This is based on opinion. Please don't list it on a work's trope example list.
Given that this show is an
Adaptation Expansion,
expect more angst and heartbreaking moments for the characters.
- Rozalia's Death By Child Birth is this after giving birth to her son Zardoz and Hrothgar's mother Fadsa died in vain for trying to stop Emperor Zambojil from taking away her recently born grandson under his care to raise and indoctrinate. This made Zambojil's lie to Hrothgar in his Evil Gloating about his wife and his mother being dead coming true.
- Mary Ann's Heroic Sacrifice while buying the team enough time to recover during their fight against Vaizanger. Both Armstrong brothers' (Big Bert and Little Jon) emotions capture the grief and coupled with Steve's rage just as in the source material.
- Zardoz suffers the Sins of Our Fathers by his Evil Uncle Emperor Zambojil despite looking up to him and wanted to follow his example when he was raised by him. Every time he reports of his failure to defeat Voltes V, Zambojil constantly derides him.
- Unlike his anime counterpart Heinel who was at least Raised by Grandparents, Zardoz grew up under Zambojil's custody and never knew love and care throughout his life.
- It's quite telling when Zardoz was shown kindness and compassion from Little Jon during his personal infiltration into Camp Big Falcon under the guise of "Manuel Nabuz". Despite his Fantastic Racism towards humans for resembling the hornless Boazanians, he was somewhat touched by the boy's friendliness and reciprocate the handshake after being explained what it is from Little Jon.
- It's even more sad when it is implied that Zardoz never get to have a childhood while being raised by Zambojil and takes chance to experience it by playing Nerf guns with the Armstrong brothers he bonded with and eagerly joined the group hug even though he was in a middle of his personal infiltration mission within Camp Big Falcon.
- Big Bert is heartbroken after his girlfriend Judy was revealed to be a spy of the Boazanian invaders after Dr. Smith and Sgt. Majors Edwards discovered in their investigation that she has no legal records of existence on Earth and her bioscans are not human at all. Big Bert tries to assume that Dr. Smith did this to break him and Judy up as punishment for resigning from Voltes Team and leaving Camp Big Falcon to be with her. But Dr. Smith bluntly shuts Big Bert down that it is true with solid facts and evidence and it devastates the middle Armstrong brother to lock himself in his room and wallow in his depression. It gets worse for Big Bert who remembers the moments of Judy constantly asking him when he will give her a tour around Camp Big Falcon and being excited to see it herself, which he eventually did and showed her around briefly with his Voltes Team comrades helping out before General Robinson put a stop to it.
- Steve shutting down Jamie's Anguished Declaration of Love in Episode 40 in the aftermath of Namazuka's destruction.
- Dr. Smith's death. In the anime, Dr. Smith had to do a repeat of what Mary Ann did, which was fly a plane and crash into the enemy Kamikaze style to save the Voltes Team. Here in Legacy, he was betrayed by the Android version of Ned Armstrong, his best friend, stabbing him because he was being Properly Paranoid. This is a deviation for sure, but it did hit viewers from out of the blue like a stab to the gut, especially fans of the anime whose expectations were subverted.
- After Android Ned Armstrong left, OCTO-1 scans the bodies of Dr. Smith and his two soldiers who were slain, confirming their deaths.
- The Voltes Team was devastated upon stumbling on the dead body of Dr. Smith inside the room of Android Ned Armstrong. Steve is vindicated of his paranoia at the fake Ned Armstrong and upset that Dr Smith was murdered. Big Bert tries to call for medical team in hopes of saving the doctor's life somehow but Jamie tearfully tells him that he's already gone. Mark Gordon is heartbroken of Dr. Smith's demise as the latter was a father figure to him and the man who reached out when he was in his Ineffectual Loner phase, and now the doctor is gone.
- Little Jon was shaken by the news of Dr. Smith's death at the hands of "Ned Armstrong". Enough to stay behind at Camp Big Falcon to see if it is true than launch with his fellow Voltes Team members to intercept the new Beast Fighter Gamera, which unwittingly foils Zardoz's plan of Voltes V destroyed by the explosive device via Robot Ned Armstrong the moment they finish their Volt-In sequence to fight Gamera.
- Big Bert tries to rescue his father, the real Ned Armstrong after disobeying orders to take down Zoldier attacking the city, but sadly he was overwhelmed by numerous Boazanian soldiers he couldn't take out despite his strength and skills. He was helpless as he watched his father being taken away once again.
- When Voltes Team was lured into a trap via Boazanian teleporter, they were surrounded by Boazanian soldiers and greeted by Zardoz and his generals who were waiting for them. The Armstrong brothers recognize the prince as "Manuel Nabuz" when they see him and were shocked of the revelation as Zardoz mocks them for being fooled and their human feelings.
- Little Jon tries to appeal with Zardoz of their friendship back then, which prompted the prince to remember the bonding time he and Armstrong brothers had together. Sadly, Zardoz rebukes this and throws it back at Little Jon's face.
- Although Zardoz did allow Little Jon to be sent away, despite his generals' protest, after Steve pleads with him to spare his younger brother while the Voltes Team remain trapped within enemy territory.
- The Alas, Poor Villain moment for Zuhl, the Regretful Traitor who ends up executed by Prince Zardoz for betraying him and attempting to assassinate him as ordered by Emperor Zambojil. Then Zardoz declares that Zuhl's name and records will be erased and no one will speak of him again as if he never existed.
- Although at least Zuhl died with some dignity at the hand of the prince compared to his anime counterpart who was unceremoniously executed by a firing squad.
- Before that, Zuhl pleads to Zandra and Draco for help and forgiveness, appealing to their vitrolic friendship but they rebuke him with Zandra slapping him down and Draco pretending to help him only to roughly set him back down to the spot before Zardoz.
- After witnessing how much of a disrespectful Jerkass Oslak was to them during the development of Okozenia, Zandra and Draco feel some hints of regret, already missing Zuhl even though he committed treason under Zambojil's orders.
- The fallout between Steve, Mark and Jamie in Voltes Team is this as Mark is upset after learning that Steve harbored feelings for Jamie the whole time despite coldly rejecting her and Jamie claimed him as her boyfriend just to spite Steve especially when he overhears her conversation with Ann. He quits the Voltes Team and was about to leave Camp Big Falcon with his horse Alpha. But he later returns to help them. Even then, the damage already has been done and Mark simply works as a professional, not wanting to do with Steve and Jamie anymore.
- Commander Robinson sacrifices himself to save his daughter Jaime from the blaster fire of General Oslak's spaceship. His final words to Jamie are, "Swear to me to live a happy life. Fight on. I love you, my darling." Initially in denial, the distraught Jamie then becomes understandably inconsolable
after realizing that her beloved father has perished. - Another Alas, Poor Villain moment comes with Draco's death. Upon realizing he has no chance of victory, he commits seppuku and dies by his own sword, preferring a noble warrior's death than allow himself to be captured. Zandra is very distraught about his death, and even Zardoz is tearful—saluting him for his bravery and vowing to avenge him.
- The penultimate Alas, Poor Villain moment of Legacy would have to be Zandra's death in Zardoz's arms. It's portrayed mostly like the original, but instead of a random aristocrat shooting down Zandra, it was done by Emperor Zambojil's hands instead.
- The context is also different because unlike in the original, where Heinel realizes his love for Katharine for the first time when she was at death's door, Zardoz instead ended up losing his lover and significant other with her self-sacrifice.
- Before that, Zandra lost her Deflector Shields when fighting off Boazanian rebels in the capital, and yet she never hesitated to protect her beloved prince with her life from a spiteful Zambojil.
- Zardoz's Heroic Sacrifice to save Steve from being crushed under heavy rubble as he shields him from harm when Zambojil drops an explosive on them after getting stabbed by Zardoz's heirloom dagger. Unlike his anime counterpart Heinel who walks into the flames and dies without any reconciliation with the Gou Brothers, Zardoz survives long enough to make peace with the Armstrong Brothers and his father Ned before dying... and even Little Jon addresses him as Kuya (big brother) for good measure. This is Legacy's ultimate Alas, Poor Villain moment.
