History Main / OurGoblinsAreDifferent

** Bokoblins, which first appear in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'', are smaller versions of the orc-like Moblins that appear throughout the series. They typically have hunched statures and large, pointed ears, and are usually on the weaker end of enemy progression.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'' describes Moblins as goblins with bulldog heads (although they have pig heads in the newer games). While most are just [[RandomEncounters generic]] [[AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters]], a few have defined personalities. Most of the Moblin characters are comical {{Card Carrying Villain}}s. A friendly Moblin in the first ''Zelda'' is known for the phrase "IT'S A SECRET TO EVERYBODY."

* ''LightNovel/GrimgarOfFantasyAndAsh'': Goblins in the series are intelligent creatures that have a bit of a social order, with upper-class ones taking wives and banishing those that lose to them in battle to the Old Town. The exiled ones are the ones most often seen, staking a claim to the surrounding area. They also come in different types. Mud goblins are the lowest kind, while proper goblins have pouches they use to carry valuables. Hobgoblins are roughly human-sized, but are dumb and used as servants.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'': The various Blins play with this in various ways:

** The goblins in ''Literature/GoblinsInTheCastle'' and the short story "The Stinky Princess", while definitely weird, are mostly snarky and pragmatic, and tend to be a lot more decent than many human characters.

* In ''FanFic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'', it is posited by Harry that goblins are just humans under a sort of inherited genetic curse and not, lamentably, an incredibly valuable second data point for the origin of intelligent life. (This is, however, never ''confirmed'' in the story, leaving EpilepticTrees to grow.)

** The goblins in ''Goblins in the Castle'' and the short story "The Stinky Princess", while definitely weird, are mostly snarky and pragmatic, and tend to be a lot more decent than many human characters.

* ''Manga/Overlord2012'': Goblins are described as being like a cross between humans and apes. Goblins here are the standard vicious little bastards who can only deal damage in great numbers (and accompanied by ogres at that). However, those summoned by YGGDRASSIL's horn (originally a low-level item that summons a small mob of different goblins such as casters, archers, wolf-riders, etc.) are scarily competent, not only an effective guerrilla force in their own right but loyal to their summoner, who end up TrainingThePeacefulVillagers and helping them build fortifications. We later meet Agu, who belongs to the hobgoblin subspecies. They're Caucasian instead of green, smarter, more articulate and physically better than regular goblins.

* The goblins in ''Manga/SoWhatsWrongWithGettingRebornAsAGoblin?'' have some oddities to them. Alongside their blue skn, rather short lifespans (around a week at most), and no need for sleep (due to these short lifespans limiting the time they have to do everything else) these goblins also have the ability to pass on their "birth spells" and inherit traits that are separate from their base status. These inherited traits cannot be transferred to another goblin after they die, only their base stats. The main goblin, Akira, carries the "octogenarian" status, which allows him to live for 80 human years.

** [[FaceOfAThug Princess Gwendolyn]] is a subversion. Her green hair and skin, pointy ears, ScaryTeeth, and overall inhuman appearance strongly evoke a classical goblin. But despite looking so different from her siblings (two PrincessClassic sisters and a PrettyBoy brother), there's no indication that she's anything but human. Plus, she's a NiceGirl who completely lacks the evil or mischievous attributes of typical goblins. With that said, she does occasionally get mistaken for a goblin by people who don't know her well (whenever they aren't mistaking her for a WitchClassic).

* In [[LARP/DagorhirBattleGames Dagorhir]], goblins and orks are a collective ("the greenskins"). Although the orks are the larger and more powerful folks and typically wield more authority and influence, the Big Boss is currently a goblin. Consequently their "cunnin' plans" tend to involve less brute force and more silliness. With the exception of a few, they are predominantly cannon fodder.

* Arguably the most famous goblin in all fiction is Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow or Hobgoblin (Hob being possibly a nickname of Robin), from [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare's]] ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream''. [[OlderThanYouThink Originally a character from English folklore]], he's a cocky shape-shifting [[FairyTrickster trickster]] who disdains mortals. He performs a role somewhat reminiscent of Cupid in making people fall in love with each other for his own [[ItAmusedMe amusement]].

* ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' features goblins as its villains. Most of them are straight examples of the trope, except the Goblin King, who looks like... well, Music/DavidBowie. Probably why fanon almost universally maintains that Jareth is a fairy, that and he fits the profile extraordinarily well.

* ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'', surprisingly, subverts this. Goblins in the setting are, in many ways, surprisingly generic, with many of the characteristics common in fantasy and ''Dungeons & Dragons''-type settings. They're as small as a human child, with the strength to match, and while dangerous in large numbers, an experienced adventurer can usually make short work of them. [[NightmareFuel Chapters one and two of the manga show, in horrific detail, what goblins do to inexperienced and woefully under-prepared adventurers who foolishly try and raid their lairs, intent on exterminating them and rescuing the maidens that the goblins had kidnapped for breeding purposes.]] If there's one thing that's different about the goblins in this setting, it is the fact that there is absolutely nothing funny about them: They are absolutely terrifying.

* '' LightNovel/HaiToGensouNoGrimgar '': Goblins in the series are intelligent creatures that have a bit of a social order, with upper-class ones taking wives and banishing those that lose to them in battle to the Old Town. The exiled ones are the ones most often seen, staking a claim to the surrounding area. They also come in different types. Mud goblins are the lowest kind, while proper goblins have pouches they use to carry valuables. Hobgoblins are roughly human-sized, but are dumb and used as servants.

* Goblins in ''LightNovel/ReMonster'' are similar to the ones in ''Goblin Slayer''. Although females exist, they find it easier to breed with other races so the men often kidnap and rape human women. Being set in an RPGMechanicsVerse, they can level up and evolve into hobgoblins which are bigger, stronger and smarter.
* Goblins in ''LightNovel/SoImASpiderSoWhat'' look like [[RodentsOfUnusualSize giant mice]] and spend most of their time trying to level up and become hobgoblins because it's the only way to lengthen their 11-13 year lifespans.
* ''LightNovel/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'': The goblin tribe Rimuru originally meets are short and weak physically like children, though they are intelligent and skilled enough to quickly erect fortifications as well as use basic weapons like spears or bows, and have a fully functional culture and language. After he names them, [[EvolutionPowerUp they transform into]] "Hobgoblins" and "Goblinas" for male and female respectively, [[BishonenLine who essentially resemble green-skinned adult humans with developed canines and pointy ears save for the actual children]]. Except for Gobta, who still appears the same ("My growth was more of a spiritual type!"). Personality-wise, however, they're practically no different from tribal humans who have no issues with coexisting with former enemies in peace, with a fully thriving civilization easily coming into existence under Rimuru's watchful eyes.

* The Redcap of Scottish folklore, a short figure wearing a cap drenched in the blood of travellers clubbed to death by him. He requires the blood to survive and can be warded off by reciting a verse of Literature/TheBible or with a crucifix.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly-Hopkinsville_encounter The Hopkinsville Goblins,]] a group of aliens alleged to have terrorized a family [[AliensInCardiff in rural Kentucky.]] They were described as having glowing yellow eyes, large pointed ears, big heads and spindly limbs in addition to being three feet tall and ImmuneToBullets.

In folklore, goblins were [[PeeveGoblins diminutive household pests]], or at best wild creatures, and were typically conflated with whatever [[AllTrollsAreDifferent trolls]] and/or [[OurFairiesAreDifferent faeries]] fit the trope. A stronger form of goblin may be known as a '''hobgoblin''', though the term originally denoted the ''friendlier'' variety of goblin (the word "hob" being derived either from the shelf at the back of a fireplace and thus indicating "hearth and home" or from a Middle English nickname for "Robert"). English Puritans later started using the word "hobgoblin", originally meaning a friendlier variety of goblin, to mean "demon", which probably is why Tolkien used the word "hobgoblin" to mean "a bigger goblin". Both goblins and hobgoblins, if they were viewed at all as a mythical race, instead of just [[RandomEncounters monsters]] or diminutive [[TheFairFolk faeries]] of the nasty sort, would be generally considered the [[DarkIsEvil "dark"]] [[EvilCounterpart version]] of [[OurElvesAreDifferent elves]] or [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarves]] in that culture.

* Snooki from ''Series/JerseyShore'' has the unlikely honor of being treated as one. Website/{{Cracked}}.com's review of the show called her a goblin about 20 times, and ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' morphed her into a giant rat-looking thing.

* The goblins in ''Manga/SoWhat'sWrongWithGettingRebornAsAGoblin?'' have some oddities to them. Alongside their blue skn, rather short lifespans (around a week at most), and no need for sleep (due to these short lifespans limiting the time they have to do everything else) these goblins also have the ability to pass on their "birth spells" and inherit traits that are separate from their base status. These inheritad traits cannot be transferred to another goblin after he/she dies, only their base stats. The main goblin, Akira, carries the "octogenarian" status, which allows him to live for 80 human years.

* Explored by WebAnimation/JoCat in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ape4gtRZIys Crap Guide to Goblins,]] discussing and illustrating several variations. His particular take on them, called Craplins, is the 'low level cannon fodder that happens to be adorable' type, falling squarely into MascotMook territory, complete with [[EverythingsBetterWithPlushies plushies]].

* '' LightNovel/HaiToGensouNoGrimgar '' :Goblins in the series are intelligent creatures that have a bit of a social order, with upper-class ones taking wives and banishing those that lose to them in battle to the Old Town. The exiled ones are the ones most often seen, staking a claim to the surrounding area. They also come in different types. Mud goblins are the lowest kind, while proper goblins have pouches they use to carry valuables. Hobgoblins are roughly human-sized, but are dumb and used as servants.