Beast King GoLion is a Japanese super robot animetelevision series. The animation from GoLion was edited and trimmed to create the version of the AmericanVoltron: Defender of the Universe series, with new names and dialogue. In 2008, GoLion was released on Region 1 DVD in three volumes.
Story
GoLions story is set in 1999, when the planet Altea is subdued and enslaved by the Galra Empire. Meanwhile, five space pilotsreturn to Earth from their latest space exploration, only to find the planet annihilated by an apocalyptic, thermonuclear war, World War III. Suddenly, the explorers are ambushed, captured and enslaved by the visiting Galra Empire, and then, they are forced to fight for their lives in Emperor Daibazaal's arena. The young pilots escape and eventually land on the planet Altea, where they discover the secret of the mighty sentient robot GoLion, the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Emperor Daibazaal's forces. Thousands of years ago, GoLion was an arrogant robot who, after defeating several Beastmen, tried to challenge the goddess of the universe into battle, but failed. For GoLion's hubris, the goddess taught him humility by separating him into five pieces in the form of five lion robots that sailed through space and crash-landed on Altea, to lay in wait for those who would one day reawaken him to fight evil once again. The Princess of Altea, Fala, recruits the five of them so they can become the new pilots of GoLion and help her start fighting back against the Empire.
The Galra Empire are a race of merciless individuals who even oppress their own people. They capture other planets and enslave their population, forcing them to serve its evil ruler, Emperor Daibazaal. Daibazaal's son, Prince Sincline, conquered other worlds and beheaded their leaders as trophies. The Galra Empire invades planets with the aid of Galran Beast Fighters.
Emperor Daibazaal /
Prince Sincline /
Honerva /
Jaga
Sadak /
Gobra /
Blackman Soldiers
Reggar
Golion
Golion was separated into five separate lion robots by a space goddess who wished to teach Golion humility until he could be reassembled. Golion later gains a soul after being reawakened by the five pilots who use Golion to protect the universe from Emperor Daibazaal's forces. Golion is tall, and weighs 772 tons. Individually, the lions weigh 154.4 tons.
Black Lion
Red Lion
Green Lion
Blue Lion
Yellow Lion
Each Lion has a Lion Blade, dorsal missiles, and shoulder-mounted lasers. When united, Golion's main weapon is Ten Kings Sword, which is usually used to deliver the final blow to his opponents. Later in the series, it is used to perform the techniques Lightning Drop and Meteor Five Step Slash. The name is a pun: Jūō written with the kanji 獣王 means Beast King. In Media Blasters' release of GoLion, it is translated as "King's Sword Jyuoken".
Beastmen
Galran Deathblack Beastmen
Galran Deathblack Beastmen were previously Beast Fighters, serving as the apex of Galran technology and dark magic, and are sent by Honerva against Golion. Anyone captured and enslaved by the Galran Empire are immediately herded into the arena on Planet Galra where they are forced to fight to the death against the larger, powerful, and deadlier Beastmen who can easily kill them before an enthusiastic crowd. Then the slaves are butchered and made into slave stew, a favorite gruesome dish for the Beastmen to eat and also fed to surviving slaves as a form of forced cannibalism to turn them to be as savage as the Beastmen. Anyone who survives fighting the Deathblack Beastmen are subjected to Honerva's dark magic that changes them into Beastmen to fight Golion.
Galran Mechablack Beastmen
Galran Mechablack Beastmen are the successors of the Deathblack Beastmen and first appear in episode 31; most of their names are taken after letters of the Greek Alphabet. Unlike deathblacks, mechablacks are constructed at planet Galra's occult science plant instead of the coliseum and use beastmen as their brain component. Notably, Emperor Daibazaal unwillingly becomes part of a mechablack beastman in the series' final episodes.
Changes for ''Voltron''
GoLion footage was heavily edited and re-assembled by World Events Productions in the U.S. to create Voltron. Changes made to the series included rewritten dialogue, omitted character deaths, toned-down violence, and altered plot developments. In addition, Toei Animation Ltd. created and animated a brand new plot arc specifically for the U.S. Voltron series. Toei sold all of its rights to GoLion to World Events Productions, as GoLion had achieved only average ratings in Japan, in comparison to the popularity of Voltron in the U.S., and the series has yet to receive a DVD release in Japan.
Episodes
#
Episode Name
Original air date
Releases
Media Blasters released GoLion on DVD in the U.S. in 3 volumes:
