Proof that the remaining 10% is worth getting trapped in a black hole for here.
These are recommendations made by Tropers for Voltron: Legendary Defender fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. No name recommendations will be zapped. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.
You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.
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Authors and Websites
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- One of the best, if not the best, genficcers working in this fandom. Velkyn Karma has the complete package: solid plots, compelling characterizations, and a fluid style. They are equally at home with episode-style action-adventure stories, like In My Sights
, and character pieces, like What's In a Name?. They can also pull off some stellar Hitchcockian horror — the kind that makes your mind rather than your skin crawl, as in Pillar In the Dark or Phantasmagoria. Also on FF.net, but fewer of their Voltron 'fics are available there.
- Recommended by therewriter
- This author’s genfics will take your breath away with the emotion and detail that goes into them. The character relationships are beautifully written, the action is suspenseful and gritty, and the team scenes are angst and fluff at its finest. Take, for example, the long fic epic, As Color Fades Away(seriously, it’s 80 chapters), which is a immersive team/Langst fic that draws you in with the attention to the rich worldbuilding and the biting whump and recovery scenes. Additionally, the author has arguably one of the best platonic Klance fanfictions, The Purity of Sin, which is again, stunning in terms of characters, worldbuilding, and relationships. The author has also has many other equally well written oneshots and are a staple if you’re looking for gen fic in the angst/adventure category!
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- This author can write anything: gen 'fic or shipping 'fic, plotty novels (e.g. Beast You've Made of Me) or character-driven short stories (e.g. Bridge This Gap), canonical adventures (e.g. Infiltration) or alternate universes (e.g. Keep Your Head Down Low), one-offs (e.g. Dark Necessities) or series (e.g. Let the Spectrum In), comedy (e.g. Baby, You'll Be Famous) or angst (e.g. Spark to Ignite). It's hard to go wrong with someone who writes something for everyone and does it so well.
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Also known as maychorian on Archive of Our Own, this author specializes in Langst, particularly in the series that begins with Boom Crash the Sound of My Ship (AO3 link), but is adept at getting inside the heads of all of the canonical characters. They're no slouch at plotting or worldbuilding, either: The Adventures of Keet and Yance (AO3 link), for instance, examines the relationship between Keith and Lance within the context of a diplomatic mission among avian aliens whose ostensible friendliness might be hiding more sinister intentions. Most stories are complete; a few are ongoing.
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- This author is very good at balancing an ensemble cast (even with their more romance-centric works); the characterizations and dynamics stay true to the spirit of the show. Their fics have a nice balance of heartwarming moments, angst, and action. The author also does a good job worldbuilding, whether it be with canonverse or AU.
- Recommended by EmperorMax2019
- Fanfiction.net Profile
- This author specializes in Alternate Universe Fics that keep to the tone and spirit of the original show while exploring how the changes affect different character interactions.
General Fics
The Ice Cream Discourse by amillionsmiles
- Recommended by MidnightStarHunter
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "I think, seeing as we're on a mission to stop the Galra empire from asserting their dominance over the entire galaxy, it's kind of hypocritical for you to be imposing your opinion of certain ice cream flavors on others, Lance," Pidge says.
"There were too many words in that sentence for me to digest, Pidge."
"Listening to you gives me indigestion," Keith offers, deadpan.
or: the one in which the team makes ice cream.
by cheesethesecond- Recommended by MidnightStarHunter
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: They all miss Keith, and it's clear Keith misses them, too. Hunk knows just what to do about that.
Lost Paladins Series by Rangergirl3 AO3 Link
- Recommended by ilovehirohamada
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: The Paladins of Voltron have been lost. Allura and Coran will stop at nothing to get them back. But Haggar has other plans. (In this fic, Keith is confirmed to be part-Galra. This fact will feature in other stories by this author). Set immediately after S1 finale. First in the 'Lost Paladins' series.
piling sandbags on parapets by alessandriana AO3 link
- Recommended by agreenware
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "It's really not that bad," Shiro said. Keith shot him a look of raging disbelief. "Pidge said you got *tortured*."
- Comments: One-shot following episode 5. Nice character moment. Only slightly shippy if you deeply want it to be.
Humans: Mysterious and Terrifying by Reid Phantom
- Recommended by agreenware
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Allura cares deeply for her paladins. However, she can't help but find their species bizarre, disturbing, and sometimes downright horrifying the more she learns about them. Random oneshots and drabbles based around those "Aliens find humans weird or scary" theories from Tumblr.
- Recommended by agreenware
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Stranded on an unknown planet, Shiro struggles with the ramifications of Zarkon being able to take control of the Black Lion.
- Recommended by agreenware
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Five times Shiro let his team lean on him, and one time someone let him lean on them.
"Voltron: The Untold Story" or "5 Heads are Fatter than 1" by The Qing
- Recommended by saltin
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: “You’re probably wondering how I got into this mess.” The first season of Voltron: Legendary Defender as told from the five mouths of the titular giant robot himself who’s pretty miffed that he didn’t get more screen time and is rather annoyed by both hero and villain alike. It’s Five Color Commentary at its best. Uncut, yet inexplicably abridged!
- Recommended by agreenware
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: When Shiro has trouble dealing with his past with the Galra, he heads to engineering for company. Pidge and Hunk...aren't quite sure what to do when he just...hovers.
Empty Nest by Hedgi
- Recommended by Beatman
- Status: Complete
- Synoposis: "All crewmembers are believed to be dead." Ava Holt lost both husband and son in the time it took a spacecraft to fall. She just didn't think that had cost her her daughter as well.
Simulacrum by Hedgi
- Recommended by Beatman
- Status: Complete
- Synoposis: "Simulacrum, Noun: an unsatisfactory imitation or substitute. Jean Baudrillard amended Plato's theory, calling a simulacrum not a faithful copy, but a distortion that bears no relation to reality. Pidge knows the simulation's fake. This isn't really a mission to rescue her dead family. Even if they made it, even if they succeeded, it wouldn't bring Matt and her father home, not even their bodies. It only makes her more determined than ever to prove Garrison's lies.
- Recommended by Beatman
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The Paladins had never expected to see it so soon. Earth, home. All Lance and Hunk wanted was a little vacation and a chance to see their families again, some respite from the seemingly endless battles. What they found instead was a planet at war with the Galra, and a planet that considered Shiro humanity's enemy. How did a planned vacation go so wrong?
See What We've Become by Reign of Rayne AO3 link
- Recommended by Colorfulshadows
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: They were not ready. Caught by surprise when a Galra team infiltrates the Castle of Lions during a supply run, Shiro and Pidge must fight together to save Allura, Coran, and the other paladins. But Shiro's mind is working against him, and Pidge can't produce miracles.
- Comments: This story feels like a real episode from the series, everyone is in-character, there is good flow of the action parts and the perfect amount of suspense to keep things interesting. Also if you are a fan of the friendship between Shiro and Pidge you probably would like this fic.
Parasite Knight by Velkyn Karma AO3 Link
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Shiro thinks that he's just tired, but as battle and training drain him of more than physical strength, the other Paladins become convinced that something more insidious is at work.
- Comments: This one starts slowly, but once the nature of Shiro's "illness" is revealed, the drama never lets up. If you're a fan of Battles in the Center of the Mind, this is your 'fic. It's also both a fantastic team-as-family piece in which everyone gets a moment in the limelight and a terrifying take on the idea that Shiro's Galra arm was meant to control him rather than empower him. Well-written, excellently characterized, and truly creepy.
Heading to War series by mumblefox, BossToaster, ashinan, and buttered_onions
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: While the Castle of Lions is under repair after the events of "Crystal Venom" (S1), the Paladins split up to undertake two missions: Pidge and Keith to hack into a heavily-guarded Galra database, and Shiro, Lance and Hunk to steal some crystals from another Galra facility for the Castle's engines. But no plan survives first contact with the enemy ... or even with friends ...
- Comments: It's a four-episode mini-arc with a two-part finale! All four authors are standout individual talents, but they display an extra level of mastery by weaving their tales together into a coherent and exciting whole. The alien Original Characters are as inventively imagined as the canon characters; the jeopardy sequences have great tension. If you want more of what makes this series so much fun to watch, you can't go wrong here.
the fear of falling by amillionsmiles
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Keith comes to the Galaxy Garrison with one knife, five books, and a jacket. He leaves with one knife, eight books, and a jacket. The knife, he has learned how to wield. The three new books, he has taken from the Garrison's library. The jacket finally fits.
- Comments: S1-only compliant backstory for Keith, focusing particularly on his time at the Garrison and his friendship with Shiro (the author calls it "Keith/Shiro if you squint" but the bromance here is low-key enough to qualify as gen). A lovely, well-written character piece, angsty without being melodramatic.
Your Princess Is In Another Castle by VelkynKarma
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Allura's diplomatic dinner with the Borrian ambassador is rudely interrupted. Fortunately, she's been trained for this.
- Comments: An Allura-centric 'fic that showcases her competence on several fronts without Mary-Sueing her up. The author develops a credible, vivid backstory for Allura as her father's apprentice in diplomacy that pays off both as character development and as an explanation of her skills. This story also gives us a peek into the working relationship between Allura as princess of Altea and Shiro as Black Paladin that lets him shine, too. Great stuff.
we who are about to die by Fialleril (AO3 link)
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Shiro wins his first battle, and the next, and the next after that. The roar of the crowd becomes familiar. The faces of his fellow prisoners become familiar, and then disappear and are replaced by new faces that he learns just in time for them, too, to disappear. The crowds have a new chant when he’s brought out now. It’s not his name, because no one here knows his name. No one has ever asked. But he can tell it’s a name they’ve given him. He wonders if he really wants to know what it means.
- Comments: One of the best stories to detail Shiro's time as a gladiator, framing the horror of the experience with Shiro's attempts to make sense out of his situation and carve out a space, however small, for selfhood and rebellion. No punches are pulled here; this 'fic is rated T, but heed the content warnings.
The Throne In the Hall by buttered_onions
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The mission was supposed to be simple: reclaim the Clirian capital, kick out the Galra, take back the planet’s sacred grounds. Shiro had been on board with every part of the plan up until Pidge and her team missed a check-in. Up until Shiro and Hunk burst through the archway straight onto the sacred ground, only to be confronted with the remnants of the Galra army. Up until the gravity in this room tugged at him, up until Shiro had blurted a ritual challenge he’d never heard before, up until the Galra who clearly fancied himself a King accepted it, and now … now here they are.
- Comments: This author knows their James Frazer and delivers a powerful version of the King of the Wood in Space. The fight scene between Shiro and Bretak is brutal (heed the warnings) and the aftermath adeptly subverts expectations by considering what's actually at stake in a duel for the sacred kingship of an entire planet. Also, the last line is perfect.
Give Them Shelter by BossToaster
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lance nearly slid into the room on his socks, cheeks flushed with the force of his grin. “Awesome.” Pidge trotted in after him, looking nearly as excited, with Hunk and Keith following along behind him. Taking in the general attitudes, Shiro got wary. That combination usually meant mischief. “We’re gunna go exploring. You should come with.”
- Comments: A fluffy little 'fic in which the Paladins explore the Castle of Lions (or, rather, Lance, Pidge and Hunk lead an expedition in which Keith participates warily and Shiro wearily). No angst or excitement, here, just good clean fun — even the liquor cabinet stays locked, to Lance's disappointment. But there's plenty of team-as-family bonding and Shiro gets a new sweater and a much-needed nap.
When You're Living On Your Knees, You Rise Up by prettybirdy979
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Here's the thing about hope — it's really easy to spread and tends to be one of the hardest things to kill. And a whisper of hope can do so many things; from making a good piece of art, to saving a life. Hope can bring down an empire, if there's enough of it in the right places. Right now though, Sam Holt isn't looking to bring down an empire. He just wants to live through this, with Matt by his side. But he has a whisper of hope, this 'Voltron' and maybe if he applies it in the right places... Well they might not have enough to take down an empire but a prison colony seems within reach.
- Comments: A well-written piece about a prison colony rebellion, staged by Sam and Matt Holt. For two characters who [currently] have little characterization, they're interesting, as well as the alien Original Characters. The culture difference between the humans and aliens is interesting. Slightly AU after season 1.
Routine Maintenance by VelkynKarma
- Recommended by Lady Arin
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Being an amputee with a prosthetic limb is difficult enough. Having a solid metal alien prosthetic forced on you by another species entirely is even worse. OR: Five times Shiro’s Galra arm caused him trouble in some way and another member of the team helped him out with it, and the one time the same arm is the only reason any of them survive.
- Comments: Solid characterization, well-developed plot elements, and just in general excellently written. Does feature some intense violence, especially in the last chapter.
Between Shadows and Light Series byWenzel
- Recommended by Kvera
- Status: Dead series
- Synopsis: With the other Paladins lost to the wormhole and the Castle of Lions out of contact, Keith struggles to survive on a dying Lion. But his rescuer isn’t Shiro or Allura or even Lance: it’s the Galra, and Zarkon has plans for his new find.
- Comments: A fiction that delves deeply into wonderful world-building details that the show just doesn’t give us. This story is full of well-rounded and likable characters (mostly Original Characters) to go with its captivating narrative.
That One Line in Let's Voltron by Ruest and Let's Voltron
- Recommended by saltin
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lotor reveals to his inner circle the origins of his ancient grudge against his parents and why he has schemed for so long to usurp them as Emperor.
Voltron Group Chat by YouMayKnowMeAsAngel
- Recommended by: Storygirl 000
- Pairings: Keith/Lance, Shiro/Allura
- Status: Dormant; last updated June 2018
- Synopsis: Allura reboots the old paladin group chat. She'll come to regret this decision.
- Comments: While this starts out as the humorous romp most of us have come to associate with group chat fics, there's a natural progression from humor to drama as it goes on, with plenty of Character Development coming with it. Definitely give this one a chance.
- It should also be noted that this is an AU fic (mostly concerning how characters like Lotor and Matt are handled), and, of the two abovementioned pairings, the former gets more focus than the latter (mostly due to drama).
Thicker Than Blood by SunBinamra
- Recommended by ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Completed one-shot.
- Synopsis: “Wait, girls lay eggs?!” “No, Keith, they don’t.” Or Pidge grows up, Lance and Hunk win “best brothers of the year” award, and Shiro gets to give The Talk to two horrified Alteans and one confused Earthling.
- Comments: Yes; an aversion of No Periods, Period. This story manages to be both funny as hell and very sweet though the latter is mostly confined to Lance and Hunk fussing over Pidge though Keith's initial panic over Pidge bleeding from her rear and Allura and Coran's concern over her health is sweet as well, even as it makes Pidge blush like a tomato.
- Recommended by Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Everyone has a mask, one that tells the world what character you're destined to play in life, that tells people who you are. Except Lance's mask doesn't match him at all, and it's driving Keith nuts.
- Comments: An amazing world-building fic.
as the lion loves the lamb by Demenior
- Recommended by Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The Lions are powerful, ancient machines that have existed for eons. To be chosen by them is an honor only few have, for they pick only the greatest of heroes to serve them. But to serve a Lion is a life sentence. And a Paladins life is always a short one. The Lions are hungry.
Shipping Fics
Bitten by MellodramaticLawliet
- Recommended by mellowbot
- Pairing: Keith/Lance
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "Were you bitten?" Keith demanded, wrapping one arm around Lance's shoulders tightly while his other hand buried itself in his hair, "Lance. Were you bitten?"
"No." Lance's grip on Keith tightened as his shivers began to subside, and Keith breathed a sigh of relief, "What about you?"
"No." Keith lied into Lance's neck as he numbly tried to block out the sharp throbbing in his forearm, "I'm fine." - Comments: A zombie apocalypse AU. Very satisfying. Expect lots of klangst.
Washouts and Weed Killers by The Qing
- Recommended by saltin
- Pairing: Lance/Pidge
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: (Part 1 of Ventures in Viridian) On the hunt for their lost comrades, Pidge and Lance trade barbs, boasts, and battle scars in the boundless void.
- Recommended by saltin
- Pairing: Lance/Pidge
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: (Part 2 of Ventures in Viridian) Lance and Pidge play dirty tricks on one another and come clean in more ways than you'd expect as they walk down alien shores.
Peanut Butter Ice Cream by N0raDrake
- Recommended by runningninja
- Pairing: Lance/Pidge
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: In which Lance has insomnia, and Pidge does too, so what do they do? Be themselves, that's what. Cue messes and shenanigans they can only get themselves into. And poor Shiro doesn't get any sleep. An adorable fluffy fic about Pidge and Lance, a great WAFF read.
- Recommended by Reveille
- Pairing: Keith/Lance
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: This isn’t how Lance intended to spend his vacation, chasing after Keith’s premonitions. But here he is, and he’s one hundred percent blaming Keith for all the trouble they’re about to get into. Keith makes bad decision, Lance makes mistakes, and both of them are stuck together on a space pirate adventure neither of them asked for.
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Pairing: Shiro/Allura
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: If Shiro isn't going to confess his feelings for Allura, then the Black Lion will take matters into her own ... paws.
- Comments: Written from the point of view of the Black Lion, this story of a sentient magitechnical AI playing Cupid is both cute and a hoot. The Lion's perspective is appropriately and hilariously limited and its increasing frustration and bafflement with its human partner ("I swear by my delta rotors if you have been deliberately making things difficult this whole time … ") is entertainingly depicted. Well worth a look even if you aren't a fan of this 'ship.
The Expiation Expedition by IntelligentAirhead and obstinateRixatrix
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Pairing: Keith/Lance
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lance is well aware that miscommunications can result in horrific, preferably avoidable mishaps, which is why he tries to circumvent them whenever possible. It just figures that the state of an entire planet's fragile political climate rests on him running straight into one.
- Comments: Fake marriage trope. The 3rd person Lance POV is very dramatic and entertaining ("Shiro, the only one of them who’s survived being entrenched in academia for longer than a few years, manages a look of polite interest. Or he’s dissociating. It’s hard to tell with Shiro."), and the romance is more subtle than in a lot of other fake marriage fics. The entire cast is included and plays a role in the fic as well. The lesbian armadillo lizard alien Original Characters are charming as well, and have appropriate alien mannerisms.
Trouble's Making Everything All Right by Mytay
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Pairing: Keith/Lance
- Status: Complete Series
- Synopsis: Two Paladins become two rough and tumble mercenaries, donning their leather coats and gun holsters, righting wrongs (while committing a few heists of their own), and fighting to get off this bleak, crime-filled planet. Also known as Lance and Keith's Space Cowboy Adventures.
- Comments: Series of oneshots featuring Keith and Lance as space cowboy mercenaries. The dynamic between the two characters is done well, and the action is entertaining.
The Music Inside by lostinwander
- Recommended by keithyourpal
- Pairing: Keith/Shiro
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Keith swears that being a pilot and learning to sing have nothing to do with each other. Shiro, on the other hand, begs to differ.
- Comments: A sweet fic inspired by a video of Steven Yeun singing Alicia Keys.
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Pairing: Keith/Lance
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The story starts like this: with a story where you think you know the end, until it turns out you don’t, until it turns out you didn’t have a clue. In which for three months of Lance McClain's life, he lives as an AI, waiting for his prosthetics to come online. It goes about as well as expected.
- Comments: Well-written; sad concept, but isn't too angsty.
This House Unfinished by boyghosts
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Pairing: Keith/Lance
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: “Concept,” Lance said, his voice heavy and gutted with the ache of it; he caught Keith’s gaze and smiled wide, for show. “The war’s over. We’re back home. All the things we love in one place.” Lance keeps losing the things he's built. Then there's Keith.
- Comments: AU after season 1; well-written, with a good plot and an open ending.
a matter of (mis)interpretation by Yuu_chi
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Pairing: Hunk/Lance
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lance and Hunk have been together for longer than they've been Paladins. It's pretty common knowledge. Or you know, they thought it was.
- Comments: A short, cute, and funny established relationship fic.
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Pairing: Hunk/Lance
- Status: Dormant; last updated November 2017
- Synopsis: Hunk awakens out of the medical pod to find everyone else still inside, and only Lance is there to take care of them all. He’s glad to be reunited with Lance, but as time goes on, Hunk realizes that things are not entirely what they seem…
- Comments: Good writing and portrayal of Hunk's and Lance's dynamic; the plot is interesting as well.
Something Like Anthrax by pixie_rings
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Pairing: Shiro/Allura
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: What started off as a diplomatic mission quickly turns into a 1950s B-movie sci-fi cliché. The Paladins and Allura end up on a planet of amazons for negotiations. Things don't go quite to plan.
- Comments: Good use of sci-fi tropes and hurt/comfort.
Objects in Motion (When Unbalanced) by Mytay
- Recommended by Asleep In The Books
- Pairing: Lance/Keith
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lance and Keith are constantly being mistaken for a couple. Lance is highly offended. Keith is quietly outraged. Pidge decides if she can’t have peace, then she can write an epic scientific dissertation on the romantic failings of two exceptionally dense paladins.
- Comments: A legitimately well written fic where one character acts as a Shipper on Deck, less because it's what they want and more because the situation is too much to deal with. Honestly funny with good characterization. Also has a sequel
- Recommended by Apocrypha
- Pairing: Keith/Allura
- Status: In-progress.
- Synopsis: She crawled out of the car and into the night air, shivering as a frigid breeze threw her skirt about her bare legs. After making sure that she had all of her belongings, she kicked the car door shut, her heel leaving a respectable dent in the side of his brand new Aston Martin.
After Lotor wrongly accuses Allura of cheating on him, he leaves her stranded in the worst part of town in the middle of the night. When a group of thieves try to mug her, a boy with a worn leather jacket, dark hair, and even darker eyes helps her fight them off. Romance ensues. - Comments: An incredibly detailed and well-written fic that transfers the universe of Voltron to a modern setting seamlessly. Don't let the simple summary fool you, many of the plot threads—the Blades of Marmora, the Garrison Academy's mission to Kerberos, King Alfor's friendship with Zarkon—are intricately present, adding mystery and suspense. Everyone is beautifully in-character, and it will send you on an emotional ride, from tugging on your heartstrings to cheering to laughing to smiling at fuzziness. Definitely give it a read.
Go and Come Back Again by Sandyclaws68
- Recommended by Pitac 89
- Pairing: Shiro/Pidge
- Status: Complete.
- Synopsis:An unexpected event changes the course of all their lives, and the results are not what anyone would have dreamed of.
- Comments: A long and well-written fic that explores the politics of forging a peace between the Galra and Voltron Alliance in the aftermath of Zarkon's assassination by the Druids. If you are worried about the age difference between Shiro and Pidge, there is a plot point that ends up shrinking it, resulting in 20-year-old Pidge and 25-year-old Shiro by the time the romance begins.
Just Like Magic by Ninja_Librarian
- Recommended by Sweeneyxx Todd
- Pairing: Shiro/Pidge
- Status: Complete.
- Synopsis: When Pidge's family gave her an ultimatum—either find an extracurricular activity in which she could socialize with actual other human beings by spring break, or her parents would find one for her—she had no idea that would lead to her spending her weekends running around with a broom in her hand. She definitely had no idea that it would lead to her crushing on the Quidditch team captain...
Just when Shiro's starting to think he's finally starting to get his life back together, he learns that his Quidditch team is under the threat of being disbanded due to lack of funds and members. However, he's determined to save his team, and beat Altea University's biggest rival—Galra Tech—in the biggest Quidditch tournament of the region. But how long will it take him to realize that he has slowly begun to fall in love with his newest teammate?
- Comments: Combines your standard College AU and Sports Team AU with lots of Harry Potter love, friendship and team bonding, and overall nerdiness. Practically every character, even very minor ones, shows up in this fic at least once. A bit long, but very well written slow-burn. Has an in-progress sequel focusing on Keith, Lance and the fall Quidditch season.
- Recommended by shiftkeyk
- Pairing: Lotor/Keith
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Considering everything that has happened to him since being summoned back to serve as Emperor pro tem, he hadn’t thought there was much left that even Voltron could do to catch him off-guard. Lotor does so hate to be wrong.
- Comments: Diverging from canon after Naxzela, Lotor surrenders to offer Voltron and the rebel coalition aid in the fight against the Empire while Keith, as a representative of the Blade of Marmora, is assigned to guard him (and unintentionally has a secret identity). In addition to being a well done slow burn Lotor/Keith, this fic expands on canon with its great characterization (especially with those outside the pairing), building upon the universe's culture and history, and addressing topics that were glossed over (like Keith and Naxzela).
I'll be your knight (in shining armor) by Sarara
- Recommended by Research Everything 13
- Pairing: Lance/Lotor
- Status: Completed
- Synopsis: Lance was born with the ability to see the Red String of Fate and he later learns that Lotor is Allura's soulmate...or so he thinks.
- Comments: Love this story, the concept and the mutual pining. I love the characterization and the "twist" at the end.
''Lance Loves U NOT! by rueitae
- Recommended by ladyofthelibrary
- Pairing: Lance/Pidge
- Status: Completed
- Synopsis: Pidge is perfectly secure in her relationship with Lance; she's not the jealous type. Protective on the other hand, that she can and will do. And when a Spoiled Brat of an alien won't take no for an answer, Pidge decides to borrow from an Earth band to detail to this girl why Lance will never pick her. Because "he loves me. He loves u NOT!"
- Comments: Sassy Pidge is best Pidge and this is both an excellent showing of her protectiveness and a very strong use of Waxing Lyrical that feels natural instead of jarring.
Alternate Universe Fics
Beginnings by TheLettersN_A_M_E
- Recommended by mellowbot
- Status: Dormant; last updated May 2017
- Synopsis: Finding each other may have been harder if things had been more complicated; if Shiro hadn't escaped, if Keith had a different past, if Pidge, Hunk and Lance had been a little less lucky, if Allura and Coran weren't left undiscovered in their ten thousand year sleep. Things may have been harder if they'd had to find each other in the heart of the Galra Empire.
Or, things start out a little differently, but they get there in the end. - Comments: Starts with the premise of Kieth being a prince of the Galra Empire and rolls from there. The world-building is exceptionally well-done, and each of the characters' personalities are adjusted according to their different backstories. Great exploration of the world of Voltron and the paladins.
Handbook of Demonology by squirenonny
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: While searching for the truth behind their families' disappearance in a ritual apparently gone wrong, Keith and Pidge hire a pair of amateur witches, the "psychic" Lance the Lucid and his friend Hunk, a potion maker, to help them summon the demon Zarkon for answers. They accidentally summon Allura instead and become caught up in the war between Alteans and Galra.
- Comments: Entertainingly plotted thus far, but the worldbuilding is what shines. The author acknowledges a debt to Brandon Sanderson and Jonathan Stroud, but makes the tropes of demonology and magic their own; canonical plot and character developments are given just the right twist to work in this new magitechnical environment. Characterization is also handled deftly; though practically everyone begins by working at cross-purposes, the sense of a team in the making keeps even the arguments interesting.
The Storyteller and the Thief by Laura of Maychoria (AO3 link)
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Pidge is a rogue who desperately needs money in order to rescue her family. Lance is a bard who just wants to go home. They have more in common than they think, and a bigger destiny than either of them ever imagined.
- Comments: Voltron through the lens of a Dungeons and Dragons-style fantasy — the Castle of Lions is, of course, reimagined as an inn (and Coran levels up in cooking). Rogue Pidge and Bard Lance fit right in with their classes; their "fairy lions" act as familiars at the moment, but their origins are sufficiently mysterious to suggest bigger things from them in future.
Collision Course by winterysomnium
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The Dads of Marmora AU: toddler Keith is left with the Blade of Marmora by his father and grows up in the shadow of the rebellion against Zarkon.
- Comments: Kidfic with some bite to it. This story takes the S2 revelations about Keith's background in "The Blade of Marmora" and plots a different path to that episode. The author does great work fleshing out the characters of Kolivan, Ulaz and Thace; Keith's sense of abandonment and not-fitting-in has a different but equally poignant source in his upbringing here. (Also, Keith's first meeting with Lance crackles delightfully despite their lack of history.)
Voltron: Duality by squirenonny
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Pairing: Matt/Shiro, Keith/Lance, Hunk/Shay, Nyma/female OC, Allura/female OC
- Status: Complete Series
- Synopsis: What if it was Matt Holt who returned to Earth and became a paladin of Voltron? What if Keith, an officer in Zarkon's army, freed Shiro from the Arena and together the two of them set out to take down the Galra Empire? Red paladin!Matt, Black paladin!Allura. Full series AU. 3 seasons plus side stories. Matt/Shiro, Keith/Lance, Hunk/Shay, Nyma/female OC; other ships down the road
- Comments: Has interesting worldbuilding, addressing things that the show has not addressed yet, such as the paladins' families at home, as well as the history of some of the past paladins. Does a good job balancing an ensemble cast; the romantic pairings are pretty background in the plot.
- Now has a Trope Page.
I Was Born A Lion by spectralPhobia
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Pairing: Keith/Lance, Shiro/Allura
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: After Keith discovers he is part Galra and Red lion rejects him, there's only one way he can make himself useful: to join Galra and try to wreck them from the inside, while figuring out a relationship with a guy who turns out to be his biological father. A comic about one stubborn man’s self-discovery, the challenges of spying, everyone in team Voltron being BAMF, and the universe that needs saving, as usual. I started posting this comic on Tumblr and Patreon, but I've decided to mirror it on Archive of Our Own too. Title comes from a song by Hollywood Undead.
- Comments: A beautifully illustrated fancomic. It's very entertaining, and gives sort of a "fire nation treatment" to the Galra. The mentioned pairings are background to the plot.
i'll be your detonator by contagionangel
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Status: Dormant Series (last updated February 2017)
- Synopsis: AU: The Galra think Voltron is long-destroyed. Shiro never makes his dramatic crash on Earth. This is how four dysfunctional cadets miss breakfast, get court-martialed, become leaders in an intergalactic guerilla movement, and bring both Voltron and Shiro home. (Or maybe build a home: maybe they were meant for this.)
- Comments: Has nice friendship moments.
Not Your Year by IntelligentAirhead
- Recommended by daisyq444222
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lance knew, theoretically, that it was his own fault that he was stuck in the back end of nowhere, living in a shack in the middle of the desert. However, he also knew he was stuck in the middle of nowhere, and could therefore be as bitter as he damn well pleased. [A Voltron Roleswap AU Wherein Lance is Kicked Out of the Garrison Instead of Keith]
- Comments: An interesting character study of Lance with a hilarious 3rd person POV.
''Let's Get Together by subtlehysteria
- Recommended by EmperorMax2019
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: When Adam helps a bunch of teenagers rescue his ex-fiancé (presumed dead) from the Garrison, he was not prepared for the resulting mayhem. Purple aliens, space elves, giant flying lions. It's a lot to process. Oh, and did he mention that he was still in love with his ex? Or, what if Adam was a part of the main Voltron cast from the beginning?
- Pairings: Shiro/Adam. Hints of Keith/Lance and Hunk/Shay, but not more than that since the fic has only on the first season so far.
- Comments: A really interesting examination on how Shiro and Adam might have interacted if the latter had been part of the cast from the beginning.
- First in the Surviving Space with Your Ex-Fiance series. (Ongoing)
- First in the Surviving Space with Your Ex-Fiance
Born of the Stars by LadyLiterature
- Recommended by fsdfsdfsd
- Status: Dormant; last updated April 2020
- Synopsis: Sometimes, Destiny takes you on a different path than you planned. Sometimes, that path is one that an Alien Goddess picks out for you and it happens to involve fighting in a sentient, alien, cat-shaped warship against alien dictators. It's not what she expected her life to be, it isn't even what she wanted her life to be. But goddamn it, is she going to save everyone she can anyway and she's going to build a family while she does it.
- Pairings: Keith/Lance (with gender bent bisexual Lance), and Adam/Shiro (with Adam's cannon lack of characterization fixed by making him an Expy of Captain Raymond Holt)
- Comments: A fantastic expansion and exploration of Voltron cannon with much heavier focus on the magical elements of the show, that promises to be a fix-it in later arcs. Featuring plenty of Worldbuilding, exploration of the magic aspects of Voltron, the situation on Earth developing at it's own pace (with the Paladins' families looking into their disappearances), and plenty of humor without being out of tone. Also Hunk gets more time to shine.
who you are in the dark bydiscordiansamba
- Recommended by: DarkDatura
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Captured by the Galra, Keith is given two choices- either lose himself to Haggar's experimentation, or take what might be his only chance at freedom- joining the halfbreed prince, Lotor. While he might not trust the prince, he'd rather take his chances with him than the witch- even if that means publicly betraying Voltron. It's not like he can go back anyways, after what Haggar did to him. At least this way, he can keep a close eye on the Galra Prince- or at least, that's the plan. Actually carrying it out proves to be far more difficult than he could have expected, leading him to realize that the real threat might never have been Zarkon.
‘’bound like quintenary stars’’ by winter_of_ice
- Recommended by: xpegasus
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: The Lions of Voltron have slumbered for thousands of years, scattered across the stars, paladins dead, and with no way to stop the terror and destruction sweeping through the known universe. But now fate has intervened, and for the first time in thousands of years, five pilots come together to reforge the legend of Voltron. But the odds are stacked against them, and fate hasn't always been kind to its subjects...
- Comments: Starts off very similarly so canon, but with expanded world building and the addition of perspectives from the people the Paladins left behind on Earth. The author has stated they have plans for a highly divergent plot after the season 2 finale.
Crossover Fics
The Bat Paladin by Shooting Arrows
by Shooting Arrows- Recommended by: [EmperorMax2019
- Crossover with: DC Comics Universe, Batman in paticular
- Status: Dormant (last updated December 2017)
- Synopsis: An AU where Voltron takes place in the DC comics universe and Shiro is one of the many surrogate kids of Bruce Wayne. Begins with Shiro's capture and will continue past the Season 2 finale.
Altar of Storms by Velkyn Karma
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Crossover With: How to Train Your Dragon (film)
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The Galra tribe has been spreading like a plague across the archipelago, leaving destruction in their wake. Vikings alone can't stop them — but perhaps Viking and dragon together can. After over a century of warring between them, perhaps it's time for the age of riders to return.
- Comments: This story places the characters of "Voltron" in the setting of "How to Train Your Dragon" with excellent results, reimagining the Lions as dragons and translating the Paladins' backstories, talents, tech and aims into Viking-age terms. Velkyn Karma also knows their way around an action sequence — the battles are edge-of-your-chair stuff, clearly laid out and compelling.
When Rome's in Ruins by BossToaster
- Recommended by nebroadwe
- Crossover With: Leverage
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: “Galra has the money and the power. The law will not stop them and so we have to pick up where it leaves off. For people like you, Mr. Shirogane, who trusted in a defense contract and paid the price with months as a prisoner of war, and with your arm. For people like my father, whose lives they ruined and pushed down until there was nothing left.” Allura took a deep breath, calming herself. Her hands pressed against the front of the desk, fingers digging in until the knuckles were white. “Galra needs to be stopped. And these are the people who have the skills to do it.”
- Comments: This story turns the Paladins of Voltron into the con-and-heist team of Leverage Consulting and Associates, with entertaining results. Some of the character calques feel slightly off (particularly Hunk as a grifter), but the sheer fun of watching the cons go down carries the story along.
Not Our First Time Around by TheOtakuWithHazelEyes
- Recommended by: raptyr
- Crossover With: Voltron
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: It's not like their situation is typical — they're in space flying magical robot lions and fighting an evil alien empire. It is the stuff of science fiction films and corny Saturday morning cartoons, and should in no way ever be familiar. But if that's the case, why does it feel like they've done this all before? (Or, The Paladins are the reincarnations of their 80s counterparts, and some things just stay with you.)
- Comments: Short, sweet, and poigniant in all the best ways.
Code Geass: Paladins of Voltron by W.I.T.C.H-and-Naruto-Girl
- Recommended by Amazing Cartoon Hero
- Status: Ongoing
- Has a tv trope page
- Crossover with: Code Geass
- Synopsis: "One day on a hiking trip, the student council from Ashford Academy discover a cave filled with lion and catlike drawings. Within the cave they discover a huge robotic lion that is one of seven pieces to a giant robot named Voltron: the Defender of the Universe. Will Voltron be enough to free Japan?"
What 'Home' Means byH_Faith_Marr andA Monster Calls (orphan_account)
- Recommended by: DarkDatura
- Status: Dormant (since 2019)
- Crossover with: Marvel Cinematic Universe and Spiderman
- Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Keith Kogane is bitter, grieving but in denial about it, angry at the world, and homeless in New York City. But this city has a few things up its sleeve... and not all of them pretty.
- Comments: Keith-centric.
