Mario Kart Racing Wiki
Register
Advertisement

The Red Shell (赤こうら) is an Item that has made its way into every Mario Kart game. It's favored as a strong attack item, as it almost always succeeds in hitting the opponent in front of the user. It's based on the shell that Red Koopa Troopas wear in the Mario games.

Since Mario Kart 64, there is an item where the player can receive 3 Red Shells which revolve their kart, known as the Triple Red Shells.

Usage[]

Offense[]

Red Shells are usually obtained from an Item Box when a racer is below 1st and isn't near or in last place. Once obtained, they can be thrown forwards, where they will home in on an opponent ahead of the user in an attempt to hit them, flipping them over if successful. However, if the leader uses a Red Shell, it will either continue to traverse the track layout or travel in a straight line. Unlike the Green Shell, the Red Shell lasts one hit; contact with a racer, projectile or even a wall will destroy it.

Red Shells can also be thrown backwards, though they lose their homing ability - they behave just like a Green Shell, except that they will be destroyed after hitting anything.

Exclusive to Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Red Shells can be planted on the track instead of being thrown forwards. Here, the shell will remain sitting on the track, slowly rotating around until another racer - even if said racer was the one who set the shell on the track - comes within range, where the Red Shell will squeal three times and immediately smash into them. This is useful for competitors sitting in 1st place that have no one to target with the others trailing behind them.

With the introduction of Gliding in Mario Kart 7, the Red Shell seemed to have gained the ability to fly, so that it can continue its attempt to strike a racer even when they're airborne. When it does hit them while airborne, their Glider will disable and they will fall, making Red Shells more dangerous than before.

In Mario Kart Tour, There are certain Gliders that will increase the chances of getting a Red Shell. Characters that have three item slots can receive a Red Shell Frenzy, which encircles their kart with Red Shells and making them invincible, where an unlimited amount of Red Shells can be fired at a time. When one of them are fired off during the Frenzy, they will hit anyone in front of the user as well as collide with walls. The Red Shells circling the kart will disappear one by one as the Frenzy finishes.

A Red Shell is a part of the Lucky Seven and Crazy 8, which will home in on the kart in front of the user as long as nothing is in its way.

In Battle Mode, Red Shells are obtainable since Mario Kart Wii, where they will lock onto a nearby racer and attempt to strike them. If there are no racers nearby, the Red Shell will behave like a Green Shell even when thrown forwards.

Defense[]

Red Shells can also be dragged behind a racer's kart for protection against other Red Shells and other projectiles, much like a Banana or Green Shell.

Protection[]

There are many ways to dodge a Red Shell, which can be dodged by:

  • Dragging any draggable item behind the kart, such as a Banana or Green Shell. Don't forget that dragged Red Shells can also protect from incoming Red Shells.
  • Getting hit by a course obstacle or item, which can nullify the shell's effects.
  • Driving in a way so that the shell crashes into a wall or obstacle, or gets engulfed by a Piranha Plant.
  • Driving on a section with alternate paths, where the shell may choose the wrong path, so the target will be missed.
  • Outrunning them in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe while playing on 200cc by getting any sort of speed boost.
  • Being under the effects of a Star, Bullet Bill or a Frenzy, destroying any Red Shells in contact.
  • Being under the effects of a Boo, where incoming Red Shells will pass through the kart as it is invisible.

Gallery[]

Trivia![]

  • The Red Shell's ubiquity and reliability as a weapon throughout the entire Mario Kart series has earned it recognition amongst gaming websites, such as ScrewAttack and GameTrailers.
  • If the player reverses their entire kart and fires a Red Shell forwards from their perspective, it will turn around and go in the right direction.
  • If racers jump over a traveling Red Shell, it may reverse direction and hit them from the front.
  • Around tight corners, Red Shells may hit racers from the sides, rendering trailed items useless. This was introduced in Mario Kart DS and was removed in Mario Kart 7.
  • When you set the items to shells only in Mario Kart 7, there is a small chance to get a Lucky Seven, which gives you seven red shells surrounding your kart.
  • With the Super Leaf item in Mario Kart 7, using the tail on a dropped Red Shell will send it forward, making it home in on whoever is in front of the user.
  • In a team battle in Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, racers can hit another teammate with Red Shells (unlike in Mario Kart Wii), although they don't lock onto them (this pretty much applies to all items.)
  • In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, if a racer who is currently hunted by a Red Shell uses a boo after it has locked on to them, it will pass right through them before traveling in a straight line. If the racer who is hunted by the Red Shell used a boo before it locks onto them, it will ignore the racer and go for the next target.
  • Its siren sound in Mario Kart Wii is the same as the Spiny Shell's.
Super Mario Kart items
Regular Items BananaGreen ShellRed ShellMushroomLightningStarmanFeatherCoinBoo
CPU-only Items Poison MushroomYoshi EggFireball
Mario Kart 64 items
BananaBanana Bunch* • Green ShellTriple Green Shell* • Red ShellTriple Red Shell* • Spiny Shell* • Fake Item Box* • MushroomTriple Mushroom* • Golden Mushroom* • LightningStarmanBoo
* - New to the series.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit items
BananaGreen ShellTriple Green ShellRed ShellTriple Red ShellSpiny ShellMushroomTriple MushroomLightningStarmanBoo
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! items
Regular Items BananaGreen ShellRed ShellSpiny ShellFake Item BoxMushroomTriple MushroomsLightningStarman
Special Items FireballHeart* • Yoshi EggBirdo's Egg* • Chain Chomp* • Golden MushroomTriple Green ShellsTriple Red ShellsGiant Banana* • Bowser Shell* • Bob-omb*
* - New to the series.
Mario Kart DS items
BananaTriple Bananas* • Green ShellTriple Green ShellRed ShellTriple Red ShellSpiny ShellBob-ombFake Item BoxMushroomTriple MushroomGolden MushroomBullet Bill* • Blooper* • LightningStarmanBoo
* - New to the series.
Mario Kart Wii items
BananaTriple BananasGreen ShellTriple Green ShellRed ShellTriple Red ShellSpiny ShellBob-ombFake Item BoxMushroomTriple MushroomGolden MushroomBullet BillBlooperLightningStarmanMega Mushroom* • Thunder Cloud* • POW Block*
* - New to the series.
Mario Kart 7 items
BananaTriple BananasGreen ShellTriple Green ShellRed ShellTriple Red ShellSpiny ShellBob-ombMushroomTriple MushroomGolden MushroomBullet BillBlooperLightningStarmanFire Flower* • Super Leaf* • Lucky Seven*
* - New to the series.
Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe) items
BananaTriple BananasGreen ShellTriple Green ShellRed ShellTriple Red ShellSpiny ShellBob-ombMushroomTriple MushroomGolden MushroomBullet BillBlooperLightningStarmanFire FlowerBoomerang FlowerPotted Piranha PlantSuper HornCrazy 8CoinFeather*/** • Boo*
* - Exclusive to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. • ** - Only available in Battle Mode.
Mario Kart Tour items
Regular Items BananaGreen ShellRed ShellSpiny ShellBob-ombMushroomBullet BillBlooperLightningStarman** • Mega MushroomSuper HornCoinFeather***
Special Items Boomerang FlowerBubble* • Triple Green ShellsDouble Bob-ombs* • Dash Ring* • Giant BananaHeartFire FlowerYoshi's EggTriple MushroomsIce Flower* • Giga Bob-omb* • Bowser ShellBanana Barrel* • Lucky SevenBob-omb Cannon* • Birdo's EggHammer* • Mushroom Cannon* • Triple BananasCoin Box* • Super Bell* • Super LeafCapsule*
* - New to the series. • ** - Exclusive as an Item in some Challenges and in Multiplayer.*** - Only available in Battle Mode.
Advertisement