The first day of San Diego Comic-Con 2017 kicked off with fans flocking to Room 6BCF for the popular Netflix series Voltron: Legendary Defender.
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The show’s 7-episode third season is set to drop on the streaming service on August 4, introducting new villain Prince Lotor as the team deals with the sudden disappearance of their leader and Black Lion pilot Shiro.
Producers Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery were joined on the panel by stars Bex Taylor-Klaus and Tyler Labine, moderated by Kyle Anderson.
Stay tuned for more updates and new details revealed about Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 3.
Season 3 Premiere: “Changing of the Guard”
The panel began with Prince Lotor beckoning the audience to be quiet. He then introduced the premiere episode of Season 3 called “Changing of the Guard.”
The episode began with Keith searching for Shiro’s last whereabouts after his disappearance, though there was nothing left in his wake.
Princess Alurra and Coran discuss uniting the populations they’ve rescued and bringing them into the fight against the Galra.
Lance and Hunk fight against the Galra Empire to liberate a planet under their thrall. They team Kolivan with the Blade of Marmora and end up defeating their enemies using only the Blue and Yellow Lions.
While searching for her family, Pidge and Coran learn that rebel cells are banding together from within the Galra Empire. When Princess Alurra hints that they might need to find a new pilot for the Black Lion, Keith gets angry and wants to find Shiro.
Season 3 Premiere: “Changing of the Guard” Continued…
Haggar turns Throk away after he attempts to see Emperor Zarkon.
Some of the leaders from the liberated worlds meet with Alurra, the Paladins, and Kolivan to discuss fighting for Voltron. They are eager to see the lions form into the legendary weapon, but Keith gets angry and storms off while declaring that Voltron cannot be formed without Shiro.
Prince Lotor finally debuts, fighting in the gladiator pits. He calls out Throk when the latter nearly attempts an insurrection, beckoning him to fight.
Lotor easily bests Throk but instead of destroying him, he extends a hand and says that all Galra must work together. Lotor then meets with his inner circle and says “the masses are easily manipulated.” He then orders Throk to the furthest outpost to rot.
The other Paladins inspire Keith to figure out a way to move on without Shiro, as it’s what their former leader would have wanted. The episode ends.
The Panel Begins
The panelists finally came to the stage where they revealed Season 3 will only consist of seven episodes, but that they will release even more episodes in September.
The idea is to give fans “more Voltron more often,” Montgomery said.
Dos Santos said that Lotor will play a huge role in the season.
Montgomery and Taylor-Klaus talked about Pidge and her quest for her family continuing.
Labine joked that Hunk is going to start a “space-food truck.”
The conversation shifted to the Blade of Marmora and how some of the people they’re helping to free aren’t trusting them. They are going through a similar story as Princess Alurra did earlier in the series.
Lotor came up next and Dos Santos discussed how he’s different from Zarkon, who is clearly evil. But Lotor has a different background, so he will be explored. “He’s still not a good guy, but he’s definitely got a different approach,” Montgomery said.
They announced that AJ LoCascio is voicing Lotor for Voltron: Legendary Defender.
Dos Santos said that Lotor’s inner circle of generals is made up of four half-breed Galra women, showing how he’s more open minded than his father who thought “the old way is the only way.”
Fan Q&A
Before they opened the floor up for fan questions, they announced the series will be available for digital download in August.
A fan asked changed changing the name of the Pidge family dog from Gunther to Beybey, and they said that they had a dog at their studio who passed away named Beybey and so they made the change to honor him.
The next fan asked about the team dynamic without Shiro. “It’s a bit of a mess,” Montgomery admitted. They said they might need to get outside help. Alurra is strong but has not evolved into a leader, and Keith was a jerk for this episode — none of them are able to fulfill Shiro’s vital role yet.
A fan asked for advice on how to get into the business, and Montgomery said to keep working because there are many different avenues to be able to break in. Dos Santos added that you shouldn’t be afraid to work your way up through the system, and Labine said that rejection is a part of the pitch process and to keep working.
Another fan asked if Lance was the oldest, middle, or youngest in his large family. Dos Santos and Montgomery said that he’s the younger-middle child, slightly spoiled, but well rounded and able to take care of his nieces and nephews.
One fan asked if we’ll learn Keith’s ethnicity, and Dos Santos hinted we might find out soon.
Another fan asked if Hunk is the character’s real name or a nickname. They said they never considered it and joked for a bit, but later added his name is just “Hunk.”
They then closed the panel with an exclusive teaser of Season 3.
The teaser was loaded with awesome visuals and scenes, hinting that Keith might end up taking over the Black Lion and leading Voltron. It ended with clips of Lotor’s generals in action, followed by the formation of Voltron, and then a close up of an eye opening — possibly Shiro’s eye!
More Voltron: Legendary Defender News
Voltron: The Legendary Defender Season 3 To Premiere At SDCC / Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 3 Trailer Reveals Release Date, Lotor / Voltron: Legendary Defender Confirms Season 3 Release / Voltron Season 3 Reportedly Premiering in Fall 2017
Team Voltron has been scattered throughout the universe in the aftermath of a perilous battle with Zarkon, Haggar and the evil Galra Empire. Working to bring the lions back together to form Voltron again, the Paladins’ plan to defeat the Galraonce and for all takes them across the universe in search of new worlds and unexpected allies.
Voltron: Legendary Defender is animated by Studio Mir, the production studio behind The Legend of Korra. Dos Santos, fellow executive producer Lauren Montgomery, and head writer Tim Hedrick all worked together on Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Voltron: Legendary Defender’s voice cast includes Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) as Keith, Jeremy Shada (Adventure Time) as Lance, Bex Taylor-Klaus (Arrow) as Pidge, Josh Keaton (Green Lantern: The Animated Series) as Shiro (formerly “Sven” in the original Voltron series), Tyler Labine (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) as Hunk, Kimberly Brooks (Mass Effect) as Princess Allura, Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) as Coran, and Neil Kaplan (Transformers: Robots in Disguise) as King Zarkon.
Voltron: The Legendary Defender season 3 will debut on Netflix on August 4th.
