctively kicked in, should have forced you to back away, retreat from this unfamiliar path before you. This wasn’t the expected result. You weren’t meant to feel...warm. Comfortable, peaceful in the mind, untroubled, as if unreasonably high on a dose of serotonin. The inner turmoil was gone, the black haze clouding your mind these past years was dissipating and clearing a way for tranquility.

It felt so, so good. You couldn’t think of a time when you last felt such innocent emotions. And it lured you in. Made you forget for a moment where you were, what you were doing, what your plan was. The hum of the ship was muted. The thudding in your chest reduced to normal. Slow, slower yet. Your sight became hooded, body too lax to hold yourself up properly, and you fell. 

You fell into a deep sleep, unaware of Kylan’s voice calling to you, catching you in his arms as his hand immediately reached up to test your pulse. You had none. 

*

It was odd to say, to even think about considering the grand years of the human lifespan, but you believed that souls simply cease to exist after the body can not function any longer. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For the birth of life, there are fatal wounds of death. For tears of sadness, there are tears of happiness. For every act of war, there are strives for peace.  It was a cycle. Always changing, always moving, never stagnant. 

Once the body fails, what is the point of the soul staying? 

Moving meant being alive. Running meant going forward. And fighting meant defending. You reject times of peace because there really wasn’t a time of peace. You reject war because war doesn’t last forever. There was a balance you learned in life, your life, other people’s lives. Something you would have never discovered had you not took that step into the unknown. Had you not tripped, had not begged, had not fallen into the pit of despair and pulled yourself out of it.

And yet, you were glad you were wrong. 

”Good morning, darling.”

Blearily, your eyes parted and slowly adjusted to the view before you. The sight was one for sore eyes, one a deep part of you doubted was real at all. It couldn’t possibly be that easy. It couldn’t possibly be...him, staring at you with curiosity and a softness you didn’t dare believe was directed at you. And was that a smile? 

He was smiling. Lotor was wearing a genuine smile on his face.

Silver locks were draped over his pillow as he used his palm to hold his head up, elbow propped on the cushy bed. He wasn’t in his usual armor attire. Actually, he wore a loose shirt that showed off his defined collarbones and smooth skin along his neck. You dragged your eyes upwards, from his mouth to his nose and eventually his nebulous orbs, those colors you rarely glimpsed at when in a deep dream.

And you whispered, quietly, hesitantly, hopefully, “...Lotor?”

At that, his entire demeanor brightened up, “It is good to see you again.”

Why were you so...comfortable? 

“I am here.”

He raised his fingertips to skim over your cheek, brushing a stray hair from obstructing his view of you. The affectionate gesture felt potent, much more than you ever recall like the time he kissed you, held you at night, kept you safe and secure against his encompassing form. The night he bit you was one that burned into your memory. The panic you remembered, the demand to stop, the weak excuse you gave him. 

But now? Oh, your chest was blooming with caressing tendrils of happiness as if this? Right here? With Lotor? It was meant to be. It felt perfect. Nothing felt wrong, not even the flow of peace surrounding your very being. There was no pain, no fatigue, no dark thoughts suffocating your mind with every breath you take. 

It was...tranquil. And it felt so, so good. 

“Why are you crying, my dear?” he held no worry in his tone as he erased tears away from the corner of your eyes with his thumb.

And you were. Your brows were pinched and the trickle of tears watering your sight, blurring the image of Lotor - fuck, he really is here - right besides you. His gentle smile, his luminous shining gaze, the warmth of his hand reminding you of the very first time he held you like so. You sobbed, you couldn't contain it, your heart aching and yearning for you to go. Go to him. Be at peace.

This is what you were born for, to be with him. To be happy. 

No words were said. You rushed forward and buried your face into his chest, tucking yourself under his chin as if the galaxy itself fitted you there. These aren't tears of sadness, or agony, or slow-spiraling despair into an empty hollowness. These were joyful tears, feelings of accomplishment after toiling for years under duress. Tears of relief. At long last, you found your sanctuary.

“Lotor…” you choked out, he held you tighter, “Lotor...you...Lotor…”

It was then you would come to realize that, when the matters of the heart and the brain were at battle with one another, your mind has always, always, became the champion. Except here, right here and right now. When you shunted away those festering feelings, boarded them up and told them to stay, nurtured them in your own silent spring way, they finally burst forth in never-ending waves of unfiltered, unrestrained happiness. 

You once thought it was suffocating to release so much. Your father’s death, the guilt of inaction costing him his life, it never left you. And again, this time, by choice. You chose the wrong side of the morality battle with the universe on the thin, fine line and it took more and more energy to reinforce the inner chambers of your heart. You lost Lotor. You swear, you lost him.

“I am here. Please, let me see your face once more. Let me banish this sorrow from your eyes.”

And he did as he promised, touches so soft you were hard pressed to believe he really was a gentle giant. Carefully tending to you with eyes shining so brightly of peace tenderness, as if time itself no longer existed. This felt right. You could sense that he, too, radiated the same feelings of completion between what little space was left between you two.

This felt perfect.

*

They say happiness is a mix of chemicals released in the brain which triggers those good, addictive feelings. If that were the case, it was a wonder they never created it into a morally-acceptable pharmaceutical drug upon discovery. But, with your gaze lingering on the eternal sun setting over the horizon, you thought maybe this was better. Especially with Lotor holding your hand in his, that curious thumb idly tracing mindless paths over your skin.

The tickling sensation pulled a grin from you. The squeeze pushed you to lean against him, shoulder to shoulder. He wasn’t warm, but you still felt the comfort of companionship wash over you regardless. Not even the sun’s rays were of concern to you. Just him, just Lotor. 

“It feels good to be home,” you said, “I never thought I would see this place again. I thought the sea had swallowed the island whole.” 

“Nature has a funny way of taking and giving,” he spoke softly while shifting to slide his hand around your waist and you had a sneaking suspicion he wasn’t talking about the ocean, “Will you tell me about your life here?”

Oh, but where to start? Do you tell him why you moved here? Tell him about abandoning your post as a doctor to live a simple life of fishing? Or about how every night, you childishly watched the stars and wondered if that age old myth about wishes were true? 

“I was scared, after my father passed away. So, I ran to the only place he told me about. His home, the island he grew up in without a care or concern in the world. I thought that I would feel safer here. Safer from...death, I suppose,” you paused, reflecting upon your past, “But even though the weight became lighter, I still felt terribly alone. If Shiro hadn’t found me first, I would’ve eventually looked for him.” 

“You do not have relatives? Your mother? A sibling?”

Usually, you would feel a disturbing, harrowing emptiness when your mother was mentioned. A reluctance to speak about her, to even think about her, would have left you disheartened for many days and nights. 

Old habits die hard, especially when they turn into an instinctive reflex. 

“What about your mother, Lotor?”

Then he leaned his cheek on the crown of your temple. 

“Honerva. Her name was Honerva. An intelligent woman, or so I have read in her research. And then, she became ill. Poisoned with pure quintessence exposure.” Lotor contemplated about his mother, about the evil woman she became, about the monster, the witch who was his only tie to Altea, “She died long ago. The hollow person she is now is nothing more than a shell of her former self.”

His father’s puppet. How did they fall so far? He supposed he could ask himself the same thing, but that thought never had a chance to flutter over his head. It was instantly wiped away, banished into nothing, and those good, good feelings came back again. 

“Do you miss her?” 

“No. What has happened, has happened. We may be tied by blood, but I will never accept her as kin.”

Not after everything she has done. Not after everything she allowed to happen. Not after preventing him from saving those he loved. 

And yet, the calmness pulsating from Lotor’s soul mixed with your own feelings as well. It was...it was refreshing, like two rivers finally joining in kindred spirit after years of wayfaring. Of carving new paths, of going where no road existed, of coming to terms with the cards dealt to you. No one was ever a lone wolf in the galaxy and it truly seemed like you finally found your partner for life.

“Well, that makes two of us with less than subpar mothers.” 

*

The meager pace of daily life was, in fact, something you greatly enjoyed. In times of war, peace prevails, and all that hoohaw. Now, it seemed like fate had decided that the horrors of bodies dropping, blood oozing, limbs breaking, and sorrowful cries should no longer be placed upon your shoulders. And, by that strange stroke of luck, it was decided that Lotor should have a well-deserved break, too. 

And, boy, you were going to extend this ceasefire zone for as long as you can. Days, months, years, you lost track, and you lost something equally as important during that time as well. 

“My love, will you come here for a second?” you asked from the kitchen, ladle stirring the pot slowly, “Can you taste this for me? I think it might be a little too spicy.”

He came through the door, towel around his neck and droplets of water glistening on his face. A thing that became a normal occurrence was his fascination with being as bare as possible within the meager home, sans briefs per your request. A thing that also became a normal occurrence was his unquenchable appetite for trying different foods. 

 “Careful, it’s hot. Very hot,” you warned, holding the lip of the utensil up for him.

He sipped. He licked his lips. He grinned with a nod of approval, like he always did before. 

“Tastes perfect. You must be a natural at this, no? Perhaps I should cook for you a famous dish a kind old lady on Balmera made for me,” Lotor leaned against the wall, showing off only his best assets for your eyes only, “Did I ever tell you about my travels to the Balmera?”

You loved listening to his stories, especially about those of his trials and tribulations throughout the universe. One day, you will experience it for yourself. One day, he will take you there. One day. Lotor always ended his rambling with those two little words. One day. One day, I promise. 

Traveling around Earth was one thing, but traveling the entire known and unknown cosmos? That was the adventure of a lifetime and you would be a fool to pass that up. Who else better to go with than Lotor? Than your friend? Than your...your best friend? Was that the right term? Or was it something more? 

His voice faded into silence, soup still piping hot and tempting right before him. Strange, considering he was right in the middle of the interesting part of his story, the part where a cave-in nearly took his leg, but as fascinating as that was, as much as he adored sharing such personal anecdotes of his life, there was something that caused him to stop so suddenly. 

And as you could feel his emotions, his thoughts, Lotor could damn well feel yours, too. 

“May I kiss you?”

You felt his desire before you heard his question, if those smoldering, curious, wanting, needing stares was anything to go by. The intensity of that small, burning ember - that spark ignited many moons ago, that which never went dormant - was waiting solely on your word. This fervent passion connecting you two together through unseen bonds was always so potent, if not willfully repressed.

“Please?”

Lotor was a man of love, despite being devoid of it from his parents, despite it being cruelly yanked from him by fate, and despite his battle with the entire universe itself.

You felt this. You felt all of this. You kissed him.

And he tasted like freedom. 

*

Where there was water, there was land. And when the land is rich with nutrients, so are the luscious trees growing tall and ripe with seeds of fruit. Today, you had told him you wanted to watch the sunset from the cliffs, just high enough that the tree tops wouldn't block the scenery but add to it instead. And, never one to turn down adventure, he gladly let you lead him along.

This was your territory after all. This jungle was not one he knows of, but he does know your fingers entangled with his will guide him where he needs to be. Whether that be in safety or danger, Lotor felt deep in his chest that no matter what happens, things will turn out fine in the end. Blissfully fine and happy. Ignorantly unaware and falsely sheltered. 

Shyness? Secrets? Hidden feelings? No such thing existed between you two. Nothing but the love of lovers, the barest truth of trust, the unwavering loyalty of the heart. 

By the time you helped haul him up the last edge, the sun was just beginning to set in that picture-perfect sky of orange and red. No clouds, just the distant call of gulls accompanying a windward breeze. Neither of you remembered anything but this moment, here and now. This was all you needed to achieve that serenity etched in your soul. 

“Beautiful,” Lotor murmured, eyes half-lidded in a daze, then he added, “The sunset is not bad either.”

The result was instantaneous and exactly what he wanted. A smile, a pure smile of joy, adding to the gorgeousness of your being. 

He brushed his knuckles against your cheek, touching you for the sake of touching, “Thank you, my dear.”

“For what? I know that hike up here wasn’t rough. You didn't even break a sweat.”

“No, it was easy. In fact, I could have gotten us here quicker if you let me carry you,” came his cheeky reply, but before you could retort back, he traced his thumb on the plump of your lower lip to silence you, “No, dear, I wanted to thank you. For being here, with me.”

You leaned into his palm, your own hand coming up to make sure he didn't pull away, and a fluttering softness fell over your eyes. “There is no where else I would rather be, Lotor. I love you.”

You have to know that. 

He does. Of course he does and he meshed his lips with yours to prove exactly how much he loves you in return. Actions speak louder than words, they always have. Although Lotor was a man who could articulate poetry without putting any effort into it, he knew that the best way to express exactly how he feels would be through his hands. 

It took years to carefully nurture this bond, this connection no one else would understand, and it all started with a single touch. And you were so, so glad that burning sensation was no longer there. Not when his fingertips idly meandered their way up the side of your hips, not when he meticulously drew calming symbols on your sensitive skin, and not when he...caressed the raised indents of that scar on your shoulder. 

No, no, when he touched that, there was no burning sensation, only an intense throb of discomfort. That surge of something different was enough of a shock to make you pull back, away from his pliant lips that promised oh so much. That feeling...you didn't like it. And it was such a new touch you never thought you would experience with Lotor that it left you confused and hesitant. 

For the first time in what you thought were years of living a normal, peaceful life with him, something prodded you in the back of your mind. An unpleasant seed of...bad omens? Is that what it was? No, impossible. As long as you can remember, the two of you have felt nothing but absolute bliss and happiness when being around each other. 

“Darling?” 

Lotor felt it too. He was concerned, brows furrowed with uncertainty of exactly what just happened. He was suddenly, acutely aware of how this connection, this freedom with no limitations, and how it affected the both of you in great and unclear ways. It came as no surprise then, that your hands clutched his for support.

But support for what? He didn’t know the answer if you didn’t know the question. 

*

The scar was the key. While you remembered joyful moments with Lotor, you became aware you couldn't remember any other moment in your life that brought you happiness before him. You couldn't even remember any painful memories at all, not with him and not with anything else in your history. But this scar, fuck, you had a gut feeling that it was a crucially important time in your life.

So why couldn't you remember how you got it? 

You apprehensively touched it, staring at yourself in the mirror for any change to happen. Nothing, except that same initial uncomfortable feeling from a few days ago. Although the sun was setting and Lotor would soon come in to drag you to bed with him, you couldn't help but simply wonder with child-like curiosity about it. 

He came up from behind you, letting his presence be known by inquisitively humming his arrival, “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are? I feel like I should mention it more often.” 

Lotor wound his arms loosely in a hug around you, back pressed against his bare chest, “Getting complimented by a handsome young man such as yourself is always a welcome gift.”

A smooth chuckle rumbled from behind you, “Young? That is debatable considering I am no, how do you say? No Summer chicken?”

“Spring chicken. No spring chicken.” You brought a hand up to guide his face to the space between your shoulder, to which he gladly followed, “But you are young where it counts.”

At that, he greedily pressed himself harder against you, “Ah, yes, where it counts.”

Like right here, where he kissed your cheek. Right here, where he dragged his lips to your ear, releasing a hot breath upon your skin. Right here, along the soft slope of your neck. Right here, at that faded scar with an untold history, a lost history. 

“Lotor, do you...know how I got this scar?”

“Mm? This one?” he questioned with a gentle press of his mouth, a whisper of his careful ministrations. 

“Yes. I don’t recall anything about it,” your fingertips gently threaded through his hair, “Do you remember your scars?”

Lotor paused, not because of the topic at hand that would have normally brought up instant recollections concerning his bodily scars, but because for the life of him he couldn’t remember either. His body was littered with them, some big, some small, jagged, puckered from not healing correctly, discolored from exposure to intense heat. There was a time he could tell you his personal history for each and every one.

Now? His memory was drawing a blank.

“...No. No, I do not.”

And that was startling, so startling that both of you felt the same urge to discover the reason why neither of you could remember crucial, life changing moments of your past. 

Even if they were doused in pain.

*

It happened sometime during the night. You don’t recall how, or why, but you found yourself wide awake and staring in wonder at Lotor’s resting face. Trying to remember how you two met, your first kiss with him, first shared laugh, first time you shared beds, first time you two spoke. But the memories never came back, no matter how much you searched. It was as if the slow poison of amnesia had already claimed what it sought. 

And, oddly enough, you were less scared now that you knew the truth you discovered. 

It stole everything from you right under your nose. Yet, for the life of you, you didn't know how to get it back. They were your memories, your history, regardless if it was good or bad. But did you want to remember? Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. Maybe you two were better off not knowing about the imaginative atrocities that happened in your past. Maybe you should just enjoy what you have now. 

“I can feel your mind wandering a thousand light years away, darling,” a sleepy-laden purr spoke, “And your hands gripping my waist also gave it way.”

Immediately, you released your hold and gave him a gentle, soothing rub in apology. Lotor responded in kind, always holding you preciously in his warm embrace. If he could already feel your thoughts, then he must at least know the vague acceptance drifting between the bond. 

“Tell me.”

After he placed a kiss on your forehead, you sighed, “Do you...feel like we’re missing something? Forgetting something?”

“Like what, dear?”

“I don’t know. It’s like I forgot to turn off the stove. Or I left the water running in the tub.”

“Hm. Catastrophically deadly, yet can easily be rectified if we but get out of bed and look for ourselves,” Lotor mused, almost jokingly, almost serious, “In truth, I wonder the same thing.”

He was exquisitely happy. That much was true. It was like a haze, an addicting haze that fogged his mind and distracted him in only the most pleasant of ways. But how did he get here? How did you get here? For all the days that came, the past was gone, and he was a man who lived in the now. Lived for the future, for the endless possibilities he was to face. A future with you. 

Lotor shifted onto his back, allowing you to use his chest as a pillow of sorts, then let out a deep sigh. Part of him should appreciate what he has, for he was positively sure he worked hard for it. This was the fruit of his labor. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet, another part, one muffled and slowly picked away from his thoughts, told him the truth. If he couldn’t remember how he achieved this, all the blood, sweat, and tears he went through, then did he really deserve it? 

“Should we be...worried?”

*

“This scar here, how did you get it?”

Your fingertips traced up along his forearm, across the discolored flesh with darkened pigmentation. A burn, most likely, but healed miraculously well. It had a circular ridge to it, one telling the both of you that it most likely was a through and through bullet shot. Lotor followed the curious pattern with his eyes as he tried to rack his brain for an answer.

“I am not quite sure, but the way you touch it sends a delightful shiver down my spine,” he gently plucked your fingers from his arm then kissed them ever so softly, “Which tells me that it most likely had something to do with you.”

Why else would he feel good when you touched him? 

He continued with a plan in mind, “Darling, do you get that same feeling when I touch you here?”

His lips trailed to the back of your palm, laying claim higher and higher, until he stopped at the jagged faded lines ending at your elbow. Lotor imagined you must’ve fought a lion, a beast, for such claws to embed deeply into your skin. He imagined you healing yourself, wrapping gauze around your wound to prevent a bloody mess. He saw you as a fighter, a survivor, but from what? 

“I do. It feels…” you murmured, your own thoughts muddled with a fading feeling of relief, “Safe. I feel safe.”

Not scared. Not panicked. But rather, a lingering catharsis that you were guarded. You were in good hands. 

Then, as you were admiring the fond look behind his eyes, a flash of horrified fear crossed his face. Something was wrong. Shambles of buildings were falling. A dark pit was behind him, just about to swallow him whole. The blaring red alarm, entire room crumbling, glass flying and hazardous electrical wires sparking all around. But his face, you saw him falling, falling, eyes wide and - 

And you blinked. It all vanished. You blinked again, breath caught in your fear. 

Tears welled up in your eyes and your heart burst with waves of pain, choking your throat from speaking. What was that? What was that grip squeezing your chest? Silencing you from telling the one you love that you saw him die, saw him fall to his death while you couldn’t help him. While you couldn’t save him. 

“Dear? My heart, what - “ he pulled you to his chest, crushing you in a hug, a protective shield to defend you from what was ailing you, “What was that?”

Whatever it was, he felt it resonate in his soul. Lotor did not like it.

*

Most, not all, of Lotor’s dreams consisted of the time he spent with you on the beach, or times spent together on the sand stargazing off into deep space. They were tranquil and he always woke up smiling, feeling happier when he could turn around and see your resting face in the morning. They were blissful, even. But this one? His last dream? It was a nightmare, one he didn't think was even possible to conjure up in his mind. 

Lotor’s eyes shot open as cold dread trickled over his body. He reacted instantaneously, an instinct his muscles knew by memory when something scared him. The need to survive when danger was lurking in the shadows. And there was definitely something frightening him at that moment. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but he knew what he felt wasn’t good. 

“Mm...Lotor?” 

His bare back was turned towards you as he sat on the edge of the bed. Shoulders hunched, head hung low and his hair attempted to cover his troubled posture. He was still shocked by what he witnessed, whether real or not, and he found that his voice was failing him right now. Not when it was still fresh in his mind. That scene, they were gruesome, horrendous, and he - 

But you felt his turmoil. A small inkling of it, but it was there and he was hurting. 

“Go back to sleep,” he managed to whisper just loud enough that you heard him.

“What’s wrong, my love?”

Love. Was that why it hurt so much? Because he saw someone he loves die? He heard the deafening bang of a bullet. He saw it pierce right through your shoulder. He saw you fall, he saw you bleed, he felt it all. The warm blood staining his clothes, your hands, fuck, your hands clinging onto him for dear life. He felt the life drain from your eyes, he felt the pain of his heart ripping into irreplaceable pieces -

No. No, no, no...!

Lotor brought a hand up to cover his eyes, needing something, anything, to tear those images from his mind. The comforter shuffled behind him and your body pressed up against his as an anchor to reality. A reassurance that whatever was clouding his mind, it will pass, and you were alive. You were here with him. The evidence was right there. The proof was in your touch.

“I saw you die.”

And he wishes he never had to say those four words ever again.

*

It happened more frequently now, but with unfamiliar faces neither of you could name. Lotor’s dreams became more vivid, more clear in the night when he was deep in sleep. Your hallucinations would flash randomly during the day, sometimes he would notice with the way you turned away from him. Sometimes you would bury your face in his chest. Sometimes the shared pain would steal the breath right out of your chest.

It got worse and worse. Lotor dreamt of his mother. His father. Then a woman with antennas and triangular facial markings. Then he saw people like him, with pointed ears and uncertainty on their expressions. He dreamt of a cat. A blind teammate. His invaluable generals. Death, there was death. So much death. Countless screams of those he cared for, those he trusted. 

Then...a glass cage. 

“I don’t want to see this anymore,” you stared at the sunset as the bonfire blended almost perfectly with the sky, “I don’t want to see all this...this pain.”

The war, the soldiers, a man you called brother in arms. Young infantry dying by the dozen. Faces of unknown species seeking your aid, some you felt were evil. Some who were good. Some you purposely murdered to save the planet. Some you saved who backstabbed you for their own gain. The slaves, the refugees, the ones who died in the cell with you. The ones who mourned, who begged to live, who begged for someone to take this pain away.

“Something’s wrong,” he was tired, oh so tired, “This is not...it is not right.”

What happened to the good feelings? The laughs, the smiles, the high he gets when you say those three little words to him? Or was that the illusion? Were you real? Was he? Was any of this? 

Lotor had a desperate feeling he was needed somewhere. And you? You had a gut intuition that you were here for something important. Something more important than just you and him living a never-ending peaceful life. Why else would these visions, these nightmares, warn the both of you now? 

“We prepare tonight. Tomorrow, we leave at dawn.”

*

You knew the jungle like the back of your hand. Navigating around with not one, but two expert survivalists was no problem. The real issue was that the trees, the dirt paths, somehow kept leading you two back to the small hut you once called home. The ocean was endless, not even with a sliver of land in the distance. And it seemed as if time itself was looped with an eternal sunset painted in place. But more importantly, you two were scarily isolated. There wasn’t another soul on the island. No village, no city, no one at all.

The two of you traveled as far as you can, hand in hand with barely enough determination to keep both of you afloat. When fatigue would hit, you would rest for a shorter amount of time recommended. Was your health also not real? Was it possible to walk until the land underneath your feet gave out? Could you breath underwater? Was drowning only an illusion you set upon yourself?

“We’re...is this a simulation?” you asked Lotor upon realizing that, although it had been days since you two last ate, neither of you were hungry, “Are we...are we trapped here? A spell?”

He squeezed your hand as reassurance, “If it is, they are doing a wonderful job at gating our memories.”

There were bits and pieces missing still. You remembered Shiro. Something named...Voltron. You remembered Coran, but there was a person blurred out from your thoughts. And his. Lotor recalls his time in exile as well as running from his father. He recalls killing him. Lighting the flame at the Kral Zera. Oriande. Then, nothing. He woke up here, in a soft bed with you by his side. 

“We will get out of here, my dear,” Lotor sealed the promise with a chaste peck of his lips against yours, “We can not dwell here any longer. Is there anything else you can remember from before?”

You closed your eyes and combed your fingers through your hair, “It’s all very vague. I remember Kylan and the Alteans at the Colony. We were - they were being evacuated. Then...your general, Axca. She was there, too, but I don’t know why.”

“Acxa? The last I remember of her was when I fought my father. I was the Emperor, that much I know, and that is why I must return to my throne. Do you recall the Paladins?”

“Yes. Yes, Shiro. He was the Black Paladin and my dear friend. We fought in WWIII together. There was...Pidge? Keith, Hunk, and Lance. All of us were from Earth, but someone else was there,” you looked up, trying and hoping and begging for the answer to fall on you, “Two people. Coran and…”

“Allura,” the both of you said simultaneously.

Brown skin. White hair. Child-like morals. A voice with no power. A crown with no claim. A princess who was unprepared for the retaliation of war. A princess who blindly commited murder under the guise of justice.

“Allura...she…”

Realization dawned upon Lotor’s face. His eyes frantically looked at you, then the jungle, then back to you. The fight. The Rift, he was in the Rift, surrounded by white, formless creatures eating him, clawing him - 

“...killed. She killed me. They abandoned me.” 

Left him to die inside Sincline. The machine meant to save worlds, not destroy them. The machine he worked so diligently on with Allura. He poured himself into it...and so did she. What exactly did her Altean powers do to the sentient being?

“My creator.”

Time stopped then. The wind in the trees froze in place and all the sounds of life came to an abrupt halt. Even the clouds and rays of sunshine filtering through the branches no longer had that whimsical touch to them. The illusion remained still, but the two of you could now feel another presence within the area.

“The...the robot?” you asked, “Sincline is doing all of this? How?”

“Sincline is sentient, just like the lions. Just like Voltron,” he explained while connecting the dots in his head, “It...it can not be. I hear it. Do you hear it?”

No, you didn’t hear it, but you felt like you were being watched. Not maliciously scrutinized, but rather protectively. As if someone was there making sure you were safe and happy. Well-taken care of with no worries in the world. Pampered and secured. Blinded to the reality of what horrors lie behind the door. 

And that's when you realize why you were trapped here. You opened the door, volunteered to delve where no soul has gone before, and you found him. You, too, were pulled into the euphoric haze of ignorance, force-fed happiness by the spoonful, and had your memories fade away with every restful night. 

“Lotor, we have to - we have to get out of here.”

“I do not think we can,” he pulled you close to his side, now fully aware of the situation you two were in, “It locked us in here. It is not our choice. We are in Sincline’s realm.”

“I will keep you safe, my creator.”

“No, you don’t understand - We have to leave. I - I remember now. Haggar is killing people to look for you. The other reality, their war coming. The Alteans, they need you,” the urgency in your voice matched the panic he felt radiating from you, “And so does the Empire.”

It wasn’t a matter of wanting to stay here. You simply couldn’t. This place was not real, and neither was the happiness that came with it. Your absence, Lotor’s absence, will put the fate of the universe and all realities in critical danger. There was no hiding and you will not stand aside in this dire situation. 

“I know, darling. I know -”

“Sleep now.”

“Sincline!” he shouted to the sky, “You must set us free.”

He received no response. No answer to his demand. Nothing, except the environment slowly disappearing, peeling down the image of tropical trees into the very cosmos itself. Stars littered all around you two, blinking and twinkling in the vast sea of deep, dark blue space. There was no floor, no sky. Just the two of you, hand in hand. 

“Are you...not at peace, my creator?”

The voice. The voice spoke with such innocence, such confusion as to why Lotor wanted to leave this paradise. Sincline created it for him because it was made to do so. It had both his and Allura’s virtues in one. It knew of the wars and evils out there, which is why it wanted him to stay here. To stay blissfully ignorant and bask in tranquility for all of eternity. 

Lotor took a deep breath. A child. Sincline had the mentality of a child who only wanted to take care of - 

“I am. However...”

Then, he squeezed your hand tighter, reminding himself that although he was at peace, he still had catastrophic problems to fix. To prevent. And you were here, dedicated to the final result. Ready to see it through to the end, struggles and death and all. 

“I am needed elsewhere. We are needed elsewhere. You know this, do you not?” 

Of course it did. It was careful to erase the memories of your past, of his past, but the truth can not be hidden. It can not be forgotten.

“Sincline, I thank you for saving me, protecting me, but it is time for me to go back now. For...us to go back. ”

For a while, it was ominously silent. You weren’t sure if minutes or days or years passed. Each tick of a second only made you dread that maybe, just maybe, Sincline wasn’t as virtuous or merciful as you had hoped. If it adopted traits from Allura, then who knows how far it will go to keep you two safe?

“If that is what you wish, my creator, it will be done.”

“I will see you soon...Protector of the Universe.”

The invisible floor gave way and the both of you began falling, falling, falling until visible pitch black darkness surrounded you two. 

Neither of you dared to let go. 

*

The first of your sense that came back to you was your sight. Then, the chill of death being chased away by your very real beating heart. Kylan was above you with your head propped on his lap and his fingers pressed against the side of your throat. His face was filled with both bafflement and disbelief.

He couldn’t believe it. You were dead, but now? You had a pulse and you were breathing. 

“Lo...Lotor - “

A loud hiss interrupted your mumbling as the cockpit window disintegrated into hexagonal light. With what little energy you could muster, you pushed yourself up to your feet and fell forward. You had to get to him, had to be sure Sincline kept to its word. Had to be sure Lotor came back, too. There was that doubt whispering in your head, “What if it all wasn’t real?”

And then, you heard him scream. 

Lotor yelled in agonizing pain, the onslaught of all his senses coming back at once was too much for him. Cold, his entire body was freezing, and what should’ve been the comforting warmth of his blood rushing through his veins only felt like searing hot lava tendrils setting him on fire from the inside. The cost of returning from the dead hurt more than anything he had experienced in his life. 

He was crying. The sounds of footsteps rushed into his ears, a weak call of his name from your lips, the feeling of taking that first breath, it all sent him into a panic attack. His heart wasn't used to beating again after being off for so long. Lotor’s sight was blurred by his tears and, fuck, why couldn't he stop screaming? 

“Lotor, listen - ”

Your arms closed around him, holding him up when he started to lean off his seat. His claws clung to you, dug into you, secured himself to you in his time of facing life again. Too many emotions flushed through him, jolting him with fear, with safety, with love, with hate. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Lotor’s entire body was shaking. He was gritting his teeth together, trying to bide through the feeling of his chest heaving much too quickly. All he wanted to do, all he knew what to do in this moment, was hide. And he wasn’t sure why, but he felt he had to for his own sake. 

“You’re safe. Lotor,” something wet hit his cheek, “You’re gonna be okay. You’re safe now. You’re safe.”

[hyena-frog]

Good things about VLD that no amount of time, fandom vitriol, or writing failures can take away:

Top tier voice acting.

Hunk.

Mech designs.

Mech battle scenes.

Seamless integration of CG into traditional animation.

Hunk.

Galra species design diversity.

Kolivan, Thace, Ulaz, and many countless other Galra being designed Just So. -chef’s kiss-

Shiro & Clone Shiro are good boys.

Haggar/Honerva is a amazing villain with an incredible character design and an amazing mech and I will never forgive s8 for squandering her plotline.

Allura has an impeccable character design and is just overall a great character outside of some iffy writing in certain parts.

Zethrid/Ezor is a good ship, canon alien space pirate queens of my heart. 

Hunk.

HEITH.

I already said mech designs but I still can’t get over how GOOD Sincline looks and I wish we got to see it in action more.

[voltron-s7-8-rewrite]

The End is The Beginning

This is part of my Voltron Season 7 & 8 re-write. If you are interested start HERE PREVIOUS

Here it is, the final story. Thank you to everyone who has read this. I truly hope that you enjoy this ending. I'm sorry it took so long to post. I meant to have this up earlier, but then the Holidays got in the way. It all works out though, as I started writing this last January.

Without further ado~

              _______________________________________________

The End is The Beginning

In a vast, white, void each of the Paladins slowly opens their eyes and look around. Standing side by side, there is nothing to be seen but an endless plane.

Pidge questions where they are, and a bitter voice from behind says they are at the end of all existence.

The Paladins all turn to find Honerva sitting in the distance, cradling Lotor's dying body in her arms. They slowly approach her and Allura asks her why she did what she did, why did she destroy everything.

Honerva ignores the question, focusing on Lotor's battered face. She gently says that all she ever wanted was to have her family living peacefully, allowed all the joys and love that life offers. Her voice turning bitter she says that wasn't to be as over and over others robbed them of every chance of happiness they could have.

Allura quickly cuts though her tirade and says that what she says is not true, Honerva was offered all that and more, but rather than accepting that sometimes life comes with hardship and disappointment. She and Zarkon meddled with powers and abilities that were unnatural and corruptive. They chose to force their will upon the universe, no matter the cost; unfortunately that cost turned out to be theirs and their son's lives. No one robbed them; they made the choices and willfully squandered what they had.

As she speaks, more people start appearing in the void behind the Paladins; Shiro, Krolia, Kolivan, Matt and his parents, Axca, Ezor, Zethrid, Romelle and Sven, the MFE's, and the rest of the Voltron Coalition.

Honerva sees them appear, and knowing them to be the Paladin's loved ones she rages once more. She spits that they couldn't possibly understand, they are all allowed happiness. They get to stand there with all who they love, strong and healthy, while her son, who was never even given a chance at a life free from darkness, is dying broken and abused in her arms. She finally answers Allura's question saying that if she and her son weren't allowed to be happy, she ensured no one was.

Lance speaks up and gently says she's wrong, they do understand. Hunk says they have faced sorrows in their life, and Pidge says that they've been through hardships, Shiro says they've suffered through trauma and terror, Keith says that they have lost loved ones, and Allura says that they have all faced trials and pain that seemed insurmountable, but still, they faced and overcame it without taking it out on others.

Allura watches Honerva, who sneers dismissively, unmoved by their words, and sees that the woman can't comprehend anyone else having pain. She says that Honerva's heart is so rotted, that all she sees is her own suffering. It's then that Allura comes to a realization; she closes her eyes reaches out with her senses and feels the last traces of the corrupted Guardian still festering inside both Honerva and Lotor.

Opening her eyes, Allura steps towards them. The Paladins become alarmed, but Allura turns and gives them a comforting smile, motioning them to stay; she knows what she's doing.

Approaching Honerva, the woman warns the Princess not to come near her or her son, but Allura gently says she is not going to harm them; she's going to free them. She slowly bends down in front of them and lays a hand on each of their heads. Glowing, her Alchemy flows through her and into them.

Gently and painlessly, she removes and purifies the last bit of the White Lion that had corrupted mother and son so many years ago.

Honerva, free of its poison for the first time in over 10,000 years, slowly opens her eyes and clearly sees all those who are standing before her. For the first time in those thousands of years she is whole.

Then, realization sets in as she is bombarded with the knowledge of all the evil she and her family committed. Finally able to know and understand her vile actions and crimes, she lets out a mournful scream of terror and anguish that strikes all those there to their cores.

Weeping bitterly, Honerva realizes that she was wrong; she says she does deserve this, that everything that has brought her to this moment was her own doing. She lets out another cry, unable to do anything else.

It's then that a hand touches her cheek, gently brushing away her tears. She opens her eyes to find Lotor looking up at her, for the first time in their lives, his gaze is filled with love for her. Honerva gasps as he calls her 'mother' and slowly sits up from her arms.

In shock, Honerva can't believe what she's seeing. Lotor gently embraces her, saying he's free of the entity and like her he can see everything so clearly now.

A new voice says they all do.

Everyone looks up and is stunned to find Zarkon appearing behind his wife and son, but this isn't the Zarkon that ruled as a Tyrant for 10,000 years. This is Zarkon, the Paladin of the Black Lion, whole and free of the corruption of the Guardian.

He bends down to be on level with his wife and son, and Honerva asks how he can be here. He explains that when Lotor ended his body, his soul was finally freed from the corrupted White Lion; his restored soul was able to come here to join with all those who had passed. As he speaks Alfor, Trigel, Gyrgan, and Blaytz appear behind him.

The Paladins and the Voltron coalition stand in disbelief. Keith asks how this is possible, and a new voice with a familiar twang responds that just like how their mortal bodies are made out of the same cosmic dust, their souls are made of the same Quintessence. Here, within the Connected Consciousness of all Existence, they live. With that, Keith's father appears, smiling to his stunned son and wife.

After that, others begin appearing as well; Melenor, Adam, Bandor and his parents, Marco and his father, Hunk's Aunt and Uncle, Rhyner and the Olkari, Antok, Regris, Thace, Ulaz, Rolo, Admiral Sanda, Te-osh, Ozar, Ven'tar, Narti, and countless others. All have smiles and joyous tears, being reunited with their loved ones.

After the shock wears off, Honerva turns to her husband and says that it's too late, there is nothing they can do now that she destroyed everything, but he says that's not true. Now that she is no longer corrupted, she can power the Sincline with true Alchemy, a life-giving force, and restore everything back to what it was.

Allura hears this and realizes Honerva does not have the power to do that alone. Solemnly she steps forward and says that if she helped, they could do it together.

The Paladins are shocked to hear her say this, and tell her that she can't; but Allura says it is the only way and she knows that they would all do the same thing in her place. Honerva doesn't have the power to do it alone, and this is the only way to restore everything.

The Paladins know her words are true, they all would offer to this if they were in her place. Still, they won't let her go this alone, each steps up and says that they will go with her then.

Allura argues that they can't, they are still needed, Voltron is needed. They ask her what good Voltron is if it's missing its heart? They know there are others that can take up the mantle of Paladin; they will not leave Allura to this fate alone.

Quietly watching this, Lotor says that they are all correct; Honerva doesn't have the power to do this alone, but Allura is still needed in the universe. That is why he will assist his mother with restoring the Universe.

He looks at Romelle and the other Alteans, then Axca, Ezor, Zethrid, and Narti and says that he can never right all his wrongs he's committed, he then looks to Allura and says that at least he can do is ensure that the universe still has her as a guiding light. He owes it not only to both of his people -Alteans and Galra- but to the universe as a whole. He asks Allura to allow him to do this for her, and everyone else he has wronged.

Allura and Lotor look at each other and there is an understanding between them. She agrees and steps back towards the Paladins.

Lotor smiles and thanks her, then turns and takes his mother's hand; they turn and walk together towards a light as Zarkon smiles on.

Those still living, and those who have passed share one more moment together, all at peace knowing one day they will all be reunited once and forever more in the Connected Consciousness of all Existence.

              _______________________________________________

                                                         .

                                                         .

                                                         .

A light bursts forth and with it, all of reality comes back into being. The Coalition ships and Voltron drift silently above Oriande. All traces of the Rift, Sincline, and Komar Mechs are gone.

The Paladins slowly open their eyes and look around. Keith asks if everyone is alright and they call back that they are. Lance asks if they think everything is back to normal. Pidge starts scanning the system and says she can't find anything out of place. Allura closes her eyes and reaches out with her senses. She gently smiles and says everything is as it should be.

The Paladins look at the spot where the Rift had been with mixed emotions.

They are then hailed by The Atlas, and Shiro's voice comes through, asking them if they are alright. Keith confirms that they are, and asks him the same. Shiro says everyone has reported in and that all is well.

Allura suddenly speaks up in awed disbelief, saying that it's over, it's really over. The Paladins listen to her as she continues to repeat that it's over, the war is over, and they won. Each time she says it, it settles in more and more. Realization sinks in and the Paladins break out into tears and cheers as voices across the Coalition join them in a chorus of victorious cries.

Shiro smiles tearfully and tells the Paladins to come home.

              _______________________________________________

 Following this, we see a montage as the Universe regains its balance now that it's completely freed.

              _______________________________________________

 The Paladins arrive back in The Atlas' hanger where everyone is there to greet them, including Romelle and Sven. Overwhelmed at seeing them alive, the Paladins rush and embrace them.

Reunions happen all around as Keith shares hugs with his mother and Shiro as Kolivan stands by smiling with Axca, Ezor, and Zethrid.

Pidge, Matt, and their parents embrace as a family never to be torn apart again, and Veronica hugs both Lance and Hunk.

the MFE's and the Paladins all shake each other's hands and gives hugs, and Pidge reunites with the freed Olkari.

Tavo and Luca introduce the rescued Alteans to Allura, their Princess. The Alteans embrace her as their own, bowing down to her in respect for all she's done.

.

From there the Voltron Coalition returns to Earth, The Atlas leading the way.

On earth, Hunk, Lance, and Veronica are reunited with their families as the world celebrates the return of the Defenders of the Universe.

.

Over time Voltron, BOM, and Rebels work to take down the remaining warlords –most of which surrender without a fight thanks to former Warlords like Lahn aiding the Coalition, and Keith being there as the Black Paladin helps to bridge their trust, the Black Lion once more being a symbol of hope for the Galra.

.

The remaining Warlords and Altean Acolytes, as well as the surviving Alteans from the alternate universe are judged for their crimes; with Allura and Keith helping to see that they are justly dealt with.

.

Voltron takes time to revisit old worlds, from Arus, Puig, and Reiphod, to the Frozen Planet of the Mer, and everyone in between. Reconnecting with all their old friends and ensuring all planets and people have a voice in the new, freed universe.

.

During this time, Matt and the Rebels help to move Galra off the formerly occupied planets while Keith, Kolivan, and Krolia guide them to a new life.

.

Allura and the Alteans, along with Keith and the Galra, and the Olkari all work with the Coalition to find new home worlds for their people.

.

The Olkari are the first to settle peacefully on a world brimming with beautiful forests. The now Hoktrill-free Moxilous joins them, happily living a new life with the Olkari.

.

Sven joins the garrison, and works alongside Shiro, Veronica, and Slav, fitting into The Atlas crew perfectly.

.

Hunk and Pidge are approached by Shiro and the Garrison. Hunk is asked to become an Ambassador and voice for Earth. And Pidge is approached with the idea of creating a new defense program for Earth: Vehicle Voltron. Both eagerly accept.

.

As Keith and Allura's focus turns more to their people, and Pidge and Hunk's focus becomes that of working with the Garrison in different ways, Lance happily continues to work with the MFE's, taking command in the Red Lion and going on missions with them, helping the Rebels, and aiding anyone in need.

.

Allura and Keith finally find home worlds for their people, two uninhabited planets that circle the same sun and rely on one another. Believing the planets to be perfect, as they rely on each other to keep balance in the system, they feel that's how the Alteans and Galra must learn to see the Universe; all are needed in the balance of life.

.

With this their new home found, the Alteans approach Allura with a gift: a new crown. They bow and offer the crown to Allura, asking her to officially lead them. Honored by their request, Allura accepts this duty.

.

The montage ends with a ceremony attended by species from all over the universe, Allura is crowned Queen of the Alteans.

All the races cry out in joy for the Queen who helped save their universe.

              _______________________________________________

 In the engine room onboard the Atlas; Sam and Matt are looking over the systems while Shiro assists them. The father and son finish their final check up, and Shiro puts one of the panels back into place. Sam says that everything looks to be in perfect condition and ready for the upcoming launch.

Matt playfully teases his father about how he's being overprotective of the ship, and that he's got to let his baby fly on its own now. Sam grumbles while Shiro chuckles.

Shiro says that they are going to really miss having Sam with them, and says that if he and Colleen ever want to come back, there will always be a place for them. Sam thanks him and says that even though they loved being a part of The Atlas, they both agreed that it's time for them to settle back down on Earth and reclaim the life they lost. They are both looking forward to going back to teaching, especially now that they have students from all over the universe coming to Earth to learn. He then playfully points to his son and adds that the universe has enough on its plate dealing with one Holt in space now that he's living with the former Rebels as they continue to keep peace.

It's Matt's turn to grumble as Sam and Shiro laugh at his expense. Shiro says he's sure when Pidge eventually heads back out to space she'll be able to clean up any mess that Matt makes. Matt raises his hands in surrender and says they can lay off now, and the three men share a laugh.

The playful jibes over, Matt asks Shiro if he's totally ready to leave Earth. Shiro says he is, and though living on New Altea will take some getting used to, he'll have friends and family with him there. Besides, with Altean tech everyone is just a wormhole away.

He says that being out in space, learning about the universe, and everything that's out there has always been his dream. Now he'll be able to learn more than he ever thought possible without the worry of any illness to hold him back, or a universal war to wear him down. Matt smiles and says he understands exactly what he means.

Sam places a hand on both of the young men's shoulders and says that he's proud and excited for them both, but they both better make it back for Holidays, or else Colleen will personally hunt them down and drag them back to Earth.

The two men laugh and say they will.

              _______________________________________________

 Inside the Garrison's kitchen, Hunk and Shay hand Romelle a small box. Hunk says it's a going away present for her, all of his mother's recipes. Pidge helped him translate them into Altean so she can practice her cooking. Shay adds that her grandmother's soup recipe is also in there, since she liked it so much.

Romelle is touched by the presents and asks them to visit often. Hunk says his and Shay's training to become Ambassadors for their peoples will keep them tied up for a while, but as soon as they become fully fledged diplomats, they will all be able to see each other more often. Romelle says that if they need any off planet training, they are more than welcomed to come to New Altea. Hunk and Shay agree and thank her.

Lance and Pidge appear in the kitchen and greet the two ladies as they approach Hunk. Lance complements Romelle's crown; officially adopted into Allura's family, she is now the crowned princess to the Altean people.

Romelle readjusts the crown -Allura's old tiara, now bearing a new stone- and says it's still taking some getting used to. Lance and Pidge say that it suits her. She warmly thanks them, saying that their support gives her courage.

              _______________________________________________

 Later, Hunk, Pidge, and Lance walk down the Garrison halls, catching up with each other as they have all been so busy with their work. Pidge talks about how the creation of Vehicle Voltron is going well, and the wonderful multi-planetary team they have assembled to work on it.

Lance shares all the work he and the MFE's have been doing together, and how even though it's been hard work, it's been so good to see worlds and races really recover from the war. The two are happy for him, and he points out that it's not the same though. He misses flying with Hunk and Pidge and says if they want to come back to Voltron he's sure they could; the Lions still haven't found replacements for them yet.

The former Yellow and Green Paladins thank him, but say that it's just as the Lions once said, their time as Paladins came to an end. They, like Shiro felt they had other things that they needed to do, and Yellow and Green encouraged them to move on.

Lance sighs wistfully, but says he understands, he just misses Hunk, Pidge, and Allura on the team. Hunk and Pidge encourage him, saying that they are certain that the lions will find new Paladins soon.

Lance grumbles that it will only happen if Keith settles down for one moment so they can actually focus on it; he's been so busy helping the Galra that he's hardly around to do anything Voltron related.

It's then that they see Keith coming out of a meeting with the Blade and a number of other Galra diplomats.

Lance says speak of the Mullet, and the three approach him. They see a solemn look on his face and greet him, asking what's wrong. Keith, deep in thought says that he was asked to be one of the leaders of New Daibazaal's government.

The Garrison trio are surprised to hear this, and Lance guesses that he turned the offer down, but Keith reveals he actually said yes. He's not sure how long he will hold the position, but he's accepted the role for now. The others are shocked at first, but quickly congratulate him, pulling him into a group hug. All three know he'll do great as one of the leaders of his people.

They then realize what this means, Keith is leaving Earth.

Hunk cries that everyone is leaving and Lance and Pidge agree, saying that it's not fair. Keith smiles at them, warmed that they will miss him. He says that at one point in his youth, he had nothing on this planet that would have kept him here, he would have left without a second thought; but now he has so many friends and loved ones that he had to stop and think hard about this choice.

However, he never felt that Earth was where he belonged, he feels called to the stars and even if New Daibazaal isn't where he permanently settles, he knows he needs to be with his mother and their people right now.

He looks to the three of them and says that they have helped change his life for the better and that he will miss them so much. The three get teary-eyed and hug him once more, telling him that their doors will always be open to him.

Once they break out of the hug, Keith asks Lance if they can talk privately for a minute, and they break off from the other two.

              _______________________________________________

 Keith and Lance walk for a bit and Keith explains that with him leaving Earth, he's stepping down from being the Black Paladin. Lance is shocked and deeply upset, first Allura stepped down to rule as Queen, then Hunk and Pidge due to their duties at the Garrison, and now Keith? He says the original Paladins were able to fulfill their roles despite being on different planets, why can't they?

Keith acknowledges that, but says times were different back then. The universe is still very unstable at the moment, and planets can't afford to have leaders and vital people constantly run off to fight elsewhere. Besides, he says he's now come to the same realization that Shiro, Allura, Hunk, and Pidge had before him; there's a new purpose out there for him.

The two walk into the Lion's hanger where they look up to Black. Lance wonders who will lead Voltron now, and Keith says Black has already chosen its next Paladin. Lance asks who, and Keith looks at him and says "you". Lance looks from Keith to the Black Lion in disbelief.

Lance is stunned into silence, when he finds his words he says he is honored, but he's not sure if he's ready for that. Keith smiles and says that he knows Lance is. He's seen how Lance has grown from a playful showman, to a focused leader. He says he believes in Lance's ability and knows that he will make a great Black Paladin. Lance says that means the world to him, coming from a leader he truly respects.

Lance looks up to the Black Lion and asks it if it's ready for this new partnership. The Black Lion's eyes flash and it stands and roars in answer.

The two look up to the Lion, with humbled pride. Lance says it will be difficult finding and learning to work with a new team. Keith smiles knowingly just as the hangar doors open and says he doubts that. Lance turns to see the MFE Pilots walk in, not noticing the two Paladins.

Lance looks from Keith to the MFE Pilots and back and asks if he really thinks they could be the new Paladins. Keith asks him what he and Black feel.

Lance closes his eyes, testing the new bond he has with the Black Lion, and realizes it's true, the other Lions have already chosen the MFE Pilots as their Paladins.

He opens his eyes and looks to Keith with a smile. Keith pats him on the shoulder and tells him to go talk to his new team. Lance laughs and runs over to the group.

              _______________________________________________

 Night before the Atlas is prepared to launch the five former Paladins, Lance, and Coran sit and have a private dinner together on the roof of the Garrison. They talk and laugh, reminiscing over their adventures while sharing their plans and hopes for the future, just enjoying each other's company.

As the sun starts to go down, they realize how late it's gotten. Lance calls for one final photo, and everyone gathers together and takes the picture. They look the photo over and all approve of it. They sit there, knowing they should head off to get some sleep before the launch, but none want to leave yet.

Coran sees this and smiles. He coughs to get their attention and points out that they never finished their last Monsters and Mana campaign. Allura says that it will be a little while before they see each other again; they may forget the nuances of the story if they don't finish.

The others smile, and agree that that has to be finished. Coran pulls out the game and they play together under the stars.

               _______________________________________________

 The next day people from all over the place come to the Garrison to witness The Atlas' launch.

Pidge, her family, Hunk and his family, along with many of the other Coalition members and former-rebels watch and wave from the ground as the mighty ship begins to take off.

A loud roar is heard and Pidge and Hunk cheer as the Lions of Voltron fly overhead. The Lions move to follow behind The Atlas, escorting it to its new home.

Lance, flying the Black Lion, now wearing new Black Paladin armor asks if the others are alright. Griffin in Red, Rizavi in Blue, Leasdottir in Green, and Kincade in Yellow all call in positives.

Lance smiles and makes a call to form Voltron.

              _______________________________________________

 In the Atlas, Shiro and Sven arrive on the bridge where some of the new Galra leadership, including Krolia and Kolivan, as well as Queen Allura's Altean council of Coran, Romelle, Luca, and Tavo stand.

Shiro sees Keith in his new Galran armor is standing with Allura near the view screen. He approaches and tells them they will be arriving to New Diabazaal soon to drop the Galra off, before taking The Atlas to their home on New Altea.

Allura and Keith smile to him, and the three watch the screen as they approach the two Planets.

Shiro asks if they are nervous. Keith says no, he feels confident and hopeful. Allura agrees, smiling brightly she says "after all, this is the beginning of a new story."

              _______________________________________________

                                                          .

                                                        .

                                                        .

                                                  The End

                                                        .

                                                        .

                                                        .

              _______________________________________________

 Notes:

I am so sorry this took so long to post. I did not mean for it to take this ling, but I just had a rather off holiday season (not bad by any means, just off), so it's been harder for me to get back into the swing of things.

It does kind of work out though, as I created my first draft of this rewrite pretty much one year ago.

But anyhow, let's get into talking about this ending.

.

So, my biggest problem (and I think most people's problem) with the ending of the series was what happened to the main characters, especially with the end cards. I heard they were supposedly tacked on at the last minute, and it sure seems like it. While Shiro, Pidge, and Hunk had somewhat 'happy' endings they were only happy in a very sterile way.

What do I mean by "sterile", well, there was nothing deep or meaningful to their look at their end cards:

"Shiro found his happiness and finally left the battlefield behind" Ok, that sounds good and all, but there was no development to this 'happiness'. What even makes him happy? I though his passion was space exploration, did he get to return to that? We don't know. He's just happy.

"The Holt Family established the next generation of Legendary Defenders." It's nice that the family stuck together, but that doesn't give us anything about Pidge specifically. Plus not everyone would get the Vehicle Voltron cameos that give weight to what they are doing.

"Hunk created a culinary empire, bringing the universe together, one meal at a time." Hunk's is the best and as we at least know he's doing things he enjoys, cooking and bringing people together. We can assume it's like what was shown earlier in the episode, where he cooks for leaders during a delegation, but the image presented looks more like he's the owner of a galactic restaurant chain more so then anything else.

The summaries to their lives just feel so hollow, and those were only the 'happy' ones, it only gets worse from there.

Coran didn't even get a title card, but let's talk about him for a minute. He was left completely alone without any close friends or loved ones nearby. Even though Merla was shown speaking to him, showing he talks to people, they had no relationship. What were we supposed to get from that scene? I was left with the feeling that he would forever be alone, his life dedicated to nothing but ensuring that Altea flourished in Allura's name, never stopping to rest, least the ghosts of the ones he lost haunt him.

Even though I hate Allura dying (and I'll get to that in a moment), if they had Romelle there with him at the end instead, his story would have ended on a more positive note. Since they had an established friendship in the show we could have seen it as him having lost one daughter only to gain another. We would know he would be able to have a new family with her.

Speaking of Romelle, all she got was a cameo relegated to the background of Hunk's ending where she wore a chef's outfit. Such a great ending for this important Voltron legacy character! [/sarcasm]

Back to the main Paladins;

"Lance continued to spread Allura's message while surrounding himself with the things he loved." It sounds like he become an Altean missionary who shared the gospel of Allura, even though the picture just shows him working on his family's farm. I know many others, and myself felt that he would forever pine after Allura, living his life out in a way that forever left him longing for something more. How is that a good place to leave a character?

What about his dreams, his goals in life? He was the most ambitious of the Paladins, and while his ambitions at the beginning of the series might not have had the best reasoning (going to prove how good he is by being better then Keith and stuff like that), his reason should have grown and changed though the series, not his whole existence. He should have still been determined to become a Pilot and do great things, not to prove his worth, but because he had the passion, drive, and determination to go out and do them.

"Keith helped transition The Blade of Marmora to a humanitarian relief organization." Keith working for a humanitarian relief organization, that's a good idea. Fits with his caring and how he shows his love through acts of service. However, him transitioning The Blade of Marmora into a humanitarian relief organization is such a stupid concept. That would be like something tossing out the idea of turning the Navy Seals into a humanitarian relief organization. These people are specifically trained to fight. While they can offer aid, and work with humanitarian relief organizations, they are completely different things!

On top of all that, due to how the last two seasons went with his supposed friendships with the Paladins, I was depressingly left feeling Keith's story ended exactly where we met him at the beginning of the series: A loner with few friends and connections. Yes, I know he now had his mother, but she was to be shown busy as a leader of the Galra without Keith. While Axca, Ezor, and Zethrid were in the background of his title card, when were we shown them becoming close? We weren't. The golden rule of visual storytelling is "Show, don't tell". Because we weren't shown, we can't say it happened.

Heck, I don't even remember if Keith spoke to Axca at all after "The Way Forward", and she was the one he had the most positive interactions with.

With all the Paladins spread out back on Earth, Keith seems to have once more gone down a path of solitude. The character who needed friends and family the most ended up alone.

And Allura's ending was the worst ending of them all. I've talked many times throughout these rewrites of the many horrible things I felt was done to her character throughout the last two seasons. Killing her was the moldy cherry on top of that spoiled and rancid cake. Allura, who lost and sacrificed so much; whose character should have been raised up and allowed to flourish into a leader better than those who came before her, instead her ending was the same fate as the final villain, and there was no rightful justification for it.

As Allura and Honerva walk to their deaths, Honerva smiles, happy over the outcome as she gets to be reunited with her husband and son, while Allura looks sorrowful, her promising life ending too soon.

What an insulting and reprehensible ending for this character.

I wanted to rectify all these things with this final rewrite, and give them the happy and satisfying endings they deserved. I hope even if you aren't one hundred percent satisfied with my endings for the characters, they are at least more palatable then canon.

.

Now that I've spoken about the heroes, not onto the Villains.

So, I know Honerva's ending here has shades of her original ending, but I really hope the differences stand out in what I wrote. I'm sure many would want to see her just outright killed/defeated, but since I really play up the 'The Zarkon family is possessed and unable to control themselves' I went with her having a redemptive ending.

The difference between my version and canon, is that canon showed Honerva's issues to be her thinking she was never happy. After Allura made her remember the good times, and that was it. No acknowledgement or apologies for all the evil she committed. Just "Huh, your right. Ok, let's bring the universe back." Nothing was even done with the Rift Creature that was still in her, Allura, and the other Alteans. That was all forgotten along with every other interesting plot thread.

With the chance of repeating myself from other chapters; my version of the 'Rift Creature' -actually the corrupted White Lion- literally warped how she, Zarkon, and Lotor saw everything. They could not truly see right from wrong, only their own desires and how things affected them. So, once freed from that corruption they regained their true selves and instantly knew all the evil they committed. Honerva wanted to make things right. I emphasize 'wanting" cause that's the key to redeeming a character, the desire to make things right.

Her and Lotor sacrificing themselves to fix the universe they helped tear apart was their way of making right all their wrongs and redeeming themselves.

And while I'm sure many would have liked Lotor to live, I see this as the better way; only because if he lived he would have been held accountable for his crimes just like the other Galran Warlords and Altean Acolytes. At least now he can unite with his uncorrupted parents and friends in the Connected Consciousness of all Existence, and one day reunite with the Paladins and experience a true friendship with them.

.

Speaking of the Connected Consciousness of all Existence.

So, my version of this realm is clearly some sort of Well of Allsparks/Heaven-esk place. I know that idea might be a bit corny, but like I have Keith's dad point out, in S2E4 "Greening the Cube", Pidge says that she was told everyone was made up from the same star dust. Keith was so heartened by that idea, that I thought in this place called "Connected Consciousness of all Existence" it could be the same for people's Souls/Quintessence.

Plus, I thought it lead to one of my favorite parts of this chapter, the return of all the dead characters. I truly wanted this final story to be a celebration of everything that we loved about the series, and this allowed me the opportunity to bring back all the characters we grew to love. Even the minor ones that meant more to the fandom then they did the writers.

It also leaves us with the satisfaction and peace knowing that even though the Paladins are all going their own ways in life, no matter what, one day they will all be reunited not only with each other, but with all their loved ones here.

.

One more thing I wanted to point out is that Keith does not rule all of New Daibazaal. He is one leader amongst many. I have seen "Emperor Keith" AUs and not only do I feel that role doesn't fit Keith; I don't think that role should exist on New Daibazaal at all.

The Galra just got through living under the thumb of one ruler for the past 10,000 years. There are going to be changes with their new world and that starts with how their leadership is set up. Rather than one person who has all the power, they have multiple leaders who come together and govern for the people. They are not permanent positions and can be voted out.

Keith is certainly an important voice, and one who was actually asked to take a role of leadership by the people (there's a lot of half-breeds who look up to him), but he is not the final say. One day his time as leader will be up, and he will move on.

I actually do envision his future much like the ending of the show where he ends up working with a humanitarian organization. But this time around he, Axca, Ezor, and Zethrid would team up with Allura, Shiro, and the Garrison to create a multi-species group that would then go and work with Voltron and Vehicle Voltron to help those in need.

See? Despite living some time away from each other, all the characters can end up continuing their lives together after all!

.

Here’s a bonus gallery of a bunch of the designs I tried to recreate/come up with for how the characters look at the end.

First, I forgot to post this back with my version of S8E5. This was what they wore to the Paladin’s game night. As you can see I changed the colors of Rizavi and Leifsdottir’s outfits. I gave Griffin the clothing Lance wore on his date in S8E1. Since he didn’t use the outfit in this version I thought it would work here, especially since I gave Griffin a ‘well thought of’ family, I though his casual wear would be a bit more fancy. For Kincade, I had my friend who really liked him help me design his clothing. We thought this fit him.

This is the clothing the characters wear after the final montage. Of course the Paladin’s outfits are based off the canon outfits shown in the final group picture in the show. I didn’t have much to go on, so I made a lot of it up.

Allura’s dress is the one shown in the alternate universe Honerva went to (Coran at this time would be wearing the outfit he there too).

I completely changed Lance’s hair. I don’t know why the creators wanted to give him such an unkempt look in the last design, but I saw someone do an edit where they gave him Matt’s hairdo from the ‘Chip’ scene at the end. I thought that looked so good on him I opted to give that to him. Plus, now Matt can keep his long hair!

So these are the outfits the characters are wearing in the final scene when they leave for New Altea/New Daibazaal. I gave each Altean a bit of pink in their clothing. Since Pink was the color of remembrance, I figured many, especially the leadership would wear it not only in remembrance of all the Alteans that were lost, but for everyone who had been lost not only at the hands of the Galra, but at the hands of the Alteans as well. It’s a reminder to never let it happen again.

I forgot to put a new stone in Romelle’s crown. Woopsie!

I tried to blend Armor the Galra of old wore with the BoM uniforms. Showing that they are not completely leaving everything that once was behind. Instead they are taking what had been good and bringing it back.

\Keith’s outfit I blended not only with the BoM and ancient Galra armor, but also added some of the Paladin style as well. His armor is black instead of blue as a symbol of his time as Black paladin. I’m not complety satisfied with his design, bit this is where I settled for now.

I opted to give the new line of Plaldins completely new Armor. Since Voltron is currently set up on Earth, their armor is a blend of Altean armor and the MFE flight suits.

I also wanted to do some other pictures like Sven in the Garrison, and some others, but I never got to it. Maybe in the future.

.

So that’s all for now.

I do have an idea for a short story that would be a continuation of the actual canon story; a way to fix the blunders of the ending and wrap things up on a better note, and be connected to this post of mine. But no promises to when that will be made.

So, for the time being this is where it all ends. Thank you so much for reading all this. I truly hope you enjoyed it.

Have a wonderful day!

[drawnandredrawn]

YEAR LONG VOLTRON ART CHALLENGE --ORIGINAL VERSION

Okay so, was talking to @giugiuryu​ about this challenge, and decided that yes, it was time to write this list up and post it.

So below the cut here we have 365 Voltron art prompts, one for each day of the year!  This list was written up by my lovely wife @wireslide​ and is very, VERY informed by her personal preferences and headcanons.  So I invite anyone and everyone to join me in the fun of doing this challenge, but also to make changes to the list where you see fit.  Don’t want to add stuff from the comics?  Want Lotor prompts?  Need the entire ‘draw these two people together’ section to be exclusively your OTPs?  Make it so!  I, for example, will NOT be doing the list exactly as posted, but making a few changes where the daily prompt doesn’t really catch my interest.  So think of this as a framework and jumping off point for your ideal year of Voltron.

And please, please tag me if you plan to join in!  I’d love to follow and watch your progress!

PART 1: DOODLES, SKETCHES, AND STUDIES

FOCUS ON STYLE - Sketch the topics below and get into your style

Bayards

Haxus (head/face)

Space Mice

Markings/scars

Insignia

Sendak (head/face)

Shiro  (head/face)

Lance  (head/face)

Keith  (head/face)

Pidge  (head/face)

Hunk  (head/face)

Allura  (head/face)

Coran  (head/face)

Nyma  (head/face)

Trigel   (head/face)

Rollo  (head/face)

Zarkon  (head/face)

Gyrgan  (head/face)

Blaytz  (head/face)

Matt  (head/face)

ANATOMY STUDIES - Spend time understanding how their bodies fit together

Arusians

Galra

Olkari

Bi-Boh-Bii

Krellians (insectoid)

Mu

Taujeerians

Krellians (draconic)

Kotka (domestic)

Yuppers

Slav

Bob

Mer

Balmerans

Borf (Kosmo The Space Wolf)

Alteans

Narti

Unilu

Kotka (wild)

Yalmor

Dhavdabau

Kaltenecker

Kova

Ranveig's Beast

Myzax

Balmerans (different)

Krellians (draconic-dragon form)

Galra (different)

Chameleon/Drazil

Baku

INORGANIC - Study by sketching or painting

Accessories

Chain Sword

Sendak's arm

Kuron's (fully activated) arm

Shiro's Altean arm

Rover

Beezer

N-7

Galra Sentry

Altean sentinel

Altean Target Drones

Lifegiver Statues

Kral Zera Altar

Marmorran Blade

BOM Mask

Druid Mask

Lance's Rifle

Space Junkyard

Altean Broadsword

Hunk's Bunker Buster

Pidge's Grapple Taser Thing

Haxus' Legs

Myzax's Weapon

Balmera Crystal

Galra Connective cables

Komar

Zaiforge Cannon

Zaiforge base

Robeast Prorok

Xanthorium Crystals

SHIPS - Like...ships.

Black Lion

Red Lion

Blue Lion

Green Lion

Yellow Lion

Altean Pod

Galra Fighter

Galra Cruiser

Taujeerian Ship

Olia's ship

Olkari Fighter

Lotor's Flagship

Blade of Marmora Outpost (Ulaz's)

Lotor's Crazy Ivan Ship

Galra Bridge

Olia's Bridge

Castle of Lions Bridge

Lion Cockpit

Robeast Coffin

Altean Pod Cockpit

Galra Hangar Bay

Altean ship

Komar Mech

Honerva's Mech

Sincline

Angel of Death (fusion mech)

Mobile Suit Zarkon

Galra Central Command

Castle of Lions

IGF Atlas

VAGUE TOPICS - more abstract prompts. Doodle, sketch, and study whatever comes to mind for these.

Power Source

Oriande

Alchemy/Alchemists

Monsters & Mana

Lion Goddess

The Rise of Voltron

Space Mall

Hole in the Sky

The Voltron Show!

Kral Zera

The Black Paladins

Lion's Pride

Clear Day

Battle Scars

Blade of Marmora

Druids

Battlefield Loss

Gladiator

Altea

Remembrance

Galaxy Garrison

Crown

Sacred

Forgiveness

Space Madness

Blood Ties

Microwave

Down Time

Rebels

TRANSPARENCY

Oldadins

Rebirth

Redeath

Alternate Universe

Bargaining

Escape

Family

Arena

Daibazaal

Arus

Quintessence

Balmera

Olkarion

Princess

Firstborn

Sheath

Ressurection

Altean Colony

Betrayal

Love

Memorial

Bounty Hunters

Space Pirates

General/s

VREPIT SA

Distortion

Sacrifice

Redemption

Vengeance

Heritage

Magic

Food Goo

Feels Bad, Man

Freedom

Addiction

Birth

Death

Adam

Justice

Peace

PART 2: ONCE MORE, WITH POLISH!

A COAT OF POLISH - move of out sketching, move into more detailed and polished figures! Lines!  Colors!

Wing Commander Shiro

Lance

Hunk

Pidge

Allura

Keith

Shiro

Coran

Young Zarkon

Young Alfor

Trigel

Gyrgan

Blaytz

Young Honerva

Krolia

Ezor

Zethrid

Throk

Morvok

Macidus

Romelle

James Griffin

Nadia Rizavi

Veronica 

Sam Holt

Matt Holt

Young Sendak

Young Haxus

Ladnok

Ranveig

Herschel

Slav

Hira

Moxilous

Empress Allura

Gladiator Shiro

Pike

Block

Meklenor

Mystical Archer of Valyuun

Thunderstorm Darkn'ess

Paladin Shiro/Jiro

Dakon, The Dark Wizard

Honerva

Young Lotor

Young Allura

Antok

Regris

Kolivan

Acxa

Narti

Lotor

Thace

Haggar

Emperor Zarkon

Adam

Ryan Kinkade

Ina Leifsdottir

Iverson

Colleen Holt

Sendak

Haxus

Gnov

Trugg

Sniv

Olia

Curtis

Taavo

Firstborn Allura

Gladiator Lance

MULTIPLE FIGURES - FRIENDS, ENEMIES...SHIPPERS!  Ink me your lines!  Time for multiple figures!  Swap duos out as pleases you!

Shiro & Lance

Hunk & Keith

Shiro & Keith

Zarkon & Honerva

Shiro & Sendak

Keith & Adam

Shiro & Matt

Coran & Kythalian

Allura & Lance

Shiro & Ulaz

Pidge & Matt

Shiro & Gary

Lance & Blue

Shiro & Black

Allura & Romelle

Acxa & Gregory

Narti & Ezor

Antok & Kolivan

Pidge& Keith

Lance & Lotor

Shiro & Hepta

James & Keith

Acxa & Narti

Ryan & Hunk

Veronica & Nadia

Romelle & Acxa

Hunk & Lance

Keith & Lance

Zarkon & Alfor

Zarkon & Sendak

Kuron & Lance

Shiro & Adam

Keith & Matt

Allura & Shiro

Shiro & Ezor

Pidge & Haxus

Keith & Sendak

Ezor & Zethrid

Zarkon & Black

Hunk & Romelle

Acxa & Ezor

Narti & Lotor

Keith & Regris

Shiro & Curtis

Kuron & Lotor

Acxa & Zethrid

Krolia & Keith’s Dad

Acxa & Veronica

Lance & James

Ryan & Shiro

PART 3: BACKGROUND = CHARACTER

BACKGROUND ADDS CHARACTER - Add extra detail, backgrounds, and extra figures.  Create polished images from more abstract prompts.

Voltron

Black

Blue

Oriande

Galra Sentries

Ryner

Plaxum&Crew

Olia&Crew

Robeast Zarkon (life support armor, from Blood Duel)

Close-up Deltarian Host

Space Pub

Altea (Pollux)

2+ Lotor's Generals

Galra Teeeeth

Sphinx

Shuttle Crash

2+ Garrison Brass

Quintessence Processing

Cloning Facility

Evil Wizard's Lair (M&M)

Red

Yellow

Green

Blade of Marmora HQ

Space Pirates

Alternate Universe

Melenor

Blades of Marmora

Rollo, Nyma, Beezer

2+ Oldadins

Rift-Steeped Lotor

Daibazaal

Altea (Arus)

Feyiv

Yalex Temple

Keith’s Dad’s House

Atlas Bridge

Space Whale

Quintessence Poisoning

Dream Machine

FUCKING Y I K E S - Multiple characters and complex scenes.  Push yourself.  Try poses with multiple characters interacting and scenes with difficult perspective.

Current Paladins

MFE Pilots +Ronnie

Keith +Family

Lance + Family

Shiro, Adam, Iverson, Matt

Altean Alchemists

Medical Area

Central Command

Space Mall

Space Battle

Oldadins

Galra Command Circle

Holts

Hunk + Family

Garrison Trio

Slave Market

Space Junkyard

Coronation

Tavern/Inn (M&M)

Wedding

PART 5: LEGENDARY ARTIST

CONGRATULATIONS, THIS IS THE HOME STRETCH!  IF YOU WERE NOT A LEGENDARY ARTIST ALREADY YOU SURE ARE NOW!  Don’t feel like these prompts need to be finished in a day.  Take your time.  Think of the most epic scene you’ve wanted to draw and call upon your powers to make it so.  Savor your victory.  Flaunt your mad skills you funky little artist.

Allura v. Haggar

Galra Arena Fight

Kuron And The Clones

Empress Allura v. Zarkon (Alternate Universe)

The End and Beginning of the Multiverse

[hunterguyveriv]

Kacxa Week Extended Day 14 - Life on the Atlas

I passed right out after work so I didn’t get a chance to post this last night. It was a little harder to do write but I am happy with it. I wanted to show their life on the Atlas as close to them being in character when not on duty, but they get a pleasant surprise when Garrison brass comes up with a Wargame.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Keep Reading~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a year since the Atlas officially launched to take the fight to Honerva. A solid year since the Galaxy Garrison became part of a more significant force. Yet to typical Human fashion, they set themselves up as the head force. Something that rubbed their many newfound allies the wrong way. There were Olkari, Unilu, Tjaujer, Arusians, Blade of Marmorans, Balmerians, and many others all living on the ship.

As the Atlas droned through the vast nothingness of Space, it was es by an escort fleet of Rebels and a Galra ship with the Marmora emblem on it. They would all run drills to keep themselves ready. Well, the Blades were in charge of such exercises… well more like Krolia. She was an expert in all the BoM Galra to know how humans would react and create counters for their reactions. But today there was no drill; the tension was high on the Atlas in which the crew got a deserved break.

Two of those were Galra on the Atlas; her Son - Keith and his Jhuk’ un’ dak Acxa. After spending some time on a hostile planet in which they became close, they started being with each other more and more. He had gotten into many altercations with crewmates of the Atlas over her being Galra. Most were broken up by fellow crewmembers and Paladins, others resulting in physical fights.

Today started as usual for the lovebirds. They met on the training deck at 0400 when no one was up except the secondary crew. They did their typical warm-ups before running the equivalent of 5 miles in simulated gravity four times greater than Earth’s gravity.

They rest for ten minutes before they started sparring. They start with traditional sparring before selecting replicas of weapons from Earth's history - Keith the bokken - Acxa the saber. Not wanting to be disturbed, they lock the training deck. Acxa takes her Garrison tee off revealing her human sports bra. Keith, in return, takes his standard black tee-shirt off, revealing his chest and abs along with scars he acquired since becoming a Paladin.

They meet in the center circle. The two of them gave the standard proclamations in traditional Galra before she attacked. Both aggressively sparred and flirted with one another while sparring. Keith was the better blade wielder, and he always found it cute she'd get flustered and upset when he managed to lock their weapons and kiss her on the nose or cheek good morning. But she was also starting to figure out how to eventually surprise him.

By 0700, their sparring match was over, and both had to clean up and report for duty. Acxa had to report in to the senior tactical officer under Shiro for planning an attack on Galra installations, and Keith had to report in for the morning briefing. It was with Shiro, some of the other Garrison Bass, Allura, Blade of Marmora, and the heads of the Voltron Alliance.

Today he found out that Blade Intel has discovered that Honerva had recovered Lotor’s Sincline ship and was trying to figure out how to activate, duplicate it, or incorporate it with more of those Komar-Mechs. Something that shocked not just Allura but Acxa. So it was decided that with each of the Sincline ship schematics were retrieved, the Garrison would run drills with reconstructed versions of the ship.

Keith suggested that Acxa should pilot one of them, that she did have the most experience with each ship. Which the Paladins even Shiro agreed, and the MFE pilots, namely Griffin, protested against it. Shiro ordered wargame Scenarios to commence the following day with debriefing immediately after

Acxa was looking over the first ship, which was the 3rd part when Allura and Lotor collaborated. She was impressed that the human engineers with little help recreated the ship she and Keith had their first intimate dance. She walked around it as Olkari engineers who helped filled her in on the added abilities they added.

She looked at the doors as the Paladins walked in. Allura and that loud, obnoxious one… what was his name again walked in first, she took notice that they were smitten with each other. Making them easy targets. She saw Pidge walk in half dead and hair to prove it. She made a note that she would be easy to eliminate during the simulation. The yellow one walked in eating something. She smirked because eating before a G-Inducing fight….. well, things end up messy.

Then the MFE pilots walked in. Like her, they were doing visual checks of their fighters. Acxa was sizing them up; the blonde was too analytical, so she deemed her a threat to take care of right away. The tall, dark one was too much of a sniper, so thinking fast during combat was not his strong-suit he would be taken care of after the blonde. Then came the sassy one and Griffin, the one Keith had warned her on. They were the best pilots of this group, so taking them down will be challenging. But seeing how cocky they also were, Griffin the obvious, she was going to have fun playing with them. Like a cat plays with a prey animal.

Griffin looked over and saw her looking over to them and the Paladins. She gave him a smirk that seemed to get under his skin. He saw her move her head slightly as the door opened. It was Keith and Shiro walking into the hanger bay.

Shiro was talking to him about something as he walked in, clutching a PADD in his right hand and his helmet in his left hand. He handed the PADD back to Shiro in which Shiro walked back to the observation lounge to watch the launching of everything. Keith put his helmet on and started walking towards the location of his lion.

Griffin: I hope you can keep your half-breed girlfriend in line or take her out with your “superior flying.”

For once, when he was having such a good day until it had just been ruined none the less. But too many eyes were on him to physically reprimand him.

Keith: And why would I do that?

Griffin: So she doesn’t learn our strengths and weaknesses.

Keith: Oh, don’t worry, she already knows.

Keith slapped him on the arm.

Keith: Besides, WE, are the last defense.

Griffin: What?

Keith: The Voltron lions are going to be the last line of defense for the Atlas. Your… fighters will be the first line, and the rebel ships will be the vanguard.  

Griffin: But…

Keith: You guys fought SO well against Sendak’s fleet, so you will have to fight Sincline-A, Blade of Marmora fighters, and cruisers during this wargame.

Griffin: WHAT?!

Keith: What? Can’t be all THAT hard for the Garrison’s best pilot?

He walked away with a smirk on his face as Griffin seethed, glaring at Keith as he continued to walk to his lion. He winked at Acxa, who even-sized him up and winked back at him. She walked up to him, giving him the typical Galra greeting, which he returned well aware Griffin was watching.

Keith: You are going to go easy on me?

Acxa: Not a chance.

Keith: Just the way I like it.

Acxa: You, me?

Keith: Nope.

Acxa: Atta boy.

Shiro over the intercom: Pilots prepare to launch!

Acxa entered her fighter first. The MFE-Pilots in theirs. Keith briefed the Paladins on their role as he entered the Black Lion and was seconds later in the controls. The lions all roared to life. Shiro’s voice came over the comms, “LAUNCH!” Acxa took Sincline-A and rendezvous with the Blade of Marmora wargame fleet. The MFE-Fighters launched and met up with the rebel ships. The lions launch from Atlas last.

As to her plan, Acxa made short work of the MFE-Pilots, which everyone on the bridge could hear their protests and Griffin screaming obscenities in his cockpit. She went a little easy on the Rebels and left most of them to the Marmora ships. They were brothers and sisters in arms, after all. She played with Pidge, who was too tired to keep up and Hunk, who was struggling to keep his lunch down.

Having helped Lotor create the original version of this ship, Allura knew what to expect and quickly got the upper hand on Acxa when tag-teaming with Lance. But Lover-boy, who was in the second-best lion to keep up with her, got distracted when he got shot down by Krolia’s cruiser. Allura was taken down seconds later by Marmoran fighters, her scream “quiznak,” along with some obscenities she learned on Earth had the bridge crew laughing.

Keith was in the process of “destroying” the Marmoran fighters that the simulation called for their withdrawal. Leaving him… and her. Black Lion and Sincline-A. It was as if they were sizing each other up. They were waiting for those disqualified to return to their bases of operation.

Keith: Shall we finish our dance, my dear.

Acxa: We SHALL!

As ships became disqualified, they were ordered to return to base. Inside Atlas for the Lions and Fighters. Besides Atlas for the rebel ships that joined the exercise. For the Marmoran fighters, they had to return to their home cruisers. As long as there remained fighters, the wargame went on.

In the lounge, Romelle greeted the Paladins and the MFE-Pilots, who grumpily flopped down on the couches looking at the monitor. She offered refreshments and snacks for the main event. Even smacking Griffin for bitterly commenting, “Gee what a surprise, the half-breeds are the last ones standing.”

Then without warning, the Black-Lion and Sincline-A engaged each other like they did nearly four and a half years ago. Weaving and bobbing out of each other’s blasts, trying to get the better on the other as they did those years ago back when she was still loyal to Lotor. But now, this was fun with her Grek’ un’ dah.

They would continue at it for nearly an hour. It was apparent to the crew of the Atlas that they were having to much fun. The Paladins grew bored, making the declaration “no wonder he likes her…” The MFE pilots went on to do their other duties.  Romelle stayed watching her brother-friend and his future mate play-fight, eating the snacks and drinking the refreshments no one wanted because they were all made to look like fools.

Even Shiro was sitting in a “Captain’s Chair,” supporting his head up with a fist and wrapping the fingers of his other arm on the chair. Making a mental note “not to pit Acxa and Keith against each other again.”

But on the flip side, both Galra-hybrids had a new thing in which they could use to challenge each other. Something to add to their daily routines to keep themselves sharp.

[leakinghate]

Chasing the Ghosts of Season 8

Let’s skip the flowery intros and get to the point, because this is important.

Lotor’s vindication and reunion with Allura were originally part of VLD s8 and I can prove it. Most animation relating to this plot was excised, while other clips were re-purposed to make it look like he was dead all along: but some are still in there.

The removal of this plot line was one of the major factors in completely messing up season 8, and it was a change that was made very recently; no earlier than August in fact. There is a significant, non-zero chance that an unedited version of Season 8 exists in its entirety; completely finished.

The evidence is below the cut.

Trigger Warnings: Gore - that image and discussion of it, body horror, sexism, and major character death.

There’s something rotten in the house of Voltron, and by that I mean Dreamworks animation, because for reasons yet unknown the season 8 we got was not the one the writers had planned to give us.

The people involved likely can't talk about it due to NDAs, but I follow *most* of the cast and crew on social media, and from the way many of them were talking prior to the drop it’s obvious that whatever they'd recorded had led them to expect a very different season.

The almost total radio silence afterward is also telling.

So far as I can tell, AJ (Lotor’s VA) is the only one actively posting about it, and his posts have been expressing his distress over what happened to Lotor - a stark contrast to his excitement about the season prior to its airing. It’s very apparent that he thought Lotor would have a very different fate than he appears to. At the moment of the season drop he tweeted out “Lotor was framed”, and later didn’t seem to realize that ‘Allura’ was trending because she’d died.

Some of the other VA’s scarce posts lead me to believe that they’re having similar reactions: a now deleted post from Bex (Pidge’s VA) about having watched up to episode 6 consisted of an image of DOTU Lance captioned with “[internal screaming]”. Bex has since removed all references to VLD from her bio.

I’m certain that the VLD s8 we got was NOT the s8 that was originally planned. Or the one the writers and VAs had been alluding to in various interviews up until recently.

We know there were some very last minute changes to season 8. I guarantee you that Ezor was actually dead before the backlash over Adam in August, and you're kidding yourselves if you think that epilogue existed before then either.

Kihyun Ryu's 'last Shiro' tweet - that we now know to be from the wedding epilogue - was posted on September 13th, 2018. Less than two months ago these changes were still in progress. Less than a month before the first trailer premiered at NYCC these changes were still being made.

And those was absolutely not the only things which were changed. It was hinted we should pay attention to the s7 episode "the Feud" to spot some foreshadowing. Well? I've seen both that episode and s8 and I sure as heck can't find it.

This was beyond last minute.

JDS and LM were still talking in ways that would lead us to expect Lotor’s redemption roughly up to s7 in August; so whatever happened, it went down between August and November. Which is probably why s8 is so shitty; with such a terribly compressed timeline to make edits.

And edits they were, because with those time frames season 8 was either completely finished or very near to it when someone decided that things had to change.

I can prove it.

Do you know how?

Because the animation was recycled and altered to fit the new story, with only small parts made new for it. And because it was something else first, it’s still possible to partially reconstruct the original Season 8 from it.

Lets start with the big one, the one I’m sure you’re here to read: Lotor’s redemption and reunion with Allura.

One of the most frustrating things about season 8 is that it leaves the colony unexplained. The big question, the thing that results in Lotor’s murder at the hands of people he calls friends, and leads to a power vacuum that causes the deaths of untold billions of people. What was Lotor doing at the colony?

It’s never addressed or given an answer.

At least in the version of season 8 that we got.

Or is it?

Because they might have removed the conclusion to that plot thread, but they couldn’t get rid of it entirely.

In e8 ‘Clear Day’. Allura's suffers from several nightmares/dream sequences. They don't make any sense in context, and it’s never explained what caused them. Except, they make perfect sense, if you watch them as the first step towards understanding The Colony. 

Allura sees herself standing in a Juniberry field on Altea. Her mother greets her and proclaims that Allura has arrived just in time, and that only she can save them, “Only you can protect us.”

A Galra fleet passes over head, raining down laser fire.

Allura suddenly finds herself the pilot of one of the white mechs. She plunges her spear into the ground, draining the quintessence, and then fires on the fleet; obliterating it.

But as she grins in victory she realizes that the quintessence she siphoned from the planet has turned her immediate landscape to ash, including her mother. Allura is horrified, but as her mother crumbles away her voice echoes, telling Allura she is so proud of her.

In case me describing it wasn’t clear enough: what just happened to her was that Allura was literally put in Lotor’s position, operating one of his mechs. The places and the people were those that Allura cherished deeply, so that she could understand how terrible Lotor felt about what he had to do. It literally puts Allura in Lotor's place: having to take the responsibility of destroying parts of something she loves in order to protect the whole. 

And her mother? The Altean who was ‘sacrificed’ in this scenario? Praised her for taking the actions she did, because Allura was the only one able to do it. And the only choice was to save most of Altea, or none of it.

When Allura eventually does take the entity into herself we see the lights of Honerva’s mech’s faceplate lighting, then flash to a scene of Lotor in Sincline. He’s laughing, grinning as he did during s6′s finale, and as the camera zooms in on his face he shouts “Follow me!”

Briefly we see Voltron in front of the planets of Earth’s solar system, which is drowned out by a peculiar scene transition: an intense white light that appears to obliterate everything as though in an explosion.

None of these scenes are ever explained, but it’s reasonably comparable to the flash of images that Haggar sees in season 3 when she is first confronted with Zarkon’s memories. We’re left with the impression that we’re about to be enlightened, and the end of the episode reveals that Allura has passed out on the floor unconscious.

In this version of season 8, we never are told what exactly caused Allura to experience those visions. We can guess: was it perhaps the entity tempting her with its dark magic? Honerva attempting to place her under a spell?

But is the entity really dark magic? It’s different from the types of magic we’re used to, and the colors of it are certainly dark, but it in itself never actually causes Allura harm. Any harm she suffers after taking it into herself is caused by Honerva exploiting it.

Could it be a spell by Honerva? Unlikely. It took her almost two whole episodes of the paladins fooling around inside her mind for her to notice they were even there. If Allura had never taken the entity none of Honerva’s plans would have ever been found out. Yes, she did steal all the energy from the Atlas’ crystal, but she did that primarily to combat the Atlas and disable it. She didn’t need to get it from there, the energy her Komars were able to provide was all she needed.

So what caused those visions?

Lotor did.

Once he was free of the rift he was able to connect with Allura somehow and reach out to her. That was really him. Where he is now, trapped under Haggar’s control, he has no means to combat the witch. But Allura does. Everything he says to her? Is true.

The next episode, s8e9 “Knights of Light: Part 1″ begins with Allura awaking, Coran and Lance by her bedside. She’s been asleep for two quintants (days). She has apparently come up with a plan to infiltrate Honerva’s mind, but from whence she gets this plan is never explained. That’s because we’re missing an entire episode between these two. This is where Lotor’s redemption happens, where he and Allura finally reunite. God knows what else was in that episode, what else was happening while the paladins were waiting for Allura to wake. Lotor bids Allura to follow him, to finally allow him to tell his side of the story, and for some reason we weren’t allowed to hear it.

But from what we did get to see? It all but confirms @crystal-rebellion‘s Colony Theory. Albeit, the white mechs were built by Honerva, but Lotor was attempting to keep the colony safe in the only way he knew how. The Alteans who died did so willingly; to preserve the lives of all the others.

There’s a repeated narrative that the only person who encourages Allura to take action, to strive and push forward, is Lotor. Sometimes others accept it, but they never encourage her. Everyone else seems to consider her too fragile, or not capable of making her own decisions. They want to protect her and coddle her, don’t believe she should be taking any risks. They are supportive emotionally, but want to limit her physically. They care about her, but don’t truly trust her judgement or want her to be making her own choices.

With Lotor though, it’s different. He truly sees her as an equal, respects her judgement in her areas of expertise. This plot line revolving around the entity is a prime example. Lotor provides Allura with the information, that she has everything she needs to take down Honerva right in front of her; she just needs to utilize it. But from the moment Allura wakes the people closest to her doubt her decisions and choices.

And yes, those choices lead to painful consequences, but in the end they are proven to be the right ones, to have been necessary. Allura took a calculated risk, and it pays off - if she hadn’t they’d have never caught Honerva in time to stop her from destroying everything. They wouldn’t even have discovered her plan in the first place.

If Allura hadn’t made the choice to listen to and trust Lotor, by her own judgement, reality itself would have ceased to exist.

Both Coran and Alfor are given specific scenes this season where they judge and approve of Lance in his pursuit of Allura. But key, neither of them ever ask - or even mention - Allura’s feelings on the matter. The s8 we got, rather disgustingly, portrays this as the right thing. I believe the original s8 was meant to subvert this. Because Lance is everyone else’s choice for Allura, but when Allura was allowed to make her own choice? She chose Lotor.

Allura once again ends s8e10 ‘Knights of Light: Part 2′ unconscious. I firmly believe we are missing more moments  - if not an entire episode - with Lotor here, in s8e11 ‘Uncharted Regions’ - probably explaining somewhere along the way how exactly he is able to contact her in this manner.

Which, uh... as to my personal theory on how that is, well... what did Lotor and Allura do together that might have crafted a unique spiritual bond between them?

What did you two experience in the quintessence field Lotor?

But, those were happier times...

I also think this is the episode, this missing one, that that particular image properly belongs to. We now see it in the previous episode, as one of Honerva’s memories. But the reason we see it is that the paladins apparently see it too. The only problem is, they don’t react to it at all. They literally have a stronger reaction to finding out they can see Honerva’s memories in the first place. There’s no possible way that Allura saw the melted corpse of the man she loved and had no discernible reaction. We see her reactions to Lotor’s presence multiple times over the course of s7 and s8, and they’re always intensely emotional ones.

But speaking of that image, since we’re on the topic. That’s a very detailed image.

There’s details there you don’t immediately spot, because you’re too distracted by the horrific imagery of the corpse of a main character. A character who’s tragic, abusive childhood was the focus of almost an entire episode earlier in the season.

Details such as the motes of light floating up from his body.

Motes of light we’ve seen in exactly two instances before: from Zarkon and Honerva’s eyes immediately after they were restored back to life by the rift.

And from Zarkon’s body: vanishing after he died.

Yeah guys, I’m about to make that image much worse.

That’s not Lotor’s corpse, because he’s not dead.

He’s still in there, in that state, and he’s been in there for over three years.

Melded, physically and mentally, with Sincline by his time spent in the quintessence field.

What. The. Fuck.

As the season progresses it becomes much more difficult to tell what was supposed to be happening because of how badly it’s been chopped up, re-arranged, and edited.

But there is a very distinct difference between Sincline’s two appearances in action - that is, it’s only in the first one that it actually is in action.

The last time we see Sincline move of it’s own accord is e6 ‘Genesis’. From the moment he reappears Lotor is on the attack; he is stopped only two times, once of his own accord and once by Haggar’s mind control.

And that one time he stops himself? Is when he takes aim at Allura. She’s running across the ground, about to strike Honerva with her bayard, when he raises his right arm and takes aim. We see her in his sights, through his eyes. And the view zooms in on Allura’s face.

Lance sees what’s happening and dives in Red to stop him, but is blocked by one of the white mechs.

Yet. He lowers his arm and doesn’t take the shot.

Lotor never fires.

But immediately afterwards the white mech lingers too close and Sincline impales it with it’s tail. It’s not an aversion to killing that stayed his hand.

It’s that it was Allura.

This scene unambiguously shows that Lotor is both alive inside that mech and somewhat aware of himself. He’s become a robeast.

Yet after that episode the mech never moves again. It hangs lifeless in space during the battle at the pyramid; the white mechs having to do the fighting. The lights on it’s chest have gone out, only relighting when it is charged with quintessence from the Komar. For all intents and purposes, Sincline is empty.

Oh, and speaking of Sincline, up until s8e9 it’s only ever referred to as “Lotor’s mech,” but suddenly, in e11 ‘Uncharted Regions’ they’ve learned its name and Allura calls it “Lotor’s Sincline”.

I think that at some point between ‘Knights of Light’ and the second half of e11 ‘Uncharted Regions’ Lotor was to have been rescued. 'Uncharted Regions’ is one of the worst episodes this season for flow: it’s extremely choppy and hard to follow - flicking back and forth between scenes without anything really happening in them.

But the most telling thing?

‘Uncharted Regions’ begins with Honerva in her haloed mech searching Alternate realities for her ‘perfect’ one. We see several clips of her doing this, the mech floating in front of the pyramid, alone, with the spinning disk of its wings as a viewport.

Suddenly, almost exactly halfway through the episode, we get an image of Honerva kneeling inside the pyramid, in her Altean commander uniform, one uniformed Altean to either side. She says “The princess has awakened,” and then the scene changes.

When next we see Honerva she’s floating above the pyramid, the silent and immobile Sincline by her side.

The entire time this is happening there is combat going on around the pyramid, first with the coalition fighters and then with the Atlas itself. This sequence appears in episode as though it all happens successively in a very short period of time. But it doesn’t make sense like that. Why should Honerva stop what she’s doing, and exit her mech just to check if Allura is awake?

In this scenario why does Honerva even care if Allura is awake? By this point she’s apparently found her perfect reality and is prepared to move on to it? She doesn’t need Allura for anything, none of her plans require Allura. Why should she even bother to announce that Allura is awake, as though this is something she’s been waiting for?

This entire episode, including the fight scenes, has been chopped into little pieces and rearranged. Other scenes have had edits to their animation, or were re-done entirely. What we have in ‘Uncharted Regions’ is a frankenstein’s monster of an episode constructed of the tiny remnants of of at least two, possibly three, original episodes.

If you watch this episode carefully you’ll notice that there’s a clip out of order. The lights on Sincline’s chest are dark until it’s charged with the quintessence from the Alteans on the Atlas. But. The close up shot of Sincline the paladins see immediately upon exiting the wormhole in front of the pyramid has the lights lit up. This clip clearly is part of the sequence we see later in the episode just before the mechs combine. So when the crew on the bridge of the Atlas is shown reacting in horror, whatever they’re actually reacting to has been cut out.

These original missing episodes would have contained what I’m fairly certain was our big Alchemist vs Alchemist reprisal fight between Honerva and Allura; something we’ve been waiting for since season 2′s finale.

Why was such an anticipated fight removed?

I think it’s because the fight was over Lotor, and ultimately Allura would have rescued him.

Every time Allura uses the powers she obtained in Oriande it’s mentioned where she got them, and often that she has them because of Lotor.

She’s shown again and again restoring life and health.

What happened, what we’re missing, is her using the abilities she has thanks to Lotor, to save him.

Allura is supposed to storm that pyramid, infiltrate it, and rescue Lotor from the evil witch holding him captive. She’s supposed to find him in that horrible state we saw him in, and she’s going to heal him. She’s going to fight for him, to protect him, when no one else in his life ever has.

There’s also a clear switch. When Sincline is active and alight Honerva several times refers to it as ‘my son’ but afterwards, she stops and uses Sincline as a tool for her to reach an Alternate Reality and obtain a ‘new’ version of Lotor. With the exception of one shot, where, since we can’t actually see her speaking it seems that the audio and animation are sourced from different original scenes, Honerva ceases treating Sincline as Lotor after the lights go out.

The line that causes Honerva to snap s8e12 ‘The Zenith’ is when the little alt Lotor says “My mother is dead”. It’s framed like a deliberate callback, like it should be echoing something. But it’s a line we’ve never heard. I’d hazard that this final rejection, this line was spoken by *our* Lotor as Allura is rescuing him.

Lotor was not dead in there, he was alive, and he was saved.

There is a really good theory going around, my friend @tsunemori told me about it. I don't know who first came up with it, but I fully support it, because I noticed the scene in question was really off too.

But the theory is that that hospital bed scene? Was originally Lotor in the bed after they rescued him, and Allura was in Lance's place. Which makes total sense, because after that scene, when Lance takes Allura to the bridge? His height is all wrong, and he is hanging onto her for support instead of the other way around: it should be Lotor there.

Do I have any concrete proof of this one? No. But there is something off about that scene. It just doesn’t feel right.

So yeah, if I ask myself, “Is this a scene that might have been re-animated, the characters traced over and re-drawn as different ones?” I can absolutely see that. When looking for places where actual edits to the animation have been made you have to factor in several things: the complexity of the animation - how many characters, how many settings, how much movement, who is the focus/moving/talking.

This is both a pivotal scene, and an incredibly easy one to alter, comparatively. Two characters, one laying still in a bed and only getting a single one-syllable line - the other character’s name, which might have been taken from anywhere. Lance has a long string of dialogue, but he’s sitting beside the bed the entire time, and he moves very little.

I strongly believe this scene was either altered significantly or created whole-cloth for this edited version of s8.

Things that are much harder to alter, because they’d be much more expensive, are the fight scenes. It’s where I started looking once I suspected what had happened with season 8, and it’s where I started finding things.

S8e12 ‘The Zenith’ is one of the best episodes in terms of flow, and I believe that’s because it suffers some of the least editing.

We are however missing at least two scenes: a farewell between Allura and Coran - presumably as Allura boards the Blue Lion - and an explanation as to how Voltron followed Honerva into her destination reality after the rift closed on them. I believe both of these scenes were edited out because Lotor was key in them; several scenes in the following episode s8e13 ‘The End is the Beginning’ lead me to believe that he spent the final battle in the Blue Lion with Allura.

Two scenes during the fight stand out to me: the first, a split screen where Keith is mysteriously given a double width section as compared to the others. It’s especially noticeable, because he’s not even centrally placed and he’s scaled to a different size than his fellow paladins. In the entirety of the series we have never before seen a split screen cut among an even number of characters where one of them is given odd prominence like this. The screen is arranged so the characters appear in a color gradient, Keith is red-black and immediately to his left is Allura who is blue. If there was a missing section here, the color space would correspond to indigo/purple - and those are Lotor’s colors.

The second is a moment when Allura is speaking facing forwards and very clearly looks to the side and makes eye contact with someone. Now, VLD does have moments when the paladins will react in their own lions as though they can see each other, but this isn’t like that. It’s the way her eyes move, and look, she’s talking to someone who’s point of view we’re seeing her from. And that person is Lotor.

There’s also a peculiar moment in this episode where the same split screen is used twice; another thing which has never before happened in the series. It appears first about a quarter of the way through the episode as the paladins enter the stage for the final showdown and then again as they push Honerva into the glowing whiteness at its center. I believe that the second one of these is its proper place, and that the one that originally went in the first instance had Lotor included in it.

Finally, and this is going to take several images, so be warned. When the paladins appear before Honerva in the heart of it all, fading into view, they’re spaced very strangely.

There’s six of them, so you’d expect they’d be spaced something like this:

But they’re actually spaced like this:

(yes, I know Honerva would be blocking someone there. She moves. I just picked this cap so you could see all the shadows; there’s no point showing you the empty space)

It rather looks like there’s someone missing.

The last half of the final episode is so heavily manipulated that it’s difficult to say what actually happened. But we have two very strong clues from which we can reconstruct it.

Remember the leaks?

Now that we know the leaks were real, it begs the question, why was this scene one of them. Unlike the others, which were all from the epilogue, this scene is from roughly halfway through the episode.

Well, I believe we have the answer now: whoever leaked them chose those because they were the scenes they had on hand. These were the scenes that were not originally part of VLD s8, and were added only in the last minute edit.

This one in particular is another where I think it’s taken an actual scene and traced over it to make it into something else. Lance is far too tall here, and doesn’t look like himself hardly at all.

It’s also very clear from the framing of the shot where Allura is going down the line of paladins and hugging them that Lance should be getting a send off in sequence to the others, not apart like this.

No, I think Lance was animated over Lotor here, and the audio was spliced in parts from Lance’s actual goodbye scene and Allura’s “I will always love you” comes from somewhere else. That portion of the line is said in a distinctly different tone of voice than Lance’s name beforehand. There’s different emotions to it than the rest of their conversation, and I’d guarantee we’re hearing it out of it’s original context.

I don’t know what else changes in the ending, but I’m very certain that it was not supposed to be read as Allura dying.

The reason we now read it that way is that Allura and Honerva are seen greeting the spirits of people we know that are dead. I’m fairly certain this scene is either new, or it was only Honerva going to meet them, and of course, that Lotor wasn’t among them.

And I think it was Allura and Lotor who stayed behind to do the work of restoring all realities. My proof of this is one of the very best and strongest among my evidence: the very last closing shot of Voltron: Legendary Defender, after the credits.

The lions of Voltron take off to rejoin their new Cosmic Entities; Allura and Lotor. Whoever was responsible for editing Lotor out of this picture only actually slightly blurred him.

Thanks to @articianne for the outline!

If you play around with the image contrast and brightness it’s even more obvious that the both of them are there, back to back.

It only looks like Allura dies because the spirits but without them there? It looks like they ascended to a higher plane of existence or something.

They haven’t died at all. They’ve become, of all things, like Bob, the gameshow host from s7e4 ‘The Feud’. An ‘all-powerful, all-knowing interdimensional being’.

And y’know? Bob was perfectly able to interact with the paladins no problem.

I don’t understand why these changes were made. To me? This looks like a perfectly happy ending.

What else was cut I don’t know. But I found all this evidence by looking for the things that weren’t there, that a competently structured plot would lead me to expect would be. Chasing ghosts, as it were.

A short list of additional things I strongly suspect were cut?

Several scenes between Keith and Shiro.

A pivotal scene between Allura and Coran.

A follow up event with Pidge referencing her sacrificing her videogame to get Allura a dress.

A scene between Lance and Pidge, possibly referencing said videogame.

A resolution to Lance and Pidge competing to get Allura the best present.

A conclusion to Axca’s sub plot.

A Hunk and Shay scene, to explain how and why the Balmeras all show up in s8e12 ‘The Zenith’.

An additional scene with the blade for the same reasons.

Actually, y’know what? I’m not just going to leave this, because I have a strong suspicion what one of the other cut subplots was about.

You see, the other half of ‘Clear Day’ isn’t entirely filler - it’s specifically a callback to the season 2 episode ‘Space Mall’, and it’s not the only one in this season. The little shopping trip from s8e1 ‘Launch Date’ is also one. Specifically they’re part of a plot for Pidge about her feelings for Lance.

In ‘Space Mall’ Pidge and Lance spend their time scrounging up change to buy a videogame console. The game that they purchase is part of a series that Pidge later trades the only copy of the latest version of to get Allura a dress. During ‘Clear Day’ Pidge and Lance both spend their time trying to get the best present for Allura (hint hint, Pidge is the one who actually got the ‘”something sparkly”).

Now, as I’ve already covered, there’s missing content between ‘Clear Day’ and the next episode. Part of that content should have been what the other paladins were doing while Allura was unconscious. And in series, we never actually see Allura receive either of those presents that were bought for her. So where did they go?

I think Pidge and Lance spent the time waiting for Allura to wake up together, and they got to talking about how Lance has once again failed to acquire the sparkly thing Allura would like. Perhaps Pidge trades her mining helmet for Lance’s signed Blue Lion, and then it comes up how both times Lance went to get a present for Allura he ended up getting one for Pidge.

And that first time was the video game wasn’t it? A perfect place for Lance to find out what happened with the video game in s8e1.

So why did Pidge trade that game? To make Allura happy, yes, but also to make Lance happy. Because Lance likes Allura and Pidge wants them to have a good time, because Pidge likes Lance. Like, check e1 when Allura tells her she's going on a date with Lance, Pidge's reaction... isn't really a happy one.

I think this should have been the turning point for Lance, where he learns the difference between infatuation and sincere affection. I think very soon after this his relationship with Allura would end, and he would naturally progress into a different sort of relationship with Pidge.

As much as I love s8e7 ‘Day Forty-Seven’ I don’t think it was originally part of season 8. I also get the feeling that s7e2 ‘Shadows’ may be composed of scenes we were supposed to have gotten throughout the later half of season seven - though I expect that this change was made in a much earlier spate of edits, likely when s7 was re-done. It’s been confirmed that this happened, and that s7e4 ‘The Feud’ was made to ease the pressure on the exhausted animators who’d been working overtime to get the other episodes done in time. It’s never been confirmed what exactly was changed about season 7 or why, but I highly suspect it was to include more content with the MFE fighters, who the higher ups at Dreamworks might have been hoping to spin off into a sequel.

I suspect that the episodes were shifted forwards, because the first half of the season has no 'event' episode. s8e6 ‘Genesis’ should have been that, and what we're missing is the mid-season event. Which was where they would have saved Lotor. They excised an entire climactic fight between Allura and Honerva, reprising their battle from season 2. The alchemist vs alchemist fight that was repeatedly alluded to being inevitable, yet we never got.

It was animated and voiced to be Lotura and Lotor's vindication.

But someone wanted that changed.

We know when and why ‘The Feud’ was created, and because we were teased in several interviews to pay attention to it so that we might spot some foreshadowing, we can definitively say that the mucking around that was done to season 8 happened at a much later date.

In fact, the animation portion was likely completed all the way back in June. These are two bumper images that were used to advertise Season 6, which released on June 15th.

We haven’t yet seen this image of Lotor appear in the show (for what it matters, the full color one is the correct way around; Lotor’s hair always curls up over his right shoulder, the left can go either way), we have scoured every frame of him to find it, but it’s just not there (yes I know it looks like it should be from s5e4 ‘Kral Zera’, but trust me it’s not). Every other image that’s ever been used in these promotional bumpers has been from somewhere in the show, but this one is so far absent. Therefore it’s from a piece of animation yet to appear, and one which was made by the time these images showed up in June.

Now that we know what the truth is, I am sure we will get the full story eventually. It's only a matter of time before it filters out.

But right now is the key time if we want to convince Dreamworks to release the original season 8. Tweet at them, email them, snail mail if you have the time! Sign that petition!

The fandom response now will determine if we find out what really happened sooner rather than later - and later could mean years.

We are the only people who can make this happen. The cast and crew are all bound by NDAs, and publicly reacting negatively towards a show you worked on is practically career suicide.

It has historically been fans who’ve made a difference when companies interfere with their favorite shows. Fans have been able to effect change in the past, and they will again in the future; lets make sure this is one of those times. We need to fight to get the VLD we should have gotten in the first place.

Just remember to apply your energies in the right places. JDS and LM aren’t perfect people (no one is!), but this isn’t their doing. This is someone above them responsible for the mess that was s8. Dreamworks Animation is the culprit. There is a very real chance that the original season 8 is completely finished and able to be released, and we just might get it if we’re persistent enough. 

Be polite, be reasonable, but be firm. Take this proof and use it. Show them that we know they changed things and that they can give us the original if they so choose.

The messages they inadvertently pushed with this slap-dash edit are vile and toxic, and people far more knowledgeable than I in those areas are speaking out about them. This needs to be fixed.

They need to say something. They need to tell us why they changed it. They need to give us the original Season 8.

Click here for Part 2: Seek Truth in Darkness

I, and any of you who enjoyed this meta, owe @nomadicism a huge thank you. She reminded me of that strange "Follow me!" scene, which prompted me to crack open 'Clear Day' for another watch... and I realized that Allura's dreams weren't nonsensical at all.

As always, thank you to my many friends in the Lotura Discord. You give me the strength and encouragement to keep going. I couldn’t have done this without you.

[wicoppi]

any predictions about s8? 👀

Ohoho! I’ve got loads! I actually set up a tag for s8 hype talk if you want to read my more in-depth predictions as they come to me. I’m gonna use this ask to talk about some of the stuff I probably won’t meta about, not that I wouldn’t love to talk about any of this if you see something that peaks your interest, but most of this list is hunches or straight-up hopes and wishes. Buckle up, it’s tinhat time! 

Honerva Redemption Arc- yes, I’m still holding out hope for this. Ask anyone I talk to regularly- I’m very intrigued by Honerva and want to see some amazing stuff from her. If she does have a redemption arc, I don’t think it will be anything near traditional and likeliest would be upon death. But given we’ve seen her grow from unashamedly brutal to questioning herself and her loyalties to prioritizing her desires and pursuing life-long goals, I believe there’s room for her to be morally complicated. 

Lotor Returns- I don’t know how because there are so many options, but my primary reason for believing he will be back is because there was no finality in his last s6 scene. I’ve got another ask I’m working on right now that will talk more about this. 

Allura and Altea- Allura has been holding onto her memories of Altea and in a way living in the past. But now with a chance to rebuild her culture with her people, Allura has the opportunity to move forward and forge new memories and traditions. Altea is not a place, Altea is a people. 

The White Lion- This is one of my biggest crack theories, but I think Honerva might have stolen the White Lion from Oriande. Even if it’s not true, we’re definitely going to see more to do with magic / alchemy in s8. 

Multi-mecha fight(s)- this one is straight up hopes and wishes. I would love to see a 3-way fight between Voltron, Sincline, and Komarcha (lmfao the mystery Altean Komar mecha needed a name). Plus we’ve got Atlas (and I hope an army of Komarchas) to consider as well. 

MFE-Ares Upgrade- They’re battery life was a plot point multiple times in s7. If those ships are going to be prominent fighters they’re going to need to resolve the need to return to the Atlas mid-battle. 

Others- 

IGF-Altas, in space!

Blazing Sword

Time is weird again

Teleduv Battles

More info on the rebels 

We learn Matt’s girlfriend’s and/or Keith’s dad’s name 

The Blade of Marmora are invaluable 

Moms of Voltron™ - -please just imagine anyone trying to argue anything against Colleen and Krolia

The Wolf names himself

Acxa is anything but Keith’s sister or love interest 

Return of Ranveig’s Quintessence Monster 

Zethrid and Ezor are not dead 

[rebelbrat]

┏┓ ┃┃╱╲ In this ┃╱╱╲╲ house ╱╱╭╮╲╲ we hate ▔▏┗┛▕▔ & disrespect ╱▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔╲ 🔥FUCKING ELVES, MAN🔥 ╱╱┏┳┓╭╮┏┳┓ ╲╲ ▔▏┗┻┛┃┃┗┻┛▕▔

TL;DR: This is a universe where the normal canon positions are almost completely reversed. Zarkon, Honerva and Lotor are the lead family of the Blade of Marmora. Kolivan is the Galra Emperor, and the equivalents of the Voltron Paladins are Galra and working for the Empire (save for Pidge, who grew up as Tobias’ childhood friend on Earth). Voltron was actually a tool of the Galra Empire, and Sincline was actually the mech that saved the universe. More details inside!

[themattress]

Battle of the Seasons

Voltron: Legendary Defender: Seasons 1-2 vs. Seasons 3-6 vs. Seasons 7-8

This show was a mess in terms of creative management. Seasons 1-2 were created as the first season, Seasons 3-6 as the second, and Seasons 7-8 as the third. Not only did Netflix do some weird shit with the numbering when they decided to distribute them, but the core staff in charge of the show kept on shedding members as it went on. Seasons 1-2 were run by producers Joaquim Dos Santos, Lauren Montgomery, Benjamin Kaltenecker, Ki Hyun Ryu, Chris Neuhahn, Jae-Myung Yoo, the Koplar brothers (Robert and Ted), and Randy Dormans, while the head writer was Tim Hedrick, with the secondary head writer being Joshua Hamilton and the tertiary head writer May Chan.  But in Seasons 3-6, the bottom half of those producers left, and May Chan was replaced by Mitch Iverson. Finally and perhaps worst of all, in Seasons 7-8, Tim Hedrick departed and his whole road map thrown away.

So, how did the seasons, as created, turn out? For simplicity’s purpose, I will now refer to Seasons 1-2 as Act 1, Seasons 3-6 as Act 2, and Seasons 7-8 as Act 3 going forward.

Act 1: Six young men from Earth (it seems; one of them is a girl in disguise) are transported to a distant world in space by a mysterious lion mech. There they meet Princess Allura of Altea and her assistant Coran, and learn that they are meant to be the Paladins of Voltron, pilots of the six lion mechs who can combine into the powerful Voltron, defender of the universe. Their mission is to liberate planets from the oppressive Galra Empire and defeat the evil Emperor Zarkon, all while undergoing character development and bonding as a family.

Act 2: Both sides of the conflict are struggling after the loss of Shiro and Zarkon respectively. Keith inherits Shiro’s lion, Lance gets Keith’s lion, and Allura gets Lance’s lion, all while Zarkon’s son Prince Lotor takes the Galran throne and begins working toward a diabolical scheme to harness the power of Voltron for himself. And when Shiro and Zarkon reappear, then things really get complicated, and the roller coaster ride of events begins in earnest.

Act 3: After being caught in a time warp and launched a few years into the future, the Paladins head back to Earth in order to reconstruct the Castle of Lions. Once they arrive and liberate it from Galran control, they and their new allies are faced with one final challenge: Honerva and her new breed of Robeasts that are working toward a terrifying objective.

I think that Act 1 is very strong, and it’s no wonder that it launched the show to success so quickly and created such a passionate fandom around it. All of the main heroes are likable and they all get their due in terms of character arcs, the villains are threatening, the worlds and creatures are imaginative, and the animation and music top-notch. Many of the episodes can seem stand-alone and even frivolous when taken on their own, but they all add up to a greater whole and ultimately conclude in an absolute blast of a finale. A majority of fans seem to share the consensus that Act 1 was the show at its best; that it never got better than this.

I........disagree.

Act 2, in my humble opinion, is where the show peaked in quality.  See, once half of the producers left, the other ones left seemed to want something else from the show than how it was before. However, Tim Hedrick was still the head writer and was still intent on following the road map he had created for the series when he first came on board. On top of that, executives higher up than the producers also wanted certain things to happen. Therefore, a compromise was made, and the result is the most interesting the show has ever been. 

Keith starts out as the new leader to replace Shiro but he does a lousy job at it, and when Shiro returns Keith steps down and outright leaves the Paladins to go on his own journey with the Blade of Marmora, and through this journey his character develops into the leader that he couldn’t while actually out in the field with the Paladins. Shiro begins suffering from several incidents that hint that something dark is going on with him, leading to the revelation that he’s actually a clone of the real Shiro, which leads to a dramatic, superbly-animated confrontation between him and Keith. Allura begins tapping into her innate powers and potential as a ruler and a hero, Lance begins to accept that maybe he just isn’t the guy Allura is looking for, Pidge reunites with her family, Hunk starts bringing people together through his sheer goodness, the Paladins get a whole coalition of allies to work with, Zarkon dies, Hagarr rediscovers her true identity as Honerva, and we get the best, most interesting villain in the entire series with Prince Lotor, a brilliant manipulator who deceives characters and viewers!

And Act 1′s already amazing finale gets blown out of the water by Act 2′s, with the dimension-jumping battle between Voltron and the Sincline Beast being something truly legendary.

But then we get Act 3, and....yeah. The funny thing is that I actually think that many of the episodes are still good...when taken on their own merits. But unlike Acts 1 and 2, they do not add together into an effective larger whole. The larger whole of Act 3 is an absolute dumpster fire, and the reason is because Tim Hedrick had departed and, by their own admission, Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery threw out his road map for Act 3 and remade it from the ground up to match what they wanted out of it...which wasn’t what many fans wanted because it doesn’t match up with what came before. The trajectory of most of the characters is a mess, with even the ones with potential being flubbed in execution (both Allura and Honerva come to mind), and HUGE wastes of obvious opportunities (you could’ve had Lotor back and torn between being a Quintessance-possesed monster man ala his father and being his old self who wants to help Allura and subvert his mother’s plans, but no, he’s just a corpse and an ambiguous one-episode ghost respectively?)  Hunk of all characters was the only one who came out looking more impressive than he did before rather than less.

And of course we have the ending, which is far from the worst ending I’ve ever seen, but also far from the best and is outright laughable compared to Act 1 and Act 2′s conclusions. The final battle against Honerva was weak and rushed, Allura’s sacrificial death came out of nowhere, and much of the “where are they now?” epilogue fell flat, especially the final shot they decided on which felt laughably desperate and pandering (who even was that guy!?)

So, when all is taken into consideration, it’s Act 2 (Seasons 3-6) that is the best, followed by Act 1 (Seasons 1-2) by an admirable margin, and then by Act 3 (Seasons 7-8) by a wide mile.