Tag: Goblin Slayer

Goblin Slayer II Episode 3 Review

Goblin Slayer II Episode 3 Review

Training the New Adventurers

Goblin Slayer II Episode 3 focused on the rookie adventurers. These are Rookie Warrior, Apprentice Cleric, Rhea Fighter, and Wizard Boy. In this episode, the Silver-ranked adventurers helped to train the rookies. And, this appears to be a somewhat new development.

It’s not unheard of for higher-ranked adventurers to help out lower-ranked ones. Priestess joining Goblin Slayer’s party is the most obvious example. But, from what we’ve seen, adventurers tend to stick with others of their rank. We really don’t see any mixed-rank parties — at least not with multiple ranks between members.

For the most part, the only place adventurers of different ranks are seen together is at the guild hall. But, there’s a new training ground (and village) being built on the outskirts of town. And this is where we see Goblin Slayer, Female Knight, and Lancer training the newbies.

Rhea Fighter training with Female Knight from the anime series Goblin Slayer II Episode 3
Rhea Fighter training with Female Knight

Why would these established adventurers be training the rookies, though? The simple answer is that it’s good for everyone. Obviously, this is good for the rookies because they get training. It’s also good for the town because it means there are more adventurers who know what they’re doing.

And, I have a feeling that the guild is paying the Silver-ranked adventurers to do this, too. Though, even if that wasn’t the case, this still benefits them in another way. Fewer rookie adventurers will die if properly trained. And that means the stronger adventurers will be able to leave the simpler quests to them.

Now, we didn’t see all of the rookie adventurers in this episode. Heavy Warrior took some of them to train in a cave system. So, what that tells me is that the four we focused on are important. My guess is that they’ll end up forming a new party.

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Boys’ Night Out

The middle of Episode 3 was the worst part. I didn’t really care about this portion of the episode. But, I’ll discuss it anyway.

Lancer invited Goblin Slayer out for drinks with him and Heavy Warrior. This isn’t normal, as Goblin Slayer’s a bit of a weirdo. But, as we’ve seen, Lancer has been trying to be friends with him for a while now.

There aren’t too many adventurers of their rank around. So, it makes sense that Lancer would want to be friends with Goblin Slayer. In fact, these three are the only Silver-ranked men who seem to be from the area.

Yes, there are two more Silver-ranked men around, Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest. But, they’re not from around here. This is a primarily human settlement. And as adventurers, there’s no guarantee that those two will stick around in the area long-term.

Female Knight from the anime series Goblin Slayer II Episode 3
Female Knight

As everyone knows, that’s not the case for Goblin Slayer. He has no intention of leaving the area for long periods of time. This town is his home and the place he wants to continue to protect. So, it makes sense for Lancer and Heavy Warrior to invite him out with them.

The problem with this part of the episode is that I don’t care about what they have to talk about. I don’t care about their childhood dreams. Though, I’ll say it was interesting to see them all recognize that they’re not the main characters. That’s right, Goblin Slayer isn’t the main character in this world, Hero is.

But, there was one thing I found interesting — what they find most attractive about women. The only reason this is interesting is because of Heavy Warrior. He’s into big booty women. That’s fine. But, he expresses this sentiment while staring at a centaur girl.

Goblin Surprise Attack!

At the very end of the episode, there’s a surprise attack on the training grounds. Goblins have dug a tunnel that exits right in the middle of the village that’s under construction. And, as soon as the sun begins to set, they come crawling out.

But, is this actually a surprise attack? I’m not so sure. If it is, this seems like a pretty terrible plan on the goblin’s part. Why would they tunnel directly into the middle of the adventurers’ training grounds? It’s like they’re asking to be slaughtered.

Instead, it makes way more sense for goblins to attack unprotected villages. Goblins don’t want to fight adventurers. They want to kidnap women and bring them back to their nests. So, to me, the goblins didn’t plan to appear here. They just happened to tunnel up to the surface and this is where they ended up.

Goblin Slayer preparing to slay some goblins from the anime series Goblin Slayer II Episode 3
Goblin Slayer preparing to slay some goblins

Now, what can we expect from the next episode? It should be pretty obvious that things aren’t going to go well for the goblins. After all, Goblin Slayer is there. But, what I’m more interested in is how the rookies are going to do.

My assumption is that we’re going to see the four rookies team up. They’ll probably show off the new skills they learned from the Silver-ranked adventurers. Rhea Fighter and Apprentice Cleric can make use of their new slingshot abilities. And Wizard Boy can be useful by not spending all his magic on one spell.

We may even see Priestess jump in to serve as their party leader. This could be the “quest” that bumps her up into the Steel rank. That makes sense, to me, because it then means she won’t have to go off on another quest without her main party.

Final Thoughts

What do you think about Goblin Slayer II Episode 3? Are you expecting Rhea Fighter to survive long-term? Do you agree with Heavy Warrior that centaur’s are hot? And, is the upcoming battle going to be where Priestess earns her rank-up? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to share it with everyone you know. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about supporting this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 4 is available now.

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Goblin Slayer II Episode 2 Review

Goblin Slayer II Episode 2 Review

Wizard Boy’s First Quest

Goblin Slayer II Episode 2 covers Wizard Boy’s first quest. A rookie adventurer is someone in their first year of adventuring. But, Wizard Boy is even less experienced than that. Until now, he’s never gone on a single quest.

But, he’s in luck. For his first quest, he gets to tag along with a pretty experienced party. Normally, new adventurers form parties with similarly ranked adventurers. All the members of the party may be Porcelain-ranked. Or, there might be an Obsidian-ranked adventurer or two mixed in. But, partying up with Silver-ranked adventurers isn’t normal.

What about Priestess, though? As a Porcelain-ranked adventurer, she was partying up with Silver-ranked adventurers. But, the difference is that her current party wasn’t her original party. Her original party was made up of all Porcelain-ranked adventurers. She only joined Goblin Slayer after he saved her.

Goblin Slayer and Lizard Priest planning from the anime series Goblin Slayer II Episode 2
Goblin Slayer and Lizard Priest planning

Now, based on how Episode 1 ended, I made some assumptions about Wizard Boy’s first quest. I thought he and Priestess were going to go on a quest alone. Or, that they’d party up with some other random Porcelain/Obsidian-ranked adventurers. However, as we learned, that wasn’t the case.

It’s also a good thing that wasn’t the case because Wizard Boy would have died. He made many of the mistakes you’d expect rookie adventurers to make. And if he wasn’t with Goblin Slayer’s party, that would have cost him his life. It could have even cost the lives of the rest of his party.

Unfortunately, Wizard Boy didn’t have to deal with the consequences of his actions. Even though he made every mistake in the book, the rest of the party was able to bail him out. And in the end, he managed to help save the Acolyte despite his poor choices.

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Party Leader Priestess

In case you forgot, one of the major goals of this quest was for Priestess to prove she’s not getting carried. She wants to rank up from Obsidian to Steel. But, the adventurer’s guild isn’t convinced that she’s actually earned it. After all, her other party members are all Silver-ranked.

So, Female Knight suggests that Priestess and Wizard Boy go on a quest together. This would give Priestess an opportunity to lead a party and prove herself. And it would give Wizard Boy an opportunity to see what quests are actually like.

I assumed that these two would be going on a quest alone. Or, that they would party up with some other Porcelain/Obsidian-ranked adventurers. But, that’s not what happened. They partied up with the rest of Goblin Slayer’s party. And in doing so, kind of circumvented the purpose of the quest.

Priestess in the mausoleum from the anime series Goblin Slayer II Episode 2
Priestess in the mausoleum

If Goblin Slayer, High Elf Archer, Dwarf Shaman, and Lizard Priest are there, what’s the point? It won’t give Wizard Boy the learning experience he needs, as I’ve already covered. And, it won’t give Priestess the opportunity to prove that she’s not being carried. Those suspected of carrying her are still there to carry her.

It doesn’t really matter that Priestess is the one calling the shots instead of Goblin Slayer. Sure, she’s taking on more responsibility as the party leader this time around. But, does that actually make any difference? Her Silver-ranked party members already know what to do and have the skills to do it.

Even if Goblin Slayer hadn’t taken over as party leader, I can’t say Priestess should rank up due to this quest. However, this could be the start of a new role for Priestess moving forward. Perhaps she’ll take on more party leader responsibilities in the future.

Wizard and Wizard Boy

There were a few twists at the end of Episode 2, with the first being that Wizard Boy had an older sister. The second twist is that Goblins killed his older sister, which explains why he hates them so much. And the third twist is that we know who she was.

Wizard Boy’s older sister is none other than Wizard, Priestess’s former party member. Earlier, I mentioned how Priestess’s original party was all Porcelain-ranked adventurers. Well, Wizard was one of them. She and Warrior both died, while Priestess and Fighter made it out alive.

After that failed quest, Fighter retired from being an adventurer. And, of course, we know the path Priestess chose. But, it doesn’t seem like Wizard Boy knows who Priestess is. He doesn’t realize she was there when his sister died. But, she recognizes who his sister is after he describes how she died.

Wizard (deceased) from the anime series Goblin Slayer II Episode 2
Wizard (deceased)

What’s a little confusing to me is how Wizard Boy ended up so different from Goblin Slayer. They both have similar backstories. The difference is that Wizard was an adventurer and Goblin Slayer’s sister wasn’t. But, in both cases, the women were killed by goblins and their younger brothers want revenge.

However, that experience made Goblin Slayer aware of how dangerous goblins can be. That’s not the case for Wizard Boy. Despite what happened to his sister, he still severely underestimates goblins. And that’s the part I don’t understand. Is it because he’s never seen a goblin before? Goblin Slayer saw what the goblins did to his sister.

Even if that’s why Wizard Boy doesn’t see goblins as a big deal, I still don’t get it. He clearly respected his older sister. So, why does he think they’re weak if they killed her? Doesn’t he think she was strong?

Final Thoughts

What do you think of Goblin Slayer II Episode 2? Were you expecting Wizard Boy’s first quest to fail? Do you think Priestess still got carried even as the party leader? And, do you think she’ll ever tell Wizard Boy that she was there when his sister died? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to share it with everyone you know. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future content — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about supporting this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 3 is available now.

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Goblin Slayer II Episode 1 Review

Goblin Slayer II Episode 1 Review

An Ordinary Spring Day

Goblin Slayer II Episode 1 starts a new year at the adventurers’ guild. Everything from Season 1 and the movie happened over the course of one year. And we know this because Priestess says that she’s no longer a rookie — this is her second year as an adventurer.

The Goblin’s Crown movie also came up in this episode, albeit briefly. Priestess and High Elf Archer spoke about a charity for new adventurers that Noble Fencer set up. In case you didn’t watch the movie, Noble Fencer is a new character introduced in it.

I’m not sure how relevant the movie content is going to be for this season. But, it’s canonically considered the sequel to Season 1 and the prequel to Season 2. So, I would recommend watching it. It’s only an hour long if you skip the recap at the start.

Priestess and High Elf Archer in the guild hall from the anime series Goblin Slayer II Episode 1
Priestess and High Elf Archer in the guild hall

Anyway, in this episode, we get to see that there are a lot of new adventurers at the guild hall. And many of these new adventurers plan to try their luck against goblins. Goblin Slayer recommends starting with sewer rats. But, we know how young adventurers are; they want to prove themselves.

I found Goblin Slayer’s comment on the number of goblin quests interesting, though. He mentioned that there seemed to be more than normal. And in response, Guild Girl said that it was likely due to it being spring. I guess this is the time of year when goblins are most active.

But, isn’t it weird that Goblin Slayer wouldn’t know that? I can’t believe that he wouldn’t know goblins are more active in the spring. So, to me, his comment implies that they’re extra active this year. I wonder what’s causing that to be the case.

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From Obsidian to Steel

In case you forgot (I did), Priestess isn’t Porcelain-ranked anymore. She’s an Obsidian-ranked adventurer, which is the next step up above Porcelain. But, like most adventurers, she has her sights set on higher ranks. And the next rank up is the Steel rank.

For reference, these are the 10 adventurer ranks:

  • 1. Platinum
  • 2. Gold
  • 3. Silver
  • 4. Bronze
  • 5. Ruby
  • 6. Emerald
  • 7. Sapphire
  • 8. Steel
  • 9. Obsidian
  • 10. Porcelain

All adventurers start in the Porcelain rank and have to make their way up one rank at a time. It’s also up to the adventurer’s guild to determine when an adventurer earns a new rank. So, in this episode, we heard that the guild determined Priestess isn’t ready for Steel rank just yet.

The guild believes that she hasn’t contributed enough to the success of her party to earn that rank. But, why would the guild believe that?

Priestess looking concerned from the anime series Goblin Slayer II Episode 1
Priestess looking concerned

Put simply, the guild believes Priestess is getting carried. She’s an Obsidian-ranked adventurer in a party with four Silver-ranked adventurers. So, it’s no wonder that the guild would think that the Silver-ranked party members are doing most of the work.

If Priestess wants to increase her rank, she’s going to need to prove herself. And one way to do that is to party up with other adventurers around her own rank — Porcelain and Obsidian. If she can lead a party of adventurers of those ranks to success, she should be able to earn her Steel rank.

Also, as far as I remember, we don’t know any adventurers in the Steel through Bronze ranks. Spearman, Witch, Female Knight, and Heavy Warrior are all Silver-ranked. We know Sword Maiden used to be a Gold-ranked adventurer. And, we know Hero is a Platinum-ranked adventurer. Everyone else is Porcelain, I think.

Priestess’s New Apprentice

Any good sequel season has to introduce at least one new feature that shakes things up. It could be a new location, antagonist, or supporting character, to name a few. Goblin Slayer II opted for the new supporting character option with Wizard Boy.

Technically, we haven’t gotten a “name” for Wizard Boy yet. I’ve seen him called both Wizard Boy and Boy Magician. But, Goblin Slayer referred to him as a rookie wizard in the subtitles of this episode, so I’m going with Wizard Boy. If later on, we’re given a different name, I’ll use that.

Now, Wizard Boy is extremely annoying. He’s the most unlikable character of the series, so far. But, that’s kind of the point. We’re supposed to think he’s annoying right now. He’s the classic rookie adventurer who thinks he’s stronger than he actually is. Or, could he be right?

Wizard Boy from the anime series Goblin Slayer II Episode 1
Wizard Boy

There’s always a chance that Wizard Boy is actually strong enough to fight goblins on his own. However, that seems very unlikely. Why? Because if that was the case, why isn’t he doing so? Why is he hanging around the guild hall talking about it instead of going out and doing it?

The answer is obvious. He’s not actually strong enough to do that — or he’s too afraid. And so, he’s talking himself up in the guild hall in the hopes that a party will recruit him. He won’t approach a party first, though, because that would make him look desperate.

At the end of Episode 1, Female Knight suggests Wizard Boy prove himself. She tells him to party up with Priestess for a goblin slaying quest. And, if the pair is successful, they’ll both get what they want. Wizard Boy will have shown his abilities, and Priestess can rank up.

Final Thoughts

What do you think of Goblin Slayer II Episode 1? Do you think there’s more to the increase in goblin reports other than it being spring? How do you think Priestess’s and Wizard Boy’s quest is going to go? And, are you expecting Wizard Boy to join Goblin Slayer’s party? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to share it with everyone you know. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about supporting this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 2 is available now.

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Goblin Slayer: Goblin’s Crown Review

Goblin Slayer: Goblin’s Crown Review

Goblin Slayer: Goblin's Crown anime movie cover art
Goblin Slayer: Goblin’s Crown

Recapping Season 1

Goblin Slayer: Goblin’s Crown (ゴブリンスレイヤー -GOBLIN’S CROWN-) is a sequel movie to Season 1 of the Goblin Slayer anime. It comes after the first season and before the second. And, that’s why I finally got around to watching and reviewing it — Season 2 is coming in October.

I’ll go into why you should watch this movie before Season 2 in a bit. But, what should you do if you forget what happened in Season 1? Should you rewatch it before watching the movie? No, because the first third of Goblin’s Crown is actually a recap of Season 1.

Goblin’s Crown only has a run time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. And yet, the first 25 minutes is a recap. So, it’s not a very long movie if you choose to skip that part. But, if you’re like me, you watched Season 1 way back in 2018.

High Elf Archer from the anime movie Goblin Slayer: Goblin's Crown
High Elf Archer

Because it’s been five years since I last watched this series, I didn’t skip the recap. And, it actually reminded me of a lot of things I forgot. So, that was good. However, I can’t say that I approve of the first third of a movie being a recap.

If you’re going to watch a movie, don’t you want the entire movie to be new content? If I paid to see Goblin’s Crown in theaters when it released back in 2020, I’d be pretty mad about that. It’s really not much more than two to three episodes stuck together.

It would have been a better option to have the recap separate from the movie as a standalone episode. I probably wouldn’t have watched the recap if that was the case. But, at the same time, it’s not like the recap was that important for the plot of the “movie.”

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Noble Fencer’s Party

The main reason I’d recommend watching the movie before Season 2 is for the new character. Goblin’s Crown introduces Noble Fencer, a girl from a noble family who wants to be an adventurer. I doubt she’ll be an important character in Season 2. But, I do expect her to make an appearance.

Noble Fencer leads her own adventurer party that includes four other members. Despite being relatively young, it’s clear why she’s the party leader. She’s charismatic and wants to make a name for herself and her party. And, of course, as a noble, who’s going to say no to her?

Female Warrior is the only other woman in Noble Fencer’s party. She has red hair and, based on the shape of her ears, she’s an elf. There’s really not too much else to say about her.

Noble Fencer from the anime movie Goblin Slayer: Goblin's Crown
Noble Fencer

Dwarf Priest is the third member of the group and appears to be the oldest. However, due to the nature of elves, it’s entirely possible that Female Warrior is the oldest. I’m going to assume Dwarf Priest is the oldest, though, because he acts like he is.

Mage is the only other human besides Noble Fencer. He seems to be the second-in-command of their party. And, the feeling I got was that he’s been with Noble Fencer the longest. I don’t remember getting any confirmation of this. So, take that as my own theory.

Rhea Scout is the final member of the party. At first, I thought he was a girl. But, due to how the goblins Noble Fencer’s party fights treat him, it’s clear Rhea Scout is male. Also, Rheas are kind of like halflings or something.

So, here’s your first major spoiler of the review: The only party member to survive this movie is Noble Fencer.

Slaying the Goblin King (Paladin)

Based on the title of the movie, you’d expect Goblin Slayer and his party to slay a goblin king, right? Well, they don’t. The main villain of the movie is a goblin paladin whom they slay before he becomes a goblin king.

And, the slaying of the Goblin “King” wasn’t all that exciting. The majority of the fight involved Goblin Slayer and his allies running away. They ran around the fortress the Goblin “King” was residing in. Then, they ran away from the fortress and back down the mountain, while being chased, of course.

In the end, Goblin Slayer delivers the finishing blow to the Goblin “King.” And then, a strategically timed avalanche comes down and wipes out the rest of the goblin horde. It’s not exactly the flashiest way to take down a boss. But, that’s also kind of what makes it work in this series.

Goblin Slayer from the anime movie Goblin Slayer: Goblin's Crown
Goblin Slayer

Goblin Slayer isn’t really about the epic battles. Sure, there are a few good ones throughout the series. But, most of the time, the battles in this series are pretty mundane. And, that may be because it reflects how Goblin Slayer himself feels about what he’s doing.

Remember, Goblin Slayer isn’t a character who’s out on some grand adventure. He’s not trying to create the best party around and go take down the demon king to save the world. For him, slaying goblins is a job and it’s personal.

Also, keep in mind that Goblin Slayer is a very resourceful fighter. He’s always looking to slay goblins in the most efficient way possible. That’s why he moves from weapon to weapon as he fights. And again, that’s why this final battle is such a classic Goblin Slayer moment. Using an avalanche to take out the goblins is very efficient.

Goblin’s Crown: 6/10

As far as movies go, Goblin Slayer: Goblin’s Crown isn’t great. It’s a 6/10. Obviously, the fact that the first 25 minutes of the movie was a recap of Season 1 is a negative. And, even though the anticlimactic ending fits the series, this is a movie. I still want excitement.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to share it with everyone you know. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. And I’d like to thank Key Mochi for supporting at the Senpai tier. To learn more about supporting this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Season 2 Episode 1 is available now.

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Goblin Slayer

Goblin Slayer

Goblin Slayer anime series cover art
Goblin Slayer Cover Art

Overview

Goblin Slayer was probably my most anticipated anime of the Fall 2018 season. However, I’ll start today’s review off by simply saying that this anime didn’t live up to my expectations, but that it’s still good. And, no, I wasn’t mad about the use of rape in the series, because it actually serves a purpose.

Unlike the vocal minority, I knew what I was getting into with this series because, while I haven’t read the source material, I had heard a lot about it from fans who had. It seems like the only people who were really upset with the use of rape in this series were those who went into it thinking it was just another happy-go-lucky fantasy adventure.

Perhaps they’re the kinds of people who don’t yet realize that anime isn’t a genre, it’s a medium with many different genres in it.

Goblin Slayer is definitely a fantasy series, but it’s a dark fantasy. The main difference between the two is simply that dark fantasies are more realistic. They more closely resemble our own world and shed light on the dark parts which we often pretend not to see.

But, that doesn’t mean Goblin Slayer is a depressing anime. In fact, I’d say it’s just the opposite. The first episode is dark and is meant to break us down by revealing the reality of the world. However, every episode afterward brings us closer and closer to salvation.

So, all those people who dropped the series after the first episode really missed out on what the story was all about. It’s not about using violence for shock value, it’s a story about how to overcome said violence and find your way back to normalcy by building a support group around yourself.

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Expectations vs. Reality

As I mentioned, Goblin Slayer was good, but it wasn’t as good as I had anticipated. The first issue I have specifically has to do with the anime adaptation, and this is the use of CG animation. There are very few anime that can pull off the use of CG animation, and Goblin Slayer wasn’t one of them.

If you’ve watched Overlord, then you should be familiar with the kind of CG animation use I’m talking about. The entire series isn’t made using CG animation, just certain parts. And, while you may think that limiting the use of CG animation would be good because it means less bad CG animation, it’s actually not because we’re left with an ungodly mix of 2D and 3D animation.

For the Goblin Slayer anime specifically, the only time CG animation was used that I can remember was for the character of Goblin Slayer. For some unknown reason, White Fox Studio thought it would be a good idea to use CG animation to animate Goblin Slayer and only Goblin Slayer. And, they didn’t even do it all the time.

In one scene we might get a nice 2D animated Goblin Slayer, and in the next, he’ll be the only 3D object in an otherwise 2D scene for no apparent reason.

But, the use of CG animation isn’t my only issue with the series, it also just wasn’t what I expected overall. I suppose this isn’t technically an “issue,” but I was hoping for a bit more adventure in my anime about adventurers.

Sure, they travel to one other town for a couple of episodes, but as a whole, the series is centered around a single location. All I’m saying is that it would have been nice to see our main party going on some longer quests to unknown regions.

Goblin Slayer’s Party

  • Goblin Slayer
  • Priestess
  • High Elf Archer
  • Dwarf Shaman
  • Lizardman Priest

Goblin Slayer is a simple man; he sees Goblins, he slays Goblins. Although he’s a Silver-ranked adventurer, all Goblin Slayer cares about is slaying Goblins. And, despite saving countless lives by doing so, he doesn’t see himself as a hero, just someone doing his job.

Originally a Porcelain-ranked adventurer, Priestess is the weakest of the five party members. She joined up with Goblin Slayer after he saved her (and her party to some extent) from a Goblin attack. Her specialty is in protective spells, which Goblin Slayer makes use of in unorthodox ways.

High Elf Archer is the first of a group of three adventurers who joined Goblin Slayer’s party after Priestess. Although she’s new to adventuring, she’s already a Silver-ranked adventurer like her companions other than Priestess. She’s a tsundere who likes to brag about her skills, but at least she can back them up as far as archery is concerned.

High Elf Archer from the anime series Goblin Slayer
High Elf Archer

Dwarf Shaman is essentially the foil character to High Elf Archer, much like Legolas and Gimli from The Lord of the Rings. However, instead of using a more stereotypical Dwarf weapon like an ax or war hammer, Dwarf Shaman is a magic caster who specializes in Earth and Sleeping spells.

The final member of Goblin Slayer’s party, Lizardman Priest, is also the third magic user. If Priestess is the defensive magic caster, and Dwarf Shaman is the all-around magic caster, then Lizardman Priest is the offensive magic caster. He can summon dragontooth warriors and isn’t afraid to get up close and personal with his enemies.

Side Characters

While there are certainly more side characters than these, I’ve picked out the five most important:

  • Cow Girl
  • Guild Girl
  • Witch
  • Spearman
  • Sword Maiden

Cow Girl is Goblin Slayer’s childhood friend who lives with her uncle on their farm. Although Goblin Slayer now has other friends he can rely on, Cow Girl is the one he knows he can always go back to. She’s also in love with Goblin Slayer (as are many of the women in his life), but he doesn’t even realize it.

Guild Girl is another one of the women who’s in love with Goblin Slayer but for a different reason. She works at the front desk of the Adventurers Guild and sees that Goblin Slayer is the only qualified adventurer who’s willing to take Goblin requests. As far as she’s concerned, he’s a hero because the quests he takes save countless lives.

Witch is another Silver-ranked adventurer at the guild and has worked briefly with Goblin Slayer in the past. Although she thinks Goblin Slayer is strange, she respects his skill and isn’t against helping him when the need arises. However, instead of being in love with Goblin Slayer, she seems to like Spearman.

Witch from the anime series Goblin Slayer
Witch

Spearman is yet another Silver-ranked adventurer and is in a party with Witch. Their party doesn’t appear to include any other permanent members, and yet the two of them are able to complete seemingly high-level requests. He has a crush on Guild Girl and so sees Goblin Slayer as his romantic rival.

The final side character I want to mention is Sword Maiden. Originally a Gold-ranked adventurer who fought against the Demon Lord’s army, Sword Maiden is now the leader of the church Priestess belongs to. As a survivor of a Goblin attack, she naturally sees Goblin Slayer as her savior.

Conclusion

Overall I’d give Goblin Slayer a 7/10. As I said at the start, although it didn’t live up to my expectations, it’s still a good anime. A second season was also confirmed at the end of the final episode, so you can be sure I’ll have more Goblin Slayer content in the future.

But, if you’re itching for more Goblin Slayer right now, then perhaps you’ll be interested in these reviews of each individual episode of the anime series. I go into a lot more detail in these than I can in this review of the series as a whole.

Episode 1Episode 5Episode 9
Episode 2Episode 6Episode 10
Episode 3Episode 7Episode 11
Episode 4Episode 8Episode 12

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Finally, today I’d like to thank HeavyROMAN for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier, as well as Rob Wright and Keyboard Kadabra for their support at the Kouhai tier this month. For more information about becoming a supporter of this site, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of the Goblin’s Crown movie is available now.