Editing Captain Falcon (SSBM)

{{Disambig2|Captain Falcon's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''|the character in other contexts|Captain Falcon}}

|name = Captain Falcon

|image = [[File:Captain Falcon SSBM.jpg]]

|game = SSBM

|ssbgame1 = SSB

|ssbgame2 = SSBB

|ssbgame3 = SSB4

|ssbgame4 = SSBU

|tier = A

|ranking = 6

 

 

Captain Falcon currently ranks 6th out of 26 on the ''Melee'' [[tier list]], in the A tier. This is a slightly better placing compared to his previous placement in ''Smash 64'', where he was ranked 3rd out of 12 and is his best placement in the series. One of Captain Falcon's primary strengths is his incredibly strong KO power. His [[knee smash]] is known as one of the best aerial attacks in all of ''Melee'', due to its extremely high horizontal knockback. Captain Falcon has multiple setups and [[kill confirm]]s that can all lead to a knee, which makes him the only top tier capable of reliably KOing all characters at or below 100 percent from center stage. He also has strong mobility, with the fastest dashing speed in the game, and a fast falling speed and air speed, giving him one of the best [[dashdance]]s and [[SHFFL]]s in the game. His fast falling speed and heavyweight status give him great survivability, and he is especially difficult to KO vertically. Falcon possesses a strong combo game and tech-chasing abilities, with his {{Mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSBM|up throw}}, {{Mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSBM|down throw}}, {{Mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSBM|neutral aerial}}, {{Mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSBM|up aerial}}, {{Mvsub|Captain Falcon|SSBM|down aerial}}, and [[Raptor Boost]] all acting as great combo starters, which can chain into each other or end in a knee.

 

Captain Falcon's primary weakness, however, is his slow and predictable recovery. His main recovery move, [[Falcon Dive]], travels very slowly while providing almost no protection (only possessing a small grab hitbox in front of him), while also having high landing lag after touching the stage. This makes his recovery extremely easy to edgeguard or [[edgehog]], and if Falcon chooses to land on the stage, he can be freely punished upon landing, resulting in him repeatedly being knocked off the stage. As such, getting sent far off the level almost always results in a stock loss against skilled players. Falcon also has limited reach, as he lacks a [[projectile]], has a short grab range and very few [[disjoint]]ed hitboxes. His tilt and smash attacks, in general, are slow and unsafe on block, making him reliant on SHFFL'ed aerials to initiate openings. This makes Falcon's [[approach]] options rather predictable, and combined with his lack of reach, limits his effectiveness in the [[neutral game]], especially against characters like {{SSBM|Fox}}, who can overwhelm him with fast attacks. Falcon is also susceptible to [[chain grab]]s and combos due to his heavy weight and high falling speed, most notably against {{SSBM|Falco}}, his most difficult matchup, who can combo him extensively with [[shine]] and {{Mvsub|Falco|SSBM|down aerial}}. Overall, Captain Falcon has strong matchups against most of the cast, but struggles against many characters higher on the tier list.

Captain Falcon is arguably the fastest character in the game. He has the single fastest dash speed, the second fastest falling speed (behind Falco), and one of the fastest lateral air speeds in the game. These traits, coupled with his high traction, good jumping prowess, the ability to wall jump, and the longest dash dance (because of his many dash initiation frames) give Captain Falcon great approach options, a short but quick wavedash, and the best [[moonwalk]] in the game.

 

Despite lacking a projectile, Captain Falcon's attacks and speediness enable great approach options to KO and combo reliably and efficiently. Many of Falcon's attacks have fairly long startup, but they deal incredible damage and knockback, have great range, and have little ending lag. His low short-hop, very fast falling speed, and aerials that reliably chain into one another makes for an excellent [[SHFFL]], giving him a great damage rate and a multitude of approaches and combo finishers.

His aerials are fast and powerful and allow for many approach and KO options. The second hit of his neutral aerial has sex kick properties and can be SHFFLed very easily. His forward aerial, the ([[Knee Smash]]), is arguably Captain Falcon's best move. It can chain into one another through a series of well-timed sweetspots and sourspots, dealing high damage with little startup and KOing at damage percentages as low as 60%. It can be a combo starter and finisher. His back aerial is a quick and powerful backhand punch that is useful for edgeguarding. His up aerial is a high-reaching, strong bicycle kick with very fast startup (5 frames), and can be used for edgeguarding or as an out-of-shield option. His down aerial is the fourth most powerful meteor smash in the game. It has minor startup, high [[hitstun]], and can chain itself into another down air by SHFFLing. If the down aerial hits above Captain Falcon's waist, then it acts as the most powerful spike in the game, though landing this sweetspot requires good spacing and timing.

All of Captain Falcon's smash attacks can be powerful combo starters and finishers with high KOing potential. Captain Falcon's forward smash, despite its fairly long startup, is the third most powerful forward smash in the game in terms of damage and knockback and is an excellent combo finisher and reading tool. His down smash is his fastest, dealing great horizontal knockback, and his up smash can flexibly act as a combo starter and finisher.

A combo notoriously difficult to execute is the infamous [[Sacred Combo]], a two-hit combo involving his Knee Smash followed by a midair [[Falcon Punch]], before the hitstun of the previous attack wears off. If executed correctly, the opponent is likely to be KO'd. However, there are severe consequences if Falcon makes a mistake while performing this technique; it's possible for him to jump too far while performing the Falcon Punch, which will result in a self-destruct.

Despite having a poor grab range (the sixth shortest in the game), Falcon's grab game is among the most flexible and devastating in ''Melee''; his forward and back throws can easily send opponents off the stage at higher percents and create an edgeguard situation, while his up and down throws can be used to start combos and chain grabs.

One of Captain Falcon's glaring and famous weaknesses is his mediocre-at-best recovery. He has high air speed, but the distance that he can cover is drastically shortened by his fast falling speed. He is prone to edgeguarding because his recovery move cannot grab edgehoggers. He can extend his horizontal recovery by performing an uninterrupted Falcon Kick in the air; this gives him back his midair jump, but it usually forces him to recover from the bottom blast line, as the Falcon Kick sends him very far down. Using Raptor Boost is a decent horizontal recovery option, but it grants nonexistent vertical height and cannot instantly snap to the ledge. It also halts recovery immediately if it connects with anything in midair, sending him down the bottom blast line.

Besides somewhat crippling his horizontal recovery, Captain Falcon's fast falling speed also acts as a double-edged sword; while it does grant him a very good combo game and the best vertical knockback resistance in the game due to his above average weight, he is also prone to chain grabs such as {{SSBM|Pikachu}}'s and {{SSBM|Peach}}'s up throws; combos that utilize moves with decent vertical knockback, such as up tilts and up aerials, are also easier to land on Captain Falcon due to his relatively large hurtbox.

Overall, Captain Falcon is a tank with gifted speed; he can deal a lot of damage and take as much punishment, while having one of the fastest movement speeds in the game. Players must take advantage of this speed and quickly adapt to their opponents to fully utilize his abilities.

In the transition from ''Smash 64'' to ''Melee'', Captain Falcon gained a mix of buffs and nerfs. His recovery has seen multiple improvements due to his higher air speed, [[Falcon Kick]] giving him his double jump back and [[Falcon Dive]] covering more distance. He also benefits from the fact that jumps carry over momentum from a dash moreso than any other character greatly improving his aerial approach. His forward aerial is now his [[Knee smash]] which has excellent KO potential and combo ability which along with the previous change, now gives him an extremely powerful and deadly approach option and combo ender. Captain Falcon's horizontal movement is better than ever due to multiple universal changes giving him access to new movement options such as more flexible [[dash-dancing]], [[wavedashing]] and [[moonwalking]]. Captain Falcon has also gained strong [[tech-chasing]] potential due to both the universally increased falling speeds and his new up throw, down throw and his new side special [[Raptor Boost]] which also acts as a solid combo starter. Lastly, many of his attacks have reduced ending lag and some of his attacks also have increased KO power (such as forward smash, down smash and the aforementioned Knee smash).

Falcon has also received some significant nerfs however. While he has more movement options and better aerial mobility, his dash speed (while still the fastest) has been decreased especially relative to the cast. His up aerial is no longer an extremely powerful juggling tool due to its clean hit now launching opponents horizontally (although it is still one of his best moves) and its late hit has drastically reduced power no longer being a strong KO move. His throws are also less reliable at comboing (although he now has the potential to [[chain grab]] or [[tech chase]] his opponents out of his down throw) while his back throw has much lower KO potential. His combo game in general is less consistent and effective due to both the introduction of [[DI]] and the fact that some of his other moves having reduced combo potential (such as up smash and down aerial which also have drastically increased startup lag) and are less reliable as his up smash no longer consists of one hit and down aerial can now be meteor-cancelled. A decent amount of Captain Falcon's moves have increased startup lag (such as his smash attacks and aerials) and while some of his attacks have increased KO potential, others have reduced KO power (such as his afforementioned back throw and his aerials besides his forward and down aerials). Captain Falcon also suffers from the changes to [[shield]]s as while he is less vulnerable to shield pressure, his moveset is less safe on shield with multiple moves (such as his up tilt, landing aerials and [[Falcon Punch]] which previous gave him frame advantage against shield) now becoming punishable and his own out of shield options are worse due to his slower and altered aerials making his out of shield game a bigger weakness than it was before. Lastly, his specials are  worse in various ways. [[Falcon Punch]] is weaker and slower giving it less combo potential, Falcon Dive is considerably weaker and has seen other non-beneficial changes and Falcon Kick now decays over time making it less effective from afar.

 

Overall, Captain Falcon has a less consistent combo and punish game along with having many moves with increased startup lag and reduced KO power. Despite this, the few reliable KO moves he has are extremely effective and he still possesses a solid combo and punish game. Additionally, most of his moves which were nerfed in some ways were buffed in other ways and he has benefitted from numerous changes to ''Melee''{{'}}s mechanics which have made his excellent movement speed an even bigger advantage/threat. Nevertheless, Captain Falcon remains one of the stronger characters in the game and has still seen a fair amount of success in tournaments.

*{{change|Captain Falcon has a new [[idle pose]] along with his one from ''Smash 64'', which was also altered.}}

*{{change|Captain Falcon has new and higher quality voice samples, though he is still voiced by Ryō Horikawa.}}

*{{nerf|Captain Falcon [[walk]]s slightly slower (0.8533 (25.6) → 0.85).}}

*{{nerf|Captain Falcon [[dash]]es slower (2.333 (70, JPN) / 2.5 (75, NA) → 2.3).}}

**{{nerf|Captain Falcon's initial dash is significantly slower (2.667 (80) → 2) and covers less distance.}}

*{{buff|Captain Falcon's [[traction]] is higher (0.06 (1.8) → 0.08), making it easier for him to punish [[out of shield]].}}

*{{buff|Captain Falcon's [[air speed]] is faster (1.033 (31) → 1.12). Captain Falcon also greatly benefits from the fact that [[jump]]s now carry momentum from a dash noticeably improving his aerial approach.}}

*{{nerf|Captain Falcon's [[air acceleration]] is much lower (0.1067 (3.2) → 0.06).}}

*{{nerf|Captain Falcon [[jump]]s drastically lower (51.3 (1539) → 38.52), hindering his vertical recovery and ability to chase opponents above him. While still the 3rd highest out of 26 characters, he jumps lower than the lowest full hop height value in ''Smash 64''.}}

*{{change|Captain Falcon's [[gravity]] is higher (0.1133 (3.4) → 0.13) having the same benefits and drawbacks as his higher falling speed but also reducing the height of his jumps.}}

*{{change|Captain Falcon [[Falling speed|falls]] significantly faster (2 (60, JPN) / 2.2 (66, NA/AUS/EUR) → 2.9), which combined with his high weight, gives him the best vertical endurance in ''Melee'', ousting Donkey Kong (who has the second highest vertical endurance). However, this does make him more susceptible to combos.}}

**{{nerf|Captain Falcon's [[fast fall]]ing speed is also faster (3.333 (100) → 3.5). However, the difference between his falling speed and fast falling speed is much lower (increase: 66.7% (JPN) / 51.5% (NA/AUS/EUR) → 20.7%), which makes it more predictable when landing and gives him fewer options in the air.}}

*{{nerf|Captain Falcon is [[weight|lighter]] (108.333333 (0.96) → 104), hindering his endurance.}}

*{{buff|Captain Falcon's [[roll]]s have less ending lag (FAF 42 → 32).}}

*{{buff|''Melee''{{'}}s more lenient window for [[dash-dancing]] combined with the addition of [[moonwalking]] and [[air dodging]] has given Captain Falcon more/superior movement options.}}

===Ground attacks===

**{{buff|The first hit of neutral attack has less startup (frame 5 → 3) and ending lag (FAF 21 → 16).}}

**{{buff|The [[Gentleman]] deals more damage (4% → 8% (clean), 6% (late)), has much more knockback (40 (base), 30 (scaling) → 20/100) and launches opponents at a different angle (80° → 361°). Altogether, these changes improve its utility granting it [[tech-chasing]], followup and KO potential.}}

***{{nerf|However, these changes make it connect into the rapid jab much less reliably.}}

**{{buff|The Gentleman has a longer duration (frames 5-9 → 6-12) and has much less ending lag (FAF 32 → 23).}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt has a shorter duration (frames 9-15 → 9-11).}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt only hits once which in turn:}}

***{{nerf|Increases its startup lag and shortens its duration (frames 8-17 (hit 1)/18-23 (hit 2) → 17-21).}}

***{{nerf|Makes it deal 10% less damage (9% (hit 1)/14% (hit 2)/23% (total) → 13%).}}

**{{buff|Captain Falcon has a new down tilt: a leg sweep. It has significantly more combo ability than the previous down tilt due to sending opponents at a more vertical angle (30° → 80°/70°/60°).}}

***{{nerf|This new angle however has greatly hindered down tilt's edgeguarding potential.}}

**{{buff|Down tilt deals more damage (11% → 12%) with its knockback scaling compensated (80 → 75).}}

**{{buff|Down tilt has more range.}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 8-15 → 10-15) and has more ending lag (FAF 31 → 35).}}

*[[Dash attack]]:

**{{buff|Dash attack has a shorter total duration (FAF 41 → 38).}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack has a shorter duration (frames 7-10 (clean)/11-26 (late) → 7-9/10-16) and its total duration was not fully compensated giving it more ending lag.}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack deals less damage (12% (clean), 9% (late) → 10%/7%) and its clean hit's knockback was not fully compensated (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 22/90).}}

***{{buff|However, this combined with the move's shorter total duration makes the move safer on hit at lower percents.}}

**{{nerf|The late hit deals much less knockback (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 10/50).}}

**{{nerf|Captain Falcon has a new forward smash: an advancing elbow thrust in a single move. It has slightly less reach and slightly more start-up lag with a shorter duration compared to the previous forward smash (frames 16-23 → 18-21).}}

**{{buff|New forward smash deals more damage (19%/18%/17% → 21%/20%/19%), and has increased base knockback (20 → 24) improving its KO potential and now being the 3rd most powerful forward smash in ''Melee''.}}

**{{buff|Forward smash has less ending lag (FAF 62 → 60).}}

**{{buff|Captain Falcon has a new up smash: a jumping-spinning double kick aimed vertically upward. Its first kick has low knockback to connect into the second kick and the second kick has significantly more knockback (90 (base), 40 (scaling) → 25/(128/126/110), no longer making it the weakest up smash, now being the 7th most powerful up smash in ''Melee'' if both kicks connect.}}

**{{buff|Up smash has less ending lag (FAF 46 → 40) with the move now only having 11 frames of cooldown (as opposed to 35).}}

**{{buff|Due to having two hits, up smash's maximum damage output is much higher (17% → 26%).}}

***{{nerf|This combined with the introduction of [[DI]], the reduction of hitstun and the move's altered knockback has prevented the move from comboing reliably despite its much lower ending lag.}}

**{{nerf|Up smash has drastically higher startup lag (frame 4 → 21) going from the fastest up smash to one of the slowest.}}

***{{nerf|It also has a shorter duration overall (frames 4-11 → 21-23 (hit 1)/27-28 (hit 2)).}}

**{{buff|Captain Falcon has a new down smash: a fast swinging kick that hits forwards with an inward punt and backwards with a back thrusting kick. It has more horizontal and much more vertical [[range]].}}

**{{nerf|Down smash has more startup lag and the first hit has a shorter duration (frames 8-12 (front), 19-22 (back) → 19-22/29-32).}}

**{{nerf|Down smash can no longer hit characters hanging on [[ledge]]s due to its higher hitboxes.}}

===Aerial attacks===

*{{buff|All aerials have less landing lag (22 frames → 15 (neutral/up), 30 frames → 19 (forward), 30 frames → 18 (back), 28 frames → 24 (down)).}}

*{{nerf|All aerials except for back aerial [[auto-cancel]] later (frame 28 → 34 (neutral), frame 28 → 35 (forward), frame 19 → 22 (up), frame 25 → 36 (down)). Neutral, forward and down aerials can no longer [[auto-cancel]] in a short hop and when combined with the weakening of [[L-canceling]], this makes them more punishable when landing and reduces their follow up potential.}}

**{{change|Captain Falcon's previous forward aerial is now his neutral aerial. It has an altered animation where Falcon kicks with his right leg first, then left leg all while turning to his right, as opposed to the other way around (with right leg first and left leg last). It is also angled more diagonally upwards.}}

**{{buff|Captain Falcon has a new forward aerial: an [[electric]] knee thrust known as the [[Knee Smash]]. Its clean hit deals significantly higher damage (12% → 18%) and knockback compared to the previous second hit (20 (base), 80 (scaling) → 24/100) making it a drastically stronger KO move.}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial is overall a more reliable move due to only consisting of one hit.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial is overall a less reliable combo starter although the late hit has solid combo potential.}}

*[[Back aerial]]:

**{{buff|Back aerial has less ending lag (FAF 35 → 29) and auto-cancels earlier (frame 28 → 21).}}

**{{change|Back aerial has received a late hit after its first four frames which deals significantly less damage (16% → 8%) with only a slight increase to its base knockback on its sweetspot (10 → 20) while its sourspots have less base knockback (10 → 0).}}

***{{nerf|This drastically hinders its KO potential and makes it more susceptible to punishment.}}

***{{buff|However, this also significantly improves its combo potential at higher percents when combined with its decreased ending lag.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial's clean hit deals less damage (16% → 14%). Its sweetspot's base knockback was not fully compensated (10 → 20), KO'ing roughly 10%-11% later, and it now has sourspots on his arm and shoulder with less base knockback (10 → 0), which KOs even later (about 18%-19% later from the sweetspot).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has a slightly altered animation where Falcon doesn't lean back as far as well as his arm's size not increasing as much, slightly reducing its range.}}

**{{buff|Up aerial has less ending lag (FAF 34 → 30).}}

**{{change|Up aerial now only has a clean hit and a late hit rather than a clean hit, mid hit and a late hit (a late hit with a 0° angle as well as lower damage and knockback exists in the move's files but it never comes out due to its hitboxes ending one frame before the mid hit).}}

***{{nerf|However, this along with the reduction of hitstun and the introduction of DI has significantly hindered its combo potential no longer being a viable juggling tool. This has generally made it much harder to combo into moves such as other aerials, itself and Falcon's specials.}}

**{{change|The late hit has an angle between up aerial's previous mid hit and late hit (361° (mid)/20° (late) → 30°).}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 5-13 → 6-13).}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial has less vertical range.}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial no longer deals consistent damage (16% → 13%/12% (clean)/10%/8% (late)) and the late hit deals less knockback (10 (base), 100 (scaling) → 8/6 (base), 80 (scaling)).}}

*[[Down aerial]]:

**{{buff|Down aerial has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 38).}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has larger hitboxes and has more range overall.}}

**{{buff|Down smash deals more damage (14% → 16%) and has higher base knockback (0 → 40) significantly improving its KO potential as well as the sweetspot's edgeguarding potential (being the fourth most powerful [[meteor smash]] in ''Melee'').}}

**{{nerf|As with all meteor smashes from returning veterans, Down aerial has significantly increased startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 7-24 → 16-20).}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial's angle has been altered (-80° → 270°/290°) which allows the move to be meteor canceled unless the highest hitbox on his body (nicknamed the ''Nipple spike'') connects, hindering its reliability.}}

**{{nerf|The weakening of L-canceling combined with its worse auto-cancel window and higher knockback has hindered down aerial's combo potential.}}

**{{buff|Like all ''Super Smash Bros.'' veterans, Captain Falcon has been given a [[pummel]], [[up throw]] and a [[down throw]], significantly improving his attack options out of a grab.}}

**{{nerf|As with all returning veterans without a [[tether]] grab, Falcon's grabs have more startup lag (frame 6 → 7 (standing), 11 (dash)) and ending lag (FAF 16 → 31 (standing), 41 (dash)).}}

*[[Forward throw]]:

**{{change|Back throw's angle has been altered (361° → 45°).}}

**{{change|Captain Falcon's previous forward throw has been moved to his down throw. It has an altered animation where Captain Falcon keeps both his feet on the ground as opposed to leaning forward enough to bring his following foot off the ground like in ''Smash 64''.}}

***{{buff|This new animation gives it less ending lag (FAF 44 → 40).}}

**{{change|Down throw is weight dependent which increases its speed against lighter characters but decreases its speed against heavier characters.}}

*[[Falcon Punch]]:

**{{buff|Falcon Punch's sweetspot deals more damage (26% → 27%), takes priority over the sourspots (ID# 2 → 0) and has a larger hitbox than the mid hit making it much easier to land.}}

**{{buff|Falcon Punch has more range.}}

**{{nerf|Falcon Punch has significantly increased startup lag (frame 42 → 52) with its ending lag compensated (FAF 90 → 100) drastically hindering its use as a combo ender.}}

**{{nerf|Falcon Punch has less knockback scaling (120 → 102) hindering its KO potential especially the sourspot.}}

**{{nerf|Aerial Falcon Punch no longer deals extra [[shield]] damage (4 → 0).}}

***{{nerf|In general, the reduction to shieldstun and shield damage has made Falcon Punch heavily punishable against shield (as opposed to being practically safe on shield).}}

**{{nerf|Falcon's higher falling speed/gravity has removed Falcon Punch's use as a recovery option.}}

*[[Raptor Boost]]:

**{{change|Captain Falcon now has a side special move: Raptor Boost. It is a dash that, when connects, does a flaming uppercut, which can act as a great tech-chaser and combo-starter; but on the flipside, is somewhat easy to punish and isn't a viable horizontal recovery option as it cannot snap the ledge.}}

*[[Falcon Dive]]:

**{{buff|Falcon Dive travels more distance.}}

**{{nerf|Falcon Dive deals less damage (20% → 5% (hit)/12% (throw)/15% (total) with only a slight increase to its base knockback (30 → 40), greatly hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The grabbox has a shorter duration (frames 13-44 → 13-33).}}

**{{nerf|Falcon Dive has more landing lag (17 frames → 30).}}

*[[Falcon Kick]]:

**{{buff|Grounded Falcon Kick travels further.}}

**{{buff|Falcon Kick restores Falcon's [[double jump]] when used in midair.}}

**{{nerf|Falcon Kick has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 12-31 → 14-32 (ground)/15-29 (air)).}}

**{{nerf|Falcon Kick decays over time, dealing less damage (15% → 15%/12%/9% (ground), 15%/13%/11% (air)) and knockback (40 (base), 70 (scaling) → 50/(70/60/50) (ground), 40/(70/65/60) (air)) the further Falcon travels before connecting it.}}

**{{nerf|The landing hit can no longer hit aerial opponents.}}

==Version history==

*{{nerf|Soft hit of [[Knee Smash]] deals 3% less damage (6% → 3%) and has less base knockback (35 → 30).}}

|neutralname=Jab ({{ja|ジャブ|Jabu}}) / Straight ({{ja|ストレート|Sutorēto}}) / Knee ({{ja|ニーバット|Nībatto}}, ''Kneebutt'') / Mach Punch ({{ja|マッハパンチ|Mahha Panchi}})

|ftiltname=Round Kick ({{ja|ラウンドキック|Raundo Kikku}})

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

|utiltdesc=Brings his leg up and brings it down in an axe-like fashion. It has incredible range, able to out range many of {{SSBM|Marth}}'s tilts. This move has good horizontal knockback and like his f-tilt, is difficult to combo from. Due to its low trajectory, one can often follow off the edge of a platform or stage with a falling n-air or non-sweetspotted fair edgeguard, but this is not a true combo. It may be a good idea to wavedash slightly forward to maintain pressure, and enter a defensive stance. Most players use this move as an edgeguard technique since the heel can extend below the platform.

|dtiltname=Crouching Kick ({{ja|スプロールキック|Supurōru Kikku}}, ''Round Kick'')

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

|fsmashname=Overheat Elbow ({{ja|オーバーヒートエルボ|Ōbāhīto Erubo}})

|usmashname=Pinwheel Kick ({{ja|デュアルエッジ|Dyuaru Ejji}}, ''Dual Edge'')

|dsmashname=Pendulum Kick ({{ja|フロント＆バックキック|Furonto ando Bakku Kikku}}, ''Front & Back Kick'')

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

|nairdesc=His f-air from ''SSB64'', kicks forward twice. A good two-hit combo starter, though the second hit is difficult to land.

|fairname=[[Knee Smash]] ({{ja|ストライキングニー|Sutoraikingu Nī}}, ''Striking Knee'')

|fairdesc=Sticks out his knee. If it lands during the initial frames, the victim is zapped and is sent in a difficult-to-DI-out-of [[semi-spike]] trajectory (32 degrees to be exact). If it lands any other time, the move is very weak with little knockback, though it can be chained into another Knee Smash. An extremely powerful move when it lands a clean hit; it is often regarded as one of the most powerful and useful moves in the game, and undoubtedly the most powerful forward aerial of ''Melee'' (though, in terms of knockback, its the third most powerful forward aerial in the game, after {{SSBM|Zelda}} and {{SSBM|Dr. Mario}}). This move is the usual end to most of Falcon's aerial combos, or even to use against grounded foes in an aerial assault. Easily KOs at damage percentages as low as 60% off the edge.

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

|uairname=Overhead Kick ({{ja|オーバーヘッドキック|Ōbāheddo Kikku}})

|dairname=Step On It ({{ja|スタンピードボム|Sutanpīdo Bomu}}, ''Stampede Bomb'')

|dairdesc=Stomps below him for good downward knockback and high hitstun. Minor startup and ending lag. Can [[nipple spike]] if hit within the torso region, making it a [[spike]] and even more powerful (the most powerful spike in the game). If used on a grounded opponent, this move is a great combo starter, and can KO at high percentages. This is the 4th most powerful [[meteor smash]] in the game, behind {{SSBM|Young Link}}'s sweetspotted down aerial, {{SSBM|Ganondorf}}'s down aerial, and {{SSBM|Yoshi}}'s forward aerial.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|pummelname=Captive Knee ({{ja|つかみニーバット|Tsukami Nībatto}}, ''Grab Kneebutt'')

|fthrowname=Body Blow ({{ja|ショートボディブロー|Shōto Bodi Burō}}, ''Short Body Blow'')

|bthrowname=Kickback ({{ja|ストライキングスルー|Sutoraikingu Surū}}, ''Striking Throw'')

|uthrowname=Rising Palm ({{ja|ライジングフラット|Raijingu Furatto}}, ''Rising Flat'')

|dthrowname=Throw Down ({{ja|ヘッドクラッシュ|Heddo Kurasshu}}, ''Head Crush'')

|ssdesc=Dashes forward. If he doesn't hit an opponent, he falls over. If he hits an opponent on the ground, he launches a fiery uppercut, knocking them into the air. If he hits an opponent while in midair, he punches downward, [[meteor smash]]ing them. However, this move always makes him [[helpless]], so it is very risky to use offstage.

|dsdesc=Rushes forward while performing a fiery kick. If he goes off a ledge, he continues dashing forward. If started in midair, he kicks down at a diagonal angle. Restores his midair jump, making it a useful move for horizontal recovery at long distances. The aerial version's hitboxes are programmed incorrectly; the hitboxes are on Falcon's right leg (like the grounded version), but Falcon performs the aerial version with his left leg, leading to the hitboxes being to the side and behind him (even if the hitboxes were programmed to be on the correct bones (8 and 7), they would still be closer to his body than to his foot).

{{Taunt/SSBM

|image-1=Captain Falcon Idle Pose Melee 1.gif

|image-2=Captain Falcon Idle Pose Melee 2.gif}}

|desc-2=Kneels and thrusts his chest forward, shouting.

|desc-3=Crouches low, then performs a spinning hook kick.

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

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:''See also: [[:Category:Captain Falcon players (SSBM)]]''

*{{Sm|Darkrain|USA}} - Formerly ranked 61st on the [[2015 SSBMRank]] and 8th on the [[RetroSSBMRank#2009|2009 RetroSSBMRank]]. A top old-school ''Melee'' Falcon player and one of the Midwest's best and most established players, who continued to compete all the way up to 2017.

*{{Sm|Isai|USA}} - Was regarded as the best ''Melee'' Captain Falcon player in the world in his prime during the [[MLG]] era. Although his placings at ''Melee'' singles tournaments lowered over time, he is one of the few players to have defeated former Melee world champion {{Sm|Ken}} multiple times. Isai was the first Falcon player to win a major at {{trn|MOAST 3}} and then later in that year became the first Falcon player to win a supermajor at {{trn|MLG Los Angeles 2005}}, which would stand as the last time a Falcon player won a supermajor or major for over 13 years, until Wizzrobe won {{trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}}.

*{{Sm|n0ne|Canada}} - One of the top Falcon players from 2016-2021, and arguably the most technical among them. He is renowned for his creative, mixup-heavy style, as well as his high-risk/high-reward punishes, which set him apart from other top Falcons such as {{Sm|S2J}} and {{Sm|Wizzrobe}}. He was the first Falcon to defeat {{Sm|Mew2King}} in tournament in a decade, taking three sets at [[GOML 2016]] , [[UGC Smash Open]] and [[DreamHack Austin 2017]] . He was also the first Falcon to defeat {{Sm|Mango}} in over a decade at [[Rising Stars at EGLX 2019]].

*{{Sm|Salt|USA}} - One of the best active Falcon players in the world. She is considered the best player in Texas and has had strong results following the online era of Melee, such as 1st at {{trn|Low Tide City 2023}} and 9th at {{trn|Tipped Off 14: Resurgence}}. She is currently ranked 18th on the [[SSBMRank Summer 2023]].

*{{Sm|Scar|USA}} - While he is now known primarily as a [[commentator]], Scar was one of the most renowned Captain Falcon players in the world from 2009 through 2014. He ranked 62nd on the inaugural [[2013 SSBMRank]] and 89th on the [[2014 SSBMRank]]. His top 6 placement at the first {{Trn|GENESIS}} also stood as the best placement for a Falcon player at a supermajor or major in the post-MLG era, until it was first tied by Hax's 5th at {{Trn|Pound V}}, and it wasn't outright exceeded at a major until Wizzrobe placed 4th at {{trn|DreamHack Austin 2016}}, while it would take until {{trn|Smash Summit 7}} for Wizzrobe to exceed top 6 at a supermajor. Scar is additionally the namesake of the [[Scar Jump]], an advanced version of the [[wall jump]] commonly used by Falcon players.

*{{Sm|Setchi|Wales}} - Now semi-retired from Melee, Setchi is notable for having produced many advancements in Captain Falcon's defensive game, including ways of escaping combos and setplay. He also was, to date, the highest ranking European Captain Falcon player, having been ranked 42nd on the [[2019 MPGR]] and achieved results such as 2nd at {{trn|Fête}} and 3rd at {{trn|DreamHack Rotterdam 2019}}. He is known for his prowess against {{SSBM|Peach}} and {{SSBM|Falco}}, but has mostly stopped attending Melee tournaments to focus on Guilty Gear: Strive.

*{{Sm|SilentSpectre|USA}} - Along with {{Sm|Tang}}, SilentSpectre was responsible for the immensely famous [[Wombo Combo]]. He is also one of most influential old-school Falcons, along with Isai, Darkrain, and Scar, who popularized the fast-paced and aggressive playstyle of Captain Falcon.

*{{Sm|Wizzrobe|USA}} - One of the three best Falcon players in the modern era, and considered to be overall the best among them. A pioneer of the 20GX style of play, he is known for his safe, consistent and perfectionist style that relies on guaranteed and optimal tech-chases, edgeguards, and combo follow-ups, which set him apart from the other two top Falcons. Wizzrobe also set numerous placement benchmarks for Falcon; his 4th at DreamHack Austin 2016 was the first time a Falcon player made top 4 at a major in the post-MLG era, while he would later become the first post-MLG Falcon player to place top 4 at an invitational supermajor ({{trn|Smash Summit 7}}) and an open supermajor ({{trn|Get On My Level 2019}}), then would become the first Falcon player since Isai to win a supermajor or major at {{trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}}.

===Tier placement and history===

Captain Falcon was considered a low tier character on the first [[tier list]]; inexperienced panelists felt he was inferior to his ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' counterpart, and failed to overcome the high [[technical skill]] demands required to play him. Captain Falcon then moved up to the middle tier, but was not recognized as being a solid character until one year after ''Melee'' began being played competitively. Dedicated Falcon mains such as {{Sm|Isai}} showed how powerful his [[combo]]ing abilities were, and how well he could KO out of a combo with the deadly [[Knee Smash]]. Falcon mains began placing very high in tournaments, inching him up the list into the high tier as old high tier characters, such as {{SSBM|Mario}} and {{SSBM|Luigi}}, began falling. Despite being ranked as a top tier character, Captain Falcon has always been seen as less viable compared to the other top tiers, as no player has been able to consistenly win majors with the character. In addition, his tournament representation took a hit in 2014 when {{Sm|Hax}}, the best Captain Falcon player in the world at the time, switched to playing Fox, believing that the latter character was more competitively viable and would help him reach the highest level of play. As a result, Captain Falcon fell to 8th on the 2015 tier list, ranked below the Ice Climbers, considered to be merely a high tier.

However, since 2015, perceptions of Captain Falcon's viability have improved. Falcon's metagame has been further developed by a new wave of top players, including {{Sm|Wizzrobe}}, {{Sm|n0ne}}, {{Sm|S2J}}, and {{Sm|Gahtzu}}, as part of the "20GX" movement, which aimed to prove that Captain Falcon was competitively viable. Areas of play including edgeguarding, punishing, and reaction tech-chasing were further refined and optimized, and multiple Captain Falcon players have consistently been able to achieve top eight placings at major tournaments. Wizzrobe in particular became the first player since Isai to win a major with Captain Falcon at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}}, defeating {{Sm|Hungrybox}}, the number one player in the world, and accomplishing what players like Hax had once called practically impossible.

Despite Captain Falcon's recent successes, his difficult matchups against the space animals (particularly Falco) has left him short of being able to consistently win majors: Wizzrobe's run at Smash 'N' Splash 5 was aided by avoiding Mango, who he has never taken a set off of in tournament. However, his viability is seen as far more improved than in years past, and as a result he rose to the A tier and is ranked 6th on the thirteenth and current tier list.

Captain Falcon only received two changes in the transition to PAL, the more welcome of the two being that the Gentleman can now be done with just three A button presses, without any extra inputs or timing alterations required. The other nerfed his soft Knee Smash, making it hit only half as hard as the NTSC soft Knee Smash. The Gentleman is now much easier to perform and Captain Falcon's jab combo is overall a much more viable damage racking option than it is in NTSC. The nerf to the soft Knee Smash, however, prevents a guaranteed followup into another Knee Smash, slightly weakening Falcon's edgeguarding and combo potential, though this can be worked around by using up aerial instead. With almost all of the characters who would years later be above him in the tier list receiving nerfs (particularly Fox and Sheik), he fares better in those respective matchups, but due to considerably less representation of Captain Falcon in Europe, he remains at 7th place.

==In 1-P Mode==

*'''[[Event 17: Bounty Hunters]]''': The player controls {{SSBM|Samus}}, “allied” with Captain Falcon, and must deliver the finishing blow to {{SSBM|Bowser}} on [[Jungle Japes]]. The event results in failure if Captain Falcon delivers the finishing blow or if Bowser [[Self-destruct|self-destructs]].

===[[Congratulations_screen#Super_Smash_Bros._Melee|Congratulations Screens]]===

CaptainFalconClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode

CaptainFalconAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode

CaptainFalconAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode

==[[Trophies]]==

In addition to the normal trophy about Captain Falcon as a character unlocked by completing {{SSBM|Classic Mode}} as Captain Falcon on any difficulty, there are two trophies about him as a fighter, unlocked by completing {{SSBM|Adventure Mode}} and [[All-Star Mode]] respectively as Captain Falcon on any difficulty. Each of the trophies can also be unlocked by playing 100, 200, and 300 versus matches respectively as Captain Falcon:

|image=Captain Falcon Trophy Melee.png

|desc=Usually a relentless bounty hunter, Captain Falcon shifts gears to become a race pilot once the F-Zero Grand Prix begins. His beloved racer, the Blue Falcon, can exceed the speed of sound, and he knows how to drive it; he'll go down as one of the all-time greats. Now 36 years old, Captain Falcon wears his F-Zero X visor.

|gamelist={{Trophy games|game1=F-Zero|release1=8/91}}

|name=Capt. Falcon

|image=Captain Falcon Trophy (Smash).png

|desc=Falcon's style is a balanced combination of raw power and speed. His attacks are slow, but when combined with Falcon's high mobility, he's a formidable combat force. The Falcon Punch packs the highest degree of destructive power, while the explosive Raptor Boost can be used to smash airborne foes into the depths.

|gamelist=:B: Falcon Punch

:Smash B: Raptor Boost

 

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

{|style="margin:1em auto 1em auto;text-align:center"

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

|{{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=Black}}

|{{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=Red}}

|{{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=Green}}

|{{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=Blue}}

SSBM Captain Falcon HQ.jpg|Official artwork of Captain Falcon.

SSBMWebsiteCaptainFalcon1.jpg|Using his [[Captain Falcon (SSBM)/Forward smash|forward smash]] on [[Mute City]].

SSBMWebsiteCaptainFalcon2.jpg|[[Taunt]]ing next to {{SSBM|Pikachu}} on [[Brinstar]].

SSBMWebsiteCaptainFalcon4.jpg|Using [[Falcon Punch]] on {{SSBM|Fox}} and {{SSBM|Mario}} on Pokémon Stadium.

SSBMWebsiteCaptainFalcon5.jpg|[[Dash]]ing on [[Temple]].

*Captain Falcon's red costume (the costume resembling his evil clone, "Blood Falcon") has a different logo on the back of his outfit, being a skull with bird wings and text that reads "BLOOD HAWK" (Blood Falcon's F-Zero machine).

**In the Japanese version of ''Melee'', the text instead reads "HELL HAWK".

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

[[Category:Trophies (SSBM)]]

[[es:Captain Falcon (SSBM)]]