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A creature is hit by Thunderbolt Strike. If one of his allies is behind him when you knock him back 10' ...

  1. Does he move through and past them
  2. Do both of them fall in a tangle
  3. Does he stop moving and go nowhere?

I would expect the answer to handle Large Creatures either in the 5' space or being pushed through the 5' space as the feature affects Large or smaller sized creatures.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ This edit was intended to improve the organization of your question. That last sentence I think I got right, in terms of your meaning. If I missed your intended meaning in re Large creatures (per the comment in the answer from @Dale M) please edit to better clarify. \$\endgroup\$ – KorvinStarmast Oct 21 '15 at 12:52
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While it would undoubtedly be cool if this was a thing, it isn't.

Thunderstrike says (PHB p.62)

At 6th level, when you deal lightning damage to a Large or smaller creature, you can also push it up to 10 feet away from you.

So far , so hoopy.

Space says (PHB p.191)

A creature's space is the area in feet that it effectively controls in combat, not an expression of its physical dimensions. A typical Medium creature isn't 5 feet wide, for example, but it does control a space that wide. If a Medium hobgoblin stands in a 5-foot-wide doorway, other creatures can’t get through unless the hobgoblin lets them.

So, there is plenty of room in a creature's space for them to duck, jump or otherwise dodge out of the way of transient thunderstrike victims.

Now, in D&D 5e, things do what they say they do and no more; there is nothing that I can find that says a creature moving through another creature's space has any affect on that creature.

TL;DR

He moves through and past the other creature with no other effect.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Unless it is a large creature that is being pushed through the 5' space. \$\endgroup\$ – Bryant Hanson Oct 21 '15 at 3:27
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    \$\begingroup\$ I feel that this answer skirts the question by making an assumption that the creature behind is actively trying to avoid being moved by the target pushed by thunderstrike, rather than, say being a non-combatant, attempting to resist the thunderclap's motive force, being surprised, facing the opposite direction (for those using facing rules), etc. A better answer would not rely so much on the behind creature's actions and/or abilities. \$\endgroup\$ – Lexible Oct 21 '15 at 17:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Lexible I think the rules say to make that assumption. That's certainly the case in 4E, and is implied by the answer's last paragraph. Dale, what's "hoopy"? \$\endgroup\$ – DCShannon Oct 21 '15 at 21:57
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    \$\begingroup\$ @DCShannon I assume "hoopy" is from Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide series, where being a hoopy frood was a very cool & froody thing indeed. \$\endgroup\$ – Lexible Oct 21 '15 at 22:17
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Lexible hoopy is exactly that: its difficult dealing with people who can't remember the 20th century :) \$\endgroup\$ – Dale M Oct 21 '15 at 23:25

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