If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:
The Legend
Begins
We have an interesting way of closing out the third season
featuring deep backstory to broaden the whole series. The Paladins are brainstorming Lotor’s
motives and the importance of the comet that made the Voltron lions, and a
history lesson helps them understand both things.
The backstory features some of the deepest
bonds and insightful character development of the series. It tells all about the original Paladins, how
Voltron came to be, and that some characters weren’t always the way they are in
the present. Take two of the most
principal Paladins out of the original five, King Alfor of Altea and Zarkon of
Daibazaal for instance. You may see them
as total polar opposites when it comes to morality, but there was a time when
their chemistry was pure and their compatibility was simply excellence. Zarkon especially stands out with his great
devotion to his friends by making sure to look out for his comrades in the name
of bringing peace to the universe. It’s
hard to believe he wasn’t always an evil monarch.
Then there’s the matter of that comet which
landed on Daibazaal nearly wiping out all of Zarkon’s subjects. Its crash created a rift to alternate
dimensions, which would explain how its ore was able to create powerful
machines and weapons that could withstand them.
This included the Voltron lions which Alfor, who was also an alchemist,
created. Through it all, Alfor’s
creative ambitions were balanced by Zarkon’s caution towards the comet over how
it can harm his people. To him, it seemed
like the only good thing it brought was an interdimensional woman who would
become the love of his life named Honerva.
It was also her who kept pushing for experiments with the rift which
awoke creatures of dangerous power. This
is where Voltron came in to show just how big of a weapon for peace it would
become when it single-handedly beat those creatures back.
However, it was after that encounter with the
creatures when Zarkon became convinced to abandon the idea of sealing the
rift. With Voltron fending off any harm
and the wonder Honerva kept discovering from it, nothing was stopping him from
expanding it to in turn expand his empire.
It’s quite shocking that Zarkon’s changed mindset turned out to be so
sudden, but a good suggestion comes from his exposure to the frequently
mentioned quintessence. With how
refreshing and powerful this energy source has been shown to be, it’s
believable that it would suddenly make him obsessive of power. Said obsession even has present effects, such
as his push to win back the black lion.
It seemed like Zarkon would see sense when Honerva suddenly fell ill
following her own quintessence exposure.
However, when he told the Paladins he wanted to seal the rift, their
actions instead caused it to grow bigger.
It seemed like both Zarkon and Honerva were destroyed from the
exposure, so Alfur committed the dark act by destroying their home planet of
Daibazall. This sealed the rift for
good, but as the quintessence helped Zarkon survive and Honerva come back as
Haggar, the galactic war as we know it began with Altea’s destruction. This story is really heavy as it is, and it’s
highly effective on the present as well.
The Paladins start suggesting the push for quintessence has gotten to
Lotor, and the use of quintessence is shown to bring Zarkon out of his
coma.
It’s suspenseful stuff to raise
the stakes for the future and stand as its own emotional stories of doomed
friendships. This season finale really
packs a punch of animated storytelling.
A+
Season 3 Rankings
1. The Legend
Begins
2. Hole in the
Sky
3. Red Paladin
4. Changing of
the Guard
5. Tailing the
Comet
6. The Journey
7. The Hunted
Season 3 may be over, but there’s still plenty
of room for more looks at Voltron:
Legendary Defender. Reviews for Season 4 begin next time.If you would like to check out other Voltron: Legendary Defender reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
No comments:
Post a Comment