Dragon Quest's Slime suitcase covers are a cheap travel upgrade

Square Enix released Dragon Quest Slime-themed suitcase covers in October 2021 for ¥2,640. While Square Enix is indeed preparing to launch full hardshell carry cases for upwards of 24,200 yen this April, this article focuses on the 2021 fabric covers designed to slip over existing luggage.

If I need a new suitcase, I could do far worse than this! Wrapping an old, scuffed bag in a giant blue Slime is a lot more practical than dropping hundreds of dollars on a custom printed hardshell that will just get thrown around by baggage handlers anyway. The covers offer a simple way to spot your luggage on a crowded airport carousel without committing to a permanently branded piece of travel gear.

Akira Toriyama's blue mascot

The Slime has been the face of Dragon Quest since the original game launched on the Famicom in May 1986. Series creator Yuji Horii envisioned a weak, introductory enemy for players to fight. Artist Akira Toriyama took that basic concept and turned it into a friendly, teardrop-shaped monster with a wide smile. It quickly became one of the most recognizable character designs in Japanese gaming history.

The character appears in every mainline Dragon Quest game and dozens of spin-offs. It is the first monster you encounter, the mascot on the box art, and the subject of countless merchandise lines. Square Enix, the company formed by the 2003 merger of Square and Enix, knows exactly how valuable that simple blue shape is.

The October 2021 travel line

The suitcase covers were part of a broader travel merchandise push in late 2021. Square Enix rolled out an entire catalog of themed items for the Japanese market. The lineup included Dot Field backpacks, Liquid Metal Slime eye masks, and King Slime neck pillows.

The covers themselves are straightforward. They have a massive print of the standard blue Slime face on a stretchy fabric designed to wrap around standard rolling luggage. The ¥2,640 price tag (roughly $17 USD at current exchange rates) made them an impulse buy for fans who wanted to show off their RPG preferences at the airport.

Fabric over polycarbonate

Luggage gets destroyed. That is just a fact of air travel. Buying a dedicated gaming suitcase sounds fun until it comes down the baggage claim belt with a massive dent in the polycarbonate shell. A fabric cover solves the problem entirely. It protects the actual bag from minor scratches, adds some personality, and is cheap enough to replace if it gets caught in a conveyor belt mechanism.

The Dragon Quest series has always thrived on approachability. The games use bright colors, clear turn-based mechanics, and charming monster designs to welcome players in. The merchandise strategy follows the same logic. A simple, affordable cover that turns a boring black suitcase into a smiling blue Slime fits perfectly with the franchise's overall philosophy.