Goro



"I will grant you a warrior's death!"

- Goro to Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat (2011)

Goro is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He was one of the original characters, debuting in the first Mortal Kombat arcade game as the sub-boss. He also served as the sub-boss of Mortal Kombat 4 (only available on home consoles). He first became playable in the Game Boy port of Mortal Kombat.

Mortal Kombat
A member of the four-armed Shokan race, Goro became Grand Champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament after defeating the Great Kung Lao. For 500 years, he remained undefeated and helped Shang Tsung grow ever closer to achieving Shao Kahn's goal of domination over Earthrealm. In his tenth title defense, however, he faced Liu Kang. Kang pushed him to his limits and finally defeated the mighty Shokan warrior. In the tournament's aftermath he went missing after a battle where he fought Kano, Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade. He was believed to be dead. It is thought that he retreated back to his kingdom ashamed of his defeat, while Shang Tsung faced execution for his defeat at the hands of Liu Kang and for Goro's apparent death.

Mortal Kombat 4
He would later resurface after Shao Kahn's defeat, during the events of Mortal Kombat 4/Mortal Kombat Gold, despite being out of the arcade version. Despite having the intent to avenge his losses at the hands of Liu Kang, Goro began to take an interest in the matters of his own race and he joined his fellow Shokan in the war against the Centaurians. Kitana intervened and negotiated both races an uneasy truce and peace accord. Kung Lao interrupted the event because he wanted to kill Goro for vanquishing his ancestor. Kung Lao then slashed Goro's chest which left it scarred. Since it was a ceremonial blow, Kung Lao considered the score settled, the two shook hands. When Shinnok and his legion were defeated and Edenia was once again free, Goro and the Shokan race decided to ally with the Edenians. As a condition in their partnership, Goro signed a peace treaty with the Centaurians.

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
Years later, during the time of the Deadly Alliance, the united Edenians and Shokans marched on Shao Kahn's weakened army. Goro was exhausted from battle and was struck from behind by Noob Saibot. He was mortally wounded, apparently dying from the injury. So, Princess Kitana held a royal funeral for her former ally. However, Goro was able to survive, being saved from death by Shao Kahn himself, with the promise to return the Shokans to their former glory and the banishment of the Centaurians in exchange for his allegiance. Agreeing to these terms, Goro placed his royal seal on a nearby fallen disfigured Shokan (whom Kitana and the other Shokans found and mistook for him, successfully deceiving them while hiding his defection) and resumed his place at Shao Kahn's side.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
In the events of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Goro helped Shao Kahn to become the Emperor of Outworld again. It was revealed in the bios of Shang Tsung and Mileena that along with Shang Tsung, he aided Shao Kahn in reclaiming his stronghold, which was occupied by the Edenian forces led by Mileena. The three crushed all who defended the stronghold, and with their combined might destroyed the reinforced door that guarded the throne room. Mileena then surrendered, and Shao Kahn became Emperor once more.

In Konquest Mode in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Goro is confronted by Taven in Shao Kahn's Fortress, as the latter wishes to kill Quan Chi but must get past Goro in order to do so. Taven eventually defeats Goro, who storms off.

In his Armageddon ending, Goro defeats Blaze and attains the powers of a god. Onaga, Shao Kahn, Quan Chi and Shang Tsung had formed an alliance to retrieve his powers. They confronted Goro in an attempt to get it, but Goro unleashed an ancient Shokan war-cry and from beyond the pyramid came an army of Shokan warriors that killed the four attackers. The Shokan then ruled Outworld.

Mortal Kombat (2011)
Goro makes few appearances in Mortal Kombat (2011). He first appears in his lair where he is defeated by Liu Kang. Goro later appears with Earthrealm prisoners, and is frozen by Cyber Sub-Zero. Both Goro and Kintaro break free of the ice, and face Cyber Sub-Zero in a two-on-one match. Both Shokan lose, however.

Biographies

 * Mortal Kombat: "A 2000 year old half-human dragon, Goro remains undefeated for the past 500 years. He won the title of Grand Champion by defeating Kung Lao, a Shaolin fighting monk. It was during this period that the tournament fell into Shang Tsung's hands and was corrupted. Goro possesses both massive strength and great agility: None who fought him have reported any weaknesses. In fact, none who have opposed him have survived!"


 * Mortal Kombat 4: "The half human dragon stood as Shang Tsung's protector in the first tournament. Goro took the Mortal Kombat title from the original Kung Lao, only to have it won from him nine generations later by Lao's ancestor, Liu Kang. Seeking Revenge, The Shokan Prince has returned for the first time since his defeat in MK1 to crush Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat."


 * Mortal Kombat Deception: "Kitana's army allied with my Shokan warriors in an attempt to destroy my old master, Shao Kahn. It was rumored that he was weakening and that our victory was inevitable. During the last battle against Kano's militia, however, I was attacked from behind by a shadow warrior, Noob Saibot. I do not know for how long I lay dying on the battlefield, but when I regained consciousness, I was greeted by the last person I expected to see... Shao Kahn found me near death upon the battlefield. Though he was not wearing his armor, I recognized his voice it was truly him. He used what little power he had left to revive me. He asked me to join him once again and aid in destroying a rising power in Outworld. In return, he would give the Shokan favored status and banish the Centaurs. I accepted this offer. I placed my royal seal on the disfigured corpse of a fallen Shokan warrior and together we fled into hiding to regain our strength for the coming battle."


 * thumb|250px|right|Goro's Bio KardBio Kard: Goro, Prince of the half-dragon Shokan race, had for many years served Shao Kahn until his people fell out of favor with the Emperor. An alliance was formed with Kitana's Edenian army and Goro led the charge against Shao Kahn's forces.


 * Mortal Kombat (2011): "Prince Goro has brought much honor to the Shokan race by serving Shao Kahn. His bloody achievements include crushed rebellions and conquered provinces. During the past 500 years he has been celebrated for winning the last nine Mortal Kombat tournaments for Outworld. Should he defeat Earthrealm's champion this time, he will become more than legendary. His victory is assured. There are none in Earthrealm who can withstand the might of Goro."

Powers and Abilities
Outside of Goro being able to win 9 consecutive Mortal Kombat tournaments, as well as defeating the Great Kung Lao in his first tournament - which Shang Tsung, in his younger form failed to do - not much is stated about his abilities in the plot. The only time there was an indication of his power in the storyline is during the opening of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, where he easily defeats Johnny Cage, Sonya and Kung Lao.

Goro's fighting style always revolved around taking advantage of his brute strength and surprising agility. In the early games, Goro was an imbalanced character. All of his moves did far more damage then all of the other characters, and because of that he was notoriously difficult to defeat in the first game. In the 3D games, he was toned down to make him more balanced. His current depiction is being powerful, but slow.

Goro is associated with the element of Fire. Like Kintaro, he could either project fireballs either from his mouth or his hands. In Shaolin Monks, he was able to shoot one fireball from each hand. He could also manipulate fire in his hands if he needs to attack using them.

Signature moves

 * Fireball: Goro shoots a green fireball from his arm. This attack is stronger than most projectiles, just like his physical attacks. It also appeared in Mortal Kombat 4, but this time it was shot out of his mouth, similar to Kintaro. In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, the fireball is larger, redder, and does standard projectile damage. In Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Goro can shoot one from each hand, four in a row. In MK 2011 Goro returns to shooting one fireball from his arm. (MK, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:SM, MK 2011)


 * Leaping Stomp: Goro jumps off the screen and lands on the opponent much like Kintaro and Sheeva. However, in the original Mortal Kombat and in Mortal Kombat (2011), he does not jump all the way off the screen; he only jumps the height of a normal jump. This is also known simply as Stomp in MK 2011. (MK, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:U, MK:SM, MK:A, MK 2011)


 * Chest Pound: Grabbing his opponents with his lower arms, Goro then pounds them with his upper arms, shaving of a good portion of his opponent's life. In Shaolin Monks, a Test Your Might occurs against Goro when he uses this attack. (MK, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:SM)


 * Goro Grab: Goro grabs the opponent in his bottom hands, then palms the opponents face in an upper hand, smashes them on the ground, and then flings them across the arena. This attack can be seen in the opening of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, used on Johny Cage. (MK 2011)


 * Spinning Fists: Goro holds out his arms and spins around, smacking his opponent multiple times with his outstretched flaming fists. This is known as Arm Spin in MK 2011. (MKT, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A, MK 2011)


 * Tremor Pound: Goro jumps at the ground or hits it with all his arms making an earthquake. In MK 2011 this is called Ground Pound and Goro only smashes the ground with his upper two fists. (MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A, MK 2011)thumb|right|250px


 * Taunt: In MK 2011, Goro will flex his upper arms and taunt the opponent. This can be used as an opening to strike Goro, as it does nothing else. (MK 2011)


 * X-Ray Move - Crusher: Goro grabs and raises his opponent from the waist with his lower arms, then puts his upper hands to their head and presses hard until he eventually crushes their skull. He then throws them overhead and slams them into the floor, damaging their skull, ribs, and chest. (MK 2011)

Fatalities

 * Dragon Fangs: Goro Takes out his Dragon Fangs, slices the foe upward, stabs them into the foe's torso, followed by taking one and driving it into his/her throat. (MK:D)
 * Limb Rip: Goro grabs his opponent with his four arms and begins to tear them, then he throws them on the ground. (MK:D)
 * Boss Fatality: Goro raises up the victim then drops them on his knee, breaking their spine. Then he grabs them by the head, slams them to the ground and then throws them far away. (MK:SM)
 * Head Ripper: Goro grabs the opponent's head and tears it off with two arms. He then grabs it with his two other arms and tears it into 4 quarters. (MK 2011)
 * thumb|right|250px|Goro's BabalityLimb and Body Rip: Goro rips off the enemy's legs, flips them upside down then rips of their arms, and finally ripping the body in half. (MK 2011)

Other finishers

 * Hara-Kiri: Self Impale: Goro impales himself with his Dragon Fangs. (MK:D)
 * Babality: Goro starts clapping until he punches himself, making him cry. (MK 2011)

Endings

 * Mkd-endings50.jpgDeception: (Non-canonical) "Goro had regained control of his Shokan army and fought to cleanse Outworld of the Dragon King's Tarkatan Horde. Though the Tarkata are formidable adversaries, they were no match for an army of Shokan, inspired as they were by regaining Shao Kahn's favor. Baraka's troops were quickly defeated. Goro had proven himself a powerful ally of the emperor. But Shao Kahn had given the Shokan much in his return to power. Goro felt a gift of loyalty was in order. The Edenian military had been crushed and Kitana herself had been captured. Goro brought her before Shao Kahn and sacrificed her as an offering of fealty to the once and future emperor of Outworld."


 * Armageddon: (Non-canonical) "Having defeated Blaze, Goro had attained the power of a god. But to the forces of Darkness, his power was not meant for a mere Shokan to wield. Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Shao Kahn and Onaga all had anticipated victory, only to have it stolen from them. The four surrounded Goro in a vain attempt to wrest the power from him. Goro laughed, raised his arms and let forth an ancient Shokan battle cry. From out of nowhere an army of Shokan warriors stormed the pyramid and slaughtered the four attackers. The Shokan race will rule Outworld forever!"
 * Mortal Kombat (2011): "For millennia Shao Kahn had toyed with the proud Shokan race, continuously demanding they prove their worth against the hated Centaur. Goro slew the emperor, ending this indignity. He then used Shao Kahn's blood to paint runic symbols on his body-an ancient Shokan ritual of succession. Suddenly the runes began to glow, searing Goro's flesh. Incredible power surged through him. Goro became Drathon, the Destroyer Prince prophesied to exterminate the Centaur and reunite the Shokan bloodlines." 

Reception
Goro was awarded Hottest Gaming Hunk of 1993 by Electronic Gaming Monthly.[4] UGO.com featured Goro on their "Top 11 Mortal Kombat Characters" list, with comments focused on his appearance due to the "twist" his first appearance gave since he was very different from the other characters.[5] He appeared in the fourth spot on GamePro's "Excessively Limbed Villains We Love" list.[citation needed] He also won a GameSpot award for one of the top ten boss fights due to how difficult was defeating Goro in Mortal Kombat. Additionally, they noted that despite the introductions of bosses similar to Goro in sequels, Goro still remained as the "grand champion"[6] and having the best armpits in videogames. When it was announced the release of a third Mortal Kombat live-action film, Phil Pirrello and Jesse Schedeen from IGN listed him as a character they want to see fighting in the film, but unlike the one from the first film which was a man wearing a suit, they wanted him to be made with CG technology.[7] IGN also listed him as a character they would like to see as downloadable content for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, noting "Goro was the real challenge" of the first Mortal Kombat title although Shang Tsung was the final boss from such game. IGN also added that "MK is all about visceral thrills, and it doesn't get more visceral than bludgeoning your enemies to death with four giant, muscular arms".[8] Goro was ranked 20th in a poll by GamePro ranking the 47 most diabolical video game villains.[9] Eurogamer's Robert Purchse was also saddened with the fact that Goro was not playable character stating that he was his favorite character and hoping that he could become an unlockable character.[10] Additionally Techtree.com stated that, "Although Goro wasn't the main boss, he is probably the hardest boss to kill." [11] Jeff Gerstmann from GameSpot praised Goro's design and moves in Mortal Kombat 4 as in contrast to the game's boss, Shinnok, he harder to defeat.[6] His addition to the GameCube port of Mortal Kombat: Deception received positive response by Greg Kasavin of the same site; he claimed he and Shao Khan fit well within Deception despite looking "anemic".[12] GameSpy's Miguel Lopez described Goro as a "legendary villain" but at the same criticized his physical appearance from Deception as his "anatomical proportions seem a little off".[13] Another editor from GameSpot, Alex Navarro, commented that the fight against Goro in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks was very easy to win in contrast to other bosses fights from the same game.[14] In a 1994 article by Business Week, the film version of Goro was described as "the most advanced mechanical creature H[o]llywood has ever made."[15]

Movie appearances
Goro appears in the first Mortal Kombat movie as Shang Tsung's most loyal servant as well as the reigning champion of Mortal Kombat, having granted Shang Tsung nine victories in a row. Goro thinks very unfavorably of humans. He is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson, with vocal effects by Frank Welker. In the entire movie, he is the only villain to have defeated a protagonist onscreen as with his fight against Art Lean, one of Johnny Cage's acquaintances. After Art is defeated and his soul absorbed by Shang Tsung, Johnny Cage challenges Goro directly to avenge him. Cage was fully aware of Goro's strength, however, and when confronting him, resorts to his patented split-punch. Having been taken by surprise, the enraged Goro chases after Cage.

Cage lures Goro to the narrow ledge of a steep cliff. With limited room to maneuver, Cage is able to fend off Goro's assault before sending him careening to his death.

TV appearances
Goro appears in the animated film ''Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins. ''In the series Goro confronts his older brother Durak for a jeweled egg in which the winner was to tribute to their father Gorbak. He ends up losing the fight after hanging from a cliff while Durak tries to help him up. Goro betrays his brother and knocks him into the pit.

Comic Books
Goro had a prominent role in Malibu's Mortal Kombat comic book adaptations and was the first character to have his own three-issue miniseries, entitled Goro: Prince of Pain. Goro's story did not differ greatly from his in-game profiles, being the Mortal Kombat champion and having previously bested the Great Kung Lao. He was also portrayed as an unstoppable force, easily dispatching the Earthrealm warriors alone, and only having a hard time against Raiden. He remained undefeated during the first three issues of the Blood & Thunder series, having lost for the first time in the second issue of Prince of Pain against Zaggot's creation, The Kombatant. In the following Battlewave series, he remained on Earth after his defeat, and, to appease for his failure, started hunting down the Earthrealm warriors; he injured Jax in battle but was unable to defeat Liu Kang. In the fourth issue he had a mini-story at the end ("When Titans Klash") where he returned to Outworld to fight for Shao Kahn, settling a rivalry with Kintaro along the way.

Goro also made a short appearance in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe comic book where he is vanished from existence by Dark Kahn's powers.

Original Timeline

 * Defeated and killed the Great Kung Lao winning the title of the Mortal Kombat tournament.
 * Helped Shang Tsung achieve Shao Kahn's goal of domination over Earthrealm.
 * Defeated by Liu Kang in MK1.
 * Fought Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, and Kano after MK1.
 * Kung Lao wanted to fight him during MK4.
 * Allied with Kitana's Edenian army after MK4.
 * Nearly killed by Noob Saibot.
 * Revived by Shao Kahn before Deception.
 * Defeated by Taven in Armageddon's Konquest mode.
 * It is unknown which side he joined, the Forces of Darkness or the Forces of Light, as he did not appear in the opening cutscene of Armageddon.
 * Killed during Armageddon.

Alternative Timeline

 * Defeated and killed the Great Kung Lao winning the title of the Mortal Kombat tournament.
 * Helped Shang Tsung achieve Shao Kahn's goal of domination over Earthrealm.
 * Defeated by Liu Kang.
 * Defeated by Kung Lao when he tried to get his revenge on Liu Kang.
 * Was defeated by Cyber Sub-Zero alongside Kintaro after he restored his human soul.

Trivia
In general: Mortal Kombat: Mortal Kombat Trilogy: Mortal Kombat 4: Mortal Kombat Deception: Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks: Mortal Kombat Armageddon: Mortal Kombat (2011):
 * In the original Mortal Kombat, as well as Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Goro's name was never said after he won a fight. 
 * Goro has the shortest bio card video out of all the characters.
 * Goro's Kuatan fighting style in Deception and Unchained is borrowed by Sheeva in Armageddon.
 * In his profile on the official Mortal Kombat comic and instruction manual for the first game, Goro is stated to be a polygamist, having seven wives. Sheeva has often been theorized to be one of them but this has not been proven.
 * He also has a cameo in Deception's Konquest mode, where he appears in the Netherealm (albeit missing his two lower arms, a treatment that also was given to Kintaro) fighting Johnny Cage on an island amid a sea of lava.
 * Ed Boon said there were actually two Goro models made and one of which they kept changing over and over so it fell apart over time. He also said he had one stashed at his home; it is unknown as of now if he currently has it still. (since Goro's bio card like many other characters was recorded in 2004 the year Mortal Kombat: Deception was released)
 * In the movie, Goro's head and upper arms were animatronic, while the bottom arms and walking movement were provided by an actor.
 * The sub-boss of the game.
 * One of the sub-bosses of the game.
 * The sub-boss and an unlockable character of the game.
 * In Kung Lao's ending, Goro mentions he has a son.
 * If Scorpion executes his Hellish Dismemberment fatality on Goro, he will rip off Goro's lower right arm.
 * He is one of the characters that appear in the cells, although he is playable in the Gamecube version and Unchained but in these versions he still appears in the cells.
 * One of the bosses of the game.
 * The player could easily defeat him by staying far away from him and to continuously use a projectile as Goro will only pound the floor when at a distance.
 * When you defeat Goro, your character doesn't actually finish him off; Johnny Cage comes in and kills Goro for the player.
 * When you play on Goro's Lair for multiplayer battles, he will be involved in the match, only attacking the player closest to him.
 * You have to fight Goro alongside Kintaro in the 8th level of the Endurance Mode.
 * One of the sub-bosses of the game.
 * He is playable in the 150th mission of the Challenge Tower called "Gor-owned".