Like the Mega Man franchise the Mario franchise has given us lots of enemies based on elements. Indeed, in both franchises you have water, fire, ice, and electric enemies as well as bosses. In the Mario franchise one of the most well known enemy is the Spark enemies.



Sparks origins and debut is confusing and complex. Spark also spelled as Sparky first appeared in the Japanese Game Doki Doki Panic. Mario Bros the lost levels was known for its difficulty. Nintendo took Doki Doki Panic and converted it into a Mario game. The family characters where changed to Mario and his friends, and the plot was changed to make it a Mario game. However, the enemies stayed the same and spark was one of those included.

On the other hand, Spark appeared in Yoshi's Island which takes place several years before the first Mario Bros Game. In the cannon timeline Sparks appeared when Mario and Luigi where infants. A similar enemy also appeared in Nintendo's Donkey Kong games seen orbiting the platforms. Some have speculated this is spark. If that is the case then Sparks made their debut in Donkey Kong. But that has not been confirmed by Nintendo. If that is not spark it likely served as the inspiration for the enemy.

Regardless, they have been constant enemies ever since. In Super Mario Bros 2 they serve the evil dictator Wart, whose 8 bit army took over Subcon. In that game they are mostly found in underground areas or castles. After Super Mario 2 Sparks started working for King Bowser and his family. Most of them are considered to be part of Bowser's Minions. In Super Mario Bros 3 a similar enemy is seen in in Bowser's castle. IN Super Mario World sparks returned guarding the fortress stages and Bowser's new castle.

In future games they are seen in the fortress stages. Therefore, their main role appears to be a guardian of Bowser, Bowser Jr or the Koopalings castles/forts. In Paper Mario it was revealed that not all Sparks work for Bowser. There are some sparks that are friendly toward Mario and his friends. One of them Watt helped Mario in his quest to defeat Bowser and rescue the princess.

Appearance- In most games Sparks are spheres with eyes that omit electricity. They are mostly seen producing electricity. They also are considered sun shaped enemies that constantly produce electricity. In some games they appear to be either black or red spheres. However, in some other games they are shown to be white when they are not producing electricity.

Personality- Not much is known about their personality. However, those that work for Bowser usually get more aggressive and speed up when they spot Mario, Luigi or Yoshi. Thus, it has been speculated they might have a temper. On the other hand, this could be their job as guardians of the castle. If the player defeats a Spark its eyes squint downward like it is mad, so it is possible they might be angry some of the time.

On the other hand, those that do not work for Bowser are seen to be playful, and jolly. They are eager to help Mario and his friends. This was seen in Paper Mario when Watt helped Mario and his allies.

Abilities- Sparks mostly orbit platforms. When orbiting the platforms they can change speed. They can go from moving very slowly to moving very fast. Their main ability is to admit electricity. They have the ability to generate a lot of electricity. In some games if a player touches one they will be shocked or at least stunned. Even young Sparks can admit a lot of electricity. They seem to be able to control their electricity at will. They are also hard to defeat as they cannot be defeated with fireballs, ice or eggs.

Attacks- Their main attack is using electricity. As I stated in some games the player can be shocked or stunned if they touch a Spark. They can admit small amounts of electricity or they can admit large amounts of electricity. Thus, they are considered to have powerful electric attacks. Another move is how they orbit their platforms. If a player jumps on a platform the spark will likely increase its speed to try to shock the player.

Weaknesses- Sparks are tough enemies. They are immune to fire and ice balls. Yoshi cannot eat them and they are immune to eggs. The only two things that will defeat a Spark is the POW block. The POW block will cause them to collapse. Star Power can also defeat them. In some versions of Mario Bros 2 a mushroom block could defeat one, but they would quickly respawn.

Relationships Allies

Bowser, Bowser JR, and Koopalings- Sparks are often seen as guardians of Bowser and his family castles. This is likely due to their ability to admit electricity. They are loyal to Bowser and are part of his minions. They are also loyal to Bowser's son and his nice and nephews.

Wart- Some also serve the evil dictator Wart. In this game they serve as guardians mainly guarding castles/forts and underground passages.

Koopa Troop- With most of them being part of Bowser's Minions they are on good terms with the rest of Bowser's troops as they are comrades.

Enemies

Mario and Luigi- The two brothers have foiled Bowser's plans. Thus, they are not on good terms with the brothers for this reason. It should be noted that not all sparks are enemies to the brothers. Some are even friends with them. These Sparks though do not work for Bowser.

Yoshi- Like the brothers Yoshi has defeated Bowser so they are not on good terms with him either.

Peach- Their relationship with Peach is complex. They do not hurt the Princess under Bowser's orders. However, they will aggressively guard her door when she gets captured. They also do not like it when Peach escapes her room in Bowser's Castle.

In the Mario franchise these are some of my favorite electric enemies. When I was a young lad I also liked how they orbited their platforms. This may sound crazy but it made me think they where spinning so it reminded me of how a hurricane spins. Anyway, Sparks are electric enemies that have become staples in the Mario Franchise. Most of them work for Bowser but some do not.

Those that work for Bowser are more hostile and come accross as being angry. Bowser trusts them to serve as his castle/fort guardians. They are often placed on short platforms. This also makes them a formidable enemy, because the player does not have a lot of room to work with. Also, the sparks will and can change speeds. Those that work for Wart also follow the same pattern.

On the other hand, those that do not work for Bowser are more jolly, and playful. These sparks are not enemies but friends. One of those is the young spark Watt in Paper Mario. She helps Mario after he rescues her from a lantern which a large ghost had captured her.

In conclusion, no matter their background or when they actually made their debut they have become classic enemies in the Mario Game. As I mentioned they are one of the element enemies. Sparks serve their rolls well as they are not easy to defeat. Also, just like Boos not all Sparks work for Bowser some are independent. This concludes the Spark Biography.