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.
List of electric attacks
By characters
| 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.