Since Voltron has a long line of reboots and retelling, there's bound to be a few noted in the current reboot Voltron: Legendary Defender, hence why it loves taking story elements from the original Voltron and GoLion then smashing them together in a new narrative.
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Season 1
- The interlock, dynotherm, and mega-thruster commands that allowed the Lions to form Voltron in the original show have now been re-purposed as the launch commands that allow the Castle of Lions to transform into a spaceship.
- In "Some Assembly Required", the pilots try forming Voltron again by stacking their Lions on top of each other like a cheerleader pyramid. As Shiro slowly drops his Lion on the top, he mutters to himself the immortal line, "...And I'll form the head."
- The Black Paladin's name is Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane, as in Voltron''s parent show GoLion, instead of Sven like in the original Voltron show.
- When the others use the zip-lines to get to their lions, it's treated with a serious tone, but Hunk is the one having the most difficulty and later after catching up asks why the ziplines couldn't be moved closer to the bridge.
- The show's subtitle "Legendary Defender" is a nod to Voltron's classic title as the "Defender of the Universe". Coran even calls the Paladins "Defenders of the Universe" in the pilot.
- Princess Allura's royal dress is made of various shades of blue and white, in reference to how she was the pilot of Blue Lion in the original continuity after Sven (Shirogane) got benched. Meanwhile, her pilot suit has shades of pink and blue, in reference to how her pilot suit in the previous incarnation would have either pink or blue highlights. In Season 3, she becomes the new Blue Lion pilot, and wears pink armor with it.
- During the season, the Blue Lion's pilot is badly injured and needs to take time off to heal.
- Unlike previous reboots, the main cast's design aesthetic is a slightly modified
◊ version of their original character models.◊ - In this reboot, Allura and Coran are Alteans, not Arusians, and even though the castle rested on Planet Arus (as in the original Voltron), they are originally from Altea (the name of Arus in GoLion). The actual Arusians are the first species they meet who fear they've angered the "lion goddess" and attempt to sacrifice themselves when Allura sounded like she was refusing their "dance of apology".
- Like in the original Voltron, Pidge has a look-alike brother. The dynamics are reversed between them, however; Matt is the older (and taller) of the two, compared to Pidge being older than (and about as tall as) Chip.
- Pidge's design, especially the hairband, often had casual viewers questioning whether he was a boy or a girl. This time around, Pidge is a girl disguised as a boy. She's even wearing a remarkably similar hairband in a flashback.
- Like in GoLion, the Earth is not at war with Galra at the time the series begins, and indeed humans (or at least anyone outside the government) aren't even aware that aliens, much less a universe-spanning empire of them at that, exist, until the Galra invade Earth.
- Zarkon is the true leader of his forces, not a vassal.
- His empire in question is not the Drule (as in the original Voltron), but the Galra (as in GoLion).
- Between the prologue and main series, Shiro was taken as a slave, forced to fight in gladiator games, and escaped after an entire year. The same happened to the entire crew in the first episode of the original series, though they escaped much more quickly and easily.
- Hunk insists they take turns when it comes to who forms the head, a concept that was developed in Voltron Force. They don't do that, but they do borrow Force's concept of using new abilities taken from the secondary pilots.
- The personalized Swiss-Army Weapon nature of the Bayards are similar to the Voltcoms of Force, as are the Elemental Powers which all five Lions seem to have.
- The Bayards also somewhat take the place of the "keys" from the original Voltron. While not necessary to operate a lion, using a lion's bayard unlocks powerful weapons for Voltron linked to that lion (a sword for the Red Lion, a massive Shoulder Cannon for the Yellow Lion, and so on.) The Black Bayard is missing and must be retrieved, as well.
- In the Season 1 finale, Shiro faces off in a one-on-one battle against Haggar, who makes use of the Doppelgänger Spin to disorient him, much as she did against Shirogane in the fateful battle of the original GoLion. Thankfully for Shiro, it ends better this time around.
- Haggar having white hair can be a nod to original Voltron character Zandra, who like her is a white-haired space witch.
Season 2
- In the Season 2 premiere, a wounded Shiro also tells Keith that if he doesn't make it, Keith should lead the team, a nod to previous incarnations where Keith did lead the team, and also teasing the fact that Shiro dies in the original. This exact situation comes to pass in Season 3.
- One episode did have the paladins having a day off to swim at a nearby lake. This time it's Keith and Lance heading to a pool to get a break from all the running they've been doing from Zarkon. Unfortunately for them, it's upside down.
- Keith's father shares a notable resemblance to the original series character Commander Hawkins.
- Keith was part-Arusian in the original series, here, he's part Galra.
- Slav asking why the castle needed ziplines and Allura grumpily responds that ziplines were fashionable ten-thousand years ago.
- Zarkon gets his own armor that is the size of a robeast, and in the old series he did get turned into a one.
- In "Greening the Cube", Coran identifies one of the mice as being named Platt, the name of one of the mice in GoLion. The guidebook reveals that one of the other mice is named Chuchule, another holdover from GoLion.
- The mice entertain Allura in "Space Mall" similar to the way they were shown doing for her in the original series.
- In the Season 2 finale, Zarkon fights with Voltron using a Humongous Mecha that looks just like him. And just like in the original series, he loses.
- And during that fight, after Shiro activates the Black Bayard, along with the other four, Voltron's sword becomes wreathed in flames — making it the Blazing Sword.
- The Blade of Marmora is a nod to the Drule rebels who side with Vehicle Force in Vehicle Voltron.
- As confirmed on the podcast, Keith and Allura's more Ship Tease-esque interactions in this season were a nod to previous iterations in which the two were often an Official Couple.
Season 3
- Haggar's cat makes a reappearance, but this time, Narti is the one using them to serve as her eyes.
- Keith takes his position as the head of Voltron, however unlike his 80's counterpart who was already a leader he has to get better at working with his teammates.
- Lance takes over the Red Lion's position, but at the beginning, he has difficulty controlling its speed.
- Allura is chosen as the new Blue Paladin due to Shiro's absence just like in the original series, however in this series Shiro piloted Black while Lance piloted Blue.
- In "Hole In the Sky", the Paladins enter an alternate reality and meet none other than Sven (who they initially mistaken as Shiro, to boot). Sven later takes a bullet for Lance, and parodies the Never Say "Die" nature of the original Voltron afterwards by having him telling Lance that "I'll be fine, just get me to Space Hospital."
- Lotor's helmet from the 80's is used as a gift for baby Allura.
- In Season 3, Keith pilots the Black Lion but wears red armor and Lance pilots the Red Lion in blue armor, just like their GoLion counterparts did. The former was nodded to as early as Season 2, where Keith briefly borrowed the Black Lion. Allura also wears pink armor when she was chosen as the new pilot for the Blue Lion, however she explains that she wears the color pink, which back on Altea was the color worn to honor their fallen warriors.
- Daibazaal, which was Zarkon's original name in GoLion, is used as the name of his Homeworld.
- It is revealed that Haggar was formerly known as Honerva, her original name in GoLion. In the original version of the show it was implied that Haggar was a former lover of Zarkon's; in this continuity they are clearly shown as husband and wife.
- Just like in the original, Lotor once again surrounds himself with women. This time however, they're his generals, and all competent fighters to boot.
- In Season 3, Coran mentions that Voltron was once known as the Defender of the Universe, in reference to the name of the original show.
- Acxa shares similar facial resemblances to Queen Merla in the original series.
- Ezor is modelled after Voltron Force character Kala.
Season 4
- In Season 4, Lotor named his comet ships Sincline, which is his original Japanese name.
- The animosity between father and son is carried over to this series, although slightly more subdued until Zarkon finds out that Lotor has built a comet ship.
- Just like in some of the previous versions of himself, Lotor is half-Altean. However, his Altean mother back then was just one of Zarkon's many lovers whom he later killed, this time, Haggar is Lotor's mother.
Season 5
- When Lotor suggests an alliance with Allura, it almost sounds like he's offering a marriage proposal. Something his 80's counterpart would have attempted to seek out (although not as cordially as Lotor).
- Moreso when Allura seems to start reciprocating Lotor's affections to Lance's annoyance.
- Lance's hatred for Lotor is still here in this series, with most of his counterparts not trusting the Galra prince (but his intense hatred in Legendary Defender could be attributed to his jealousy between the growing affection between Lotor and Allura, his crush).
- Michael Bell, who provided Lance's voice for DoTU voices the Archivist in Kral Zera. Imagine Lance, someone who absolutely hates Lotor with a burning passion tell others to bow to their new emperor.
- There was an entire episode of the original show where Allura sought guidance from a White Lion. This time around, it isn't a trap set by Haggar.
Season 6
- Nanny from the original serious is rewritten as Lotor's governess Dayak. Lance even takes a few moments to tease Lotor about it.Lance: (laughing) She raised you as a child? Awwww, is this your nanny?
- Krolia attempts to name Keith Yurak, which was Sendak's GoLion and DoTU name. Keith's father then suggests "Keith" which Krolia agrees to.
- In the old series, Haggar says that she was once beautiful before Zarkon poisoned her with his darkness and lies. Towards the end of the series, the two sides of her self began fighting, switching between her hag form and her beautiful younger self. Here, once Haggar goes through the trials at Oriande, she regains her former form as Honerva and can easily shift between her two selves at will.
- Shiro making a Backup Twin for his character for Monsters and Mana when he dies, who has the same mission, class and is named Gyro.
- The sword he picked up is a straight copy of the original Blazing Sword.
- Lance being a cat-thief could be a nod towards his 80's counterpart liking cats, which is the reason he chased after Kova and later results in Sven's "death".
- Romelle and Bandor make an appearance in "The Colony". However, the only likeness Romelle shares with Allura is having a similar face, and bang style. Also, this time they're not distant cousins.
- Lotor and Allura do have a mutual attraction for the other unlike in previous incarnations where Lotor was creepily-obsessed with her. However, the relationship ends as quickly as it started once Romelle tells Allura of Lotor's true motives.
- Allura and Lotor go through a diagnostic including the interlock, dynatherms, infracells, and megathrusters again.
- In the 80's series, Lotor manages to charm and trick Romelle. However in VLD, she's not fooled by his words and constantly questions his actions on keeping the Altean colony hidden.
- Lotor's Sincline ships merge in a style very similar to Albegas, which was slated to be the third anime to be adapted under the Voltron name before the backlash towards Vehicle Voltron forced WEP to drop the plans.
- Lotor apparently redeeming himself and helping Team Voltron, only to turn out to be a ruse is a nod to Voltron: The Third Dimension as Zarkon redeemed himself prior to his final defeat, and became a member of the Galaxy Alliance before it was really a ruse and he turned out to be the true mastermind behind Lotor in a bid to take over the galaxy.
- Pidge shooting out her Green lion head to attack Lotor is something Voltron was able to do in the 80's series.
- The shot between Lance and Keith leaning over clone Shiro's unmoving body looks similar to the 80's version where they both watch as Sven dies.
- Several of the new attacks Voltron pulls out in the Quintessence realm are things Voltron did regularly in the original show.
- Krolia's relationship with Keith's father can be seen as a nod to the relationship Vehicle Voltron characters Twyla and Commander Hawkins in terms of a dymamic relationship between a human commander and an alien warrior.
Season 7
- Many speculated that the odd birds seen in "The Journey Within" were a call back to when the paladins met the Goddess of the Universe.
- Also, a great god-like figure who judges the paladins and who lets them go after proving they were pure of heart? Instead of the goddess, we got Bob.
- The Fake Lotor and Zarkon in "The Feud!" act so comically villainous towards each other, similarly to the way their 80's dubbed counterparts were like towards each other.
- In "The Last Stand, Part 2", a Galaxy Garrison official mentioned World War III, which is shown in the first episode of GoLion that wiped out humanity.
- The devastation of Earth the paladins saw is similar to their counterparts in GoLion when they return to Earth that has destroyed itself by war.
- The MFE fighters also have interlocks, dynatherms, and megathrusters. Oddly enough, no infracells.
- Atlas seems to be a nod towards Vehicle Voltron, just there isn't fifteen pilots controlling it.
- When the Garrison scientists are examining the remains of the Altean mecha, the angle of the shot makes it look similar to Lotor's helmet from the 80s.
Season 8
- The original Defender of the Universe series becomes a Show Within a Show. Pidge and Allura end up wearing the casual clothes of their 80's counterparts.
- Haggar switching between to parts of herself isn't new, however, now she's going through at least five other versions of herself as they fight over control of the Honerva in our timeline.
- While Matt is Pidge's brother in Legendary Defender, they're now making a robot of Pidge's other brother from the 80's series, Chip.
- In the epilogue scene with Matt and the Holts, the characters who are being trained as new pilots are the pilots of Vehicle Voltron. Said vehicles are seen in blueprints in the room where Chip is being created, and the two cars that form VV's feet are in the background. Another shot in the epilogue shows even more pilots and the arm helicopters.
- One of the Alteans is named after Merla.
- Instead of Keith being Allura's canonical love interest it's Lance, who has had hints of liking her romantically in previous incarnations, though Allura usually went with Keith.
- Honerva pulling a Heel–Face Turn in the end of the series can be a nod to her original series counterpart doing the same in Fleet of Doom.
- Matt's haircut in the epilogue can be seen as a nod to Pidge's haircut in Voltron Force.
