Voltron: Legendary Defender Recap: What You Need to Know

Looking for an epic infinite opera that isn't named Star Wars? It might exist time for you to check out Voltron: Legendary Defender (yep, that Voltron). This Netflix series (a reboot from DreamWorks Animation) reimagines the Voltron saga for a new generation.

What some people might telephone call a breathy billboard for Voltron toys, I call a great cartoon that packs plenty of thrills, laughs and poignancy into each 24-minute episode. All in all, it'due south a not bad series that will accept simply a little under nine hours to binge-lookout man — at least until Season 3 airs on Aug. four.

Who'southward Who

Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane - Leader of the Defenders of the Universe, Shiro, the Black Paladin, has spent a year equally a captive of the warmongering Galra Empire. Every bit every bit a result of the empire'due south experiments, he has significant holes in his memory and a strange metallic arm.

Keith - Skilled, but hot-headed and sullen, Red Paladin Keith was one of the best pilots in the Milky way Garrison before he dropped out, making him a perfect match with the Scarlet Lion robot. Orphaned at a young age, Keith is on a mission to uncover his mysterious lineage.

Katie "Pidge" Holt - The Green Paladin, Pidge is a technological genius. She's searching for missing family members who were captured by the Galra, but she'southward also hiding a major secret.

Lance - Acocky, wannabe ladies' homo, Lance is the Blue Paladin and pilot of the Blueish Lion. Lance has been rivals with Keith since their time in the Milky way Garrison.

Hunk - Hunk is the strongman of the squad, and the simply thing bigger than this Yellow Paladin'southward centre is his ambition. As the pilot of the Xanthous Lion, Hunk is determined to free the milky way from Galra dominion.

Princess Allura - I of the last members of the aboriginal Altean race, Princess Allura is on a mission to defeat Zarkon and the Galra Empire. When she'south not going on diplomatic or stealth missions, she pilots the Castle of Lions, a construction that's both a fortress and a spaceship.

Coran - Although he's a bit dizzy, Coran acts as Allura's purple advisor and the Castle of Lions' mechanic.

Voltron - When the five robotic lions join together, they become the Legendary Defender of the Universe, Voltron. Piloted by the 5 Paladins, Voltron has fought off a number of intergalactic threats.

Galra - The Galra Empire has ruled the universe for at least ten,000 years, steadily acquisition and colonizing planets to obtain various resource. Every bit a race that prides itself on force, the Galra have no issues eradicating the "weak" to make mode for the strong.

Zarkon - The emperor of the Galra and the former Blackness Paladin, Zarkon is obsessed with finding and claiming Voltron, since it'southward the only matter in the universe that can stop him.

Haggar - Zarkon'due south second-in-command, Haggar is a member of a magical race called Druids. Using a mix of magic, tech and science, Haggar creates monstrous beasts for her emperor.

Season 1

Episode 1: The Rising of Voltron

The serial premiere gives us our first glimpse of the team members before they become a team. Pidge, Lance and Hunk are all classmates at the Milky way Garrison, where a falling object from space piques their marvel enough that they sneak off campus. They arrive to find Shiro, who's been missing for a year, and Keith, who arrives to rescue Shiro. Using Shiro's jarred retention, they observe the Blue Lion, which kicks off their journeying to become the Legendary Defenders.

Episode 2: Some Assembly Required

Now that they've got the lions, the new Paladins undergo rigorous training in lodge to seamlessly class Voltron.

Episode 3: Return of the Gladiator

Shiro's painful past as a Galra captive comes back to haunt him equally a giant robot lands on Arus.

Through a series of flashbacks, nosotros learn that Shiro injured Pidge'southward brother. Meanwhile, the team struggles to defeat the raging robo-beast.

Episode four: Fall of the Castle of Lions

Subsequently chirapsia the robobeast, Princess Allura and the Paladins hope to make a hasty retreat in the castles, but a Galra general sneaks in and tries to steal the whole shebang for Zarkon. Hunk and Coran are sent on a mission to recollect a new power crystal for the castle, and they meet some new friends in the process. A team member is injured in a bomb blast, and we find out Pidge's clandestine.

Episode 5: Tears of the Balmera

Still on their mission, Hunk and Coran fight to escape the Galra with the crystal and salvage a new friend. Back at the castle, Pidge goes upward confronting the formidable Full general Sendak in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

Episode 6: Taking Flight

With the castle finally repaired and ready for takeoff, the coiffure answers a distress indicate from a stranded group.Lance gets in over his head and jeopardizes the team and the Blueish Lion.

Episode vii: Return to the Balmera

Even though they wait a trap, the Paladins attempt to gratis an ally, Shay, and her people, who might be able to assist them. Keith and Lance observe new lion ability, and the team manages to free Shay'south people … merely in fourth dimension for a Galra ship to land.

Episode viii: Rebirth

The Paladins battle a newly arrived robobeast, while Allura tries to use her powers to invoke an ancient ceremony to aid their allies. Hunk discovers a new lion power merely in time to save the day.

Episode 9: Crystal Venom

Upon returning to the Castle of Lions, Allura and the team notice that something isn't right. A Galra crystal has corrupted all the machinery in the castle, including the AI of Allura'south father. She faces a hard selection. Meanwhile, Shiro attempts to interrogate Sendak.

Episode 10: Collection and Extraction

Using the information that Shiro got from Sendak, the Paladins explore a secret Galra space station. Shiro remembers his escape from the Galra, while Keith gets into a fight with a Galra Druid and discovers Quintessence, the life-force energy the empire's been harvesting from conquered planets. Allura, disguised every bit a Galra soldier, gets captured.

Episode xi: The Black Paladin

In an attempt to save Allura, Coran and the Paladins travel to Zarkon'due south massive send. Keith goes head to head with the emperor, who has successfully re-established his link with the Blackness Lion. The Paladins manage to salvage Allura and become her back to the castle. Everyone attempts to make a jerky retreat into a wormhole, but they run into a nasty surprise.

Season 2

Episode 1: Beyond the Universe

A parting shot from Zarkon's forces scatters the escaping Paladins and their lions to different locations in the universe. Meanwhile, Coran and Allura struggle to escape from a recurring wormhole time-loop before it's too tardily.

Episode 2: The Depths

Still separated from the team, Hunk and Lance effort to find their mode after crashing in an idyllic underwater kingdom. Though the lovely queen embraces them with open arms, things are non exactly what they seem. Lance discovers his lion'south affinity for h2o.

Episode 3: Shiro'southward Escape

Still recovering from wounds sustained in the crash, Shiro and Pidge follow a strange set of coordinates to an unlikely marry, which raises suspicious within the team. Keith gets a clue nearly his mysterious origins. Zarkon and Haggard unleash another robobeast.

Episode 4: Greening the Cube

While taking some downtime to repair the castle, Pidge finds a distress message in some strange spores. The Paladins land on Olkari and meet a race of highly advanced engineers, who combine technology with nature. Pidge and her king of beasts gain a new power in the fight against the Galra's latest weapon.

Episode 5: Eye of the Storm

Even as the heroes use wormholes to elude Zarkon, somehow the villain always manages to track downward the Paladins and the castle. Exhausted and drastic, Allura deduces that Zarkon is tracking them through a supernatural link to her. Unbeknownst to Allura, Keith has the same suspicion near himself.

Episode six: The Ark of Taujeer

Subsequently escaping Zarkon in one case again, Allura and Keith sneak off, each thinking they're the reason Zarkon is tracking them. Keith confesses his part-Galra heritage. Meanwhile, the residuum of the team attempts to rescue an conflicting race on a rapidly disintegrating planet nether assault from the Galra. Shiro reveals the existent reason Zarkon is tracking them so hands.

Episode vii: Infinite Mall

To make the final repairs to the castle's wormhole arrangement, Coran and most of the Paladins travel to a crazy space mall. Shiro stays behind. While he attempts to strengthen his bond with the Blackness Lion, he has a nasty run-in with Zarkon.

Episode 8: The Blade of Marmora

Keith and Shiro travel to the rebel Galra base, where they try to form an alliance. During the excursion, Keith undergoes a trial to notice out most his true lineage.

Episode 9: Belly of the Weblum

Keith and Hunk embark on a mission to excerpt minerals from an enormous infinite creature to complete repairs on the castle. On the manner, they come across a mysterious Galra, who works with them to escape the belly of the brute.

Episode x: Escape from Beta Traz

To help create a weapon to defeat Zarkon, Shiro, Lance and Pidge travel to free Slav, a paranoid genius, from a Galra prison. Pidge searches for clues about her missing family. Lance battles his own doubts.

Episode 11: Staying Alive

While the team is on a mission for a new crystal, the crystal-encapsulated robobeast from Season one awakens. Allura lets her hatred of the Galra overtake her, while the team makes the finishing touches on the weapon to end Zarkon.

Episode 12: All-time Laid Plans

With the piece of work on their weapon complete, now the Paladins and their allies put their plan to stop Zarkon into action. Thace, the undercover rebel agent, battles to complete his mission, while Keith volunteers to download a virus into Zarkon'southward ship. Allura comes to grips with her racism.

Episode 13: Coma

The final onslaught begins. Allura sacrifices something and makes a shocking discovery. Voltron forms the legendary blazing sword for its concluding boxing with Zarkon. Shiro disappears and Haggar makes a telephone call to bring in Prince Lotor, Zarkon's son.

What Happens Next?

With the threat of Prince Lotor looming and Shiro missing, Allura, Coran and the remaining Paladins will either have to find their missing friend or search for a replacement airplane pilot. This flavor has enough of room to dig into the whereabouts of Pidge's family and Keith's female parent, and fill in the missing gaps in Shiro'south memory. Whatever happens, it'south sure to be an action-packed adventure.

Credit: Netflix

Sherri 50. Smith has been cranking out product reviews for Laptopmag.com since 2011. In that time, she'south reviewed more than her share of laptops, tablets, smartphones and everything in between. The resident gamer and sound junkie, Sherri was previously a managing editor for Black Web two.0 and contributed to BET.Com and Popgadget.