Blinky
| Blinky | |
|---|---|
| |
| Species | Ghost |
| First appearance | PAC-MAN (1980, PAC-MAN franchise) Mario Kart Arcade GP (2005, Super Mario-related media) |
| Latest appearance | PAC-MAN WORLD 2 Re-PAC (2025, PAC-MAN franchise) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018, Super Mario-related media) |
Blinky is a red ghost from the Pac-Man series. He is the leader of the other ghosts,[1] Inky, Pinky, and Clyde, and together they oppose PAC-MAN and Ms. PAC-MAN. Blinky debuted in the same game as PAC-MAN, simply titled PAC-MAN. He has made some crossovers with Super Mario franchise characters.
History[edit]
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart Arcade GP[edit]
Blinky makes his Super Mario franchise debut in Mario Kart Arcade GP, where he, alongside PAC-MAN and Ms. PAC-MAN, appears as a playable character due to the game being developed by Bandai Namco Holdings. Blinky's special items are Monster Shield, Monster's Hammer, Petit Monster, Flare Ball, and Ghost Morph. His emblem is a sprite of himself from the Pac-Man games. A sprite of Blinky from the Pac-Man series also appears in the Pac-Labyrinth course.
Mario Kart Arcade GP 2[edit]
Blinky returns as a playable character in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2. In this game, when in his standard kart, he has exceptional acceleration, but poor weight and top speed, sharing these statistics with Peach and Yoshi. In his personal kart, Blinky has great acceleration, but poor weight and average top speed.
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX[edit]
Although Blinky is no longer playable in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, a sprite of him appears on the PAC-MAN Stadium course, and he appears at the start of the PAC-MAN Cup, along with the other ghosts, using their designs from the original Pac-Man arcade game.
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
A sprite of Blinky appears on the PAC-MAN Mii Racing Suit in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Said Mii Racing Suit is unlocked after the player scans a PAC-MAN amiibo.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[edit]
Blinky appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U in a number of roles, alongside the other three ghosts. They are always depicted using their sprites from PAC-MAN. In Super Smash Bros. games, the group are an Assist Trophy where all of them move around the stage to damage opponents on contact. Their movement is reminiscent of the original PAC-MAN game, so they can only move in ornithological directions and Blinky in specific tries to take the shortest route to opponents. The ghosts move faster toward the end of their duration, and they uniquely leave play by zipping off of the screen instead of teleporting. Also in both games, PAC-MAN's smash attacks have him summon a ghost by thrusting out an open palm. PAC-MAN's side smash attack summons Blinky directly ahead of him. PAC-MAN's down taunt has him lie down while Blinky and Pinky swirl above his head. PAC-MAN's up taunt has him make a random sprite of a Bandai Namco character appear, one of which is a blue ghost. The different ghosts appear identical while they are blue, so the ghost in the taunt could represent Blinky. Both games have a collective trophy for the ghosts, and each one also gets an individual trophy.
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS only, the ghosts are stage hazards on PAC-MAZE. The stage is based on the setting of PAC-MAN, and as such the ghosts all also move in ornithological directions. They inflict damage on contact, as before. They are vulnerable to the Power Pellets found on the stage; when a fighter has one all of the ghosts turn blue on that player's screen and that fighter can defeat the ghosts by touching them. An additional trophy depicts a ghost while it is blue, and this ghost could also be Blinky.
Blinky also appears in PAC-MAN's reveal poster, where he is headed up the northwestern portion of the PAC-MAZE as Sonic is trying to balance himself near the ledge above Blinky.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Blinky reprises his roles as part of the ghosts Assist Trophy and as part of PAC-MAN's side smash attack, and as his potiential role in PAC-MAN's up taunt. In gameplay scenarios, the ghosts have a grey outline around their sprites. The Assist Trophy's mechanics have been changed to allow the ghosts to be defeated. They all share one pool of health, but the final attack only KOs one of them. If this happens, the remaining three ghosts turn blue and leave early. While the ghosts are active the background turns navy blue, as though to evoke the aesthetic of PAC-MAN. PAC-MAN's down taunt makes fairies from PAC-LAND appear instead of ghosts, removing Blinky's appearance from the taunt.
The ghosts have a spirit for the entire group. They are an Advanced rank primary shield spirit, and their spirit battle takes place on PAC-LAND's Battlefield form. Each ghost is represented by a different puppet fighter, with Blinky being represented by a red Kirby, and the ghosts' Assist Trophy helps the ghosts' puppet fighters in the battle. The red Kirby is the main fighter for the group. There is a second spirit depicting a blue ghost, which again could be Blinky. It is a Novice rank support spirit that increases the player(s)'s speed but make them start battles with 30% damage. Its spirit battle takes place on Wrecking Crew. There are four Mr. Game & Watch puppet fighters to defeat, each one representing one of the four ghosts and therefore one of them is representative of Blinky. The puppet fighters flee from the player, and must all be defeated within a time limit.
Gallery[edit]
Mario Kart Arcade GP
Mario Kart Arcade GP
Mario Kart Arcade GP
Mario Kart Arcade GP
Blinky's emblem in Mario Kart Arcade GP
Blinky's kart
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Profiles[edit]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS trophy[edit]
| Name | Image | NTSC-U Description | PAL Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blinky | 
|
A red ghost that chases after PAC-MAN in the PAC-MAN series. The way he incessantly follows PAC-MAN earned him the nickname Shadow. When you get further in the stage, he also gets a terrifying speed boost! In Smash Bros., he appears in the PAC-MAZE stage and in PAC-MAN's side smash. | A red ghost that chases after PAC-MAN in the PAC-MAN series, noted for the way he incessantly follows PAC-MAN. When you get further in the stage, he also gets a speed boost, which can be quite terrifying! In this game, he appears in the PAC-MAZE stage and in PAC-MAN's side smash. |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | アカベイ[?] Akabei |
From「赤」(aka, red) | |
| ブリンキー[?] Burinkī |
Blinky |
