— IDENTITY —
Original Name
百獣王ゴライオン (Hyaku Jūō Goraion)
English Title
Beast King GoLion
Debut
March 4, 1981
Studio
Toei Animation (character design and animation direction by Nakamura Productions)
Network
Tokyo 12 Channel (renamed TV Tokyo mid-broadcast, November 1981)
Chief Director
Katsuhiko Taguchi
Character Design
Kazuo Nakamura
Creator Credit
"Saburo Hatte" — a collective pseudonym used by Toei's producing staff
Classification
Super Robot — Combining type, animal-themed (Beast Mecha)
— DEVELOPMENT HISTORY —
Origin Myth
Thousands of years ago, GoLion was an arrogant, god-like warrior who, after defeating several Beastmen, challenged the goddess of the universe herself to battle — and lost. As punishment for his hubris, the goddess split him into five separate lion robots and scattered them through space to teach him humility
Arrival on Altea
The five lions crash-landed on the planet Altea, where they lay dormant for millennia, waiting for pilots worthy of reawakening the beast king to fight evil once again
Reawakening
Five human pilots — former Earth explorers enslaved by the Galra Empire — escape captivity, reach Altea, and are recruited by Princess Farla to become GoLion's new pilots
GoLion's design philosophy followed the path set by Combattler V and Voltes V — combining robots meant to appeal strongly to Western audiences. It succeeded beyond expectation: GoLion became the most commercially successful of all of Toei's original Super Robot creations on a global scale, largely due to its later adaptation into Voltron
— CONTROL SYSTEM —
Combination
Five lion robots combine to form GoLion's body
Black Lion
Forms the body and head. Powered by lightning. Piloted by Akira Kogane
Red Lion
Forms the right arm. Powered by fire. Piloted by Isamu Kurogane
Green Lion
Forms the left arm. Powered by wind. Piloted by Hiroshi Suzuishi
Blue Lion
Forms the right leg. Powered by water. Originally piloted by Takashi Shirogane; after his death in episode 6, piloted by Princess Farla
Yellow Lion
Forms the left leg. Powered by earth. Piloted by Tsuyoshi Seido
— PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS —
Height
60 meters
Weight
700 tons (combined)
Individual Lion Weight
154.2 tons each
The five lions converge to form the Beast King
— COMBAT CHARACTERISTICS —
Lion Blade
A boomerang-style blade carried in the mouth of each of the five lions
Standard Armament (per lion)
Dorsal missiles and shoulder-mounted lasers, built into each individual lion
King's Sword (Jūōken)
GoLion's signature weapon. Formed by clasping both arms together and drawing out a massive sword — used to defeat the Death-Black Beastmen sent by the Galra Empire
Lightning Drop / Meteor Fifth Rank Slash
Advanced sword techniques performed with the King's Sword later in the series
Four Lion Attack (100 Ton Punch)
The heads of the four limb lions launch simultaneously at the target, striking all at once. Requires significant energy to perform
Grand Fire
A stream of flames fired jointly from the mouths of the Blue and Yellow Lions
Hurricane Attack
A wind-based attack fired from the mouth of the Green Lion
Eye Flash
Energy beams fired from GoLion's eyes
Wing Boomerang / Double Sword / Space Cutter
Additional bladed weapons launched from GoLion's wings, including a javelin-style double-bladed sword and disc-shaped cutters
— ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS —
Kingdom of Altea
A war-ravaged planet ruled by Princess Farla, the sole surviving member of the royal family after the Galra Empire executed her parents and siblings when she was one year old
Galra Empire
A merciless alien empire based in the Great Dark Nebula, led by Emperor Daibazaal. Enslaved the surviving human pilots and sought total domination of the universe through its Beastmen forces
— TV SERIES INFORMATION —
Broadcast
Tokyo 12 Channel / TV Tokyo, March 4, 1981 – February 24, 1982
Episodes
52 episodes, approximately 23 minutes each
Time Slot Context
Aired Wednesdays at 6:00 PM, during a period when Tokyo 12 Channel dedicated its entire weekday 6:00 PM slot to a different robot anime every day of the week
GoLion is notably darker than its most famous adaptation. Characters die on-screen, often violently — something that was heavily softened when the footage was re-edited for American audiences
— MAIN CHARACTERS —
Akira Kogane
Team leader and pilot of the Black Lion. An even-tempered strategic thinker who takes decisive action, though occasionally rough on his teammates
Isamu Kurogane
Pilot of the Red Lion and second-in-command after Takashi's death. Tall, wily, and quick with jokes — a daring pilot with a rebellious streak
Hiroshi Suzuishi
Pilot of the Green Lion, controlling the wind element
Tsuyoshi Seido
Pilot of the Yellow Lion. The group's muscular strongman — tough on the outside, soft-hearted underneath, especially around children
Takashi Shirogane
Original pilot of the Blue Lion and second-in-command. Fatally wounded in episode 6 during an attack by the witch Honerva, and given a hero's burial
Princess Farla
16-year-old ruler of Altea, the last survivor of her royal family. Takes over as Blue Lion's pilot after Takashi's death, despite her inexperience
Emperor Daibazaal
Ruthless leader of the Galra Empire and the series' primary antagonist
— LEGACY —
Global Impact
GoLion's animation was heavily edited by World Events Productions to create Voltron: Defender of the Universe, combining it with Armored Fleet Dairugger XV. While GoLion performed only moderately in Japan, Voltron became a massive hit in the United States and beyond
Modern Recognition
The design of GoLion is widely regarded as the most successful of all Toei's original Super Robot creations on a global scale. It directly inspired Voltron: Legendary Defender (2016, Netflix), which reimagined its characters and combining mechanics for a new generation
Ongoing Legal Legacy
Decades after the original broadcast, character designer Kazuo Nakamura's potential rights to the GoLion design became a central issue in the legal disputes surrounding the Voltron franchise, complicating a live-action Hollywood adaptation announced in 2024
— OPENING —
— COLLECTIBLES —
Bandai Tamashii Nations — SOUL OF CHOGOKIN
GX-71 Voltron (GoLion)
Die-Cast Action Figure
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