How it works
- While active, hold a monkey to strike it and the monkeys around it with lightning.
- If the held monkey dies, the lightning stops; grab another monkey to continue.
- Damage: Damage strength. Higher strength means a shorter delay between lightning hits (delay curve from 1 s down to 0.05 s at strength 95).
- Blast Radius: Radius around the held monkey that is hit.
- From player level 20 you can equip a second ability in Survival and Boss Rush. Online Co-op always gives each player one ability slot of their own; Versus always uses one ability.
Strategy & tips
- Hold a monkey in the middle of a group: the lightning also hits monkeys within the blast radius.
- Great against bosses. If the monkey you hold dies, grab another one to keep the storm going.
Stats per level
| Level | Cooldown | Duration | Damage | Blast Radius | Upgrade cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 s | 4.5 s | 74 | 2 tiles | 100 coins |
| 2 | 26 s | 4.5 s | 74 | 2 tiles | 150 coins |
| 3 | 26 s | 4.5 s | 77 | 2 tiles | 200 coins |
| 4 | 26 s | 4.75 s | 77 | 2 tiles | 250 coins |
| 5 | 26 s | 4.75 s | 77 | 2.4 tiles | 300 coins |
| 6 | 25 s | 4.75 s | 77 | 2.4 tiles | 350 coins |
| 7 | 25 s | 4.75 s | 80 | 2.4 tiles | 400 coins |
| 8 | 25 s | 5 s | 80 | 2.4 tiles | 450 coins |
| 9 | 25 s | 5 s | 80 | 2.8 tiles | 500 coins |
| 10 | 24 s | 5 s | 80 | 2.8 tiles | 550 coins |
| 11 | 24 s | 5 s | 83 | 2.8 tiles | 600 coins |
| 12 | 24 s | 5.25 s | 83 | 2.8 tiles | 650 coins |
| 13 | 24 s | 5.25 s | 83 | 3.2 tiles | 700 coins |
| 14 | 23 s | 5.25 s | 83 | 3.2 tiles | 750 coins |
| 15 | 23 s | 5.25 s | 86 | 3.2 tiles | 800 coins |
| 16 | 23 s | 5.5 s | 86 | 3.2 tiles | 850 coins |
| 17 | 23 s | 5.5 s | 86 | 3.6 tiles | 900 coins |
| 18 | 22 s | 5.5 s | 86 | 3.6 tiles | 950 coins |
| 19 | 22 s | 5.5 s | 89 | 3.6 tiles | 1,000 coins |
| 20 | 22 s | 5.75 s | 89 | 3.6 tiles | 1,050 coins |
| 21 | 22 s | 5.75 s | 89 | 4 tiles | 1,100 coins |
| 22 | 21 s | 5.75 s | 89 | 4 tiles | 1,150 coins |
| 23 | 21 s | 5.75 s | 92 | 4 tiles | 1,200 coins |
| 24 | 21 s | 6 s | 92 | 4 tiles | 1,250 coins |
| 25 | 21 s | 6 s | 92 | 4.4 tiles | – |
Tasks & events
Lightning is the target of these Daily Tasks, Bounties and Events:
| Type | Goal | Reward | From level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily task | Use Lightning 3 times | 125–200 Bamboo | 14 |
| Daily task | Use Lightning 5 times | 125–200 Bamboo | 14 |
| Daily task | Use Lightning 8 times | 125–200 Bamboo | 15 |
Strong against
Other abilities
Game modes
Guides
Added in update
15 February 20261.6 Nordic UpdateLightning was added to Monkey Wave in the 1.6 Nordic Update.View the update →Frequently asked questions
What does the Lightning ability do?
Continuously inflicts heavy electrical damage on a monkey while it is being held. While active, hold a monkey to strike it and the monkeys around it with lightning. If the held monkey dies, the lightning stops; grab another monkey to continue.
When do you unlock Lightning?
Lightning unlocks at player level 14. You can upgrade it to level 25 with coins.
What is the cooldown of Lightning?
The cooldown is 27 seconds at level 1 and 21 seconds at level 25.
How many coins does it cost to max out Lightning?
Upgrading Lightning from level 1 to 25 costs 16,200 coins in total.
When was the Lightning added to Monkey Wave?
The Lightning was added in version 1.6 Nordic Update.
Play Monkey Wave
Monkey Wave is available on Steam, iOS and Android.