There have been many racing game series before the original Mario Kart was released, but it quickly became one of the most popular video game series thanks to its iconic character lineup and unique focus on using items to hit other racers. Some items are extremely valuable assets while others contribute very little.
Every new installment adds new items to the mix. There is a total of 35 items in the mainline series as of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The arcade releases of Mario Kart contain a few more, but most are reskins. This list will highlight the 10 best items in the entire series.
10 Bobomb
The Bobomb was introduced in Double Dash and has appeared in every installment since. It is an explosive that can be thrown ahead or dropped behind you. Its radius is large enough to hit multiple opponents who are grouped together. It's a really solid item, but it has some drawbacks.
A lot of items can be held behind you to block incoming projectiles, but the Bobomb will blow you up if it gets hit. If it's dropped a few seconds early, then it can still stop projectiles without repercussion, but that takes a little precision.
9 Banana Peels
Bananas are a very basic yet highly effective item. They can be placed on the ground to be an obstacle for opponents to avoid. Any racer who runs into it will spin out briefly. Unlike the Bobomb, it can always safely be held behind the player without worry.
The banana also has a few variations. In most recent titles, players can get a group of three bananas at a time. There's also a 5 banana bunch in Mario Kart 64, a massive banana only usable by a few characters in Double Dash, and more. It is one of the few items that appears in every single Mario Kart entry.
8 Triple Green Shell
The Green Shell is another very common item, but a very good one. It acts as a projectile that can be thrown both forwards and backwards. It's ability to bounce off walls multiple times has both positive and negative aspects. It takes some precision to hit with a projectile that only moves in a straight line on maps that often turn a lot, but it can bounce off walls to hit opponents around corners.
This can, however, backfire by bouncing back into the user. Green Shells have been in every installment since the very original Mario Kart. The triple variation was introduced in MK64. Triple Shells often rotate around the driver, thus offering extra protection, and allowing them to hurt opponents by just driving near them.
7 Super Horn
The Super Horn is one of the newest items in the series. It is exclusive to Mario Kart 8. Super Horns create a shockwave that hurts all nearby opponents.
It can also be extremely useful for getting rid of a lot of obstacles in front of the user. The Super Horn is one of the few items in the series that can counter the Blue Shell, making it an item that players in first place always hope to get.
6 Blue Shell
The Blue Shell, also known as the Spiny Shell, was introduced in Mario Kart 64 as a way to directly hit the person in first place. It will fly from the user all the way to the lead player to slow them down. In some entries, it can hit other players along the way, but that's a rare occurrence.
In some entries, there is no way for the first place player to counter the Blue Shell. Even in titles where it is possible to avoid or destroy it, it is mostly balanced in a way that it will hit most of the time. The reason this item isn't higher is due to it not necessarily benefiting the user. If the user is in 7th place for example, it won't do anything to bring the user higher. It'll only benefit those close to the front.
5 Triple Red Shell
Red Shells are similar to Green Shells, but has a few unique mechanics. Instead of flying straight and bouncing on walls, it'll track opponents down. As long as it is thrown forward, it'll always seek out the player in front of the user, however, if thrown backwards, it will just travel in a straight line.
You're very likely to pass another player if you have three Red Shells to throw. If not, it's still very useful for countering other items. They destroy obstacles they hit and protect the user by circling around them.
4 Golden Mushroom
The Golden Mushroom appears in every Mario Kart except the original and Super Circuit. Mushrooms allow players to quickly propel themselves forward at top speeds. There are a few variations of the item, but none are as good as the Golden Mushroom.
Players can spam the item button repeatedly to get many speed boosts for a set period of time after initiating the first use. The Golden Mushroom can help players that are far behind catch up to competitors.
3 Star
Stars make the user completely invulnerable to all damage, give a slight speed boost, and anyone the user runs into while under its effect will get hurt. These attributes make it one of the best offensive and defensive items in the entire series.
Stars have been in the series since the very beginning and are the best item in most of the older entries. Even in new entries, it is very overpowered.
2 Lucky 7 / Crazy 8
These items respectively give the user 7 and 8 items at once. In Mario Kart 7, the Lucky 7 gives the user a Green Shell, Red Shell, Banana, Mushroom, Star, Blooper, and Bobomb. The Crazy 8 retains all the same items in Mario Kart 8, but includes the addition of a Coin.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe eventually received an update that allowed turning off specific items. This makes it possible to turn off the weaker items such as the Coin and Blooper. An extra of the other items will appear in their place. A drawback is it can be difficult to tell what order the items will be used in.
1 Bullet Bill
Bullet Bills are the fastest movement item in the series. They were first introduced in Mario Kart DS and have been a comeback mechanic for players near the bottom ever since. They move so quickly that the user is very likely to pass more than half the other players by using one.
If every player is very close together, then it can be an instant ticket to first place. The Bullet Bill's invincibility and ability to hurt whoever is in its path also make it very useful.