My initial suspicion was correct: Honerva is, in fact, Haggar.
When Zarkon and a now-bearded Alfor pay her a visit, she looks ragged and has long, white hair and the facial markings of Haggar. She spends hours upon hours studying Quintessence. During the team’s first flight, Zarkon comments on the power of the lion, and this hints at how corrupt he will become. I noticed that the Paladins’ helmets have a gold diamond on the forehead reminiscent of the original show’s helmet design. The lions choose their Paladins, who are people Alfor and Zarkon have been fighting with for a long time. The hole it creates upon impact is filled with Quintessence, and Honerva runs many tests on the material while Alfor begins to construct the lions from the comet’s alloy. Since this is the origin story of Voltron, we see the comet that built it– the one from episode four– crash onto Zarkon’s home planet. It’s clear from their first interaction that Zarkon is crushing on Honerva, and it’s adorable to see the future big bad in such a state. The Altean woman from Zarkon’s memories is introduced as Honerva, who, like Alfor, is an alchemist.
