Mortal Kombat’s Goro Originally Had A Different Name

One of the most iconic characters in the Mortal Kombat canon is Goro, and understandably so – he’s the least human-looking of the original fighters, a giant four-armed brawler that was also one of the hardest to beat. Literally and figuratively, in fact – though he seems to die multiple times in the games (outside of fights, that is), his popularity always brings him back. Something people may not know is that Mortal Kombat’s Goro was originally conceived very differently, including not one but two alternate names.

For those not familiar, Goro’s official backstory begins with him as a long-reigning champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament, aiding Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn in attempts to conquer Earthrealm. Surrounding fiction identifies him as a member of Outworld’s Shokan race, and the inspiration for his final look – in the first game, done with clay and stop-motion – were Ray Harryhausen movies like Clash of the Titans. The character stood out strongly versus the live-action fighters he was paired with.

The origins of Goro may be related to a character sketched by Mortal Kombat co-creator John Tobias, shared on Twitter. Specifically he drew a similar but two-armed figure named Rokuro, belonging to a race of demon-warriors known as the Rokuro-kubi. In this arrangement he would’ve fought to restore respect for his people, who were falsely slandered as “savage barbarians.” Tobias and fellow creator Ed Boon thought he might fit the role of a “big brooding character” the game could use.

How Did The Mortal Kombat Team Get To The Name Goro?

Even once the team decided to go in another direction, Goro’s initial name was “Gongoro,” simply shortened. Sculptor Curt Chiarelli, according to an interview for Mortal Kombat 2’s anniversary with John Tobias, later changed the character’s anatomy from the initial sketch art, giving him just two fingers instead of three to be consistent with his feet, and shrinking his biceps to make animation easier. Goro’s arms would, after all, have to be hand-animated in excruciating detail. Stop-motion creators can take a full day to produce a short shot.

Not one but two sculptures were produced. Sadly, the one used for stop-motion disintegrated from excessive wear, but a second is intact and owned by Boon. The job of animating Goro has become somewhat easier over the decades – the game series transitioned to 3D beginning with Mortal Kombat 4, and modern studios have access to tools like motion capture and physics simulation. The character is technically dead in Mortal Kombat 11, but of course resurrection seems to be a hobby of his, so he and his name will likely return.

Sources: John Tobias/Twitter, Dude, Nobody Cares./YouTube

About The Author

Roger Fingas
(307 Articles Published)

Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Roger now lives with his family in Austin, Texas. He has years of experience in tech writing, and his gaming specialties include FPS and VR games on the PC.

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