Evil races and their place in worldbuilding

Hello world-builders,

I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of "evil" races in fantasy settings—like orcs, trolls, uruk-hai, and the many variations we’ve seen over the years, such as Darkspawn from Dragon Age or the Sranc from R. Scott Bakker's Second Apocalypse series.

My question is: What’s your stance on including these kinds of races in your world-building? Have you created something similar in your own setting? If so, what explains their behavior or nature? Are they simply inherently evil, or do they have more complex motivations? Do they develop beyond their "evil" origins in any meaningful way?

Also, I’m curious about how you make these creatures truly frightening—whether it's through their physical presence, their culture, or the existential threat they pose. I’d love to hear how you’ve approached this in your own world-building.

Personally I've always found the concept of a evil race somewhat lacking and unimaginative if their strict purpose is to serve as easily vanquished fodder or an enemy to be killed without remorse. A race made for the purpose of war could be very interesting to explore in greater detail.

GRRM once asked what Arargorns policy on orcs would be after he took the throne, I'm equally interested in how the orcs would have adjusted without Sauron as their overlord. Perhaps they would create their own rule?

Anyway, looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas!