Gato is a cold, laser-focused martial artist consumed by revenge and hardened by tragedy. His father, Geki Gao, trained him relentlessly as a kid, pushing him to extremes. Everything fell apart when his mother was killed—Gato became convinced his own father was responsible. The betrayal shattered him. He cut ties with his entire past life, including his younger sister Hotaru, and poured everything into one obsession: mastering the ultimate martial arts technique so he could eventually face down and destroy Gao.
He stripped away sentiment and human connection, turning himself into a weapon through pure discipline and violence. When the King of Fighters tournament reemerged as Maximum Mayhem in Second South Town, Gato entered not for accolades but to push himself harder and get one step closer to his revenge.
During the tournament's climax, after Kain R. Heinlein's mansion collapses, a mysterious stranger—almost certainly Gao—pulls Kain from the wreckage. Gato tries to stop him, but the figure blinds him with a sudden attack. Helpless and humiliated, Gato can only listen as the stranger taunts him and disappears. He survives the collapse sightless and swears he'll act differently next time.
His vision eventually returns, but the damage runs deeper than physical blindness. It's a permanent scar reminding him of his own weakness and fueling his revenge even further.
Hotaru also tracks him down after the tournament. She confronts him with tears in her eyes, calling out to her brother. Gato coldly denies even knowing her—he won't let himself revisit that pain. When she desperately pleads with him, he just walks away. She slaps him in anguish, and he keeps going, leaving her behind as she quietly prays he'll come back to himself one day.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
