Voltron: Legendary Defender is departing Netflix. That’s right. The DreamWorks 2016 reboot of the 1984 series that straight up opens each episode with the reveal that it’s “A Netflix Original Series” is being removed from the platform, six years following its series finale.

The Voltron official Instagram revealed the then possibility back in October, due to the license with Netflix expiring. While hope was expressed that it would be renewed, that is no longer the case, with a message now on Netflix saying how the last day to stream the series is December 6.

While Voltron is available to purchase on DVD and digital on demand off other platforms like Amazon Prime and YouTube, it’s only the first six seasons. The final two seasons currently remain hard to come by (which honestly can make for its own conversation about the fickle reliance on streaming platforms vs. physical media).

As a Voltron fan, I was saddened to learn about this, and wound up re-watching the entire series within three weeks. It remains to be as fun and thought-provoking as when I first came across it, making its removal from Netflix all the more harder to bear.

Now mind you, I am aware of its flaws just as much as other fans. I am not a fan of the show creators reducing Shiro’s queer identity to a flashback and a few seconds of the show’s epilogue, nor do I find Allura’s sacrifice in the series finale necessary when giving up the lions should have sufficed. In that same breath, I’m also not a fan of those who tried to harass their way into having Studio Mir fulfill their want of having the characters of Keith and Lance be together.

That being said, I don’t want Voltron to be remembered for the creative missteps of those behind the show, and the blatantly illegal boundary-breaking of viewers who seriously need to touch grass. Rather, I want to remember this show for the following reasons:

Studio Mir

The South Korean-based animation studio is the one who brought the universe of Voltron to life. Having animated other renowned shows like The Legend of Korra and The Boondocks, the talented folks over there are masters of blending zany, humorous moments with somber, serious scenes, with a dash of enthralling action.

Its anime-like style is perfect for a reboot of a show that draws so much on East Asian culture already. Even with the story, at times, becoming convoluted in later seasons, Studio Mir really ought to be commended for making everything and everyone in Voltron look as good as they are.

The Shared DNA with Avatar: The Last Airbender

Aside from the animation studio having worked on the beloved Nickelodeon series’ sequel, Voltron shares a ton of DNA in other ways. Several of the creators who worked on the show also worked on Avatar and Korra. The main characters share similarities to that of the main characters in Avatar (i.e. Pidge being a small, no-nonsense type who knows her stuff like Toph, Keith being a dark character with a complex past like Zuko).

The blend of humor and seriousness is also akin to Avatar, as well as the world-building and spiritualism. While Voltron doesn’t have the same effective spark that made Avatar special, I stand my ground in that it makes for a worthy descendant.

Steven Yeun as Keith

Don’t get me wrong. All the voice actors did such a good job in their roles on the show. However, it’s Yeun in particular who I personally find to be a standout of them all. Keith is not an easy character to understand right away, but as he learns about himself and rises to be a leader, he becomes one to admire. I can’t imagine that to have been an easy role for Yeun to perform, especially with the added complexity that he had only his voice to do so. But he did it anyway, and I wish he received more recognition for that.

While the praise will continue to come his way for his memorable roles he has taken on since then like in films like Minari and shows like Beef, I still see Yeun as the one who brought a lot of depth to his performance as the most complex member of Voltron.

The Exploration of Mixed-Race Identity Through Mixed Galra Characters

The Galra Empire is the corrupt government that has let the galactic war run on for as long as it has. It would be easy to sneer at anyone who identifies as Galra, regardless of whether or not their allegiance even aligns with the empire. But in time, even that is dissected thanks in part to mixed Galra characters being revealed and introduced, symbolically emulating experiences to that of those who identify as mixed-race may go through.

Keith is a notable example of such, as he gets in touch with his Galra side by getting involved with the Blades of Marmorra. In time, and especially by the final season, he is in a place where he identifies as Galra, as he does as human.

The Bond Between Lion and Paladin

As someone who, to this day, has never seen the original Voltron, I don’t know if this concept was prominent in the predecessor. What I will say is that seeing the near spiritual bond between the lions and their respective paladins was fascinating to see develop throughout the series. It made the lions not just pieces of a war machine, but rather as keepers of something deeper, so long as each paladin works to establish a connection.

These bonds have manifested throughout the series in the forms of new weapons and abilities revealed in moments of great need. However, it’s in the later series where it’s especially noticeable when, through meditation, a paladin could summon their lion if parked on another planet, and even pilot them without having to be physically in them. It’s just intriguing in ways that otherwise cannot be properly explained.

Kaltenecker the Cow and Kosmo the Space Wolf

The Voltron team is very much a found family, and it’s one that grows as the series goes on. There may be no rhyme or reason for Kaltenecker the cow being added other than by chance, nor will we ever know how she wound up at a space mall, but her presence is definitely appreciated.

As for Kosmo the space wolf, aside from being such a cool creature, I like how he and Keith found each other during a very long journey, opening up the brooding paladin even more so than before. Not to mention that his ability to disappear and reappear in different places is very handy in later seasons.

So fair to say that I’m sad to see Voltron go. I really wish Netflix had renewed the license so that folks who haven’t seen it before could watch and enjoy it in its entirety. Again, while I’m not ignoring what could have been better, I also don’t want to undermine what makes it memorable.