Creeper (Minecraft)

Template:Pp-pc Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox character A creeper is a fictional creature within the sandbox game Minecraft. Creepers are hostile mobs (a mobile non-player character) that can be encountered within the game world at any given time or location where such mobs spawn in the dark, such as nighttime. Instead of attacking the player directly, they creep up on the player and explode when they get close, destroying blocks in the surrounding area and potentially damaging the player if they are inside or near the blast radius. Their green camouflage and generally silent behavior aid in stealth attacks. Creepers were first added to Minecraft in a pre-alpha update to the game that was released on September 1, 2009.

The creeper has become one of the most widely recognized icons of Minecraft. They have been referenced and parodied in popular culture, and they are featured prominently in Minecraft merchandising and advertising.

Characteristics and design

Creepers were created as a result of a coding error when creating the pig mob in the pre-alpha stages of Minecraft's development in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson mixed the dimensions of the pig model up, swapping the length and height. This, combined with the AI of looking at the player, led to the creeper becoming a hostile mob.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On September 1, 2009, the monster was officially named "Creeper" and was added to one of the early pre-alpha versions of the game,<ref name="auto">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref> officially designated 0.24_SURVIVAL_TEST_03.<ref name="auto2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto1"/> In 2011, the Minecraft logo was redesigned to integrate the creeper face into the letter "A".<ref name=":0" />

The original color of the creeper was dark green.<ref name="auto1"/> In 2021, an investigation revealed that Persson simply took the texture of leaves, one of the building blocks of Minecraft, and painted on it a characteristic face.<ref name="auto2"/> With the new updates, the hostile mob received a new texture, sound, and unique behavior. Initially, creepers attacked players directly like zombies and exploded only when they were killed, but Persson decided that this was not enough and made the explosion a basic mob attack.<ref name="auto1"/>

In Minecraft, the player exists in a large world made up of cubes. The world contains a number of enemies, of which creepers are commonly encountered. A creeper is practically silent until it comes near the player, at which point it emits a quiet hiss<ref name="auto" /> and detonates after a short delay. The explosion kills the creeper, can kill or injure the player, and also destroys surrounding blocks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In an article for Games and Culture, Daniel Dooghan characterized the creeper as a "suicide bomber".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Over time, the developers decided that creepers were not unpredictable enough, and increased the destructive power of their explosions by having creepers become charged if a lightning strike occurs near them. Mobs killed by charged creepers, including other creepers, drop their heads, which can then be worn in the player's head armor slot as a disguise against mobs of that type.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto1"/>

Appearances

The creeper originally appeared in Minecraft in a pre-alpha update as a common hostile mob that silently approaches players and hisses, then explodes. It appeared later in Minecraft spin-off games such as Minecraft: Story Mode,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Minecraft Dungeons,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Minecraft Legends<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Minecraft Earth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Outside of Minecraft, it also appeared in Terraria (2011), Torchlight II (2012), Borderlands 2 (2012), Octodad: Dadliest Catch (2014),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in Nintendo's crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018), where the creeper has been featured as a Mii Brawler costume.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Impact

File:San Diego Comic-Con 2012 - Minecraft (7585162758).jpg

A woman wearing a Creeper head, alongside another wearing a head depicting Steve, one of the default player characters in Minecraft

The creeper is considered to be one of Minecraft's most iconic enemies and icons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The pixelated face of the creeper has been integrated into the "A" of the Minecraft logo, as well as being used in numerous Halloween costumes and cosplays.<ref name=":2" /> Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition listed the creeper as tenth in their list of "top 50 video game villains".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The creeper has been featured in multiple Lego Minecraft sets and has been the main focus of one.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2021, PC Gamer ranked creeper as 9th of "the 50 most iconic characters in PC gaming," stating that "The Creeper is the star of Minecraft, which is ironic considering that the Creeper's effectiveness hinges upon not being seen."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The creeper image has been used on a wide variety of Minecraft merchandise, including clothing, bedding and lamps.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2020, a joint partnership between Mojang Studios and Kellogg's led to the announcement of Minecraft Creeper Crunch, an official Minecraft branded cereal prominently featuring a creeper on the packaging. It was set to be available for release in stores in the United States in August 2020. Every packet additionally includes a unique code which can be redeemed for a Minecraft cosmetic clothing item.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In popular culture

Creepers have been the subject of numerous pop culture references and parodies. In the season 25 episode "Luca$" of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, Moe Szyslak appears as a creeper and explodes at the end of the theme song's "couch gag".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On August 19, 2011, Jordan Maron (aka CaptainSparklez) released the song "Revenge", a parody of "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love", depicting a Minecraft player seeking revenge against creepers. The song regained popularity as an internet meme around July 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>