are a fictional species of monster in the ''

Dragon Quest previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a franchise of Japanese role-playing video games created by Armor Project (Yuji Horii), Bird Studio (Akira Toriyama) and Sugiyama Kobo (Koichi Sugiyama) to its publi ...

role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

franchise. Originally inspired by the game ''

Wizardry ''Wizardry'' is a series of role-playing video games, developed by Sir-Tech, that were highly influential in the evolution of modern role-playing video games. The original ''Wizardry'' was a significant influence on early console role-playing g ...

'' to be a weak and common enemy for the 1986 video game ''

'', Slimes have appeared in almost every ''Dragon Quest'' game since. Their popularity led to the appearance of many varieties of Slimes, including

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

characters, friendly allies, and even emerging as the protagonist of the '' Rocket Slime'' video game series. Slimes has also appeared in other games property, including

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...

's ''

Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...

'' and ''

Super Smash Bros. ''Super Smash Bros.'' is a Crossover (fiction), crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objectiv ...

'' series of

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

fighting games A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as blocking, grappling, counter-attacking, and chaining attac ...

. Their friendliness, limited power, and appealing form have caused the Slime to become a popular character and the

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

of the ''Dragon Quest'' series. It have been also placed on a multitude of different kinds of merchandise.

Concept and design

According to

Yuji Horii (also written as Yuuji Horii; born January 6, 1954) is a Japanese video game designer and scenario writer best known as the creator of the ''Dragon Quest'' series of role-playing games, supervising and writing the scenario for ''Chrono Trigger' ...

, the creator of ''

'', the inspiration for the Slimes came from a role-playing game series called ''

''. Horii said that when it was originally conceived, the Slime was "a pile of goo", but

Akira Toriyama is a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for his highly successful manga series ''Dr. Slump'', before going on to create ''Dragon Ball'' (his best-known work) and acting as a character design ...

's design came back as a tear-drop which they considered "perfect". There are many different types of Slimes found throughout the ''Dragon Quest'' and ''Rocket Slime'' series. These include Slimes in different colors; Bubble Slimes which look like pools of slime; Nautical Slimes that wear

conch Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North Am ...

shells; the rare Metal Slimes which have high defense, give out large amounts of

experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experi ...

s, and tend to flee from battle; Healslimes which have tentacles; gem-shaped Slimes like the Emperor Slime; cube-shaped Box Slimes; and King Slimes, which are very large Slimes wearing crowns and come in various versions such as regular or metal. In most appearances of Slimes, the creature plays an antagonist role, and occasionally appears as a

. In some ''Dragon Quest'' titles, Slimes also appear as friendly

non-player character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...

s and peaceful inhabitants of cities. Friendly Slimes usually greet players with the phrase, "I'm not a bad Slime!". Slimes, like many monsters in the ''Dragon Quest'' series, have a certain verbal

tic A tic is a sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups.American Psychiatric Association (2000)DSM-IV-TR: Tourette's Disorder.''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'', 4th ed., ...

, "slurp". Slimes also replace certain words or syllables with the word "goo" (''e.g.'' "human" becomes "gooman"), or other words relating to Slime or goo, when they speak. In 2019, Slime was confirmed to be edible and tasted lime.

Appearances

The Slimes made their first appearance in ''

'' as the first and weakest enemy in the game, and have made similar appearances in all subsequent ''Dragon Quest'' titles. In ''

Dragon Quest V ''Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride'' is a role-playing video game and the fifth installment in the ''Dragon Quest'' video game series, second of the Zenithian Trilogy. Originally developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix Corporation, ' ...

'', the monster is an easily recruitable ally that learns a variety of magic spells. Slimes are also the protagonists of their own spinoff series, beginning with '' Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest'', a Japanese

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...

title. It was followed by '' Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime'', which was released worldwide for the

Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

, and the Japanese-exclusive title, ''

Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 3 is a 2011 action-adventure game by Square Enix for the Nintendo 3DS. It is a spinoff video game to the '' Dragon Quest'' series, and the third entry in the ''Slime'' subseries. The game has not seen an official English release, but a fan-made ...

'' for the

Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...

. These games follow a nation of Slimes who are intelligent and civilized, but also cute and somewhat comical. In the North American

localization Localization or localisation may refer to: Biology * Localization of function, locating psychological functions in the brain or nervous system; see Linguistic intelligence * Localization of sensation, ability to tell what part of the body is a ...

of the ''Dragon Quest'' games for the Nintendo DS, joking references and puns are made about Slimes. Slimes also appeared in several crossover games along with characters from Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, such as the ''

Itadaki Street is a party video game series originally created by ''Dragon Quest'' designer Yuji Horii. It is currently owned by Square Enix and Kadokawa. The first game was released in Japan on Nintendo's Famicom console in 1991. Since then, new installments ...

'' series. Slimes also appear in ''

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeeding ...

'' as a stage element on Yggdrasil's Altar, a Spirit, and in one of the Hero's taunts and victory poses.

Cultural impact

Promotion and merchandise

As the most recognizable symbol of one of the best-selling

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

series in Japan, the Slime has been featured prominently in ''Dragon Quest''-related merchandise. It has its own section called 'Smile Slime' on the Square Enix JP shopping website. Slime-themed merchandise includes

plush Plush (from French language, French ) is a textile having a cut nap (textile), nap or pile (textile), pile the same as fustian or velvet. Its softness of feel gave rise to the adjective "plush" to describe something soft or luxurious, which was e ...

toys, pencil cases, keychains,

game controller A game controller, gaming controller, or simply controller, is an input device used with video games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game, typically to control an object or character in the game. Before the seventh generation ...

s, a

stylus A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision w ...

, and several board games including one titled ''Dragon Quest Slime Racing''. ''

Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...

'' called the Slime's controller as "unusual", while ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' said that its the "weirdest controller." In Japan, pork filled steam buns designed to look like Slimes are common themed merchandise available for purchase. Convenience store chain ''Family Mart'' has added Slime on their food menu. For ''Dragon Quest's'' 25th anniversary, special items were sold including

business card Business cards are cards bearing business information about a company or individual. They are shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid. A business card typically includes the giver's name, company or business aff ...

s, tote bags, and crystal figurines. In 2021, A Slime inspired ice packs, teapot and flair has been also made.

Reception

The ''Dragon Quest'' Slime has received positive reception from critics and fans, being called the "most prolific" of all the "memorable" monsters from the series and is one of the most recognizable characters in gaming. The Slime has also been called cute and charming by several critics, especially when reviewing ''Rocket Slime''. ''

GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...

'' listed it as the most lovable blob in video games, calling them the "equivalent of training wheels" due to how easy they are to defeat typically, but also saying that their weird smile makes players think twice about killing them. They also listed it as a character they wished they knew less about. They stated that while they started out as nothing more than things for players to kill and not feel guilty about, the playable role of a Slime in the '' Dragon Quest Heroes'' series made them realize they were more than just generic enemies. In the January 2010 issue of ''

Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninten ...

'', the editors listed the Slime among its Favorite Punching Bags, a list including

Goomba Goombas , known in Japan as , are a fictional mushroom-like species from Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise. They first appeared in the NES video game ''Super Mario Bros.'' as the first enemy players encounter. They have appeared outside video ga ...

s and Octoroks. They wrote that "The Slimes are just so cute and friendly-looking, it's almost hard to slay them. But you know, a hero's gotta do what a hero's gotta do." ''TheGamer'' included Slime on their "10 Iconic Monsters From JRPGs, Ranked", stating that "Slimes come in many shapes and sizes and can vary from adorable to horrifying." ''

Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. History ' ...

'' described the encounter of Slime as one of "the iconic first enemy."

Jason Schreier Jason Schreier (born May 10, 1987) is a journalist and author who primarily covers the video game industry. He worked as a news reporter for ''Kotaku'' from 2011 to 2020 and was recognized for several investigative stories, particularly on the ...

of ''

'' calls the Slime as "adorable slime monsters."

Analysis

Reviewers have seen the Slime as symbolic of the ''Dragon Quest'' series in the same way that the

Moogle are a fictional species of diminutive, sentient creatures and a recurring element of the ''Final Fantasy'' video game franchise, starting with their initial appearance in ''Final Fantasy III''. They also appear in the ''Mana'' and ''Kingdom He ...

represents ''

Final Fantasy is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...

''. ''Dragon Quest'' creator Yuji Horii speculated that the popularity of the Slimes may come from its cuteness, how it is easy to defeat, and while the protagonists change in every ''Dragon Quest'' game, the Slimes are always there.

speculated that the intense "grinding", or fighting of enemies in the ''Dragon Quest'' series exposed players to an abundance of Slimes, but a positive association was created by their familiarity. Yoshiki Watabe, producer of ''

Dragon Quest VIII A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often ...

'', hypothesized its popularity came from it being a "well designed character", but "simple", being accessible to anyone.

References

{{Dragon Quest series Dragon Quest Fictional amorphous creatures Fictional characters who can stretch themselves Fictional monsters Shapeshifter characters in video games Square Enix characters Square Enix protagonists Video game bosses Video game characters introduced in 1986 Video game mascots Video game species and races Video game characters designed by Akira Toriyama