It's no secret that both Emperor Zambojil and Emperor Daibazaal are pretty much alike. Daibazaal is pretty much an Expy to Zambojil in many ways. Both of them take their anger out on their subjects, hardly do anything themselves, ultimately a coward (except Daibazaal died in battle rather anti-climatically), and they're both tyrannical rulers who oppress their own people. My problem with Galra is that it's hardly developed. Sure, we see some slaves here and there but we can't differentiate it if the slaves were from captive planets OR enslaved citizens of Daibazaal's cruelty. Nothing is known about how Galra came to be it was or did the writers want it to be Chaotic Evil.
The only backstories known were that of Prince Sincline. It was discovered by the audience (but not Sincline) that Sincline was born of dual heritage. It can be assumed that Daibazaal probably married Sincline's mother at one point but later killed her. Sincline's mother seemed to be a member of one of Altea's lesser kingdoms and may have been a diplomatic tool. That was what the non-canon Robotech/Voltron crossover had with the character of Lora, Lotor's mother in that continuity. Daibazaal refused to accept his wife's advice to spare the others. Sincline's mother died while asking her husband to pardon the people. I guess the marriage was most likely Daibazaal's way of infiltrating the planet. Daibazaal, not willing to take no for an answer, committed mariticide just to stress a point. The Robotech/Voltron crossover did the same thing as well.
What many Voltron fans probably got shocked at was the revelation that Haggar is ZARKON'S MOTHER in the original. I guess World Events Productions (WEP) never had access to the complete script. In Voltron: The Third Dimension and in Fleet of Doom movie - Hagar was introduced as Zarkon's lover. It's a severe Lost in Translation issue that Hagar was Zarkon's MOTHER all along. Yet, I could also say that it was way too random. There wasn't any investment in the plot. The writers just dropped off it as random that Daibazaal was Honerva's illegitimate son. Yet, there was hardly any development for that. It would make more sense IF Honerva was just his trusted aide, his childhood nanny, but HIS MOTHER? Daibazaal never knew that Honerva was his other. What's also so random is that Sincline may just be 16 years old and not 106. Did the writers get hiccups or was it an oversight? I even think Voltes V Legacy's head writer Suzette Doctolero based Contessa (Zambojil's mother in the live-action remake better renamed Buntis Faib Legacy) after Honerva.
I think a lot of things could've been done. We never saw the previous Galran emperor or heard of him. Honerva only dropped the bomb AFTER Daibazaal died. Yes, the fact that Daibazaal was the illegitimate child of Honerva (and presumably the previous ruler of Galra) all along! My own fix is that there should've been more episodes dedicated to developing Daibazaal and not just Sincline. Both are pretty much Stupid Evil and For the Evulz in almost everything they do. Daibazaal does a lot of stuff simply to get evil to reign supreme. Daibazaal later had the royal family executed when Raimon declared that the wicked would someday perish and the righteous would triumph.
Voltes V episode 28 did feature the rise of Zambojil. Come on, Golion was clearly taking a lot of stuff from Combattler V and Voltes V. Sincline's obviously a more evil version of the Super Robot Anime prince-type villains. Like Zambojil, Daibazaal seeks to rule the whole Universe as well. Voltes V was in 1977 so there should be more room for development four years later. We could've gotten a recycled plot where Daibazaal's father was frustrated over having an autistic heir. Daibazaal's father would later have an affair with his state sorceress Honerva therefore giving birth to Daibazaal. Maybe, have it that Daibazaal's father makes Honerva keep her maternity a secret from Daibazaal. Maybe, have it that Dabazaal bullies his older autistic half-brother and that would slowly be his descent to evil. Have it that Galra was once a peaceful empire until Daibazaal ascended the throne. However, Daibazaal would never know Honerva is his birth mother because of his father's order.
Daibazaal pretty much ended up as a generic Evil Overlord. I guess that's why Sincline was pretty much Best for Last type of villain. Sincline was far more dangerous a threat to Golion than Daibazaal ever was. Daibazaal only barked out orders. Honerva was a genuine threat though Sincline became more of that. Think it over that Sincline would target the heroes more than Golion. The only weakness Sincline has is his MUST F*CK FARLA subplot. Too bad that the people behind Golion never saw the opportunity to improve some stuff that Voltes V did four years ago.
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