Toynami first released this set as Masterpiece Voltron. It featured diecast parts and came in a really cool collector book-style package. It also came with a price tag that I was unwilling to pay. I’m not saying it wasn’t worth it. Especially since it was the only option available at the time. But it was still too much to pay for something from a franchise that I only had marginal interest in. Toynami later took the same mold and released the toy again, this time cast in all plastic, in a more sensible package, and a far more sensible pricetag. The resulting release is often referred to as Plastipiece Voltron, and that’s the set we’re going to look at today.

The new package may be less spectacular than the original Masterpiece release, but it’s no slouch either. It’s a sizeable, briefcase-style box with a handle on the top. Open the lid and there’s an illustrated cover with cut-outs that show off the five Lions, packaged snugly in the styrofoam tray, along with the sword and the shield. Wow, real styrofoam. That’s pure Earth-killing nostalgia, baby! There’s no doubt that if you’re a packaging whore, you’re going to want to spring for the more pricey version, but it’s worth noting that the package used for this one still looks like you’ve got something special in your hands, rather than something you might pick up in the toy aisles at your local retailer.

It’s been a while, but I’m pretty sure the individual Lions were the same size on the cartoon. Maybe the black one was bigger. Sorry, Voltron fans, I just don’t remember. Either way, some scale and style adjustments were necessary to make toy Voltron look great when combined. There are three different sizes of Lions, with the Black being the biggest because he makes up the torso, the blue and yellow the next biggest, as they make up the legs, and the small guys are the red and green, who make up the arms. You might think that the two limbs and the two legs are repaints of the same lion, but nope. Surprisingly, each of the Lions is a unique sculpt, which really shows that Toynami saw this set as a labor of love.

The Black Lion is understandably boxy, but he still looks pretty good, thanks to some clever panels that float in and out where his front legs connect to the body. Voltron’s wings fold up pretty nicely on the Lion’s back and he’s got the best tail of all the lions, since it folds back instead of just pulling out from the ass. His legs are proportionally a little diminished in the lower halves so that they can fold up into the upper halves. The mouth is articulated, but you do have the slight problem of having Voltron’s face in his mouth if you open it, so it’s best displayed with the jaws closed. All in all, I think he looks pretty good.

The Blue and Yellow Lions are similar in sculpt, but have some important differences. Blue has that bank of instruments on his head that looks like a family crest. He also has those silver ears and all in all a fairly boxy, squared-off head. Yellow Lion’s head is a lot smoother and more rounded and has that fetching stripe running from the nose to between its ears. He’s also got that silver tube thing on his back that Blue is lacking.

Red and Green Lions have similar heads, but their bodies are both distinct sculpts with Red being boxy and Green being more rounded. There legs and tails are pretty much the same as is the middle joint that forms Voltron’s elbows. Since these guys form the arms, they’re the smallest of the Lion Force, but they still look fantastic.