Editing Captain Falcon (SSB)

{{disambig2|Captain Falcon's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros''|the character in other contexts|Captain Falcon}}

|name = Captain Falcon  

|image = [[File:Captain Falcon SSB.png]]

|game = SSB

|ssbgame1 = SSBM

|ssbgame2 = SSBB

|ssbgame3 = SSB4

|tier = A

|ranking = 3

|rankingJP = 4

Captain Falcon is ranked 3rd overall on the [[tier list]] for his overall very quick movement speed (despite a slow [[walking]] speed, he has the fastest [[dashing]] and [[falling speed]]s in the game, and an average [[air speed]]) and very strong [[combo]] ability, with his {{mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSB|up aerial}} being an especially useful move that can combo in a huge variety of ways, including being able to lead into another up aerial or a {{mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSB|forward aerial}} for aerial combos, as well as a [[Falcon Dive]] or {{mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSB|down aerial}} as a combo finisher. Along with powerful [[edgeguard]]ers in his {{mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSB|back aerial}} and up aerial [[semi-spike]], and an effective [[meteor smash]] with a very long duration in his down aerial, this gives Falcon a strong aerial game. His combo game isn't limited to the air, thanks to his {{mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSB|up smash}} and {{mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSB|forward throw}} that can easily setup other moves due to their low knockback. His combos involving aerials, up smash, and forward throw are able to [[0-death]] many characters without much difficulty. Captain Falcon also has strong vertical endurance and is overall fairly difficult to KO onstage.

Captain Falcon's primary weaknesses include his vulnerability to combos from many characters due to his very fast falling speed and high [[weight]] and size. His ground game is also much more limited than his air game, due to him lacking options on the ground outside up smash, {{mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSB|forward smash}}, [[grab]], and [[neutral attack]], as well as having somewhat limited [[out of shield]] options. He is also highly vulnerable to [[edgeguarding]], due to his large size and subpar [[recovery]], due to it being predictable, as his primary recovery move, Falcon Dive, gives short horizontal and vertical distance, while also being unable to grab [[edgehog]]gers, and his very fast falling speed hindering it further. Additionally, Captain Falcon lacks a [[projectile]] and a reliable way to deal with them, making characters like {{SSB|Fox}} difficult to deal with.

 

==How to unlock==

Complete [[1P Game]] with any character in under 20 minutes, then defeat Captain Falcon in a battle on [[Planet Zebes]]. Players that lose the fight against Captain Falcon can re-fight him by completing 1P Game in under 20 minutes again. If {{SSB|Ness}} has not been unlocked and his unlock match requirement is simultaneously met, then the player will fight Ness instead. This is not true for {{SSB|Jigglypuff}}; Captain Falcon's unlock match will take priority over Jigglypuff's if both their unlock match requirements are simultaneously met.

[[File:SSB64 Congratulations Captain Falcon.png|thumb|250px|Captain Falcon's [[congratulations screen]].]]

Captain Falcon is a tall [[heavyweight]] who possesses excellent mobility. He has the fastest dashing speed in the game by quite a margin which easily allows him to approach and to run away. In addition to this, he also has the highest [[falling speed]], the second highest [[gravity]] and average air speed.

 

Captain Falcon is a character who focuses on speed and power. His most notorious attributes are his incredible speed (the fastest dashing and falling speed) and [[combo]] ability. He also has the best [[dash-dance]] in the game, and a very strong aerial game. His up aerial is his most versatile move, being on par with {{SSB|Pikachu}}'s up aerial for the best [[aerial]] in the game. Depending on where it hits, it can send the opponent in different directions. The most notable use of the move is to hit opponents straight up by hitting with the heel - this allows Captain Falcon to chain the move into multiple up aerials, and finish with a [[Falcon Dive]] for a KO, or a down air when his [[midair jump]] is available. If the opponent is too high for a single Falcon Dive to reach, a midair jump is often enough to allow the Falcon Dive to reach them. This is made more effective by the Falcon Dive sending opponent on a difficult-to-[[DI]] angle. Another notable use of the up aerial is its ability to hit opponents back on a [[semi-spike]] trajectory (by hitting with the mid-section of the leg while it's moving backwards) - this is very useful and effective for [[edgeguarding]]. He has a powerful [[meteor smash]] in his down aerial, which can be combo'd into in a variety of ways, including up aerial (as mentioned above), forward aerial, or back aerial at lower percentages. Either of these combos could be considered a [[Ken Combo]] variation, with {{Sm|Ken}} even saying the Ken Combo was initially developed using Captain Falcon's up aerial→down aerial combo in ''Smash 64''. Additionally, his down aerial is a very effective edgeguarder, being a [[meteor smash]] that can KO aerial opponents somewhat early, as well as having a very long duration, meaning it can be used along with an [[edge]] drop or midair jump around the edge to prevent the opponent from [[edge sweetspot]]ting.

Some of Captain Falcon's attacks also have great [[range]], most notably his up aerial and forward smash. The latter is additionally a powerful KO move, and a semi-[[spacing]] tool, being a reliable KO option without having to get too far in the opponent's reach. Captain Falcon additionally has among the best [[short hop]]s in the game, being able to [[approach]] incredibly quickly using short hopped [[Z-cancel]]led aerials. He also has amazing vertical endurance due to his very high falling speed and high weight, and while he isn't particularly vulnerable to [[juggling]] anyway, his [[Falcon Kick]] can prevent juggling easily due to traveling downward quickly.

Captain Falcon, however, has limited effective ground options. His up smash is another one of his especially effective combo moves, being able to chain into itself up to three times depending on the falling speed of the opponent, and easily being to able to lead into aerials. Additionally, his forward throw is a very useful combo tool, being able to combo into forward aerial, up aerial, and up smash out of a [[dash]], as well as a Falcon Punch on fastfallers or heavyweights at moderately high percentages. He also lacks a [[projectile]] and reliable ways to avoid them, which can give him trouble against characters like {{SSB|Fox}} on larger stages. Simply put, he is among the most vulnerable characters to constant [[projectile camping]] and ground-based [[camping]]. The banning of [[Hyrule Castle]] has helped Captain Falcon's metagame as he is less susceptible to projectile camping. Captain Falcon's two most major weaknesses are his recovery and how vulnerable he is to combos. His high weight, moderately large [[hurtbox]], and very fast falling speed makes it easy to combo him offstage, where his large size, very fast falling speed, and short and predictable recovery make him one of the easiest characters to edgeguard.

===In doubles===

Captain Falcon is considered to be one of the best characters in [[doubles]] due to his incredibly easy to utilize combos and movement speed. Thanks to his speed, he is one of the best characters at helping teammates to evade and get out of edgeguarding and combos from opponents. His throws can lead into partner combos as well. A notable [[team wobble]] is that two Captain Falcons can re-grab into another grab with correct timing. Captain Falcon's main issue is his recovery, so in competitive play, he is usually paired with someone who is on a much safer position offstage and can help him with combos, usually Pikachu or {{SSB|Mario}}.

==Differences between game versions==

Captain Falcon was nerfed overall in his transition to NTSC-U as while his faster dashing and falling speeds give him an even better approach, and the higher presence of [[SDI]] makes him less vulnerable to combos, his jumps are slightly lower and Falcon Dive covers less distance, hindering his recovery and his combo potential. The higher presence of SDI can also work against him, making his combos less consistent.

===Attributes===

*{{buff|Captain Falcon dashes slightly faster (70 → 75).}}

*{{nerf|Captain Falcon keeps less horizontal momentum from a grounded jump (0.35 → 0.31).}}

*{{nerf|Captain Falcon has reduced jump power (grounded: 25 → 24; midair: 0.95 → 0.9).}}

**{{nerf|These changes notably prevent him from being able to land on top of the top Dream Land platform with a full hop, hindering his ability to combo floatier characters in particular.}}

*{{change|Captain Falcon has higher falling speed (60 → 66).}}

===Special attacks===

*{{nerf|[[Falcon Dive]] covers less distance.}}

==Moveset==

|ftiltsidedmg=13%

|ftiltmiddowndmg=12%

|utiltname=Wheel Kick ({{ja|ホイールキック|Hoīru Kikku}})

|utiltdesc=Similar to Samus's, an axe kick, doing 9%, then 14%. This attack is unique because it can hit from behind, and at the start of the move, above Captain Falcon. The move in general has somewhat high lag, though. This move is often used with his wall combos because of its range and damage (such as back throw, up tilt, regrab, etc.). It's additionally a way to edgeguard characters hanging on the edge, due to its [[hitbox]] extending below the platform. The hitbox is also high enough to hit someone on a Dream Land platform. The attack is the most damaging up tilt in the game.

|dashname=Turbo Shoulder ({{ja|ターボショルダー|Tābo Shorudā}})

It is the weakest up smash in the game however, typically not KOing at realistic percents. This makes up smash noticeably less effective at higher percents, although its speed and range still make it a strong and damaging punishment option. The move additionally does have fairly high ending lag which can make it risky. The move is unsafe on shield at close range but Captain Falcon can space the move to make it safe on shield (and he can use grab to punish opponents trying to shield up smash).

|nairdesc=A [[sex kick]]. Like most sex kicks, this attack loses power with time. Very powerful when it first comes out and a good defensive move. Not exactly the most useful combo move but is sometimes thrown out as a KO move or a finisher vs. lighter opponents after a fair. A weak n-air is a moderately strong combo move but it is quite hard to hit with outside of when falling. Not a bad move per-say but more less used than his other aerials as they have a better hitbox. Is also less safe on shield compared to other aerials.

|fairname=Rotary Kick ({{ja|ロータリーキック|Rōtarī Kikku}})

|fairdesc=Does two kicks in front for him. This attack is similar to Captain Falcon's neutral aerial in later ''Smash'' games, though without the horizontal movement, sends opponents on more of a horizontal angle, and is better at chasing opponents and KOing. It is also possible to link only one of these aerials into a down aerial, up aerial, or a grab, leading to further combos, a neutral aerial for KOs, or at certain percentages a down aerial to meteor smash. The two hits can lead into a Falcon Kick offstage or close to offstage as well as another forward aerial or grab depending on the opponent's weight and percentage. Very useful against more [[floaty]] characters for comboing as up air isn't as useful. Excellent spacing tool. At max horizontal spacing, this is one of the only aerial moves that is safe on shield. Captain Falcon's best aerial along with up air.

|bairname=Back Knuckle ({{ja|バックナックル|Bakku Nakkuru}})

|uairdesc=Flips in the air. Many consider this attack to be Captain Falcon's most versatile attack as well the best up aerial (along with {{SSB|Pikachu}}'s). Depending on what part of the [[hitbox]] connects with the opponent, it can send the opponent in various directions. A view of the hitboxes can be seen in one of the images to the right. Part of the [[Stairway to Heaven]] combo. For edgeguards, a pivot up air has extremely high hitstun making it a very useful edgeguard after a forward throw near the edge. Safe on shield and can lead to a [[shield break combo]] if the opponent is stuck on a platform.

|dairdesc=[[Stomp (archetype)|Stomp]]s below him, though has a hitbox above his feet. A very long duration. This attack is a [[meteor smash]]. The hitbox exists on the legs and chest, and if the opponent connects with the chest, they will be sent down at a slight angle. If the opponent is already on the ground, it will, depending on their damage percentage, keep the opponent in place or bounce them up at a very slight angle, leading into another aerial such as a second dair to spike offstage, a Falcon Punch for a KO, a grab, or a quick up smash (depending on the percentage and opponent's reaction). The inspiration for the [[Ken Combo]] is based on this spiking after an up air. Is safe on block (when z-cancelled.)

|floorbdmg=6%

|floorfname=

|usdesc=Does a leap into the air. If he grabs an opponent, he launches them diagonally upwards powerfully. It is impossible to Smash DI this move as it is considered to be a grab. If it hits the opponent, it lets Captain Falcon use the move again, otherwise he will become helpless. Recovery move, but it cannot grab onto edgehoggers (outside of right up close), making Captain Falcon easy to edgeguard. A string of multiple up aerials into a Falcon Dive is commonly referred to as an Stairway to Heaven or Windmill combo, as it is a very common combo in ''Smash 64'' competitive play. Can be done out of shield or against a shielding opponent or one caught on a ledge, known as and named after {{sm|King Funk}}.

|dsdesc=Performs a blazing kick while rushing forward. If used in midair, he moves at a diagonal angle down fairly quickly, being usable to counter [[juggling]]. This does not happen if he does it off a platform so it is more commonly used here. In the air, it sends him diagonally down. Unlike ''Melee'', he does not gain a jump back so this move is not used to recover. Is unsafe on block.

}}

===[[Announcer]] call===

File: Captain Falcon Announcer SSB.wav|English/Japanese/German/Chinese

File: Captain Falcon French Announcer SSB.wav|French

===[[On-screen appearance]]===

 

 

! scope="row"|Description

 

===[[Victory pose]]s===

|victory-desc=A cover of the music that plays when a character finishes a race in ''F-Zero X''.

|desc-1=Gathers power, then performs a high roundhouse kick.

 

 

*{{Sm|Alvin|Peru}} - One of the best Captain Falcon players in the world and the best from South America. He has used Captain Falcon to win multiple tournaments such as {{Trn|SuperBoomed}} and {{Trn|Tacna All Stars 2017}}. His Falcon is most often seen against {{SSB|Pikachu}}, beating players such as {{Sm|wario}}, {{Sm|Mariguas}} and {{Sm|Gerson}}.

*{{Sm|Capitan Tavo|Peru}} - One of the best Captain Falcon players to come from South America. He holds some of the best solo Captain Falcon results at Peruvian tournaments, placing 3rd at {{Trn|Tacna Torneo Nacional 2012}} and 4th at {{Trn|Tacna All Stars 2017}}.

*{{Sm|Darkhorse|USA}} - One of the most prominent commentators in the ''Smash 64'' scene who also possesses a high-level Captain Falcon. Some of his best performances include 5th at {{Trn|Operation Desert Smash III}} and {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} and wins over KD3 and Dogs_Johnson in the ditto. He was previously ranked 29th during the [[2018 64 League Rankings]].

*{{Sm|JaimeHR|Mexico}} - One of the most regarded and longest active players in the ''Smash 64'' scene. Commonly considered the best player in Mexico and at one point considered in the top 3 for North America during the early 2010s, only being behind Isai and SuPeRbOoMfAn. He has made top 8 at multiple [[Apex]], [[GENESIS]], and Snosa events, and still remains a top 10 player on many modern rankings.

*{{Sm|KD3|USA}} - One of the best Captain Falcon players in the United States. Known for his constant counterpicking, but has primarily picked Captain Falcon for his performances at majors with examples being his win at {{Trn|Apex 2022}} and 3rd at {{Trn|Super Smash Con: Fall Fest}}. His win over wario at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2022}} marks him as the first American player to beat him and is considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of ''Smash 64''.

*{{Sm|Lowww|USA}} - A Captain Falcon player who has more recently marked himself as one of the best players in the United States, ranking 10th on the [[2021-2022 Smash 64 Power Rankings]]. He has placed 2nd at {{Trn|Keystoned III}} with only Captain Falcon, beating {{Sm|Josh Brody}} and {{Sm|HAMMERHEART}}. He has also placed 2nd at {{Trn|Apex 2022}} and many other tournaments with the character alongside either Pikachu or {{SSB|Fox}}.

*{{Sm|Ruoka Dancho|Japan}} - A old-school player who was one of the best Captain Falcon players at the time. He had a consistent streak of tournaments in Japan up until late 2014 and had two notable major performances with 4th at {{Trn|Apex 2013}} and 7th at {{Trn|Apex 2014}}. He retired in 2015 after some lackluster performances after Apex.

*{{Sm|SuPeRbOoMfAn|Canada}} - Tri-mains Captain Falcon with {{SSB|Pikachu}} and {{SSB|Kirby}} and is the best Captain Falcon player of all time. Won a multitude of tournaments from 2017-2019 with Captain Falcon being his main character with {{Trn|GENESIS 5}}, {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2018}}, and {{Trn|Snosa IV}} being such examples. As such, he was considered the best player of 2018 on the [[2018 64 League Rankings|64 League Rankings]].

 

Captain Falcon has always been considered a high-tier character, with his lowest placement being 5th on the first tier list. His flexible combos, speed, and power have allowed him to take on the majority of the cast extremely well, and has garnered him consistently strong representation and results from high—level players. As the metagame advanced further, Falcon has been notably one of the few characters that has a manageable matchup against {{SSB|Pikachu}}, the best character in the game, although he still struggles to approach and make full use of his advantages against {{SSB|Kirby}}, who can camp him with his large hitboxes. These factors have led to a rock-paper-scissors flowchart, where those three characters together shape most of the metagame. Although other characters have since risen in usage in recent times, such as {{SSB|Yoshi}} and {{SSB|Jigglypuff}} being able to disrupt Falcon’s advantage, he still enjoys excellent usage in all levels of play.

 

This is an easy-to-perform technique that can be used effectively for [[mindgame]]s. Essentially, it is a forward roll that is performed without using a [[roll]]. To utilize the technique, one begins with an initial dash and quickly taps the [[control stick]] in the opposite direction. If one holds it in the opposite direction, or even presses it, then Captain Falcon will dash-dance instead. What makes this technique very effective is that Captain Falcon has a long initial dash, and so one can use this to [[tech-chase]] an opponent depending on their position, or even perform a sort of [[pivot grab]]. One can also use the dash pivot to change one's position in battle, necessary for [[spacing]]: successive dash pivots in one direction after a hit can provide new approach options, lining up Captain Falcon for [[short hop]]ped back/up aerials, while simultaneously performing a sort of pseudo-[[moonwalk]], potentially throwing off the opponent's perception of Captain Falcon's movement. In addition to the aforementioned usages, one can use the dash pivot to [[edge-hog]] very effectively. With proper spacing, a well-timed dash pivot can thrust a player off a [[ledge]] into a [[edge recovery|ledge grab]], allowing for many viable [[gimping|recovery blocking]] techniques (a [[taunt cancel]] implemented while flying off a ledge adds notable humour and dramatic flair as well). It can also be used to land an up aerial as a simple followup to a forward throw from the edge at mid-high percentages, as a great way to land the semi-spike portion of the move. Overall, the potential of this technique is quite significant, and it is an integral part of any decent Captain Falcon user's [[metagame]].

 

 

Captain Falcon's {{mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSB|up aerial}} is notorious for its low and nearly purely vertical [[knockback]] as well as its high [[hitstun]]. This combo involves using up aerial chains to combo the opponent to near the top of the stage, where [[Falcon Dive]] can be used as a combo finisher to hopefully [[Star KO]] them. These up aerial chains are extremely common among Captain Falcon players.

==[[Alternate costume (SSB)#Captain Falcon|Alternate costumes]]==

|colspan=6|[[File:Captain Falcon Palette (SSB).png]]

|-

|{{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSB|s=25px}}

|{{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSB|s=25px|cl=Grey}}

 

*Captain Falcon is the only playable character in ''Smash 64'' whose stock icon is not a small image of his head. Instead, his icon is a falcon, much like the one on his helmet and [[series symbol]].

**Captain Falcon in ''Smash 64'', the {{SSB4|Mii Fighter}}s in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', and {{SSBU|Pac-Man}} in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' are the only playable characters in the series whose stock icons do not depict the character's head or body.

*Captain Falcon has the most usable costumes in the game, with six. He uses the blue and green colors when he's fighting on [[Team Battle]] (but has four normally; indigo, black, red, and white). Most characters have four or five (but have 4 colors due to the [[Nintendo 64 controller]] having four "C" buttons). {{SSB|Yoshi}} has six as well, but only four are usable outside of hacking (including green, red, light blue, and yellow). The other two colors (pink and dark blue) are only playable on the [[Yoshi Team]] in [[1P Game]].

*Captain Falcon's "Congratulations!" screen is the only one to use a pre-existing image from an original game, in this case, the first unlockable title screen from ''{{s|fzerowiki|F-Zero X}}''. The image can also be seen in the [http://www.mobygames.com/game/f-zero-x/cover-art/gameCoverId,173629/platform,9/ back cover] of the Japanese version of ''F-Zero X''.

*Since Captain Falcon was partially derived from {{SSB|Samus}} during development, he shares some attack animations with her: up tilt, dash attack, and down smash. Samus's up tilt has different hitboxes, however.

*Captain Falcon and {{SSB|Samus}} are the only characters to have blue costumes that are only usable while playing on the blue team in VS Mode. Similarly, Captain Falcon's green/yellow costume is only available while playing on the green team, making him the only character to have two costumes that are only usable in Team Battle.

 

[[Category:Captain Falcon (SSB)| ]]

[[es:Captain Falcon (SSB)]]