Shiro (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Takashi Shirogane (usually referred to as Shiro) is a fictional character in the media franchise Voltron and leader of the Voltron Force who made his first appearance in Voltron: Legendary Defender.

Takashi 'Shiro' Shirogane
Voltron character
First appearance	The Rise of Voltron
Voiced by	Josh Keaton
In-universe information
Alias	The Champion Shiro the Hero
Nickname	Shiro
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Occupation	Paladin (formerly) Captain of the Atlas
Spouse	Curtis
Significant other	Adam[1] (deceased)
Nationality	Japanese[2]

Conception

In Voltron: Legendary Defender, Shiro replaces Sven Holgersson from the 1984 version.[3] He shares his name with Sven's first counterpart in Beast King GoLion, the anime that was edited into Lion Voltron. Shiro was conceived as Japanese and gay[4][5][6], in contrast to Sven who was Norwegian and later married Princess Romelle. Originally, Shiro was intended to be a teenager but they rewrote him to 25 years old after his designs were finalised.[7] Shiro was intended to die in the second season,[8] but came back as a clone with his soul being trapped inside the Black Lion.

In season 6, Shiro's clone has the original Shiro's memories.[9][10]

Storylines

Shiro was a pilot of Galaxy Garrison who was kidnapped by the Galra Empire while on a mission to Kerberos. Shiro became a famed gladiator in the Empire arena and got a robot arm. Shiro pilots the Black Lion of Voltron until the defeat of Zarkon. Shiro appears to have died, but is next seen escaping captivity by the Galra Empire. He returns to the Voltron Force and resumes his status as the Black Paladin after Keith chooses to become a full-fledged member of the Blade of Marmora. It is discovered that this Shiro is a clone, and Shiro's essence was absorbed into the Black Lion. Princess Allura transfers his essence into the clone's body, and Shiro's memories fully return. In season 7, the Voltron Force arrives back on Earth, and Shiro becomes the captain of the Atlas, a Garrison battleship.

Reception

The character had a mostly positive reception. However, his relationships with Adam, who was only mentioned in flashback scenes and was killed off-screen, and Curtis, his co-worker and eventual husband, were criticized for not being good LGBT representation, as they weren't fleshed out enough.[11][12][13]

References

1. Haasch, Palmer (10 August 2018). "Voltron: Legendary Defender showrunners talk Adam, Shiro and season seven". Polygon.com.
2. "VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER Showrunners On New Season, The New Legend... & LOTOR?!". Newsarama.com. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
3. "The 15 Darkest Secrets About Voltron". Cbr.com. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
4. Brian Moylan (2018-08-13). "Voltron: Legendary Defender Had a Gay Character All Along". Vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
5. Cregg, R. J. (15 August 2017). The Paladin's Handbook: Official Guidebook of Voltron Legendary Defender. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781534409033 – via Google Books.
6. "The Voltron Paladins: 13 Things You Didn’t Know". Den of Geek.
7. "SHIRONANIGANS! with Josh Keaton". Let's Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
8. "Voltron Showrunners Knew Shiro Was Gay For 'A Very Long Time'". ScreenRant.com. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
9. "'Voltron: Legendary Defender' Season 6 Interview - Space Grandpa". Geekdad.com. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
10. "Exclusive: 'Voltron' EPs discuss Keith's growth, love, Shiro's autonomy, and shifting dynamics". Hypable.com. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
11. Pulliam-Moore, Charles. "Voltron: Legendary Defender's Showrunner Offers a Genuine Apology to the Fandom". Io9.gizmodo.com.
12. "Voltron's Final Season Doesn't Make Up For Its LGBT Problem". Cbr.com. 20 December 2018.
13. Pulliam-Moore, Charles. "Voltron's Complicated, Imperfect LGBQT Representation Is Tearing the Fandom Apart". Io9.gizmodo.com.