Gogo Yubari - Kill Bill’s Lethal Schoolgirl

Gogo Yubari

Who is Gogo Yubari

Played by Chiaki Kuriyama, Gogo Yubari is O-Ren Ishii’s 17-year-old, Japanese school uniform-wearing personal bodyguard making her introducing in Kill Bill Vol 1.

A troublesome and twisted young girl who takes pleasure in the act of killing. Or as Beatrix Kiddo puts it “what she lacks in age she makes up for in madness.” Employed as one of O-Ren Ishii's premier assassins, she serves as Ishii's devoted protector.

Her obsession with violence is clear when she tricks a drunk guy in a bar, only to gruesomely finish him off, finding it darkly amusing. Gogo's got a knack for deception too. She plays the innocent schoolgirl, tricking her enemies into thinking she's harmless—big mistake. She's quick to prove them wrong.

If one thing, Gogo’s loyalty lies with her mistress O-Ren, for whom she is ready to kill without hesitation. With her twisted streak, she can outwit any psycho without using words, enjoying playing with her victims before slowly finishing them off. When she finally speaks, she does so with precision, as after Kiddo's attempt to avoid conflict she says “You call that begging? You can beg better than that.”

So where does the specific name Gogo Yubari come from? Quentin Tarantino chose to name his iconic character Yubari as a nod to the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in Yubari, Hokkaido.

As a big admirer of the 2000 Japanese action thriller “Battle Royale”, and his personal all-time favorite, Tarantino took inspiration from the movie when writing Gogo’s character. Gogo's character in Kill Bill draws a direct parallel to Takako Chigusa, the character Chiaki Kuriyama plays in Battle Royale. In both movies, Kuriyama’s roles involve minimal screen time yet feature intense combat scenes where both characters are stabbing a man directly through the crotch.

Gogo Yubari

Gogo’s role in Kill Bill

Drawn into the underworld after a life filled with violence, Gogo serves as O-Ren's trusted bodyguard alongside Johnny Mo, the leader of the Crazy 88. When O-ren severs the head of Yakuza kingpin Tanaka, Gogo doesn’t hide her smile of amusement while her boss holds Tanaka’s disembodied head.

After leaving for the House of Blue Leaves in search of some relaxation, Beatrix Kiddo narrowly dodges her first encounter with Gogo when she inspects a room, while Kiddo remains concealed on the ceiling above. Gogo returns to her mistress, and Kiddo seizes the opportunity to confront O-Ren. The members of the Crazy 88 get sent in to stop her, but they fall to her Hanzo sword effortlessly.

As Beatrix challenges O-Ren regarding any further adversaries, Gogo nonchalantly appears at the top of the stairs, offering a wave as though she were an innocent schoolgirl, her appearance in stark contrast to the silver Meteor hammer she holds. Despite Beatrix's offer of retreat, Gogo merely chuckles, teasing, "You can plead better than that," and so started their duel.

Gogo Yubari vs The Bride

As the fight between Gogo and Kiddo begins, it quickly becomes clear that Gogo’s skills make up for her madness. In a combination of swift and decisive moves, Gogo overwhelms Kiddo, quickly disarming her and keeping her on the defensive for most of the fight. Gogo’s skill at wielding the iconic Meteor Hammer is evident in her fluid and intricate movements despite its weight, featuring the young schoolgirl as one of the series' top fighters. Gogo's insane strength, which she shows by shattering tables and sending Kiddo flying with her blows, is matched only by her crazy resilience, enduring hits from her own weapon and the impact of a fall.

As the battle reaches its climax, Kiddo seizes a last opportunity, driving three nails into Gogo's foot, causing her excruciating pain. With Gogo immobilized, Kiddo delivers a fatal blow, smashing the nails sticking out of the piece of wood right into the side of Gogo’s head. As the camera closes in, Gogo cries the famous “blood tears”. Her anguished cries and blood-stained demise mark the end of a fierce confrontation, leaving both combatants defeated. Only for Gogo, it’s the end.

Chiaki Kuriyami came up with the idea of the “blood tears”, and Tarantino totally embraced it. The concept pays homage to a similar death scene from 1980 Italian film “Paura nella città dei morti viventi”, or City of The Living Dead, by Lucio Fulci.

Gogo proved herself to be a formidable assassin, capable of not only holding her own against Kiddo but nearly beating her. Among O-Ren's bodyguards, Gogo stood out as one of the strongest and most skilled fighters in the Kill Bill series. 

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