10 most essential episodes of Voltron: Legendary Defender

“The Legend Begins” (Season 3, Episode 7)

Every story has an origin. For the Lions of Voltron, their story dates back thousands and thousands of years. The current paladins are only working with partial information, so Coran finally clears the air and reveals the true origin of Voltron and its paladins. It’s a fascinating story that puts things into perspective and answers so many questions.

The story begins when a comet made of multi-dimensional properties crashes on Daibazaal, Zarkon’s home planet. King Alfor uses mineral from the comet to build Voltron. Alfor takes the Red Lion, Zarkon commands the Black Lion, Lady Trigel pilots the Green Lion, Blaytz bonds with the Blue Lion, and Gyrgan connects with the Yellow Lion.

Together, they fight evil across the galaxy. Unfortunately, evil is brewing on Zarkon’s home planet. Zarkon’s wife, an Altean alchemist by the name of Honerva, is corrupted while studying the breach in space left behind by the comet.

Both Zarkon and Honerva start to go down a dark path. Their exposure to pure quintessence changes them drastically. This forces Alfor to close the crevice in order to ensure the safety of their universe. As a result, Alfor and the other paladins destroy Daibazaal. This turns into a war that spans thousands of years.

These flashbacks allow the current paladins and the audience to understand how things fell apart the way they did during the time of King Alfor. Sometimes, knowing your past, even if it’s not directly related to you, informs your decisions for the future.