Banana

Banana
The Banana, as it appears in Mario Kart Wii
Information
Description	This item will cause any karts that come in contact with it to spin out.
Rarity	Common
First Appearance	Super Mario Kart (1992)
Most Recent Appearance	Mario Kart Tour (2019)

The Banana (also known as the Banana Peel) is arguably the most common item in the Mario Kart series. These slippery items cause a vehicle to spin out. While easily dismissed as being the least powerful item in Mario Kart, the Banana Peel is not to be underestimated completely, as it is also the most versatile item in the right hands. If placed well, a single Banana can cause an unfortunate racer to fall straight off the track, and if thrown ahead from just the right distance, and at just the right angle, they can make for an unexpected and near unavoidable attack, if not unavoidable whole. Even just one Banana can lower your place significantly!

Uses

A Banana can be used as an offensive or defensive Item. A player can throw a Banana out in front of their kart to try to trip up the racer in front of them. They can also be deployed behind the kart, so the driver behind you will be greeted by a deadly smiling Banana and spin out.

For defense, a Banana can also be deployed and suspended behind the kart (This feature is not present in Super Mario Kart). The Banana now acts as a shield against other Items such as a Red Shell or a Green Shell. Also, they can act as a barrier against opponents who try to knock you off the edge. In Mario Kart 8, Triple Bananas circle around the racer, so they can be used by running into an enemy racer, making them spin out.

Variations

A Giant Banana from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.

Giant Banana

There is also a larger variant exclusive to Mario Kart: Double Dash!! called the Giant Banana. When a driver hits a Giant Banana, the fruit will split into three normal Bananas. This gigantic special item can only be used by Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, King Boo and Petey Piranha, who are able to use any special item. This item makes another appearance as a character exclusive item in Mario Kart Tour.

Banana Bunch

MK64's Banana Bunch.

The Banana Bunch is an item exclusive to Mario Kart 64. It is a row of five Bananas that trail the user's kart. Hitting another racer with the trail causes all the Bananas to drop. This is one of the few normal items that have only appeared in one incarnation; a Triple Banana variant took its place in Mario Kart DS and onward, with the only exception being Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Triple Banana

The Triple Banana serves as a replacement for the Banana Bunch, instead of being a row of five bananas, it's now a row of three bananas. It also appears in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, but only when a Giant Banana is touched. It appears in Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Triple Bananas, as they appear in Mario Kart Wii.

Gallery

A banana from Super Mario Kart.

Mario Kart 64.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! / Mario Kart DS.

Item icon from Mario Kart Wii.

Mario Kart 7

Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Trivia!

• When you set the items to bananas only in Mario Kart 7, there is a small chance to get a Lucky Seven, which gives you seven bananas surrounding your kart.
• In Mario Kart 64, it is possible to prevent spinning out from hitting a Banana. It is accomplished by holding the B button (brake) until a musical note appears over the character's head. This can only be done if the racer is driving straight; hitting a Banana going into a turn will always yield a spin-out. Though done a little differently, this is also possible in Mario Kart: Super Circuit (by tapping the "B" button)
• The banana has been featured in every mainline Mario Kart game.