Pull My Little Ribs Around You

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Quintessence, part II

This is a two-part comprehensive post on quintessence, its functions and role within the narrative of Voltron: Legendary Defender (VLD), and its effects on particular key characters - Zarkon, Haggar, Lotor, Allura, Shiro, and Keith. Part one found here. Images can be better viewed on another tab after right-clicking (PC) or control+clicking (mac) on them, then choosing “Open Image in New Tab”. As with any analysis, these are my interpretations of the text and not meant to be treated as canon, though I strive to support my readings with canonical evidence. This post contains spoilers for all aired six seasons, including SDCC 2018 information.

In 1.01, Allura states, “The quintessence of the pilot is mirrored in his lion.” Earlier on in the same episode, however, we get the first implied mention of quintessence through Haggar after she senses something amiss across the galaxies.

Likely due to her exposure to the trans-reality comet and deep connection to sorcery, Haggar also detects something off about Lotor, who has secretly been building the Sincline ships out of the trans-reality comet he seized from Voltron after the Paladins ventured into another reality. (4.03)

During 6.02, we learn that the Galra were able to design sensors that recognize the lions’ signature energy within limited range. This allowed Galra scout teams to score through the systems under Zarkon’s command after the discovery of the Red Lion.

The signature is nearly identical to that of the Red Lion’s.

How did you know to look for the Blue Lion on Earth? We didn’t. After Sendak found the Red Lion, the Galra engineered a way to pick up the lions’ signatures from close range. Zarkon had thousands of scouts searching for them.

(Is it coincidence that the first time the Galra are introduced in the series, they were scouting near Kerberos? Doubtful, but nothing is certain yet. It is clear that over a year later, Zarkon located the Blue Lion on Earth, prompting Ulaz to help Shiro escape from the empire.)

Because Alfor connected Allura’s life force to the lions’, she can locate their whereabouts by using the Castle of Lions and enhance Voltron’s quintessence. (1.01, 4.06)

Furthermore, she can even carry the quintessence of another living being; after learning Oriande’s secrets, this ability becomes refined. This is key for the Balmera-Altean symbiotic relationship and for Shiro’s “resurrection”. (Allura heals the Balmera in the episode called “Rebirth” even…) (1.05, 1.08, 6.07)

Interestingly enough, Keith at times has shown a similar aptitude to perceive and guide quintessence without outside assistance or mechanical instruments. Somehow he is able to find Shiro inside the Garrison’s quarantine tent with no delay. (It is important to note that many times energy is detected, it is quintessence or quintessence-related, so bear that in mind.) (3.04)

He is the one who sensed the Blue Lion in a general vicinity but couldn’t pinpoint its specific location until Hunk, Pidge, and Lance came along.

Inexplicably, he identifies the Red Lion’s position within Sendak’s war ship (after echoing Shiro’s mantra regarding patience/focus), an impressive feat unlike the other Paladins finding their lions because of the long range and lack of provided coordinates. (1.01)

It is quite analogous to how Allura is able to track down the compass stone located inside Haggar’s lair with Lotor’s encouragement. (5.06)

The Red Lion has attuned with Keith in a similar fashion, finding Keith when he and Allura are stranded and reacting violently as Keith chooses his role as a paladin over recovering his identity during the Blade of Marmora trials.

Right as Keith is engulfed in red, the Red Lion’s eyes illuminate. One can infer that these cases are only possible through the quintessence linking a pilot and their lion together. (A really nifty blink-and-miss detail is Allura’s eyes shift towards Keith when Shiro says “connect”, considering Allura’s composure turns fraught as she stands by the sidelines with the rest of the team as the Red Lion batters the Marmoran headquarters.) (2.06, 2.08)

During the assault on Naxzela, Coran notifies the Blades of Marmora’s strike team that the oncoming Galra fleet ceased quite a distance away from the planet, confounding Keith at the uncharacteristic move. Then he realizes that it spells danger, and acts upon that intuition with the rebel forces. Indeed, Haggar has repurposed and activated Naxzela as a bomb that could wipe out at least ten solar systems. (4.06)

When Voltron suffered from the effects of a virus on a sub-molecular level, Allura revealed that the bayards amplify each paladin’s life force; Keith is the first to employ his bayard while the lions are joined as Voltron, bisecting Myzax. (5.03, 1.03) This amplification may have saved Shiro’s life in the battle against Zarkon and evolved Voltron’s sword from standard to blazing sword. (2.13)

With Keith piloting the Black Lion, it was able to locate clone Shiro - likely because it sensed original Shiro’s signature energy, the foundation of the copy’s essence - before he could expire in his escaped vessel. (3.05)

Here are some more visuals to illustrate and compare Keith’s innate ability.

Notice the difference in coloring and framing of Shiro seeing through the Black Lion’s eyes, Alfor seeing through the Red Lion’s, and Keith seeing through the Black Lion’s eyes. (1.02, 3.07, 6.06) Alfor and Shiro’s are direct parallels to each other as they form and communicate through a psychic link with the Lions, whereas Keith’s is a superimposition. His eyes also do not glow yellow with the Lion’s; they glow in blue, the color of pure/concentrated quintessence.

Allura as she prepares Voltron to unlock the rift reflects the former examples as well. (6.07)

Keith’s instance as a medium for quintessence to activate the Black Lion’s wings/teleportation ability is similar to what transpired when Allura absorbed Shiro’s quintessence from the Black Lion and integrated it with clone Shiro’s body. (6.07)

Another comparison can be drawn to when she innately counteracts against Naxela’s magical gravity; blue quintessence surrounds her before outlining Voltron. (4.06)

Altean alchemy along with quintessence manipulation facilitates restoration, which is further foreshadowed by Haggar awakening both her memories of a past life and Zarkon from his coma through sorcery, and reverting to Honerva once she gains even more knowledge from undertaking Oriande. (3.07, 6.01, 6.07)

Perhaps Keith’s connection to quintessence is similar to Allura’s (and by extension, to Alfor’s and Haggar’s), just on a smaller scale. After her, he even comes next in line when they channel their energy together to open the rift in 6.07; I bring this up because based on top-down sequence, Pidge should come after Lance as she is the left arm, but Hunk, one of the legs, precedes her. I postulate that it indicates the ranking of each paladins’ sensitivity to quintessence.

Keith has constantly resonated with quintessence almost on an instinctual level.

After Voltron enters the rift, just like Alfor, Keith is the first paladin to be focused on; I find this significant because in 3.07, Alfor is the one guiding his team into the rift, since it is Altean alchemy which makes it possible to enter it. However, instead of the frame focusing on Allura, it is Keith.

Keith, again, is the focal paladin as the team pursues and experiences the visceral surge of energy from the quintessence field. (6.07)

Getting power from the quintessence is the only way we can match his strength.

All this quintessence is keeping us at full power. It’s more than that. Can you hear your Lions talking to you? Voltron is capable of more than we ever imagined.

Later, after saving the multi-universes as we know them, the team confronts the state of Shiro. Keith informs them that he interacted with Shiro in the Black Lion's consciousness, where the Lion retained Shiro's essence ever since Zarkon was grievously incapacitated. Shiro's life force resonates with Keith's, allowing them to communicate with each other in the astral plane; because quintessence is also involved, both Keith and Allura are instrumental to Shiro's reanimation. (6.06, 6.07)

This body is barely living, but Shiro’s spirit is alive. It’s inside the Black Lion. I’ve heard him talking to me.

We’re glad you’re back, Shiro. Rest.

As to why Keith is quintessence-sensitive is left unanswered for now. Many, including myself once upon a time, theorize he is part Altean, which is not far-fetched, but it seems like too easy of a conclusion to settle upon. This reboot is known to twist itself in satisfactory ways. Going full circle, it was a deliberate choice to have him chase after the Blue Lion’s leads in 1.01 and the druid in 1.10, foreshadowing his hunt to find the enriched quintessence for over two seasons (and years). (4.01, 6.02)

It’s been two years. We can finally finish our mission.

I’m picking up some readings similar to those of the quintessence Ranveig found. This is the source of the readings. Let’s go check it out. (6.02)

Moreover, I believe Zarkon’s scouts encountering the Kerberos crew, Shiro’s return to Earth after Zarkon’s scouts located the Blue Lion, and the cave markings depicting a momentous arrival are connected, and may shed light on Shiro’s unique role within the story and on the probing question on everyone’s minds: why is Haggar so fascinated by him that her very agenda was to weaponize him?

Both Haggar and Allura have demonstrated the ability to harness and channel this mysterious substance for divergent purposes. They each use Altean alchemy to manipulate it. Haggar’s grand extraction of quintessence emphasizes her absolute disregard for life, the same disregard she stubbornly upholds prior to her reanimated state, which ultimately catalyzed doom for Daibazaal, Zarkon, herself, and even Lotor. Tangentially, I want to briefly touch on Lotor. Gradually Lotor’s goals are exposed, some intentionally given by him, and most times under pretenses and delusions.

Due to the fact he was conceived before Honvera entered the rift, quintessence is part of his genetic make-up, slowing his aging as well as imbuing him with powers that may have granted him the Mark of the Chosen yet overall remained dormant until he once again returned to the quintessence field.

(Notably, his marks look different from a typical Altean’s marks, and look similar to emaciated Honerva’s elongated marks before and after entering the rift. They both were immersed and came into contact with the rift creatures.) (5.06, 6.01)

Lotor’s fascination-turned-obsession for quintessence predates him. It is highly probable that Lotor will return from his prison, warped beyond recognition, just like and unlike his parents. Behind the veneer of charm and composure, quintessence reveals Lotor as a man completely consumed by his traumatic upbringing and heritage, keen to achieve his vision of peace with whatever brutal means necessary. But one does wonder... have we heard all there is to know about Lotor’s Altean colony and quintessence harvesting? Lotor has mentioned before that quintessence acquisition for him is something of an equivalent exchange, which echoes the Altean-Balmera rejuvenation ceremony. (1.07, 5.06)

And what did he mean when he does not wish to resort to the barbarism of the komar when he still gathered and harvested Alteans like livestock for over a millenia? (5.01) When, according to Romelle’s account, he exhausted them as scientific resources for his research on quintessence? When, in a particular perspective/interpretation based on one-sided evidence, he manipulated Allura to do his bidding by cultivating a veneer of charm and admiration for Alfor/Altea, appeasing her deference for her father, their shared culture and her wish fulfillment towards universal peace? What other uses did Lotor have for the enriched quintessence? (5.01, 6.04, 5.06)

But in order to [create another Altean colony to increase their chances of survival], he needed to assess which Alteans were viable candidates to survive the journey. One by one, every Altean in the colony was given a series of tests.

Lotor is a monster and has been harvesting Altean quintessence for generations!

Back to Haggar and Allura: as Haggar’s inverse, Allura serves as a conduit (like her name’s meaning - “Divine counselor” - suggests), transferring that life energy to mend others and to facilitate advancements. (1.08, 6.01, 4.06)

In the same vein, the komar and Lotor suffer the detrimental results of suffusing an extreme amount of concentrated quintessence. (2.13, 6.07)

We give Lotor all the power he wants.

What did you do in there? I transferred the excess power from Voltron. It’s a technique I learned on Oriande. Thanks to Lotor.

A running motif regarding Allura’s quintessence manipulation is that it is selfless. It emphasizes giving. This mirrors her character development from refusing to expose her worries and concerns, to becoming openly vulnerable to others. It commends dependability. That is how she connects with the Blue Lion, whereas stubbornly commanding it had been futile. (3.03)

Her trials in Oriande punctuate this point: she yields and presents her life as an offering, ultimately unlocking Oriande’s secrets. (5.06)

On the other end of the spectrum, Haggar uses force, puppeteering events to happen to her own benefit. (6.01)

She wields quintessence to create monstrous alterations using organic life, technology, and dark magic. Robeasts, an amalgamation of “robot beasts” helpfully coined by Hunk, are manufactured through an excruciating process of transferring a living being’s essence from its biological body into a massive artificial one. (1.03, 1.06)

I’ll audaciously throw in my speculation that clone Shiro is a sophisticated robeast that was...not-so-subtly foreshadowed back in 2.03; at least his glowing cybernetic arm counts. (1.01, 2.03, 6.05)

Here’s another observation I found. White/silver hair on a person seemingly insinuates quintessence (over)exposure (or more aptly the individual possessing quintessence-fused DNA).

All the following characters have this hair type: Alfor, Allura, Allura’s mother, Lotor, eventually Haggar, and, with 6.07, Shiro. One wonders if Shiro’s white forelock in the beginning denotes the types of experiments Haggar forced upon him (and his clones…) during captivity. (3.05)

Speaking of clones, it’d be remiss to bypass clone Shiro’s amplified version of original Shiro’s negative traits relating to control and ruthless survival instincts; his actions seem more brutal after undergoing Haggar’s experimentations. And since learning that Project Kuron eliminated Shiro’s degenerative disease, one wonders if Haggar used quintessence to do so, just as she had done before for Kova. The unkempt appearance of Honerva poisoned by the quintessence and Shiro’s clone compromised by injections, as well as their increased assertion on authority, mirror each other. (1.11, 3.07, 1.03, 5.03, 6.04)

I digress again to mention that only white/silver haired individuals have been able to enter the trials - presumably Alfor, certainly Allura, Lotor, and Haggar/Honerva… Would that mean Shiro would undergo different trials proctored by Oriande’s guardian? Hardly a coincidence that clone Shiro vicariously experienced the trials, particularly being engulfed by its guardian lion, through Haggar as she manipulated her way into restoring herself.

We have yet to explore the reason why Shiro became heavily affected by Oriande, so I look forward to hopefully receiving answers in the upcoming episodes. But that’s for another post altogether.

Six seasons of VLD has a lot to unpack, but I think I covered everything I wanted to discuss regarding quintessence for now… I’m sure future episodes will provide more topics to go over. I hope you enjoyed the read, and let me know your thoughts!

Edit: I included some bold italics regarding Lotor’s actions and the colony reveal. After some thought, it’s never made clear exactly if Lotor committed the very things Romelle passionately accused him of doing. Not to mention the incongruities found in her account; nothing was ever corroborated, almost as if this is something to resolve in later seasons.

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Quintessence, part II