Netflix Sci-Fi Anime Remake Resurrected An 80s Icon

If you’re a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, then you’ll likely recognize Voltron: Legendary Defender showrunners Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos, who are known for their work in the Avatar franchise.

While Legendary Defender doesn’t quite reach the lofty highs of The Last Airbender, the beautiful animation, immensely likable characters, and interesting lore are all there. The animation of the series is unique too, with anime-influenced traditional animation and CGI mixed to impressive effect thanks to animation from South Korean studio Mir.

Voltron: Legendary Defender’s likable characters are brought to life by a great voice cast that includes Steven Yeun as Keith, Jeremy Shada as Lance, Bex Taylor-Klaus as Pidge, Josh Keaton as Shiro, Tyler Labine as Hunk, Kimberly Brooks as Princess Allura, Rhys Darby as Coran, Neil Kaplan as Emperor Zarkon, and Cree Summer as Witch Haggar.

The series takes place in a world where the dictatorial Galra Empire has destroyed numerous civilizations and enslaved various races. Fortunately, a group of space pilots discover the Blue Lion, one of the five lion starships used to form the legendary mecha known as Voltron.

The five pilots, known as the Paladins of Voltron, work with Princess Allura to reunite the Lions, form Voltron, and join the Galran War to save the universe from the Galra Empire’s grip.

While eight seasons might seem like a long time to tell that story, Voltron: Legendary Defender does manage to continually up the stakes and keep you intrigued until the very end. That’s partially because it does a good job of getting you attached to the characters, but the larger stakes are also interesting.

Even if the storytelling and characters weren’t a major draw for Voltron: Legendary Defender, the animation in the battle scenes is worth the price of admission alone.

Sure, the animation to form Voltron is a little overused throughout the series, but the battles are always super creative and Mir definitely knows how to animate a fight scene.

Mir’s track record with The Legend of Korra and, more recently, My Adventures with Superman speak for themselves, but the studio’s talents are certainly on full display in this show. 

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The bad news is that Voltron: Legendary Defender was reported to be leaving Netflix at the end of the year, so now might be the best time to watch it. The series is eight seasons long, and the first episode is nearly movie-length, so it might take you a bit to get through it all. Check out Voltron: Legendary Defender on Netflix while you have the chance if you want a truly great re-imagining of an 80s classic.