Beast King GoLion

Lore & Background

The story of GoLion is set in 1999, when the planet Altea has already been destroyed and its people enslaved by the Galra Empire. Five space pilots—Akira Kogane, Takashi Shirogane, Isamu Kurogane, Tsuyoshi Seidou, and Hiroshi Suzuishi—return to Earth from a space station mission only to find the planet annihilated by a nuclear war. They are ambushed, captured, and enslaved by a Galra ship, forced to fight in Emperor Daibazaal's arena. After escaping, they land on Altea and discover the secret of GoLion, a sentient robot that was once arrogant and challenged the goddess of the universe. The goddess separated GoLion into five lion robots that were placed across Altea, awaiting those who would reawaken him. Princess Farla recruits the pilots to fight the Empire.

Reader's Guide

Beast King GoLion is significant as the original Japanese anime that was adapted into the internationally popular Voltron: Defender of the Universe. The series introduced a team of five distinct pilots, each with a unique personality and lion robot, combining into a single giant robot—a formula that influenced the mecha genre. The show's narrative includes themes of hubris, redemption, and resistance against tyranny, with characters like the hot-tempered Tsuyoshi, the joking Isamu, and the young prodigy Hiroshi. Princess Farla, who becomes the Blue Lion's pilot after Shirogane's death, adds a royal and determined perspective. The series also features a manga adaptation by Yoshiki Tsuchiyama serialized in Televi-Land. In 2008, GoLion was released on Region 1 DVD in three volumes, preserving its legacy for new audiences.

Did You Know?

• The animation from GoLion was edited and trimmed to create the American version Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
• Takashi Shirogane dies in episode 6 from arena injuries, but his burial is not explicitly shown as a 'hero's burial' in the original GoLion; that detail is from Voltron.
• Princess Farla is not the only person who can understand the Space Mice; other characters can understand them at times.

Production, Adaptation, and Release

Beast King GoLion is a Japanese super mecha anime that originally aired between 1981 and 1982, carrying the full title "The King of Hundred Beasts GoLion." Its cultural footprint extended well beyond Japan. The animation was later edited and trimmed to produce the American series Voltron: Defender of the Universe, which received entirely new character names and rewritten dialogue, introducing the mecha concept to a Western audience under a different identity. In 2008, the original anime finally reached North American collectors through a Region 1 DVD release spanning three volumes, allowing fans to experience the unaltered series for the first time. To complement the television broadcast during its original run, a manga adaptation penned by Yoshiki Tsuchiyama was serialized in the magazine Televi-Land, giving the story a parallel life in print. Together, these adaptations and releases demonstrate how a single Japanese production could be reshaped, repackaged, and redistributed across multiple media and markets over several decades.

A Post-Apocalyptic Premise and Ancient Legend

The narrative unfolds in the year 1999, a future in which the planet Altea has been conquered and enslaved by the Galra Empire. Five young space pilots—Akira Kogane, Takashi Shirogane, Isamu Kurogane, Tsuyoshi Seidou, and Hiroshi Suzuichi—return to Earth after a routine exploration mission, only to discover the planet destroyed by World War III. Before they can process the loss, a Galra vessel ambushes them, captures them, and drags them into Emperor Daibazaal's gladiatorial arena, where they must fight for survival. Their eventual escape brings them to Altea, where they uncover the secret of GoLion, a sentient robot of immense power. Millennia earlier, GoLion was a proud machine who, after defeating numerous Beastmen, arrogantly challenged the goddess of the universe. His defeat cost him his unity: the goddess shattered him into five lion-shaped fragments that drifted through space and crash-landed on Altea, waiting for worthy pilots to reassemble him and wage war against tyranny once more.

Five Pilots, Five Metals, Five Personalities

The GoLion team is built around a deliberate naming convention drawn from Japanese words for metals. Akira Kogane, whose surname references gold, pilots the Black Lion in a red uniform and serves as the group's even-tempered, strategically minded leader. Takashi Shirogane (silver) flew the Blue Lion in black before his death in episode six from wounds inflicted by Honerva; his younger brother Ryou later joined the cause and also fell in battle. Isamu Kurogane (iron or steel) commands the Red Lion in blue, acting as a wily, teasing second-in-command who is the only member to openly challenge Akira's orders. Tsuyoshi Seidō (bronze) pilots the Yellow Lion in orange; a quick-tempered strongman with a soft spot for children and an insatiable appetite. Hiroshi Suzuishi (tin) is the youngest at roughly twelve, piloting the Green Lion in green, a science prodigy with a ninja heritage who uses his small frame and agility to his advantage. Each pilot's color-coded uniform and lion assignment creates a tight visual and thematic identity for the team.

Princess Farla and the Court of Altea

Princess Farla, sixteen years old and ruler of the Kingdom of Altea, carries a deeply personal vendetta against Emperor Daibazaal. Her parents, older siblings, and sister were all executed when she was just a year old, and she was spirited away and raised by the royal adviser Raible, who treated her as his own daughter. After Shirogane's death, Farla surprises everyone by taking up the Blue Lion's controls herself, donning a pink uniform and flying with a relative inexperience that occasionally endangers the entire team. Her late father's spirit occasionally manifests to offer guidance. She is strong-willed and somewhat naïve, chafing under the constant fussing of Raible and Senior Court Lady Hys, both of whom are bent on shielding her from harm and keeping her in a strictly royal mold. Her sole living relative is her aunt, Queen Elena. Farla's closest companions are a pair of mice, Platt and Chuchule, who have kept her company since childhood. She is also the object of unwanted advances from Imperial Prince Sincline, who sees his dead mother's face in her.