The Anime itself
▲Yuki Hijiri's early design. In the first stage, the Voltes Team were just five ordinary children, and Kenichi and Ippei were supposed to be baseball-playing rivals.
- Originally, Voltes V was planned to be a direct sequel to Combattler V.
- According to Nagahama's memoirs, rejected names for Voltes V were "Granbuffer Ace" and "Choudenji Robo V.Krieger".
- In a proposal from Popynote in 1976, Voltes V was meant to have a gun-like finishing attacknote . However, Sunrise and Toei wanted the actual attack for the toys to be changed. As such, the gun was changed to a sword, which is carried over to the mech's "Sword of Heaven"/"Laser Sword" attack.
- Discotek Media was involved in trying to get the rights to use the Filipino English dub track. But negotiations went nowhere and what was released instead was the Voltus 5 American English dub.
- Kazuo Tomizawa was also brought in as one of the staff until he decided to focus more on Zambot 3.
- In 1980, there were plans of a Voltes V film being made. However, this project fell through.note
Character concept art
- The Voltes Team looked radically
different in concept art.- Kenichi lacked Hot Blooded Sideburns and his hair was arranged to point upwards. He was also seen with a football, implying he had a passion for the sport.
- Megumi's hair was down and she resembled Chizuru, even in her Voltes team outfit. Though, another art book depicts her with shorter hair.
- Hiyoshi seemed to don a lab coat at one point. He also had a bowl cut in another piece of concept art.
- In a similar vein to Kenichi being depicted with a football, Ippei was depicted with a baseball bat in one sketch and a baseball cap in another. This implies that he was originally imagined as a baseball player, instead of a rodeo champion.
- Daijiro appears to be much slimmer in various pieces of concept art.
- Professor Hamaguchi had thinner hair, while Professor Sakonji looked to be middle-aged.
- Heinel originally had wispier hair and resembled Griffith. His horns also resembled unicorn horns.
- Marquis Zaki had a sword. This was never seen in the anime.
Voltes V concept art
- Voltes V originally had a tank mode similar to the one Combattler V has when it does its GranDasher special move but it was cut out from the anime series.
- This mode is available in toy form and has been featured in comics and video games.
- Incidentally, thanks to Voltes V: Legacy, the Voltes Tank Mode made its television debut in episode 87 of the show titled "Domination".
- This mode is available in toy form
- Early concept art of Voltes V shows him wielding a shield that wasn't used in the actual series. Voltes V: Legacy pays homage to this with the large piece of debris Voltes used as a shield against Shugoshin Godor's BFG in episode 89 of the show, "Never Surrender".
Cut characters
- According to Yuki Hijiri, Katherine was originally planned to have a little sister named Marlene. In the script of her planned appearance, Marlene was a defector from the Boazanian Empire to Earth due to being hornless. She would reveal to Kenichi that when she was young, Katherine hid her from the other nobles until she was found out and forcibly enslaved.note
- The script also stated that Marlene was planned to be a love interest to Kenichi, as he showed her kindness after she crash-landed on Earth. The next day, after Marlene awakens, the two have a private moment together.
Kenichi: "Good morning, Marlene. Does your wound hurt?"Marlene: "Yes...."Kenichi smiles, nods, and turns toward the sea. Marlene stares at him, her face clouded.Marlene: "Kenichi-san, ・・・・ why do you care so much about us?"Kenichi: "・・・ It's because we are friends. Humans always help each other to survive and support each other. Whether you are a Boazan or an Earthling...we are all the same...."Kenichi talks while looking at the sea. Marlene, who was looking at his profile, also turns to the sea and opens her mouth.Marlene: "I grew up loved by my sister, an aristocrat. But I did not become an aristocrat myself. I was captured and became a labourer, but I could not bear to live as one."Kenichi looks at Marlene. Tears form on Marlene's face...Kenichi: "Marlene..."Marlene "...I'm glad I came to Earth....oh, beautiful Earth. Earth, where all the labourers long to go...for me...for me, it's finally ・・・・."Marlene is choked with tears. Kenichi gently puts his hand on her shoulder.Kenichi: "You are not alone anymore."Marlene buries her face in Kenichi's chest without speaking.Kenichi silently pats her back gently, as if to soothe her.- When witnessing Kenichi and Katherine battle, Marlene begs Katherine to spare him, because for the first time in her life, she's fallen in love with someone.
Marlene: (panting) "Sister! Don't fight Voltes V! Kenichi-san, don't let Kenichi-san die! Please!"Katherine: "Kenichi? ...You mean Kenichi Go?"Marlene: "He is a good man. He believed me, he told me he was one of us!"- Interestingly, this idea would be reutilized in Daimos with Kazuya and Erika.
- Megumi was originally going to have a rival named Yuka Tachibana, who would compete with her over who could inherit being the 18th kunoichi of the Koga-Ryu ninja style. The episode was to be set after General Oka's death and was named "Confrontation! Koga's One Kill Method".
Other
- In earlier drafts of the anime, the Go family were known as the Shiratori family. The oldest brother was called Ichirou (Kenichi), while the nerdy youngest brother was called Saburou (Hiyoshi) and the middle brother was called Jirou (Daijiro). The only members of the Voltes team that didn't have their names changed were Megumi Oka and Ippei Mine.note
- Heinel was originally meant to die by accidentally getting stabbed by Zambajil's sword instead of accepting his death by immolation.
