It'll Be a Cold Day is the twenty-first episode of the lion series of Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
Plot Summary[]
Prince Lotor pays a "visit" to Princess Romelle in the cell where she and a bunch of girls from Planet Pollux are kept prisoner. He approaches Romelle with the apparent intention of kissing her but she refuses to play along; she says that she knows he'll toss her into a place known as the Pit of Skulls, then Lotor replies that he will use her as a bait for her remaining friends. She passes out from exhaustion and Lotor carries her away in his arms to torture her. She's heard screaming and soon returns in tears, thinking of what had happened before her capture, and the girls tend to her.
After this unpleasant experience, Romelle and her fellow captives decide to escape Lotor's prison and manage to do so, but are pursued and forced to crash-land on the frozen world Neve. Both her brother Bandor and the Voltron Force go to rescue her before Lotor arrives.
When they arrive on Neve they find what appears to be Romelle and Bandor is overjoyed. Allura however realizes it's Haggar in disguise. Haggar changes back to her true form and Cova attacks Allura's mouse friend Cheesy. Pidge kicks Cova away and Cheesy returns to Allura's shoulder. Bandor draws his sword and charges at Haggar. But the old witch captures him and renders him unconscious as the Voltron Force fires at her. Haggar summons a magical gust of wind to cover her escape.
The Lions give chase but Haggar vanishes. Lotor is heard laughing as his ship rolls into view. Lotor steps out with Haggar, Mogor, Romelle and Bandor. He offers to trade Romelle and Bandor for Allura. Pidge calls out the prince for trading people for people.
Allura reluctantly agrees to the proposal. But a snowstorm starts, giving Keith an idea. He tells Allura to go ahead. The two of them leave their Lions and inform Lotor. The Drule Prince pushes his two hostages away as both sides make their march.
Keith shadows Allura while using a device to help him blend in with the snow. Haggar unleashes a Robeast and the three remaining Lions battle it, despite their best efforts their are useless against it.
Lotor greets Allura, but is aghast when Keith appears. Keith draws his blaster but Cova knocks his gun away. Lotor is quick to draw his laser sword and go after Keith. Keith dodges but Lotor manages to catch him at sword point. Lotor starts to gloat, until he is shot at by Bandor, who has grabbed Keith's knocked away blaster.
Bandor tosses the gun back to Keith and tells him to go back for the others. Keith warns them it's too dangerous, but Romelle and Bandor don't listen. Haggar incapacitates Keith and Bandor while Lotor knocks out Romelle, kidnapping her again. Lotor's ship then leaves, while Bandor and Keith swear they'll rescue Romelle.
Keith and Allura get back to their lions and the team form Voltron. Voltron summons the blazing sword and destroys the Robeast.
Featured Characters[]
Voltron Force[]
Other Arusians[]
Planet Doom[]
Other[]
Quotes[]
"We were happy on planet Pollux, until Lotor came and turned my brother into a Robeast. When my father, the king lost his mind from it all they made my brother Prince Bandor ruler."
— Princess Romelle offers up some exposition, as well as an explanation for why her father never makes anymore appearances in the series.
Notes and Goofs[]
- In the original GoLion episode Altea's Sister Planet, there's the heavy implication that Sincline sexually abused Amue due to her physical similarity to Fala, since he openly states that he'll use her as a replacement for her cousin before personally knocking her out (instead of her fainting) and carrying her off. This is understandably toned down in Voltron, suggesting that Lotor tortured Romelle but did not rape her. Some fans still believe that Lotor's torture of Romelle could have included sexual abuse, especially since Voltron kept the scene where he tries to force a kiss on her and she slaps him away (though changing some dialogues).
- The death of Romelle and Bandor's father Coba in the GoLion version of My Brother is a Robeast is glossed over as him having "gone insane" and Bandor having to take over out of need, explaining why Bandor is now ruler of Pollux instead. In later episodes, however, there is no further mention of Coba even when the Pollux palace is infiltrated in the second season, leading fandom to believe that he eventually passed away and both of his surviving children rule together instead. As for Avok he isn't mentioned either, so it's still unclear what actually happened to him.