Here Is Why Goblin Slayer is Called “Orcbolg”!

One of the most mysterious and powerful characters in the GOBLIN SLAYER! series is actually the protagonist, the so-called Goblin Slayer. One trait that makes him seem so peculiar is that he never removes his helmet, but he is also quite aggressive and overly zealous when it comes to killing goblins. Still, he is not a bad person – he is just traumatized and focused on revenge. In the series, Goblin Slayer has been called “Orcbolg”, alongside his best-known name, and in this article, we are going to explain the meaning and the history behind that other name.

“Orcbolg” is just another term for “Goblin Slayer”

Fans of the GOBLIN SLAYER! series will know that the characters generally don’t have names in the series. They have descriptive names, which tell us what each of them is or does, which also serve as their full names. This is why we have characters such as Lizard Priest (who is a humanoid lizard and a priest), Dwarf Shaman (who is a dwarf and a shaman), Forest Princess (who is the princess of the Elves living in a forest), High Elf Archer (who is an Elven archer), and so forth. Goblin Slayer is, of course, not an exception, and he is called like that because, well, he slays goblins for a living.

But, unlike most other characters, Goblin Slayer does have another name in the series. This is a rare occurrence, but seeing how Goblin Slayer is the series’ protagonist makes a lot of sense, so we’re not really surprised by that fact. The name we are talking about is Orcbolg, and since it sounds quite different from Goblin Slayer, we think we owe you an explanation. Orcbolg is not often used to refer to Goblin Slayer, but it is nevertheless a relevant fact from the series.

So, what does it mean, and what are its origins? Well, we do know that there are Elves in the GOBLIN SLAYER! series, and that Elves are an important race in the lore, which makes sense since the GOBLIN SLAYER! series is a fantasy series. The Elves are also the natural enemies of goblins (okay, the goblins are mostly indiscriminately vile, and they’ll attack anyone, but Elves are their natural enemies), so you can understand how and why they value Goblin Slayer’s contribution in eliminating the threat that the goblins represent.

We also know that Elves, due to being specific, have a specific language of their own. And while the GOBLIN SLAYER! series has not explored the Elven language in depth; we know that this race has a culture of their own, and based on the fact that the GOBLIN SLAYER! series is based on Western fantasy lore; we can deduce a lot about them and their culture from Western fantasy works. This is why it is not strange that the Elves we’ve seen in the GOBLIN SLAYER! series have a language of their own, and this is the key to understanding Goblin Slayer’s second name.

Namely, Orcbolg, is an Elven term that the Elves call Goblin Slayer. Seeing how he is truly important to them and how they do value his contribution, we cannot say that the Elves having a special, individual name for Goblin Slayer comes as a surprise to us. Orcbolg is a very distinct name, and it tells us that the Elves really do hold the protagonist in high regard, and from that perspective, it makes complete sense.

But what does Orcbolg mean? Well… you probably thought that there was some deeper meaning to this and that the name carries a deeper meaning but… well, Orcbolg actually means – Goblin Slayer in Elven. It is just a literal translation of his actual name, so there is no deeper meaning there. Goblin Slayer is Goblin Slayer in every language known to us, as it seems.

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