Lightning (element)
Lightning (also called Electricity or Thunder) is an element given to various attacks, items, and enemies in RPGs. In the Paper Mario series, it is closely linked to the Electrified status effect. In Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, it is linked to the Shock Super Effect.
History
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and its remake, lightning is one of the four elements assigned to Special attacks, alongside Jump, Fire, and Ice. Mallow's Thunderbolt and Shocker are designated with the lightning element. Attacking enemies or bosses weak to lightning will deal twice the damage; conversely, attacking enemies and bosses who are resistant to it will have no effect and inflict 0 damage instead.
Some enemy attacks are also affiliated with the lightning element (Bolt, Electroshock, Lightning Orb, and Static E!/Static Electricity), and can be negated with the Lazy Shell or Super Suit. In the remake, using Mallow's Thought Peek will reveal the targeted enemy's weaknesses, including lightning.
Enemies who are only affected by lightning in the remake are indicated in bold.
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Paper Mario series
Paper Mario
In Paper Mario, lightning is an element given to the Thunder Bolt and Thunder Rage items, and Watt's Electro Dash. Some enemies are immune to lightning, which will negate the attack entirely and inflict 0 damage instead. Bob-ombs will be instantaneously defeated if attacked with the lightning element.
Any character with the lightning element is immune to the electrified status effect; conversely, the electrified status does not give its wearer immunity to lightning attacks. Watt is always both electrified and of the lightning element, allowing her to be immune to lightning attacks such as General Guy's Lightning Shot. Despite its name, Electro Blooper is not of the lightning element, and will take damage from lightning attacks or from attacking an electrified Mario, even when electrified itself. The Zap Tap badge is an exception to the rule, as it gives Mario immunity against the electrified status without making him immune to lightning damage.
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Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Lightning returns in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and its remake in a more minor way. There is no equivalent to Watt in this game, and the only lightning attacks are the returning Thunder Bolt and Thunder Rage items. The only enemy with the lightning Element is the Ruff Puff (but not the other Cloud variant enemies, despite them also having electrified and/or lightning-related moves), who is now healed by the amount of damage it was supposed to receive from lightning attacks instead of being immune to them.
Bulky Bob-ombs and Bob-ulks hit with any lightning attack will immediately detonate, dealing explosion damage to all characters on the stage, enemies and allies alike. There are several enemies in the game with lightning-related moves, but they have no impact on the player's party (though many are themed around dealing piercing damage) and can't be altered by any badge or item.
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Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Lightning is not present as an element in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. However, a series of Thing Stickers related to electricity (the Watch Battery, D-Battery, and Car Battery) use lightnings during their attacks; they are merely cosmetic, and have no application in combat outside of pure damage. They aren't used for any overworld puzzles either.
The D-Battery solely returns in Paper Mario: Color Splash, now simply referred to as "Battery", still without any specific elemental value.
Mario & Luigi series
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
- See also: Thunderhand
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In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, lightning is one of the game's main element, here called Thunderhand or thunder for shorts, alongside the fire element, here called Firebrand. It is the Hand Power associated with Luigi, which allows him to perform a Tickle in the overworld and the Thunder Bros. Bros. Attack as well as its Advanced version in battle.
Some enemies can be weak to thunder, which deals more damage to them as a Critical hit, or be immune to it and absorb the attacks to heal themselves. Others can be resistant to both Hand Powers, turning any thunder attack into a flat 1 damage. This is independent from the Critical and Heal effects and can be added to them, effectively dealing 2 damage and healing 1 HP respectively. This is changed in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, which only reduces the attacks' power instead, is not cumulative with other effectivenesses, and is applied to each element separately rather than both.
Enemies who are only affected by thunder in the original are indicated in italic, while enemies who are only affected by thunder in the remake are indicated in bold. Some enemies have differences in the international release of the original game, denoted here by [I]. Additionally, several bosses, namely Bowser and Rookie, are weak to thunder but cannot be fought before Luigi acquires Thunderhand.
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Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | かみなり[?] kaminari |
lightning | |
| Chinese | 雷[?] léi |
thunder | |
| Dutch | Elektrisch[?] | electric | |
| bliksem[?] | lightning | ||
| French | électricité[?] | electricity | |
| French (NOA) | foudre[?] | lightning | |
| German | Elektro[?] | electro | |
| Italian | elettricità[?] | electricity | |
| Korean | 천둥[?] cheondung |
thunder | |
| Spanish | electricidad[?] | electricity |
Trivia
- In Paper Mario: The Origami King, an unused item called the Electric Hammer is found in the data, as well as its associated electric particle effect and a sound effect for enemies defeated with electricity. These could mean that Mario was initially meant to have lightning-based moves, which were removed later on.
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