Everything you need to know about Gorou in Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact's Gorou scares me a little. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against dogs or people who dress up as them. What scares me is the potential of Gorou's abilities. In terms of innate synergy between characters, Geo is one of the strongest elements in Genshin Impact, partly due to the ability to create constructs that both serve a purpose, and resonate with each other, but also repeatedly spam shields through Crystalize reactions. Between his toolkit and backstory, Gorou could be a real game-changer. Here’s why.

Now, the general of the Sangonomiya Resistance, Gorou, is set to make Geo even stronger. His banner abilities boost stats based on the number of Geo characters in your party, increasing defense, damage, and even drawing elemental shards towards you, to automatically refresh your shields. If you unlock his fourth constellation he can even become an AoE healer, which feels like it'll put him close to Bennett as a top-tier support character.

However, it's still a while before you can lay your hands on the incredible inu, since he doesn't launch until after Eula and Albedo's reruns, in the second half of Genshin Impact 2.3. But this might be the perfect opportunity to grab Gorou or Arataki Itto's materials in-advance, if you're planning to wish for them. For more info about Genshin Impact Gorou, his backstory, and his abilities, read on.

When is the Genshin Impact Gorou Banner release date?

The Genshin Impact Gorou Banner release date is December 14, after Eula and Albedo's reruns have concluded. He'll be part of the Oni's Royale banner alongside five-star character Arataki Itto, though we don't currently know who the other two four-stars on the banner are. We can say that they won't be Bennett, Noelle, or Rosaria, though, since they are set to feature on the rerun banners already.

Who is Gorou in Genshin Impact?

Gorou first appeared back in version 2.1, leading the Sangonomiya Resistance in the battle against Kujou Sara and the Shogunate Vision Hunt Decree. Since then he's popped up all over the place, and has been featured frequently as a quest character. But what exactly is Gorou?

At first, people thought he was a cat boy, but now people have settled on a dog due to a number of references around his character and name. But the likeliest answer is that Gorou is a kind of Yokai — a group similar to Liyue's supernatural Adepti. In the same way that Sara is a Tengu, and Arataki Itto is an Oni, it would appear that Gorou is an as-of-yet unmentioned dog-spirit.

There is also a possibility he could be part-Kitsune, since there are already plenty of characters who have fox-forms, including the shrine maiden, Yae Miko, and the Raiden Shogun's late friend, Kitsune Saiguu. However, what's more likely is that miHoYo just wanted to include a furry character. Gorou is known for his kindness and loyalty, but also his ability to fight like an animal when the need arises.

Is there a Gorou trailer?

There isn’t a trailer specifically dedicated to Gorou, but he does feature pretty prominently at the start of the “Shadows Amidst Snowstorms” trailer for Version 2.3 that was released on November 12. Check it out here:

What are Gorou's abilities?

In line with his personality, Gorou is a straightforward Geo support character who offers banner-based buffs depending on the number of Geo party members you have.

Normal Attack: Ripping Fang Fletching

Gorou has the usual set of bow-user attacks:

• Normal attack: Four consecutive shots with a bow
• Charged attack: A charged arrow that deals Geo damage
• Plunging attack: Plunge to the ground dealing AoE damage

Elemental Skill: Inuzaka All-Round Defense

In this skill, Gorou plants a banner that deals AoE Geo damage. It then provides a series of buffs to the active character in an AoE based on how many Geo party members you have:

• One Geo character: Defense bonus
• Two Geo characters: Resistance to interruption
• Three Geo characters: Geo damage bonus

Elemental Burst: Juuga, Forward Unto Victory

Gorou creates a field known as General's Glory, dealing AoE Geo damage. This field moves with the active character and has the following effects:

• Provides the same AoE-based benefits as Inuzaka All-Round Defense
• Generates a Crystal Collapse every 1.5 seconds that deals Geo damage to an enemy in the AoE.
• Attracts an elemental shard caused by Crystallize reactions every 1.5 seconds

Sadly, the Inuzaka All-Round Defense banner and the General's Glory banner can't exist at the same time, and won't stack. When you activate General's Glory, the previous skill banner will be destroyed.

Passive Skills

Gorou's passive skills reflect his knowledge of Inazuma, and his desire to protect and support his comrades:

• Seeker of Shinies: Displays the location of Inazuma-specific resources on the mini-map
• Heedless of the Wind and Weather: After using Juuga, Forward Unto Victory, nearby party members get 25 percent increased defense for 12 seconds.
• A Favor Repaid: The damage dealt by All-Round Defense is increased by 156 percent of Gorou's defense stat, and Juuga, Forward Unto Victory is also boosted by 15.6 percent.

Constellations

As usual, you can get these by rolling extra copies of Gorou, and as he's a four-star, that's actually somewhat feasible:

• Rushing Hound, Swift as the Wind: When a character other than Gorou deals Geo damage in the AoE of one of his banners, the cooldown of Inuzaka All-Round Defense is reduced by two seconds. This can occur every ten seconds.
• Sitting Hound, Steady as a Clock: The duration of General's Glory is increased by one second whenever a character picks up an elemental shard.
• Mauling Hound, Fierce as Fire: Increases the level of Inuzaka All-Round Defense by three. The maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Lapping Hound, Warm as Water: When you have two or three Geo party members and General's Glory is active, it will also heal the active character by 50 percent of Gorou's defense.
• Striking Hound, Thunderous Force: Increases the level of Juuga, Forward Unto Victory by three. The maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Valiant Hound, Mountainous Fealty: After activating a banner, Crit damage is increased for 12 seconds, based on the number of Geo party members you have. (One party member: 10 percent, Two party members: 20 percent, Three party members: 30 percent)