Summary
- Goblin Slayer focuses on the goblin slayer, a silver-ranked adventurer dedicated to killing goblins who wreak havoc and harm women and children.
- Different types of goblins exist, with normal goblins utilizing their numbers while riders can tame wolves and Hobgoblins are larger and act as protectors.
- Shamans possess magical abilities and are often leaders, while Goblin Champions are the strongest, strategic, and can set traps. Goblin Lords are kings, ruthless, and can speak human language. Goblin Paladins are highly intelligent and skilled with magic and combat techniques.
Goblin Slayer, as the name implies, is about the goblin slayer, a sliver-ranked adventurer who is only interested in killing goblins. Goblins are typically small in size, and they are notorious for wreaking havoc on the villages in this world. Additionally, they kidnap and assault women and children.
Viewers see the gruesome nature of goblins right from the first episode, and over the course of the Goblin Slayer series, they also see the different types of goblins that exist in the world. These creatures all maintain the same green color, but there is a difference in size, weapon of choice, and intelligence.
7 Goblins
Adventurers consider normal goblins to be weak and not worth their time, and this undermines these creatures, whose great strength lies in their number. Goblins usually start as normal goblins, and over time, they can either maintain this level, grow to be stronger, or, if they are unlucky enough, get killed by the Goblin Slayer.
Normal goblins are easy to spot as they are small and are the main force during an attack, but behind every horde of normal goblins is a much stronger goblin. Also, they carry small swords and work well in numbers since, individually, they can’t take on an opponent. This act of using numbers to suppress opponents is what makes them difficult to battle against. However, in terms of special abilities, they are lacking, and to make things worse, they are not the brightest bunch.
6 Riders
Riders as a breed have a distinctive edge over normal goblins as they possess the special ability to tame and train wolves for battle. These goblins made their first appearance in episode 11 of the Goblin Slayer anime during the attack on Cow Girl’s farm.
Rider goblins, in addition to using wolves as a means of transportation, also wield these weapons: spears, swords, and a dagger. This makes them much more threatening than normal goblins. Also, they appear to be slightly bigger than the normal goblins, but the difference in size and intelligence is not so significant.
5 Hobgoblins
Hobgoblins, on the other hand, are remarkably bigger compared to the normal goblins and riders. These breeds of goblins are as foolish as the normal goblins, but they make up for it in their strength and size. Also, due to their size, hobgoblins act as protectors of their nests, which is truly fitting for them.
This goblin breed made its appearance and strength known in the first episode of the anime, where viewers see a hobgoblin stop the attack of one of the unnamed female adventurers. She was no match for the hobgoblin as he grabbed her leg, twisted it, and flung her away, showing the brutality of goblins in general.
4 Shamans
There are goblins with magic abilities called shamans. Due to their magical abilities, they are worthy of being leaders and, as such, are usually the leaders of their nests. Not only that, shamans are usually the masterminds during some attacks, as they can come up with basic ambush strategies like setting traps or casting a spell to distract their opponents.
For them to learn magical spells means they have a basic level of intelligence, giving them an edge over the previously mentioned goblins, who lack any. Shamans lack strength but make up for it with intelligence, as adventurers can be complacent, and these shamans use it to their advantage.
3 Goblin Champions
Goblin Champions are considered to be the beginning of the real force of the goblins, as every breed after this proves to be stronger than the last in either strength or intellect. Due to how strong they are, goblin champions have been compared to ogres in terms of strength. Besides their strength, goblin champions possess heavy weapons like axes and have great combat skills.
More importantly, they have proven to be quite strategic in the face of battle, and they can set traps for their opponent, as seen in the Water Town. During the attack on goblins in the Water Town, the Goblin Slayer and his party encountered a goblin champion who cunningly lured them into a room filled with poison gas. As mentioned earlier, their intelligence trumps that of the earlier-mentioned goblins.
2 Goblin Lords
Goblin lords are the kings of goblins, and as kings, they stand out from the rest because of their proven intellect and ambition. On the other hand, one can conclude that their ambition causes them to be ruthless, as they show no concern for their horde of goblins once an attack goes south. In instances like these, a goblin lord abandons them without notice.
Goblin Lords are authority figures and can lead hobgoblins, shamans, and even champions to battle. Since they are kings of goblins, it seems like the least to expect from them. Similarly, they carry heavy weapons and use shields and armor to protect themselves against attacks. What really sets them apart is their ability to speak the language of humans.
1 Goblin Paladins
This highly intelligent and rare breed appears in the movie Goblin Slayer: Goblin's Crown, where it proved to be a difficult opponent for the Goblin Slayer. Goblin paladins have the power to cast magic and miracle spells. This was seen when one was able to use a miracle spell to overpower the minds of the goblins and attempt to ruthlessly kill the Goblin Slayer and his party.
Alongside that, goblin paladins have the learned capacity to study adventurers' fighting skills and combat techniques, making them a real threat. With this learning ability, they are also very skilled with the sword, but in terms of strength, goblin paladins lack great physical strength compared to that of a hobgoblin or a champion goblin.