Review: 21311 Voltron
Posted by Huw,
21311 Voltron was revealed a few weeks ago after what must be the longest gestational period of any LEGO Ideas set.
It's the biggest mech LEGO has ever made and its sheer size, weight and transformation complexity presented unique challenges to the designers that took time to overcome, which I suspect was the cause of much of the delay.
Was it worth the wait?
Background
Voltron: Defender of the Universe is a cartoon that first aired on US television in 1984.
It follows five members of the Galaxy Alliance that are given control of mechanical lions so that they can protect their planet. When in danger the five lions combine to form Voltron, a huge robotic warrior.
These stills have been taken from a video of an episode from a later version of the series on YouTube:
It was after my time so I've never watched it and in fact I'm not sure if the original series ever aired in the UK given it would have been pre-satellite and cable television.
I'm no expert, then, so I'll be approaching this review as a LEGO fan rather than a Voltron one.
Box and contents
As you'd expect for a 2321 piece set, the box is huge. Here it is with Elsa BrickHeadz for scale.
The back shows the transformational capabilities of the model, from five lions to one giant mech.
Parts are in numbered bags, from 1 to 16 so, thankfully, there's no rooting through thousands of parts during construction.
There are six instruction manuals, one for each of the lions and another larger one. This contains interesting information about the the TV series, Leandro Tayag, the fan designer, and also the design process and the difficulties that LEGO's designers had to be overcome to turn the fan model into something that is stable and buildable.
What's cool about this is that it makes it possible to build the lions concurrently, perhaps as a family, or a speed build.
Construction
Yellow lion
The yellow lion forms the mech's left leg. First you build its rear end.
Then add its head, which is clipped in place underneath and held there with an axle.
Finally the legs are added. They look a bit spindly compared to the size of the beast but I guess that was a compromise that had to be made in order to get it to transform into a leg.
The 2x2 round tiles on the hips are printed. The same design is used on all five lions.
The size of the lion gives an early indication of just how big the mech is going to be!
Blue lion
The blue lion is the mech's right leg so construction is much the same as for the yellow one although there are enough differences to keep it interesting.
Here you can see the front and rear sections before they combine. The front part it is complex for a reason: it needs to rotate to form the foot, as you will see later.
The lions are numbered, 1-5, on their backs. These are the only stickers in the set.
Black lion
The black lion is the largest and most complex of the five. It forms the mech's torso and head.
Again, the rear end is built first.
The front legs and hips are clipped onto the five bars on the side of the body. To transform the lion to the torso they are unclipped and rotated.
The Technic turntable on the side will be used to connect the arms to the torso. This particular part of the model is mentioned as one of the challenges the designers had to overcome. Around 30 different shoulder joints were tested before one that utliises the friction of a ball joint multiplied through a gear ratio was chosen, which creates a strong yet smooth joint.
The hind legs are attached to the Technic pins and, like the front legs, are detached and rotated during transformation. A clever technique has been used to connect the top of the leg to the hip at an angle.
The head and face is particularly complex: the lower part of the jaw rotates to become the mech's head, which is entirely brick built apart from a mouth printed on a 1x3 double inverted slope, the first time such a piece has been printed on, apparently.
The red 'wings' on its back look a bit daft when on the lion but if you sit the lion down, adjust the head and spread them out it becomes apparent what they are for.
Red lion
The red lion forms Voltron's right arm so it's much less bulky than the leg and torso lions. Note the double joints used in its body and to attach the head. These are necessary to allow the arm to be articulated at elbow and wrist, while also supporting the weight.
Green lion
The green lion is similar to the red one but, again, with enough differences to keep things interesting.
Weapons
Construction ends with Voltron's Blazing Sword and shield. The shiny parts are drum lacquered silver and look great. There are one or two other such pieces used throughout the model, on the torso's chest and lion's heads.
Making the Mech
Now we've built the five constituent lions we can fit them together to make the Mech. Book 6 of the instructions shows you how.
Legs
When in 'lion mode' the head is kept in position with a bar and clip inside the body. Twisting the head up disconnects that joint to enable it to be turned by 90 degrees, and affixed to the body using a different pair of clips once fully rotated.
The lions' legs are rotated and positioned so that they are out of the way.
Torso
The black lion's transformation is the only one that involves a bit of deconstruction. The hind legs are removed and reattached so they are straight, and the shoulder assembles are removed, turned upside down, then re-clipped. The jaw and head are then adjusted to expose the mech's face.
Once done, the legs are attached. Cleverly, there's a hole at the tops of the lions/legs large enough to accommodate the black lion's hind paws, which prevents the need to remove them.
Arms
Transforming the arm lions is simply a case of twisting the legs a bit and arranging the paws so they are tucked away.
Pins of the bottom of the lion's bodies are used to attach them to the shoulder joints discussed above.
To complete the model, the sword and shield are attached to the lions' mouths with Technic pins.
The completed model
It's huge -- 45cm high and about 22cm across its feet. It's also very colourful. The drum lacquered silver parts on the chest and the shield catch the light and look fantastic.
Unfortunately, there is little articulation. The shoulder, elbow and wrists can be adjusted but only in one plane, and the head can be twisted side-to-side. That's it. The legs and waist are fixed. It's likely that this will disappoint some of you but given the heft of the thing it's not really surprising that it wasn't possible to implement more joints and keep it stable and robust.
The arm joints, though, are very secure and once posed they won't flop about.
It doesn't look too bad from the back, considering.
Verdict
"The LEGO Voltron pushes the limits for what is possible within the LEGO building system" claims Niek van Slagmaast, the model's designer, in book 6. Once you've built it and appreciated just what's been achieved, you will believe it.
Not only is it the largest mech LEGO has produced but it's one that's made from five subassemblies that themselves are pretty cool models. The transformation from lions to mech is clever and done in such a way that disassembly is kept to a minimum, which very cool.
It's not perfect, however, and a number of compromises have had to be made in order to facilitate the transformation of five separate models into one and to keep the mech stable. The lions' legs are a bit weedy, particularly below the knee, and perhaps the thing that bothers me most is that Voltron's feet are not flush with the ground. The lack of leg articulation will also be an issue for many.
Clearly LEGO did its market research before deciding to produce this set but I do wonder who will buy it. It will certainly appeal to those that grew up with the show, but that's a very specific demographic of those of a certain age who live in a country where it aired on TV. I'm not one of them, so while I can appreciate what a great model it is from a AFOL's perspective, it means nothing to me otherwise.
And, great though it is, there are countless other equally great sets available this year at about the same price, so unless you are a huge Voltron fan or have an unlimited LEGO budget, I suspect you'll look to spend your money elsewhere.
21311 Voltron will retail for US$179.99 / £159,99 / 179,99€ / 1499DKK / AU$ 289,99 and CA$ 229.99 when released to VIPs on 23rd July and everyone else on 1st August.
Thanks to LEGO for providing the set for this review, which is an expression of my own opinions.
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64 comments on this article
My younger cousin is a Voltron fan... but he is probably to young for this large of a set.
While it looks really cool, I'm saving my money for Cloud City. Never even heard of Voltron before the Ideas set!
The whole mech looks cool. I'm really not a fan of the individual lions though. I can't blaim the designers because they did the best they could. I don't think this set ever had a chance of being perfect with all the compromises in design that had to be made. Overall it's a good set, but just not good enough in my opinion
According to the designer video, the stickers were included so that builders could choose to keep the numbers off like in the Japanese version of Voltron, or put them on like in the American version of Voltron
I grew up watching Voltron (in fact I'm staring at the re-released 1984 version Lions that I got at Target) and my oldest son is 5 and loves the new Voltron on Netflix, so for me it's a day one purchase. We're both excited for this set, he will need help but I view it as a great project for us. That said, I tend to agree that this targets a very specific segment of the market. I'm slightly concerned about how wide the legs need to be from the pictures though.
So glad LEGO turned this into an official set. I love the way it looks, can't wait to buy it! It would've been nice to have a display stand with a exclusive minifigure of Voltron, though.
@starwars4ever2 is there actual confirmation that Cloud City is a go? I haven’t seen anything but I could have missed something.
This model looks great. Honestly it looks more like a display model than a model designed for play just because of how the legs are constructed.
Does anyone know what time this set will be available on 7/23 for VIPS (EST)?
Really good review this. Great level of detail and very informative. I’ll not be getting one as the subject means nothing to me, but I’d love some of the parts.
Looks magnificent and the nostalgia on this is huge for me so it is a must buy.
But in Australia not as well priced as Saturn V (as compared to UK and US prices), so think I will be waiting for a discount.
@starwars4ever2 looks more than likely it will be coming out later this year
I was a little too old to get into Voltron when it was on TV. However. I will be buying this set due to its unique/complex construction design. I thought last years' Saturn V techniques were intricate but this takes it to another level.
the box need to be in black backround ... (like the universe.. stars....) the person who designed the box maybe is too youg :/ and not a voltron fan :(
@Pap47 - if it's like the last early release, then it will be 12:01 am (in my case EST in the U.S.) but YMV on that time estimate depending on where you're located
I’m in the US and while I’ve heard of Voltron, I’ve never actually seen the show so, like you, this set means nothing to me other than a greatly detailed set that I can appreciate from an AFOL perspective. Doesn’t fit in my budget anyway what with Hogwarts and Cloud City coming out
I actually went back and looked at my original toys and some of the re-released toys and I stand somewhat corrected - the legs are fairly wide compared to the rest of the mech. It's only the cartoon where the legs are narrower. So not so worried about it now!
Thank-you for the great review, it has helped a lot in the decision making for this one. While the size of the set appeals to me, I have never seen the show and to be honest find the colour scheme rather off putting, so a pass for me. And as you pointed out, there are a lot of good sets out this year that are more appealing for the limited budget I have (an never seem to keep!). I like the idea of a large scale mech, perhaps if sales are good enough they may come out with something similar in a more cohesive colour scheme for those of us that like larger interesting builds but have no idea what Voltron is or find the overall look off putting. Thanks again for the great review! :)
I appreciate the skill that went into designing this, but it just doesn't do it for me. The models are fine, the combiner is too even if the legs are a weak point, but it just doesn't tickle my fancy. Perhaps because I am not familiar with Voltron and know literally nothing of it besides an old classmate posting her stupid slasher fanfic on social media constantly.
Then again, I do always say that LEGO sets need to be able to stand on their own regardless of source material. I don't like Angry Birds but the sets were fine, while I enjoy Star Wars but find some sets very lacking (most recent MTT was an affront!); this Voltron set just doesn't do it for me, and I think you could make a better mech with the budget.
While I've never seen the show, I'm still a big fan of giant robots that transform and combine, so I'm sold on this.
Need.............Now.
What a great set! Not a day one buy for me though. I will wait for a discount.
Netflix has a Voltron reboot showing. Same people that made Last Airbender. This set will appeal to that fan base.
I am the target market for this set and will be picking it up ASAP. I was bummed when Kre-O got Transformers. Lego getting Voltron through an Ideas entry is so exciting.
"and I'll form the head!"
Thanks but no. Never heard of and not overly impressed.
tbh I would rather see the Megazord/Thunder Megazord.
@Nicolabizzotto: The packaging of this one seems very deliberately inspired by the packaging of classic Voltron toys. Assuming the age or interest level of the packaging designer just because you personally dislike it seems a bit harsh.
Ooh, that balljoint geared friction mechanism!
I never watched Voltron but I did enjoy other Mech animations on Sky and Super (?) channel. I just wish Lego made a mech with perfect articulations for knees and elbows. So far it seems every set has limited articulation. Still waiting for that one mech that deserves to join my collection ;)
I'm completely with the closing words in the review. Never saw the show as a kid. The set looks impressive, and I expect the fans will be happy, but I won't be getting it myself because other than being "neat" it has nothing personal for me.
Also doesn't help that the Falcon blew my entire budget this year!
Classic Voltron was before my time and seems kinda mediocre in hindsight (like most 80s cartoons), but it was definitely hugely popular in the United States back when it originally aired.
I wonder if maybe it wasn't aired in the UK due to the same violence-averse censors that made "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" have to air as "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles"? Although from my understanding the Americanized cartoon Voltron was less violent than the anime Beast King GoLion that it recycled most of its footage from.
In any case, it's cool to see such a MASSIVE mech as a set! The amount of articulation the designers were able to manage is pretty impressive in its own right, and I love that the lions can all split apart. I would be more interested in picking up this set myself if it were based on the version from the Netflix cartoon "Legendary Defender", since that's the one that I have more of an emotional attachment to. Maybe if this sells well enough they might think about releasing sets based on that series?
the images from the cartoon are more alike than the ones used here in the review as Background
Great set, too bad for the stickers
I've never watched Voltron, I reckon it's just a tad before my time? I'm 34 years old, I grew up watching Transformers instead. Would this have been Optimus Prime (or Devastator?) I'd probably have bought it. This thing does look stunning, but surely they could've thought of something to make the robot stand on its feet?
@Aanchir Is there really much of a difference between the old and new? I was a fan of the 80's cartoon and remember it being kind of subpar... but the design of Voltron seems pretty much the same. You could probably tweak some of the colors here and there to make it match better I guess.
Looks excellent (not crazy about the back though but like you said, compromises have to be made for size, heft and price).
Definitely on my must by list.
You know, looking at the face, I wonder if this technique can be used to improve the face of the Statue of Liberty? Doesn't need the lip printing but the studs for eyes and the modified bar/clip for the nose?
@Supersonic, I think in previous discussions it was discovered that Voltron didn't air in parts of Europe for some reason, even though it was hugely popular in the U.S., parts of Asia, and Australia.
Can't wait to see what ChubbyBots or TankKM modify after they get their hands on this kit!
I’ve never watched the cartoon and know very little about it but I love this set. It’s a shame the feet aren’t flush with the ground but I’m definitely getting this for my display case
I. normally don't care for licensed sets and I don't even know much about Voltron but the more I see this, the more I like it. It really is quite clever.
This is no doubt a fantastic display model and it is indeed pushing the limits of various Lego building techniques and tolerances, but every time I see this set I just think of a Power Rangers Megazord - I am of the era when Power Rangers seeped through onto British kids TV, perhaps slightly later than America in the mainstream, and therefore that formed my impression of what a combining mech was.
One of my friends told me there was a reference to Voltron in Ready Player One. It went straight over my head. And this was despite getting most other Easter eggs without any personal nostalgia for the 80s.
It would be interesting to see how popular this is in Japan, where they are familiar with the original source material that the American cartoon was adapted from. I wonder if they will rename the set so that it reflects the Japanese version?
Awesome. Now, for Ultraman.
Sure, I'd love to see Lego tackle some genuine honest-to-Zordon Megazords, at some point ... but it's Voltron. And the sheer size and scale of the thing makes me want it badly. I can just see the five lions strolling down the streets of my Lego City.
Wait what stickers in an Ideas set? Yeah I know they have done so before but really its so nice when they don't. I don't hate stickers but its a nice feature when you can get a pricier set without. Wonder why they couldn't have printed a set and given you a print free set of pieces allowing you the choice of what version you wanted to build. Sure it would have driven the price up even further I guess. No clue how much but I sure would have liked to see prints.
Is it bigger than the Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition?
Day one purchase for this child of the '80s, who loved watch to Voltron, Defender of the Universe! on Saturday afternoons.
Even if the market for Voltron specifically might not be that big, the aesthetic is pretty similar across all giant 80s japanese robots, this works for me as a Tranformers fan, and Im sure it works for Power Rangers/Super Sentai fans too. And look, I didn't grow up in the 80s, not even close, but I still seriously love this style, and Im so excited to see it in Lego. Even if its kinda expensive for what it is, Im excited enough that Im not waiting the 6ish months until it shows up outside Lego stores and a discount becomes a possibility, Im buying this ASAP.
My brother had a big Voltron mech toy once; his uncle gave it to him as a present when he was maybe 7, which I bet would be worth thousands of cash today if it wasn't opened. It was, though, and I even got to play it when he handed it down to me. It had an arm cannon play feature, and is fully poseable, but doesn't transform from five lions. Fun toy, and I think my brother would be quite happy to have this set, even if he isn't much of a LEGO fan.
The set itself is impressive purely from a LEGO build perspective. Titanic is what I'd call it. But it does raise a question of engineering: what would it take to make this a fully-poseable mech without totally changing the aesthetics?
Ridiculous price in NZ compared to other territories, but that's actually besides the point. It's just a pug-ugly mess and another in the line of niche, minority-appeal Ideas sets. There's a mass of better MOC mechs out there....
The more reviews etc I see of this set the less and less I like, despite being a bit of a Voltron fan growing up, the lions look pretty bad separately except the heads and the complete lack of articulation when combined is disappointing if understandable. It's gone from a day 1 purchase to meh if it's half price somewhere maybe ....At £160 and as a Lego mech fan I'd rather spend the money on the new Oni-Titan, Bat- Mech and Venom- Mech sets tbh, I could see myself being rather dissatisfied with Voltron as it really doesn't look that fun a build either.
Like I said when the project was announced, I am amazed that this passed the review phase, due to the source material being so obscure/almost unknown in most important LEGO markets other than the US.
In any case, it looks quite intricate and enough like a Transformer to be of at least some personal interest to me. Otoh, I have still so many unassembled sets from the last few years waiting to be built that this set is far down on my "to someday get" list.
They lost me at the part where you have to partially take apart the black lion to transform it.
Also, at that pricepoint it would be easier to hunt down one of the original 80s toys that came without any compromises. I'll pass on this one and will throw all the money in the world at them when they finally do Masters of the Universe.
Why did this review include photos of a later version of the Voltron show and not the original 1984 version that this set is based on? That makes no sense to me.
Also, that’s a “spinning laser blade”, not a shield.
So a lion-headed 'robot' splits apart and creates 5 separate lion looking vehicles, 4 of which are very much 'much of a muchness'. Now I'm a cat person rather than a dog person and even for me that is too much of the same cat theme. As someone with no real knowledge of the IP I would need some variety to the builds to be tempted so its an easy pass for me.
@FusedBrick Got to agree with you there. The set kinda reminds me of a Megazord from Power Rangers. Have not heard of Voltron really, but the set does seem pretty cool.
I'm a fan of the new Netflix reboot so this set has great appeal to me, but I might not get it for a while what with Harry Potter and Ninjago Docks having just come out.
Too bad that the hip and knee cannot move, which is even worse than the hulkbuster with its movable hip
IDEAS sets can be great and do appeal to people on individual tastes, I have the Ole Fishing Store but no interest in Saturn V. However sometimes I think it pays to not produce a set just for the sake of it and this one for sits within that category. As has been said above, I'd never heard of Voltron before the Ideas set and like Huw grew up in the UK where I certainly don't remember it. Not sure this one will be a big seller tbh, it doesn't really work as a display model for me and seems a bit complicated for the kids to be playing around with, particularly at the price so No from me and maybe LEGO need to realise that if the bottom of the barrel is being scraped just to continue a theme, then a break is not necessarily a bad thing!
Thinking about this over the last few days the leg angle really bothers me. Overall I really like it, but I really hope TLG produces it own giant Mech without the restrictions this source material demands.
Despite being just a tad too young to remember the television show, I do remember being obsessed with Voltron as a kid. I had all sorts of Voltron-themed stuff, including shoes, folders, and an electric toothbrush. I want to get this partially for nostalgia, partially for the build experience, and partly as a display model (I always love stuff that features primary or rainbow colors).
The main problem is, I have no more shelf space! This thing looks pretty big, but I just put the Statue of Liberty in my last available spot. I suppose it might be time to disassemble the ol' Bucket Wheel Excavator...
I was exposed to Voltron at such a young age it was subconscious. It seems that when I later saw the Transformers Constructicons combining into Devastator, the idea of combining robots to make a huge robot, while cool, was not new to me.
I was nearly a teenager when Power Rangers had their heyday, and it always seemed like a cheesy knockoff of something cool I had seen once, and it took me the longest time to realize Voltron was the original version in the idea lingering in the back of my mind.
So, cool to see it in Lego now, and it looks like a fun build, but it's not anything I have such an attachment to that I have to run out and buy right now.
The set reminds me of the old toy. All of Huw's complaints would also apply to that, but I suspect there will be a interest from people who had the original set. It definitely has that lure for me, just not sure I can afford it after the Aston Martin.
Five after midnight here, and still can't buy Voltron here on the East Coast. But, it will be mine. :D
This was a good review, but I feel like the conclusion is pretty harsh. I'm not a huge voltron fan, and I most certainly do not have an unlimited budget, Lego or otherwise. I had one (yes, one) of the lions as a child and have never seen an episode of the shows (likewise, no interest in the reboot). I would hardly even call myself a voltron fan at all. Yet I l still bought it this morning.
What other set would take my money in this price range? The DB5? I've seen Goldfinger, but I guess I'm not a big enough Bond fan, because I didn't recognize the car. At all. I admit, I had to google "db5", but I don't see the resemblance in any case. And I definitely don't have the budget for an overpriced display model that doesn't look anything like the source material. Voltron not only looks like what it's supposed to, it does almost everything the original did, down to the lack of articulation. And wifey likes the Voltron model better anyway, so there's that.
This was a must-buy from minute one for me. I grew up on the cartoon and I can't help but hear the theme song every time I look at this. I'm about 60% finished building it with my 5yo who only has any appreciation of it because he sees how much I love it. I saved the black lion for last and I'm excited to finish. They definitely did an amazing job with this set, given what limitations they would have to work with. Super happy with it.
Great review! I watched the series as a kid so when Lego announced it was bringing it out i was excited but sceptical about it would look like. After rradimg yoir review and seeing pics it became a must have set a nd i just bought the last set at the lego store in hawaii. Mow i have to wait to get home before i tackle the nuild. Can't wait ????