Yurak Gets His Pink Slip is the fourteenth episode of the lion series of Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
Plot Summary[]
Yurak leads another attack on planet Arus, making a long winded speech as he does so about how his is the largest fleet ever assembled in the galaxy and how this time he will destroy the entire planet. He brings along his command ship as well as a wing of fighters, but the Voltron Force are waiting in ambush in their lions. The lions make short work of the fighter wing and Black Lion heavily damages Yurak's command ship using the Cross Beam from the coat of arms on its chest. Yurak orders a retreat to Planet Doom.
The Lion's Claws attack about to bring down two Doom Blasters.
In the meantime, in Castle Doom, Yurak addresses the governors of Doom, to explain his failure to capture Planet Arus and to beg for their forgiveness. King Zarkon and Haggar enter the conference room. Zarkon reminds the governors that Yurak has repeatedly lost to the Voltron Force. Haggar announces the punishment that Yurak will be banished from Doom. Yurak protests, and is whipped by an orange lady (presumably one of the governors of Doom, as she was seen on one of the council seats moments before). One of the staffers informs Zarkon and the governors that a space cruiser is approaching the castle. Inside the cockpit of the armada's flagship is a young man with white hair.
Prince Lotor and King Zarkon share a tender moment.
Haggar informs Zarkon that his son, Crown Prince Lotor, has returned from his galactic conquests. The prince enters the room and announces that he has ships full of treasure and slaves. He also mentions that he heard rumors that Voltron had delivered many defeats to Doom, which are shameful to the Empire and which inspire its enemies. Zarkon blames those defeats on Yurak's incompetent leadership, and as such Yurak has been sentenced to banishment. Lotor has a different idea, and offers Yurak a chance to redeem himself. Zarkon puts Lotor in charge of the campaign against Arus.
Lotor descends, giving us a bird's-eye view of the Castle of Lions and its surrounding region.
Meanwhile, on Arus, Pidge plays with the space mice in the Castle of Lions. Outside of the castle, residents of the royal capital continue their quest to put their lives together. A man notices spacecraft approaching, and Lotor launches an attack against the people. The Voltron Force arrive in the control room, and Coran notes there was only one spacecraft. Lotor then hovers a few hundred yards away from the castle and speaks with the Voltron Force (presumably by radio). He inquires as to the identity of Princess Allura, then makes an offer for a duel with one of them at Devil's Canyon for the fate of the planet. The Voltron Force suspect that it is a trap, yet Keith volunteers.
Insatiable Oedipal lust at first sight: Prince Lotor sees Princess Allura for the first time.
Back in Castle Doom, Zarkon wonders what Lotor's plan is. Haggar tells the king that Yurak was turned into a Robeast, and will take down the lions while they are separated.
It's a good thing Hunk insisted on the importance of horseback-riding lessons in Space Explorer training!
Keith rides a white horse, jumping over a ravine and arriving at the duel site on a ledge overlooking the Canyon. There he meets Lotor and the two engage in a sword fight. Keith continues to give ground to the prince until he has his back at the edge of the ravine. However, the impassioned Prince presses his advantage too early and Keith knocks Lotor's sword out of his hand. Lotor kneels down, grabbing a rock as he does so and admits that they are evenly matched...except when it comes to brains. He then smashes the rock against Keith's head, knocking the space explorer down into the ravine.
Evil, he will rock you!
Worried about Keith, Lance leads the rest of the team on a rescue mission. Meanwhile, Lotor tells Yurak to rise up. Yurak does, revealing his giant Robeast form. The lions soon confront Yurak, who produces a Mega Firecorn Grenade from his chest and throws it at the lions. Allura goes to look for Keith as the others hold off Yurak.
Keith wakes up, just in time to see Lotor's fighter approaching for an attack. Suddenly, missiles are fired at the fighter, and Keith sees Blue Lion. While the Princess is unable to hit Lotor's ship, she causes him sufficient concern to withdraw. Allura tells Keith to head back to the castle and bring Black Lion. Keith whistles and rides the white horse back to the castle as Allura rejoins her teammates.
The lions confront Yurak, and the battle resumes. Yurak produces his Abominable Abdominal Chest Weights and captures the four lions, swinging them around. He announces that he will crush the lions and destroy Planet Arus.
Princess Allura is enchained again, but this time she is not alone!
Keith makes it back to the control room in the castle. Nanny says he should rest, and he replies that he is needed. He launches Black Lion, heads to the battle site, and strikes Yurak in the back (knocking him over, as Black Lion is actually quite large).
Calling out his teammates, Keith leads them to form Voltron. Yurak sees the giant robot which dealt so many defeats to him, and he blasts the robot with his Bat Ear Blasters. Voltron throws his Spinning Laser Blade to trim Yurak's giant ears. Voltron fires off some ordnance, then forms the Blazing Sword and soon enough slices Yurak in half. The energies inside him detonate, putting an end to the Doom general.
The end of an admittedly-short era, and the beginning of a new, much longer one!
Lotor flees, vowing to defeat Voltron.
Featured Characters[]
Voltron Force[]
Other Arusians[]
Planet Doom[]
Quotes[]
"Just come back here again, and we'll send you home piece by piece!" *Gasps* "Oh dear; did I say that?"
- Princess Allura realizes that not only has she nearly made a very unladylike fist, but she has also begun to become somewhat desensitized to all the violence she has witnessed and in which she has partaken
*****
Hunk: "Have my eyes gone bad, or is that Yurak?"
Lance: "He's become an ugly monster!"
Pidge: "He always was ugly!"
Princess Allura: "And we're going to have some big problems with him!"
Notes and Goofs[]
- Prince Lotor's first appearance.
- Edited out from the U.S. production of this episode, when Lotor presents his father a gift, it is a magnificent silver platter with the heads of those whom tried to oppose Empire's conquest.
- At 225 ft. and 3,900 short tons, Yurak's Robeast form had exactly the same height and weight as the very first Robeast fought by the Voltron Force.
- Yurak's last appearance. This was one of the few episodes where a character dies.
- Keith did call him a robot just before cutting his ears off, but that may have just been to make himself feel better.
- One must wonder why Keith took a horse instead of flying Black Lion. It is likely he did not take Black Lion to prevent it from being captured should he be defeated by Lotor.