Zarkon Becomes a Robeast is the fiftieth episode of the lion series of Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
Plot Summary[]
In Castle Doom, Prince Lotor reflects on his many defeats from Voltron as he sips on blood wine, including the capture of the Interstellar Ion Cannon. Some guards burst into his room and the officer in charge tells Lotor that he is being arrested under orders from his father, King Zarkon. Brought to the throne room, Lotor asks to know if it was a joke. But it is no joke. Lotor had repeatedly failed in battle, including failing to recapture or destroy the ion cannon and failing to disrupt the Galaxy Alliance meeting on planet Arus, and that the prince will be imprisoned for failing in battle. Haggar reminds the king that Lotor has many supporters in the planets he had conquered, and that Lotor should be court-martialed to prove how guilty he is and the people of those worlds would pledge loyalty to Zarkon. The king announces he will personally lead the attack to recapture the ion cannon.
On Planet Drule, Marshall Keezor attends a meeting. He is informed of the situation on Planet Doom, and tells his staff that Lotor had repeatedly failed to conquer planets for the Drule Empire. He says that if Zarkon fails, the Empire will dispose of Zarkon.
Leaders from several worlds of the Galaxy Alliance meet in the Castle of Lions, with Princess Allura chairing the meeting. Intelligence indicated that the Empire is planning a massive all out assault on the worlds of the Galaxy Alliance, and Voltron will not be able to defend them all. Coran mentions that the castle's main keep can be converted into a spaceship, and everyone in the room, including the Voltron Force, is surprised. The military strategist then says that the captured energy cannon can be used to destroy Doom's defensive screen, thus allowing forces to invade. An alarm sounds, and they know that Zarkon is attacking. The lions are deployed.
Zarkon orders his fleet to destroy some buildings as a diversion, and then proceeds to the target the hill where the ion cannon is located. Lance volunteers to fly down to protect the cannon and the others cover for him. The other lions engage Zarkon's forces as Lance lands Red lion near the cannon. Zarkon has his command ship fire some powerful weapons which knock down the lions. The king then sees lance trying to reach the cannon, and he orders a fighter squadron to stop him. Lance is hit in the ankle and falls. The fighters then fire upon the cannon, and it starts sliding off the hill. Keith sees Lance in trouble, and lands Black lion and aids his friend. Lance points out that one more hit will send the cannon down the hill.
Zarkon's ship aims at the cannon, preparing to destroy it. Suddenly, it is hit by the guns from the castle. In castle control, Bandor cheers as the laser beams hit Zarkon's ship. Coran tells the castle staff to prepare for spaceship conversion. Engines deep inside the main keep start spinning. The crewmen are ready. Coran holds a key, and Bandor tells him to insert the key. Coran inserts the key into a keyhole on the main console and turns the key counterclockwise. The engines spin, and the main keep's outer shell descends. Zarkon and Haggar watch in shock and awe as the spaceship is revealed. Keith and lance watch from afar. The spaceship lifts off from the castle and attacks Zarkon's fleet. Zarkon orders a retreat.
Back on Drule, Captain Nerok informs Marshall Keezor about Zarkon's failure. Keezor figures Zarkon was the reason Doom had failed. He orders Nerok to tell Drule's agents on Doom to secure Lotor's release and to tell Lotor he must punish Zarkon in any manner that amuses him.
In Castle Doom's tower detention block, several guards are shot. Mogor and some soldiers arrive to free Lotor from his jail cell. Mogor informs the prince that the Drule Empire ordered him to take the throne, and Lotor is eager to do so. A soldier tells him that Zarkon has returned.
When Zarkon steps out of his ship, he sees soldiers aiming their weapons at him. He demands to know what is going on, and Lotor says they are pointing weapons at an ex-king and an ex-commander who must be severely punished for losing a battle. Haggar demands Lotor stop it. She says that the Galaxy Alliance is planning to attack Doom. Lotor scoffs at the idea, and then orders Haggar to imprison Zarkon in a Robeast. If Zarkon destroys Voltron, the Drule Empire will forgive him. If Voltron destroys Zarkon, that is his fate.
Back on Arus, Voltron places the cannon on the hill. The castle keep landed near Voltron, and the soldiers and civilian staff cheer. Keith orders the Voltron Force to mobilize. Allura reminds Coran to fire the cannon just as Voltron reaches Doom. She suddenly cries out, and finds the Space Mice are with her, inside their X-47 Mouse Plane.
Somewhere on Doom, a giant Robeast in Zarkon's image sits. Zarkon himself is in a capsule, as it is lowered into the Robeast's head.
Coran orders the cannon to be fired, and the crew fires it. The shot travels through hyperspace, passes Voltron, and smashes into the protective screen. The screen is destroyed, clearing a path for Voltron and the Galaxy Alliance. Lotor swears to destroy Voltron as it reaches Planet Doom.
Featured Characters[]
Voltron Force[]
Other Arusians[]
Planet Doom[]
Others[]
Quotes[]
Zarkon: (laughs) "Your puny Lions have no claws and no fangs!"
Haggar: "Then what's biting us?"
— Zarkon's about to suffer a rude awakening
*****
"This is it, team. We're goin' on in now and it won't be easy. But just remember, with the ammunition-duct destroyed, our galaxy can once more be easy. Oh, there's always gonna be evil men like Lotor, but we can always rely on Voltron, Defender of the Universe!"
— Keith gets the last line of the episode
Notes and Goofs[]
- The mention of the Drule Empire's planned mass attack against the worlds of the Galaxy Alliance places this episode, and the two subsequent episodes, as taking place shortly before the Empire's attack on Earth. [1]