the voltron creators and the cast have been very vocal about how there is a power dynamic going on both on the Galran famiy front as well as the Team Voltron.
So if we can kind of make a chart on each others equals, it would go something like this
Shiro-Zarkon Allura-Haggar/Honerva Keith-Lotor.
I think the events of what happened to Keith and Lotor in S3/S4 will make for a great story telling in S5. Since Lotor apparently, “Saved the Day” in the S4 finale, I have a feeling he will use Keith to further his goals.
As we saw in Season 3/Season 4, both Keith and Lotor were called upon to take on leadership roles since both Zarkon/Shiro were incapable of doing this task. However, both Keith and Lotor had their own methods on “how to lead” which conflicted with an already established team and carry out dynamic.
Haggar was very distrusting of Lotor and was sending spies to see what his true motives were.
This was met with Lotor telling her to mind her own business, and Haggar stressed the empire needed him and she didn’t want him to make the same mistakes as Zarkon.
This similar interaction is seen with Allura and Keith in Season 4.
Like Lotor, Keith is pulling away from the team to focus on what he feels is more important. Allura makes a similar plea saying that Team Voltron needs him and the Blade of Mamora can go on without him.
Both Keith and Lotor dismiss their respective “Space mom’s” .
Now similarly, both Zarkon and Haggar were very hard on Lotor, mainly Haggar, because they felt he was not being the proper leader he needed to be to lead the Galra Empire.
However, as one can see, Lotor does crave power to rule where as Keith does not crave power to rule others, but feels it is best taking out an enemy as quick as possible.
When Shiro returns, Keith is still pleading with Shiro to be the Black Paladin again, and his absence makes that happen in the first episode of season 4.
Both Keith and Lotor are in front of their respective team leaders and a similar dismissal comes into play. Both Zarkon/Shiro and Haggar/Allura are upset with Keith for what he did and how he almost jeopardized their “empire/team”
The final outcome is that Lotor and Keith pushed both of their leaders and the rest of their team away but on different premises.
Keith strongly believes that he has to be the one to get his hands dirty on the team to further their goals.
Lotor tried to portray that his loyalty to the Galra was still aligned with that of his father and begged not to leave his side.
The difference in the leader’s outcome however was really not that different. Where as Zarkon completely dismissed his son
Shiro, accepted Keith’s decision, but at the same time, did not stop him from leaving (which is still in character for him, but just the same if they could both pilot the Black Lion, I don’t think it would be an issue for Shiro to have been a back up Black paladin, and vice versa)
And even though Keith looked happy to have restored the original paladin of The Black Lion.
He also regrets that he can never truly get close to people out of fear they will abandon him, and perhaps a part of him wishes that someone told him not to go.
And even though Lotor is sad that his father dismissed him.
It still works in his grand scheme of things to come, since his ties with his family have been officially let go, he can now have complete freedom.
So in conclusion seeing how Lotor and Keith do have a similar background story, I can see Lotor manipulating Keith as well and using that common feeling of always being abandoned as a way to make all of Lotor’s evil scheming come to light. As stand offish as Keith can be, I don’t doubt for a minute that Lotor would be able to read him, and use the insecurity he has to bring him over to his side. I’m not saying Keith will turn evil, I’m just saying he will betray Keith by reaching out to him on an emotional level. And I think genuinely Lotor would really want to find comradeship with Keith, but it won’t happen due to them being on opposite sides.
Cadet-For-Your-SpaceRescue 