Picture: Netflix / DreamWorks Animation Television
In case you missed it, Netflix will lose all eight Voltron: Legendary Defender seasons in December 2024. The removal applies globally, and we first gave you a heads-up on the departure in late September.
Now, a removal notice has begun appearing on the Netflix page for the series, leading to a campaign to get Netflix to save the show. The official Voltron pages have been keeping fans updated on the status of the show’s departure following a notice appearing on the show’s page within the Netflix US interface stating your last day to watch is on December 6th with the removal scheduled for December 7th.
Screencapture of Voltron: Legendary Defender page on November 9th, 2024.
When we first announced the departure, the official Instagram account for Voltron said, “Discussions are ongoing. When we know, you’ll know.”
Now, a couple of months later, the official Voltron Facebook page addressed the departure in a recent FB post, which has picked up over 600 likes. They clarify a few things about the departure and state that there is ongoing discussions about the future of the show.
Here’s their statement in full:
“Here is a summary of the situation:
1. Voltron: Legendary Defender was not produced by Netflix. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and licensed to Netflix. That license is expiring.
2. There is a chance the license gets renewed, those discussions are ongoing between all parties involved.
3. If the license does not get renewed, DreamWorks is free to license VLD to another streaming platform.
4. Seasons 1-6 can be purchased on Amazon Prime. They will continue to be available after December 7th. For now, seasons 7 and 8 will be harder to come by, unfortunately.
5. If an extension is not agreed upon, December 7th is not the *last* day to watch Voltron: Legendary Defender on Netflix, it is the *first* day you *can’t* watch Voltron: Legendary Defender on Netflix anymore.
We’ve been asked if this is because Amazon is producing a live action Voltron film. The live action film and the end of the contract to stream Legendary Defender are completely unrelated. By coincidence, a film that has been in development for years is moving into production around the same time as the six-year terms of the Netflix contract are coming to an end.
Assuming the contract is not renewed, if you are interested in getting in one more rewatch while Voltron: Legendary Defender is still on Netflix, you have 50 days to watch all 75 episodes.
That means if you watch three episodes every two days, or about 11 episodes a week, you can time saying goodbye to VLD on Netflix with the Paladins saying goodbye to the Lions.
Legendary Defender will still be available elsewhere, but if it’s taken off Netflix, it will mark the end of a Voltron era.
Fans then asked for a physical release in the comments to which the account replied, “We don’t have an answer on whether the whole series or the last two seasons will release on physical media. The only advice we can give is to keep asking for it to clarify that there is demand.”
Netflix nor DreamWorks Animation has commented, and based on prior DreamWorks TV removals, their titles often become considered lost media.
As a quick aside, seeing something official on Netflix Original removals is refreshing. Netflix, for the most part, doesn’t comment publicly, but given the uproar surrounding this removal already, it’s nice to get some feedback from something resembling an official channel.
Are you disappointed that Voltron: Legendary Defender is leaving Netflix?
