Lava Slime
Born of the Underworld's inferno, a molten sprite that leaps with volcanic fury
The Lava Slime is a pre-Hardmode enemy and a slime variant that spawns in The Underworld . It gives off an orange glow with fire particles. Lava Slimes take no damage from lava and float on it like regular slimes do on water , except they rebound very high into the air when they come up, instead of gently bouncing up and down like normal slimes. Lava Slimes also have increased mobility compared to other slimes. Unlike most slimes, the Lava Slime does not drop Gel upon death but still drops coins . In Expert Mode (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) , lava slimes leave behind a block of lava when killed, which usually (but not always) destroys any coins that are dropped. The coins can be recovered consistently if the player is close enough to pick them up when the slime dies, because items that are in the process of being picked up become immune to lava. The amount of lava produced by each slime varies, but is around 2/3rds of a tile on average. Testing suggests that the quantity of lava is most likely a random value selected between approximately 1/3rd of a tile and one full tile. Since the minimum amount of fluid required to fill a bucket (which holds one tile of liquid) is half a tile, this means the lava dropped from one slime is bucketable ~3/4ths of the time. Like most other slimes, the Lava Slime will be passive towards any player with the Royal Gel (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) accessory equipped. - Internal NPC ID : 59 - 1 Notes - 2 Achievements - 3 Trivia - 4 History
- Type
- Slime
- Environment
- The Underworld
- AI Type
- Slime AI
- Damage
- 15 / 30 › 54 / 45 › 81
- Max Life
- 50 / 100 › 220 / 150 › 330
- Defense
- 10 / 10 › 20
- KB Resist
- 0% / 10% / 20%
- Banner
- Lava Slime Banner (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
Lore & Background
To the uninitiated traveler, they appear as harmless, bouncing blobs of light, yet they possess a dangerous volatility. When struck down in the heat of battle, especially under the intensified conditions of Expert Mode, their containment fails spectacularly. They shatter into splashes of liquid fire that can reshape the battlefield, turning safe bridges into treacherous traps or accidentally summoning ancient horrors by destroying vital totems. Though they yield no gel for crafting, their demise offers a bounty of coin and occasionally a sliver of the very lava that defines them, a testament to the dangerous alchemy of the deep earth.
In Their Own Story
You descend into the caverns where the air tastes of sulfur and ash. The ground beneath your boots is warm, vibrating with the heartbeat of the planet. Suddenly, a soft orange glow catches your eye—a Lava Slime, drifting lazily above a pool of molten rock. It spots you, its gelatinous form pulsing with internal heat. With a sudden burst of energy, it launches itself into the air, soaring twice as high as any surface creature could hope to fly. You raise your sword, but the impact is delayed; it rebounds off the cavern ceiling and comes crashing down toward you. The clash is brief but violent. As your blade pierces its core, the slime does not simply vanish. It explodes into a shower of embers and liquid fire, splashing onto the stone floor where it hisses and spreads. For a heartbeat, you stand frozen as the lava threatens to consume your dropped coins, only for them to shimmer safely in your grasp, immune to the heat that just birthed them.
Reader's Guide
The Lava Slime is a pre-Hardmode enemy exclusive to The Underworld, identifiable by its orange glow and floating movement over lava. It possesses high mobility and jumps significantly higher than standard slimes, making it unpredictable in combat. While it deals moderate damage (15 base), its threat increases in Expert Mode where it leaves behind blocks of lava upon death.
Combat requires caution regarding your footing; the lava it spawns can destroy dropped items or block pathways. To safely farm coins, remain close to the enemy when striking it so you can collect loot before the lava consumes it. If building bridges in The Underworld, include one-block holes to allow lava to drain, preventing accumulation on platforms made of obsidian, stone, or ash wood.
Notable drops include standard coin values (3 Silver in pre-Hardmode, 4 Silver and 80 Copper in Hardmode) but no Gel. In Expert Mode, the lava drop is variable, averaging two-thirds of a tile, making it roughly 75% chance to be bucketable for collection. In Remix or Zenith seeds, this lava mechanic is disabled, and they instead drop gel.
Did You Know?
- Lava Slimes are one of only two slimes named after a liquid, the other being the Shimmer Slime.
- In Expert Mode, killing a Lava Slime can accidentally destroy Guide Voodoo Dolls, unintentionally summoning the Wall of Flesh.
- The lava produced by a single slime is sufficient to fill a bucket roughly three-quarters of the time.
- Despite their name and appearance, they are immune to lava damage and float on it rather than sinking.