Pikachu's Thunder in Brawl, a powerful electric attack
A compilation of all the skeletons in SSB.
The playable characters' appearances when hit by electric attacks in Smash 64

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 Samus, whose suitless shape is seen instead; and Kirby and Jigglypuff, 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.[1][2] 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 Pikmin, 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.

List of electric attacksEdit

By charactersEdit

Character Move(s) Games
Captain Falcon Knee Smash (sweetspotted)     
Lightning Falcon Kick  
Dark Pit Electroshock Arm   
Electrocut Arm  
Quickshock Arm
Dark Samus Forward smash  
Up smash
Down tilt
Forward aerial
Forward throw
Grab aerial
Charge Shot
Screw Attack (last hit)
Phazon Laser
Donkey Kong Lightning Punch  
Dr. Mario Forward smash    
Shocking Sheet  
Falco Lasers during back, up, and down throws     
Reflector
Blaster    
Explosive Blaster  
Burst Blaster
Fox Reflector      
Charge Blaster  
Wolf Flash (sweetspotted)
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
Hero Zap/Zapple/Kazap  
Gigaslash
Joker Up tilt (when Arsene is summoned)  
Kazuya Dragon Uppercut  
Demon God Fist
Up throw (beam)
10 Hit Combo (ninth hit)
Devil Blaster
Devil Fist (close hit)
Final Blaster
King Dedede Waddle Dee Toss (Waddle Doo lasers)  
Bouncing Gordo  
Kirby (Copy Abilities) Charge Shot      
Thunder Jolt
PK Flash     
Shadow Ball (charge hitbox)  
Blaster (Falco)    
Pikmin Pluck (thrown Yellow Pikmin)
Blaster (Wolf)   
Charge Blast   
Thunder (Robin)
Devil Blaster  
Link Shocking Spin  
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)   
Lucina Iai Counter  
Mario Shocking Cape
Marth Iai Counter
Mega Man Forward smash   
Up smash
Mega Legends (Buster beams)
Meta Knight Darkness Illusion (lightning bolt)  
Mewtwo Neutral aerial    
Pummel (in Melee and Smash 4)
Shadow Ball (charge hitboxes)  
Floor attack
Mii Gunner Charge Blast   
Echo Reflector
Full Blast
Min Min Punch (Megawatt)  
Mr. Game & Watch Judge (number 5)     
Ness PK Thunder      
PK Flash     
Dash attack   
Forward aerial
Back aerial
Rising PK Flash  
Lasting PK Thunder
Rolling PK Thunder
Forward PSI Magnet
Olimar All Pikmin-based attacks with a Yellow Pikmin (all smashes, all aerial attacks except for neutral aerial, pummel, all throws, Pikmin Throw and customs)    
Pikmin Chain (Yellow Pikmin)  
Pichu Forward smash   
Forward aerial
Down aerial
Thunder Jolt
Skull Bash
Thunder
Pummel
All throws
Forward tilt  
Down smash
Back aerial
Volt Tackle
Pikachu Forward smash      
Forward aerial
Down aerial
Forward throw (back throw in Smash 64)
Thunder Jolt
Thunder
Down smash     
Pummel
Quick Attack
All throws (except forward throw)     
Skull Bash
Volt Tackle    
Thunder Wave  
Thunder Shock
Shocking Skull Bash
Meteor Quick Attack
Quick Feet
Thunder Burst
Distant Thunder
Forward tilt  
Neutral aerial
R.O.B. Forward smash    
Diffusion Beam  
Super Diffusion Beam  
Robin All aerial attacks (neutral aerial in Ultimate only; Levin Sword)   
All smash attacks (Levin Sword)
Pummel
Thunder
Thunder+  
Speed Thunder
Samus Charge Shot      
Screw Attack (last hit)
Forward and back throws  
Up throw (multi-hits)   
Grab aerial     
Zero Laser    
Dense Charge Shot  
Melee Charge Shot
Screw Rush
Apex Screw Attack
Sheik Chain (tip)   
Sora Magic (Thundaga)  
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  
Zero Laser  

By itemsEdit

Item Attack Games
Assist Trophies Barbara: Shockwaves  
Elec Man: Thunder Beam  
Phosphora: Electric shots   
Wily Capsule: Lightning projectiles, ramming into the player  
Beam Sword First hit of forward smash when used by Captain Falcon  
Fan
Hothead Spark    
Key Throw against enemies  
Parasol First hit of forward smash when used by Captain Falcon  
Poké Ball (Pokémon) Bewear: first hit of uppercut  
Dedenne: Discharge   
Ditto: Transform (if the summoner possesses electric attacks)  
Lugia: Aeroblast, contact with body     
Lunala: Moongeist Beam  
Raikou: Spark  
Zapdos: ThunderShock
Ray Gun Shots  

By enemies and bossesEdit

Enemy/Boss Attack Games
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
Ganon Lightning discs  
Glunder Discharge   
Jyk (zap variety) Contact with body  
Marx Eye lasers  
Giant mouth laser
Master Core Master Giant: Electric orbs  
Master Beast: Dark Thunder
Master Hand Slamming punch  
Parts of drill attack   
Lasers    
Flying punch
Metal Face Laser   
Plasma Wisp Plasma beam  
Porky Beam attacks  
Lightning bolt
Rayquaza Dragon Pulse
Thunder
Spaak Spark and thunderbolt attacks
Tabuu Electrical Shield
Eye Lasers
Off Waves
Waddle Doo Eye beam   
Yellow Devil Lasers   

By stage hazardsEdit

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

Stage Hazard Game(s)
Balloon Fight Sparks   
Corneria Great Fox blaster charge     
Kalos Pokémon League Rayquaza in Dragon Chamber   
Midgar Ramuh's Judgment Bolt   
Orbital Gate Assault Forcefield  
Unova Pokémon League Zekrom's Fusion Bolt   

TriviaEdit

  • 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.

ReferencesEdit