Exhibit 5.1

June 20, 2016

Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc.

400 East Jamie Court, Suite 101

South San Francisco, CA 94080

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to you in connection with your filing of (i) a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-211976) (as amended or supplemented, the “Initial Registration Statement”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and (ii) a second Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act (the “462(b) Registration Statement,” and together with the Initial Registration Statement, the “Registration Statement”). This opinion letter is furnished to you in connection with your filing of the 462(b) Registration Statement, relating to the registration of the offering by Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) of up to $23,000,000 of shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share, including Shares purchasable by the underwriters upon their exercise of an option granted to the underwriters by the Company. The Shares are being sold to the several underwriters named in, and pursuant to, an underwriting agreement among the Company and such underwriters (the “Underwriting Agreement”).

We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinions set forth below. We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinions set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.

The opinion set forth below is limited to the Delaware General Corporation Law (which includes reported judicial decisions interpreting the Delaware General Corporation Law).

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the 462(b) Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Initial Registration Statement. In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc.

June 20, 2016

Page 2

Very truly yours,

/s/ GOODWIN PROCTER LLP

GOODWIN PROCTER LLP