Voltron

Voltron is an American animated television series adaptation of two different Japanese anime series (Beast King GoLion and Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV), produced as a joint venture between World Events Productions and Toei Animation. The series, which aired in Syndication from September 10, 1984 to November 18, 1985, was originally titled Voltron: Defender of the Universe.

There have been two remakes of the original series. Voltron: The Third Dimension, was made in the 1990s using computer-generated imagery techniques. The series was dubbed into English and edited by the North American television production and distribution company World Events Productions. Distribution rights to all shows are now under ownership of Sony Pictures Television.

Lion Force Voltron (Voltron of the Far Universe)
The first season was based on the 1981 series, which featured a team of five young pilots commanding five robot lions, which could be combined to form Voltron. In this undefined future era, the Voltron Force was in charge of protecting the planet Arus (ruled by Princess Allura) from the evil King Zarkon (from planet Doom), his son Lotor, and the witch Haggar, who would create huge Robeasts to terrorize the people of Arus. Despite being the first of the two robots to appear on American television, the "GoLion" version of Voltron was regarded as "Voltron III" within the storyline because, within the original planned "three-Voltron" continuity, Arus was the furthest setting from Earth's side of the universe ("Voltron I" being intended for the Near Universe, and "Voltron II" for the Middle Universe).

Vehicle Voltron the Superior Voltron (Voltron of the Near Universe)
The second season was based on, with the storyline considerably changed. In this iteration of Voltron, the Galaxy Alliance's home planets have become overcrowded, and a fleet of explorers has been sent to search for new planets to colonize. Along the way, they attract the attention of the evil Drule Empire, long engaged in an ongoing war against the Alliance, and the Drules proceed to interfere in the mission of the explorers and the colonists. Since the Voltron of Planet Arus was too far away to help the explorers, a totally new Voltron is constructed to battle the Drule threat.

This Voltron team consisted of fifteen members, who were divided into three teams of five, known respectively as the Land, Sea, and Air Teams. Each team was specialized in gathering data or fighting in their area of expertise. Each team could also combine their vehicles into a bigger machine, with each combined vehicle differing amongst the three teams. These fighters were:


 * The Aqua Fighter (Sea Team)
 * The Turbo Terrain Fighter (Land Team)
 * The Strato Fighter (Air Team)
 * When necessary, all fifteen vehicles combine to form the mighty Voltron. This Voltron in the toyline was referred to as *Voltron I (also called the Vehicle Team), possibly due to it being closer to Earth than the more popular Voltron III (or Lion Force Voltron).

According to the backstory provided by World Events Productions, Vehicle Voltron was constructed after consultations by the Galaxy Alliance with Planet Arus's King Alfor before his death, with the new Voltron's designs retrofitted in part from the original, much older, Lion Voltron schematics.

In the continuity of the Image and Devil's Due comic series, Vehicle Voltron came about through the Galaxy Garrison reverse engineering the original Voltron after abducting it from Arus under orders from a Drule spy. The machine was renamed "V-15" within the comics, and was first deployed after Voltron to recapture until they receive new orders to support it. Unlike the animated series, which only had two crossovers with the Lion Force