The best builds for Gorou in Genshin Impact

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Want a decent Genshin Impact Gorou build for his release? This general of the Watatsumi Island resistance has been around since version 2.0, but is only just arriving in-game as a playable character. He's a pretty strong Geo support, and it's likely that long-term, he'll be the most widely used character from the Genshin Impact 2.3 update—please don't hit me, Itto.

More top Genshin Impact builds

Genshin Impact's Eula swinging a claymore on a frozen lake in Dragonspine — (Image credit: miHoYo)

Genshin Impact Eula build: Spindrift Knight
Genshin Impact Albedo build: Chief Alchemist
Genshin Impact Thoma build: Pyro retainer
Genshin Impact Hu Tao build: Unusual undertaker
Genshin Impact Aloy build: Cryo hunter
Genshin Impact Childe build: Fatui Harbinger

While Gorou's ability damage scales with defense once you unlock his 'Favor Repaid' passive, one of the reasons he's so strong is that his banner buffs are based on the number of Geo party members you have. This makes him a great party-specific elemental support character in a way we haven't really seen in the game so far. Arataki Itto could be compared to Noelle, for example, but the closest comparison for Gorou that I can think of is C6 Bennett as a Pyro buff character.

In this Genshin Impact Gorou build guide, I'll go through his abilities, ascension materials, as well as a theorycrafted build to make the most of him as a Geo support.

Builds

The best Genshin Impact Gorou build

Gorou is a strong Geo-specific support character, offering banner-based buffs depending on the number of Geo party members you have. In this sense, a good build would focus around energy recharge and cooldown.

Geo Support

Weapon: Sacrificial Bow/Favonius Warbow

These are pretty typical weapon picks for bow-based support characters. The Favonius Warbow offers energy recharge and means that crits have a 60% chance to give you six energy every 12 seconds, letting Gorou use his powerful burst more. The Sacrificial Bow, on the other hand, grants energy recharge, but also gives a 40% chance of immediately ending a skills cooldown when you deal damage with it.

Either of these four-stars should let you use Gorou's abilities more often, though if you go with Favonius, make sure to prioritise some crit rate stat artifacts so it can be effective.

Artifact: (4) Noblesse Oblige

While the new Husk of Opulent Dreams set is perfect if you want to run Gorou as a damage dealer, it's less good for him as a support. Noblesse Oblige offers a burst damage bonus of 20%, and for four-pieces, a 12 second attack bonus of 20% for all party members when you use a burst.

This is a nice party boost, adding to the buffs that Gorou already applies with his banners. Considering Gorou's ability damage also scales with defense, it's a good idea to prioritise this stat to fulfill that potential once you've unlocked his 'Favor Repaid' passive.

How to unlock

Genshin Impact Gorou stroking his chin in a contemplative manner — (Image credit: miHoYo)

How to get Gorou in Genshin Impact

Now that the Eula and Albedo reruns are coming to an end, Gorou is set to arrive on December 14. He'll be the featured four-star to Arataki Itto's five-star on the Oni's Royale banner, and will be available alongside Xiangling and Barbara. As he's a four-star, he'll undoubtedly be available again before too long, but this is the best chance if you want to grab him soon.

Abilities

Gorou's abilities

Here are Gorou's abilities, passives, and Constellations:

Normal Attack: Ripping Fang Fletching
Normal	Perform up to 5 consecutive shots with a bow.
Charged	Perform a more precise Aimed Shot with increased DMG. While aiming, stone crystals will accumulate on the arrowhead. A fully charged crystalline arrow will deal Geo DMG.
Plunging	Fires off a shower of arrows in mid-air before falling and striking the ground, dealing AoE DMG upon impact.

Elemental Skill
Inuzaka All-Round Defense	Deals AoE DMG and sets up a General’s War Banner.
General’s War Banner	Provides the following buffs based on the number of party members who are of the Geo element: Having 1 Geo party member grants ‘Standing Firm’: DEF Bonus. Having 2 Geo party members adds the ‘Impregnable’ effect: grants resistance to interruption. Having 3 Geo party members adds the ‘Shatter’ effect: grants a Geo DMG bonus. Only 1 General’s War Banner that Gorou created can exist on the field at any one time. Characters can only benefit from 1 General’s War Banner at a time.

Elemental Burst
Juuga: Forward Unto Victory	Displaying his valor as a general, Gorou deals AoE Geo DMG and creates a field known as General’s Glory to embolden his comrades.
General’s Glory	This field has the following properties: It has the same effect as the General’s War Banner created by Inuzaka All-Round Defense, providing buffs based on the number of Geo party members. It will also move together with your active character. Generates 1 Crystal Collapse every 1.5 seconds that deals AoE Geo DMG to 1 opponent within its AoE. It will pull elemental shards created by the Crystallize Reaction within it’s AoE to your active character’s position every 1.5 seconds. If a General’s War Banner is created by Gorou himself currently exists on the field when this ability is used, it will be destroyed. Additionally, using Inuzaka All-Round Defense while General’s Glory is active will not create a General’s War Banner. If Gorou falls in battle, the General’s Glory effect will be cancelled.

Passives
Seeker of Shinies	Displays the location of nearby resources unique to Inazuma on the mini-map.
Heedless of the Wind and Weather	When using Juuga: Forward Unto Victory, all party members DEF is increased by 25% until the duration of General’s Glory ends.
A Favor Repaid	Gorou receives the following DMG Bonuses to his attacks based on his DEF: Inuzaka All-Round Defense’s Skill DMG is increased by 156% of his DEF. Juuga: Forward Unto Victory’s Skill DMG and Crystal Collapse DMG is increased by 15.6% of DEF.

Constellations
Rushing Hound: Swift as the Wind	When characters (other than Gorou himself) within the AoE of a General’s War Banner or General’s Glory deal Geo DMG to opponents, the CD of Gorou’s Inuzaka All-Round Defense is decreased by 2 seconds. This effect can occur once every 10 seconds.
Sitting Hound: Steady as a Clock	When an active character within the AoE of General’s Glory obtains an Elemental Shard from a Crystallize Reaction, Gorou’s own General’s Glory duration is increased by 1 second. Its duration can be increased by a maximum of 3 seconds.
Mauling Hound: Fierce as Fire	Increases the level of Inuzaka All-Round Defense by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Lapping Hound: Warm as Water	When General’s Glory is in the ‘Impregnable’ or ‘Crunch’ states, it will also heal the active character within its AoE every 1.5 seconds for 50% of Gorou’s own defense.
Striking Hound: Thunderous Force	Increases the level of Juuga: Forward Unto Victory by 3. Maximum upgrade is level 15.
Valiant Hound: Mountainous Fealty	For twelve seconds after using All-Round Defense or Forward Unto Victory the Crit damage of all party members’ Geo damage is boosted based on the level of the field at time of use, gaining 10/20/30% for each level respectively.

Ascension materials

Genshin Impact Gorou and Kokomi strategising around a table — (Image credit: miHoYo)

Gorou's Ascension materials

Character

There are specific Ascension materials you'll need to find to level up Gorou. The Geo Hypostasis and Golden Wolflord drop Prithiva Topaz variants, but you'll want to fight the Perpetual Mechanical Array instead, as that drops Perpetual Hearts as well. You'll also need the following items:

Spectral Husk/Heart/Nucleus
Sango Pearl

The Spectral items are dropped by Specter enemies, found on both Watatsumi and Seirai Island. Sango Pearls are also found on Watatsumi Island, near water.

Talents

You'll need these Ascension materials to level up Gorou's talents:

Teachings/Guide/Philosophy of Light
Spectral Husk/Heart/Nucleus
Molten Moment
Crown of Insight

Teachings of Light and its variants are rewards from the Violet Court domain on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and Spectral items are dropped by Specters, as mentioned above. Molten Moment is an item dropped by the La Signora world boss at level 70 or above. The Crown of Insight is a reward for upgrading the Frostbearing Tree in Dragonspine or the Sacred Sakura in Inazuma. You can also get it from various seasonal activities, like the recent Shadows Amidst Snowstorms event.