Folklore, films, fiction, and games; there’s little on the side of the humble goblin. Often portrayed as mischievous, malevolent, and impish, the term serves as a collective for a range of nefarious creatures. They’re often found on the fringes of civilization, causing trouble for the nearby denizens of various fantasy towns and villages.

RELATED: Awesome RPGs Set In Two Worlds

RPGs are no different in this regard. They usually depict goblins as irritable foes, often fodder, causing a nuisance for the player and the world they inhabit. Occasionally, though, certain RPGs go beyond. Some add much-needed nuance to this archetypal fantasy figure, elevating them above the realm of pest to something more.

8 Overlord Series - Capable Soldiers

Gnarl. Chieftain Minion from Overlord Series

The Minions, at face level, share similarities with the established conception of goblins. They cause death, destruction, and debauchery. Seeming to serve evil for the sake of evil. However, spending some time with the horde reveals more positive aspects of their character.

These soldiers are unflinchingly loyal to their Overlord. Depending on their subspecies, they possess numerous abilities. Whether that’s resurrection, fire casting, or mastery over forgery; these troops have a lot to offer. Their chief, Gnarl, advises a slew of Overlords during the series. His wisdom conveys his intelligence and cunning, oftentimes greater than the master he serves.

7 Fable Series - Tragic Figures

A pair of Hobbes from Fable II, 2008.

Hobbes are Albion’s own take on goblins. They’re short in stature, usually hostile, and live in a variety of precarious cave systems. However, it’s their mysterious origin that subverts usual conventions and elicits sympathy.

It’s rumored that Hobbes are actually corrupted children; those whose curiosity led them to dangerous places, to be accosted by nymphs and degraded into a more hideous form. Their humanoid skeletons and worship of particular objects (like teddy bears, yikes) lend weight to these assertions. They also repeat this process of degradation, by kidnapping more children and converting them into Hobbes.

6 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Fractious Infighters

Elder Scrolls IV : Oblivion. Goblin attack (2006)

The eight goblin tribes of Cyrodiil are territorial, insular and combative - often with one another. The citizens of the land are affected by this conflict, with a community of farmers being displaced in Cropsford. It’s a Bethesda IP, so naturally, the player can choose to intervene.

Getting involved in the conflict will give further insight into the culture of the tribes, which have advanced beyond a primitive nature. They have a belief system, with shamans and totems playing an important role. Goblins also have communal areas and food halls, demonstrating a clear need for community and socialization.

5 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Ancient Beasts

The Witcher 3, 2015. Contract. Swamp thing.

Subversion in The Witcher series is nothing new. The games and books are peppered with morally gray heroes, vulnerable lords, and friendly trolls. Goblins are still characterized as the player's enemy, but their prowess demands respect. A particular type of goblin, The Foglet, proves to be an acutely troubling adversary. Foglets draw power from the murky conditions of swamps and bogs, bathing themselves in illusions that disorientate their prey.

RELATED: The Witcher 3: Man vs Nature

Geralt can be contracted to kill a Foglet that's massacring workers in Velen. The creature, Ignis Fatuus, is suspected to be over two centuries old. Due to its age, the creature's strikes are so robust that they cannot be blocked in an ordinary manner. The player has to be adept at Quen and hauling heavy armor to be in with a fighting chance.

4 World Of Warcraft - Savvy Traders

Goblins from WoW Cataclysm

A specific race characterized as the merchants of a fantasy world is most certainly a convention in RPGs. What’s rare is for goblins to exhibit this kind of purpose and agency, they do exactly that in World of Warcraft.

In WoW; goblins are profiteers, capitalists, and most importantly...playable. If the player wishes to commit to the life of a goblin, they begin their journey in the industrial goblin powerhouse of Bilgewater Port. Goblins running a commercial center veer far from their typical placement as the outliers of society.

3 Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - Illuminati Members

Goblin nomad group, Final Fantasy XIV.

The goblins of Eorzea are arresting for a litany of reasons. Firstly, they disappeared without a trace. Generations later, they abruptly returned and adopted a transient lifestyle, donning masks reminiscent of middle-aged plague doctors. Their culture is largely secular, and they covet knowledge above all. It's refreshing to see a portrayal of goblin society than firmly evolves beyond the primordial.

RELATED: Final Fantasy: Best Recurring Characters

A particular sect of their society proves the most compelling, The Illuminati. The Illuminati seek to horde knowledge for their own advancement. Their leader, Quickthinx Allthoughts, seeks to summon the primal, Alexander, to further his goals of dominion. The plan results in his eventual demise, but his insatiable thirst for knowledge led to lofty heights.

2 Baldur's Gate: Siege Of Dragonspear - Hardened Companions

M'khiin Character card. Siege of Dragonspear, 2016.

The goblins of Faerûn seem to adhere to established fantasy tropes in the original Baldur's Gate, all of that is washed away in the expansion: Siege of Dragonspear. If the player refrains from killing Baeloth in the original, they have the chance to encounter and recruit a goblin shaman, M’Khiin Grubdoubler. She's complex. Sardonic, stoic, and hopeful; all wrapped into one.

Through this lens, the player becomes aware of the prejudice that M'Khiin and her race have to face. They inhabit a world in which their lives are inherently undervalued. M'Khiin stands above to show why this is a grave oversight.

1 Divinity II: Ego Draconis - Ardent Storytellers

Beholder goblin orb

In Divinity's world of Rivellon, goblins occupy a space that amalgamates many of the roles that have been explored in the previous entries. They're not homogenous, they're not entirely tribal, and they're not singularly traders or shamanic. Their diversity mirrors the same diversity held by other races, this in itself is a subversion.

Divinity II goes one step further, by introducing the player to the enigmatic figures of the goblin Beholders. These mysterious orb-like creatures serve as the cultural framework for the goblin tribes. Goblins in Rivellon reserve their sacred written word for their burial chambers exclusively, so their entire histories are passed down through oral transmission. The prestigious task of cultural transmission falls to The Beholders, and The Beholders only.

MORE: Games That Deconstruct the RPG Genre