#voltron season four

[slayedthedaybae]

I am not gonna lie to you people, i fear season 4 of the umbrella academy is worse than season eight of voltron

[j-esbian]

ok here is my hot voltron take in 2024*

it’s all right. it’s not a masterpiece but that’s ok. it holds up and i still think it’s fun

i feel like it suffered from a lot of factors while it was coming out. the rushed production (76 episodes in just 2 years), fandom expectations exploding and exceeding what the show had ever planned to do, the creators running their mouths and people putting more faith in word of god than what made it into the actual show, etc.

it’s not the pinnacle of television. i think a lot of people had high hopes when it came out; i remember a lot of folks talking about how the people who made it had worked on the last airbender, so they were expecting a similar caliber. i think a better analogy would be that this is a mech anime for western audiences where mech animes aren’t really a thing. but it struggled to deliver on that

i do think the biggest thing it suffered from was the production schedule. i still don’t understand why it was divided up the way it was, into a bunch of small, unevenly distributed seasons. there’s a lot of things that could have been executed better, but didn’t get developed in the way they should have. and the final product (for a lot of the character stuff specifically) feels like a line of tropes strung together rather than a coherent narrative, and the plot had very little thought put into it long-term (there’s almost entire seasons that give no screen time to haggar/honerva and like. maybe we could have spent a bit more time showing her pulling the strings and manipulating zarkon/sendak/etc. rather than Only focusing on them, in the seasons where they’re the villains). this is generally something i associate with things that lasted past their expiration date (like supernatural lol). i would have to look more closely into the development of the later seasons, because it really gives the impression they just had to run with their first thoughts and didn’t have time to flesh things out properly, especially in contrast to the seasons with lotor because they were almost cooking with that

for example, they almost sold me that allura had developed feelings for lance, but then in order to make it clear, they started making her all blushy and awkward around him because That’s A Trope People Understand That Means A Girl Likes A Boy, when that was really never who she was. they reached for it as shorthand to signal to the audience but didn’t really think too deeply about Who they were applying it to. the whole thing with shiro’s partner (and ambiguous autoimmune disease that exists only for one scene) would have been nothing if the creators hadn’t hyped it up so much beforehand, and if a little more time had been given and a little more care had gone into the scenes where that mattered, and if there had been literally any indication of it in the previous 6 seasons. they could have thought about how audiences would interpret pidge’s gender fuckery and done something to address that to avoid accusations of queerbaiting. it just added drama to season 1, they made a bathroom joke in season 2, and then forgot it was ever a plot point. whenever keith is on screen he’s the main character. he has the most developed arc out of any of the paladins (finding his family, becoming a leader, learning to not be such a loner) but again, whole swathes of episodes go by without him. and in his absence no one else really takes the spotlight. it just focuses on plot. hunk doesn’t really get anything to do until season 7, and it’s a very good scene where he’s jealous of lance and pidge for having their families back but it also feels like the first time he’s taken seriously in 60+ episodes. et cetera.

*big caveat that i just finished season 7, and season 8 was where i lost interest and never finished. i know The Big Thing that happened in season 8 and i can see where they were coming from. i’m sure they were thinking about doing a Big Damn Sacrifice and making some statement about the loss of the Old World to give birth to the New. i just don’t think they were mindful of 1) who they were sacrificing or 2) the fact that they were telling this story in the real world, where there’s countless other stories about black women being denied happiness in order to further someone else’s story. i don’t think this show Uniquely Hates Women because it has the same level of sexism that’s present pretty much across the board in modern sci-fi. they didn’t need to shoehorn in the romance but they clearly tried to be more mindful than the original (instead of Zero female paladins, there were two for most of the show.) they definitely had huge blind spots and i’m not excusing that but i do think that doesn’t cancel out everything else. it seems to be due to obliviousness rather than active malice. but again, i have yet to watch the final episodes

[bee-can-art]

Just finished rewatching seasons 1 + 2 of Voltron (bc why the hell not), and I just KNOW that the red lion was sick of having to save Keith’s danger prone ass after he keeps gets himself flung into space for the umpteenth time

[slav-every-day]

[raddestrose]

SUPERNATURAL IS WHAT WITH NETFLIX

LIKE SERIOUSLY

I NEED TO KNOW IF ITS TRUE

[toasterghostie]

Back to back episodes that are gonna hurt me, I've got left over Chinese food and I'm ready for a good cry over the lost potential.

Let's do this

[minamorsart]

Enter Merla: Queen of Darkness!!! 🖤✨

I was pretty disappointed when VLD didn't explore the culture and politics of the Galra Empire more, especially after Lotor took the throne, and I was also quite disappointed with Merla's cameo. So I decided to take a crack at her design myself! Some backstory below!!

I made her Acxa's twin sister because while I don't believe it was confirmed, I always thought that 80's Merla's character must have been divided into the four women who became Lotor's generals in VLD, so why not make Merla and Acxa related? Plus in every piece of fiction you need to have at least one set of twins ;) That's just da rules babeyy~

Acxa and Merla are from Planet Drule (a loyal territory of the Galra Empire) and are half-Galra and half-Drule. They are not of royal descent, and since they were children they were looked down on because they are half-breeds. As the oldest, Acxa takes on the responsibility of looking after Merla, who over the years begins to grow restless with the two of them settling for low-ranking positions in the army and living a less than satisfying life.

One day exiled Prince Lotor comes to oversee the planet just as Merla is planning a coup to overthrow the corrupt Drule king. The coup fails, and wanting to protect her sister, Acxa takes the blame even though she had nothing to do with it. When she is sentenced to death, Lotor, seeing the potential and skill Acxa possesses, offers to pardon her in exchange for her loyalty to him, thus saving her life (it is my personal headcanon that Acxa is the first of the generals to be recruited). She accepts and tries to convince Merla to come with her, but Merla refuses and insists on staying, saying that she wants to change things on Drule, and that by leaving Acxa is abandoning her. The two part ways on bad terms, and do not see each other for many years.

Merla eventually succeeds in taking the throne, her followers assassinate the king, and she becomes queen of Drule. She and Acxa have the occasional run-in, which is how Lotor and the other generals get to know her more. There is still lingering resentment between the two sisters, however, particularly on Merla's part. The events of VLD proceed as normal up until the end of season 5, and I personally would like to take out Lotor killing Narti and the generals turning against him. Now emperor, Lotor works tirelessly to unite his people and deal with the growing Galra factions which plot to rise up against him.

News of Lotor's ascent to the throne spreads throughout the universe, and soon Queen Merla is paying a visit to the Empire and demanding an audience with him. She knows all about the Galra factions, including Sendak's Fire of Purification, and proposes that she and Lotor marry in order to combine the forces of both the Galra Empire and Planet Drule. If Lotor accepts, the two nations will become stronger than ever and no one will dare stand against them. If he refuses, Merla will merely seek support from the factions, perhaps even form an alliance with Sendak, who will eventually try to take the Galra throne himself.

What can this mean for not only the Galra Empire, but for Voltron and the Coalition as well?? What can this mean for Lotor and Allura's developing relationship??? For those who haven't seen the 80's show, Queen Merla debuts in the US-made 2nd season. She and Lotor are actually engaged for a time! Merla is cold, cunning, and calculating like Lotor, and perhaps even a little more manipulative. She enjoys being entertained and can on occasion be condescending.

And this is not meant to create any unnecessary love triangle between Merla, Lotor, and Allura. While Merla has people in her life she cares for and she respects Lotor, her first priority is maintaining her seat on the throne and looking after her people, so she really only sees Lotor as a means to gain more power. Lotor recognizes this, because he mostly shares the same mindset as her and can see the benefits of marrying her, regardless of his own feelings. And how does Allura feel about this whole matter?? 👀 Only time will tell, though it is also likely that the princess may be too proud to ever reveal how she truly feels. At the end of the day, I just think it would be fascinating to explore more of the politics of the VLD universe and the complications that come with ruling an entire empire whilst trying to keep alliances and territories intact. Plus it would make for some fun drama! Particularly in the romance category hehe.

[catsushinyakajima]

I’m sitting by a trash can at the bus stop waiting for the bus for the past TWENTY minutes and I am also late to class (my own fault for going to the gym instead of heading to class early :/) SO ANYWAYS-

Voltron headcanons (realistic and college AU, also inspired by my own college misery):

- they’re all stem nerds. All of them. I know a lot of people HC them as liberal arts major which is great! but they are canonically astronauts (one part of canon that I like)

- Lance would be the kind of guy to be like “WE GOTTA HIT THE GYM EVERYDAY THIS SEMESTER RAHHHH” and then dip the second midterms start. Every single semester. Without fail.

- Keith found lectures useless since he could just “read the textbook”. He never showed up to a single class except for exams and somehow passed. He only stopped the habit when multiple friends scolded him for it.

- Coran would be in twenty different clubs. Correction: he would be PRESIDENT of twenty different clubs. No one knows when he joined them. The clubs range from archery to competitive coding to mental health awareness. (“Hey Coran are u free tonight?” “No sorry, the Roleplaying Ancient Romans club is having a bake sale tonight” “the what-)

- hunk would do a LOT of volunteering. He’s probably cook for shelters but I can also see him tutoring underprivileged kids in engineering :)

- Pidge would have a surprising amount of school spirit. Not bc she likes the college or the sport. She just wants to hate on the other teams. Also if her tuition is going to the football coach’s salary, she might as well be passionate about it.

- Allura is a triple major. Maybe even a quadruple major?? She’s the girl you see constantly stressing about their schedule. “Okay so should I take this class…that makes me have eight classes total all back to back” “WHAT” “what if I did a minor in psychology?” “Allura how tf are you going to fit that in there”

- Shiro is a TA (teaching assistant) for calculus or physics or something. Because the world hates him it’s an eight am class where the professor teaches wrong content and then dumps twenty hours of grading on him. “So you find the derivative under the curve” “Professor that’s not-“ You will never see him without a coffee.

- Hunk has beef with the Dining halls. They don’t season their food and they don’t even have much to begin with. On the other hand, Lance practically lives there. He’s making the most of the meal plans he paid for.

- At least he sticks to tastier things. Keith, who also practically lives at the dining hall, will eat salt and pepper chicken four times a day (“it’s protein”)

- it’s how Keith and Lance have had most of their meals together. Notably, also alone.

- aside from living at the dining hall, Keith also lives at the gym. This explains why he’s never at class.

- pidge has a car on campus. It’s Matt’s car or whatever. Not only can she not park for her life, she also can’t stop getting parking tickets. She uses the tickets as wall decor for her dorm.

- Lance skateboards. He’s pretty good at it. He’s only fallen twice, and both times had been in extremely public settings. Once was in front of a bus stop with fifty people. He tried teaching Coran how to skate and Coran accidentally slipped and launched the board towards the main road.

- Pidge plays clash royale in class. Shiro roasts her for it but then secretly also plays word games in class

- on top of having four majors, Allura also has four internships??? Everytime she posts about something that seems relaxing, it’s misleading. She’ll post herself getting drinks and SIKE it’s a networking event. She’ll be going hiking SIKE it’s a colleague bonding trip. Girl cannot take a break.

- Keith hates frats. Even educational ones with job opportunities. Even if he knows all frat boys aren’t shitty, he refuses to budge on his stance

- Shiro is the kind of guy you’d be talking to and ten people come up to him to say hi. Everyone knows him. Even if he doesn’t know them.

[magugbigug]

My Analysis of Voltron: Legendary Defender and Its Legacy - in Particular Regards to Keith and Lotor.

My father introduced me to Voltron: Defender of the Universe when I was four years old, around 2010, because he grew up with it in the 80s. Voltron became my first real obsession. When I was about ten, DreamWorks announced that they would be partnering with Netflix to remake my favourite show. Naturally, I was excited. But when I finally watched Voltron: Legendary Defender (LD), I was confused.

At the time, I didn’t know about Beast King GoLion, so I was full of questions: Who’s Shiro? Where’s Sven? Why did they change Arus to Altea? Why isn’t Keith in the Black Lion? I cannot tell you how furious ten-year-old me was when I discovered they had given the Voltron Force the “wrong” Lions (Lance in Blue? Preposterous). After Season One, I actually quit watching because it felt so far removed from what I knew (they made Pidge a girl? How dare they!). It wasn’t until Season Eight had already been released for quite some time that I went back to give it another go. It was… alright.

I’m not new to Voltron, but I am new to fandom, and Tumblr—only recently realising that you can talk to people about your interests over the internet instead of just in the schoolyard (my friends got so bored of me talking about Voltron). So what I’m about to discuss may already be old news, but these are my thoughts on Legendary Defender and how it compares to Voltron’s legacy.

The Role of the Black Lion and Leadership

Whilst scouring the tags, I’ve seen a recurring debate within the Voltron fandom regarding whether Keith should have been in the Black Lion or gone back to Red. Some argue that he was unfit for the position, but this perspective overlooks the franchise’s long-standing tradition. Since Defender of the Universe in the 1980s, Keith has been the Black Lion’s pilot and the leader of the team. The Black Lion has always been the heart of Voltron, piloted by the one who holds the team together and leads them into battle.

To claim Keith isn’t fit for the Black Lion is to disregard not only his character arc but also the very structure of Voltron as a franchise. From the very beginning, Keith has been the pilot of the Black Lion, just as Optimus Prime has always been the bearer of the Matrix of Leadership in Transformers. The Black Lion choosing Keith in Legendary Defender is a natural continuation of a forty-year tradition, not a sudden or undeserved shift.

However, LD wrote itself into a corner by bringing Shiro back and sidelining Keith for almost two seasons. While this allowed for Krolia’s introduction and the addition of the space wolf, which I enjoyed, it disrupted Keith’s development as a leader. Instead of organically growing into his role, Keith’s transition to leadership felt abrupt and underdeveloped. Previous versions of Voltron, such as Defender of the Universe and Voltron Force, dedicated time to showcasing Keith’s leadership qualities, making his role as the Black Lion’s pilot feel more natural. By contrast, LD’s decision to remove him from the team for an extended period created an inconsistent leadership structure that ultimately weakened his arc.

The Absence of Voltron in Voltron

One of my biggest issues with Voltron: Legendary Defender is how little the titular ‘character’ actually appears in the show. There are entire story arcs where the audience goes multiple episodes without seeing Voltron at all. This is a stark contrast to the previous Voltron series, where the lion mechs formed Voltron at least once per episode, making the giant robot a central and consistent presence.

After reading Bob Koplar’s opinions on LD, I find myself agreeing with him. Even though I was quite young when Legendary Defender first came out, I had already seen all the previous Voltron series thanks to my father. Even then, something about LD felt off to me. It wasn’t until I read Koplar’s insights that I fully understood why—it simply didn’t feel like Voltron.

And to be clear, I’m not saying Legendary Defender is a bad show. It’s a well-produced series with high-quality animation, a solid voice cast, and some genuinely good storytelling. It also brought more awareness to a brand I love, introducing a new generation of fans to Voltron. But despite its strengths, it often felt disconnected from the essence of what made Voltron special.

In every previous iteration, forming Voltron wasn’t just a moment of spectacle—it was a core part of the show’s identity. The lions coming together, the transformation sequence, the blazing sword—these weren’t just iconic visuals; they were essential to the Voltron experience. In LD, however, Voltron often felt secondary to character-driven subplots and political intrigue, which, while interesting (most of the time), took focus away from the giant robot action that defined the franchise.

The Absence of Vehicle Voltron

Voltron: Legendary Defender was marketed as a love letter to everything that came before it—a grand tribute to the Voltron legacy. But in reality, it wasn’t.

Of course, Lion Force Voltron (adapted from Beast King GoLion) is the most well-known and beloved version of the franchise, so it makes sense that LD focused on it. But if the goal was truly to unite all Voltron ideas under one roof, then why was Vehicle Voltron (Armored Fleet Dairugger XV) completely ignored?

I understand that Vehicle Voltron is more obscure, but it was still an essential part of Voltron's history. The original plan for Voltron as a franchise was that there would be three Voltrons:

Defender of the Far Universe (Lion Force),

Defender of the Middle Universe (Vehicle Voltron),

Defender of the Near Universe (Gladiator Voltron, based on Lightspeed Electroid Albegas).

However, after Vehicle Voltron proved less popular, instead of introducing Gladiator Voltron as planned, World Events Productions doubled down on Lion Force Voltron with a second season and a TV movie, Fleet of Doom. That movie featured both Lion and Vehicle Voltron teaming up, and it remains one of the most awesome moments in Voltron's history.

If LD had truly been a love letter to Voltron, it would have acknowledged all of Voltron, not just Lion Force. It would have recognised the legacy of Vehicle Voltron and drawn from its rich history instead of awkwardly repurposing its best elements. Instead, the show attempted to reinvent Voltron while sidelining key parts of its past, losing much of what made Voltron special in the first place.

Lotor’s Redefinition: A Flawed but Ambitious Adaptation

Lotor’s characterisation in Legendary Defender marks a significant departure from his portrayal in Defender of the Universe. In DotU, Prince Lotor is a sadistic, irredeemable villain. He was a brutal conqueror, a mass murderer and a serial rapist. He saw Allura as a prize rather than a person. His cruelty extended even to his own subordinates, reinforcing his role as an unambiguous antagonist.

LD, however, attempted a more complex interpretation of Lotor, depicting him as a strategic manipulator with seemingly noble intentions. He positioned himself as a reformer of the Galra Empire, standing in opposition to Zarkon’s tyranny. This reimagining was ambitious, but the execution faltered. His eventual descent into villainy in Season 6 felt rushed, as though the writers were unsure whether to portray him as a tragic anti-hero or a monstrous antagonist.

This brings me to another major problem with Legendary Defender’s handling of Lotor. If the writers wanted to create a sympathetic, deserter, reluctant ally figure, then Lotor was the wrong character to use. In Defender of the Universe, Lotor is a sadistic, cruel warlord obsessed with conquest and domination, especially when it comes to Allura. He was never a misunderstood antihero—he was pure villainy.

A far better choice for this arc would have been Commander Hazar from Vehicle Voltron. Hazar was the noble commander of the Drule forces, who realised that his people’s war against the Galaxy Alliance was doomed and sought a peaceful resolution. He had a compelling redemption arc, going from enemy to ally as he struggled against the more ruthless elements of his own empire. But instead of introducing Hazar, LD simply took his story and gave it to Lotor—likely because Lotor was the more recognisable character.

This ultimately backfired. While a sympathetic or morally ambiguous take on Lotor could have been compelling, the series failed to develop him in a consistent manner. Instead of an outright sadistic monster, LD initially portrayed him as a cunning, strategic manipulator who appeared to have noble intentions—at least on the surface. He positioned himself as a reformer of the Galra Empire, criticising Zarkon’s rule and striving for a different vision of leadership. He surrounded himself with female generals whom he treated with apparent respect, further distinguishing him from his DotU counterpart. This version of Lotor was crafted to be more sympathetic, even charismatic, to the point that Allura herself developed feelings for him, a massive departure from the horror and revulsion she held toward him in DotU.

However, the execution of Legendary Defender’s Lotor was deeply flawed. The narrative spent seasons portraying him as a potential ally, only to suddenly reveal in Season 6 that he was not only unhinged but had been engaging in horrific experiments on Alteans. His villain turn felt rushed and unearned as if the writers couldn’t decide whether they wanted him to be a tragic anti-hero or an irredeemable monster. This abrupt shift wasn’t organic—it was the result of executive intervention. According to reports, when Bob Koplar (who oversees Voltron at World Events Productions) found out the writers were trying to make Lotor good, he stepped in and pushed them to course-correct, leading to Lotor’s sudden descent into madness and atrocities.

By trying to blend Lotor and Hazar into one character, LD weakened both. Lotor lost the defining villainy that made him iconic in past series, while Hazar’s compelling redemption story was distorted by being attached to a character with too much villainous baggage. LD wanted Lotor to be both the misunderstood antihero and the ultimate evil, but in trying to have it both ways, they ruined the integrity of his arc. The greatest casualty of Lotor’s inconsistent characterisation was Allura’s arc. Instead of developing their dynamic meaningfully, the show oscillated between presenting Lotor as sympathetic and suddenly making him irredeemably evil. In DotU, Allura despised Lotor and stood firmly against his advances, representing strength and defiance in the face of oppression. In LD, she was manipulated into trusting and even falling for him, which not only contradicted her instincts as a leader but also made her later grief and anger feel hollow due to how abruptly the story shifted Lotor back into full villainy.

The Missed Opportunity of Keith and Lotor’s Rivalry in Legendary Defender

One of the biggest missteps in Voltron: Legendary Defender, I felt, was its failure to develop Keith and Lotor’s rivalry into a meaningful, ongoing conflict. In past incarnations, particularly Defender of the Universe (DotU), Lotor viewed Keith as his greatest obstacle—not just as Voltron’s leader, but as the one standing between him and Allura. He recognised that Allura harboured feelings for Keith, which fueled his hatred and provided some of the most compelling personal conflicts in the series.

In Legendary Defender, however, Keith was largely absent for two seasons, leaving little room for an adversarial relationship with Lotor. Instead of building on their natural opposition, the show reduced their interactions to a handful of confrontations, missing an opportunity to add depth to the overarching narrative. Had Keith remained with the team instead of leaving for the Blade of Marmora, his dynamic with Lotor could have taken one of two fascinating paths—either leading to a devastating betrayal or reinforcing Keith’s instincts as the voice of reason.

Keith Trusts Lotor Completely (and is Devastated by His Betrayal)

Had Keith stayed, he might have bonded with Lotor over their shared half-Galra heritage. Throughout Legendary Defender, Keith struggles with his identity, and without the Blades to guide him, he could have been drawn to someone who truly understood what it meant to exist between two worlds. Lotor presents himself as refined, strategic, and pragmatic—qualities that might have resonated with Keith as he tried to grow into his role as a leader.

With Shiro compromised by Haggar’s manipulation and Allura torn by grief and duty, Lotor could have positioned himself as Keith’s closest confidant, someone who could help him make sense of his Galra side rather than viewing it as something to suppress. This trust, however, would have made Lotor’s eventual betrayal all the more soul-crushing. It wouldn’t just be the loss of an ally—it would be the loss of the first person who made Keith feel like he didn’t have to choose between his human and Galra lineage. Given Keith’s history of abandonment—his mother leaving, his father’s death, and Shiro’s repeated disappearances—Lotor’s deception could have broken him in a way few other betrayals could.

Instead of reacting with pure anger, Keith’s devastation could have manifested as bitter disillusionment. No longer willing to trust easily, he might have hardened himself further, becoming even more closed-off and reluctant to open up. This would have been a poignant subversion of past Voltron incarnations, where Keith and Lotor were always enemies. In DotU and Voltron Force, there was never any question of them being on the same side—Lotor was a power-hungry prince, and Keith was the noble leader standing in his way. Legendary Defender could have played with audience expectations by making Keith believe Lotor was different, only to have that belief shattered.

Keith Doesn’t Trust Lotor at All (and Becomes the Voice of Reason)

On the other hand, Keith’s blunt, no-nonsense attitude and strong instincts might have made him the first to see through Lotor’s deception. Keith is an intuitive fighter—he acts on gut feelings, and more often than not, those instincts are correct. He was the first to suspect something was wrong with Shiro, the first to push for finding the Blade of Marmora, and the first to embrace his Galra heritage when others hesitated. If Keith had remained with the Paladins, he might have immediately sensed that Lotor wasn’t as noble as he claimed.

This would have led to a compelling internal conflict within the team. Shiro (or rather, his clone) trusted Lotor. Allura, yearning for hope, wanted to believe in his sincerity. The rest of the Paladins were hesitant but willing to follow Shiro’s lead. If Keith stood alone in his distrust, it could have isolated him, forcing him into a position where he felt like an outsider even among his own team. This tension would have mirrored his past struggles with authority—just as he distrusted the Garrison and later the Blades, he would have once again found himself at odds with those around him, questioning an alliance everyone else was willing to accept.

This slow-burning antagonism between Keith and Lotor could have been an excellent way to preserve their classic rivalry. Instead of being immediate enemies, their conflict could have simmered beneath the surface—Lotor, ever the manipulator, attempting to win Keith over, while Keith steadfastly refused to be fooled. When Lotor’s true nature was finally revealed, the impact would have been far greater, as Keith would have been proven right—but at a cost. His relationship with his team could have suffered in the process, with the others only realising too late that he had been the only one who saw Lotor for who he truly was.

Both of these potential storylines would have strengthened Keith’s character arc—either by forcing him to confront betrayal on a deeply personal level or by cementing his role as an unshakable leader who sees through deception when no one else can. More importantly, they would have restored the weight of Keith and Lotor’s rivalry, making it more than just a handful of scattered battles.

Instead, Legendary Defender kept Keith and Lotor largely separate, missing an opportunity to explore their ideological clashes, personal similarities, and the devastating consequences of Lotor’s deception. By discarding their dynamic for two seasons, the show ultimately failed to capitalise on one of Voltron’s most compelling rivalries—a conflict that, in past versions, had always been at the heart of the story.

My Issue with LD’s Canon Romance

If there’s one franchise where the canon pairing didn’t work for me, it’s Voltron: Legendary Defender. Normally, I’m content with canon ships—I love Hiccstrid (How to Train Your Dragon), the Doctor and River Song (Doctor Who), Kataang (Avatar: The Last Airbender), and Anakin/Padmé (Star Wars). But in LD, the decision to end with Lance and Allura felt like a fundamental misunderstanding of Voltron as a whole.

For over thirty years, Voltron consistently paired Keith and Allura. Their romantic tension was a recurring element in Defender of the Universe (second season), The Third Dimension, Voltron Force, and even the Dynamite comics. Legendary Defender, however, sidelined their dynamic and abruptly pushed Lance and Allura together at the last minute without meaningful buildup. Their relationship lacked organic development, making it feel forced and unearned.

I, like many fans found the canon ending unsatisfying, but instead of Kallura, the most dominant ships in the fandom became Klance (Keith/Lance) and Sheith (Keith/Shiro), which honestly baffles me. Sheith, in particular, feels uncomfortable—not just because of the age difference, but because Keith explicitly refers to Shiro as his brother. Their dynamic is built on a strong mentor-protégé bond, which makes any romantic interpretation feel… wrong.

Klance is equally confusing to me. Keith and Lance spend most of the show at odds, their relationship defined by rivalry and bickering. I've seen arguments that Lance is bisexual and Keith is gay, but I could find no actual evidence in the show to support this. Lance openly flirts with multiple women (Allura, Nyma, Plaxum), but never once shows interest in men. Keith, on the other hand, isn’t depicted as romantically interested in anyone, male or female—though there are moments where he subtly notices Allura (noticed by people far smarter than myself). On my first watch, it seemed to me that the writers were setting up Keith and Acxa.

I will say that I don’t like these two ships, but it's fine if you do, I’m not judging. I’m just curious to hear from people who do ship these pairings. What is it about Klance or Sheith that resonates with you? Is there something in their dynamic that I might be missing? Maybe my perspective is limited or some gay subtext that my stupid hetero-focused brain can't process, so I’d love to understand why these ships became so popular.

Conclusion

Voltron: Legendary Defender set out to modernise and reimagine a beloved franchise, and while it succeeded in some areas, I felt it ultimately fell short in honouring Voltron’s full legacy. The series introduced fresh character dynamics, impressive animation, and ambitious storytelling, but its execution often felt inconsistent. Keith’s arc as the Black Lion’s pilot was hindered by narrative disruptions, Vehicle Voltron was ignored despite its historical significance, and Lotor’s character was muddled by conflicting portrayals. The rivalry between Keith and Lotor, a defining element of past iterations, was underdeveloped, missing a key opportunity for deeper storytelling.

Despite its flaws, LD reignited interest in Voltron for a new generation and expanded the franchise’s fanbase. It brought new perspectives to familiar characters and offered an engaging, if imperfect, reimagining of the classic series. However, by disregarding core elements of Voltron’s past, it failed to fully embrace the legacy it sought to celebrate.

Disclaimer

Everything stated in this post is purely my opinion. I’m sharing my personal thoughts and interpretations, and I understand that others may see things differently. Feel free to discuss this respectfully. Upon re-reading this, I realise it might sound a bit gatekeep-y. I'm not using this as an excuse to bash anyone else's opinions or claim my own as superior. I'm simply using it as a way to perhaps educate about what came before and understand what is now. Like what you like and don't what you don't, so long as it doesn't hurt anyone. If you’re interested in learning more about the previous Voltron series (mostly DotU), I highly recommend checking out @voltronfandomhag. They haven’t posted anything in a while, but they are an absolute treasure trove, and their insights were invaluable to me while writing this.

[atla-what-is-this-site]

News

Back a while ago, i was talking about a Voltron rewrite starting with season one and ending at season four.

As you may tell, I havent written this yet, despite promises that it'll be here soon. This is because i've been burnt out and i have had several school projects that took up a lot of my time and energy. After them, i had to just take a break for myself.

My creativity is returning, but I dont want to kill it off with the anxieties of a big project like this.

As well, another aspect of this project that killed my motivation was that the first two seasons remained widely untouched. It didn't really feel like a true rewrite because the changes were minimal at best.

So, this project will be a rewrite only of season three and four. I'm sorry if you were hoping for a full rewrite, I'm just not in the mental state for that right now.

As for the other project I announced on here, "Innocent" (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder au), it's being put on the back burner right now.

With all that being said, I hope you guys understand that I never meant to let you guys down, It's just that i vastly overestimated my own creative abilities.

I'm sorry that I couldn't follow through with my original plans. Maybe, after all this craziness, i could go back to write season one and two. For now, I'll stay on Season three and four.

[localfanbaselurker]

Keith in Season One: no pidge you can’t leave we need to form voltron and everyone has families and-

Keith in Season Four:

[beck-a-leck]

So I started rewatching Voltron over the weekend.

I was home sick on friday and was scrolling through netflix trying to find something low-effort to nap to. Preferably something I'd seen before, because naps. And I saw that netflix is removing VLD in early December.

And I've low key had the thought that it would be worth the time to rewatch the show now that we're like 7 years removed from The Fucking Insanity TM. Would be interesting to see how the show feels after that long and knowing where it goes and how it ends.

I'm 4 seasons in now, halfway through. And through the early stuff i rewatched several times during The Insanity, and I'm not gonna lie I forgot how charming and fun the show was.

Like I smiled again at the jokes and silly moments, and I got all soft over the characters and their dynamics and how compelling they were.

And yeah, the giant robot lions are still fucking cool.

But what i really forgot was how Fucking Beautiful the show is.

Like the background designers were told to make some cool space settings and they went Balls To The Fucking Walls with it! There's not a landscape, or a spacescape, or a view of a planet that's not just stunning.

And the way they played with the wild space shit is so delightful too! Here's a planet that's a thin crust over hot and deadly acid, tardigrade aliens live there. Oh look, we slapped two black holes and a star going super nova So Close to each other, and by the way we also hid a base there because Why Fucking Not!

I don't remember much of the later seasons. I honestly thought there were only 6 seasons, not 8. (I think maybe in my head I combined the four half-seasons into two regular-length seasons) but I do remember being pretty put off by the end of the show. Not in the way a lot of people were (I did not then, and still do not give a shit about any of the ships in the show). But I vaguely remember just feeling disappointed by the endings the characters got, and that the finale just was really anticlimactic.

I guess we'll see if that holds up while I go through the back half of the show over the next couple weeks.

Anyways. If you have any interest in legally watching VLD before it goes away forever (i have no idea if netflix ever made physical dvds of the show) you have until Dec 6. After that it'll only be found upon the high seas 🏴‍☠️

[rae-not-rey]

In honor of Voltron being taken off Netflix, here is my review of each of the seasons as I rewatched it for the first time in eight years, as well as my ranking of all of them.

Season one: Kind of boring, a little childish, but I can see where it was setting up future plot arcs (Galra Keith, Shiro trauma).

Season two: Getting more interesting, diving into Keith and Shiro especially. Episodes are just generally more fun than the first season. Characters are taking shape. Bonding moment! LOTOR???????

Season three: This season is much shorter than one and two. I believe this is the beginning of the end, unfortunately. Not as exciting as season two was, but still interesting to watch. Lots of lore, especially on the original paladins. Didn't conclude in a big fight, so it was a little underwhelming.

Season four: I will NEVER get over the scene where Pidge finds Matt's grave. They definitely got way more creative with the animation style this season. The ice show!! The end was slightly disappointing. I'm upset by the lack of Keith, and how short this season was. But overall a decent and fun watch, even if it was in one sitting.

Season five: Started pretty slow, but picks up quick! Krolia is here! I feel like season four and five were meant to be one season, considering how short both of them are. The character and plot arcs also make more sense as one season.

Season six: So far, Keith is gone and Lance is straight. Not pleased. The D&D episode is fun though. SHIRO AND KEITH FIGHT??? Overall, this season turned out pretty... okay. Not awful, but definitely not the best.

Season seven: Starts off with Keith and Shiro, very nice. Romelle makes a point about how fast the plot is moving along and I agree. Oh my God I totally forgot about Adam.

Ranking (favorite to least):

Season two

Season five

Season four

Season six

Season one

Season three

Final thoughts

I never got to rewatch season eight, because I started my rewatch too late. And honestly, I'm not too upset about that. From what I remember, season eight sucked. I hated the ending, it felt rushed, everyone felt out of character.

I was a Voltron fan from the time it aired in 2016 until it ended in 2018 and let me tell you, those two years felt like a lifetime. I'm glad I watched the show. I'm glad I was a fan. It was a huge comfort to me in those two years and the years since. I just can't believe it started airing when I was in middle school, and now I'm almost done with college. It truly is the end of an era.

I'll miss VLD, but it's a different feeling because I never actually rewatched the show. I would say that I was blinded by nostalgia, but honestly, most of the show still held up! Do I think it was rushed and the second half of the show was aimless and drama in the fandom influenced how the end of the show ran? Absolutely. But I still think overall it was a decent show. At the very least, I'm still in love with the characters and the universe, even eight years later.

So long, VLD. You were the best recurring nightmare I could have ever wished for. Perhaps I'll see you on the seven seas someday.

[kismetconstellations]

What is Keith's problem with Allura?

Consensus among certain flavors of Keith fans seems to be that Allura never outgrew her "racist" opinions of the Galra, and remained cold, rude, and stand-offish to Keith, never apologizing for the handful of glares she shot his way, and the icy inflection she used when addressing him.

This is, of course, patently, provably untrue. In Season Two, Episode Twelve, Best Laid Plans, as Keith is preparing to head for Zarkon's base in what Kolivan had declared a "suicide mission", Allura approaches Keith in the hangar to tell him:

"I... just wanted to say... The Galra... They've done terrible things. Destroyed entire civilizations. They took my family. But, in time, I've grown to consider you and the Paladins my family. So when I learned you were Galra, I... I didn't know what to think. I wanted to hate you!

"But, it's not you. It's me. My anger has blinded me for too long. I'm so sorry I misjudged you. You've proven it's not what's in your blood. It's who you are that counts.

Please come back to us."

I couldn't come up with a more sincere, heartfelt apology if I tried.

Allura took it upon herself to, unprompted, own up to her less than stellar behavior toward Keith, admit that she was wrong, and express that Keith is important to her and she wants him to return to her, Coran, and the other Paladins alive and in one piece, because he is her family.

You would think this would be more than enough to bury the hatchet and resolve all tension between them. Or, at the very least, that any issue Keith may have with Allura in future episodes could be traced back to her (and Coran) withholding the fact that Zarkon was the original Black Paladin from the rest of the team, and to the handful of glares that Allura directed at Keith after finding out that he's half-Galra.

But, this is not the case. As early as Season One, Episode Twelve, Collection and Extraction, well before either of these potentially inciting incidents, Keith's attitude with Allura was showing signs of being less than friendly.

Keith is the first to object, rather snidely, to the prospect of Allura accompanying the Paladins on an infiltration mission to gather intelligence from a Galra transportation hub.

"I'm sorry, Princess, did you say 'we'?"

Despite Allura being instrumental in restoring the Balmera and helping the Paladins liberate the Balmeran people from Galra control.

And, it only worsens from here.

The very next episode, after Allura had allowed herself to be captured by the Galra, sacrificing herself to save Shiro, the man who Keith claims to love, Keith puts forth the idea of leaving Allura in the hands of the monster who betrayed and murdered her father and mercilessly annihilated her entire home world and all of the people living on it.

"Or, maybe we shouldn't go on this mission [to rescue Allura] at all. Think about it. We'll be delivering the universe's only hope to the universe's biggest enemy."

Which prompts an understandably galled Hunk to respond, "Keith, that's cold even for you."

Keith snaps back, "I'm not saying I like the idea. I'm just thinking like a Paladin."

Arguably, being willing to allow even one life to slip through the cracks is the exact opposite of the mindset of a Paladin. And, Keith is aware of that, come the top of Season Four, when his saving Regris lands him in hot water with Kolivan.

Kolivan: "Every member of the Blade of Marmora understands that the mission is more important than the individual. This isn't Voltron."

Keith: "I understand that. In Voltron, we would have gone back in to save Regris. I went back to save the mission. Regris had the intel. Getting him and it back on the ship was worth the risk."

He never apologizes, however, for even attempting to argue that saving Allura wasn't worth the risk.

In the third episode of Season Three, The Hunted, he actually scolds Hunk for going back to assist Allura after she took a hit on a hopeless folly of a mission to pursue and attack Lotor that Keith, acting as their new leader, pushed the team into long before they were ready. When rightfully chastised by Lance for acting so rashly and showing no regard for the input and welfare of his team, Keith justifies his actions by arguing, "It's not about the team. We have a mission that's more important than any one of us."

Even after Lance confronts him, again, once the team has been split up and all of their lives needlessly endangered, and Keith at last acknowledges how badly he messed up, he doesn't offer a single apology to Allura, or anyone else.

In the following episode, Hole in the Sky, Keith approaches a disconsolate Allura, presumably with the intention to offer her some form of comfort and encouragement after the emotional turmoil she endured in the alternate reality.

Instead of making the effort to put himself on a level field with her, and look her in the eye, as one would typically do when attempting to extend emotional support, Keith speaks at Allura's back and remains standing on a platform above her, forcing her to have to look back and up at him.

Perhaps this scene was blocked this way because, like so many other creative decisions in this series, it "looked cool". Unfortunately, this staging with all of its visual subtext establishes a precedent for Keith and Allura's dynamic going forward.

In contrast to being Allura's equal, as Shiro was, and sharing the position of leadership with her, the two of them valuing one another's insight and trusting each other implicitly, Keith is Allura's superior. As she now ranks under him in both age and position on the team, he's become her commander; shutting down any input he didn't authorize as a "lecture", even when that input is coming from a place of earnestness and compassion. See their conversation in Season Four, Episode One, where Allura is there to meet Keith as he arrives back at the Castle from another mission with the Blades that resulted in the death of Regris, and delayed Keith getting to the team he's meant to be leading when they needed him.

Keith: "Allura, I know you're mad at me, but I'm not in the mood for a lecture."

Allura: "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I heard what happened on your mission."

Keith: (after a long, tense pause) "...Thanks."

Allura: (after another drawn-out silence) "I know how important the work you've been doing with the Blades is. They are incredible allies, and have been instrumental in our victories over the Galra. And, while the news of a new quintessence supply-line is deeply troubling, I cannot help but feel that--

Keith: (cutting her off) "I said I didn't want a lecture."

Rather than rise to Keith's bait, Allura continues on, "Keith... Since our battle with Zarkon, we've been able to bolster our forces by uniting those previously ruled by the Galra under a common symbol-- Voltron. It's so much more than a weapon. It's become a symbol of freedom, and, hope for the oppressed to rally around.

"I suppose what I'm trying to say is, the Marmora can go on without you. They have for thousands of years. Voltron cannot. We cannot."

Allura's candid and entreating speech appears to fall on deaf ears. Keith continues to go on missions with the Blades, running from his position as the new Black Paladin and "decisive head" of Voltron.

It can be argued in his defense that he only ever saw himself as a temporary Black Paladin, holding the position in Shiro's stead until Shiro's return. And, with the cloned version of Shiro in proper form, acting as a key strategist and, to some extent, undermining Keith's calls in the field, Keith's concerns that he's unfit for the role have once more reared their head, and he feels that he is no longer needed. This is, of course, despite the obvious inconsistencies in "Kuron"'s temperament, behavior, appearance, and even wardrobe choices when compared to the original Shiro's. Inconsistencies that, as Shiro's closest friend, Keith should have been aware of and more than a bit perturbed by. And, despite the fact that, at this current point in the show, the Black Lion is not responding to "Kuron".

Keith has knowingly left the Paladins down a Lion and without a means of forming Voltron, several times repeatedly. Allura, "Kuron", and everyone else on the team would be well within their rights to be absolutely furious with him. Yet, the next time Keith happens upon Allura, while she and the other Paladins are handing out supplies to rebels and refugees on Olkarion, he's the one glaring at her.

By the end of this episode, "Kuron" has managed to connect with the Black Lion, further enforcing in Keith's mind that he is no longer needed as a Paladin, and Keith announces to the group that he's officially abandoning his post and leaving to work with the Blades full-time.

Allura is right there with the others, enveloping Keith in a group hug and expressing, like everyone else, that she will miss him as he embarks on a new journey down a path divergent from the rest of their family.

That new journey brings Keith face-to-face with his long-lost mother, and the two of them find themselves stranded on a space whale inside of a "quantum abyss" that has a convenient time distortion that only affects them and the space wolf they adopt.

This highly selective time-skip was done, presumably, to accelerate Keith's character development and make him a better fit for his "destined" role as the ultimate leader of Voltron. And, while his two years in the Quantum Abyss with his mother made Keith older, and ostensibly more mature, they did nothing to abate his underlying resentment for? Grudge against? Bitterness toward? Allura. Upon his return in Season Six, Episode Four, The Colony, Keith is ready to launch an attack on Lotor, while Allura is a passenger in Lotor's ship.

Keith: "I promise I'll explain everything once we get to Lotor."

Pidge: "We can't get to him. He just entered the quintessence field with Allura."

Keith: (unfazed) "We traveled through realities, before. Can't we fly in there and attack?"

Lance: (apparently the only one with any sense) "She said Allura is with him.

We can't risk hurting her."

Note the change in Keith's expression when Lance interjects.

"Kuron" attempts to diffuse the situation, instructing everyone to calm down, and assuring that, when Allura and Lotor return, "we'll get this all sorted out".

Judging by his reaction, this is not what Keith wanted to hear.

I'll concede that Keith has been made aware that Lotor is, indeed, dangerous, having manipulated and deceived them all. And, in spite of the Real Shiro's teachings about the virtue of patience, it's Keith's nature to want to eliminate a threat as soon as possible, attacking first and asking questions later. If at all.

Yet, his willingness to rally the troops and open fire or swing fists and/or a sword at Lotor without any regard for Allura's safety is deeply concerning.

Three episodes later, Allura uses her newfound powers and knowledge of quintessence alchemy to extract the Real Shiro's essence from the Black Lion, as the Black Lion had preserved what she could of him when his body was destroyed in the team's final fight with Zarkon back in the finale of Season Two, and transfer it into "Kuron"'s dying body. Which is its own can of worms.

You would think that Keith, having professed his love for Shiro (albeit to "Kuron"), would be forever indebted to Allura; singing her praises and all-but worshipping the ground that she walks on after she brought Shiro back to him.

But, in the sixth episode of Season Seven, The Journey Within, when Keith, Allura, and the other Paladins find themselves cast adrift and floating aimlessly through space for an untold length of time, older and supposedly wiser Keith is the first to snap under the stress of the situation. He reverts to his abrasive, anti-social behavior from the first season, times ten, and decides to use his position of power over the still teenaged Paladins to lash out and make petty, intentionally hurtful digs, with Allura and Hunk as his targets.

Allura: "My father... Had something he always said in dire situations."

Keith: "'Give up'?"

Allura: (diplomatically giving him a chance to retract the deeply offensive words that just came out of his mouth) "Sorry?"

Keith: (doubling-down) "It just doesn't seem like he was a real fighter when the chips were down."

I've had many a conversation with a friend (hi, @sockdooe!) about Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos rather transparently being Altean-hating Galra-supremacists who used Keith as their mouthpiece to spout off Pro-Galra propaganda. This is especially obvious in the series finale, when Keith effectively runs postmortem defense for Zarkon and Honerva-- something I will cover in-depth, a bit later.

"MonSantos", as the fandom has dubbed them, took issue with characters who are innately altruistic, self-sacrificing, upstanding, unwavering in their moral values, and willing to make peace with words, rather than immediately going on the offensive against any perceived threat. This is overwhelmingly obvious in the way that they killed Shiro and mocked him for being "boring", in interviews, only bringing him back to life when their hands were forced, killed Allura to force her to atone for Honerva's sins (one Altean for another, kind of like how Shiro and "Kuron", two disabled gay men with their own distinct traumas, struggles, and personalities, were treated like they were completely interchangeable), and planned to kill Hunk.

They liked "complicated", able-bodied, "morally gray" characters, and characters who needed to grow into their roles, instead of being perfect fits for them right off the bat.

Whether those characters actually achieved any growth under "MonSantos"'s direction is its own topic of discussion.

Shiro's stability and dependability warranted him being belittled and killed, as not only was he "boring", but his mere presence in the narrative somehow, "prevented the other characters", namely, Keith, "MonSantos"'s pet character and Chosen One, "from growing". To Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery, people who boast this sort of twisted mentality, a gentle, soft-spoken, space-faring diplomatic king, like Alfor, was, of course, "cowardly" and "weak". While Zarkon, a fierce combatant and military strategist who became a child-abusing, murderous, power-hungry monster, has all of the hallmarks of a "great leader". And, the uncorrupted version of him that Keith and the other Paladins encounter inside of Honerva's mindscape is thus qualified to conclude that Keith has these hallmarks, too. Because they're both Galra.

I guess the contents of your blood are only irrelevant to your character when you're a Galra who perpetrates negative behaviors. Like pitting terrified, inexperienced, and malnourished prisoners against each other in a fight to the death for the entertainment of yourself and your fellow loyal servants of the Empire.

On a micro, character level, Keith's comments are even more repulsive. Alfor sacrificed himself to ensure Allura's safety. Keith's own father, a fireman, put his life on the line for others daily, which is what lead to his dying a hero, and being tragically ripped away from his young son. Of all characters, Keith should have the most empathy and implicit understanding that Allura's father is an emotionally fraught subject for her.

(Or, perhaps not, since he was unable to even look at Allura after she had to shut down Alfor's compromised A.I., losing him for a second time, in Season One's Crystal Venom.

)

This is emblematic of the power imbalance between Keith and the younger Paladins. Keith has his own trauma that he hasn't even begun to work out. Not only has his character regressed, in many ways, his time with the Blades and lengthy exposure to the blasé attitude about death that is standard fare for the majority of Galra seem to have had an adverse effect on his already tenuous mental health. As many without healthy or any coping mechanisms are wont to do when caught in spirals of stress, fear, anger, and despair, Keith is attempting to self-destruct. He's deliberately stomping on proverbial landmines to provoke his teammates into telling him to drift off by himself, as Lance eventually does, so that Keith's (incorrect, based on a cognitive distortion from past trauma) feeling that he is an unwelcome, unneeded outsider will be validated.

This is toxic behavior.

Keith is no longer a surly juvenile delinquent, or anti-social just-turned-legal-adult who is learning to cooperate and cohabitate with others after spending a year in the desert by himself. He's a twenty, perhaps even twenty-one year-old man in a position of power over teenagers who has had two years to do intensive soul-searching with the mother he never would have found had it not been for King Alfor and the Voltron Lions that Alfor built.

And, once again, Keith never would have got Shiro back without the existence of Alfor's Lions, because Ulaz helped Shiro escape his imprisonment on Zarkon's command ship and sent him back to Earth to prevent the Blue Lion being seized by the Empire.

"MonSantos"'s preferred Black Paladin should be beyond grateful for everything that Allura and her father have both directly and indirectly done for him. Instead, the character who is told that he is "the future" (because he's half-Galra), and magically gained the ability to summon the Black Paladin Bayard (which Shiro, the "boring", "broken", former Black Paladin who isn't at all worthy of recognition, given that he's only a measly little human, reclaimed from Zarkon and got to use just once before he died) to him at will, chooses to insult Alfor and hurl verbal abuse at Alfor's daughter.

Who, need I remind you, informed Keith that she considers him to be part of her new family.

Hunk tries to tell Keith to lay off.

Rightfully hurt by Keith baselessly accusing her beloved father of being spineless, Allura verbally retaliates while maintaining a truly impressive level of composure: 'You... have a lot of nerve questioning someone's leadership. Think how you left us."

Hunk, still trying to maintain a semblance of peace, pleads to Allura, this time.

And, Keith, firmly in his self-destructive spiral, decides to accelerate the explosive fall-out of this bone-dry tinderbox of a situation by pouring a bag of salt on Allura's wounds from Lotor, who preyed on her desperation to connect with her lost people and culture.

A desperation that the narrative repeatedly punishes her for simply having at all.

"As I recall, you were the one who got us all cozied up to Lotor."

This leads Lance to again interject, "Keith, you ran away. Maybe you should have just stayed away", and poor sweet Hunk to do his best to put an end to the in-fighting.

"Lance, Keith, everyone, stop. Look, guys, I understand what's happening here-- you're all brave heroes who don't know how to react to being scared, and it's causing you to attack one another. That, or you're all going space-mad. Hopefully you're just scared. I'm-I'm scared all the time. I can talk you through it."

Keith's response to this remarkable wisdom and insight?

"Sorry, Hunk. I guess I just don't know how to be a coward."

Though Hunk is unbothered by Keith's puerile name-calling, Lance, again, interjects on his friend's behalf, telling Keith to drift off by himself; as stated, earlier, and just as Keith wanted. Hunk takes it upon himself to shoulder the responsibility of keeping the team together, grabbing Keith's leg to prevent him leaving them for a second time, and his efforts net him a positively scathing response from his "new and improved" team leader:

"Why, Hunk? Are we really even friends? Is there anything holding us together besides some messed up series of coincidences? I mean, what are we? Some 'chosen saviors'? Do you really believe that? What are we even doing out here?!"

It takes Hunk almost sacrificing himself to ward off a giant monster, and Lance, Pidge, and Allura reminding Hunk that they are, indeed, a team, and would never leave him to die, for Keith to offer an, in my opinion, vague, flimsy apology for "those hurtful things" he said. Of course, because this is a TV Y7 cartoon made to sell toys to children, Keith gives a little speech about how that "series of coincidences" mattered because it brought them all together as Paladins and, "more importantly", "friends", and that brings the Lions to their rescue, allowing them to form Voltron and travel through space at hyperspeed to end up just outside of the Milky Way.

Once on Earth, Keith dons his Diet Shiro persona and gives Hunk a more in-depth and sincere apology, informing Hunk that he is most definitely not a coward. Allura, however, gets nothing, despite her, once again, coming through for Shiro (her platonic soulmate) in a major way.

After Keith was the one who left Shiro to inhabit a body with only one arm.

At long last, we reach the deservedly widely reviled finale, where the executive producers made their most morally bankrupt, inexcusable, and unforgivable creative decision. Which is saying a lot. Allura commits suicide to undo the damage that Honerva, an utterly irredeemable monster, had done to multiple realities, just so Honerva can get exactly what she wanted.

Before she willingly steps into the void with a brave smile on her face, Allura says a personal farewell to every member of the team. Except Coran, because this show was helmed by people who wanted you to feel miserable and angry at the world and yourself for watching it. Unless you have the privilege of being a Keith and/or Pidge fan. The fourth trauma survivor to be cruelly killed off, and the third member of a marginalized community to meet their end for the sole purpose of elevating "MonSantos"'s pet, Allura's final words for that pet are, "There is greatness in your heart, and your actions."

And, in response, said pet stands there, silent and stiff as a board in Allura's embrace, and showing less emotion than Shiro, who had, at this point in the series, been reduced to a distant military figure and side-character who has no meaningful relationships with anyone.

A year later, Keith stands on Daibazaal, the Galra home world that Allura's sacrifice revived and renewed. And, with all eyes on him, and while being broadcasted on multiple screens, he delivers a big, "epic" speech.

"With the return of Planet Daibazaal, the Galra Empire is at a crossroads. For too long, the people of this extraordinary civilization have been manipulated by a dictatorship that placed a misguided sense of self-preservation above all else. "It was a tragic, unfortunate series of events that lead us down this dark, never-ending path of power and greed. But, now... we... the citizens of the Galra Empire... have an opportunity to make right all of the injustices set into motion by our forefathers. Because of the sacrifice made by Princess Aurora (yes, that's seriously what he calls her), we have been given a second chance-- to come together in rebuilding the Galra Empire."

That's right. "Rebuilding" the Empire responsible for the destruction of Altea and the genocide of its people-- Allura and Coran's people. For the abduction and imprisonment of Shiro, Matt, and Sam Holt. For Shiro's extensive trauma and further torture via his body being subjected to nonconsensual experimentation, his innately altruistic and self-sacrificing nature challenged over and over again by forcing him to kill or be killed, and implied sexual violation at the hands of Sendak.

The Empire that enslaved the Balmerans, making them prisoners on their own home planet forced so far underground that entire generations had never seen the sky and had no concept of freedom. And, the Empire that mercilessly ravaged and nearly killed that planet, which is a living creature.

The Empire that enslaved the Olkari, left the Taujeerians to die, and inflicted untold acts of unmitigated barbarism all across the universe for ten thousand years.

That Galra Empire.

Now, I'll extend Keith, and "MonSantos", the benefit of the doubt that maybe he (and they) didn't mean the "Empire" as it was under Zarkon's command. Though the usage of that word, considering its unignorable connotations, is profoundly dubious. Maybe, he really means to upheave the entire concept of a Galra Empire, and rework it from the ground up, perhaps with the implementation of a parliament and a democratic voting system. Though, that hardly makes an "empire", as "empires" are by definition:

"A major political unit having a territory of great extent or a number of territories or peoples under a single sovereign authority, especially : one having an emperor as chief of state".

Keith (and "MonSantos") could have phrased his rousing speech as, "rebuild this planet and its great civilization, foster peaceful relations with the planets around us, and work together to undo the evil that was done by a tyrant, whose insatiable lust for power has left an indelible stain on the Galra name". Rather than attempting to humanize and absolve Zarkon and his one-dimensional, cartoonishly evil men, many of whom are still very much alive and attempting to make their own grabs for power in the vacuum left by their Emperor and his heir's demise, of culpability, and pledging to help the "citizens of the empire" resume conquering and colonizing surrounding planets, as that is how an empire is formed and maintained.

There's a later throwaway exchange between Shiro, Keith, and Lance inserted in what I can only assume was an effort to present Keith as humble, and offer a "humorous" commentary on his penchant for dodging any and all unwanted responsibility.

Shiro: "Speaking of which, how are things going on Daibazaal?"

Keith: "We're calling for an election to select a Galran representative for the Galactic Coalition. So that's a step in the right direction."

Lance: "Let me guess-- they asked you to be their leader and you said no?"

Keith: (with total nonchalance) "Yeah. Pretty much."

Lance: (like an actor in a sitcom reciting his exasperated straight man character's catchphrase) "Classic Keith."

(Cue laughter from the other guests around the table, like this actually is a sitcom.)

I made that assumption because Coran, the man who was a second father to Allura and loved her deeply, and also would have been absolutely devastated had he heard what Keith had to say about his beloved friend, King Alfor, tells Keith, "Allura would be proud of your decision, Keith. I think she knew that you would always be the key to the Galras' future."

And, yet, Keith was perfectly okay expressing callous and blatant disregard for Allura's life, safety, and emotions on multiple occasions over an extended period of time, and had the audacity to look down on her father for prioritizing making certain that his daughter would live over fighting a futile battle that he knew he had already lost.

Allura came to value Keith and other heroic Galra, regardless of their blood, and made that crystal clear many times. But, outside of the ship tease in Season Two's The Ark of Taujeer, before the franchise staple Keith/Allura romance was dropped in favor of Allura/Lance, when and where did Keith show that he valued Allura? And, that he had any respect at all for her people and their culture?

He scowls at her back over her wanting to personally investigate a trapped ship that is issuing an Altean distress signal in Season Three's Hole in the Sky.

The same episode where he is literally placed above her after the Paladins wind up in an alternate reality that is predicated on a half-baked, "What if the Alteans and the Galra switched roles?" concept, and where Allura is shamed and treated like a foolish, naive little girl for being nearly taken in by pretty painted pictures of a reality where her people thrived, eliminated the "Galra scourge", and set about spreading their "peace" across the entire universe.

I opened this essay by asking, "What is Keith's problem with Allura?" And, I think, all evidence considered, the answer to this question is fairly cut and dry.

Facets of the Voltron: Legendary Defender fandom love to characterize Allura as an unapologetic racist. But, perhaps the real racist was the skinny, edgy, half-alien colonizer twink who was appointed the savior of the universe by hateful executive producers who wanted everyone both fictional and otherwise to grovel at their pet Chosen One's feet, all along.

[supportingjatpcast]

Where to find the JATP Cast as of December 12, 2024

happy four years to this account! you know the drill. let's get silly with it and check up on where everyone is nowadays:

Madison Reyes- Julie Molina (@themadisonreyes on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

The Bad Seed Returns

All Kinds of Love (available on all music streaming platforms)

Allie Mitchell Must Win (in preproduction)

Charlie Gillespie- Luke Patterson (@charles_gillespie on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

The Class

Love You Anyway

Chevel Shepard: Good Boy (music video)

The Rest of Us

Madison Park: better w/o you (music video)

Conséquences (six episodes)

I Am the Night (pilot episode)

Speed Kills

Charmed 2018 (Pilot and Episode 2)

Naomi Sequeira: Pastries (music video)

2nd Generation (episodes 1-6)

The Next Step (season 5, episode 17)

Degrassi: Next Class (season 4, episodes 8 and 10)

The Outlaw League

Totally Killer

The Get Back Girl (postproduction)

Suze

Deltopia

Debbie Gibson: Love Don't Care (music video)

Shattered Ice (postproduction)

Soul's Road

Splitsville

Owen Patrick Joyner- Alex Mercer (@owenjoyner on Instagram and Twitter)

Julie and the Phantoms

Acapulco (season 2, episode 3)

Knight Squad

Henry Danger (season 5, episode 9)

Slime Cup (season 3, episodes 1-6)

The Thundermans (season 4, episode 15)

The Veil

It’s On

100 Things to Do Before High School

Nickelodeon’s Ho Ho Holiday Special

Something Here (postproduction)

Final Destination: Bloodlines (postproduction)

Jeremy Shada- Reggie Peters (@jeremyshada on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

Interrupting Chicken (season 1, episode 3)

Dragons: The Nine Realms

Multiversus

Adventure Time: Distant Lands

Cookie Run Kingdom (English version)

Scars

Denton’s Death Date

Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion

Voltron: Legendary Defender

Adventure Time

Mr. Student Body President

Spiderman 2018 (season 2, episode 1)

Cheerleader Nightmare

Blooms Adventure Time TD

When Jeff Tried to Save the World

DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles

Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series

Gloria Talks Funny

Cartoon Network Live

Surfs Up 2: WaveMania

Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations

Lego Dimensions

Badly Drawn Animals

Adventure Time: All’s Well That Rats Swell

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M

Adventure Time: Game Wizard

Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom

Adventure Time: Card Wars

Aliens in the House

Adventure Time: Ski Safari

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don’t Know!

See Dad Run (season 2, episode 8)

Incredible Crew (season 1, episodes 1-18)

Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d You Steal Our Garbage?!!

Paranorman

Adventure Time: The Wand

F.3.A.R.

That’s What I Am

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (season 1, episode 18; season 2, episodes 6, 18, 19; season 3 episodes 1, 3)

Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey

Parenthood (season 1, episodes 4-5)

Healing Hands

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Chowder (season 2, episode 24)

FusionFall

Cold Case (season 5, episode 1)

The Loop (season 2, episode 4)

Lost (season 2, episode 12; season 3, episode 21)

Ghost Whisperer (season 2, episodes 21-22)

Shark (season 1, episode 16)

Southern Comfort

Nip/Tuck (season 4, episode 13)

Bambi 2: The Great Prince of the Forest

No Rules

ER (season 11, episode 6)

The Incredibles: When Danger Calls

Team America: World Police

Miracle Run

Good Girls Don’t… (season 1, episode 4)

My Neighbors the Yamadas

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake (season 1 episodes 2,3,5,7,10)

Battle For A Free Video Game (Season 1, episode 6)

Cookie Run: Witch's Castle

Vintage (available on all music streaming platforms)

Ballerina (available on all music streaming platforms)

Mad Love (available on all music streaming platforms)

Midnight Promises (available on all music streaming platforms)

Jadah Marie- Flynn Taylor (@thejadahmarie on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

Family Reunion (season 4, episodes 4-5)

Home Invasion (season 1, episodes 1-6)

Sarah Jeffery and Jadah Marie: Audrey’s Christmas Rewind

Descendants 3

Descendants 3: Good to Be Bad (music video)

Ready Player One

Mann and Wife

Blue Bloods (season 7, episode 8)

9-1-1 (season 7, episode 2)

Sacha Carlson- Nick (@sacha_carlson on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

9-1-1 l: Lone Star (season 3, episode 14)

American Housewife (season 3, episodes 6-7)

A Christmas Story Live!

Everything I Ever Wanted

Sacha Carlson & The Light (check out his band!)

Savannah Lee May- Carrie Wilson (@savannahleemay on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

A Cowgirl’s Song

The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders

Knight Squad

Cousins for Life (season 1, episode 12)

Bizaardvark (season 2, episode 20)

School of Rock (season 3, episode 6)

Dance Rivals

Booboo Stewart- Willie (@booboostewart.art on Instagram)

(look, i adore booboo. i do. but this man has 114 acting credits on IMDB, and there is no way that i am typing all of them out and including exactly what episodes of shows he’s in. and that's not even mentioning things where he is credited as a stunt performer or listed on a soundtrack. love you all, but i do actually have a life outside of stanning the jatp cast, so im just linking his imdb page here. happy searching babes!)

Carlos Ponce- Ray Molina (@poncecarlos1 on Instagram)

(Carlos has 54 acting credits, and many are in Spanish, a language that i do not speak. check out his IMDb page here.)

Sonny Bustamante- Carlos Molina

Julie and the Phantoms

7th & Union

Law & Order True Crime (season 1, episodes 3-5)

New Shoes

Heaven’s Flume

That Girl Lay Lay (season 1, episode 1)

Cheyenne Jackson- Caleb Covington (@MrCheyenneJackson on Instagram)

(Cheyenne has 71 acting credits. I'm not typing all that out, because I doubt that you want to read all of that and also I have a full time job that isn't JATP related. Check him out here!)

[abyssal-jinks]

i just finished season four of Umbrella Academy and this may be my emotions but in my opinion, it now has a more unsatisfying and annoying ending than Voltron. As someone who was a dedicated brain rotted Voltron and Umbrella Academy day 1 fan, voltrons final season has nothing on this