Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane is a skilled former pilot of legendary reputation from the Galaxy Garrison who was taken captive by the Galra Empire during a mission to Kerberos. He became a famed gladiator heralded as the champion in the Empire's arena. He was experimented on and given a prosthetic arm. Shiro's sudden return to Earth a year later with claims of aliens on the attack triggers the events leading to the return of Voltron. He functions as a Paladin of Voltron, who pilots the Black Lion, acting as the leader of the Paladins until the initial defeat of Zarkon when he mysteriously disappears because his essence is absorbed into the Black Lion. Shiro does not truly return until his clone's existence is revealed. Allura transfers his essence from the Black Lion into the clone's body, fusing them into one being. This action turns Shiro's hair (fully) white, prompting a few nickname suggestions from Lance, namely "Grandshiro." Afterward, Shiro retired fully as a Paladin and married Curtis, allowing Keith to take over the Black Lion until it and the other Lions' departure into space.
Appearance
Shiro is a tall and broad-shouldered young Japanese man with pale skin; his muscular frame, thick jaw, and wide-set chin give Shiro a distinctly mature appearance echo his leadership personality and role. He stands as the tallest of the Paladins. Shiro has black hair shaved into an undercut with short white bangs centered on his forehead. He has prominently thick, angular eyebrows, and his dark gray eyes are notably drawn with a winged outer tip. Across the bridge of his nose is a thin scar. Before his initial capture, Shiro had the same hairstyle, but his hair was completely black, and he featured no scars. Upon his fusion into his clone's body, Shiro's hair, including his eyebrows, turn completely white.
In his Paladin armor, Shiro's uniform mirrors his fellow Paladins, but with black accents to match his Lion.
Shiro wears a gray long-sleeved turtleneck shirt under a black vest when he is not in his Paladin armor. The vest has a tall collar and is accented with yellow, white, and light gray. He wears a black, fingerless glove on his left hand that covers his sleeve's cuff; Shiro's right arm is almost entirely a white and gray Galra prosthetic to replace his lost natural arm, beginning just over his elbow and mimicking his natural arm's shape. Shiro can tuck his shirt under the prosthetic's edge.
Shiro's vest and shirt are tucked under a gray utility belt he wears over his pants with a pouch at either hip. The dark grey pants Shiro wears are padded at the knees and tuck into the cuffs of his black and gray boots.
Personality
Kind-hearted, grounded, and imbued with a sense of justice to do the right thing, Shiro is the Paladin most likely to take command in situations where others suffer panic or foul tempers. He supports his team with a sense of direction, maturity, and empathy, scolding fellow Paladins when needed but rarely becoming genuinely angered at his allies. He is a tactful thinker who helps his team remain calm and understands their personal struggles. While exerting a substantial amount of patience and accommodation, he is not impervious to his own temper. He can uncharacteristically snap out of sheer frustration, most notably at Slav.[4] Shiro has a fun-loving and joking side to him as well, enjoying the space goo fight and displaying his idea of laser gun sound effects immediately after scolding his fellow Paladins for their renditions. [5]
As the leader of the Paladins, Shiro embraces his role as the Black Paladin and head of Voltron, determined to defeat Zarkon and protect the universe from the evil that he witnessed first-hand. He has been shown to understand that tough decisions must be made in times of war. He is willing to potentially leave his missing Kerberos crewmen behind but later relents to search for them. Since then, Shiro has been fiercely protective of his new crew, unwilling to leave Allura behind on an enemy ship. [4]
While acting as the leader and seemingly appearing the most composed and emotionally stable of the group, Shiro, in truth, suffers from immense post-traumatic stress disorder inflicted by his time spent as a prisoner of the Galra Empire. The head injury sustained while he escaped his captivity has caused suppression of his memory, so Shiro knows little of his captivity while under Zarkon and Haggar's whims. There are moments where he has flashes back to events he cannot clearly recall, which can cause Shiro to freeze up and become vulnerable to enemy attack. Despite the Galran being asleep in a cryo-pod, Shiro has heard Sendak taunting him for his suitability as a Paladin vs. that of a Galra soldier, calling him "broken and reformed," a "monster," and already lost to Zarkon;[7] it is unclear whether that voice is truly Sendak, the corrupted Castle of Lions, or Shiro's mind itself.
Regardless, the experience shakes Shiro to his core and triggers him to violently lash out - a very clear reveal that Shiro is more fragile than he allows others to know. Shiro struggles to regain his memories and project the air of a strong, trustworthy, and reliable leader. He is one the Paladins look to for guidance. Shiro feels responsible for protecting and providing for his new crew after losing his first.
Relationships
He has a fraternal relationship with all the paladins, especially with Keith, whom he considers his brother and for whom he had shown affection being the main father figure in his life and always supporting him in various ways, from interceding for him when Keith was a cadet in Garrison as well as always reminding him that he would never give up on him.
Before he departed from Earth with Sam and Matt Holt, he had a lover named Adam, who dies tragically in the first wave of Galra attacks. Shiro went on his quest after arriving on earth, only finding his name along with those of the soldiers and pilots killed in combat.
After saving the universe and returning to earth, Shiro retired from combat and celebrated his wedding with his current husband, Curtis.
Abilities
Equipment
Apart from piloting the Black Lion, Shiro utilizes this equipment:
PaladinV
Bayard
Form unknown. While in his possession, he has yet to use it for combat.
Paladin Armor
Armor that allows for safe travel in space; it contains a highly advanced computer system, communication system, a laser gun, a grappling hook and tether, holographic capabilities, an energy shield for defense, breathable air, and a jetpack for brief sustained flight.[5]
Prosthetic Arm
Given to him by Haggar;[6] its advanced technology from the Galra Empire amplifies his strength and generates extremely powerful purple energy in his hand that he can use to cut through and melt most metal.[7] This arm can be hacked from completely external sources.[8]
Later, in Season 7 Episode 10: Heart of the Lion, the Garrison provides Shiro with a new robot prosthetic. The Garrison's original technology was defective/incompatible, putting Shiro through intense pain while the arm was synced up to his body. To solve this issue, Allura stepped in and replaced the energy core with her crown's jewel. This prosthetic is similar to Sendak's original arm in S1 (likely a reference to the "newer model" during their brief fight in S1 E4). It is light gray in color, with a blue glow coming from his shoulder and elbow- implying that some kind of magnetic force makes up for the lack of a bicep. It can be extended from his body to great lengths (shown throughout his fight with Sendak in S7E12), but otherwise operates as a complete arm. It grants Shiro with amplified strength and a connection to the Atlas due to Allura's jewel being implemented into it.
Skill Set
Sky
Stats
Strength
17/20
Agility
15/20
Intelligence
17/20
Combat
Shiro has solid leadership skills that command attention. He plans thoughtfully as a military tactician seeking to topple an empire, valuing information on the Galra Empire's intricate workings and alliances with Galran rebels.[5][6][7]
He is a skilled and aggressive martial artist able to toss someone as massive as Sendak.[8] Shiro moves quickly as he slices through enemies across the battlefield with impressive hand-to-hand combat skills amplified by his prosthetic arm. His official strength stats are nearly maxed, and his agility stats are not far behind.[1] If there is one weakness that Shiro possesses, it is his PTSD. When triggered, Shiro loses his normally calm and collected behavior and may freeze up entirely, making him less effective in combat.
Piloting
Shiro's superb piloting skills made him a legend at the Galaxy Garrison. They earned him a medal to decorate his senior officer uniform, as well as a place in the fateful Kerberos Mission.[2][15]
Other Abilities
PaladinV
Astral Projection
Although the only instance is unwilling and initiated by Zarkon, Shiro's strong connection to the Black Lion allows his essence to travel to a mysterious realm where if he dies, his body in the physical realm will die as well, but while he feels all pain dealt to him, the sustained wounds do not appear on his physical body.[9]
Lion Bond
Shiro is able to bond so thoroughly with the Black Lion that he can witness and feel the Lion's experiences while piloting it with his eyes closed.[10] This bond has only been compromised by Zarkon's interference as the previous Black Paladin, but Shiro has even won the Black Lion's favor and trust over Zarkon, destroying the emperor's connection to the Lion.[9] This bond allows Shiro to view the Lion's memories of the past as well as images of the present, such as the ruins of planet Daibazaal outside the Lion's displays.[9] The experiences seem real enough that Shiro mistakes he flies at high speeds, feels turbulence, and actually travels from the Castle of Lions to the planet, when in reality the Lion never leaves the Castleship.
Trivia
Shiro is the LGBT+ representation for the series, having had a lover on Earth named Adam.[1] This was always intended to be part of his character, but his history had to be postponed due to scheduling and production.[2] As far as his exact orientation, the staff wrote him in such a way to leave room for interpretation.[2] However, both showrunners Joaquim dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery, as well as head writer Joshua Hamilton refer to Shiro as a gay man.[3][4]
During early production, Shiro was intended to die during the second season. The staff did not want to kill off their gay character, so they would focus on a different character for LGBT+ representation instead of up until they decided to keep Shiro alive, and his story was rewritten.[1]
There have been discrepancies regarding Shiro's age.
While executive staff Tim Hedrick, Joaquim Dos Santos, and Lauren Montgomery agreed on the age of "25" for Shiro as a "safety zone", the DreamWorks website and published media describe the group of Paladins as "five unsuspecting teenagers", placing him no older than 19.[11][12][13]
His age was published as 25 in The Paladin's Handbook, which was not reviewed by executive series staff.[1][2]The Voltron Coalition Handbook states that a year has passed since Shiro's return to Earth, making him 26 at the youngest by Season 7.
Josh Keaton grants some insight into the discrepancy by stating that during production of the show as early as the voice actor auditions, the pitch was "five teenagers", but certain character models ended up looking different than the description, so the writing adapted to the finalized designs.[14]
Shiro's full name is revealed during Pidge's flashback to a television news broadcast proclaiming the Kerberos crew missing and presumed dead.[15]
The same scene shows Shiro in similar clothing to Iverson, but with a medal, implying Shiro may have held an equal or higher rank to him. Shiro is described as a "senior officer" to the cadets and refers to Samuel Holt respectfully with the title "Commander."[2] It is known that Shiro is a graduate of the Galaxy Garrison.[27]
Shiro's name is clearly of Japanese origin, and Lauren Montgomery has confirmed that he is Japanese.[1] This is published in The Paladin's Handbook.
Shiro's Galra prisoner designation is "Fugitive Prisoner 117-9875".[4]
Shiro's idea of how laser guns sound is "BLAM, BLAM, BLAM!!"[5]
On Coran's height ranking for the Paladins of 1-5 (tallest to shortest), Lauren Montgomery approves that Shiro is ranked tallest at "Number One."[6][2]
Shiro does not technically have a video log like the other Paladins because the one narrating the video log is his clone, "Shiro," before their fusion.
Shiro is based on the character Sven of the previous Voltron franchises and shares the name of the character Sven was based on, Takashi Shirogane of Beast King GoLion.
