Voltron is the shared name of several versions of a giant super robots all descended from Japanese anime for US audiences. In its most recognizable form it is the story of five young pilots controlling five robot lions which can combine to form the super robot, Voltron, to fight intergalactic evil, especially King Zarkon who has a lust to acquire Voltron for himself. In the US, VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE was an animated television show which aired from 1984-1985. The first season featured the 'Lion Force Voltron' (quixotically aka Voltron III) adapted from the Japanese Beast King GoLion anime. The second season featured the 'Vehicle Force Voltron' (aka Voltron I) adapted from Armored Fleet Dairugger XV. The popularity of the first US animated television series, VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE--especially the Lion Force version--led to multiple follow-on cartoon series and ultimately a whole Voltron franchise. A third season of the original show adapting a different anime which would be Voltron II was abandoned (although some toys were produced). Two seasons of VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION were produced in 1998. This animated series was a sequel to Lion Force Voltron and was set five years after that season of the show. On the heels of the Transformers' success, plans for a live-action Voltron movie in 2005 never materialized. A reboot of the animated series aired in 2011 on Nicktoons as VOLTRON FORCE, and another reboot began in 2016 on Netflix as VOLTRON LEGENDARY DEFENDER.

Comic books have been a part of the Voltron franchise since the beginning. Multiple publishers have published Voltron comic books throughout the decades, either tied into the different animated television series or as franchise reboots themselves. Each new incarnation has added signature elements to the franchise, so there is not one, unified canon/continuity. Modern Comics published three issues way back in 1985 which are firmly tied to the classic animated television series' continuity (Lion Force Voltron), but Devil's Due Publishing issued comics from 2005-2008 with the first franchise revamp but with the same name VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE. (The first volume was published in conjunction with Dreamwave and Image Comics.) Dynamite Comics published Voltron comics from 2011-2016 with the VOLTRON FORCE reboot, when Lion Forge took over the franchise license with comics associated with Netfix/DreamWork's VOLTRON LEGENDARY DEFENDER series. Viz also issued some manga-formatted digests during Dynamite's publishing tenure.

With the airing of the final season Netflix's VOLTRON LEGENDARY DEFENDER animated television series, the future of the Voltron franchise is open. But having lasted decades--through multiple fan generations, it's bound to have some kind of future.