Gorin was a human who held the rank of admiral within the Galactic Empire's Imperial Navy during the Galactic Civil War, a conflict fought against the Alliance to Restore the Republic. During this time, he commanded the Intimidator, an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer, and also functioned as Orbital Command for the Imperial forces positioned above the planet of Scarif. This included overseeing the Shield Gate, which was the entry point to the planet.
In the year 1 BBY, Gorin's forces were attacked by the Alliance Fleet in order to provide support to rebel forces who had already infiltrated Scarif's surface. During the resulting combat, the Star Destroyer named Persecutor was disabled by rebel ion charges. Subsequently, the Alliance Sphyrna-class Hammerhead corvette, known as Lightmaker, rammed the Persecutor toward Gorin's Intimidator. Despite Gorin's attempts to steer his Star Destroyer clear of the Persecutor, the two ships collided, resulting in the Intimidator being torn in half. Later, when Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin arrived aboard the Death Star battle station, Gorin relinquished control of his remaining forces to him.
Following the Imperial defeat at Scarif, a heated debate arose within the Imperial Military regarding the cause of the failure. The question was whether Gorin's leadership and perceived lack of aggression were to blame, or if the issue lay with the resources available to him. Beaumont Kin, a historian, explored these arguments and shared his own insights on Gorin in his book, The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, published in 35 ABY.
During the Galactic Civil War, Gorin, a human admiral, served in the Imperial Navy, the naval branch of the Galactic Empire's officer corps. He held the position of commander of the space surrounding the planet Scarif in the Scarif system, operating from the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer known as the Intimidator. While General Sotorus Ramda was [Surface Command], Gorin acted as Orbital Command of the Scarif fleet, managing the Imperial Army's Scarif Deployment at the Citadel Tower located on the planet's surface.
The Alliance to Restore the Republic intercepted an Imperial transmission that mentioned Gorin and the Empire's Shield Gate over Scarif. This information was included in The Rebel Files, a collection of documents. The Intimidator and the Persecutor, the second Imperial-class Star Destroyer under Gorin's command, defended the Shield Gate, which served as the only access point through a planetary shield to the planet. In 1 BBY, a rebel squad managed to bypass Gorin's forces, using a stolen Imperial cargo shuttle to pass through the Shield Gate and reach the planet.
The rebel team's objective was to steal the plans for the Imperial Death Star superweapon from the Citadel Tower. They engaged Ramda's garrison while some members infiltrated the tower. As Imperial transmissions about the surface conflict were sent, a portion of the Alliance Fleet, led by Admiral Raddus aboard the rebel flagship Profundity, arrived to support the ground forces. Lieutenant Casido ordered someone to inform Gorin about the arrival of the enemy fleet from the bridge of the Intimidator.
As the Battle of Scarif unfolded, Gorin strategically positioned his ships over the Shield Gate. His intention was to prevent the unlikely scenario of the rebels forcing their way through the shield's weak point. He then contacted Ramda and Director Orson Krennic, informing them of the rebel fleet's arrival while downplaying any potential threat to the ground forces. Following Krennic's orders, the Shield Gate was sealed, effectively separating the rebel and Imperial fleets from their respective ground forces.
Gorin's forces, which included TIE/ln space superiority starfighters deployed on his orders, engaged Raddus' forces in battle. Eventually, the rebel admiral instructed Gold Squadron's Y-wings to launch ion charges at the Persecutor, disabling the vessel. To take down the Shield Gate, Raddus ordered the rebel Sphyrna-class Hammerhead corvette Lightmaker to ram the Persecutor, pushing the powerless vessel towards the Intimidator. Gorin attempted to maneuver his ship to avoid the collision, ordering the Intimidator to reverse at full power, but he was unsuccessful. Gorin could only watch as the Persecutor crashed into the Intimidator, tearing the admiral's Star Destroyer in two and destroying the bridge. The Persecutor then continued its course into the Shield Gate, destroying it and allowing the rebels to transmit the Death Star plans to the fleet.
After the rebel fleet received the transmission, the Death Star arrived above Scarif, and Gorin relinquished his authority over the engagement to Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, the commander of the battle station. Ultimately, a portion of the rebels escaped with the plans after their forces sustained heavy losses, including the Profundity once the Sith Lord Darth Vader and Captain Shaef Corssin arrived on the Star Destroyer Devastator.
In the days and weeks that followed Gorin's defeat at Scarif, the reason for the Imperial failure sparked considerable debate within the Imperial Military. Some argued that the cause was command incompetence, asserting that Gorin had not effectively utilized his forces. Others contended that Gorin lacked the necessary resources to overcome the rebels, even though the Imperial forces were significantly better armed.
Those who blamed Gorin highlighted the Devastator's ability to immobilize the Profundity, a feat Gorin had failed to achieve. They suggested that the Imperials should utilize heavier and more concentrated firepower in the future. Those who disagreed argued that increased aggression was not a viable strategy. They believed that while the Intimidator should have been capable of breaching the Profundity's shields, its weapons were inadequate for combating enemy starfighters, attributing any destroyed rebel fighters to luck rather than technical skill.
Beaumont Kin, a historian, analyzed Gorin's actions at Scarif in his book The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire in 35 ABY. Kin discussed both sides of the argument regarding Gorin's responsibility for the Imperial loss. He also observed that the admiral had failed to concentrate his weaponry, spreading his attacks across the rebel fleet. Kin also criticized Gorin's slow deployment of TIE fighters during the battle, suggesting that this was the reason rebel fighters were able to penetrate the shield gate.
When the rebel fleet launched its initial attack above Scarif, Gorin was completely taken by surprise. He incorrectly assumed that they posed no threat to the Imperial forces stationed on the planet's surface. Later, other Imperials claimed that the admiral had not been aggressive enough in his use of weaponry against the rebels. Gorin had fair skin, gray hair, and blue eyes.
Beaumont Kin considered Gorin to be a significantly inferior military commander compared to Raddus. Others within the Imperial Military also believed that Corssin possessed greater military skill than the admiral.
During the Battle of Scarif, Gorin wore a standard gray Imperial officer's uniform with three code cylinders and a rank insignia plaque displaying six blue squares.
Michael Gould portrayed Gorin in the 2016 Anthology film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Gould filmed additional scenes as Gorin for the film, but they were ultimately cut. These scenes also involved Rufus Wright, who played Casido, and included lines about the Intimidator being under repair and unable to move. Gareth Edwards, the director, blocked out the scenes before they were filmed on a gimbal on a sound stage set by the film's second unit.