There are various attacks in the Super Smash Bros. series that cause the electric effect. Targets hit by these attacks will be shocked and spark for a second or two. Electric attacks have other effects:

  • They multiply the freeze frames of an attack by 1.5x.[1][2] This multiplier only applies to the victim, not the attacker.
  • They do no damage to Yellow Pikmin, which will not flinch.
  • They are strengthened by Electric Attack stickers.
  • They are weakened by Electric Resistance stickers.

The majority of magic, energy, and PK attacks use the electric effect, though this is hardly universal. The electric effect can be confused with the paralyze effect, as the only common moves that can paralyze use electrical sound effects.

Pikachu's Thunder in Brawl, a powerful electric attack.

List of electric attacks

By characters

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Character Move(s) Games
Captain Falcon Knee Smash (sweetspotted)    
Lightning Kick (custom Falcon Kick)  
Dark Pit Electroshock Arm  
Donkey Kong Lightning Punch (custom Giant Punch)  
Dr. Mario Forward smash   
Shocking Sheet (custom Super Sheet)  
Falco Blaster   
Lasers during back, up and down throws    
Reflector
Fox Reflector     
Charge Blaster (Blaster custom)  
Wolf Flash (custom Fox Illusion)
Ganondorf Neutral attack (except sourspot in Brawl and Smash 4)    
Down aerial
Dark Dive
Giga Bowser Up smash    
Neutral aerial
Back aerial
Down aerial
Whirling Fortress
Kirby (copy abilities) Charge Shot     
Thunder Jolt
PK Flash    
Shadow Ball (charge hitbox)  
Blaster (Wolf)  
Blaster (Falco)  
Thunder (Robin)
King Dedede Waddle Dee Toss (Waddle Doo lasers)  
Zigzag Gordo (custom Gordo Throw)  
Link Shocking Spin Attck (custom Spin Attack)  
Lucas Forward tilt (sweetspot)   
Dash attack
Up tilt (tip)
Up smash
Down smash
Neutral aerial
Forward aerial (sweetspot)
Back aerial
PK Thunder
PSI Magnet
Down aerial (last sweetspotted hit)  
Mario Shocking Cape (custom Cape)  
Mega Man Forward smash  
Up smash
Mewtwo Neutral aerial   
Pummel
Shadow Ball (charge hitboxes)  
Floor attack
Mii Gunner Charge Blast  
Full Blast
Mr. Game & Watch Judge (number 5)    
Ness PK Thunder     
PK Flash    
Dash attack   
Forward aerial
Back aerial
Olimar All Pikmin-based attacks with a Yellow Pikmin (all smashes, all aerial attacks except for neutral aerial, pummel, all throws, Pikmin Throw, and Pikmin Chain)   
Pichu Forward smash  
Forward aerial
Down aerial
Thunder Jolt
Skull Bash
Thunder
Pummel
All throws
Pikachu Forward smash     
Forward aerial
Down aerial
Forward throw (back throw in SSB)
Thunder Jolt
Thunder
Down smash    
Pummel
Quick Attack
Back, up and down throws  
Skull Bash
Volt Tackle   
Shocking Skull Bash (custom Skull Bash)  
R.O.B. Forward smash   
Diffusion Beam  
Robin Thunder  
All aerial attacks except neutral air (Levin Sword)
All smash attacks (Levin Sword)
Samus Charge Shot     
Screw Attack (last hit)
Forward and back throws  
Grab aerial    
Zero Laser   
Sheik Chain (tip)   
Wario-Man Corkscrew   
Wolf Blaster (shots)  
Wolf Flash (sweetspot)
Reflector
Zelda Neutral attack   
Up tilt
Dash attack
Forward smash (last hit)
Up smash
Lightning Kicks (sweetspot)
Pummel
Down throw
Neutral aerial (last hit)  
Down aerial (sweetspot)
Zero Suit Samus Neutral aerial   
Up smash
Forward throw
Plasma Whip (whip body)
Forward smash  
Plasma Wire
Power Suit Samus
Gunship lasers  

By items

Item Attack Games
Ray Gun Shots  
Beam Sword First hit of forward smash when used by Captain Falcon  
Fan
Poké Ball (Pokémon) Zapdos: ThunderShock  
Raikou: Spark
Lugia: Contact with body    
Dedenne: Discharge  
Assist Trophies Barbara: Shockwaves  
Elec Man: Thunder Beam  
Phosphora: Electric shots
Hothead Spark   
Key Throw against enemies  

By enemies and bosses

Enemy/Boss Attack Games
Master Hand Slamming punch  
Parts of drill attack   
Lasers    
Flying punch
Crazy Hand Lasers    
Sweep attack   
Parts of drill attack
Flying Punch
Jet flight (comeback)
Triple poke (second hit)
Applause combo (fourth hit)
Cross punch combo (startup)
Duon Blue laser attack  
Feyesh Tentacle swipe
Jyk (zap variety) Contact with body
Porky Beam attacks
Lightning bolt
Rayquaza Dragon Pulse
Thunder
Spaak Spark and thunderbolt attacks
Tabuu Electrical Shield
Eye Lasers
Off Waves
Glunder Discharge   
Waddle Doo Eye beam
Master Core Master Giant: Electric orbs  
Master Beast: Dark Thunder
Plasma Wisp Plasma beam

By stage hazards

Stage Hazard Game(s)
Corneria Great Fox blaster charge    
Balloon Fight Sparks  
Unova Pokémon League Zekrom's Fusion Bolt
Kalos Pokémon League Rayquaza in Dragon Chamber  

Trivia

 
The playable characters' appearances when hit by electric attacks in Smash 64 where some of the characters get shocked with cartoon animations showing; this is the only game in the series to use such an easter egg.
  • In Super Smash Bros, characters hit by electric attacks will briefly flash black, with their skeleton visible. The exception is Samus, whose suitless shape is seen instead. Non-playable characters do not have this effect. Using AR codes can enable the player to play as a skeleton for an entire game.
  • 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. This was fixed in Brawl, where they were given a neutral effect. This also happens to Pichu, with these attacks also being the only ones that don't cause recoil damage to it (besides dismissed Thunder).
  • 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.

References