Skip to main content

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: best Sparks and how to get them

The title of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope has a double meaning. On the one hand, you and your team are the “sparks of hope” against the evil Cursa, but Sparks are also a key plot and gameplay component. These cute star creatures are the Rabbid form of Lumas and are very powerful. While you will have a clear narrative reason to want to rescue as many of these cute little creatures as possible, the benefit you get for having them in battle is arguably even greater.

Up to two Sparks can be equipped to each character, have an active and passive skill, and can be leveled up. Each one is unique, and there are a ton to find in each of the worlds you will visit. The more you manage to find, the better you can equip your team. If you want to know which Sparks are the best of the bunch and where to find them, we’ve got you covered.

Related Videos

Further reading

Best Sparks and how to get them

Mario and the crew with a Spark.

The best Sparks tend to come down to the elemental ones that can give you resistances and elemental damage to your weapons. To best take advantage of this, make sure you scout out each fight before you confirm your loadout to see what damage types you’ll be going up against so you can equip yourself to counter it. For your second slot, you can get more creative.

Pyrostar: We’ll use Pyrostar as the example, but there’s a Spark quite like it for each element. This one gives you the Burn Attack, which makes your weapons deal between 84 and 102 damage, plus inflict burn. The passive is to make that character immune to burn and take 20% less damage from any Super Effects. You automatically unlock Pyrostar after you clear the Crossing the Battle Ground main quest in Beacon Beach. You can also find a better version later called Pyrogeddon when you beat the A Cold Greeting mission in Pristine Peaks.

Glitter: Great for close-range fighters, this Spark’s ability draws in all enemies toward your character. The passive will help you clean up these enemies by buffing your weapon attack damage by 10%. You can get this Spark by beating the Blast Through mission in Palette Prime.

Reflector: This is a Spark that anyone can find helpful but is perhaps best for your more tanky, frontline characters. The active skill reflects 20% of all damage that character would get onto an enemy, and the passive just gives them a nice 10% damage buff to their weapon attacks. You will automatically get this Spark once you unlock Rabbid Peach in the main story.

Vampastra: Healing and attacking tend to be mutually exclusive choices, but not with this Spark. Once equipped, not only will your weapons deal 120% normal damage, but 30% of that damage will convert into health for that character. The passive is just icing on the cake and increases your critical hit chance by 10%. Grab this Spark by beating the Bury the Hatchet mission on Palette Prime.

Ethering: If you ever find yourself in a bad spot, Ethering can get you out of it. The active skill turns your character invisible for one turn, making them un-targetable by enemies. The passive of increasing movement ability damage by 15% isn’t a ton but still a nice extra. Beat the Wolf at the Door mission in Pristine Peaks to get this perfect escape plan Spark.

Starburst: Sure, you start the game off with this spark, but that doesn’t mean it still isn’t great. You get the ability to buff all characters in range with a 20% attack and movement ability damage buff and reduce physical damage by 15% as a passive. Again, this one is given to you in the tutorial.

Regenesis: Last up, Regenesis is great for keeping your characters alive. The active allows them to regenerate 20% of their max HP every turn for two turns, which is made even better since the passive increases their max HP by 15%. This Spark is your reward for beating Hide N’ Squeak in Pristine Peaks.

Editors' Recommendations

The best weapons in Splatoon 3
An inkling with a bow.

Leave it to Nintendo to make the least-traditional online third-person shooter on the market but also have it be such a smashing success that it spawned two sequels. Splatoon 3 is, of course, the latest in the squid-kid franchise that brings in tons of new features, modes, mechanics, and improvements to the series all about spraying ink over fragging enemies. The team didn't just take normal guns and weapons and make them colorful, though. They took full advantage of the concept of spraying ink to craft some of the most unique weapons in any shooter.

The amount of weapons available in Splatoon 3 is the largest yet. Many are returning from past games, but there are plenty of new additions that are tons of fun. That being said, many weapons are rather ... unconventional if you're new to the series. How can a paintbrush or a windshield wiper be a weapon, after all? If you're at a loss for what to arm yourself with for the best chances of winning that close Turf War, here are the best weapons in Splatoon 3.

Read more
Splatoon 3: Best abilities in the game
An inkling rides a crab tank in Splatoon 3.

In the ink-filled world of Splatoon, you are given a ton of unique tools to spread your team's color all across the map. This will serve several purposes, from building up your points, letting you move faster, and of course, splatting your opposition. Your main method of ink dispersal will come via the many different weapons you can choose from. From basic blasters to paint rollers and even windshield wipers, you're never at a loss for options when it comes to spraying ink.

Abilities are supplemental skills that come in two main categories: abilities tied to weapons and abilities you can slot into any weapon. In total, Splatoon 3 has 26 to pick from, making it quite a lot to experiment with. Each one serves a different purpose, and while they all could technically fit someone's playstyle, there are clearly a few that outshine the rest. Before you jump into your next Turf War, check out which are the best abilities to take with you in Splatoon 3.

Read more
Splatoon 3 beginner’s guide: 6 tips and tricks to get started
splatoon review mem3

Get your splattershots ready because Splatoon 3 has arrived and is the next big multiplayer offering for the Nintendo Switch. This stylish and colorful shooter is one of Nintendo's newest franchises and is quite different from their usual style of game. As opposed to most of their offerings, Splatoon 3 is primarily an online multiplayer third-person shooter. Of course, they swap out guns and grenades for ink shooters and balloons. Still, for as approachable as this game is, there's a lot to learn to be the best squid on the block.

Splatoon 3 builds off of everything established in the first two games. There's certainly no need to play the others before this one, though coming in fresh will put you at an initial disadvantage. Thankfully, we've gone ahead and put together the best tips and tricks you need to know to start splatting the competition in no time. Here's a full beginner's guide for getting started in Splatoon 3.

Read more