Goblins

"But before the world ends, Goblins will put an end to many more villages."

- Goblin Slayer's response to High Elf Archer regarding the fate of the world.

Goblins (ゴブリン) are the primary antagonists of the series, who are monsters that destroy and steal anything they come across. They all have a predisposition to hate "those with words".

Overview
Goblins primarily haunt the frontier lands where the military doesn't have a strong presence. Individually they are not very threatening and are considered the weakest of monsters. However, their numbers grow fairly quickly due to their ability to come into maturity at an accelerated rate, making them a rapidly increasing threat if not dealt with quickly.

Goblins are commonly found in caves and rely on attacking or stealing from settlements to sustain themselves. Goblins are an all-male race but possess the ability to breed with any race with the pregnancy always resulting in goblin children. As such, women are among the things they take from settlements to use for breeding until their eventual deaths at the hands of their goblin captors.

While most goblins are not very intelligent, they are fast learners, seen in Water Town when goblins learned to use boats when taught. According to Goblin Slayer, they learn from the mistakes of the dead and adapt. They are clever enough to make a strong poison by mixing their own saliva and excrement with herbs they find in the wild; they usually coat this poison on daggers and sometimes arrows. There are a handful of goblins that are capable of becoming smarter and therefore much more dangerous, Goblin Lord being one example.

Goblins have an excellent sense of smell, especially when it comes to women, children, and elves. They can even smell metal, making them dangerous to anyone wearing metal armor. They also have excellent night vision; if they detect any light in their nest, they know there are intruders.

Goblins come in different variations as they mature:
 * Hobgoblins: Goblins that have grown larger and put on more muscle. They act as bodyguards for nests or wanderers who travel from one to another.
 * Shamans: Goblins that have gained the ability to use magic. They often lead nests and are intelligent enough to make crude strategies.
 * Riders: Goblins that have tamed captured wolves to the point they can use them as mounts. Only well-off hordes that can afford the resources to keep the wolves alive have them.
 * Champions: Heroes of the Goblin race; those that have become large enough to even be seen as ogres in terms of strength. They often lack in intelligence, but are capable fighters that can give even veteran adventurers trouble. (Considered to be platinum-ranked among goblins).
 * Lords: Kings of the Goblin race; these goblins have gained intellect and ambition, allowing them to command hordes to great effectiveness. (Considered to be platinum-ranked among goblins).
 * Paladins: An intelligent, but rare breed of goblins. Unlike other goblins, Paladins equip themselves with enchanted heavy plate armor and are capable of casting miracles. There is currently only one case of this breed of goblin coming into existence, which was associated with the God of Wisdom.
 * Priests:
 * Scouts: These goblins are usually sent out first to scout before raiding a village. They also watch and alert their comrades if intruders have entered their base.

In spite of their notorious reputation and danger they pose, most adventurers perceive goblins as mere pests that shouldn't be taken seriously. As a result, many rookies end up being killed and/or raped by the goblins for underestimating them, such as with Warrior and Fighter. Additionally, some adventurers make the mistake of sparing goblin children, not knowing that they will develop into more stronger variations of goblins, as shown with Goblin Lord.

Appearance
Goblins start out as small, green rough-skinned humanoids with pointy ears, claws, fangs, and long noses. Some goblins are bald while others have shaggy hair or facial hair. Some goblins grow over time and become bigger than the size of a grown man, while others remain small and about the size of a child. They often dress in loincloths, though more resourceful ones gather armor or clothes, and carry crude or stolen weapons to use.

Trivia

 * There are numerous stories about where goblins came from.
 * Lizard Priest believes they originated in a deep-underground kingdom.
 * Priestess was taught that they appear when people misbehave, but this was simply a story told to make children obey their elders.
 * Goblin Slayer was told by his Elder Sister that they originate from the green moon, which is a barren place that has no vegetation or hydration. The tale adds that this made goblins jealous of humans, and drove them to come to the main world.