- Not to be confused with Thunder Bolt, an item in Paper Mario.
Lightning, also known as Thunderbolt or Shock, is an item in the Mario Kart series, first appearing in Super Mario Kart.
Description
Lightnings are typically obtained by racers in lower rankings, but never by the racer in first place. Using a Lightning strikes each racer in front of the user with a yellow lightning bolt, temporarily shrinking and slowing them; targets also drop their items and will not get an item if they were about to get one from an Item Box. Racers under the effects of a Super Star unaffected by Lightning.
Using a Lightning is exceptionally effective when doing so the instant an opponent is about to go off a ramp, making them fall out of bounds.
In Mario Kart series
Super Mario Kart
Lightning is a usable item that turns every racer in front of the user to a very small size. A tiny racer is much slower than their regular counterpart, and is squished upon contact with a bigger racer. The racers turn to regular size after so many seconds, starting with the racer in eighth place. Being squished by another racer has the same effect as being squished by a Thwomp.
Mario Kart 64

Lightning retains its role and function from Super Mario Kart, though they cannot use any items that they have unless they have already deployed them, such as Bananas behind their kart. When two shrunken players collide, they will both crush each other. Lightning can be obtained by anyone except whoever is currently in first place, however CPUs only obtain this item in last place.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Lightning functions similarly as in Super Mario Kart. Yoshi, Princess Peach and Wario are the only CPUs that can use this item.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Lightning functions similarly as in previous Mario Kart games, but with some differences. It can scatter racers' items across the road when used, although Lightning does not affect racers who have either an obstacle or is being returned on the course, such as from after falling out-of-bounds. Shrunken drivers are not squished or spun out by regular-sized drivers like before, but rather pushed to the side, even if hit by a lightweight vehicle like the Bullet Blaster. If an item thrower is dragging on the ground and the player's character or their opponent uses Lightning, they will shrink and say their dragging sound effects, which are faster and more high-pitched.
Mario Kart DS

Lightning returns as an item. It is functionally similar as in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, but there is a longer duration for when a character returns to normal size depending on their current ranking, with those who are farther ahead of the user taking longer to recover. A racer in seventh place recovers almost instantly from the effects, while a character in first place can be shrunken for up to six seconds.
Mario Kart Wii

The Lightning affects all other racers, similarly to how it has in other Mario Kart games. The item can be cancelled out by use of the new Mega Mushroom item, which when used while tiny, brings the racer who used it back to normal size. If the racer already is giant upon the Lightning's use, they will become regular sized. There is also the Thunder Cloud, which shrinks its user with Lightning seconds after being summoned, and the only way for a racer to not be shrunk by the Lightning is by passing it on to a different character.
The POW Block, which is another item introduced into the game, acts similar to the Lightning Bolt, except it shakes up the other racers and doesn't shrink them. It can also be avoided if the player is in the air or if they press the tricks button.
Mario Kart 7

Lightning returns as an item, with the duration of its effects once again being the longest for characters further into the race. Racers under the effects of a Lightning can be squished if run over by normal sized racers, an effect not seen since Mario Kart 64. Unlike in Mario Kart Wii, the shrinking effect still occurs to racers blasting out of a cannon, and drivers in midair fall down.
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Lightnings retain their usual role. In the original Wii U release, using a Super Star and getting shocked will still cause the target to drop items. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Stars allow their wielders to continue carrying items.
Mario Kart Tour
Lightning retains its usual role of being an item.
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Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Lightning returns as an item and retains its usual effect of shrinking the opponents ahead of the user and therefore causing them to lose their items in the process.
In Mario Pinball Land
A Lightning is an item that, when used, defeats all enemies on screen.
In Mario Power Tennis
Lightning is an item in the Item Battle in Exhibition Mode that shrinks the user's opponents when used, reducing their speed and power temporarily. Lightning also appears in 8-bit Mario Bros. styled sprites in the mini-game Coin Collectors, where it is used when the player grabs it.
In Mario Baseball series
Mario Superstar Baseball
Lightning is one of the items that can result from landing the ball on a ? space in Toy Field, and it switches the leading player's coins with whoever landed the ball onto the space.
Mario Super Sluggers
Lightning is an error item in Toy Field, where the losing player may receive it.
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Lightning is an item that, when touched, strikes down all of the user's opponents and even teammates for a few seconds. When spawning from a ? Panel, a Lightning starts high enough that a character has to jump at the Lightning to use it, but Lightning eventually hovers down, allowing anyone to touch it.
In Mario Party series
Mario Party 9

Lightning appears in King Boo's Puzzle Attack, where lining three of them grants ten points to the character while taking away three points from their opponents and unleashing lightning that will damage King Boo more than the other items do.
Mario Party: Island Tour

Lightning appears in the form of an item titled Lightning Score Striker, which subtracts three from an opponent's roll.
Mario Party: Star Rush
Lightning is a usable item in Coinathlon that, when used, stuns an opponent for a few seconds.
Crossover appearances
Mario & Sonic series
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)

Lightning is an item in Dream Race, where it temporarily stuns all other characters and causes them to lose speed when used, but can be defended against by using either a Starman or invincibility from a Chaos Emerald.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
Lightning is an item in Dream Alpine, Dream Ski Cross and Dream Snowboard Cross, Dream Short Track and Dream Bobsleigh. When used, Lightning strikes all of the opponents with Lightning when used, knocking them over and causing them to lose speed. It also appears as an item in the Individual version of Dream Ski Jumping, where it can be used to strike all of the opponents and cause them to lose height, speed, 10 points and a Bonus panel, but can be defended against using a Barrier. In the Individual and Team versions of Dream Gliding, Lightning can be used to strike all of the opposing players and knock them out of the sky.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
They are items in Dream Racing and are named Thunder. When used, the Lightning simultaneously hits all racers besides the user, but unlike in the Mario Kart series, it does not cause shrinking, instead causing racers hit by it to spin out of control and lose some of their Rings.
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Lighting appears as an item that, when touched, causes several different possible outcomes to occur; it may temporarily shrink whoever touches it or do so to only their opponents. Conversely, it can make fighters giant, or even just the character who touched it. Lightning also has its own trophy and sticker, the latter depicting its artwork from Mario Kart DS.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Lightning returns as an item, functioning identically as before. float in the sky and slowly fall to ground or platform. If the effect is shrink, the ones who have Super Mushroom in use will only get them back to normal, and the ones that are trapped with Poison Mushroom will not be affected of it. If the effect is supersize, the ones who have Super Mushroom in use, will not be affected and the ones that are trapped with Poison Mushroom will grow back to normal size they always have normally in battles.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Lightning once again appears as an item, retaining the same role and purpose as before.
Statistics
Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy
Super Smash Bros. Brawl sticker
Name | Image | Artwork from | Effect in The Subspace Emissary
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Lightning | ![]() |
Mario Kart DS | [Electric] - Attack +4
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Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U trophy
Gallery
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To view Lightning's image gallery, click here.
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External links
- Lightning on Smashpedia
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