Goblin Slayer II Episode 8 Review

Defeating the Goblin Shaman

Goblin Slayer II Episode 8 was probably the weakest episode of the season, so far. There were a few interesting bits. But, for the most part, it didn’t have much substance. Also, while some of my easy predictions came true, the others did not.

To start off, what did I get right? Well, I said that there was going to be a goblin shaman, and there was. That was a pretty simple prediction, though. And, unfortunately, a goblin shaman was all there was. There was no champion, lord, or anything more powerful.

The good news is that even though it was only a shaman, Goblin Slayer’s party still had some trouble. They were almost defeated by the shaman’s spell. But, they weren’t. And to make matters worse, all those death flags for Goblin Slayer in Episode 7 were for nothing.

Now, of course, Goblin Slayer wasn’t going to die here. But, as I mentioned in the previous review, something could have happened to him. He could have been captured by the goblins and his whereabouts unknown. We would know he’s still alive. But, his party, Cow Girl, and Guild Girl wouldn’t have.

When the shaman used his dark mist spell, I assumed this was where things were heading. The party would be split up and wouldn’t know what happened to each other. But, no. Instead, Priestess uses a miracle and saves the day. That was way less interesting. However, it wasn’t all bad.

Priestess’s miracle was one of the few intriguing parts of the episode. Usually, her miracles are defensive. But, this time, she purified the blood of the shaman, killing it in the process. And, the fact that her miracle led to a death seems to have shaken Priestess’s belief in the goddess.

The Hero in the Underworld

I feel like it’s been a while since we last saw Hero. Is this her first appearance in Season 2? I don’t remember. But, we don’t get to see her very much since the story isn’t about her.

However, something we should keep in mind is that Hero is the “protagonist” of this world, not Goblin Slayer. Goblin Slayer is the protagonist of the story we’re watching. But, he’s a supporting character in the grand scheme of the world. He’s not the one who’s going to save the world and he’s not the center of it. Hero is.

Goblin Slayer being a supporting character is something I like, though. It gets boring when the main character of every fantasy anime is the one who’s going to save the world. Goblin Slayer highlights the minor characters who do their own little parts.

So, why am I bringing all of this up? Currently, Hero is fighting her way through the underworld. She’s there thanks to the stone tablet Goblin Slayer found. After his party found the tablet, Sword Maiden deciphered it and Hero acted upon its prophecy. That’s a perfect example of Goblin Slayer’s role in the world.

Also, it appears that the underworld is literally under the world of the living. It’s not some other dimension. After Goblin Slayer’s party damaged the dam on the surface, Sage comments on the change in the water. And, Hero responds by saying other adventurers must have done something above them.

Again, this shows how Goblin Slayer’s actions affect the world at large. But, he’s still not the main focus of the world. His actions only serve to help Hero along on her journey. And, he doesn’t even realize it. Though, I doubt he’d care anyway.

Elven Weddings

Personally, I would have liked to spend more time in the structure the goblins turned into their base. But, instead, Goblin Slayer and his party returned to the elven city for the wedding. And, hopefully, most of you agree that the wedding isn’t interesting content.

I’m not saying that Goblin Slayer & co. had to miss the wedding or anything. But, couldn’t we have pushed that back until a later episode? We still don’t know very much about the structure in the jungle or why the goblins were using it.

Was the goblins’ presence connected to the prophecy? It sure seems like it. But, we don’t have confirmation that that’s the case. It could have been a coincidence that the goblins decided to set up shop there. And, it’s not like everything at the structure is resolved. Goblin Slayer even says the elves will have to go back and clean up.

I understand why the wedding scene is in the series. It’s one of those scenes that’s there to break up the action and give the characters a bit more depth. I previously discussed this in terms of fan service in my review of Episode 6.

But, again, I don’t think the content of this episode or arc at large warranted a break. There hasn’t been very much action. They fought a dinosaur that didn’t take much to bring down. Then, they fought some goblins like they always do. And finally, they took down a shaman.

Considering how recent the previous break in action was, the wedding came too soon. But, if there’s one thing the wedding (existing) gave us, it’s a new character ship. 1,000 years from now, High Elf Archer and Lizardman (then Dragon) Priest are going to get married.

Final Thoughts

What do you think about Goblin Slayer II Episode 8? Were you hoping there would be more than a goblin shaman waiting for Goblin Slayer’s party? Do you expect Goblin Slayer and Hero to ever team up? And, how do you feel about the wedding scene being included in this episode? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 9 is available now.