Queen Merla

Speaking of Allura, Merla does serve as something of rival/foil to her. Many of Merla’s plans target Allura specifically, mainly because Merla wants to rule Arus. Merla leads Allura into traps, attempts to poison her, and tortures her at one point with the cosmotron. Despite this, Merla expresses a fondness for Allura, commenting that she’s fun, making fun of Lotor together, and saying it’s too bad she’s not evil. But Merla wants what she wants, and ultimately Allura is an obstacle keeping her from that.

At some point Merla does develop genuine feelings for Lotor. It’s these feeling that lead her allying herself with the Voltron Force and being redeemed. By the end of season two, tensions between Lotor and Zarkon come to a boiling point; it’s so bad that when Lotor is just moments away from destroying Voltron, Zarkon sabotages his son out of fear the Garla will then follow him. Lotor is captured and taken to the Pit of Skulls for execution. Merla conveniences the Voltron Force to help her rescue him. These events cause Lotor, who is confused and shocked by all this, wonders if he could turn a new leaf himself.

But, sadly, he doesn’t and takes advantage of Merla’s feelings to use her as a pawn in another attempt to destroy Voltron. Said plan fails and Merla goes off with the Voltron Force, but not before calling him a fool and telling him he’s just like his father.

Queen Merla is another character the VLD fandom often speculates about but, like Romelle, seems largely unfamiliar with. The wiki entry for her, if I recall, is even more sparse than the one for Romelle. So for anyone interested, I’m putting down some information about Merla, including her history, personality, and role in the series.

Who is Queen Merla?

For those of you not in the know, Merla was a character created for the American exclusive second season of Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Little is known about her background prior to her introduction; Haggar even explains no one knows where she came from. What is known is at some point she captured a legendary group of physic women known as the Muses of Norn. She’s an accomplished conquer and rules an impressive empire of her own. The planet serving the empire’s capital is unnamed, but men are forbidden to set foot on it.

A number of fans compare Merla to Narti because their powers are similar. Both can control minds and both have an animal companion they’re physically bonded with. However, Merla’s mind control works differently from Narti’s. Merla doesn’t have to touch her victim to control them and said control is more limited; she plants suggestions in a person’s head and then compels them to act on them. And, while strong, her power is not infallible, as Lotor does resist it on one occasion. Merla can also speak telepathically and spy on dreams.

It’s interesting to note given current events in VLD that Merla was something of scientist who experimented with other dimensions. In the episode “A Ghost of Chance” Merla stuffs Cossack, the Garla fleet commander, and later Allura into a machine known of the Cosmotron. This device transports the victim to a dimension known as Eventi. We’re not really given many details about it expect that it’s pure agony be there.

Merla is sophisticated, snooty, often petty, power hungry and determined to get what she wants by any means. For most of the second season her only true loyalty is to herself. Her alliance with King Zarkon and her marriage to Prince Lotor are all a means to end. Once Voltron was defeated (by her hand, of course) she planned on disposing of Zarkron and taking his empire for herself.

While not as blatantly cruel as Zarkon or Lotor, she’s not a nice person; most people are pawns or obstacles to her. She also enjoys humiliating those she dislikes and uses her powers to do so. Upon arriving on Planet Doom, the Garla homeworld, she alienates everyone but Zakron, who is attracted to her. She takes Haggar’s robeast from her, insults her appearance and magic powers, which Merla believes are old fashioned. She wounds Lotor’s ego by not fawning over him, and later uses her mind control to make him humiliate himself in front of the court. She uses her powers to sway Zarkon to her will. And while Merla is amused by Allura, she spies on her dreams and attempts to kill her multiple times because, as Merla explains, she wants Allura’s job.

Her personality does soften by the end of the season seemingly because of her feelings towards Lotor. Her powers even stop working for a time, possibly due to the confusion she feels. The last few episodes of the series have Merla risking her own life to save Lotor, who is about to be executed by Zarkon, and pleading for the Voltron Force’s help. She also tries to redeem Lotor but, alas, is betrayed.

It’s interesting to note given current events in VLD that Merla was something of scientist who experimented with other dimensions. In the episode “A Ghost of Chance” Merla stuffs Cossack, the Garla fleet commander, and later Allura into a machine known of the Cosmotron. This device transports the victim to a dimension known as Eventi. We’re not really given many details about it expect that it’s pure agony be there. If Merla does appear in VLD, I have to wonder if this aspect of her character will be explored at all.

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Queen Merla
Queen Merla is another character the VLD fandom often speculates about but, like Romelle, seems largely unfamiliar with. The wiki entry for her, if I recall, is even more sparse than the one for Romelle. So for anyone interested, I’m putting down some information about Merla, including her history, personality, and role in the series.

Who is Queen Merla?

image
For those of you not in the know, Merla was a character created for the American exclusive second season of Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Little is known about her background prior to her introduction; Haggar even explains no one knows where she came from. What is known is at some point she captured a legendary group of physic women known as the Muses of Norn. She’s an accomplished conquer and rules an impressive empire of her own. The planet serving the empire’s capital is unnamed, but men are forbidden to set foot on it.

A number of fans compare Merla to Narti because their powers are similar. Both can control minds and both have an animal companion they’re physically bonded with. However, Merla’s mind control works differently from Narti’s. Merla doesn’t have to touch her victim to control them and said control is more limited; she plants suggestions in a person’s head and then compels them to act on them. And, while strong, her power is not infallible, as Lotor does resist it on one occasion. Merla can also speak telepathically and spy on dreams.

a spaceship lands at the Castle Doom spaceport. Some finely dressed people arrived, and Cossack mentions that someone named Merla was the guest of honor. An elderly human man with a white beard bows to Prince Lotor and informs him that he is Grand Vizier to Queen Merla. Another ship arrives, which resembles a manta ray; Lotor is pissed about it. One of the guests recognizes the ship as Merla's, and the vizier tells everyone to hail the queen.

The ship lands and the hatch opens, and a blue-skinned, red-haired woman appears. A bird sits on her left shoulder. She is identified as Merla. She and her escort set foot on Doom. Cossack begins to read the official greeting, but then simply tells them to come on in. As Merla approaches, Lotor thinks she will find him beautiful, but Merla thinks he is brutish and dim-witted. Lotor anticipates a bow, but Merla does not bow to him. He says she will pay, and Merla's bird attacks him. Merla mentions that the bird attacks persons who think bad thoughts of her.

She meets with Zarkon, and the king wants an alliance with her to destroy the Galaxy Alliance. Merla proposes that their empires merge equally, and Lotor is insulted. He accuses Merla of having her vulture attack him, and that was an act of war. Merla then contacts him telepathically, and tells him he cannot resist her mental powers. She tells him to say that he made a mistake. The Prince of Doom gives in and says so. Zarkon tells Merla that he sent Stride to Arus. She asks that she be sent to help Stride. Zarkon objects, as the Tiger Fighter prefers to work alone. But Merla uses her telepathic powers to change Zarkon's mind.

Queen Merla (also referenced as Merla, Queen of Darkness) is introduced as Lotor's distant cousin when she first arrives; her exact relation to Zarkon is unclear.

Queen Merla was intended by King Zarkon to marry his son, Lotor, but it didn't work out. She has the ability to tap into people's minds and control them in a limited fashion. She is usually accompanied by her pet serpent-headed vulture which rides upon her shoulder. Her vulture has the ability to sense people who have negative or hostile thoughts toward the queen and make them react negatively, like it did to Lotor in the episode "Enter Merla: Queen of Darkness".

Home Planet
Unknown
Heritage
Unknown
Physical Description
Age
Unknown
Born
Unknown
Gender
Female
Eye Color
Yellow Sclerae
Hair Color
Pink
Personal Information
Relatives
Lotor (Fiance and Distant Cousin)
Zarkon (exact relationship unknown)
Occupation
Queen of an Empire
Affiliation
Initially with Doom, later with Voltron