History Literature / Slayers

''Slayers'' ([[MarketBasedTitle originally marketed as]] ''The Slayers'' in the U.S.) started as a series of serialized LightNovels written by Hajime Kanzaka and illustrated by Rui Araizumi, which was first published in 1989 in the Japanese ''Dragon'' Magazine (no relation to the [[Magazine/{{Dragon}} American one]] of the same name). Originally it was supposed to follow the adventures of the Cephied Knight, a champion for good named Luna Inverse. However, when filling out her background, the writer found her little sister Lina far more interesting.

* {{Retraux}}: The art style for the series, courtesy of Rui Araizumi, has not changed much since around the time the first anime aired, so the artwork for newer ''Slayers'' media has a very distinctly 90s feel that's consistent with the earlier installments.

* {{Retraux}}: The art style for the series, courtesy of Rui Araizumi, has not changed much since the series began, so the artwork for newer ''Slayers'' media has a very distinctly 90s feel that's consistent with the earlier installments.

* Retraux: The art style for the series, courtesy of Rui Araizumi, has not changed much since the series began, so the artwork for newer ''Slayers'' media has a very distinctly 90s feel that's consistent with the earlier installments.

** Additionally additionally, five video games, two named just ''Slayers'', then ''Royal'', ''Royal 2'' for UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn[=/=]UsefulNotes/PlayStation, and ''Wonderful'' for the [=PlayStation=], none of which are considered canon.

** Zelas Metallium's ''ass'' has had a couple of cameos in the series, however, and her beast form [[spoiler:(an armored, anthropomorphic wolf with wings)]] appears in one of the games for the UsefulNotes/SuperFamicom. Dolphin's beast form is still unknown.

* ''Slayers'' (UsefulNotes/PC98) (1995)

* ''Slayers Royal'' (UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn, UsefulNotes/{{Playstation}}) (1997)
* ''Slayers Royal 2'' (UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn, UsefulNotes/{{Playstation}}) (1998)
* ''Slayers Wonderful'' (UsefulNotes/{{Playstation}}) (1998)

%%* HeroesWantRedheads: Gourry for Lina.

* UndressingTheUnconscious: In ''TRY'' Episode 15, after Lina is knocked her out she awakens to find herself in a strange land and changed into clothing to simulate Alice from the ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'' story. She actively dwells on the fact someone must have undressed her to change her into those clothes and has a [[DelayedReaction delayed]] NakedFreakOut]].

* VillainousRescue Late in ''NEXT'', when [[BigBad Gaav]] the [[namesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Demon Dragon King]] appears to be dead, they're home free. Well, the celebratory music screeched to a halt when he burst into the open again, they're done for- and promptly dies in screaming agony as ''[[GreaterScopeVillain Hellmaster Phibrizzo]]'' intervenes.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TheSlayersCast_8747.jpg]]

* {{Bishounen}}:
** This show may actually beat out Yu-Gi-Oh for the sheer amount of girly-looking men in it. Gourry, Xellos, Zangulus, Rezo, the list goes on.
** Prince Phil is the only exception, and jokes are made about him NOT being Bishounen. Apparently in the ''Slayers'' universe, being strong and not bishounen makes you a bandit.
** Gaav is an exception as well. The only bishounen thing about him is his hair.

** The whole story of ''TRY'' is that beings from the "Overworld" (one of the other worlds seen in Lina's explanation of the War of the Monster's Fall) come to the Slayers world to try and destroy the BigBad; a fusion of their Arch God (Night Dragon Vorfeed) and Arch Lord (Dark Star Dugradigdu). For many years, fans thought that this meant that Hajime Kanzaka's sci-fi series ''Anime/LostUniverse'' and ''Slayers'' were part of the same [[TheMultiverse multiverse]], though WordOfGod was that he merely chose to reuse the names. This is not helped by the fact that the Translation Notes for the anime of the former do [[FlipFlopOfGod explicitly say that the two animes are part of the same multiverse]].

** In an odd meta-version of this, it is revealed that Gourry's Sword of Light's true name is "Gorun Nova" [[spoiler:which in the Anime/LostUniverse series takes the form of one of the Five Lost Ships created by the ubervillain of that world, Dark Star Dugradigdu. In the Slayers part of the multiverse (which only exists in the series, and not the Slayers novels) [=DarkStar=] Dugradigdu's five generals became the Weapons of Light instead of spaceships.]]

The series alternates between serious fights and quests to save the world, and silly slapstick humor. There is one [[{{Crossdresser}} Cross Dressing]] episode per season, and they will sometimes take breaks in the middle of serious story arcs or fights for [[BreatherEpisode semi-plot-related silliness]]. It manages to find a nice balance, and is one of the must-see series for StandardFantasySetting.

%%* CloningBlues: Vrumugun, Copy Rezo.

Compare it to ''Literature/RecordOfLodossWar'' if only because of the quip that ''Lodoss'' is what TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons [=GMs=] ''wish'' their campaigns were like, and ''Slayers'' is more like what they really are.

# ''The Slayers''

* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Jillas from above. Despite being comic relief for the first quarter of ''TRY'', he manages to separate the gang from Filia and Xellos, get the others into a situation where they could't use magic, all through tactical and psychological manipulation. And he later outdoes himself by creating an explosive rocket, that is as powerful as a dragon slave.

* GreatBigBookOfEverything: The Claire Bible is the physical manifestation of all the Water Dragon's knowledge, which is a lot to say the least. It's an example of what happens when you try to make one of these without access to magic or super-science: the manuscripts are compact but the physical copy spands an entire pocket dimension of giant stone slabs.