Lightning Bolt

Lightning Bolt
Electric trap
Universe	Mario Kart
Appears in	Brawl
Item class	Status

The Lighting Bolt (サンダー, sandā) is an item from the Mario Kart series.

In the Super Smash Bros. series

The Lightning Bolt appears as an item in Brawl. When used, it will shrink every other character to minimal size, similar to its function in the Mario Kart series. However, the item can backfire as well, resulting in the player who picked up the item grow small instead or making the other characters size increase (similar to the effects of the Super Mushroom, except that it's twice as effective). Unlike most other items, the Lightning Bolt requires a character to simply make contact with it in order to gain its effect. On occasion, if one uses the lightning bolt on another, the one who got hit by the bolt will grow twice the original size of himself/herself instead of shrinking. The Lightning Bolt also appears as a collectible trophy.

Trophy description

An item that goes off the moment you touch it. It may shrink every other character on the screen. Tiny players suffer a reduction in their attack power and become easier to send flying. After a set amount of time, all the characters will return to their normal sizes. In the Mario Kart series, all players but the item user shrunk, and got flattened when run over.

Super Mario Kart (1992)

Mario Kart 64 (1997)

Origin

The Lightning Bolt's effects come from each Mario Kart game it has appeared in, and its design is taken from its most recent appearance before Brawl. In the Mario Kart games, players in lower positions in a race had easier access to the Lightning Bolt, which, when used, shrunk all other racers. This made it easier for the user to gain the lead, and in some games, knock around or even crush nearby racers. Unlike in Brawl, the Lightning Bolt never backfires in Mario Kart games.

Transform Glitch

If a character uses the Lightning Bolt on Zelda or Sheik and Zelda/Sheik Transforms, the glitch makes the size of the Lightning Bolt user permanent until Zelda/Sheik gets KO'd or grabs another size-changing item.

Video by Kooliofreezy72 of YouTube <youtube>De6X21Ada9k</youtube>