10 most essential episodes of Voltron: Legendary Defender

“Lions’ Pride, Part 2” (Season 7, Episode 13)

The battle for Earth claims various lives and challenges everyone in unexpected ways, but this particular episode stands out — because Voltron isn’t the only universe defending robot on the block. Just when things seem too dire, the team unveils another trick up its collective sleeve in a jaw-dropping way.

On top of having to fight Galran forces, the paladins also have to face an unknown robot. Try as they might, the robot beats Voltron down and starts to drain its energy. The IGF-Atlas, the ship Samuel Holt built using Altean and Galran technology, is unable to make much of a difference in the fight. That is, until Shiro harnesses the power of the crystal powering the Atlas and transforms the ship into a gigantic Voltron-esque robot.

While the Atlas provides cover, Team Voltron does what it must to recover and get back on track. After making some intelligent observations, the paladins manage to defeat the robot — only to discover the mechanical beast was being operated by an Altean. The cliffhanger ending brings up a dozen questions and cleverly sets the stage for the last round of Voltron episodes.

The episode also ends with the paladins seeing their families after being away from home for years. It’s a teary-eyed and emotional ending because Voltron is about family. Regardless of whether it’s biological or by choice, family is what motivates them to do what they do on a daily basis. And they’re not just protecting their own families. They’re also protecting families from across the universe.