THE LIONS:

A few notes before I begin: 

As you all probably know, I live in America, and America is regressed in terms of the sciences and still uses the (arguably outdated) Imperial system for calculations of distance, length, weight etc. The Imperial system measurements are what I began with, but I have taken care to provide their Metric equivalents for ease of understanding (for those of you who live outside the states). I hope you enjoy my little ramble and, if you have any questions afterward, feel free to ask! I really like answering you guys’ questions. My source isn’t that well-known or popular, so I usually don’t get many. I hate to admit it, gang, but the subreddit often displays some unnecessary favoritism toward those with certain sources. 

DISCLAIMER: I’m unsure if this counts as canon divergence, but for the sake of this post (and the fandom), we’re going to assume that all of the following information I display here is NOT CANON. Until it is confirmed, these are just my kin memories and not part of my source’s actual mythos. Use that information wisely.

That all being said, ‘the Lion post,’ as promised:

DIMENSIONS OF THE LIONS: 

• Each lion was between 20-30ft/6-9m tall (standing), with the Black Lion (32ft/9.75m) being the tallest and the Red/Green Lions (20ft/6m) being the shortest. Lengthwise, the Black, Yellow and Blue lions were 50ft/15.24m, Red/Green was 30ft/9m (measured from the tip of the ‘nose’ to the haunches of the robots). In total, the fully formed Voltron would’ve been somewhere around 100ft/30m standing upright, with a 75ft/23m wingspan (dist. between its outstretched ‘fingers’). 
• Being the bulk of the robot’s body, the Black Lion was the heaviest of all five. The actual measurement lends itself to speculation, but I recall they were shockingly lightweight for machines of their calibre. 

WHAT POWERED THE LIONS: 

• Though I can’t fully explain it, I know this: It involved space magic, and some variety of superconductor, which acted as something of the ‘heart’ of each lion robot. 
• Typically this would’ve been difficult to damage, as the superconductor was contained deep within a specialized compartment in what would be the equivalent of the thoracic cavity (‘chest/torso’ for those who don’t know anatomical terms). 
• This was only accessible via a narrow maintenance shaft extending down toward it from the lion’s ‘neck,’ and the only entrance located at the very rear of the cockpit (situated within the lion’s head) hidden behind a false panel. 
• For these reasons, the Lions never really turned off, they were just idle or dormant whenever they weren’t actively being piloted. 

THE KEYS AND THEIR PURPOSE: 

• I’m not entirely sure what they relied on, but the explanation lends itself again to space magic and advanced technology. While they detected the biometric signature of each pilot, that wasn’t foolproof and could be negated by supernatural forces. 
• IIRC they actually worked similar to a car key - there were various buttons which could be pressed on its surface that allowed the holder to lock/unlock or ‘power on’ the lion from a distance. Which was convenient, especially in tight situations. 
  • A funny little detail I remember is that they’d roar whenever ‘powered on’ from a distance. It’s not anything significant, I just thought it was really cool. 
• Inserting each Lion’s respective key triggered a sequence through which a signal was relayed to the processing unit to increase the power output to a standard level, only providing the illusion that it had been fully powered off prior. (If you need an analogy, it’s like your phone was in battery-saving mode. It’ll run like that, but not as smoothly)

INTERNAL FUNCTIONS AND PILOTING: 

• Whenever the keys were inserted, the Lions could be piloted (properly) in a manner similar to an aircraft (or a starfighter, more accurately, but an aircraft is a close modern/present day equivalent). 
• Fairly self-explanatory for a seasoned pilot, but there was one very important thing to bear in mind: Up was down (meaning you would have to angle the controls down to ascend and vice versa), and there were a handful of occasions I recall where that was completely forgotten. 
• Unlike what’s canon, I don’t recall the communication system ever having visual output. Rather it was part of our helmets, which sent out a signal interlinked between the lions.
• The Altascope: This is accessible via the main interface, allowing for heat seeking & targeting capabilities. Sort of like an optional crosshair, but it also has the ability to assess weak points/damage on an assigned target. 
  • Distance calculated between the vehicle and the target is also displayed (in kilometers/meters). 
  • It should be noted: The crosshair was always on display, but the assistive features weren’t. I generally had those toggled off, but I know the Blue and Green lions had them on display at all times.
• Interlock/Dynotherms: These are the very necessary functions required to combine all five lions. By pulling the right steering lever forward, rotating it sideways and pushing it back into its original slot, the interlocks were activated, transmitting the signal needed for the lion to transform itself into the appendage of Voltron it formed. 
  • “But, Keith! What the hell is a dynotherm?” It’s a specialized circuit inside the lion’s mainframe. Once the interlocks are activated, it outputs an electrical current/signal, telling the other four components to combine into one. It should be noted, the dynotherms can ONLY be activated from the Black Lion, as, (and yes, I’ll say the line): “And I’ll form the head!”
• Infracell: This is just what keeps the dynotherms powered. If the infracell is damaged, the lion can’t combine with the other four. 
• Megathrusters: In order to form Voltron, the lions need to accelerate a little bit beyond their standard capacity. These just add onto the standard thrusters, allowing that to occur. They can be activated for other purposes, but I remember doing so with caution as it risked overheating the lion’s circuits. 
• Whenever connected and fully formed as Voltron, the lions had different capabilities. Each one had their own control over various functions, but the general movement of the robot was controlled by the Black Lion. It was up to each appendage whether or not that was properly acted on. 

SPACE MAGIC - WHERE IT APPLIES:

• I recall Voltron was more than a technological force. It was also supernatural in nature and had, itself, a magic of its own. 
• Sometimes the lions would do things outside of our control as if they had a mind of their own. I’m not entirely sure if they were sentient, though, there were times in which they appeared to be. I still think about that..
• The more time I spent as its pilot, the more I felt the Black Lion was less of a vehicle and more of an extension of myself. I can’t speak on behalf of the others, but I’d be willing to bet it was about the same thing. It was like the lions adjusted to their pilot and adapted to each individual's personal traits. 
• Only those deemed ‘worthy’ by the lions (or the spirit of King Alfor) could pilot the lions. That being said, if you were considered unworthy, you could be soft-locked out of one of the lions altogether. For a good canon reference, this is displayed when “Bocar of Senak” attempted to steal the Blue Lion - he can’t control it because, in a way, it can ‘sense’ that he has ill intentions with it and serves a malicious purpose - which is why he had to attempt to use Allura to do so. 
• Lastly, I don’t have a scientific explanation for the Blazing Sword. All I know is that it was, perhaps, made of solid light and could be disintegrated/re-formed whenever broken. 

This should be all of the information I have (for now). If I remember anything else, I’ll make sure I have the opportunity to share it with you all. I actually really enjoyed writing this post. And, hey, if you made it this far: Thanks for taking the time to read all this! Like I said, it’s certainly a long one, but I feel it was worth it to give you guys this information I have. I appreciate your time and I look forward to sharing more in the future.