There are certain monsters in the fantasy genre who, as their name suggests, just simply aren't suited to being the good guys (usually, anyway). The more "popular" (I use the word tentatively) monsters have spread to many different mediums beyond their literary (often Tolkienian) origins, such as films and video games; I bet an upcoming 3DS or Kinect title will have them at some point. If you're desperately waiting for the moment when your brand new Nintendo 3DS requires you to yell "WAAAGH" at it (or vice versa) then read on; after all, it's not easy being green.
Trolls
In Norse mythology trolls were originally evil giants, eventually becoming creatures in their own right thanks to Scandinavian folklore. Dwelling in isolated places such as caves and mountains (or bridges, if they take their fancy), trolls are generally dumb but large, strong and sometimes strangely agile. Frequently known for their toughness (stony skin and powers of regeneration are common, especially in Dungeons & Dragons), trolls are usually carnivores (and often, unfortunately for us, have a taste for people). Ogres, who are generally large, greedy and hairy, are often depicted in a similar way to trolls.
Orcs
Big, green and usually mean. Orcs like fighting and as such are usually quite good at it (in their own, violent way). Tolkien first began using this name for them, apparently desiring to ultimately change the spelling to "ork" (which you may have seen in Warhammer). In both World of Warcraft and Dungeons & Dragons players can be orcs themselves. Goblins are often seen as essentially smaller, weaker, more mischievous orcs.
Kobolds
A spirit from Germanic mythology, in modern media kobolds are small weak monsters somewhere between a human and a dragon. In Dungeons & Dragons they are somewhat of a running joke due to their relatively low challenge rating.
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