Lavos

Lavos is a being whose powers far exceed those of even Susan Wise. Although only appearing in The Twelve Dimensions, his influence remains for quite some time afterward.

History
Lavos was born as (or at least given the name of) Soval, and raised from infancy by a wise old man on the planet Kron'ki. When he was twelve, his surrogate father was captured by Zarkon and eventually rescued by Allura McCoy's father and grandparents while on a diplomatic mission.

In return, and knowing he was near death, the old man entrusted Soval into the hands of Allura's family. Her father, then known as Prince Alfor, established a bond with Soval that lasted well beyond the death of his parents two decades later.

As the years passed, Soval continued to live with his brother and serve as Advisor, then caretaker for young Allura. To her, he was her best friend and taught her many things about art, often taking her with him when he went to paint landscapes (see below).

When It All Went Wrong
...But one day when Allura was 251 (764 AD), she witnessed Soval brutally raping and yelling at her mother Queen Aliza. She heard him tell her mother that if she told anybody, he would kill her and leave no evidence behind; Allura quickly went back into her room, fearing that Soval would kill her as well.

The next day, Allura's father returned from a voyage and was told everything by his daughter (as his wife was visibly shaking); Soval, who had just walked into the room and acting like nothing was wrong, was immediately banished by his brother and referred to as "Lavos"...who then revealed that he was in fact the same being who fathered Zarkon, had once ruled over "the whole of reality", and had supposedly been killed by the original Voltron.

Soval
As Soval, the man was outgoing and pleasant, dressed in blue and seizing each day for all the riches it contained. He was a master painter, going out in his spare time to paint landscapes and stunningly-accurate portraits of every citizen on Arus. He never charged for these paintings despite often doing requests (including one he particularly loved: the first moments of dawn on Christmas Day), saying that satisfaction in the end result was its own reward.

Soval's room was described by Allura in her later years as quiet, with the royal family's pictures hung near his bed so he could always know his purpose: to protect and help them in any way he could. He also had some relationship with the dining staff, enough to require overseeing special events. Much like Allura and Hannah Benfield long after, Soval enjoyed drinking tea.

Indeed, his behavior over the course of many years would suggest that Lavos' spirit remained dormant until finally manifesting itself in 764. Soval's behavior after those particular events would also suggest that he was truly unaware of what he had done.

Lavos
As Lavos, however, he became far more sadistic; gone was the gentlemanly painter and servant of his earlier days, replaced by a creature continually thirsty for power.

Lavos was sadistic to the point that on Allura's 500th birthday, Lavos killed her parents and forced her to watch...then proceed to brutally rape her, causing the birth of Soval nine months later. After the child's birth, he wiped her memories and left with the child.

Much later, he killed Susan in a fit of rage. Following this, Miss Glowbug took the leadership position and Allura was hired three months later as secretary. After a few years, Lavos attacked again and sidelined Glowbug; this caused Allura to take over for a year, followed by Mew.

During the latter's tenure, he gathered a sizable army and took the fight to Lavos' stronghold. After a very long, very bloody battle he killed Lavos by his own sword, restoring Glowbug's life and ridding the Dimensions of a great menace. She quickly returned to her post, and Mew to his.

Canon

 * The Twelve Dimensions
 * Glass Life (flashbacks)
 * Study Days
 * Growing Up Allu
 * Calmer and Wiser
 * History Is Immobile

Altiverses

 * The Third Story
 * The Fourth Story