This year marks Voltron’s 40th Anniversary. To celebrate, Playmates has brought us Voltron Classic, a set of five lions that combine to form a 16-inch Legendary Defender. I had no intention of picking this one up, but as fate would have it, I find myself in need of a replacement Voltron for the second time in my life.
I had the original Matchbox Voltron back in 1984. I played with it like crazy. Took it with me everywhere, including school for show and tell. It was a big hit. My friends and I played Lion Force at recess and battled the evil Lord Zarkon’s minions from one end of the playground to the other. However, during the battle the Red Lion was buried in the deepest depths of the desert, in reality a gravel alcove in the schoolyard. A rescue mission was planned but would have to wait, as we only had thirty minutes for lunch. Not knowing any better at the time, I left the lion in the gravel and completely forgot to grab him after school. Unfortunately for me, the gravel alcove was paved over that afternoon and my Voltron was never whole again.
Fast forward to the reimagined Netflix series in 2016 and Voltron found himself in my collection once again. I picked up the 8-inch die cast Lion Force set to fill the Voltron sized hole in my heart. It wasn’t my classic Voltron, but it was Voltron enough to get the job done. My collection once again had all the Voltron representation it needed.
About a year ago my grandson asked to see The Legendary Defender taken apart so he could play with the Lions. Never one to say “No”, I took to dismantling… and in the process broke my Red Lion to pieces. The irony was thick. I’ve been on the lookout for a replacement, but finding one has been elusive. So when I happened upon four of the five Voltron Classic Lions last week, I jumped at the opportunity to upgrade my collection.
Voltron Classic is actually a 40th Anniversary branded rerelease of Voltron 84 Classic from 2018. Kudos to Playmates for keeping the same MSRP from six years ago. If you missed out on that one, and like me you’re in the market for a Legendary Defender of your own, Voltron Classic has you covered.
Each lion is fully articulated. The transforming feature limits you from too many dynamic poses, but it’s better than I expected. They’ve also included an impressive arsenal for most of the lions. Green Lion gets a jaw blade, battering spike, missile launcher and Voltron’s shield. Red Lion gets a jaw blade, missile launcher, laser cannon and Voltron’s sword. Blue Lion gets a jaw blade, missile launcher and a beam emitter. Yellow Lion gets a jaw blade, dual missile launcher and a razor wheel. Black Lion gets a light in his chest and over 60 phrases from the show.
The lions are pretty great, but the real magic happens when you transform them into Voltron. Connecting each lion triggers an audio clip of each pilot checking in. When Voltron is fully assembled the classic transformation sequence plays. “…and I’ll form the head!” Black Lion may not come with a single accessory but the 60 phrases make up for it with a flood of nostalgia.
There’s quite a few quality Voltron figures on the market. Voltron Classic isn’t as shiny or articulated as some of the others. It is however, a fraction of the price and at 16 inches it’s the biggest Voltron I’ve ever owned. He towers on the shelf and you can spot him from the other side of the basement. It’s like part of me is whole again.
If you’re having a hard time tracking down a full set of single carded lions, Playmates has also boxed the entire Legendary Defender into a single box set. In today’s day and age, it’s weird to think that anyone would only buy a single lion. Then again, I might just hedge my bets and grab an extra Red Lion for when the inevitable hits me once again.
