Slimes (folklore)

Slimes, also known as Ooze, Blobs, Goo, and other names, are common monsters found throughout fantasy, science fiction, and horror fiction. They are commonly depicted as shapeshifting, gelatinous, amorphous creatures that prey on other creatures.

Though not common in myth or religion, the Nuppeppo from Japanese folklore were fat, slime-like monsters that smell of rotting flesh and wander graveyards and temples. The legend states that those able to kill one and eat its foul-smelling flesh gain everlasting youth.

Slimes have been used as antagonists throughout fiction, usually as either wild monsters or laboratory experiments. While most of the time they serve as minor antagonists, occasionally they can serve as major antagonists, such as with perhaps the most famous example, the Blob from the horror film franchise of the same name.