Goblin Slayer Episode 6

Goblin Slayer Episode 6

Introduction

We’re officially halfway through Goblin Slayer’s 12 episode season and unfortunately it doesn’t seem that it will ever recover from the bad reputation it got after episode one. That is, at least in the U.S. where a censored depiction of a sexually violent crime is worse than an uncensored and graphic depiction of murder.

Nobody cares that the goblins torture, mutilate, and murder. But, the second it’s even implied that rape may also be involved, despite it going hand in hand with those other things I just mentioned, everyone’s up in arms.

So, before getting into today’s episode, let me just briefly explain why scenes such as these are included in Goblin Slayer. There are two main reasons, the first is realism, and the second is trauma.

Goblin Slayer is a dark, fantasy anime, and as such, it does what dark, fantasy anime do, which is make the fantasy world closely resemble our own. Standard fantasies are bright and happy, but that’s not how the real world is for many people. This darker side of humanity and our own world is what dark fantasies bring to the forefront.

Sure, you can choose to say that the inclusion of rape in Goblin Slayer is bad and should be removed, but by doing that you’re just trying to shield yourself from the truth. The truth is that rape does happen, and it’s not something we should look away from and pretend doesn’t exist.

Goblin Slayer is reminding us that this is a real problem, and it does so in a way that doesn’t glorify it. What happens to the rapists (goblins) in Goblin Slayer? They’re all killed. If that doesn’t send an anti-rape message, I don’t know what else does.

The other reason rape is included in Goblin Slayer is tied to the first, and this is the trauma an assault like this can cause not only to the victim, but also to their friends and family. In the first episode we see this when the surviving member of Priestess’ original party retires from being an adventurer due to severe PTSD.

However, there’s also a more long-term example of this trauma, Goblin Slayer himself. Due to the trauma of seeing what happened to his village, and in particular his older sister, Goblin Slayer has had some degree of mental breakdown. We can see that he’s not completely sane, and it’s this trauma that caused him to be that way.

But, all hope isn’t necessarily lost for Goblin Slayer. I can’t say how his story will end, but from what we’ve seen so far, particularly in this latest episode, the healing process has begun for him thanks to the support of his newfound friends.

So, yes, it’s a dark fantasy which focuses in part on the trauma of sexual assault, but it also has a ray of hope which shows that even if you’re suffering due to a past experience, there are those around you who can help. It may be a dark world, but we’re not completely alone in it.

Goblin Slayer in the Water Town

Speaking of being supported by friends, I mentioned that we see this happen with Goblin Slayer in this week’s episode. When we first met him, Goblin Slayer decided things on his own, did things the way he wanted, and didn’t care what anyone else thought, but that’s beginning to change.

While he doesn’t really give his party members a choice in deciding whether or not the whole party will take the goblin slaying quest in the Town of Water, he does inform them of his intent to accept the quest. The fact that he even went to them instead of them having to come to him, shows that he’s beginning to accept them as true comrades.

Further, when the High Elf and Priestess tell him he’s not allowed to waterboard, burn, or poison the goblins anymore, he surprisingly accepts these terms. As someone who focuses on killing goblins in the most efficient ways possible, the fact that he conceded to the demands of his party members is a huge step forward.

This shows that Goblin Slayer is willing to give up on some of his goblin slaying tactics if it means he’s able to keep his new friends. And that’s what I like to call character development. I know, it’s surprising to see a character like Goblin Slayer actually changing.

On arrival to the Town of Water, Goblin Slayer informs his comrades that their quest came from none other than the Archbishop of the Supreme God, also known as the Sword Maiden. She’s the leader of the church which the Priestess belongs to, and is a former adventurer herself.

From the Priestess, we learn that before she became the Archbishop, the Sword Maiden was a Gold-ranked adventurer who helped to defeat the Demon Lord. As a former Gold-ranked adventurer, the Sword Maiden is the highest ranked individual we’ve been properly introduced to so far.

I say “properly” introduced to, because at the very start of the episode we actually got a sneak peek at a hero who we’ll eventually meet who’s ranked even higher than the Sword Maiden. And, I should point out that even though she helped take down the Demon Lord, the Sword Maiden was still only ranked Gold.

The Sword Maiden from the anime Goblin Slayer
The Sword Maiden

Upon meeting with the Sword Maiden, Goblin Slayer and his party hear the details of their quest. It appears that goblins have infiltrated the city through the sewers and are attacking civilians after nightfall. The adventurers who were previously sent to deal with the goblins never came back, and the military deems it beneath them.

It was during this time that the Sword Maiden heard a song about a legendary hero known as Goblin Slayer who will accept any goblin slaying quest. This is also how the High Elf, Dwarf, and Lizardman were able to track down Goblin Slayer.

Before we get to the part where Goblin Slayer’s party enters the sewers in search of the goblins, let’s take a moment to discuss the Sword Maiden, because if there’s one thing I’m beginning to understand about this series, it’s that every character has a purpose.

The characters may not have actual names, and are instead referred to by their races and classes, but there isn’t exactly a large cast either. This means that although the characters aren’t actually named, they are often recurring and play important roles.

With this in mind, I think it’s likely that the Sword Maiden will continue to play a role throughout this series even after the arc which takes place in the Town of Water is complete. And, even if she doesn’t play an active role going forward, she’s certainly going to be important when talking about the past.

From her appearance we can see that the Sword Maiden is probably blind. We don’t yet know if she was born this way, or if this is due to some sort of injury. Her blindness could be part of the reason she retired from being an adventurer, but it doesn’t really seem to affect her all that much.

Despite not being able to see, the Sword Maiden is able to interact with the various members of Goblin Slayer’s party normally, and can even retrieve and explain a map of the sewers found beneath the town. I’d almost want to say she’s not actually blind, but she didn’t know who Goblin Slayer’s party members were.

There also must be some reason for the Sword Maiden not fighting against the goblins herself. I doubt that she would be unable to defeat them if she had gone with the previous group of adventurers, but perhaps her new role as Archbishop doesn’t allow for her to do this.

Considering they’re both part of the same church, and their similar appearances, I also thought that the Priestess and Sword Maiden were going to be related in some way. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case, because we probably would have been told that by now.

I also can’t be the only one who got serious Jeanne D’Arc from the Fate series vibes when I saw the Sword Maiden, right?

The Sewers

It’s time to enter the sewers, and luckily for the High Elf, the smell of the sewers is enough to mask her scent so there’s no need to cover herself in goblin guts. As expected there is a large number of goblins beneath the town, but they’re not your standard goblins.

I mean, they are your standard goblins, along with goblin shaman, but these goblins are unique in that they’ve somehow learned how to use boats, which isn’t normal for their kind. Luckily, we have the walking goblin encyclopedia known as Goblin Slayer to explain this phenomenon to us.

Goblins aren’t smart, but they’re not dumb either. They’re not smart enough to figure out how to build and control boats on their own, but they’re not so dumb as to not be able to learn to build or control boats if they’re taught. This means that someone, or something, has been teaching these goblins.

At the end of the episode we’re given a sneak peek at what this “something” might be, and it looked an awful lot like another ogre. This ogre, or whatever it turns out to be, could be leading and teaching the goblins in the sewers, or there could be some even higher being.

But, despite knowing how to build and control boats on the waterways of the sewers, the goblins apparently aren’t aware of the other monsters which live down there. Specifically, there are giant alligators known as swamp dragons, which I guess is the fantasy version of a sewer gator.

The one swamp dragon we see in this episode is large enough to destroy three goblin boats at once, and so it’s hard to imagine that the goblins didn’t know they were sharing their home with it. But, that’s what tips Goblin Slayer off to the fact that something else doesn’t feel right about these goblins.

Not only do they possess technology beyond what they normally should have, but they’re also not aware that said technology is a poor choice for the environment of the sewers due to the swamp dragons. If these goblins were naturally reproducing in the sewers, they would be aware of their dangerous neighbors.

This means that whoever is teaching the goblins is also likely the one creating them. Now, I don’t know how exactly one goes about creating goblins in this world, but it’s implied that ogres can’t create them, so if that “something” we saw at the end of the episode was indeed an ogre, it must not be the one in charge.

For those who want a further explanation, the reason I’m saying it’s implied that ogres can’t create goblins is because the ogre Goblin Slayer’s party defeated previously mentioned that the goblins under his control were a gift. If he could create them on his own, he would have no need for such a gift.

Anyway, in the end, Goblin Slayer’s party is able to use the swamp dragon to their advantage by attaching a magic light to its tail. The goblins are then drawn to this light, believing it to be wielded by adventurers, only to then be eaten by the swamp dragon.

Surprisingly, Goblin Slayer and his party were able to defeat all of the goblins they encountered without using water, fire, or poison, although knocking goblins off their boats and into the water to drown is still technically using water. Instead, he used his weapons, ingenuity, and a jar of what I can only assume was hot pepper powder.

Conclusion

So who do you think is behind the appearance of the goblins in the sewers of Water Town? Do you think an ogre is to blame? Perhaps one of the Demon Lord’s generals? Or maybe the Sword Maiden herself? Let me know your predictions in the comments.

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