The BEST episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe

#1 - Escape to Another Planet

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/11/1984

After escaping from Planet Doom aboard a stolen slave ship, the five space explorers are chased to Planet Arus by Yurak's forces. Crash landing on the worn torn planet, the five youn men find themselves unwelcomed by the citizens, who are afraid of what will happen to them. The slowly make their away across the desert to the ruined castle, in hopes that they will be able to find the secret to the legend of Voltron. There, they are greeted by Coran, the Castle Magistrate, who relates to them, the story of how Arus was once a beautiful planet within the Diamond Galaxy, and thusly destroyed by King Zarkon's forces. He however, looks over the young Princess Allura, the last survivor of the royal family and daughter to King Alfor, the man who created Voltron. The five space explorers vow to help resurrect the fallen robot defender and to help protect Arus against King Zarkon's forces. With Yurak adamant on finding them, Coran tells them of the locations of each Lion robot, in hopes that they will uncover secret to join them together to form Voltron

#2 - Space Explorers Captured

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/10/1984

The Planet Arus has been under attack by the ruthless King Zarkon for many years. Responding to a call for help, Galaxy Garrison sends a team of five young space explorers, Keith, Lance, Sven, Hunk and Pidge, hoping they could reach the devastated planet, in hopes to offer help. However, they are captured by Yurak before they could land on the beautiful planet. Knowing that they would be used as entertainment for the citizens of Doom in Haggar's Robeast arena, they work out an escape plan, to find a way out of the Doom Castle and a way to get back to Arus. Hunk's brute strength and Pidge's agility, they are able to break out of their meager cell and hijack a Doom Slave ship. Pursued by Doom Robot fighters, the five explorers managed to reach Planet Arus. They then recall a legend of a mighty robot, named Voltron that once stood and fought against the forces of Doom. Though defeated, whe King Zarkon's witch, Haggar disguised herself as a beautiful goddess, then split the giant defender into five lion ships, sending the robot lions crashing to Arus' surface. The five explorers then vow to find a way of learning the secret to Voltron, in hopes to resurrect the mighty robot, and save Arus from the forces of King Zarkon.

#3 - A Ghost and Four Keys

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/12/1984

Angered by Yurak's failures, Zarkon tasks his evil witch Haggar to send a robeast to Planet Arus, in hopes of capturing the five space explorers who escaped him and destroy what was left of any hopes to resurrect Voltron. Haggar sends her best robeast to Arus. On Arus, the newly formed Voltron Force watches helplessly as Yuraks forces attack Arus, while Coran reluctantly keeps the secret of the Lion ships to himself. Pidge decides to head out by himself to see exactly how near Yurak's forces are getting to the castle. Coran then reveals that the only way to activate the slumbering machines, is to locate the 5 mystic keys that can operate them. To Allura's surprise, he tells them that the keys were entombed with her father, the late King Alfor. Together, the members along with the Princess, make their way to the where King Alfor is entombed, and upon etnering the crypt, King Alfor's ghost makes his presence known to them. He shares with them his appreciation that five young strangers are willing to devote their lives to the protection of Arus. Unfortunately, to their dismay, only four keys are found with King Alfor, meaning that Voltron can't be formed, since the key to the Black Lion is missing. Reluctantly, the team take the four lions ships; Blue, Red, Yellow and Green , hoping to thwart the forces of Yurak. They are able to take out the many robot fighter ships and troops, but when Haggar's robeast finally lands on the planet, they soon realize that they are not prepared to handle a fight of this magnitude. Coran and the Princess watch in horror, as their new friends were easily defeated by the meanacing robeast.

#4 - The Missing Key

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/13/1984

Zarkon is angered that both Yurak and Haggar have failed in their attempts to bring back the escaped space explorers from Planet Arus. Haggar reassures Zarkon, that her robeast will be able to destroy the Voltron Force before they are able to find the missing key to the Black Lion. Pidge, slowly makes his way back to the Castle of Lions, where Coran and Princess Allura are worried that the five young men have just risked their lives in a failed attempt to bring back the legendary defender. On his return, Pidge makes his way back to the control room where Coran delivers the bad news. However, hope returns when Keith, Hunk, Lance and Sven recover from their ordeal and return to the castle. Still, the key to the Black Lion is still missing, so they make one last attempt to find it. Upon returning to King Alfor's tomb, they discover that there was a small mouse hole in the stone coffin. Pidge suggests that they capture the space mice he ran into earlier, in hopes of discovering the location of the missing key. They capture the four mice, and decide to question them about the whereabouts of the key they took. Allura however, interrupts them, asking them to let her friends go, revealing that the mice were the only creatures that gave her comfort in her years of being alone. On their suggestion, Allura questions her friends and learn that they took the key because they thought it was pretty. Making a deal, they release the mice, and they return with the key to the Black Lion. Just in time, the Voltron Force then launch to confront Haggar's robeast. The robeast puts up a great fight, and prevents them from forming Voltron, but on their second attempt, they are able to break free from the robeast attack and form the legendary defender. By forming the Blazing Sword, they are able to destroy the robeast.

#5 - Mousemania

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/23/1985

On Doom, Lotor has enlisted slaves to build his super power base with which he hopes to overthrow his father, King Zarkon. Work is over when a Robeast bursts on the scene and destroys the building. It seems Zarkon was wise to the plans and ordered Haggar to do the dirty work, though she hints that she would not have done so if Lotor had just included her in the plan from the start.

#6 - Attack of the Fierce Frogs

Season 1 - Episode 33 - Aired 11/8/1984

The opening scene here is classic. Zarkon is drinking a glass of wine but decides to hurl the goblet at Lotor, which cracks him squarely in the forehead. The reason for violence? Zarkon is disgusted at his son's efforts to take over Arus. When Lotor whines about Voltron always mucking up his plans, Zarkon advises him to find a weakness in Voltron's armor. Enter Haggar with her latest Robeast which is designed to fight best underwater - where Voltron is weakest. When Lotor wonders how they'll trick Voltron into fighting in water, Haggar produces a tank of 'mini-robeasts' that resemble tadpoles.

#7 - Envoy from Galaxy Garrison

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/22/1985

Cossack is berated by Zarkon and given one last chance to redeem himself for the last embarrassing defeat. After Zarkon exits, Lotor breezes in and talks big about overthrowing Zarkon.

#8 - Dinner and a Show

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/21/1985

The people on Pollux are enjoying their hard-earned peace when suddenly! Doom ships appear and out comes a new foe, Cossack the Terrible, to terrorize the peasants. A young boy is sent to warn Sven as Cossock rounds up villagers to take as slaves. Meanwhile, Sven expresses his decision to not re-join the Voltron Force in favor of staying there with Romelle. Bandor then teases Romelle and Sven about being in love. The messenger boy shows up. Sven and Bandor ride off on horseback to confront Cossack while Romelle goes to warn the Voltron Force.

#9 - Lotor, the King

Season 1 - Episode 51 - Aired 11/26/1984

This one picks up where the last one left off, with Voltron flying toward Doom and Lotor preparing to launch his father who is a most unwilling robeast pilot. Lotor is pumping up the morale of his troops, while Romelle and her forces are ready to lend Voltron a hand. She and Sven are prepared to take out Haggar's laboratory, while Lotor has sent out his minions to try to stop her

#10 - Zarkon Becomes a Robeast

Season 1 - Episode 50 - Aired 11/23/1984

Lotor is still smarting over his defeat in the last episode, marveling at how such a perfect plan went so wrong (though in the flashback, Lotor got a lot of the details of the last two episodes entirely wrong). Then, armed Doomites show up to arrest the Prince on Zarkon's orders and he's brought before his father. Zarkon orders him, like all that fail in battle, to be punished by going to prison. Haggar, however, is worried that the planets Lotor had conquered would revolt if their conquerer was imprisoned. Instead, she suggests Zarkon invite them to Lotor's court martial so that they would pledge allegiance to Zarkon. So Lotor is locked up pending his court martial.

#11 - Summit Meeting

Season 1 - Episode 47 - Aired 11/22/1984

#12 - It'll Be a Cold Day

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 11/21/1984

This one starts with Princess Romelle of Pollux being tossed into a dungeon cell on Doom by Prince Lotor. Due to her resemblance to her cousin Allura, Lotor figures he might as well live vicariously through her and snag a smooch. Of course, he is seriously denied when she sends him packing with a hefty slap to the face. She even tries to stab him with a sharp rock. Poor Lotor, he gets no respect.

#13 - One Princess to Another

Season 1 - Episode 45 - Aired 11/20/1984

Bandor gets a memo bearing some bad news - Zarkon and his cohorts are planning to fuel some 500 robeasts on a satellite called Nuklon. Something has to be done, and Sven and Romelle ( in a kickin' new 60's go-go girl outfit and cape - meow! ) elect to do the doing.

#14 - My Brother is a Robeast

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 11/19/1984

The Royal family from Planet Pollux has made a visit to planet doom. Lotor seems to have a particular thing against the planet's prince, Avok. So Avok is sent to the arena where he successfully beats a hiddeous beast. Infuriated, Lotor challenges the man himself and they get into a heated sword fight. But then Lotor spies Avok's sister and little brother standing on the sidelines the sister, Romelle, bears a striking resemblance to Allura. While he's busy gawking at the look-alike, Avok disarms Lotor.

#15 - Raid of the Red Berets

Season 1 - Episode 38 - Aired 11/16/1984

Instead of your typical Robeast, this time Haggar and Lotor have cooked up an elite fighting force of robots they call the Red Berets. Even Zarkon is impressed with their fighting style when he sees them in action at the Arena. The force of about 5 Berets is launched to Arus with a Robeast overnight.

#16 - A Transplant for the Blue Lion

Season 1 - Episode 32 - Aired 11/15/1984

This is a sequel to the previous episode. Both sides it seems are licking their wounds, so to speak, and preparing to do better next time. Princess is nursing her shoulder injury and worried about her Lion, when her father appears on the Castle monitor to impart some wisdom. He tells her and the rest of the team that the Lions are like 5 parts of a stream flowing into a river.

#17 - Lotor's New Hit Man

Season 1 - Episode 37 - Aired 11/14/1984

Lotor, Zarkon and Morgill are watching some of the up and coming pilots in the Academy practice when a stand-out performance from one catches their eye. The pilot, Carp, does a bold fly-by at the trio before landing. Morgill wants to kill him for his wreckless endagerment of the King, but Lotor sees the potential in his skill as a pilot and has him spared after Zarkon seconds that notion. Carp is willing to pilot a robeast for Doom but insists it be built to his specs and, when he defeats Voltron, demands to be made Governor General of Arus. Morgill has never been more infuriated but must hold his tongue and his sword.

#18 - The Mighty Space Mouse

Season 1 - Episode 46 - Aired 11/13/1984

Cheesy and his mousy cohorts are training to become warriors - you know, one of the team! Oh brother.While out training with pans on their heads as pseudo-helmets, they run across Haggar's blue cat and run to tell the Voltron Force of that little presence of Doom. Amid the excitement, the team unveils the Mouse Plane for the rodents, which is a tiny robotic mouse for them all to pilot. Heck, they even get mini-uniforms not unlike the Voltron Force's own. Cute, in that gag-me saccharine kind of way.

#19 - Voltron Frees the Slaves

Season 1 - Episode 43 - Aired 11/12/1984

Lotor once again is up to no good. First he conquers a new planet and dubs it Zarkonia. The people of Zarkonia are promptly enslaved and treated poorly, which Lotor hopes will draw Voltron...for he and Haggar have a little trap for their loathed arch enemy when he arrives.

#20 - Voltron vs. Voltron

Season 1 - Episode 44 - Aired 11/9/1984

Yadle, an unattended colony-planet of Zarkon's, declares itself independent and prepares to celebrate along with its allies, the Voltron Force. Haggar creates a Voltron look-alike to subdue its people with Lotor's guards before it will be used to attack the real robot. A young friend named Bobby goes to guide the Voltron Force to Yadle to get through Zarkon's magnetic field. However, they have yet to be warned that they are awaited by a robot that has all their powers and the ability to know what maneuvers they will perform even before they carry them out.

#21 - Final Victory

Season 1 - Episode 52 - Aired 11/27/1984

The last episode in season one finds the Lions trying to penetrate Castle Dooms defenses with a little help from Romelle's crew of rebels on the ground. Coran also decides it's time to lend a hand, so he flies the Castle of Lions to Doom to level the playing field.

#22 - Enter Merla: Queen of Darkness

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/6/1985

Zarkon is joining with more allies again, gaining a new armada and teaming up with Queen Merla. Zarkon eludes to having a very special trick up his sleeve.

#23 - Breakin' Up is Hard to Doom

Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 11/18/1985

Merla is sitting in her Castle and thinking she can never match the goodness of the Voltron force. Then, Lotor bursts in even though only females are allowed on Merla's planet. He says he's come to thank her for saving him. At first, she doesn't think he's sincere. But soon she's swept up in memories of their engagement and the thought of his little nephews running around all cute, with their pointy ears. Lotor vows to prove his love by helping Voltron. Merla is worried but also annoyed that Cossack is tagging along with Lotor on the mission.

#24 - The Alliance Strikes Back!

Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 11/15/1985

This one opens at the Castle of Lions, where the team and Coran are discussing the wide revolt going on against Zarkon. Oppressed people are finally rising up and fighting back against Zarkon - and winning! It's pretty sad when Doomies are losing to a bunch of kids or slaves riding silly looking "horse-a-roos". Yikes. The team decides that, even though they're a defensive unit, now is the time to strike Zarkon if only to free his slaves. Zarkon arrives back on Doom and is dismayed that his forces are too busy fighting to welcome their King. Then it goes from bad to worse as the Lions show up and form Voltron. Zarkon decides, after a bunch of his robot fighters are defeated, that he needs to vanquish Voltron himself. However, Lotor has taken his battle ship with the intentions of doing the vanquishing, getting the glory and ultimately, his father's throne. Zarkon's new mission, therefore, is to teach Lotor a lesson. However, Merla tries to talk Lotor out of going as she geniunely doesn't want to see him destroyed. Lotor balks at the show of emotion as she tries to reason with him and leaves anyway. Merla is left confused by the failure of her evil powers and the fact that she's not feeling so evil at all anymore.

#25 - No Muse is Good Muse

Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 11/14/1985

On Doom, Haggar has developed another of her unstoppable robeasts. But this time she tests it on a Voltron clone she built, and shows Merla how the Robeast is able to handle Voltron's best defenses, including his blazing sword. Zarkon is out of the loop on this one, and Merla can't wait to defeat Voltron without him.