Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Astaroth343
After finally rewatching this anime after many years I can say it was very enjoyable. Truthfully it has many cliches and objectively it's a pretty standard anime with a bunch of fanservice. But despite that, I still enjoyed every second of it.
Just like the guild manager, it seems I also have a soft spot for stoic disciplined characters with clear goals and principles. It was really rewarding seeing decently thought out plans with some sense to them, and seeing the protagonist gain respect as the season went on. Seeing him develop and get closer to the other cast and grow while maintaining his typical character is really nice as well.
The bickering between the cast was fun, and the characters felt endearing.
Read at the sourceAngeVNs
Goblin Slayer is one of those series I initially avoided because of all the controversy, especially surrounding its infamous first episode. I only got into the series once I started getting into audiobooks of the light novels.
Once I did, I could understand the dislike of Episode 1 because it admittedly paints what the series is about in an overly exaggerated way... or rather, it shows a potential bad ending that could happen to any low-level party in this universe if not for the protagonist, the titular Goblin Slayer.
The whole concept of the titular Goblin Slayer being obsessed with only killing goblins in a typical high-fantasy setting is just a silly enough quirk only Japan could come up with. For the most part, I think the story does a good job of justifying why Goblin Slayer would…
Read at the sourceMinusOverflow
The story is driven by a simple premise: killing goblins. The first episode left a mark on the anime community, and for good reason; it features everything the anime will later deliver. The show isn't centered on character growth or similar noble premises—it's about plain and simple gore, raw action and gruesomeness.
The main character isn't the strongest in his universe, and he never will be. Nonetheless, he makes up for this with his battle IQ, as shown throughout the whole series. Meanwhile, the supporting cast gets the right amount of development and works well alongside the protagonist.
The pacing keeps the entertainment high and blends well with the classic fantasy guild tropes. Every mission leads up to a "mini-arc", only to start a new one once the job is completed. Aside from ep…
Read at the sourceRemanTheArchean
I came to this series knowing it was controversial for its first episode. After watching it, I ended up agreeing with the overall sentiment that it was excessive and unnecessary -- the torture porn of the novice group of adventurers lingered much longer than was required to get the point across, and the implied sexual assault against the females was a bit crass for something that isn't a hentai, though at least they left that part implied.
But then I thought to myself "wait, Re:zero also has excessive torture segments of Subaru, and it didn't get anywhere near the amount of flak that this show did". And then I started checking out what people were actually saying about this show and found out that the implied rape was almost entirely where the controversy started and stopped. I can get b…
Read at the sourcezcamper777
Finally, an anime with a protagonist who isn't generic! I was surprised by this work because it's not afraid to express its ideas, addressing several heavy themes, which is very rare to find in anime. I really enjoyed the journey of the goblin slayer and his group of adventurers, even without knowing any of their names, haha... A positive and different point of this anime is the mysterious protagonist with a single objective: to annihilate goblins! Seeing how his trauma accompanies him throughout the story and how he deals with it is very interesting. The protagonist has no mercy for his enemies and, although he is not extremely strong, he compensates for this by using his intelligence and devising strategies and plans to complete his missions. I think the priestess could have been more de…
Read at the sourceKoDoWooTTV
I see all these reviews saying its bad and talking about how Goblin Slayer talks and says barley anything but if you really think about it the reason goblin slayer doesnt say many words or sentences is because thats how he talks, he was always quite when he was younger and can only say more words and sentences around his older sister, but after he watched as his older sister was toyed with he became more quite and only says a few words and sentences because of the trama in my opinion, and even if he only says a few words and sentences the whole plot isnt on him communicating, its on him and his party slaying goblins because thats who he is now just someone who slays goblins and protects the people he cares about
Read at the sourceTaki555
Goblin Slayer is exactly what its title says: an anime about a guy whose entire purpose is killing goblins. Across the season we mostly see goblin related quests and battles even though the world clearly has many other monsters. The show also explains why the main character is so obsessed with goblins, so his focus actually makes sense in the story.
The anime treats goblins as genuinely terrifying even heroes who defeated the Demon Lord are afraid of them which makes the MC’s dedication feel important rather than silly. The fights are dark, brutal, and sometimes disturbing, so be ready for that tone.
The animation and character artwork are good and the action scenes are enjoyable to watch. The characters themselves are decent but the main thing I disliked is that we never get to see Gobl…
Read at the sourceJoe_Devaney
Note: This will be a review of the series in its entirety- both seasons plus the movie.
Overview:
Throughout history, there are have been many tales of fantasy and magic, where a group of brave heroes go on a grand adventure to save their world from an ancient evil that threatens to destroy it. Well, "Goblin Slayer" is NOT that kind of story. This is the story about the other guys, who specialise in taking care of the smaller threats that most people couldn't care less about- in taking out the trash, if you will. However, while does make for an interesting (and gruesome) twist on a ubiquitous genre, in equal parts it's a reminder of why "save the world" stories became so popular in the first place.
Story (7/10):
"Goblin Slayer" is set in a fantasy world that seems to be like any other, w…
Read at the sourceAvengers007
To be honest, I had no idea this was a classic anime — I really thought I was this was a new one. Anyway, I watched it from the 7th to the 9th of November 2025, and oh my gosh... this is not a typical fantasy tale for sure. It is a dark fantasy/horror anime, and you will understand that it is absolutely for adults only right from the first two episodes.
Let me say it another way — this anime talks about issues that are very serious and unsettling. The first episodes of the show give hints to rape and abuse (the scenes are not completely showing, yet they are enough to disturb the viewer). It's indeed daring and cruel, but that's the world they've made — a harsh, ruthless fantasy world.
What I enjoyed most was that the portrayal of goblins was different. In most anime or games, goblins ar…
Read at the sourcespacenewtype
Not nearly as hardcore as I was led to believe by the masses, to its detriment. Overall I found Goblin Slayer S1 to be a competent, if unremarkable stroll through D&D inspired fantasy anime. There is some violence, hints at a little more, but nothing crazy. Story, at its best, is very simple and (again) competent if unexciting.
The characters don't have time to be more than perhaps 2-note. I did appreciate our protagonist's logic and dedication at being really good at a specific thing and, to borrow a phrase, knowing his role. Hopefully this can improve with the addition of more episodes.
What holds this back for me personally is there isn't too much going on. Over the course of this handful of episodes the gang go on a couple adventures, some are 2 or 3 parters, but there was never muc…
Read at the sourceTurtezin
Have you ever thought about how, in many fantasy anime, goblins, demons, and monsters often look soft and harmless? Goblin Slayer flips that idea completely. It’s brutal, grounded, and surprisingly realistic in its approach.
Instead of watching some overpowered high schooler casting one spell to wipe out entire enemy hordes, we follow Goblin Slayer—a man who’s perfected the art of killing goblins through strategy, experience, and ruthless efficiency. He’s not cocky, he’s prepared. He understands that even one mistake could cost him his life. He operates more like a professional than your typical reckless protagonist diving headfirst into S-tier dungeons.
Overall, if you’re tired of cute fantasy worlds where nothing really feels threatening, Goblin Slayer might be exactly what you’re look…
Read at the sourceMe_Mario
I can not in a sane state of mind "recommend" this and especially the start is quite rough.
But overall the episodes get better and more wholesome the longer the show goes on. I do think the writing is actually of quite decent quality. I was frustrated by a few things, don't go in expecting a proper face reveal because even at the end they kind of blue ball you on that.
The Characters are decent though some are mostly annoying (the witch imo even though she's "a good person") and there's not much depth to most of the side characters.
The action is quite decent but I would have like to see more of one particular thing he did about half way through the show which was pretty much the most powerful attack he had though it's understandable that it's not cheap or easy to repeat that but I though…
Read at the sourcenonaloth
Watched on Crunchyroll
I was really excited to watch this, as it had been on my list for quite some time. I’d seen spoilers of specific scenes online that piqued my interest. After wrapping up other shows, I stumbled upon Goblin Slayer on Crunchyroll and remembered it was on my list. No hesitation; it was finally time to watch this popular anime.
What a disappointment. Seriously, how do I even explain this anime?
1. It's as generic as it gets.
A warrior trying to save the world alone because no one is capable of seeing the impending doom to come; girls loving troglodytes; op spikes in power because, yes; forgettable characters; and lastly, non-existent impressions.
2. The overused trope of the socially inept MC.
This cliché is unbearable at this point. How much longer will this trend la…
Read at the sourcechrisclem85
This anime should really be listed in horror genre. The battle and action seem good and story/plots make sense the MC is likeable what lets this anime down is exactly what's caused it to gain a lot fame the excessive rape images very young girls.
Honestly writer clearly when max shock with goblins targeting women as goblins way to breed which even a magic world makes little sense if they breed with females or other races and make new goblins that fast why does the world ignore such a terrible monsters because they only goblins and weak...
The show clearly proves goblins are far from weak they are cunning, have hero classes, plan, learn create, use tools, create armies, yet MC party is only ones countering them its doesn't really explain how the goblins haven't taken over the world since…
Read at the sourceMrSlamboni
Goblin Slayer is such a double edged sword. For every good thing, there is something atrocious to counteract it. It is hard to formulate everything as a proper written essay so I will do really long bullet points.
GOOD:
====
- It looks like it was written by someone who understands RPGs. I have always thought the spellcasting from D&D was interesting so it's nice to see it here. It's not about shitting out fireballs, it's about having spells with limited uses and trying to maximize their utility. If you spam everything, you won't have them when you need them.
- This is not a power fantasy. Goblin slayer is not an all powerful protagonist. He is someone who shows that he deserves to win due to resourcefulness and planning.
- Goblin Slayer is not really a hero nor a good role model for a he…
Read at the sourceObiJakobe
I thought this would be some bullshit, fanservice, fetish, power-fantasy anime but nah. The author was cooking.
I believe goblins are an allegory for Men's depravity. They are a force of nature, like natural disasters, so it may first seem as if Goblin Slayer is about Man vs Nature. It's really about Man vs Man's nature
Goblins are vengeful, act on lust, envy, pillage, and are apathetic. Every time you lust over fanservice and naked victims, a goblin is born. One who would do the worst to women if it was pleasurable. Luckily there is a literal white-knight who will slay them and protect women from Goblins.
"When the demon lord is killed, the world will be saved. But if the 15 year old girl, who was violated by Goblins, is looking for salvation... no one would care. No matter how many…
Read at the sourceXCT3
Mid anime for edgy fantasy lovers. I prefer Queen's Blade for fan service, The Slayers for lore, Dragon Ball Z for fights, and any generic RPG for plot.
More info for the length requirement:
- Unique Doom Slayer + harem take on D&D.
- Art style is okay. Fights looked good and more frequent than in Higurashi.
- Characters were flat, which the fanservice made up for.
- Characters were too dramatic and silly. Should the goblins be exterminated or not? Only GS seems to care.
- If you can't pick a mood and hate buildup, this show is for you.
This anime made me feel relief for knowing what the hype was about, but there are many similarly disturbing anime like the first two Urotsukidoji which do take threats seriously.
Read at the sourceShirogari
Goblin Slayer is an anime about a guy who slays goblins.
Overall it's a relatively simple fantasy story about a guy who had a traumatic experience with goblins at some point and is now trying to rid the world of as many as he can. He isn't super strong, doesn't have any special abilities but has quite a lot of experience fighting goblins. The anime follows him as he slays goblins and meets new people to slay goblins with. One thing that this anime does really well is inducing a rational fear of goblins in the viewer. Goblins are often portrayed as weak enemies that can easily be beaten by even weak and new adventurers. In this anime however they are portrayed as organised ambushers full of hate that can easily be the end of an unprepared adventurer. Because the anime tries to sketch an a…
Read at the sourceNasif_
Goblin Slayer is a solid 7/10 anime for me. It's not super good as some claim but it's not bad either.
Where it's good: This show showed just how terrifying goblins, of all things, can be. I genuinely felt the fear of being captured by the goblins, the screams of the characters made me feel helplessness and despair. And when the Goblin Slayer and co. kill the goblins I can feel the sweet taste of revenge. The action is also great and Goblin Slayer is so cool at times! Also a small bit about the op: It's very unique! It's alright as a song but for an anime opening I have seen no other openings that are slow-paced like this
Where it's bad/average: There really isn't anything noteworthy to this show aside from slaying goblins. The characters have some chemistry between them but there isn't…
Read at the sourcerevankutaro
I don't expect people to see this just because GS has been out for a while, but. Honestly? This show is overrated. "Oh but it's so good! It's so different omg!" If you've watched a decent amount of anime in the past, you'll quickly realize Goblin Slayer is really not as good as they say it is.
Yes, Goblin Slayer is a badass character but the story itself slows down so much. Nothing really changes in the world as we progress through the episodes other than them going around killing goblins as the name of the show makes obvious. It's certainly not so boring that it's unwatchable, but every time something happens it follows the trope of "oh no, something's different about this one." I understand you have to make the encounters unique with at least some substance, but it's so predictable. I d…
Read at the source
