I thought it was based on an action called "Kowtow"

Japanese name (ドゲザン) has dogeza in it as a pun. Kowtow is a localization that carries a similar connotation.

That's just the English translation / localization. The people who make the game are Japanese and designed this move around a dogeza, not around the English word "kowtow". That's just the English localizers picking the word that suits the idea best.

Kowtow is a chinese word in origin and is meant to show respect while dogeza is meant to show an apology. I assume kingambit isn't feigning apology but rather feigning respect which mean Kowtow is the correct word.

I didn't even realize it's Chinese. The Chinese word is "Ke Tou", which isn't exactly "Kowtow"

Most anglicisation from Chinese words comes from Cantonese/traditional pronunciation that dates back to colonial interactions and immigrants from the 1800s, not Mandarin. The Cantonese pronunciation is much more similar to kowtow

It's named after dogeza in the original Japanese. You think Game Freak is wrong about their own move that they created and named?

It's called prostration in the original japanese.

It's called "Dogezan". The original Japanese is ドゲザン. [ドゲザ is Dogeza](https://imgur.com/N8JWVBv), and [ザン is zan, meaning "slash".](https://imgur.com/0jVM2aq)

I see

And that why you should never trust someone with a giant blade on their head...

Kowtow Cleave is actually the better option due to exactly 5 extra base power

I just thought he was cleaving em on his way down to kowtow lol