Gorou, the canine warrior and general of the Watatsumi Army

Rarity	(4-Star)
Element	Geo
Weapon	Bow
Best Role	Geo DEF/DMG Buffer
Stat Priority	ER > CRIT Rate (Favonius) > DEF
Tier	S (In Mono Geo) / D (Elsewhere)

Gorou is the great general of Watatsumi Island and the cornerstone of Mono Geo teams. While he offers little to other elements, for characters scaling on DEF (Itto, Noelle, Albedo, Chiori), he provides unrivaled buffs to Defense, Geo DMG Bonus, and Crit Damage (at C6).

Pros

Massive flat DEF buff (essential for Itto/Noelle).
Provides 15% Geo DMG Bonus (with 3 Geo chars).
C6 grants up to 40% Geo CRIT DMG.
Very low investment required (level Skill only).
Excellent battery with Favonius Warbow.

Cons

Completely useless outside of Geo teams.
Buff scales on Talent Level, not his own stats.
C4 Healing is very weak (barely sustains Corrosion).
Requires 3 Geo characters for full buff.

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

If you don't have time for the math, here is the cheat sheet.

Best Artifact: 4pc The Exile (Team Energy) or 4pc Noblesse Oblige.
Alt Artifact: 2pc Emblem / 2pc Husk (Stat Stick).
Best Weapon: Favonius Warbow (Mandatory for Battery).
Alt Weapon: Elegy for the End (Whale Buffing).
F2P Weapon: Sacrificial Bow (If you lack Favonius).
Main Stats: SANDS: ER% | GOBLET: DEF% or Geo | CIRCLET: CRIT Rate.
Talent Priority: Elemental Skill (E) > Elemental Burst (Q) > Normal Attack (Ignore).
Top Team: Gorou + Itto + Albedo/Chiori + Zhongli.

Pro Tip: Don't build DEF! Gorou's buff is a flat value based on his Talent Level, NOT his own DEF stat. Building DEF only increases his personal damage (negligible) or C4 healing. Focus purely on Energy Recharge and Crit Rate (for Favonius).

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Sango Pearl	Watatsumi Island (Inazuma)
Boss Drop	Perpetual Heart	Perpetual Mechanical Array (Inazuma)
Talent Books	Teachings of Light	Violet Court (Wed/Sat/Sun)
Common Mob	Spectral Core	Specters (Inazuma)

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Inuzaka All-Round Defense

War Banner: Plants a flag. Buffs based on number of Geo characters in party.
1 Geo: DEF Bonus (Flat amount).
2 Geo: Resistance to Interruption.
3 Geo: 15% Geo DMG Bonus. This is why you run Mono Geo.
Scaling: Buff value increases with Talent Level. Crown this!

Elemental Burst: Juuga: Forward Unto Victory

Cost: 80 Energy | Cooldown: 20s
General's Glory: Provides the same buffs as the Skill.
Follow: Unlike the Skill (stationary), the Burst field follows the active character.
Damage: Deals small AoE Geo DMG periodically and pulls in 1 Crystallize shard every 1.5s.
Defense: Increases team DEF by 25% after casting (Passive).

Passive: Heedless of the Wind and Weather

Utility: After using Burst, all party members' DEF is increased by 25% for 12s.

Talent Priority Order:

Elemental Skill (Level 10) - Improves the Flat DEF buff.
Elemental Burst (Level 6-8) - Improves damage slightly.
Normal Attack (Level 1) - Ignore.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Gorou's only job is to Burst every rotation to maintain buffs and battery Itto.

Team Context	Weapon	ER Requirement
Mono Geo (Battery Build)	Favonius Warbow	200% - 220%
Double Geo	Favonius Warbow	230% - 250%

Substat Priority:

CRIT Rate (Required to trigger Favonius passive - Aim for 50%+)
Energy Recharge (Until requirement met)
DEF% (Improves C4 healing only)

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc The Exile	BiS Battery	4-Star Set. Regenerates energy for the ENTIRE team after Burst. Crucial for Itto's uptime. Stats don't matter, just the set bonus.
4pc Noblesse Oblige	ATK Buff	If you are running Albedo or want max ATK for Itto. Note: Itto scales better with DEF, but ATK is still useful.
4pc Husk of Opulent Dreams	Healer (C4)	Maximizes his DEF for C4 healing. Only use if you struggle to survive corrosion.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
Favonius Warbow	ER%	S+	Massive 61% ER and generates white particles for Itto. Essential for smooth rotations.
Elegy for the End	ER%	S	Provides ATK buff to team. Good alternative, but Favonius energy is usually preferred for Itto.
Sacrificial Bow	ER%	A	Lower ER than Favonius. Double E creates more Geo particles, but extends rotation time.

Constellation Value

Gorou is a complete unit at C0, but C6 is a massive damage spike for Geo teams.

C4: Lapping Hound: Warm as Water - (Healer) When Burst is active with 2+ Geo members, heals active character by 50% of Gorou's DEF every 1.5s. Allows you to run without a dedicated healer against corrosion.
C6: Valiant-Tooth: Toward Victory - (Broken) After using Skill/Burst, increases Geo CRIT DMG of all party members by 10%/20%/40% based on the number of Geo members. This is huge.

Verdict: C6 is mandatory for min-maxing Itto/Noelle.

Top Team Compositions

1. Mono Geo (Itto)

Main DPS: Arataki Itto
Buffer: Gorou (C6)
Sub-DPS: Albedo / Chiori
Shield: Zhongli

Why it works: Gorou fulfills the 3-Geo requirement to max out his buff. He provides DEF for Itto/Albedo/Chiori, Geo DMG Bonus, and Crit DMG. Zhongli provides shred. The synergy is perfect.

2. Noelle Carry

Main DPS: Noelle (C6)
Buffer: Gorou
Buffer: Furina
Sub-DPS: Albedo / Yelan

Why it works: Noelle scales heavily on DEF. Gorou buffs that DEF. Furina buffs DMG%. Noelle heals the team to stack Furina. Gorou batteries Noelle (who generates no particles).

Rotations & Combos

Standard Support Rotation:
Zhongli Hold E > Gorou E Q > Albedo E > Itto Q

Tip: Always use Gorou's E then Q immediately before switching to Itto/Noelle/Albedo to snapshot the DEF buff. Albedo's flower snapshots, so cast it *after* Gorou's buff is active.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is he good with Navia/Ningguang?
No. Navia and Ningguang scale on ATK, not DEF. Gorou's flat DEF buff is wasted on them. He provides Geo DMG bonus, but Bennett is far superior for ATK scalers.

Can I build him for damage?
Not recommended. His personal damage multipliers are low. His value comes from buffing Itto/Albedo to do millions of damage. Focus on ER and Support.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Gorou Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis