This Information submitted by CapnStyx@aol.com

The bootlegs for Voltron are amazing. 99% of them are much better in quality than the American Voltron. I know that in most cases, bootlegs tend to be cheaper reproductions. Not the case here. Most came with more weapons. Another interesting fact is that they are STILL being re-released! And they must have been great sellers, because once they were forced to stop producing the bootleg, they'd change the name, and re-release it again! Same box and everything. Here are some of the names I have, or have heard of, all with identical to similar toys, in nearly identical bootleg boxes. (Which, incidently, are nothing like the real Voltron box)

• Lionbot
• Golion (Taiwan)
• Lion King
• King Lion
• Lions 5 in 1
• Jaguarbot

On some it is evident that there are even bootlegs of the bootlegs!

Since I'm getting down to the nitty gritty, I might as well tell you the history of the toy. The Voltron we know of today was not originally Voltron.

His Name was GOLION, and he came from the "GODAIKIN" line of toys made by BANDAI. (Who, incidently, helped to create Transformers, so there's the connection). Combattra also shared this name plate, as well as being part of the "Shogun Warriors". You may have noticed some similarity to the Power Rangers (who also have a plethora of bootlegs available), and this is because they are also from the same maker, although we only see the cheap American versions. Anyway. GOLION was the name of the show in Japan in 1981, and he shared no connection with Dairugger XIV (Vehicle Voltron). Americans added him in when they brought the Voltron, as they called it, team over to the states in 1984. Then Matchbox got their hands on the rights and the GOLION mold and made "VOLTRON, Defender of the Universe!". The Golion toy was much cooler than the American Matchbox produced Voltron toy. The Japanese toy Golion had weapons everywhere. Missle launchers, swords, sheilds, knives, you name it. Voltron Came with nothing. And so, the bootlegs were made from the Japanese version, and were sold here in the states. And while they did not have as many weapons as the Japanese Golion, they had far higher play value than the real, liscensed American Version of Voltron! The bootlegs were better than the liscensed toy!

This is why they are still around today. Many opted to buy the bootlegs over the real version. Unfortunately, being the toy they are, the die-cast metal forced them to be quite pricey. With the re-release of all new (that doesn't make sense) Voltron cartoon, and the re-release of the toy by Trendmasters this winter, I expect the bootlegs to be popping up everywhere. In fact, I just bought two, never opened ones last month. They were brand new and voltron hasn't been produced since 1984!