| “ | With such middling ability, how could you hope to survive here?! | „ |
| ~ Gato |
Gato is a character from Garou: Mark of the Wolves, who makes an appearance in The King of Fighters series. He is visually based on Retsu Kaioh from the Baki the Grappler manga series.
History[]
Fatal Fury[]
Garou: Mark of the Wolves[]
Gato is a martial artist who trained with his father constantly in his youth. However, when his father mysteriously killed his mother, he decided to abandon everything from his former life in order to get revenge. Seeking to master the "ultimate technique" in martial arts and to become unrelentingly strong upon the destined time of his vengeance, Gato has abandoned just about everything for the sake of power since that day. With the revival of the world famous King of Fighters tournament as the Maximum Mayhem in Second South Town, Gato enters the event to further prove his training.
In his Mark of the Wolves ending, a stranger (believed to be his father) saves Kain R. Heinlein from the crumbling mansion. Gato is blinded by the stranger before he can act, and can do nothing while the stranger mocks him. He loses his sight after the attack, and survives the mansion's collapse blind, vowing to act the next time they meet. He eventually regains his eyesight.
Gato also appears in Hotaru's ending. In her ending, she finds Gato and claims that he's her older brother, to which he harshly denies even knowing her, which caused her to slap him. He then leaves her there, and Hotaru silently prays for her older brother to come back to her.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves[]
Gato has (for the most part) recovered his sense of sight since the vicious attack; however, after realizing that very sense is what makes his movements sluggish, he now willingly fights in complete darkness. Hearing news of the upcoming KOF tournament, the vengeful Gato once again enters the fray—indeed, with nothing but his father in his sights.
The King of Fighters[]
Tales of Ash[]
The King of Fighters 2003[]
Geese Howard summoned and coerced Gato to form a team with his other agents for the tournament, Billy Kane and Ryuji Yamazaki. Gato does so to prevent Hotaru from being harmed. He loathes his teammates and immediately ditches them in their ending.
The King of Fighters XI[]
He enters the KOF XI tournament because B. Jenet said that she had information regarding the whereabouts of his father. During the "Mark of the Wolves Team" ending, Gato swiftly leaves B. Jenet, the Lillian Knights and Tizoc at the Pao Pao Cafe, to avoid being seen by his sister, who was looking for him.
Shun'ei Saga[]
The King of Fighters XV[]
Growing impatient and seeking to hunt his father down, he reluctantly agrees to an offer with B. Jenet to join their team in exchange of information about his father, sternly warning the pirate to uphold her end of the deal. Eventually all goes well and Gato got the information he wanted, and promptly leaves.
Hotaru tries to call out her brother, but he roughly brushes her off, warning her to stay away for her own safety, telling that the town she's in will be dangerous for her; this implies that Gato has already read some information from the USB device that Jenet offered to him and has already some idea on the whereabouts of his father, whom he seeks to defeat.
Personality[]
Gato is a cold, stoic fighter driven by an intense sense of purpose and an unshakable disdain for weakness. Scarred by a traumatic past, he rarely speaks and often communicates through curt grunts and silent stares. His presence is commanding, his demeanor unwaveringly serious, and his respect is not easily earned. Gato is fiercely independent, keeping others at arm’s length and avoiding unnecessary entanglements, especially when it comes to the dangers of his world.
Despite his ruthless nature, there’s a strict personal code buried beneath his brash exterior. He despises those who are cruel or dishonorable, even more than he appears to dislike humanity in general. While he rarely shows affection, his behavior shifts around Hotaru Futaba—suggesting a deeper bond and a protective instinct he keeps hidden behind a wall of detachment. Gato’s icy facade serves not only as armor for himself but as a barrier to shield others from the darkness that surrounds him, and before the events of City of The Wolves, he kept his sister out of his affairs, until finally learning what truly happened with their mother.
Ultimately, Gato is a man shaped by pain but not ruled by it. He walks a solitary path, not out of pride, but out of a grim resolve to keep others from being caught in the storm that follows him. Only his sister may invade his path at a given time.
Abilities[]
- Sense - Gato can sense the presence of people nearby.
- Energy Explosion - Gato can create small explosions of energy.
- Energy Attacks - Gato can infuse his feet with energy.
- Acrobatics - Gato is very proficient in acrobatics.
- Swimming - Probably due to his training, Gato can swim and even hold his breath underwater for an extended period of time.
Fighting style[]
Gato uses his Climax Super Special Move on Iori.
Gato uses an external Chinese martial art which heavily involves powerful, explosive strikes. He also mixes in Bajiquan, Xinyiliuhequan and others. His fighting style often makes use of palm-based attacks such as his standing C, Shinga (Quake Fang), Kouga (Pit Fang), Shunga (Blink Fang; KOF only), Zero Kiba (Zero Fang) and Tenryuu Retsuga (Heaven Dragon Violent Fang). He also has a variation of the Senshippo used by both Tung Fu Rue and Sie Kensou, known as the Totsuga (Thrust Fang).
A majority of his attacks have a "fang"-naming motif, and focus on dealing heavy damage in short bursts towards his opposition as mercilessly as possible.
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
