Goblin Slayer Episode 10

Goblin Slayer Episode 10

Dozing

It’s a peaceful time for everyone in the world except for Goblin Slayer. The defeat of the demon lord at the hands of the Hero and her party means that most of the remaining monsters have begun to flee the lands protected by adventurers.

Even Goblin Slayer’s party, which had little contact with the workings of the demon lord, are now able to relax after returning from their quest in Water Town. However, as I said, this is not a peaceful time for our titular hero.

Not only are the movements of goblins independent from those of the demon lord’s armies, but there are now new enemies for Goblin Slayer to face: age and injury.

The Man Under the Helmet

Although his body was healed back in Water Town, Goblin Slayer’s armor is still in need of repair. We learn that he actually has a spare set of armor, but apparently that too was being repaired. I’m assuming the first set was damaged when he fought the ogre, and it was the spare set he wore to Water Town.

But, since one set was damaged and the other was already in the care of the blacksmith, this left Goblin Slayer without his signature armor for a day. Because of this, it’s reaffirmed that very few people actually know what Goblin Slayer looks like.

Aside from Cow Girl, Cow Girl’s uncle, Priestess, and Sword Maiden, the only other person who might have already known what he looks like is Witch. However, I get the feeling that Witch had never actually seen under Goblin Slayer’s armor before, and instead just isn’t as clueless as everyone else.

Oh, and I suppose we can assume High Elf, Dwarf, and Lizardman have seen him without his armor as well, though we haven’t seen them see him this way. And, yes, the blacksmith also should know what he looks like as well, but he’s not a major character by any means.

Still, even if we include everyone I listed, that’s only a total of nine people who know what Goblin Slayer looks like under his helmet. I wonder if Spearman will ever learn that the “new guy” he was bragging to was actually his romantic rival, Goblin Slayer.

Goblin Slayer and Spearman from the anime Goblin Slayer
Goblin Slayer and Spearman

While we did get to literally see the man under the helmet (or at least partially), we also got to see inside his head, so to speak. It should come as no surprise at this point in the series that Goblin Slayer is a troubled individual, but in this episode we learn more about what troubles him and how it makes him seem more human.

Not only does Goblin Slayer constantly think about the past, but he actually thinks about the future as well, which is something unexpected for his character. In fact, it’s so out of character for him, that even his childhood friend, Cow Girl, is taken aback by this fact.

So what does a man like Goblin Slayer think about in regards to the future? The obvious answer would be how he’s going to kill goblins in the future, but that’s not all. In fact, he seems to recognize that he won’t be able to kill goblins forever, and if that’s the case, what’s he supposed to do after that?

If he were to eradicate all goblins from existence, I believe he would simply retire to the farm with Cow Girl and live out the rest of his days helping her around the farm. However, this isn’t how his goblin slaying days are likely to come to an end.

Supposing he isn’t killed before he has the chance to retire from goblin slaying, undoubtedly Cow Girl would want him to retire to the farm with her, but I think even she knows that isn’t going to happen. As long as there are goblins out there, he’ll continue to do something about them.

And, this is where information from Guild Girl comes into play. Apparently the guild is planning to set up a school in which retired adventurers train the next generation so that they have a greater chance at survival. This would be the perfect way for Goblin Slayer to continue his fight against goblins, but from the back lines.

That said, Goblin Slayer would probably rather continue to fight goblins himself until the day he dies. This fact is exactly why it’s such a big deal that he’s actually thinking about his future, it shows that he understands how his death would affect those around him, and is trying to come up with some sort of compromise.

I’ve mentioned this before, but Goblin Slayer isn’t actually about slaying goblins, it’s about the long road to recovery after traumatic events, and the portions of this episode which humanize Goblin Slayer’s character exemplify that.

Goblins

But, just because this anime isn’t really about goblins doesn’t mean they don’t play a major role and that I’m not going to talk about them.

At the start of this post I brought up the fact that the movements of goblins aren’t directly affected by the defeat of the demon lord, and nobody knows this better than the man who said it himself, Goblin Slayer. While the rest of the world is basking in the momentary peace, Goblin Slayer is still at work with his daily goblin-checking routine.

On his final round of checking the farm’s perimeter, he comes across the footprints of a large horde of goblins. These goblins don’t appear to have directly crossed onto the property of the farm, but the fact that they’re so close by and in such large numbers shows that an attack is inevitable.

So, where did all of these goblins come from?

It’s possible that these goblins appeared naturally, or at least as naturally as monsters like goblins can appear, but I’m not convinced. It’s unlikely that Goblin Slayer would have missed a group this large in his previous rounds. So is there someone behind the appearance of these goblins so close to home?

Last week Andreas Nicklasson pointed out in a comment that the goblins found in the sewers of Water Town were actually sent there by the cultists whom we saw the Hero defeat. While this implies that the cultists are no more, perhaps a sect of them managed to escape and are now responsible for this new goblin horde.

Regardless of who’s responsible, this is the beginning of the final arc of this season, and with only two episodes left, I have a feeling we’re going to be left on a major cliffhanger.

Conclusion

What do you think of Goblin Slayer’s character development and who do you think is behind the appearance of this new goblin horde, if anyone even is? Let me know in the comments as well as any other thoughts you had regarding this week’s episode.

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful in any way, let me know by clicking the like button ❤ down below. Also be sure to follow me on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any upcoming content. I have some exciting things planned for the end of the year that you won’t want to miss.

Finally, if you’d like to become a more active member of the community, come join our Discord server! And, if you want to be an extra special member of the community, then consider checking out Patreon.com/DoubleSama to learn more about the various tiers and benefits offered there.

My review of the next episode is available here.

Leave a Comment