Goro is a member of the four-armed Shokan race and appeared as a boss character in various Mortal Kombat games. He is the prince of the subterranean kingdom of Kuatan and was once Outworld's reigning champion in the Mortal Kombat tournament. He is feared by all for his brute strength and sheer ruthlessness.
History[]
Original timeline[]
After Shang Tsung first failed to secure Outworld's victory against Earthrealm in Mortal Kombat, he recruited the Shokan prince Goro to represent Outworld for the following tournament. This was a wise investment as the warriors of Earthrealm were unprepared to face foes of such an inhuman nature as the Shokan. Goro entered the tournament and gained the title of Grand Champion after killing the former champion of Earthrealm, the Great Kung Lao. This was the beginning of another winning streak for Outworld who were required to win ten tournaments in a row in order to gain the right to invade Earthrealm.
Goro's winning streak would be brought to an end, however, when he faced the Shaolin monk Liu Kang in the tenth tournament. After this defeat, Goro disappeared for some time and was believed to be dead. He would reappear following Shao Kahn's failed invasion, seeking vengeance against those responsible for his defeat, but would be called home to Kuatan to direct the Shokan armies in their war against the Centaurians. The war would be brought to a peaceful conclusion thanks to Princess Kitana of Edenia who helped the Shokan and the Centaurians negotiate a truce.
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.
During the Battle of Armageddon, Goro fell in battle at the base of the Pyramid of Argus. It is unknown who had slain him.
Alternate timeline[]
In the alternate timeline established in Mortal Kombat (2011), Goro is still defeated during the tournament by Liu Kang. He was not killed, but retreated to Outworld along with Shang Tsung and the other surviving Outworld kombatants. Goro was absent from the Outworld Tournament, but participated in the Outworld Invasion of Earthrealm, fighting alongside fellow Shokan warrior Kintaro as they captured several human soldiers.
After Shao Kahn's destruction, Outworld fell into a period of civil war in which the Shokan refused to participate, opting to offer their allegiance to whichever side won. After years of bloodshed and turmoil, Kotal Kahn was crowned the new emperor. Goro swore his allegiance to Kotal and is later commanded to hunt down Mileena, Shao Kahn's heir. Goro succeeded in finding Mileena and her allies, but instead of capturing or killing her, he betrayed Kotal and offered his service to her. Together, they planned to lure out the emperor and trap him. They leaked the whereabouts of Mileena's fortress to Kotal who rallied a force to attack. When they arrived, they found Goro waiting for them. Goro then challenged Kotal Kahn's chief advisor and father, Kotal K'etz, to battle. Goro managed to overpower K'etz and took his maul - the Wrath Hammer once wielded by Shao Kahn - and used it to deliver the fatal blow.
Kotal Kahn later arrives himself. Enraged by what Goro has done to his father, he lashes out in a berserk fury. This was Goro's intention all along, to anger Kotal so that he would fight stupidly, without strategy, making him easy to kill. However, Kotal shed his own blood in order to unlock his blood magic, increasing his power and allowing him to defeat Goro by severing all of the Shokan prince's arms. Literally disarmed, Goro demanded death, but Kotal spared his life knowing that showing a defeated Shokan mercy would be the greatest humiliation for him.
Goro returned to Kuatan and knelt before his father King Gorbak, begging that he be allowed to die rather than live in disgrace. Gorbak instead shed a tear for his son and vowed to take revenge on Kotal Kahn, amassing an army and laying siege to the emperor's palace. This attack failed, however, and Gorbak was slain. With his father gone, Goro should have been able to rise to the Shokan throne, but his injuries disqualified any claim he once had. The fallen prince thus went into exile, but vowed to one day return and wreak terrible vengeance.
New Era[]
In the new timeline established by Liu Kang, Goro serves Outworld's military as a common soldier. Following the events of Mortal Kombat 1's main story, it is believed that Goro has sided with General Shao and his insurrectionists against Mileena's rule.
Abilities[]
- Strength - Goro possesses physical strength superior to that of any human.
- Pyrokinesis - Goro has demonstrated a number of flame-based techniques, such as a burning spin attack and searing dragon breath.
- Ground Tremor - Goro can cause the ground to tremble by stomping.
- Teleport Stomp - A technique that all Shokan seem to share that allow them to jump high into the air and come crashing down right on top of an enemy.
Appearances in other media[]
Mortal Kombat (1995)[]
As in the original game, the live-action film version of Goro is depicted as the reigning champion of Mortal Kombat. In 500 years, no one has ever fought him and survived. When it is finally his turn to fight in the tenth tournament, he makes short work of most of the Earthrealm contenders.
After watching martial artist Art Lean fall to Goro, Johnny Cage decides to make a deal with Shang Tsung. In exchange for being moved up the roster to fight Goro, Shang Tsung will challenge one of the remaining fighters in a location of his choosing for the final battle. When Johnny faces Goro, he punches the Shokan prince in the groin and then runs off. Goro pursues Johnny to a cliff edge, but the actor surprises him and catches him off-balance, knocking him over the cliff to his doom.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge[]
In this animated film, Goro is once again represented as Outworld's champion in Mortal Kombat. Prior to the beginning of the tournament, Shang Tsung decides to offer a demonstration of what is to come to the Earthrealm contenders by presenting Goro and having him rip off Jax Briggs' arms.
Late into the tournament, Liu Kang fights against Goro, but is almost killed. He is only saved by the timely intervention of Scorpion, who brutally slays Goro in an effort to reach Quan Chi and Shang Tsung.
Mortal Kombat (2021)[]
In the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, Goro plays a somewhat reduced role in comparison to his previous film incarnations. While he still fights for Shang Tsung, his status as Outworld's reigning champion is not touched upon, nor does he demonstrate his monstrous strength to the Earthrealm heroes before his big battle.
When Shang Tsung decides to kill off Earthrealm's chosen warriors before the final tournament in order to prevent a prophecy, he sends Prince Goro to kill the family of the film's protagonist, Cole Young. This tactic ultimately proves to be the undoing of the sorcerer's plans as Goro's attack results in Cole unlocking his arcana, the mystical ability granted to him as a Mortal Kombat contender. In spite of the odds, Cole is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his wife and daughter, fighting back with everything he has. His determination to protect his family awakens his arcana, which manifests as magical golden armour that covers his upper body. Goro's blows only seem to empower the armour and Cole strikes back with a pair of bladed tonfa that appear on his arms. Cole severs one of Goro's hands before slicing through his midriff and finally stabbing him through the eye, killing him in gory fashion.