Keith and Lance

Keith is a Dropout ace pilot cadet from the Galaxy Garrison who functions as a Paladin of Voltron fighting the Galra Empire, piloting, at first, the Red Lion, but later transitioning to the Black Lion after Shiro's disappearance. He has Galran heritage rooted in the Galra rebel faction called the Blade of Marmora, which he decides to join, leaving Team Voltron so that "Shiro" can return as the Black Paladin. When the truth is revealed about "Shiro's" status as a clone, Keith returns to being the Black Paladin.

Keith has the appearance of a lean older teenager with pale skin, black hair, fairly thick eyebrows, and purple eyes. Keith's hair is described as a mullet.[1] He has uneven-cut bangs that tend to sweep to the left of his face, length averaging just under his eyes, but framing his face slightly longer and curled at his cheekbones. The rest of his hair reaches the base of his neck, wildly flaring out in curved strands that tend to sit on top of his coat collar or armor. He has two strands of hair that sprout from the top of his head. Of the Paladins, Keith is the second-shortest, beating only Pidge in height, until he ages in the Quantum Abyss and becomes the third-tallest alongside Lance.[1][2] He gains a scar on the right side of his face after fighting "Shiro." When fighting, “Shiros” plasma sword made near contact with Keith’s face, thus leaving a burn scar from the heat. Some used to believe it is part of his galra genes since his mother “Krolia” has the same marks on both sides.In his Paladin armor, Keith's uniform mirrors his fellow Paladins but with red accents to match his Lion.

When he is not in his Paladin armor, Keith wears a dark blue-gray t-shirt underneath a red, white, and yellow jacket cropped to his ribcage, with the large cuffs of the jacket rolled up to expose their white color. The collar of the jacket stands propped upright.

Keith wears black pants that his shirt overlaps; his boots are white with black and red accents. His black gloves are fingerless and expose part of his hand before strapping together over the wrist. At his waist, Keith wears a brown utility belt with a silver rectangular buckle in the center and two lighter brown pouches at either hip. Strapped to the belt at his lower back is a silver-colored and double-bladed knife with a black pommel, often kept wrapped in cloth and sheathed in a gray and silver scabbard. The blade is inscribed with a glowing purple emblem of the Blade of Marmora on its guard.

While Keith normally appears to be completely human, he has displayed Galran traits such as yellow sclerae, feline pupils, and sharpened teeth during moments of extreme stress and emotion While Keith normally appears to be completely human, he has displayed Galran traits such as yellow sclerae, feline pupils, and sharpened teeth during moments of extreme stress and emotion

The Red Lion is temperamental and the most difficult to master. It's faster and more agile than the others, but also more unstable. Its pilot needs to be someone who relies more on instincts than skill alone. Allura describing the Red Lion

Keith is described multiple times as the hothead of Team Voltron. He is quick to give sarcastic quips and blunt commentary. He is a competitive and pragmatic person who favors following his instincts above all else and will take the initiative regardless of the danger and challenge, leading to impressive accomplishments. He is not overly confident but is aware of his skills and strengths to trust them and ask others to do the same.[1]

While a grounded and logical thinker, he is susceptible to his honest emotions: his rebellious and impulsive nature leads him to be foiled by his own frustration, temper, and unwavering desire to defeat the Galra Empire; he often must reel himself in or receive guidance to cool his head. Keith has embraced his role as a Paladin to near extremes and places high value on the stakes of the team's mission of defending the universe. His pragmatism causes disconnect and misunderstanding between himself and the other Paladins, making him seem cold, uncaring, or selfish. This, coupled with his temper and emotional instability, is not aided by Keith's difficulty opening up to anyone personally on the Voltron team - though Keith knows very little about his own past to tell until meeting the Blade of Marmora and reuniting with his mother, Krolia.

In truth, Keith is prone to self-consciousness and fears being rejected by others due to his parents' loss as a child, feeling that he was abandoned, and he tends to keep people at a distance and shut them out before they can reject him first to protect himself.[1] For all his seriousness, Keith is hardly stoic. He is capable of loosening up and enjoying a good bout of fun, happily engaging in or instigating some of the team's playful antics, and he often shows his emotions.[5][6][7] He places as much value on his team members as he does his mission and makes an honest effort to connect with them no matter how often he scolds someone for their lack of focus. He is not fond of the idea of abandoning a teammate, even if he considers thinking as a Paladin to weigh the greater good over single life.[6][8] This is in direct contrast to the Blade of Marmora's willingness to sacrifice any member for the greater mission.

Keith is highly observant of his team's well-being and will rush to protect or avenge them when needed, even if it means putting himself directly in harm's way. This self-sacrificial nature is something he extends to the Red Lion to prove his worth and when he confronts the mystery of his Galran heritage. Though desperate to know the truth about himself, he willingly puts his selfish desires aside to fulfill his duty as a Paladin.[9] Keith is equally able to accept that one evil is not the representative of all of its kind but does not fault Allura's shunning of him for his Galran heritage and only uses it as fuel to prove he has a rightful place on the Voltron team until they make amends. Following his brief and tumultuous experience as leader piloting the Black Lion, his decision to leave Team Voltron only occurs so that "Shiro" may return as the Black Paladin, as Keith constantly compares himself to Shiro, who guided him in his youth, and feels the older man is a better leader than himself.

It is only after meeting his mother, Krolia, and bonding with her for two years that Keith stabilizes and matures as a person, returning to the mantle of Black Paladin once "Shiro," truly a clone, turns against the team.

Keith has an immense sense of justice, selflessness, and the desire to fight alongside his team to bring light to the darkest time of the universe despite the costs. Skills: Bayard Takes the form of a long katar. Paladin Armor Armor that allows for safe travel in space; it contains a highly advanced computer system, a communication system, a laser gun, a grappling hook and tether, holographic capabilities, an energy shield for defense, breathable air, and a jetpack for brief sustained flight.[5] Explosives On Earth, Keith detonated explosives to divert attention away from Shiro's quarantined crash site, showing knowledge of guerrilla tactics and bombs.[6] Hovercraft A one-man red hoverbike owned by Keith on Earth. Marmora Armor Armor specialized for the Blade of Marmora that allows safe travel in space; it contains a highly advanced computer system, a communication system, an identity-concealing helmet that can disappear and reappear at will, and breathable air.[7] Marmora Blade A small double-edged knife made of luxite that can manifest into a larger, single-edge blade when activated by Keith's Galran heritage. Keith's specialty lies in close-combat with martial arts and bladed sidearms, using a fighting style said to be more Galran than human.[8][12] He is a skilled and aggressive martial artist able to take down Garrison technicians in mere moments with a few powerful strikes.[1] Keith's agility stats are officially the highest;[1][12] his battle strength lies mainly in his physical speed, trust in his instincts, quick adaptation to changes on the battlefield, and his sheer determination to succeed. While Keith's instincts allow him to react quickly, it makes him less observant of his surroundings and more susceptible to surprise attacks.

Lance is a former pilot cadet in the Galaxy Garrison, beginning as a cargo cadet before being promoted to fighter class after Keith was expelled.

He functioned as a Paladin of Voltron, piloting the Blue Lion When not caught up in his head, Lance proves he has intelligence as a strategist: he is perceptive and resourceful of his surroundings, able to improvise a plan of action, and realizing when caution and stealth are needed over the offense.[5][2] He is the first to suggest that a distraction is needed to infiltrate Shiro's quarantined crash site safely.

Lance has the appearance of a lean older teenager with light brown skin, short brown hair, thin eyebrows, and blue eyes that are notably drawn with small irises and pupils. Lance's bangs are very short and flare outwardly away from the center of his forehead before they curve inward with longer strands to frame his face at his cheekbones. The rest of his hair barely reaches his neck. He has two strands of hair that sprout from the top of his head. Of the Paladins, Lance has been suggested to be the third-tallest.[1]

In his Paladin armor, Lance's uniform mirrors his fellow Paladins but with blue accents to match his Lion.

When he is not in his Paladin armor, Lance wears a light gray shirt with blue sleeves underneath a gray-brown jacket. The jacket is accented with black and orange and has a white hood. He wears blue jeans and white sneakers accented with black and light blue.

Whope, hold up, let me guess: Takes the most handsome slash best pilot of the bunch? Lance assuming the Blue Lion's nature

Immature, arrogant, confrontational, and seemingly viewing life as a big joyride, Lance is an adventure-seeking pilot who priotitizes looking cool and proving himself better than his perceived rivals, envisioning the glory of defeating Zarkon,[5] though his exploits often end in failure. His humor is rather vulgar, noted by him ripping a fart for the punchline of a joke, and he immediately dons a painfully transparent "smooth and suave" persona whenever in the vicinity of beautiful women to flirt with them.[6][7] His tendency to get caught up in his ego and personal image has led to lowering his guard and trusting too easily to show off, making Lance an easily manipulated target that nearly cost the team the Blue Lion on one occasion. Also, once described by Pidge as "the goofball", which he denies, claiming he's "the cool ninja sharpshooter."

Lance's jovial nature and inflated ego distance his mind from the bleak situation of the universe and the need to perform his role as a Paladin seriously when not in a harrowing fight. He often picks petty arguments with Keith, who he believes is his rival , or instigates comical situations with other Paladins such as his rendition of laser guns and a "space police" siren.[7][8]

Underneath his cocky demeanor, Lance suffers from homesickness and deeply misses Earth and his large family.[9][10] He admits to admiring his teammates, even his 'rival' Keith.[11] This reveals Lance is not all fun and bad jokes: he has doubts about his role, as we see when Lance mentions to Keith about leaving the team when "Shiro" came back, within the team and the world around him, and while good-intentioned, lacks solid motivation as a Paladin fighting a powerful enemy. He thinks of himself as nothing more than a "seventh wheel" of the team;[11] these insecurities are the source of his belligerence towards Keith and his egotistical nature. Because he does not live up to his own personal expectations of being perceived highly by his peers, he puts on a front of bravado.[12]

While frequently comic relief, he is perceptive and clear-headed when focused as a Paladin, able to remember key objectives of missions and take in his surroundings to formulate better plans than simply rushing in to attack or risk getting caught.[8][5] Lance is an outgoing, amiable, and sociable teammate who will readily put himself in harm's way to protect his friends, be it from the mortal danger of a bomb or discipline from a superior officer. He highly values the lives of his team and proves he has potential as a Paladin - something the Blue Lion saw in him and chose him for. Over time, Lance realizes the dire state of the universe around him and matures to respecting his fellow teammates, putting his ideals for glory, his "rivalry", and pride aside for the sake of everyone; this change in character grants him acceptance by the Red Lion as its new pilot. Skills: Bayard Takes multiple forms, including a single-shot laser rifle, specialized for long-range combat, a sniper rifle, and an Altean broadsword. Paladin Armor Armor that allows for safe travel in space; it contains a highly advanced computer system, a communication system, a laser gun, a grappling hook and tether, holographic capabilities, an energy shield for defense, breathable air, and a jetpack for brief sustained flight. Combat Lance is skilled at long-range combat and can accurately hit a target from great distances. This seems to be his preference, as Lance does not display much close-combat prowess until his Bayard transforms into an Altean broadsword through his determination to succeed during training. Lance easily slashes apart the training drones but is thrown off-balance by Allura, as he is unused to the technicalities of handling a sword.

Lance's long-range expertise is noted to be his weakness in close-range combat. His official stats of strength, agility, and intelligence are all slightly above average, with agility being his highest.

Lance's need to be better than Keith stems from his own insecurities, his bravado, and his tendency toward envy where Keith is concerned. He is constantly trying to prove his worth, and Keith's obvious skills and talent seem to ruffle Lance's feathers frequently. Lance and Keith are like enemies. They never agree

Paying attention to the background of the images in Pidge's memories, we can see Keith and Shiro together looking at the ship. These events, along with Keith saying that Shiro was like a brother to him, are what started the popular cannon that Keith and Shiro were brothers, well, at least adopted brothers (which is not).

Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane, known to other slaves in the Galra arena as Champion, a skilled pilot of legendary reputation and the leader of the five Paladins of Voltron. He was the Paladin of the Black Lion of VoltronShiro is a taller-than-average human male with a Herculean physique. He has a broad face and a strong jaw, piercing dark gray eyes and a long, straight nose. He has a jagged pink scar running across the bridge of his nose. Owing to his Japanese heritage, he has pale skin and dark hair styled in an undercut. Due to the stress of Galra captivity, he also has a fluffy white streak located just above his hairline. He has donned two types of prosthetic arms to replace his right arm which was removed when he was captured by Galra, the first is a Galra creation; it has grey plating and a rubbery black layer covering his fingers and the crook of his elbow. The second is a fusion of Altean and Earth technology; it's only a forearm, white, with a grey bracket around the tricep, to a port embedded in Shiro's shoulder via a magnetic field, which shines a light blue because of the Altean crystal from Allura's tiara.As a prisoner of the Galra and a gladiator, Shiro wore a generic grey bodysuit underneath a shredded purple shirt.

When Shiro was a junior officer at the Galaxy Garrison, he wore a grey/green coat with a mandarin collar and pockets. The coat has black piping and zipped up at the front. He had two gold stripes, identifying him as a junior officer. As Captain of the ATLAS, Shiro updated this outfit with three gold stripes and a button-up front rather than a zipper.