Samurai Goroh

Samurai Goroh
Official artwork of Samurai Goroh from F-Zero GX.
Universe	F-Zero
Debut	F-Zero (1990)
Smash Bros. appearances	Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	F-Zero 99 (2024, physical appearance via update)
Console/platform of origin	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Voice actor	Akio Ōtsuka
Article on F-Zero Wiki	Samurai Goroh

Samurai Goroh (サムライ ゴロー, Samurai Goroh), is a rival racer to Captain Falcon in the F-Zero series of futuristic Nintendo racing games. He has featured as a collectible trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and more recently he has appeared as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. 4, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Samurai Goroh was the first F-Zero franchise update on the DOJO!!; when first revealed, his name was spelled without an "H" (Samurai Goro), but this was changed the following day.

Origin

Samurai Goroh as he appeared in the F-Zero manual with his katana.

Samurai Goroh made his first appearance in F-Zero. He drives an F-Zero machine called "Fire Stingray". He later appears in F-Zero X driving the same machine. In F-Zero X, the tracks are suspended above ground which allows players to fall and lose the race, and it is also possible to knock other players off the track. As a possible reference to this, Melee's opening features Samurai Goroh racing against Captain Falcon in their respective machines, with the two ramming each other until Captain Falcon is able to knock Samurai Goroh off the track.

The F-Zero instruction manual had an eight paged comic book that goes over Captain Falcon's first bounty hunt. Samurai Goroh is in the comic as Captain Falcon's rival. In the comic, Captain Falcon shoots a criminal and was about to turn him in. Samurai Goroh shows up to try to stop him with his katana in order to claim the bounty for himself, since the criminal was apprehended in Red Canyon, which Goroh considers his turf; however, Captain Falcon is able to get away with his Falcon Flyer, leaving Goroh to swear revenge at the upcoming F-Zero race in Mute City. Samurai Goroh also appeared in F-Zero GX, in whose story mode he challenges Captain Falcon to a race after the latter tried to pass through Red Canyon. In the cutscene in which the two meet, Samurai Goroh is wielding a katana. In Brawl, SSB4, and Ultimate, Samurai Goroh appears as an Assist Trophy, and when summoned, he will use his katana to slash at enemy players.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

Samurai Goroh appears in the Super Smash Bros. Melee opening FMV in a heated two-way race with Captain Falcon ramming their respective racing machines into each other on the Mute City track, but the Blue Falcon is able to send the Fire Stingray flying off the track and crashing into the camera. Samurai Goroh also appears as a collectible trophy along with his racing machine, the Fire Stingray, which is also seen in the two F-Zero-themed stages in the game.

Trophy

Samurai Goroh features as a collectible trophy, unlocked as one of the 100+ trophies that can be collected randomly during normal play, such as in the Trophy Lottery and throughout the various Single-player Regular Matches, though it only appears once 200 VS matches have been played. It depicts both Goroh and his racing machine, the Fire Stingray.

Samurai Goroh's trophy in Melee

Samurai Goroh

A rival bounty hunter, Samurai Goroh has crossed paths with Captain Falcon in many a dark corner of the universe. He also goes head-to-head with Falcon in F-Zero races, so the threads of their fates seem to be deeply intertwined. Samurai Goroh is famous for his katana, and his signature T-shirt is instantly recognizable.

F-Zero (8/91)

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

As an Assist Trophy

Samurai Goroh slices Mario and Fox with his sword in Brawl

Samurai Goroh makes his gameplay debut as a computer-controlled Assist character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as one of the many secondary Nintendo characters that can appear from the Assist Trophy item in battle. When released, he does a loud battle cry before running around the stage, wildly swinging his katana. His slashes will continue so long as he is moving or jumping, allowing him to trap enemies in a flurry of hits before sending them away.

Trophy

Brawl's game data reveals that Goroh has an unused second trophy (an unfinished version of his Melee trophy), featuring him and his F-Zero Machine, the Fire Stingray.

Samurai Goroh's trophy in Brawl

Samurai Goroh

A man who presents himself as a bounty hunter much like Captain Falcon but is also the boss of a notorious bandit group. He tries to collect criminal bounties but always fails to beat Captain Falcon to the collar. He considers himself Falcon's archrival and always tries to beat him in F-Zero races. His machine, the Fire Stingray (#05), has a high top speed.

A man who presents himself as a bounty hunter much like Captain Falcon but is also the boss of a notorious bandit group. He tries to collect criminal bounties but always fails to beat Captain Falcon to the collar. He considers himself Falcon's arch-rival and always tries to beat him in F-Zero races. His machine, the Fire Stingray (#05), has a high top speed.

: F-Zero

: F-Zero GX

Sticker

Samurai Goroh is the subject of 2 stickers in Brawl.

Name	Game	Effect	Fighter(s)
Samurai Goroh	F-Zero X	AttackArm+018 Attack +18	Captain Falcon
Samurai Goroh	F-Zero	+21

Samurai Goroh (F-Zero X)

Samurai Goroh (F-Zero)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

As an Assist Trophy

Samurai Goroh in SSB4

Samurai Goroh returns in Super Smash Bros. 4 as an Assist Trophy, maintaining a similar function as in Brawl, only this time he can be damaged.

As a background element

The Fire Stingray is present as a stage element on the Mute City stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, with its appearance from the original F-Zero game.

Trophy

Samurai Goroh's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Samurai Goroh's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Samurai Goroh

This infamous pilot considers himself to be Captain Falcon's main rival. His racing machine, the Fire Stingray, is incredibly fast. If summoned into battle, he'll head toward the nearest opponent and slash with his katana. He definitely makes a better friend than foe!

: F-Zero (11/1990^[sic])

: F-Zero GX (08/2003)

An infamous F-Zero pilot who considers himself to be Captain Falcon's main rival. He races as number 5 with his speedy Fire Stingray. When released in this game, he'll head straight for the nearest opponent, swinging his sword with reckless abandon. Try not to get on his bad side.

: F-Zero (06/1992)

: F-Zero GX (10/2003)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

As an Assist Trophy

Samurai Goroh retains his role as an Assist Trophy, functioning identically to how he did in Smash 4, albeit KOing him now earns a point. Training Mode describes his Assist Trophy with the following: Charges around the stage, swinging a dangerous katana. He cannot appear on Midgar, Mute City SNES, Norfair, and Suzaku Castle.

Spirit

Samurai Goroh also appears as a Legend-class primary spirit. He can be summoned using the cores of Takamaru, Sakura Samurai, Tac, and one Attack type.

No.	Image	Name	Type	Class	Slots	Base	Max	Base	Max	Base	Max	Ability	Series
594		Samurai Goroh		★★★★	3	3955	9888	2662	6656	1141	2852	Speed ↑	F-Zero Series

Gallery

• 

  Samurai Goroh's Fire Stingray

• 

  Official artwork from Brawl.

• 

  Samurai Goroh's unused trophy model in Brawl.

• 

  Fire Stingray trophy in for 3DS.

• 

  Official artwork from Ultimate.

Names in other languages

Language	Name
Japanese	サムライ ゴロー, Samurai Goroh
English	Samurai Goroh
French (PAL)	Samurai Goroh
French (NTSC)	Samuraï Goroh
German	Samurai Goroh
Spanish (PAL)	Samurai Goroh
Spanish (NTSC)	Samurái Goroh
Italian	Samurai Goroh
Chinese (Simplified)	哥洛武士, Samurai Goroh
Chinese (Traditional)	Samurai Goroh
Korean	사무라이 고로, Samurai Goroh
Dutch	Samurai Goroh
Russian	Самурай Горо

Trivia

• In Brawl and Smash 4, Samurai Goroh and Captain Falcon are the only F-Zero character trophies that do not have their respective F-Zero racers.
• In both Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4, Samurai Goroh was revealed before Captain Falcon himself.
• In Smash 4, Samurai Goroh's trophy in NTSC English lists F-Zero's release date as 11/1990 (the Japanese release date) instead of the North American release of 08/1991 like the other trophies that include F-Zero. The PAL English trophies correctly list 06/1992 for all trophies that list F-Zero.
• In Ultimate, the design on Samurai Goroh’s helmet was changed, both on his Assist Trophy model and on its respective spirit. In prior games, it was the Rising Sun, a symbol of Japanese nationalism - in Ultimate, it is now the kanji for “samurai”, “侍”. This was done to avoid controversy in East Asian countries like South Korea and China, which heavily associate the Rising Sun iconography with Japanese militarism.
  • This also applies to Ryuji Sakamoto's spirit, where his edit is present in his shoes.

External links

• Original confirmation with faulty spelling ("Goro")
• Brawl Confirmation