View source for Gorou/Lore

{{CharacterTabs}}
{{Quote
| quote = The great general of Watatsumi Island's forces. He has gained respect and prestige, but always shows himself to be a humble leader.<br>He is deeply trusted by his subordinates and is someone with whom you can share your feelings without shame.
| speaker = Description from the Official Website<ref>Official ''Genshin Impact'' Website: [https://genshin.hoyoverse.com/en/character/inazuma?char=9 Gorou]</ref>
}}

==Personality==
{{Quote
| quote = The great general of Watatsumi Island's forces. He is deeply trusted by his subordinates.
| source = In-game character attributes and profile page text
}}
Gorou, like all of [[Watatsumi Island]]'s inhabitants, is a loyal supporter of [[Sangonomiya Kokomi]]. Kokomi trusts him to lead the [[Watatsumi Army]] as its primary general, being sincere, determined and courageous. He has a strong sense of camaraderie and gets along well with all of the soldiers under his command, who in turn share the same sentiment and speak to him if any issues arise, including new recruits.<ref>{{Ref/VO|Sangonomiya Kokomi|About Gorou}}</ref> [[Kaedehara Kazuha|Kazuha]] describes Gorou as a person who says what is on his mind, uninhibited by others' feelings.<ref>{{Ref/VO|Kaedehara Kazuha|About Gorou}}</ref>

In the heat of battle, Kokomi remarks that Gorou tends to have a habit of letting the adrenaline rush to his head, often requiring someone to keep him in check when he heads to the battlefield. While he considers himself to be mostly inexperienced due to his age, he tries his best to help out with any problems that may arise. He is comfortable speaking with others apart from [[Yae Miko]], as the kitsune enjoys messing with him that he instinctively hides from her if given the chance.

Gorou has dog blood in his veins and shares several of their traits, including the ability to mostly understand what they are saying from a single bark. His ears also twitch accordingly depending on what emotion is evoked. If he is particularly happy, his tail begins wagging, something that he considers embarrassing, yet is unable to control and is sometimes oblivious to. He also wishes to be taller and more muscular so that his soldiers can identify him easily on the battlefield.

He is fond of sweets due to their rarity in military life, but avoids onions as they make his eyes tear up. This once lead to him crying in front of his men, greatly embarrassing him. He is also fond of mountaineering as it builds strength and camaraderie, expressing a desire to scale Liyue's mountains if he gets the chance to travel there.

==Appearance==
{{See also|Panoply of a Hundred Hunts}}
<!-- Keep appearance section short and concise. Limit to 3-4 sentences. Outfits should be described on the outfit pages. -->
Gorou uses the [[:Category:Medium Male Characters|medium male]] model. He has fair skin, light orange-brown hair with a white section, and teal blue eyes. He has erect pointy ears that are white inside and a bushy tail with a white underside.

==Official Introduction==
{{Official Introduction
|character = Gorou
|title = A trusted general who will guide his loyal men into any battle
|link = https://www.hoyolab.com/article/1192171}}
{{Quote|Kindness and loyalty are the representation of virtue. Without a doubt, my friend Gorou is a virtuous general.|[[Kaedehara Kazuha]]}}
A loyal and brave general of Watatsumi island. Born with a beast-like fighting intuition and tenacious will, he can find a way to victory even in the most critical moments.

He leads the Watatsumi troops, who have far fewer military resources compared to the [[Shogunate]]. Gorou strives to ensure that the inhabitants of this island will live in safety and peace.

Outsiders may not be able to imagine that Gorou, someone who faced thousands of enemies on the battlefield, is actually very affable and gets along with all his subordinates.

In Gorou's eyes, the people around him are not only his brave soldiers, they are also his beloved companions. They are like treasure to be cared for and protected. The land that sustains us, the comrades who support us, the faith that encourages us to move forward... These are the most precious things for Gorou, to whom he devotes his loyalty and courage.

Within Gorou exists a soul as vast and reliable as the earth.

==Character Stories==
{{Character Story
|title1        = Character Details
|text1         = <p>Gorou is the great general of [[Watatsumi Island]]'s military, and he is deeply loved by his subordinates.</p><p>During the period of the [[Vision Hunt Decree]], Gorou led the forces of Watatsumi against the [[Inazuma Shogunate|Shogun's Army]], and successfully held the line against them.</p><p>The troops call him the "ever-victorious pointy-eared general," a nickname that has also seen broad use among Shogunate warriors.</p><p>In private, however, Gorou puts on no airs and is a straightforward person, which has led him to be regarded by all as the man with the plan.</p><p>But even such an exemplary general must have his fair share of troubles...</p>
|mention1      = 

|title2        = Character Story 1
|friendship2   = 2
|text2         = <p>Gorou was once an ordinary Watatsumi soldier.</p><p>During a certain special operation, Gorou's unit, Gorgasia II, faced an unprecedented crisis.</p><p>Their captain had been felled by a stray arrow, and the survivors were surrounded deep in the mountains.</p><p>To continue their mission, to ask for reinforcements, to open negotiations with the enemy... Countless choices lay before them, but the mountain was silent.</p><p>Leaderless and without any supplies, the unit was on its last legs. With their morale flagging, thoughts of surrender shrouded many minds.</p><p>At this critical moment, Gorou stood up. He rejected negotiation and surrender, and instead proposed a bold plan.</p><p>They would not hide any longer. Instead, he would lead the larger part of the platoon in a feigned attack to buy the others a chance to call for reinforcements. Once those reinforcements arrived, they could perform a pincer attack together.</p><p>When asked what they should do if they failed, Gorou replied:</p><p>"If the enemy surrounds us any further, our options will be even more limited. The way I see it, we still have a chance, so we've got to give it all we've got."</p><p>"I'll take responsibility if the plan fails."</p><p>After holding the line for several days without rest, the exhausted Gorou and his companions were finally relieved by a force led by [[Sangonomiya Kokomi]] herself.</p><p>After that, he was promoted to serve as the captain of Gorgasia II, and from there he would work his way up to the rank of General.</p>
|mention2      = Sangonomiya Kokomi

|title3        = Character Story 2
|friendship3   = 3
|text3         = <p>In the eyes of the men, Gorou is a strict but humble general.</p><p>He is straightforward and easy-going, and he treats his subordinates like his own family, sharing weal and woe with them.</p><p>Sangonomiya Kokomi once told Gorou that material, supplies, and salaries were the three most important things to an army.</p><p>From that day on, he would personally explain weapon maintenance to his subordinates. Every time the granaries were opened, he would supervise the process strictly to prevent any unlawful deductions.</p><p>And as General Gorou, he will always lead from the front.</p><p>The sight of him charging at the tip of the spear is like a rallying banner, encouraging the troops behind him to continue advancing.</p><p>These are all reasons why the troops greatly respect him. As with Kokomi, Gorou greatly treasures the lives of his troops, but by contrast, values his own quite little.</p><p>Some who understand little of the thought process behind this occasionally joke that Gorou is a "kid" who doesn't seem like a general at all.</p><p>But to the soldiers of Watatsumi Island, this kid is the best general they could ask for.</p>
|mention3      = Sangonomiya Kokomi

|title4        = Character Story 3
|friendship4   = 4
|text4         = <p>Gorou is valiant and decisive, often leading inferior forces to victory over superior opposition.</p><p>However, he does have a shortcoming of his own &mdash; a sometimes unstable temper.</p><p>That is to say that the blood sometimes rushes to his head at the height of a battle.</p><p>War is cruel, and Gorou does indeed lack experience compared to veterans who have been scrapping it out on battlefields for decades.</p><p>Fortunately, he learns fast and is currently trying to make up for his various small failings.</p><p>Sangonomiya Kokomi often provides her various commanders with directives, but how they are used is up to the skill of the commander in question.</p><p>For his part, Gorou is always able to execute the courses of action that best suit the present situation from the directives he has been given.</p><p>Gorou believes that over time, he will come to internalize the concepts behind them. Perhaps then, he can take the field with even more confidence than before.</p>
|mention4      = Sangonomiya Kokomi

|title5        = Character Story 4
|friendship5   = 5
|text5         = <p>At [[Yae Miko]]'s request, Gorou has taken up a certain extra "job" at [[Yae Publishing House]].</p><p>With the end of the Vision Hunt Decree, and the successful negotiations between Watatsumi Island and the Shogunate, relations between the two sides are beginning to warm.</p><p>Gorou has also visited [[Narukami Island]] quite a few times to check out the changes, buy a few popular books, and go to Yae Publishing House to complete the task he agreed to help with.</p><p>Yae Miko set up an anonymous column for Gorou in the "That's Life" magazine. Here, readers will write about the things that trouble them and send them to Yae Publishing House, upon which Gorou will give them some suggestions.</p><p>Yae Publishing House will take special care to redact any personal information revealed on the part of the write-ins or Gorou's replies, and will replace real names with pseudonyms.</p><p>According to Yae Miko, she chose him because she'd heard that he often listened to his subordinates when they chatted about personal matters.</p><p>The column proved to be very popular indeed, but for whatever reason, every time an editor delivers the royalties to Gorou, they might sheepishly ask:</p><p>"Ah, speaking of which, Gorou, have you heard of Ms. Hina?"</p><p>"I've heard that she's a rather popular columnist, and a recent one, too. Is something the matter?"</p><p>"Oh, no, no... It's nothing..."</p>
|mention5      = Ms. Hina,Yae Miko

|title6        = Character Story 5
|friendship6   = 6
|text6         = <p>Just as the troops don't exactly tell Gorou everything happening in their lives, Gorou, too, has some troubles that are difficult to share.</p><p>For example, how his tail fur starts to get dull and look haggard after being exposed to the elements for too long, and how he'd love to tend to it &mdash; if he could only spare the time out in the field.</p><p>Or how he sometimes feels a bit inferior about his slight physique when bathing together with his subordinates.</p><p>Or about how encountering inscrutable women like Yae Miko sends him into defense mode instantly, rendering him unable to properly interact with them...</p><p>In trying to maintain a respectable image, Gorou refrains from telling his soldiers about such troubles.</p><p>And while they have been able to guess at his troubles to some extent, the Watatsumi soldiers often just play along and pretend that they don't notice.</p><p>As such, his worries just kept piling up, until the Traveler arrived, thus granting the Watatsumi general, ever good at banishing the worries of others, someone who could help relieve him of his own woes.</p>
|mention6      = Yae Miko

|title7        = Mountaineering Gear
|friendship7   = 4
|text7         = <p>Of Gorou's various hobbies, "mountaineering" is likely up there in the top three.</p><p>Sweating it out while climbing a mountain with companions before admiring the beauty all around you helps to train both the mind and body and is a great camaraderie-builder.</p><p>To better enjoy this hobby of his, Gorou bought a set of mountaineering gear from a traveling merchant.</p><p>The set is not particularly pricey, but it is both sturdy and durable and has seen Gorou through many dangerous ascents.</p><p>Just as he maintains his weapons well, Gorou has also kept this set of gear in tip-top shape. There is little doubt that it will accompany him through many future journeys as well.</p>
|mention7      = 

|title8        = Vision
|friendship8   = 6
|text8         = <p>There was a time when Gorou ascribed responsibility for victory or loss in battle entirely to himself.</p><p>"If only I became a little stronger, perhaps I'd be able to turn the tide."</p><p>It was in this spirit that Gorou trained his archery day and night, hoping to rely on his strength to lead his comrades to victory.</p><p>But after some time on the battlefield, Gorou saw powerful warriors being isolated and captured alive, while weak troops in inferior positions could rout their enemies through unity.</p><p>That was when Gorou realized that a single person's battlefield capabilities are limited.</p><p>Getting stronger is important, naturally, but uniting the troops to fight as one is even more crucial.</p><p>A troop can only be unbeatable if they are strong together.</p><p>Having realized this, Gorou no longer pursued the apex of excellence in archery, but instead invested time and effort in those around him, helping everyone improve together.</p><p>Thinking back on it, this may have opened the door for Gorou to obtain his Vision.</p>
|mention8      = 
}}

==Namecard==
{{Namecard|Gorou: Leisurely Hound}}

==Constellation==
{{Constellation Lore|Canis Bellatoris}}

==Quests and Events==
{{Quests and Events}}

==Character Trials==
{{Trials by Character}}

==Character Mentions==
{{Character Mentions|alias=Ms. Hina,"an enemy general"}}

==Mail==
{{Mails by Category List|noheader=1}}

==Trivia==
*Gorou's English voice actor, Cory Yee, also voices [[Draff]], [[Huffman]], [[Six-Fingered José]], [[??? (NPC)|???]], [[Farrah]], and the [[Abyss Lectors]].
*After Gorou was employed for Yae Publishing House's "That's Life" column, Miko developed the pen name "Ms. Hina" for Gorou without telling him to boost the column's sales. Ms. Hina's appearance depicted on a [[Mysterious Flyer|pamphlet]] and [[Secret Identity#Gallery|standee]] strongly resembles a female version of Gorou, with the Ms. Hina Fan Club mistaking Gorou as her blood relative. Gorou is aware of Ms. Hina's existence, but wasn't told that "Ms. Hina" is his pen name, nor does he realize that the visual design is based on him.<ref>{{Ref/Quest|Secret Identity}}</ref><ref>{{Ref/Quest|...It's the Iridescent Arataki Rockin' for Life Tour de Force of Awesomeness!}}</ref>
**Ms. Hina has gained some popularity in the [[Fortress of Meropide]].<ref>{{Ref/Item|Idol Poster}}</ref>
* Gorou wets his tail when he needs to move silently through the forest so the fur won't likely get snagged on branches or twigs.<ref name="AlchemicalAscension">Event [[Alchemical Ascension]], Potion Requests: [[Alchemical Ascension/Story#Gorou|Gorou]]</ref>
*Gorou is known by these aliases or titles:
**Top Dog Gorou ("Big/Elder Brother Gorou" in Chinese, Japanese and Korean)
**Ms. Hina
*Gorou's aversion to onion is a reference to how dogs are unable to consume onions as it is poisonous to them.
**His dislike towards Jueyun Chili-related dishes (as revealed from [[Spices From the West/2022-05-14|Spices From the West]]) are another reference to how chilis are poisonous to dogs.
*Gorou's ears, tail, and hair color are reminiscent of the Shiba Inu, a breed of hunting dog from Japan.
*Gorou is seen wielding the ascended version of the [[Raven Bow]] in his portrait art.
*{{Furnishing Mentions|Gorou}}

===Etymology===
*{{Lang|Gorou|ja=五郎}} is a Japanese name traditionally given to fifth-born sons.
**[[Kujou Sara]] has remarked on how she has heard that he is a fifth-born son.<ref>{{Ref/VO|Kujou Sara|About Gorou}}</ref>
**His name may also be a reference to the samurai {{Lang|{{w|Shiba Gorō|Shiba Gorou}}|ja=柴五郎}}, as Gorou is designed after a {{w|shiba inu}}.
*The second part of {{Lang|his name in Chinese|zh=郎|zh_rm=láng}} is pronounced identically to the word for {{Lang|wolf|zh=狼|zh_rm=láng}}.
**Coincidentally, the Japanese reading of {{Lang|the first part of Gorou's name|ja=五|ja_rm=go}} sounds similar to the Chinese word for {{Lang|dog|zh=狗|zh_rm=gǒu}}.
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==Notes==
{{Reflist|note=1}}
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==Other Languages==
===Character Title: Canine Warrior===
{{Other Languages
|en      = Canine Warrior
|zhs     = 戎犬锵锵
|zhs_rm  = Róngquǎn Qiāngqiāng
|zht     = 戎犬鏘鏘
|zht_rm  = Róngquǎn Qiāngqiāng
|zh_tl   = 
|ja      = 雄々しき戎犬
|ja_rm   = Ooshiki Juuken{{Assumed}}
|ja_tl   = Heroic Dog Warrior
|ko      = {{tt|견족|犬族}}의 {{tt|전사|戰士}}
|ko_rm   = Gyeonjok-ui Jeonsa
|ko_tl   = Warrior of Dog Tribe
|es      = El General Canino
|es_tl   = The Canine General
|fr      = Guerrier canin
|fr_tl   = Canine Warrior
|ru      = Пёс войны
|ru_tl   = War Dog
|th      = นักรบคู่หูผู้ซื่อสัตย์
|th_rm   = Nak-rop Khu-hu Phu Sue-sat
|th_tl   = Honest Partner Warrior
|vi      = Chiến Khuyển Nanh Nhọn
|vi_tl   = War Dog With Sharp Canines
|de      = Hundekrieger
|de_tl   = Canine Warrior
|id      = Canine Warrior
|pt      = Guerreiro Canino
|pt_tl   = Canine Warrior
|tr      = Köpek Savaşçı
|tr_tl   = 
|it      = Guerriero canino
|it_tl   = Canine Warrior
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Navigation==
{{Character Navbox|Lore}}

[[fr:Gorou/Histoire]]
[[it:Gorou/Storia]]
[[ja:ゴロー/ストーリー]]
[[pl:Gorou/Fabuła]]
[[pt-br:Gorou/Perfil]]
[[ru:Горо/Лор]]
[[th:Gorou/เนื้อเรื่อง]]
[[tr:Gorou/Hikaye]]
[[vi:Gorou/Cốt Truyện]]