Slime (Dragon Quest)

Slimes (スライム) are a fictional species of monster in the Dragon Quest role-playing video game franchise. Originally inspired by the game Wizardry to be a weak and common enemy for the 1986 video game Dragon Quest, Slimes have appeared in almost every Dragon Quest game since. Their popularity led to the appearance of many varieties of Slimes, including boss characters, friendly allies, and even emerging as the protagonist of their own spinoff series. Slimes have also appeared in other video game properties, including Nintendo's Mario and Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games.

Their friendliness, limited power, and appealing form have caused the Slime to become a popular character and the mascot of the Dragon Quest series. It has also been placed on a multitude of different kinds of merchandise.

Concept and design
According to Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, the inspiration for the Slimes came from a role-playing game series called Wizardry. Horii said that when it was originally conceived, the Slime was "a pile of goo", but Akira Toriyama'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; She Slimes which are orange slimes that are slightly stronger then regular slimes and are despite their name, not always necessarily female; Bubble Slimes which look like pools of slime; Nautical Slimes that wear conch shells; the rare Metal Slimes which have high defense, give out large amounts of experience points, 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 boss. In some Dragon Quest titles, Slimes also appear as friendly non-player characters 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, "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 like lime.

Appearances
The Slimes made their first appearance in Dragon Quest as the first and weakest enemy in the game, and have made similar appearances in all subsequent Dragon Quest titles. In Dragon Quest V, 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 Mori Mori Dragon Quest, a Game Boy Advance title. It was followed by Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, which was released worldwide for the Nintendo DS, and the Japanese-exclusive title, Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 3 for the Nintendo 3DS. These games follow a nation of Slimes who are intelligent and civilized, but also cute and somewhat comical. In the North American localization 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 series. Slimes also appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a stage element on the Yggdrasil's Altar stage, as a Spirit, as a purchasable hat for Mii Fighters, and in one of the Hero's taunts and victory poses.

Promotion and merchandise
As the most recognizable symbol of one of the best-selling video game 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 toys, pencil cases, keychains, game controllers, a stylus, and several board games including one titled Dragon Quest Slime Racing. 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 cards, 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. It has also been cited as one of the series' mascot. The Slime has also been called cute and charming by several critics, especially when reviewing Rocket Slime. GamesRadar+ described 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 wished that 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, the editors described the Slime among its Favorite Punching Bags, a list including Goombas 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 named Slime an iconic monster in JRPGs, stating that "Slimes come in many shapes and sizes and can vary from adorable to horrifying." Destructoid described the encounter of a Slime as one of "the iconic first enemy." Jason Schreier of Kotaku described Slimes as "adorable slime monsters." Jenni Lada from Siliconera said that the best monster from the series is the Slime. She further stated that "they’re easy fodder for any beginner adventurer, and they look so silly with their blank expressions. There is not a single thought behind those eyes, and I love them for it." Matt Karoglou of GameRant has claimed that it was the biggest contribution to the Industry. He said that "in the world of RPGs, the Dragon Quest Slime reigns supreme as the most legendary and defining character from not just the series but the genre itself, making the creature an unmistakable piece of RPG iconography."

Analysis
Reviewers have seen the Slime as symbolic of the Dragon Quest series in the same way that the Moogle represents Final Fantasy. 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. GamesRadar+ 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, hypothesized its popularity came from it being a "well designed character", but "simple", being accessible to anyone.