I’ve finally decided to give Goblin Slayer a watch after putting it off for months on end. Partially because I already read a large part of the manga but also because I was irritated by the large uproar that came about when it first aired. It seemed that many people couldn’t stand the fact that a gritty and morbid fantasy story could exist. Perhaps because the same “fans” had not taken the time to explore truly dark fantasy literature, and there are a few I can name off the top of my head. Prince of Thorns, Berserk, Dungeon Seeker, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Way of Shadows and Hellsing. All of these dastardly schemes, disgusting settings, the despicable characters and the unspeakably evil villains that exist in Dark Fantasy exist today for one reason. To contrast traditional fantasy, especially ones where the hero is a shining beacon of morality, a powerful and righteous prince setting out on a grand quest, or a noble farmhand setting out to prove their worth.
Prince of Thorns
Dark Fantasy, quite simply put is the subgenre of fantasy dealing with the more…unsavoury elements of fantasy worlds. Rape, antiheroes, gore, despair, horror and senseless violence. It’s what makes the genre so enticing after many a year of the same traditional story. An antithesis to the classic style, and a look into realism for the most part. After all, I believe that most of us know how dreadful fantasy worlds can be. However, the stark reality of thinking about it can be a shock to some people, which is why they react poorly to the genre even if it has been around for a good while. But that’s what bothered me about the uproar surrounding Goblin Slayer. It’s far from the worst dark fantasy has to offer. Yet it was constantly slammed and roasted by critics. So let’s explore what made this show so special and allowed it to overcome the backlash it received. So maybe in this retrospective review, we can pin down what made the premise of Goblin Slayer so abhorrent to people.
Setting
Goblin Slayer takes place in an unnamed fantasy world most likely based off of a pen and paper RPG like Dungeons and Dragons. There are different races, all of which have their own perks, lore, cultures, nations and religions. If these races decide to become adventurers, they pick a class and then level up their class through a ranking system with each rank carrying multiple levels within it. It doesn’t seem like melee-oriented classes have named skills, however, magic-type classes can use “miracles” bestowed upon them by their deities. This allows them to use a set number of spells per day, and I assume the higher your rank the more you can use. The beauty of this super simple system is that it’s incredibly easy to understand, even a child would get it. Solo adventuring would only be for the top guns, a balanced party is extremely important and for the best results, having a mixed-race team would be ideal. At the same time, since most people are playing newer RPGs with MP and HP bars, this old school approach can seem new to those who aren’t innundated in high-geek culture.
The real meat of the setting lies in the goblin race and how they fit into the world. Possessing a child-like intelligence, goblins are the scourge of the average human thanks to their malice, disregard for life and intentional cruelty. They actively go out of their way to harass other sentient races, multiply at an extremely alarming rate and because even a teenage boy can kill 2 or three on his own if he’s lucky, they’re sorely underestimated. In fact, almost everyone has heard tales of young women being abducted from their villages and homes, raped and tortured, only for the leaders of men or elves to shrug them off. After a few beginner adventurers go missing on a goblin subjugation quest does anyone with any skill take notice, whether it be the local militia or a more experienced party.
Interestingly enough, I’ve always seen the goblins as loose allegories for the real-life evil of organised crime or men during war. Committing seemingly horrific acts to spread terror, participating in wonton violence and being the foot soldiers for a seemingly greater evil. They abduct girls, use them and discard, pick off weaklings who try to stop them and it only ends when they’re stomped out entirely by those with experience or overwhelming power. And I think that’s what makes the world of Goblin Slayer so relatable and interesting. The obvious terrors in both our worlds causing us to fear something that poses a threat to our safety each day. There will always be a big boss, in fact, any world leader with nuclear launch codes could be considered a “demon lord” in their own right. But on a day to day basis, we’ve all had friends who’ve been attacked, held at knifepoint or abducted. If not, we know people who know people, or know people who’ve experienced that sort of horror, but few of us expect to face it ourselves. It is the inevitable horror, the unspoken but ever-present terror that faces people of the commons.
And while we’ve had our fair share of vigilantes in our world, I think the fantasy setting of Goblin Slayer allows for the revenge archetype to be achieved with flying colours.
Characters
Of course, our titular character is the Goblin Slayer, but that’s already something that sets him apart from the rest of the cast. While most other characters are referred to by their class(ie spear warrior), race(High Elf) or place of employment (ie Guild Girl), Goblin Slayer’s name is his vocation. He has no name save for the task that he has dedicated himself to fulfilling until he dies. It goes into the fact that he cares little for his rank except in how it can aid him in his hunt. He cares extremely little for other’s thoughts about his appearance or demeanour, so he never removes his armour in public, choosing to stay vigilant against attack. His whole being is focussed entirely on the hunting of goblins, and why wouldn’t it be. Few of us would be able to walk away completely sane if our villages were burned down by disgusting green monsters and our relatives were butchered and raped before our young eyes.
So with that in mind, it makes it painfully easy to understand his motives. What then makes his character so interesting is his gradual change from a lone wolf to a pack hunter. He doesn’t start going off about becoming a top-ranked adventurer or killing the demon lord. He doesn’t even stop in his quest to hunt goblins. Despite his goal remaining unchanged , he does change to accommodate other people’s feelings and wishes. He’s not so averse to helping if something doesn’t involve goblins and he develops a sense of sympathy and camaraderie that, while stoic is still very real. By the end of the show both the characters and viewers can see how much he’s changed what that means for him as a character and for the show itself.
Just as a change goes through the Goblin Slayer, so too does a change go through his companions. It’s not a gigantic change either, it’s the change that occurs in a person when they realise that there is evil. Evil that poses a real and tangible threat to everyone and their respective race if left unchecked. However, despite seeing this and going on multiple hunts with Goblin Slayer, they still hold onto their own beliefs, ambitions and goals. They help the Goblin Slayer not because his quest is righteous and pure, but because he’s a pretty swell guy. The truth is the difference between Goblin Slayer and his mates showcases the differences between a deeply traumatised individual and others. Perhaps had it been undead monsters that would have been his target, or minotaurs. But it settled on Goblins, and though they are capable of despicable actions, they do not pose a major worldwide threat except in rare cases.
All of this makes our protagonist a hero by chance only. He’s dedicated his entire being to trampling on goblins, from his intimidating armour to using only cheap weapons, to becoming incredibly skilled at tactical thinking and innovation. He’s the hero the world needed and got by pure luck.
Themes
There is one major theme that pervades throughout the show, and that is the theme of chance. Throughout the anime and manga, we see dice motifs, part of the mythos of the world being that the gods played dice to create the world. From there, the beings of order and chaos threw the dice to decide which one of their champions would win, the Demon Lord, or the Hero. We see that reference to D&D again here and how it relates to the people in the world. For the gods, their champions are the most important pieces on the board. Because of this, however, they also become the most predictable and overpowered characters, generic and honestly quite boring.
We see this again in the naming of the characters. Goblin Slayer, and Hero. Not, “Sword Hero”, or “Holy Hero”. Just Hero. Hero obtains an incredibly powerful journey early on in their career, and even the Hero’s party looks more akin to a generic version of a Dark Fantasy Mahou Shoujou trio. Whereas the Goblin Slayer trained for 5 years before going through an incredibly rough start and perfecting his slaying techniques. Techniques that he would continue to hone, innovate and update as the years passed.
And so we have our Goblin Slayer defying chance as a pawn because in Chess only the pawn can be promoted. So too can the Goblin Slayer become more than simply an exterminator. He is the everyman, one who does not let the gods roll the dice on his fate. While the Hero is incredibly powerful, that is in part due to her sword and the machinations of the gods. One wrong throw could mean the end. And that ties into the second theme, which is self-reliance and breaking free of the god’s game. The Goblin Slayer himself learnt early on not to ever allow his fate to go to chance. Constant vigilance, innovation and rejecting the predetermined is what’s most important.
And it’s a lesson that his comrades learn too. Breaking the notion that all is as it should be. That goblins will kidnap some poor girls, wreck havoc, kill some adventurers and maybe amass a small horde before being put down. We even see that in the way that Goblin Slayer checks nests. Subconsciously checking every single crevice and path to make sure he doesn’t let one escape, but a practice that has undoubtedly saved many lives. The lives of those captured, discarded and forgotten about as hero’s hunt for glory, always seemingly forgetting what they’re going up against. Through his single-mindedness and burning rage, he has overcome many of the gods’ machinations to carve himself a future. Not many of us will even have a chance of saving the world. But damned if we should let ourselves be ruled by the mere ripples from earth-shaking dice throws,
Conclusion
I honestly enjoyed Goblin Slayer, and I say that whole-heartedly. I’m a big fantasy nut, and I can be pretty bitter when it comes to any kind of fantasy media, be it books, movies or games. So I was delighted to find a story about an ordinary man becoming a whirlwind of vengeance against a singular foe. I don’t hate fantasy stories with OP characters, nor do I hate harem isekai. I think the context, character development and world-building go a long way in creating an enjoyable fantasy story. But Goblin Slayer really did it for me, because until I read it, I never once thought, “hmmm, goblins are sick fucks huh?” And I think that it goes to show just how malleable the Fantast genre is, and just how many stories can be created from it. Perhaps we’ll get a great story about a Chocobo breeder, or an industrialist innovator. A fisherman in the Age of Kings or a magic scroll hunter, the number of stories to be told is endless. So with that said, I give Goblin Slayer a solid:
8/10
If you want me to cover any other series, shows or movies, leave a comment down below.
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