The Paladins try to cope with Shiro's disappearance as they attempt to help others, and form alliances. Keith however, is taking it the hardest, and refuses to consider that someone can replace Shiro. Lotor finally makes an appearance during a gladiator match, to prove himself worthy of being the new leader to the empire now that his father is unable to.
Tropes for this episode include the following:
- The Alliance: Allura and the Paladins meet up with a group of aliens in order to create an alliance to help others.
- Amazon Brigade: Lotor reveals that his top four generals are half-Galra and they're all women.
- Badass Boast: Lotor calls Throk out for trying to conspire against him and how Galra don't make plans in the shadows, they fight for what they want. He adds if Throk could defeat him, then he could have the throne.
- Brutal Honesty: Kolivan says that the Galra have claimed over so much of the universe that the empire could rule for another ten thousand years if it wished.
- Close-Call Haircut: Throk manages to slice off strands of Lotor's hair.
- Combat Compliment: Lotor compliments Throk for his skill but notes that his rage and aggression were getting him nowhere.
- The Coup: Throk was planning one, but Lotor short-circuited the plot by calling his rival out in the arena, beating him handily, and then rallying the mob to him with a Rousing Speech.
- Crowd Chant: After his impressive fight and Rousing Speech, the Galra begin standing up to pledge their loyalty to Lotor and chanting his name.
- The Puig's do this as well when they start chanting to see Voltron, much to Lance and Hunk's discomfort.
- Death Glare: Zethrid and Acxa give this to Throk after they reveal themselves besides Lotor, who called out Throk for conspiring to take the throne.
- Dramatic Unmask: Lotor removes his helmet after his first fight, leaving Throk and the rest of the audience stunned to see the Galra prince.
- The Exile: Throk notes that while he and his comrade have served Zarkon for years, Lotor on the other hand was an exiled brat. No explanation is given as to why Lotor was exiled.
- Fantastic Racism: The locals that Lance and Hunk save shower the Paladins in praise and thanks, while giving a look of disgust to the Blade of Marmora when Lance tries to say that the Blade helped save their planet as well. One of the alien leaders in the alliance talks about how people who look like the Blade have enslaved her people for centuries.
- Even Throk shows his distaste over the fact that Lotor's generals aren't full Galra and are "half-breeds at best".
- Get Out!: As the Galra flee the planet Hunk and Lance were on, the yellow paladin yells at them to stay out.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: The aggression that Throk prides himself in on the battlefield ends up being his downfall against Lotor.
- It's Raining Men: When Lance and Hunk can't afford to land to let out the Blade of Marmora troops due to enemy fighters, the soldiers just have the paladins open the hatches, then they jump out of the lions at high altitude and speed, without parachutes, hit the ground running, and charge into battle.
- Living Legend: Pidge tells Keith that when her brother and father were home, they always talked about Shiro and how he became something of a legend in their household.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Lotor's Rousing Speech has tones of this. Rule by loyalty means that you don't need to waste troops on garrisons to guard for and suppress rebellions, and you get more troops for your next campaign from the territories you took earlier. His actions after he leaves the arena cast doubt onto how much he believes in the philosophy, however.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: After gaining Throk's pledge of fealty, Lotor tells his generals to transfer him to garrison duty on a backwater ice world.
- Rousing Speech: Lotor tells the crowd that not only is he not going to be like his father, but he believes that the empire should be ruled through loyalty, not fear. He also goes on to say that all who oppose them would be crushed, and every ally only makes them stronger.
- Rule of Cool: The Blade managing to sky-dive out of the Blue Lion, rolling off the ground and then spring up into a run.
- Stunned Silence: When the alliance asks why the Paladins couldn't form Voltron and Keith angrily yells at them, saying that they should fight for themselves and storms off, leaving the room uncomfortably quiet.
- The Galra audience are this for a moment once Lotor reveals himself.
- Suddenly Shouting: When the alliance continues to question how they were supposed to break the news to their people that Voltron couldn't be formed for a while, Keith slams his hands on the table and says they should tell their people to fight for themselves because Voltron was gone.
- The Coats Are Off: This is how three of Lotor's generals reveals themselves to Throk and the other Galra in the audience.
- Trial by Combat: Lotor challenges Throk for the throne via combat.
