Electric is a kind of effect in the Super Smash Bros. series that debuted in 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 Super Smash Bros. only, characters hit by electric attacks briefly flash black, with their skeleton visible (except Samus, whose suitless shape is seen instead). In Super Smash Bros., 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 the freeze frames of an attack by 1.5x.[1][2] Prior to Brawl, 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 do no damage to Yellow Pikmin, which will not flinch.
- They make Hotheads grow larger and make them more powerful.
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.
The majority of magic, energy, and PK attacks use the electric effect, though this is hardly universal.
List of electric attacks
By characters
| 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 | ||
| Forward aerial | ||
| Forward throw | ||
| Grab aerial | ||
| Charge Shot | ||
| Screw Attack (entire move) | ||
| 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 | ||
| Joker | Up tilt (when Arsene is summoned) |
|
| 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) | ||
| 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 | ||
| Shadow Ball (charge hitboxes) |
| |
| Floor attack | ||
| Mii Gunner | Charge Blast |
|
| Echo Reflector | ||
| Full Blast | ||
| 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) | ||
| Thunder | ||
| Thunder+ |
| |
| Speed Thunder | ||
| Samus | Charge Shot |
|
| Screw Attack (last hit) | ||
| Forward and back throws |
| |
| Up throw (multi-hits) |
| |
| Down throw |
| |
| Grab aerial |
| |
| Zero Laser |
| |
| Dense Charge Shot |
| |
| Melee Charge Shot | ||
| Screw Rush | ||
| Apex Screw Attack | ||
| 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 |
| |
| Zero Laser |
|
By items
| 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 bosses
| 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 hazards
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 |
|
Trivia
- 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).
- In Brawl and Smash 4, characters use a special animation when hit by an electric attack, which has them continuously tremble in place during freeze frames and before being launched, instead of using a single animation frame, and is the same as their animation when paralyzed.
- 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
| List of attack effects | |
|---|---|
| Introduced in Super Smash Bros. | Normal  • Coin  • Electric  • Flame  • Slash  • Sleep 
|
| Introduced in Super Smash Bros. Melee | Bury  • Darkness  • Flower  • Freezing  • Grab  • Inert  • Reverse  • Screw  • Stun 
|
| Introduced in Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Aura  • Down  • Flinchless  • Grass  • Paralyze  • Plunge  • Slip  • Water 
|
| Introduced in Super Smash Bros. 4 | Blaster  • Magic  • Obliviate  • Stab  • Solar 
|
| Introduced in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Chain  • Curse  • Dedede  • Grapple  • Ink  • Mushroom  • Poison  • Rapid  • Sparks  • Fist-Down  • Scintilla 
|