Electric

Electric is an attack effect in the Super Smash Bros. series that debuted in the original Super Smash Bros.. Targets hit by electric attacks will be shocked and spark for a second or two. The electric effect is distinct from the paralyze effect, despite most attacks with the paralyze effect using electrical sound effects.

In Smash 64 only, characters hit by electric attacks briefly flash black, with their skeleton visible (except, whose suitless shape is seen instead; and and , whose bodies stay black but have their eyes protuding from them). This is no longer the case from Melee onward, as characters instead glow light blue after taking a hit. From Brawl onward, characters also use a special animation when hit by an electric attack, which has them continuously tremble in place during hitlag and before being launched, instead of using a single animation frame (this animation is shared for characters who are paralyzed).

In Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl, electric attacks always emit very loud sounds on hit. Starting in Smash 4, this has been toned down to a quieter "buzzing" sound.

In addition, electric attacks have several other effects:
 * They multiply hitlag of an attack by 1.5x. In Melee, this multiplier only applied to the victim, not the attacker.
 * In Smash 4, they cause attacks to inflict one more frame of hitstun than usual.
 * They deal no damage to Yellow, which will not flinch.
 * In Brawl and Smash 4, flame and electric attacks make Hotheads grow larger and more powerful (in Ultimate, all attacks can do this, albeit not as quickly).

Electric attacks are boosted by Electric Attack stickers in Super Smash Bros. Brawl's The Subspace Emissary and the spirit skill or trait Electric Attack ↑ as well as certain Spirit Battle conditions in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Electric attacks are resisted by Electric Resist stickers in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the support spirit skills Electric Resist ↑ in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. These attacks also deal more damage to fighters equipped with a primary spirit with the trait Electric Weakness.

By stage hazards
In addition to natural stage hazards, the Spirit Battle condition "The floor is electrified" creates a hazard that inflicts electric damage.

Trivia

 * In Ultimate, when a downed opponent is hit with an electric attack which lifts them off the ground but doesn't cause tumble, they will enter the reset animation in the air rather than their aerial flinch animation. The animation ends early if the opponent acts out of hitstun or lands on the ground again.
 * In Melee, when Pikachu uses its back, up, or down throw on an opponent, it begins to spark immediately, without the "shock" being displayed when the move connects. Strangely, these moves have a normal hit effect, which makes this occurrence even stranger. This was fixed in Brawl, where they now have a proper normal. This also happens to Pichu, with these throws also being the only ones that don't cause recoil damage to it (besides dismissed Thunder), likely because they are not true electric attacks.
 * This can also happen with numerous other throws in Melee if their damage/angle/knockback is altered, even if they retain a normal effect.
 * When a character is hit by an electric attack in Brawl and they have high enough damage, the crowd doesn't make any sounds unless the electric attack in question happens to hit an opponent that has already been launched by another, non-electric attack.