Lightning is an eager young reindeer who is the deuteragonist in the Sesame Street special Elmo Saves Christmas. He wears a harness so that he may one day pull Santa's sleigh, a bell-laden collar and a necklace charm in the shape of a lightning bolt. He has the ability to move at super speed. When Santa Claus is saved from being stuck in Elmo's chimney on Christmas Eve, he blames his uncalculated width on the extra bulk added to his sack by a little reindeer. Lightning had stowed away in case one of the other reindeer had become hurt on their worldly journey. Santa rewards Elmo with three wishes in exchange for his good deed, but Lightning has been scolded for not following orders.
Later, when Elmo has wished for every day to be Christmas Day, Santa returns with Lightning, expressing concern for what should come of Elmo's desires. Lightning is assigned to escort Elmo through time and space to discover the unpleasant consequences of a world forced to celebrate Christmas every day. After Elmo tried to use the snow globe to undo the wish only to accidentally break it, Elmo realizes Lightning can not only go forward in time, but backward as well. So Lightning takes Elmo back to the Christmas Eve the year before so he doesn't get the snow globe, restoring Christmas to happening only one day a year as per tradition, and Lightning is promoted to a future reindeer.
The Lightning puppet was recycled for Charles Blitzen in Elmo's Christmas Countdown.
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| Reindeer | |
| Santa's team | Dasher • Dancer • Prancer • Vixen • Comet • Cupid • Donner • Blitzen • Rudolph (Rankin/Bass version) |
| Others | Annabelle • Arrow • Barnaby • Blizzard • Blizz • Bucky • Clarice (her father) • Dart • Delphi • Fireball • Fred • Frost • Gargoff • Gift Givers of the Grove (Alice • Aurora • Bori) • Gobie (His friends • Grandfather) • Grandpa • Grandsanta's Pet Reindeer • Holly • Jonni • Leader • Lenni • Lightning • Mitzi • Mrs. Donner • Mrs. Prancer • Nic • Niko • Old Jingle • Olive • Oona • Prancy • Pinky • Renny • Robbie • Roger • Rusty • Saga • Santa Claus's Reindeer's Great-Great-Grandchildren • Scratcher • Schnitzel • Sparkle • Striker • Sven • Tapir • Thrasher • Tobias • Zoey (Her father and mother) |