In fiction,slimes, also calledoozes, are amorphous creatures composed ofgelatinous ooze. In literature and film, slimes typically take the role of horrific monsters, while in video games andanime, they are often depicted as cute low-level enemies.
Slimes as monsters in literature originated with the writings ofH. P. Lovecraft. In his novellaAt the Mountains of Madness, Lovecraft describedshoggoths, shapeless beings made of black slime. Lovecraft's writings would go on to influence laterGothic fiction and other aspects of popular culture.[1]: 12–17 [2]
Slimes have appeared as monsters in tabletop games such asDungeons & Dragons since the first printing in 1974,[3] being partially inspired by horror films such asThe Blob.[4][5]: 193 Slime creatures inDungeons & Dragons, such as thegelatinous cube, envelop prey before dissolving them in acidic ooze.[6] TheDungeons & Dragons campaign settingSpelljammer: Adventures in Space (2022) introduced plasmoids as aplayable race, making the "ability to reshape their body to their needs" available to players.[7][8]
Drawing from their depiction inDungeons & Dragons,[9]Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord features slimes as low-level monsters, which in turn inspiredtheir appearance inDragon Quest.[10] TheDragon Quest slime, designed byAkira Toriyama,[11] became a highly popular and recognizable character, and went on to influence slimes in other fantasy video games. Slimes in video games are typically 'cute' characters, sometimes appearing not only as common enemies but also as allies or pets.[12] Cute slimes feature in games such asSlime Rancher,Stardew Valley,Terraria,Minecraft, andThe Legend of Zelda franchise.[13]
In the 2013 light novel seriesThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, the protagonist is reincarnated in a fantasyisekai world as a small blue slime inspired by the slime fromDragon Quest. This series created a trend of anime featuring cute slimes.[14] InDelicious in Dungeon, slime monsters are a core ingredient in several meals eaten throughout the series.[15] Other examples of Japanese media featuring slimes areBy the Grace of the Gods,[16]I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level,[17] and others.
A subcategory of slime creatures are slime girls, which are slimes that take a feminine humanoid appearance rather than an amorphous form. These monsters have appeared in media such asMonster Girl Encyclopedia,Monster Girl Quest, andMonster Musume. While slime girls frequently appear inhentai,[18] they sometimes also feature in children's media, such asPuniru Is a Cute Slime.[19]
According toSteven Shaviro, slime creatures in fiction often take the form of either aunicellular organism or asuperorganism, "both of which cannot grasp its complex nature." Additionally, slimes lack the differentiation of organs and tissues that are characteristic of multicellular life. In this difference, slimes are "a collective without individuals, without any specialized parts, and without any sort of articulated (or hierarchical) structure." Marijeta Bradić writes that the motif of slimes in fiction "serves as a tool for questioning the idea of human exceptionalism."[20]
Slime has had symbolic meaning in fiction. Inscience fiction, slime is often "a metaphor for the intangible or unthinkable", according to designerSteven Heller.[2] Historically, some male writers, including Lovecraft, associated slime with femininity, characterizing women as disgustingly different from men. An example of this symbolism is in Lovecraft's short story "Dagon", which features a monster made of ooze and shares a name withDagon, aMesopotamian deity sometimes depicted as a hybrid of a fish and a woman.[1]: 23–25 American journalist Daniel Engber considered slimes in cinema of the 1980s, such asSlimer and theectoplasm inGhostbusters, to be emblematic of cultural fears during theCold War ofnuclear radiation and radioactive material created bynuclear weapons.[21]
Writing forPolygon, Ana Diaz described video game slimes as "loyal punching bags", owing to their role as common low-level enemies.[13]