Prince Lotor
| Prince Lotor | |
|---|---|
| Voltron character | |
| First appearance | Prince Imperial Sincline: "The Crown Prince of Hell" (1981) Prince Lotor: "Yurak Gets His Pink Slip" (1984) |
| Voiced by | Lennie Weinrib (1984–1985) Tim Curry (1998–2000) Mark Hildreth (2011–2012) A. J. Locascio (2016–2018) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Altean & Galra hybrid |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Prince Emperor |
| Occupation | Emperor of the Galra Empire Prince of the Galra Empire Exile of the Galra Empire |
| Family | Emperor Zarkon (father) Honerva / Haggar (mother)[1] |
| Spouse | Queen Merla (formerly, annulled) |
| Significant other | Princess Allura (formerly, Legendary Defender) |
| Homeworld | Galra (Planet Doom) |
Prince Lotor, known as Prince Imperial Sincline (シンクライン, Shinkurain) 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.[2][3][4]
Voltron: Defender of the Universe
"Yurak Gets His Pink Slip" (1984) was Prince Lotor's first appearance, as the initial primary antagonist to the Voltron Force.[5]
Voltron: The Third Dimension
In the final battle with the Voltron Force, Lotor was seriously injured when Voltron destroyed his space ship. Though he was recovered, in order to save his life, Galaxy Alliance doctors rebuilt Lotor using metal limbs. Lotor was imprisoned under maximum security conditions at the prison facility Bastille 12. He escaped and sought revenge on the Voltron Force.
Voltron Force
Prince Lotor was killed by Voltron several years before the start of the show, Lotor was brought back to life by Maahox, using the power of Haggarium. He assumes the throne of Planet Doom. With Maahox as his personal advisor, he collects Haggarium and launches several attacks against Arus and Voltron for the purpose of getting information. He fights Voltron by himself, until Voltron in its Red Center transformation kills him.
Voltron: Legendary Defender
Prince Lotor is the prince of the Galra Empire and the son of Emperor Zarkon. After Zarkon's defeat to Voltron puts the emperor in a coma, under the care of Haggar, the prince is summoned by the witch to lead in his father's stead. Lotor, with mysterious plans of his own, would join with the Voltron Force after Zarkon awakens and declares his son an enemy of the Empire. The prince eventually kills his own father and takes the throne.
This alliance soon sours as Lotor's true motives are revealed and he battles Voltron with his own superpowered robot, Sincline. Lotor is ultimately defeated and abandoned to die in the Quintessence comprising the barrier between realities. While Sincline is later retrieved by Haggar, Lotor's own fate is left ambiguous. A younger Lotor from an alternate timeline is briefly seen in the eighth season, failing to recognize Haggar as Honerva.
Comics
In the 2011 Devil's Due comics, the Prince Lotor character appears in the book.[6]
Conception
One the differences to Prince Lotor in Voltron: Legendary Defender compared to his 1984 counterpart is that he didn't have an obsessive love towards Princess Allura. His affection for her is treated as genuine, which is confirmed by series staff writers.[7]
According to the Voltron writer Lauren Montgomery, the reason why Lotor became evil was his tragic upbringing where he was abandoned by his parents (his mother not knowing he was her son), Lotor had to survive on his own, even if it means tricking others to get what he wanted. Montgomery further stated that had Lotor raised by in a better background, Lotor would likely have grown into a much better person.[8]
Prince Lotor's life is multiplied by Quintessence, allowing him to live for 10,000 years, due to being already conceived by the time his mother, Honerva, entered the rift on Daibazaal.[9]
Reception
The character has been praised for being a nuanced character.[10][11][12]
See also
References
- ^ AfterBuzz TV Animation. "Voltron Legendary Defender Season 5 Episodes 1 & 2 Review & Reaction - AfterBuzz TV". Retrieved 28 January 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Voltron". Anime News Network. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ "VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER Showrunners On New Season, The New Legend... & LOTOR?!". Newsarama. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ "Voltron Hero and Villain Talk The Legend". Den of Geek. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ "VOLTRON: The Third Dimension". 12 May 2006. Archived from the original on 12 May 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
- ^ Voltron Defender of the Universe Vol.1. Devil's Due Digital. ISBN 9781933160849. Retrieved 22 January 2019 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Voltron’s Message of Love". Den of Geek. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ "Voltron: The Ultimate Downfall of Lotor". Den of Geek. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ AfterBuzz TV Animation (5 March 2018). "Voltron Legendary Defender Season 5 Episodes 1 & 2 Review & Reaction - AfterBuzz TV". Retrieved 4 March 2019 – via YouTube.
Lauren: "Being in her womb as she was being exposed to all this quintessence it's like, it's part of his DNA. It almost puts him on a level with Allura who—In which her quintessence is definitely part of her DNA. So it's uh, interesting to see." Joaquim: "And it's allowed him to stay so beautifully young this entire time." Lauren: "Yes, beautifully young. He's aged at a much slower rate than your average Galra."
- ^ "'Voltron: Legendary Defender': Is Lotor Redeemable?". Anime. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ "VOLTRON Season 3: The Evolution of Prince Lotor". 14 August 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ Greenbaum, Aaron (3 August 2017). "Prince Lotor Is a Different Kind of Villain in Voltron: Legendary Defender". Retrieved 22 January 2019.