“Bloodlines” (Season 5, Episode 5)
No surprise our next essential episode comes back to Keith. As mentioned before, he’s one of the top characters, and he also goes through a remarkable growth throughout the series, starting out as the isolated and brooding type before embracing the meaning of teamwork and friendship. Questions about his own origin had tormented him, but he lets them go to focus on the present dangers threatening the universe. Luckily for him, one of his biggest questions is answered in this episode.
Keith is sent on a mission by the Blade of Marmora to destroy a Galran super weapon and bring back one of their top operatives, Krolia. Before he embarks on this mission, he’s warned not to let his emotions cloud his judgment. He successfully meets up with Krolia, but things don’t go according to plan. The Galra capture Keith, and in exchange, they want the code for the super weapon. Keith is surprised when Krolia gives us the information.
The best part is when Krolia uses Keith’s Marmora blade. Once they escape and things settle down, he asks how she was able to activate it. The bomb drops on us when Krolia admits the truth. The blade used to belong to her and she left it with Keith’s father. She reveals herself as Keith’s mother, making this one of the best “wow” moments in the series.
Meanwhile, Lotor grants the Voltron team access to his headquarters as proof of their alliance. Lance, Pidge, and Hunk, on the other hand, take the opportunity to reprogram their Galran escort sentry. Things naturally become sillier from this point forward. They run around the headquarters, engaging in a few hilarious shenanigans. Again, the series does such a fantastic job at balancing the humor and more serious elements of the story.