Voltron is an American animated television series franchise that features a team of space explorers who pilot a giant super robot known as "Voltron". Produced by Peter Keefe and Ted Koplar through his production company World Events Productions, Voltron was an adaptation of several Japanese anime television series from Toei Animation. The original television series aired in syndication from September 10, 1984, to November 18, 1985. The first season of Voltron, featuring the "Lion Force Voltron", was adapted from the series Beast King GoLion. The second season, featuring the "Vehicle Team Voltron", was adapted from the unrelated series Armored Fleet Dairugger XV.
The history of anime in the United States began in 1961, when Magic Boy and The White Snake Enchantress, both produced by Toei Animation, became the first and second anime films to receive documented releases in the country. Anime has since found success with a growing audience in the region, with Astro Boy often being noted as the first anime to receive widespread syndication, especially in the United States. Additionally, anime's growth in popularity in the US during the 1990s, commonly referred to as the "anime boom," is credited with much of anime's enduring relevance to popular culture outside Japan.
Peter Claver Cullen is a Canadian voice actor. He is notable for voicing Optimus Prime in the original 1980s Transformers animated series, later returning to the role in Transformers media in 2007, starting with the first live-action film. He has also voiced many other characters across a wide variety of popular media, including Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, the first voice of KARR in Knight Rider and the vocalizations of the title character in Predator.
Armored Fleet Dairugger XV is a mecha anime series aired in Japan from 1982 to 1983 for 56 episodes.
WEP LLC, doing business as World Events Productions, is an American-based animation and distribution company in St. Louis, Missouri, best known for releasing the anime titles Voltron, Defender of the Universe and Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, as well as producing the original animated series Denver, the Last Dinosaur.
Popy (ポピー) was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971 and merged back into the parent company in 1983. The company is best known for its groundbreaking Chogokin robot figures.
Voltron: The Third Dimension is an American animated television series produced by World Events Productions. It is a sequel to the 1980s animated series Voltron: Defender of the Universe and is set five years after the end of the series. Neil Ross, Michael Bell, and B.J. Ward reprised their roles as Keith, Lance, and Princess Allura for the series. The show was animated by Netter Digital Entertainment, inc. and Mike Young Productions. It departed from the original Voltron's animated look, as well as some character changes, such as the physical appearance of Prince Lotor.
Voltron: Fleet of Doom is an American-Japanese television special involving heroes of both Voltron series working together to defeat their sworn enemy, King Zarkon, who aligns with the remnants of Emperor Zeppo's Drule Empire to create a mighty armada called the Fleet of Doom.
Voltron Force is an American animated television series that premiered on June 16, 2011, exclusively on Nicktoons. It is a sequel to the 1980s animated series Voltron and the 1999 CGI series Voltron: The Third Dimension. It ended after one season on April 25, 2012, with the planned second season being unproduced.
Peter Eugene Keefe was an American television producer best known for creating the popular series Voltron, an English-dubbed combination of Beast King GoLion, and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV, two similar but unrelated "mecha" anime series originally created and produced by Toei Animation. Keefe's work on the series is credited with introducing American audiences to Japanese animation and influenced later shows like the Dragon Ball, Pokémon, and Power Rangers franchises, although earlier Japanese TV programs like Astro Boy, Speed Racer and Ultraman had aired on American television prior to the premiere of Voltron.
Voltron: Legendary Defender is an American animated mecha television series produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and World Events Productions. It is animated by South Korean studio Mir for Netflix. It is a reboot of the Voltron franchise and the Japanese anime series Beast King GoLion. Its animation is a mix of anime-influenced traditional animation for characters and backgrounds and CGI for Voltron action sequences. Voltron: Legendary Defender is set in a science fiction universe where planetary energy called quintessence can be used to power vehicles and magic. The series follows the adventures of the Paladins of Voltron who must learn to work together to form the legendary robot Voltron and use it to defeat the Emperor Zarkon and the Galra Empire. The series ran from June 10, 2016 to December 14, 2018, having released 78 episodes over 8 seasons.
Voltron is a 1984 American-Japanese animated television series produced by World Events Productions for a total of 124 episodes. The series is an adaptation of the Japanese super robot anime series Beast King Go-Lion, which was dubbed into English and edited to create Voltron episodes. Later episodes also use footage from the mecha anime Armored Fleet Dairugger XV.
Keith Akira Kogane, known as Chief Akira Kogane in the original Japanese language Beast King GoLion, is a fictional character in the media franchise Voltron and leader of the Voltron Force, who made his debut appearance in Defender of the Universe.
Princess Allura, known as Princess Farla in the original Japanese language Beast King GoLion, is a fictional character in the media franchise Voltron and member of the Voltron Force, who made her first appearance in Voltron.
Emperor Zarkon, known as Emperor Daibazaal in the original Japanese language Beast King GoLion, is a fictional character in the media franchise Voltron and an antagonist of the Voltron Force, who made his first appearance in Voltron.
Prince Lotor, known as Prince Imperial Sincline in the original Japanese language Beast King GoLion and in the sixth season of Voltron: Legendary Defender, is a fictional character in the media franchise Voltron, and is an antagonist of the Voltron Force who made his first appearance in Voltron.
Sven Holgersson, known as Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane is a fictional character in the media franchise Voltron, and a member of the Voltron Force. The character's first appearance was in Voltron: Defender of the Universe. The character has received a positive critical reception, although their depiction as a gay man in Legendary Defender has been criticised as being poorly written.
Tsuyoshi "Hunk" Garret, known as Tsuyoshi Seidou or by his nickname Hothead in the original Japanese language Beast King GoLion, is a fictional character in the media franchise Voltron, and a member of the Voltron Force. The character's first appearance was in Voltron.
