Voltron Force

Evil is back: Prince Lotor returns with dark energy while a new generation of cadets unites five robot lions to form Voltron, Defender of the Universe.

Voltron Force is an animated television series that premiered on June 16, 2011, exclusively on Nicktoons. Serving as a sequel to the 1980s animated series Voltron and the 1999 CGI series Voltron: The Third Dimension, it centers on the reunion of the original Voltron Force alongside a new group of cadets training to follow in their footsteps. The narrative focuses on five heroic pilots who control five awesome robot lions. When Prince Lotor, son of Emperor Zarkon, returns with dark energy capable of destroying the galaxy, these lions combine to form Voltron, Defender of the Universe. The show also features a corrupt military commander, General Hawk, who seeks to discredit and destroy the Voltron Force to seize control of the Galaxy Alliance and establish a military dictatorship.

Quick Facts

Genre: Adventure; Science fiction
Creator: World Events Productions
Developer: Todd Garfield
Director: Steven E. Gordon; John Delaney
Theme music: Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean
Composer: Steffan Andrews; Hal Beckett
Country: United States; Canada
Language: English

Lore & Background

The series premise is narrated by Daniel (Vincent Tong), who declares that "Evil is back" due to the return of Prince Lotor and his destructive dark energy. The conflict involves not only Lotor's monstrous Robeasts but also a corrupt military commander, General Hawk, plotting to discredit and destroy Voltron to seize control of the Galaxy Alliance and establish a military dictatorship. The team consists of original members reuniting with cadets who train to pilot their respective lions. In battle, they must synchronize perfectly; when necessary, the five lions combine to form the mighty robot Voltron to repel attacks. The storyline originally planned for a second season but ended abruptly on April 25, 2012, after only one season.

Reader's Guide

Production began when Nickelodeon announced "Voltron Panthera Force" on March 11, 2010, at their Upfront Presentation. The title was officially changed to Voltron Force on April 4, 2010. By June 7, 2010, Variety confirmed plans for a 26-episode season airing in 2011 by World Events Productions and Kickstart Entertainment. In March 2011, Emmy-nominated composer Hal Beckett and Gemini-nominated composer Steffan Andrews were announced to score the show. Marketing efforts included storyboards revealed on the official Facebook profile run by WEP. A partnership with THQ was announced for video games in 2011 and 2012; however, only the classic series game released on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in November 2011 before THQ's closure left future rights in question.

Did You Know?

The show ended on an unresolved cliffhanger in the episode "Black" because budget funding complications prevented a second season from being produced.
The series finale features Daniel attacking his teammates while infected with Haggarium inside the black lion.
Planned video games for 2012 based on Voltron Force were never released following the closure of publisher THQ.
The show premiered exclusively on Nicktoons on June 16, 2011, exactly 31 years after the original series debuted.