Goro

''Shao Kahn 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 his offer.''

-- Mortal Kombat: Deception Bio

Goro is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He was one of the few 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. He first became playable in Mortal Kombat Trilogy.

About Goro
"A 2,000 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."

'' From the arcade load screen for Kombat. ''

Mortal Kombat
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 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 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 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 unleased an ancient Shokan roar and from beyond the pyramid came an army of Shokan warriors that killed the four attackers. The Shokan then ruled Outworld.

Other Information
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.

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 throw fireballs either from his mouth or 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 his shokan hands. Like the Spinning Slaps, he could spin and slap his opponent while his hands are on fire.

Goro is one of the strongest characters in the Mortal Kombat Universe.

Special Moves
Fireball: He 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.

Leaping Stomp: He jumps off the screen and lands on the opponent much like Kintaro and Sheeva. However, in the original Mortal Kombat, he does not jump all the way off the screen; he only jumps the height of a normal jump.

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.

Spinning Slaps: He holds out his arms and spins around, smacking his opponent multiple times with his outstretched flaming fists.

NOTE: It was also stated, presumptively falsely, that Goro had a Fatality in the first Mortal Kombat game - it was quoted in the Genesis instruction manual that he could "eat you alive".

Movie appearance
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. 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, resorted to his patented split-punch! Having been taken by surprise, the enraged Goro chased after Cage. But this too was part of Johnny Cage's plan. Goro had been lured by Cage to the narrow ledge of a steep, nearby cliff. With limited room to maneuver, Cage was able to fend off Goro's assault before sending him careening to his death.