Gato is a cold, focused martial artist driven by vengeance and forged by pain. In his youth, he trained relentlessly under the strict tutelage of his father, Geki Gao, pushing the limits of his body and mind. But everything changed the day his mother was mysteriously killed—an act Gato believed to be committed by Gao himself. Devastated and enraged, Gato severed all ties to his former life, including his younger sister, Hotaru, and dedicated himself to one goal: mastering the ultimate martial arts technique to one day confront and destroy the man he once called father.
Discarding sentiment and connection in pursuit of strength, Gato honed his body into a weapon, walking a solitary path of violence and discipline. With the resurgence of the legendary King of Fighters tournament—revamped as Maximum Mayhem in Second South Town—Gato enters the arena, not for glory, but to test the limits of his power and inch closer to his destined revenge.
In Gato’s ending, following the collapse of Kain R. Heinlein’s mansion, a mysterious stranger—heavily implied to be Gao—appears and rescues Kain from the rubble. Gato attempts to intervene but is blinded by the stranger’s sudden attack. Helpless and humiliated, he can only listen as the figure taunts him before vanishing into the shadows. Gato survives the collapse, now blind, and swears to take action the next time they meet.
He eventually regains his eyesight, but the encounter leaves a scar deeper than physical blindness: a bitter reminder of his helplessness, and a new layer to his obsession with revenge.
Gato also appears in Hotaru’s ending, where she confronts him and tearfully calls him her brother. He coldly denies knowing her, unwilling to reopen the wounds of his past. Her heartfelt plea is met with rejection, and in anguish, she slaps him. Gato walks away, leaving her behind as she quietly prays for her brother’s return—not just in body, but in spirit.
(Source: SNK Wiki)
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
