Anyone who has read The Hobbit or watched the films knows that they are full of all sorts of magical creatures and races, some of whom are benevolent, and many of whom are, to put it mildly, unpleasant. Chief among these are the Goblins, who seem to go out of their way to be cruel, malicious, and destructive.
In the book, one of the most malevolent of these creatures is the Great Goblin, who has Bilbo and the Dwarves dragged before him in chains. Despite the fact that he only appears briefly, there are still quite a few things that fans should know about this character.
Has Appeared In Both Film Adaptations
Unlike some of the other characters, the Great Goblin appears in both of the major film adaptations, the one made by Peter Jackson and the one made by the company Rankin/Bass.
In the former, he’s quite an ugly creature, even by Goblin standards, while in the latter he has the same sort of lumpish and squat appearances as many of the other characters. In both cases, he’s an incredibly unpleasant creature, though it has to be said that in Jackson’s version he is at least a little amusing.
Was Portrayed By The Barry Humphries In Jackson’s Film
A significant reason for the Great Goblin’s rather lighthearted appearance in the Jackson film stems from the fact that he is portrayed--both in voice and in motion capture--by the comedic genius Barry Humphries.
Most viewers will recognize Humphries not for himself, necessarily, but for his alter-ego Dame Edna, known for her flamboyant hair color and witty banter and commentary. One can see shades of this persona in the Great Goblin, even as Humpries makes it pretty clear that this is one creature that is unpleasant indeed.
Only Appears In The Hobbit
Fans of Tolkien’s work will know that several of the characters in The Hobbit The Lord of the Rings. Bilbo, obviously, plays a significant role in the latter, though not nearly as much as his cousin (and adopted heir) Frodo. However, the Great Goblin is restricted solely to the events of The Hobbit.
This is hardly surprising since he’s killed by Gandalf. What’s a little more surprising, however, is that he doesn’t really get much much more of a backstory in any of the supplemental material either.
His Death Helped Trigger The Battle Of Five Armies
When Gandalf slays the Great Goblin in the book, it’s a critical moment in both the book itself and in the events of the wider world.
In fact, his death upsets the Goblins so much that they begin massing for an assault on the Dwarves and, as readers will know, this leads right up to the Battle of Five Armies, in which many will lose their lives (including none other than Thorin himself). The movie downplays this somewhat since there’s an existing feud between Thorin and the Orc Azog.
In The Animated Film, He Was Voiced By John Stephenson
The Rankin/Bass version of this story has a bit of a mixed reputation, in part because the animation style is so strange (to American eyes), and because it takes so many unnecessary liberties with the source material.
However, it has to be said that the voice actor who provides his voice to the Great Goblin, John Stephenson, does a pretty good job making this a character that’s more than a little frightening. Animation fans will recognize Stephenson for his work with many animated cartoons, particularly those from Hanna-Barbera.
He Has More Of A Role In The Jackson Film Than In The Book
In the book, the Great Goblin doesn’t really have much to do in the plot itself. In fact, he doesn’t really last that long since Gandalf makes short work of him. However, given that Jackson decided to expand the novel into three films, he gave this character more to do.
In part, it’s made clear that he is in some sort of direct with Azog himself since he dispenses a servant to carry a message to the Orc chieftain.
He Knew Thorin’s Blade On Sight
In the novel, it’s unclear at first what exactly, the Great Goblin is going to do with his captives. All of this changes, however, when he catches sight of Thorin’s sword, which he immediately recognizes as an Elf blade. His anger is so great that he almost strikes the Dwarf down on the spot.
As readers will know, this is because the Elves have a long history of warfare with the Orcs, and the two groups hate one another with a vehement ion.
Occasionally Had A Craving For Fish
Though this isn’t shown in the film, the book reveals that the Great Goblin would occasionally decide that he had a craving for fish, and he would dispatch his servants to the lake that existed deep down in the mountains.
Of course, this is the very lake upon which Gollum had made his home, and there were several of the Great Goblin's servants that never did make it back to their master (this also explains why many Goblins were afraid of Gollum).
In Jackson’s Film He Already Knows Who Thorin Is, Whereas In The Book It’s Less Clear
In Jackson’s film, it’s clear right away that the Great Goblin knows who Thorin is. He not only announces that Thorin has a bounty on his head, but he also mocks Thorin for being king of nothing.
In the novel, it’s a little less clear at first whether the Great Goblin knows who Thorin is since it seems as if he sees the Dwarves as casual interlopers rather than as part of a greater conspiracy.
His Death Also Helped The Company Persuade Beorn To Offer Them Shelter
Beorn is one of the great characters of this story. As a man who can change himself into a bear (or is it perhaps the other way around?), he’s something of an enigma. He plays a pretty substantial role in the films, obviously, but in the book, he’s a rather mercurial kind of character.
In fact, it’s really only after he finds out that Gandalf and the Dwarves slew the Great Goblin that he decides to welcome them to his home.
