Finding Your Strengths like a Paladin of Voltron
The Paladins of Voltron are an awesome team made up of unique individuals. No matter what issue you want to tackle — starting a HPA chapter, reducing waste in your community, or petitioning a politician to support LGBTQ rights — you’ll want a team to back you up.
Voltron: Legendary Defender is a great example of how teamwork is essential to creating positive change. Each member of Voltron and the Voltron team (let’s not leave Coran out!) bring a unique set of skills and experiences. No single person can do everything themselves, which is why it’s important to find your strengths!
We can use the Paladins and their team to help us determine our unique, personal strengths.
What kind of lion would you pilot? Think about your unique strengths as a Paladin, and imagine what kind of lion might be your perfect match. Are you a leader best suited to the Black Lion? Or are you more like Hunk, a strong defender, and best suited to the Yellow Lion?
How do you build relationships with other people? Lance is often the one to bring some needed lightness to a conversation. Hunk shows affection through cooking. Shiro knows how to help others see their strengths. What about you? How can you use this information to best assist your team?
How do you think about the world? Are you someone who goes to explore the problem first hand like Keith, or maybe you think about things like a system, like Pidge? Or something else completely! Think about how you can use your unique view of the world to help your team.
How do you overcome challenges? When the going gets tough, can others count on your loyalty like Hunk? Are you always good for an inspiring speech like Shiro? How do you answer the tough moments?
Even though Voltron is powerful all on its own, sometimes the biggest battles take even bigger teams. That’s when it’s time to form a Coalition.
Think about your community. Outside of your fellow Paladins, who is there to help you? Do you have your very own Coran? Do you have friends (irl or online) that can help you tackle problems?
What about other groups you could team up with, like the Blade of Marmora? If you’re stuck on a problem, remember to reach out to other people or organizations (like the HPA) to help!
What resources are available to you? Do you have happen to have a castle that can travel across the galaxies? No? Oh, well, that’s alright, I’m sure you have something just as good! Many organizations have resources available for free. Local libraries are also a great resource for finding out more information and finding connections for your coalition.
Talk It Out
- Which Paladin of Voltron do you feel closest to? Why? What do you think that says about your strengths?
- What do you wish you were better at (talking to strangers, leading a team, cooking, etc.)? How can you level up that ability?
- How do your strengths fit into your community?
Take Action
- Once you’ve identified your strengths, talk to your team about how you can use them to help your cause (whatever it may be).
- Find resources (like the HPA’s Wizard Activist School) to continue leveling up your strengths and to learn more about activism.
- Help your friends and teammates find and use their strengths!
References, Resources, and Further Reading
- The Harry Potter Alliance’s Wizard Activist School
- The Harry Potter Alliance’s HP as a Tool for Social Change toolkit
- Everyday Feminism’s School for Social Justice
Harry Potter Alliance. We help you bring fan activism to your favorite fandoms with free toolkits and activities to use in your chapters, with your friends, in your classrooms, at your libraries, on your own. Find full toolkits atthehpalliance.org/fandomforward.
For more info, email us at fandomforward@thehpalliance.org
