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Hotheads are items that appear in the Super Smash Bros. series. They make their debut appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but in all games, throwing them makes them slide across the ground releasing bursts of sparks and damaging your opponents. The user cannot take damage from the Hothead they threw, but Hotheads can still be reflected so that the player who reflected them is now immune and the others aren't. Their bodies can absorb fire/electricity-based moves, and when that happens, they grow bigger, dealing more knockback. However, in contrast to what their Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy says, there's an upper limit to how large the Hotheads can become (roughly 3 times their original diameter or for a comparison, about Bowser's size).

Mechanics[]

The Hothead must be picked up and thrown to be activated. Once the Hothead lands on the ground or a platform, it will move along the surface in the direction it was thrown and periodically release sparks, which are almost 2 times as strong as a smash-thrown hothead of the same size. A Hothead can continue to grow after it is thrown. If it's thrown onto a stage, the Hothead will cling onto the stage's walls and surface. If, however, it lands on a platform, the Hothead will simply roll off until it finds solid ground (or just falls off the screen). To prevent this happening, throw the Hothead down on a solid platform, so that you don't waste getting easy damage. Hotheads eventually disappear in an amount of time inversely proportionate to their size (that is, bigger ones vanish faster).

A hothead will reach maximum power after it takes approximately 30%. But if the hothead is undamaged and hit by a fire or electric based attack that deals over 30% (such as Ike's Eruption), their power can exceed this limit and gain OHKO power. This can be taken to ludicrous extremes by knocking five Soccer Balls into a Hothead's body using Marth's Critical Hit (only in Training Mode is this plausible), causing contact with their body to deal 140% or more and becoming impossible to reflect.

Origin[]

HotHeadOriginal

In their debut appearance, Super Mario World, Hotheads were enemies that appeared inside Wendy O. Koopa's Castle on World Six, Choco Island. This level largely comprised of stone blocks, which had Hotheads constantly moving around them. Unlike those in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, these Hotheads were not enlarged by fire and never disappeared. An interesting fact to note is that there were smaller versions of Hotheads, know as Li'l Sparkies. It is possible that the idea of them getting bigger in SSBB developed from combining the two foes. A few hotheads were also featured in Burt the Bashful's Fort and Baby Bowser's castle in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, retaining their behavior.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]

Trophy Info[]

Hothead - Brawl Trophy

An item that, when tossed, sticks to the terrain and moves, causing damage to those it touches. Whoever threw it won't take damage. It will grow larger if it's attacked, which ups its attack range. However, an increase in size corresponds to a decrease in the time it stays on the screen. A really big Hothead will take up the entire screen, and is quite a sight to behold.

  • SNES - Super Mario World (08/1991)
  • DS - Super Princess Peach (02/2006)

In Super Smash Bros. (Wii U and 3DS)[]

Trophy Info[]

HotheadTrophyWiiU

Once thrown, this guy will move across the ground and damage anything--except you---in its path. You can make the Hothead bigger by hitting it with attacks, much to your opponents' dismay. If you make it really big and powerful, it just may carry you to victory!

  • SNES - Super Mario World (08/1991)
  • DS - Super Princess Peach (02/2006)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]

Hothead appears as a Support Spirit in Ultimate. Upon equipping this spirit, a Hothead will be equipped.

Spirit Data[]

Spirit Artwork Origin Rating Cost Effect
Hothead Novice 2 Hothead Equipped

Trivia[]

  • Oddly enough, even though Hotheads do fire damage, they cannot ignite Blast Boxes or idle Bob-ombs upon contact.
  • In game, Hotheads are actually rendered in 2D. However, their trophies are in 3D.
  • If you attack a Hothead, it will emit non-damaging electricity.
  • Without the aid of items, Ike can create the strongest hothead out of any character by hitting it with a stage 8 Eruption.
  • The highest possible damage output known for a hothead without hacking is 274% when smash thrown and 426% when it sparks. For a hothead to become this strong, the situation with the five Soccer Balls and Marth's Critical Hit must be replicated, but after the Soccer Balls have sustained the maximum amount of damage.
  • Hotheads cannot fully circle the Pictochat stage, as the Blast Lines will destroy their bodies. Neither can they encircle the Pictochat 2 stage for the same reasons.
  • A glitch called the 'Black Hole' glitch can be created by throwing the max amount of Hotheads into an enclosed area on a Stage Builder level. The Hotheads will continue to shock each other and will appear to 'suck' the enemy(s) towards them, they will also turn a dark purple (like that of the Shadow Bug's) or black.
  • There is an enemy in the Kirby franchise called a Hothead, but it attacks differently: walking around and spitting fire.

External Links[]

MarioSymbol Super Mario universe
Characters Mario (64  · Melee  · Brawl  · 3DS/Wii U  · Ultimate)
Luigi (64  · Melee  · Brawl  · 3DS/Wii U  · Ultimate)
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Side Characters Bosses Metal Mario  · Metal Bros.  · Petey Piranha
Assist Trophies Waluigi  · Hammer Bro  · Lakitu and Spinies  · Chain Chomp  · Thwomp  · Flies & Hand
Mii Fighter Costumes Mario  · Luigi  · Princess Peach  · Daisy  · Wario  · Waluigi  · Chain Chomp  · Spiny  · Shy Guy  · Super Mushroom  · Toad  · Geno  · Builder Mario  · Cappy
Background characters Koopa Troopa  · Banzai Bill  · Goomba  · Pidgit  · Toad  · Boo  · Toad Brigade  · Chain Chomp  · Luma  · Pauline
Stage Hazards Piranha Plant  · Banzai Bill  · Birdo  · Shy Guy  · Shellcreeper and Sidestepper  · Kamek  · Nabbit
Enemies Goomba / Giant Goomba  · Koopa Troopa / Koopa Paratroopa  · Bullet Bill  · Banzai Bill  · Bill Blaster  · Chain Chomp  · Flame Chomp  · Hammer Bro.  · Lakitu and Spinies  · Magikoopa  · Shy Guy  · Spike Top
Stages Peach's Castle  · Mushroom Kingdom (Super Smash Bros.)  · Princess Peach's Castle  · Rainbow Cruise  · Mushroom Kingdom (Super Smash Bros. Melee)  · Mushroom Kingdom II  · Delfino Plaza  · Mushroomy Kingdom  · Figure-8 Circuit · Luigi's Mansion · Mario Bros.  · 3D Land  · Golden Plains  · Paper Mario  · Rainbow Road  · Mushroom Kingdom U  · Mario Galaxy  · Mario Circuit  · Super Mario Maker  · New Donk City Hall
Mushroom Kingdom (Adventure)
Items Banana Peel  · Bob-omb  · Boomerang  · Bullet Bill  · Fire Bar  · Fire Flower  · Freezie  · Golden Hammer  · Grass  · Green Shell  · Hothead  · Lightning Bolt  · Metal Box  · Poison Mushroom  · POW Block  · Red Shell  · Soccer Ball  · Spiny Shell  · Super Leaf  · Super Launch Star  · Super Mushroom  · Super Star
Music Lists List of Music (Mario series)  · List of Music (Mario Kart series)
Songs "Main Theme (Super Mario 64)"  · "Paper Mario Medley"  · "Rainbow Road Medley"  · "Jump Up, Super Star!"
Collectibles Trophies Melee Trophies  · Brawl Trophies  · 3DS Trophies  · Wii U Trophies
Stickers List of Stickers (Super Mario series)
Spirits List of spirits (Mario series)
Masterpieces Super Mario Bros.  · Super Mario Bros. 2  · Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels  · Super Mario World  · Super Mario Kart  · Dr. Mario
Related universes Donkey Kong · Yoshi · Wario · Wrecking Crew
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