Reboot is a dirty word when it comes to TV. Very rarely does a remade show receive its due.
While “Voltron” might never have had the same impact on pop culture as the likes of “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”, “Transformers,” or “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe”, it has a passionate fanbase that remains precious about the original animated series that debuted during the peak of cartoon-mania in the ’80s to this day. So much so that all attempts to reboot it have been met with shoulder shrugs – bar one show.
On June 10, 2016, “Voltron: Legendary Defender” debuted on Netflix. In just two and a half years, this colorful and energetic series charged through eight seasons of action, humour, drama, and mecha glory, choosing to stay for a good time – not a long time. It has since departed the platform to join the wild blue yonder because the licensing deal expired.
Not many people outside of the fandom talk about it to this day, which is a shame since it’s a fantastic example of a reboot done right — even if there are many (many!) YouTube videos about everything wrong with its contentious final seasons.
For those unfamiliar with “Voltron: Legendary Defender”, think of it like the perfect merger of “Power Rangers”, “Transformers”, and “Robotech”. The humongous robot Voltron served as the defender of the universe, being the only weapon able to fight off the evil Galra Empire and its ruler, Zarkon (voiced by Neil Kaplan).
Voltron is composed of five different coloured Lion ships, much like the Zords from “Power Rangers”, and when they come together, they form Voltron (yes, just like the Megazord). After the annihilation of the planet Altea and fearing that Zarkon would get his hands on Voltron, King Alfor (Keith Ferguson/Sean Teale) separated the Lions and hid them away from the Galra Empire.
Centuries later, Zarkon continues to menace the universe. That is, until King Alfor’s daughter, Princess Allura (Kimberly Brooks), and trusted advisor, Coran (Rhys Darby), encounter five pilots — Shiro (Josh Keaton), Keith (Steven Yeun), Lance (Jeremy Shada), Hunk (Tyler Labine), and Pidge (Bex Taylor-Klaus) — who become the new Lion Paladins and reform Voltron to save the world. Oh, yeah, it’s mechan’ time!
Some fans will swear down that the original was better, but here’s the kicker… “Voltron” wasn’t an entirely original idea either; it’s an edited version of the Japanese series “Beast King GoLion” and “Armored Fleet Dairugger XV”. Sure, the episodes were fun and hit like too much sugar on a Saturday morning, but they were extremely limited in storytelling scope, since the writers needed to work with the footage available.
“Voltron: Legendary Defender” doesn’t have this issue. Consequently, it’s able to unravel and expand the mythology while providing richer backstories for the characters involved. The first season of the show takes its time in setting the stakes, building worlds, and establishing the key players rather than bulldozing straight into intergalactic warfare. This gives the story a more serialised quality rather than just being an excuse to form Voltron, defeat the villain of the week, and peddle more toys to the public.
From Pidge’s hidden identity subplot to Shiro trying to piece together his trauma and even Zarkon’s own complicated legacy with the Black Lion, there are a lot of story nuggets for fans to sink their teeth into. This is something that actually makes the show stronger than the likes of “Power Rangers” and “Transformers”, which often trade character development for quick serotonin spikes of sci-fi action. Think about it: how many Rangers or Autobots have there been? Way too many to count or care for. By comparison, “Voltron: Legendary Defender” stays true to its core cast and builds them up throughout the show, realising that music without notes is simply noise.
It shouldn’t be all too surprising when you look at the showrunners behind the series. Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery worked on “Avatar: The Last Airbender”, which is often heralded as one of the best animated series of the 2000s. They brought all the lessons about emotional resonance and story progression over here, all while ensuring it’s still a visually appealing spectacle. As with Aang and the gang, viewers become mesmerised by Shiro and his crew’s journey as both Paladins and people, wanting to trek along on the adventure.
Having said that, like any show that runs for eight seasons, “Voltron: Legendary Defender” isn’t without its flaws. It dragged its feet in places, and some storylines failed to ignite, while the creators caved to audiences who wanted to ship characters. Then there was that whole drama around the seventh season and the accusations of queer-baiting that resulted in Dos Santos having to write an essay on X to defend the show’s intentions.
But despite the occasional misstep, it’s still a case of largely mission accomplished. “Voltron: Legendary Defender” succeeded in making its audiences care and become protective of these characters and stories, and that speaks to the power of the series to transcend beyond reckless mecha mayhem.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 95% critical approval rating and 78% audience score. When you consider how rare it is for a show to maintain this type of high rating even through its peaks and valleys, you begin to appreciate what the cast and crew achieved here.
There’s a live-action “Voltron” film in the works, being directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and starring Henry Cavill and Sterling K. Brown. Not much is known about it at the time of writing, but it would do well to learn from the “Legendary Defender” approach and less from Michael Bay’s Bayhem-approved “Transformers” movies.
We’ve got enough movies featuring giant robots in CGI-heavy scenes. What the audience needs is something to connect with on a human level: the story and characters of this world. It’s hopeful (or naive) to think that Hollywood will see this the same way, but if not, at least “Voltron: Legendary Defender” still exists and proves to be the rare reboot done right.
“Voltron: Legendary Defender” is available on Prime Video.