Editing Falco (SSB4)

|ranking = 46

'''Falco''' ({{ja|ファルコ|Faruko}}, ''Falco'') returns as a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. Falco was officially confirmed on October 3rd, 2014, alongside {{SSB4|Ness}} and {{SSB4|Wario}}, coinciding with the North American and European release of {{for3ds}}. As in ''[[Melee]]'' and ''[[Brawl]]'', {{s|wikipedia|Hisao Egawa}} reprises his role in the Japanese version with his re-recorded voice clips of the game. Mark Lund, his voice actor from ''Star Fox 64 3D'', now voices him in the English version, replacing Dex Manley from ''Brawl''.

Falco ranks 46th out of 54 on the [[tier list]], an extreme drop from ''Brawl'' where he was ranked 7th out of 38, and an enormous drop from his ''Melee'' position where he was ranked 4th out of 26, making this his worst placement in the series by far. The majority of Falco's moves have high speed and very favourable angles, granting him a strong combo game and [[juggling]] capabilities. These are further aided by his good grab game and strong jumps, with the latter remaining the highest in the game. His moves that lack speed or reach are also packed with power, giving his moves surprisingly high KO power; for example, his back aerial can reliably KO below 130%. He also boasts an effective grab game and out of shield game, with all of his throws possessing great utility and/or KO power, while the speed of his moves allows him to easily punish opponents out of shield.

However, Falco's [[neutral game]] has been drastically weakened, with several of the moves that made him a threat at all ranges being nerfed: his two staple moves, {{b|Blaster|Falco}} and down aerial, now being much slower, and both are also incapable of [[autocancelling]] in a [[short hop]], eliminating Falco's ability to safely [[approach]]; changes to his back aerial by lowering its duration and reach also make it less effective at [[spacing]]. These weakened tools amplify the issue of Falco's low horizontal mobility, making it very difficult to keep up with opponents or force an approach. Finally, even though Falco benefits from the changes to [[hitstun cancelling]] as they make down throw much better for combos, it can no longer lead into the [[Gatling Combo]] or rack up damage on its own. In fact, the changes to game mechanics have hindered Falco overall, as the removal of [[DACUS]], the Gatling Combo, and [[chain grab]]bing hurt his damage racking capabilities overall, while the introduction of rage makes him more susceptible to KOs, due to his light weight. His recovery, despite being long distanced and buffed overall, is still slow, predictable, and easily intercepted, making Falco vulnerable to [[gimp]]s.

Falco is a [[Weight|light]] character with polarized movement. He has the strongest [[jump]]ing ability, a fast [[walking speed]], fast [[falling speed]] and high [[air acceleration]], but a rather slow [[dashing speed]], below average [[air speed]] and very high [[gravity]]. These stats give Falco slow horizontal movement, but proficient vertical movement. They also give him good vertical endurance for a lightweight.

Falco's greatest strength is the speed of his moveset. His neutral attack and forward tilt are both exceedingly quick, while up tilt and down tilt can be used to combo into other attacks or even KO at high percentages. His smash attacks are all powerful and have decent reach as well. Down smash is also a [[semi-spike]], making it very good at [[edgeguarding]]. His aerial moves are also powerful in their own way. Neutral aerial deals decently high knockback and is very quick, making it an excellent option for disrupting an opponent's moves and a great combo extender/finisher. Forward aerial is powerful and can easily KO offstage, and can be used for [[gimp]]ing by fast-falling during the move then [[footstool jump]]ing over the opponent, in a similar manner to fellow fighter {{SSB4|Fox}}. It also has a strong landing hitbox with disjointed range. Up aerial sends opponents vertically and is a great move for comboing and KOing off the top, thanks to Falco's high jumps. Back aerial is Falco's strongest aerial, as well as his second fastest, making it a great choice in many scenarios. Lastly, down aerial, while significantly nerfed from ''[[Brawl]]'', can still be useful for KOing offstage, as it is a [[meteor smash]]. All of these moves grant Falco a versatile combo game.

Another advantage Falco possesses is his grab game. His [[pummel]] is quick and decently damaging, making it great at racking up damage. The forward throw is decently strong and can set up a dash attack or an edge guard. Back throw is great for giving Falco some breathing space, since the first hit is a semi-spike, and when combined with the laser's hit, the throw can even KO at high percentages. Up throw sends opponents straight up, and can be used to combo into any aerial or even KO at very high percents. Finally, down throw can combo into dash attack and any aerial at low percentages, or [[tech-chase]] if the opponent is past combo percentages, like in ''Brawl''. Coupled with his fast [[roll]]s and [[sidestep]], with the former being long-distanced, as well as his aforementioned combo abilities, Falco has an impressive [[out of shield]] game.

His special moveset also provides some interesting options. {{b|Blaster|Falco}} is Falco's main [[projectile]] and, while extremely unsafe at close range, is an invaluable move for [[pressuring]], [[gimp]]ing recoveries (especially those of {{SSB4|Ganondorf}}, {{SSB4|Little Mac}} and {{SSB4|Cloud}}) and halting or even outright preventing [[approach]]es. {{b|Reflector|Falco}} is, as its name implies, a move capable of [[reflection]], allowing Falco to actively combat [[camping]]. It also carries a damaging hitbox that has a high chance of [[tripping]] opponents, even at percentages over 400%, allowing for potential tech-chases. [[Falco Phantasm]] involves Falco quickly dashing sideways, making it great for horizontal [[recovery]]. The aerial version also meteor smashes aerial opponents and has little landing lag, making it useful for gimping recoveries and repositioning, respectively. Lastly, [[Fire Bird]], his primary recovery move, grants him respectable distance in any direction chosen. It also allows Falco to slide across the air, letting him mix up his positioning, and has damaging hitboxes throughout (dealing 31% of all hits connect), making up for its low speed.

However, Falco has numerous weaknesses. His most prominent flaws are his [[neutral game]] and recovery. Regarding his neutral game, Falco's horizontal mobility is fairly slow, which limits his movement across the stage. This gives him significant trouble approaching and pressuring opponents, since Blaster, his most reliable tool at doing so, can no longer autocancel. In addition, while Falco's moves are overall very quick startup-wise, many of them are slow endlag-wise, making misused moves heavily susceptible to [[punishment]]. When combined with his overall poor reach on his melee attacks and the fact that most of his moves' sweetspots are close to his body, Falco has a below average neutral game, making him have trouble at KOing despite his overall high power. As for his recovery, while his high jumps, Falco Phantasm, [[wall jump]] and FireBird all give him a very long-distanced recovery, it is extremely predictable due to how linear it is. These four options are also very ineffective on their own, making his recovery fairly easy to gimp. Outside of low percentages, Falco's combo-oriented moves are prone to being [[DI]]ed, making it harder for him to rack up damage effectively, which is further exacerbated by the removal of [[chain grab]]bing, [[DACUS]] and the Gatling Combo. Despite being light, Falco is susceptible to combos, due to his fast falling speed and lack of escape options. His survivability is below average at best, mainly because of Falco's low weight, high gravity, and predictable recovery.

Overall, like {{SSB4|Kirby}} and {{SSB4|Luigi}}, Falco runs hot and cold. Despite having excellent combo potential and KO power, his slow ground mobility, poor range and significantly nerfed neutral game make it very difficult to put his newfound abilities to use. Mainly due to his poor neutral game, Falco's weaknesses outweigh his strengths, resulting in poor tournament representation and similar results, with very few dedicated mains such as {{Sm|AC}} and {{Sm|Keitaro}}.

Falco has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition from ''Brawl'' to ''Smash 4''. Even though the former is technically of greater quantity than the latter, he is considered to be significantly nerfed overall, due to his neutral game being drastically weakened and the nerfs he received are far more severe than the buffs he received.

However, the nerfs Falco received created new weaknesses that were harsh enough to severely cripple his neutral game. The removal of DACUS (and subsequently the Gatling Combo) prevents his newly buffed up smash from being used as an approach option or a combo finisher. The removal of chain grabbing is a double-edged sword for Falco. While he is no longer adversely affected by it, his ability to easily rack up large amounts of damage with his down throw is no longer present. His down throw was also directly nerfed as it deals less damage and has higher knockback, hindering its combo potential. Down aerial, a staple in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', has been drastically slowed down having immensely increased startup lag and no longer [[auto-cancelling]] in a short hop. These changes hinder down aerial so much to the point where it is now useless outside of [[edgeguarding]] and even then, down aerial has reduced knockback. Falco Phantasm has increased startup lag, travels more slowly and its hitbox no longer lasts for its entire duration moving forwards greatly hindering its use on stage and it can no longer be shortened hindering its mixup potential. Finally, his Blaster, formerly one of the most reliable tools for approaching and pressuring, is slower and incapable of autocancelling. These changes make Falco much less of a threat in the neutral game, as it is now considerably harder for him to put his high power to good use.

Overall, most of Falco's buffs are not highly beneficial while the nerfs he received practically removed some of his previous best tools. The general changes to the mechanics also did not help him as much as some other characters while taking away a few of his key traits. Due to these nerfs, Falco is considered to be one of the characters to have been nerfed the most in the transition from ''Brawl'' to ''Smash 4''. His harmful changes have resulted in many players having poor opinions about him and he has seen far less success in tournaments.

*{{change|Due to the aesthetic used in ''Smash 4'', Falco's attire is sleeker, and his overall colour scheme is more vibrant.}}

*{{change|Falco now has eight costumes much like the rest of the cast. In addition, all of his [[alternate costume]]s are completely renewed.}}

*{{buff|Falco [[dash]]es faster (1.432 → 1.472) although it is lower relative to the cast, going from the 18th slowest out of 39 characters to the 16th slowest out of 58.}}

*{{buff|Falco's [[air speed]] is higher (0.893 → 0.93) although it is lower relative to the cast, going from the 16th slowest out of 39 characters to the 14th slowest out of 58.}}

*{{buff|Falco's [[air acceleration]] is higher (0.08 → 0.1), going from the 20th fastest out of 39 characters to the 7th highest out of 58.}}

*{{buff|Falco's [[double jump]] is significantly higher (height multiplier: 0.92x → 1x).}}

*{{nerf|Falco [[falling speed|falls]] faster (1.708 → 1.8). This makes him more susceptible to combos and while this would improve his vertical endurance, this is offset by his higher gravity, giving him marginally worse vertical endurance overall.}}

*{{change|Falco's [[gravity]] is higher (0.112 → 0.13). This improves his ability to land, but hinders his endurance, air time and makes him more susceptible to combos, especially against lower knockback moves.}}

*{{nerf|Falco's [[Item throw]] is weaker (1 → 0.94). Additionally, the removal of [[glide toss]]ing greatly hinders his approach with items.}}

*{{change|The removal of [[chain grab]]bing both helps and hinders Falco. It significantly improves his endurance, however, it also removes his ability to chain grab, removing his most reliable way to rack up damage in the previous game.}}

*{{nerf|[[Spot dodge]] has a shorter duration (frames 2-20 → 2-16) and more ending lag (FAF 23 → 26), no longer being one of the fastest spot dodges in the game.}}

**{{buff|With the exception of the infinite, neutral attack now always launches opponents in the direction Falco is facing, making it more consistent.}}

**{{change|The first two hits have swapped priority on their nearest and furthest hitboxes.}}

**{{nerf|The first two hits have shorter durations (frames 2-5 (hit 1)/3-6 (hit 2) → 2-4/3-5).}}

**{{nerf|The first two hits have more ending lag (FAF 17/19 → 23/26).}}

**{{buff|The first hit deals more knockback (5 (set), 100 (scaling) → 35 (base)/30), which improves its [[jab cancel]]ing potential despite its higher ending lag (especially at higher percents).}}

***{{nerf|However, this also hinders its ability to lead into the second hit, especially against floatier characters.}}

**{{nerf|The first hit deals less damage (4% → 3%).}}

**{{nerf|The first hit has smaller hitboxes (4u/4u/4u → 2.5u/3.2u/4u) which are positioned closer to Falco (x offset: 0/2/6 → -0.5/1.5/4.5), reducing its range.}}

**{{nerf|The first hit transitions into the second hit later (frame 8 → 9).}}

**{{buff|The second hit's near and far hitboxes launch opponents at different angles (50° → 45° (near)/80° (far)), making it connect more reliably into the infinite.}}

**{{buff|The second hit's near hitbox is larger (4u → 5u) and it is positioned closer to Falco (x offset: 0 → -0.5), giving it more range inside of him.}}

**{{nerf|The second hit deals more knockback (20 (set), 100 (scaling) → 30 (base)/30). This makes it connect less reliably into the infinite and while this would improve the move's jab canceling potential, this is offset by the move's higher ending lag, hindering its jab canceling potential overall.}}

**{{nerf|The second hit's mid hitbox is smaller (4u → 3u) and both the mid and far hitboxes are positioned closer to Falco (x offset: 2/6 → 1.5/4.5), reducing its range.}}

**{{nerf|The second hit transitions into the infinite later, especially when held (frame 8 (pressed)/10 (held) → 9/17). This makes the infinite much easier to avoid if Falco holds to do the infinite, despite the second hit's higher knockback.}}

**{{buff|The weakening of [[SDI]] makes the infinite harder to escape from (although it can still easily be avoided), despite its [[SDI multiplier]] being increased (1× → 1.2×).}}

**{{nerf|The infinite's far hitbox launches oppponents at a lower angle (80° → 70°), making it connect less reliably.}}

**{{nerf|As with other infinites, the infinite now pushes Falco away from his opponent after a few hits. This significantly hinders its damage racking potential, especially at walls.}}

***{{change|If Falco uses the infinite near an edge, this property can potentially push Falco off the edge and cancel the move. This improves its safety but hinders its reliability.}}

***{{buff|This new finisher uses a regular hitbox (rather than a [[windbox]]) which deals damage (0% → 3%) and much more knockback (29 (set), 100 (scaling) → 60 (base)/100).}}

**{{buff|The finisher has more range inside of Falco, as Falco now stretches far out using the move and the move now uses an extended hitbox which extends further away/inside from Falco (z offset: 12 → 14/8).}}

**{{nerf|The finisher has much more startup (frame 2 → 5) and ending lag (FAF 9 → 40), greatly hindering its safety.}}

**{{nerf|The finisher has a smaller hitbox (7u → 5u), giving it less vertical range despite its hitbox being moved upwards (y offset: 8 → 9).}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt has more ending lag (FAF 27 → 28).}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt has an altered animation where Falco does stretch his leg as far out, reducing its range, despite the foot hitbox being positioned further away from Falco (y offset: 4.8 → x offset: 5).}}

**{{buff|The changes to [[hitstun canceling]] and [[DI]] grant up tilt combo potential beyond non [[tumble]] percents.}}

**{{buff|The early first hit launches opponents at a lower angle (100° → 106°) and it has higher set knockback (60 → 100), allowing it to connect more reliably into the second hit, as well as making it safer if it fails to lead into the second hit.}}

**{{nerf|The early first hit has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 4-5 → 5).}}

**{{nerf|The early first hit now only has one static hitbox in front of Falco rather than four hitboxes covering Falco's arm, which significantly reduces its range inside and above Falco.}}

***{{nerf|Additionally, the early first hit can no longer hit aerial opponents, considerably increasing up tilt's startup lag against them (frame 4 → 6).}}

**{{buff|The late first hit and the second hit's hand hitboxes are positioned further away from Falco (x offset: -4 (hit 1)/-5 (hit 2) → 5/6.2), giving them more range, especially the former.}}

**{{nerf|The late first hit's shoulder and arm hitboxes are smaller (5u/6u → 4u/5u) and the lowest hitbox has been removed.}}

**{{nerf|The second hit has smaller hitboxes (5u/6u/6u → 4u/4u/5u) and the lowest hitbox has been removed.}}

**{{buff|The changes to hitstun canceling and DI considerably improve down tilt's combo potential.}}

**{{buff|Down tilt has an altered animation where rather than spinning around in place with his tail out, Falco steps forward slightly and sweeps his tail in front of him. The hitboxes are also now attached to the tip of Falco's tail rather than the base with both of these changes giving down tilt more range despite the hitboxes being positioned closer to Falco (x offset: 0/6/12 → -4.1/1.9/7.8).}}

***{{nerf|However, this also gives the move less range inside of Falco despite the nearest hitbox being larger (2.4u → 2.6u).}}

**{{buff|Down tilt deals more knockback (25 (base), 90 (scaling) → (50/35)/(90/88)), improving the furthest and especially the nearest hitboxes' KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The middle hitbox deals less damage (12% → 11%), hindering its KO potential, as its knockback was not fully compensated.}}

**{{buff|Dash attack deals more knockback (40/30 (base), 90 (scaling) → (80/70)/70).}}

**{{buff|The clean hit has a larger hitbox (5.28u → 5.5u) which now uses a static extended hitbox, considerably improving its range.}}

**{{buff|The late hit is positioned further away from Falco (x offset: 0 → 2), giving it more range.}}

***{{nerf|However, the late hit is also smaller (4.32u → 4u), reducing its range above and behind Falco.}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 4-7 (clean)/8-17 (late) → 8-11/12-18), with its total duration subsequently increased (FAF 36 → 40). This considerably hinders dash attack's usage as a burst approach option or as a whiff punishment tool.}}

**{{nerf|The removal of [[DACUS]] (and subsequently the Gatling combo) significantly hinders dash attack's utility.}}

**{{buff|Forward smash has less ending lag (FAF 50 → 49).}}

**{{buff|The clean hit deals more knockback (40 (base), 88 (scaling) → 42/(90/93/96)), improving its KO potential, especially the far hit.}}

**{{buff|The clean hit's furthest hitboxes have been moved further away from Falco (x offset: 3.2/6.5 → 4/8), improving their range.}}

**{{buff|The late hit has higher base knockback (10 → 30).}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 16-20 (clean)/21 (late) → 17-19/20). As the move's animation is unchanged, this remove's the clean hit's ability to hit opponents behind Falco.}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash has a higher [[hitlag]] multiplier (0.5× (clean)/0.3x (late) → 1×/0.5×), making it easier to DI.}}

**{{nerf|The late hit has a smaller hitbox (9u → 6u) which has been moved closer to Falco (z offset: 13 → 12). When combined with the hitbox coming out one frame sooner, this significantly reduces its range.}}

***{{buff|However, the hitbox is now extended, giving it more range inside of Falco.}}

**{{change|Falco has a new up smash, a sideways-flipping kick that hits with both legs with the following-legged hit re-positioning him forward. It hits twice instead of once.}}

**{{buff|Up smash has less startup with a longer duration (frames 8-11 (clean)/12-17 (late) → 7-12 (hit 1)/13-20 (hit 2)).}}

**{{buff|Up smash now grants [[intangibility]] on Falco's legs while the hitboxes are active, making it harder to intercept.}}

**{{buff|Up smash has larger hitboxes (3.5u/3.5u/3u → 4u/3.5u/4u (hit 1 clean)/4u/3.5u/3.5u (late)/5u/3.5u/3u (hit 2)) and the foot hitbox has been moved further away from Falco (y offset: 6 → x offset: 7.7 (hit 1 (clean))/7 (hit 1 (late)/hit 2)).}}

**{{nerf|Up smash has more ending lag (FAF 45 → 50).}}

**{{nerf|With up smash now being a multi hit move, it is overall less reliable as there are multiple instances where the second hit can miss after the first hit connects (especially when the opponent is far below Falco).}}

**{{nerf|The second hit launches opponents at a lower angle (95° → 80°) and its knockback was not fully compensated for its lower damage (20 (base), 98 (scaling) → 31/104), slightly hindering its KO potential on its own.}}

***{{buff|However, the extra damage and the upwards lift from the first hit gives up smash slightly higher KO potential overall.}}

**{{nerf|The second hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.3×).}}

**{{buff|Down smash has higher knockback scaling (70 → 78), improving its KO potential.}}

***{{nerf|However, this also gives the move less range inside of Falco.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash has smaller hitboxes (5u/5u/4u/4u → 4.3u/4.3u/3.5u/3.5u).}}

**{{nerf|The near hits deal less damage (13% → 12%).}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial has less ending lag (FAF 50 → 49).}}

**{{buff|The loop hits have higher set knockback (10 → 22) and they now use the [[autolink angle]] (110° → 367°), which alongside the weakening of SDI, allows them to connect more reliably.}}

**{{buff|The final hit deals considerably more knockback (40 (base), 100 (scaling) → 55/130). This improves its KO potential, while the changes to hitstun canceling and DI allow it to retain its combo potential at lower percents.}}

**{{buff|The final hit now always launches opponents in the direction Falco is facing, making it more reliable.}}

**{{buff|The final hit now uses one large extended hitbox rather than four smaller normal hitboxes (5u/5u/4u/4u → 8u), giving it more range.}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 51).}}

**{{buff|The loop hits deal much more knockback (0 (base), 40 (scaling) → 60 (set)/100) and they have a much faster rehit rate (8 → 4). This not only makes the move drastically more reliable (with the move going from almost never connecting properly to now working very reliably) but this also makes the move drastically safer, as opponents can no longer avoid or hit Falco out of the multi hits at lower percents.}}

**{{buff|The loop hits' near hitbox is larger (4u → 5u) and its far hitbox has been moved further away from Falco, improving its range.}}

***{{buff|Additionally, the move's hitboxes are now static, giving it more consistent horizontal range.}}

***{{nerf|However, the near hitbox has been moved further away from Falco, giving it less range inside of him.}}

**{{buff|The final hit launches opponents at a lower angle (50° → [[Sakurai angle|361°]]) as well as dealing more damage (3% → 4%) and much more knockback (80 (base), 60 (scaling) → 55/145), greatly improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial now has a landing hitbox which deals a decent amount of knockback and it possesses high hitlag (which only applies to the opponent). This drastically improves forward aerial's safety when landing, especially on hit.}}

***{{buff|Altogether, these changes drastically improve forward aerial's utility, removing its status as a contender for the worst aerial in the game.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 6-33 (loop hits)/34-35 (final) → 10-27/28-29).}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial has a higher SDI multiplier (0.8x (loop hits)/0x (final) → 1x (both)), with it now being possible to SDI the final hit.}}

**{{nerf|The loop hits deal less damage (2% → 1%), reducing forward aerial's total damage output despite the move having an extra loop hit (11% → 9%).}}

**{{nerf|The final hit has one smaller extended hitbox rather than two normal hitboxes (8u/6u → 6u), reducing its range.}}

**{{change|Back aerial has a new animation, with Falco kicking more horizontally.}}

***{{buff|This new animation slightly narrows Falco's hurtbox, leaving him less vulnerable.}}

**{{buff|The clean hit has much higher knockback scaling (103 → 130), significantly improving its KO potential to the point where it is now one of the strongest back aerials in the game.}}

**{{buff|Back aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 23 → 15), although it still auto-cancels three frame after the hitboxes are removed.}}

**{{buff|The changes to [[shieldstun]] considerably improves the move's safety on shield, now being completely unpunishable on shield for the entire cast if auto-canceled perfectly.}}

**{{change|As with most other back aerials, back aerial now always launches opponents behind Falco.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has a shorter duration (frames 4-7 (clean)/8-19 (late) → 4-5/6-11).}}

***{{nerf|Altogether, these changes hinder back aerial's ability to wall out opponents.}}

**{{buff|Up aerial has less startup lag (frame 10 → 7).}}

***{{nerf|However, its total duration was not fully compensated (FAF 36 → 35), giving it more ending lag.}}

**{{buff|The foot hitbox is slightly larger (4.8u → 5u).}}

**{{buff|The middle and lowest hitboxes launch opponents at higher angles (68°/80° → 75°/85°). When combined with the changes to hitstun canceling and DI, this improves up aerial's combo potential.}}

**{{buff|The lowest hitbox deals drastically higher knockback (30 (base), 20 (scaling) → 35/90), going from an incredibly weak sourspot to now being the move's sweetspot.}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial has a shorter initial auto-cancel window (frames 1-6 → 1-3).}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial deals less damage (11% → 10%).}}

**{{nerf|The upper hitboxes deal less knockback (27 (base), 100 (scaling) → 35/90), which along with their lower damage, hinders its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The foot hitbox launches opponents at a lower angle (68° → 65°).}}

**{{buff|The removal of [[meteor canceling]] improves down aerial's reliability, although this is partially offset by the move's reduced power.}}

**{{change|The clean hit now launches grounded opponents vertically (280° → 80°). This improves its KO potential as well as preventing opponents from [[tech]]ing the move at higher percents (considering the changes to meteor smashes), however, this also hinders its followup potential at lower percents.}}

**{{change|The clean hit has a much higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 2×). This allows the move to greatly benefit from the introduction of frame canceling but this also makes it much easier to DI.}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has drastically higher startup lag (frame 5 → 16), no longer being the fastest meteor smash. This makes the move much harder to land.}}

***{{buff|However, its total duration was not fully compensated (FAF 50 → 52), giving it less ending lag.}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has much more landing lag (12 frames → 23).}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has shorter initial auto-cancel window (frames 1-4 → 1-3).}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial auto-cancels later (frame 27 → 38), no longer doing so in a short hop.}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has a longer animation (49 frames → 63).}}

**{{nerf|The late hit has a shorter duration (frames 8-21 → 20-30).}}

***{{nerf|Altogether, these changes greatly hinder down aerial's safety and utility.}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has smaller hitboxes (5.5u → 4.2u (clean)/5.3u (late)).}}

**{{nerf|The clean hit has lower knockback scaling (100 → 80). This makes the move barely stronger against grounded opponents despite its higher launch angle while also making it much weaker against aerial opponents.}}

**{{nerf|Standing and pivot grabs have more startup lag (frame 6 (standing)/9 (pivot) → 8/11) with their total durations subsequently increased (FAF 30 (standing)/36 (pivot) → 32/38).}}

**{{buff|Dash grab has less startup lag (frame 11 → 10).}}

**{{buff|All grabs extend further away from Falco (z offset: 8.8 (standing)/8 (dash)/-12.8 (pivot) → z stretch: 8.9/10.7/-14.9), giving dash and pivot grabs more range.}}

**{{buff|Standing and pivot grabs extend further inside of Falco (z offset: 4.8 (standing)/-4.8 pivot → 4/-4), giving them more range inside of Falco.}}

**{{nerf|All grabs have smaller grabboxes (4.8u (standing/pivot)/4.5u (dash) → 3.1u/2.5u), giving all grabs less vertical range as well as giving standing grab less horizontal range despite its grabbox being extended slightly further away from Falco.}}

**{{change|Pummel has an updated animation and its hitbox has slightly altered positioning (x/y offsets: 0/0 → 0.5/-0.5).}}

*[[Forward throw]]:

**{{change|Forward throw has an updated animation where Falco takes more time to stand upright after the throw.}}

**{{change|Falco releases his opponent from forward throw one frame later (frame 11 → 12).}}

**{{buff|Falco now only shoots one laser instead of three. When combined with the weakening of DI, this makes back throw much more reliable as Falco can now reliably land the entire throw (outside of higher percents where the opponent can still DI to avoid the laser).}}

**{{buff|Back throw deals more damage (2% (throw)/2% (lasers)/8% (total) → 6%/3%/9%). The throw's knockback scaling was not fully compensated (80 → 60) while the laser's knockback was not compensated, improving its KO potential (to the point where the move can now KO at realistic percents if the laser connects).}}

**{{change|Back throw launches opponents at a slightly higher angle (33° → 35°).}}

**{{buff|Falco now only shoots one laser instead of three. When combined with the weakening of DI, this makes up throw much more reliable as Falco can now reliably land the entire throw (outside of higher percents where the opponent can still DI to avoid the laser).}}

**{{buff|Up throw launches opponents at a more vertical angle (107° (throw)/50° (laser) → 94°/90°). When combined with the changes to hitstun canceling and DI, this siginificantly improves up throw's combo potential despite the laser coming out sooner than the previous third laser (frame 24 → 20).}}

**{{buff|The throw and the laser deal more damage (2% (throw)/2% (lasers)/8% (total) → 4%/4%/8%). The throw only received a decrease to its base knockback (70 → 60) while the laser's knockback was not compensated. When combined with their higher launch angles, this significantly improves up throw's KO potential (to the point where the move can now KO at realistic percents if the laser connects).}}

**{{nerf|Falco now only shoots one laser instead of four, significantly reducing down throw's total damage output (9% → 5%).}}

**{{nerf|The throw deals more damage (1% → 3%) without full compensation on its knockback (45 (base), 130 (scaling) → 60/110). This greatly hinders down throw's followup potential at lower percents as Falco's opponent is now put into [[tumble]] at 0%, allowing them to DI and reducing the amount of followups Falco can perform.}}

***{{change|Despite these changes, the changes to hitstun canceling and DI still allows Falco to combo from down throw at lower percents.}}

**{{buff|Blaster has less startup lag (frame 12 (grounded)/10 (aerial) → 11/9).}}

**{{buff|Blaster has a more generous repeat window (frames 8-16 → 7-17).}}

**{{buff|Falco Phantasm no longer leaves Falco [[helpless]] when used in midair, though it can still only be used once in the air. When combined with the removal of [[edge hog]]ging, this drastically improves its recovery potential.}}

**{{buff|Falco Phantasm no longer dashes over edges when used on the ground.}}

**{{buff|Falco Phantasm has less landing lag (20 frames → 16).}}

**{{buff|Falco now retains some forward momentum after the move ends.}}

**{{buff|The aerial version has a larger hitbox against aerial opponents (2.5u → 3u).}}

**{{buff|The removal of meteor canceling improves the aerial version's reliability against aerial opponents.}}

**{{buff|Falco's momentum is no longer completely halted after performing Fire Bird at an upwards 45° angle, making it cover noticeably more distance.}}

**{{buff|The dash hitboxes have lower SDI multipliers (1.5× → 0.8×), which alongside the weakening of the mechanic, makes them harder to escape (although they are still unreliable).}}

**{{buff|Reflector has less ending lag (FAF 52 → 51).}}

**{{buff|The hitbox is larger (3u → 3.5u).}}

**{{buff|Reflected projectiles have a higher speed (1x → 1.3x) and duration multiplier (0.5x → 0.8x).}}

**{{change|Reflector has an updated sound effect and animation.}}

**{{nerf|The hitbox deals less damage (6% → 5%).}}

**{{nerf|The hitbox has a lower trip chance (40% → 25%).}}

**{{nerf|The hitbox can now be reflected (although it will only hit Falco when used at close range).}}

**{{nerf|The Reflector has a shorter duration (frames 1-51 → 1-32), no longer lasting the entire animation.}}

**{{nerf|Reflected projectiles have a lower damage multiplier (1.5× → 1.2×).}}

**{{nerf|Landmaster is weaker and has a shorter duration (18 seconds → 12).}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssb4}} [[1.0.6]]'''

*{{buff|Up smash's first hit's leg hitboxes can now hit grounded opponents, while the early foot hitbox can now hit aerial opponents. This removes the move's blind spot against grounded opponents at close range, while giving the move signficantly more horizontal range against aerial opponents.}}

*{{nerf|Up smash's first hit's leg hitboxes launch opponents at a higher angle (140° → 110°) with considerably more knockback (30 (base), 20 (scaling) → 60/25). This makes them connect less reliably into the second hit against aerial opponents.}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssb4}} [[1.0.8]]'''

*{{buff|Falco's [[air speed]] is higher (0.893 → 0.93).}}

*{{buff|Falco's [[air acceleration]] increased (0.07 → 0.09).}}

*{{buff|The first two hits of neutral attack now always launch opponents in the direction Falco is facing, improving their reliability.}}

*{{buff|The near hitboxes on the first hit of neutral attack are larger (3u (middle)/2u (near) → 3.2u/2.5u)), with the near hitbox being positioned closer to Falco (x offset: 0 → -0.5).}}

*{{change|The near and far hitboxes on the first hit of neutral attack have swapped priority.}}

*{{change|The near hitboxes on the first hit of neutral attack launch opponents at lower angles (80° → 68° (near)/77° (middle)).}}

*{{change|The first hit of neutral attack has more base knockback (30 → 35). This improves its jab canceling potential, but hinders its ability to lead into the second hit.}}

*{{buff|The second hit of neutral attack's near hitbox is much larger (2u → 5u) and it is positioned closer to Falco (x offset: 0 → -0.5).}}

*{{change|The second hit of neutral attack's near hitbox launches opponents at a lower angle (50° → 45°).}}

*{{buff|Neutral infinite's near hitboxes are larger (3u (middle)/2u (near) → 3.2u/2.7u).}}

*{{change|Up smash's first hit's late foot hitbox now overrides the early foot hitbox.}}

**{{nerf|This means that the foot hitbox can no longer hit grounded opponents above Falco, preventing it from hitting opponents on higher platforms.}}

**{{buff|However, the move always failed to lead into the second hit against opponents on higher platforms, allowing Falco to simply land the second hit, which is much more powerful.}}

*{{buff|Up smash's second hit has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 14-19 → 13-20). The animation was unchanged, giving the move more range below Falco.}}

*{{change|Up smash's second hit now has a part value of 1 on its hitboxes. As the first hit's hitboxes are deleted, this has no affect.}}

*{{buff|Neutral aerial's loop hits have more set knockback (15 → 22) and they now use the auto-link angle (110° → 367°). These changes greatly improve neutral aerial's reliability.}}

*{{buff|Neutral aerial's loop hits have a larger middle hitbox (4u → 6u) and it is now static, now fully covering Falco's body.}}

*{{nerf|Neutral aerial's second hit deals less damage (3% (hit 2)/12% (total) → 2%/11%).}}

*{{buff|Neutral aerial's final hit has higher base knockback (40 → 55), improving its KO potential.}}

*{{buff|Neutral aerial's final hit now uses one large extended hitbox rather than multiple smaller hitboxes (4u/4u/3u/3u → 8u), giving it more range overall.}}

*{{buff|Neutral aerial's final hit now always launches opponents in the direction Falco is facing, making it more consistent.}}

*{{change|Neutral aerial's final hit has considerably more hitlag (1x → 2x). This makes it benefit more from [[frame canceling]] (even with its higher knockback) but this also makes it easier to DI and it significantly hinders the move's safety on shield.}}

**The changes to shields in [[1.1.0]] and [[1.1.1]] would remove the shield safety disadvantage caused by the higher hitlag.

*{{nerf|Neutral aerial's final hit has startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 21-24 → 23-24).}}

*{{buff|Forward aerial has less startup lag (frame 12 → 10), ending lag (FAF 59 → 51) and landing lag (32 frames → 25).}}

*{{buff|Forward aerial [[auto-cancel]]s earlier (frame 54 → 46).}}

*{{nerf|Forward aerial has a a shorter duration (frames 12-34/35-36 → 10-27/28-29).}}

**{{buff|However, the final hit's lower startup lag allows Falco to complete the move in a short hop, which he previously could not do.}}

*{{buff|Forward aerial's loop hits have a shorter rehit rate (6 → 4). This gives forward aerial an extra loop despite its shorter duration, increasing its maximum damage (8% → 9%) as well as making it connect more reliably and making it harder to escape on shield.}}

*{{nerf|Forward aerial's landing hit damage (5% → 3%) without full compensation on its base knockback (30 → 50), significantly hindering its KO potential.}}

*{{buff|Up aerial has less startup lag (frame 10 → 7).}}

**{{nerf|However, its total duration was not fully compensated (FAF 36 → 35), giving it more ending lag.}}

*{{buff|Up aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 26 → 23).}}

*{{nerf|Up aerial has a shorter initial auto-cancel (frames 1-6 → 1-3).}}

*{{buff|Up aerial's foot hitbox is slightly larger (4.8u → 5u).}}

*{{nerf|Up aerial deals less damage (11% → 10%), with the foot and leg hitboxes also dealing less knockback (27 (base), 100 (scaling) → 35/90), considerably hindering its KO potential.}}

*{{nerf|Up aerial's foot hitbox launches opponents at a lower angle (68° → 65°), hindering its KO potential along with its lower damage and knockback.}}

*{{buff|Up aerial's leg and body hitboxes launch opponents at higher angle (68°/80° → 75°/85°), with it no longer being possible to LSI the leg hitbox.}}

*{{buff|Up aerial's body hitbox deals drastically more knockback (30 (base), 20 (scaling) → 35/90). When combined with its higher launch angle, this transforms the hitbox from a drastically weaker sourspot to the move's sweetspot.}}

**{{nerf|However, this also removes the hitbox's ability to lead into followups at higher percents, including potential KO confirms.}}

*{{buff|Down aerial's clean hit has a longer duration (frames 16-18 → 16-19).}}

*{{buff|Down aerial's late hit has a slightly larger hitbox (5u → 5.3u).}}

*{{buff|Down aerial's clean now launches grounded opponents upwards with a less horizontal angle (285° → 80°). This means that the move can no longer be [[tech]]ed at higher percents, giving it much more consistent followup potential as well as granting it KO potential at very high percents.}}

**{{nerf|However, this also removes down aerial's ability to lock and trip at lower percents, hindering its followup potential at lower percents in certain scenarios.}}

|bairdesc=A back kick. It is notorious for being one of the fastest and strongest back aerials in the game; the clean hit comes out at frame 4 and possesses incredibly high knockback scaling that even exceeds moves such as {{SSB4|Ness}}'s back throw. When including its ability to autocancel from a [[short hop fast fall]], it is a powerful KOing option and combo breaker, capable of KOing at 130% from the center of {{SSB4|Final Destination}}. However, its other qualities have been heavily toned down since ''Brawl'', with its range and duration being considerably shorter.

|usdefdesc=Cloaks himself in flames and before firing himself in any direction, depending on what direction is held. The launch attack hits multiple times. It also travels a shorter distance than Fox's [[Fire Fox]]. The first launch hit can knock opponents away from the rest of the hits.

|usc2desc=The charging time is longer, but Falco travels further. The initial part of the attack launches opponents, while the rest of the attack hits opponents multiple times, dealing weak knockback and having a 1.5× [[SDI]] multiplier.

|desc-up=Kicks his {{b|Reflector|Falco}} around like a hacky sack and says "Piece of cake!" ({{ja|楽勝だぜ。|Rakushō da ze.}}, ''An easy win.'') before catching it.

<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->

''See also: [[:Category:Falco players (SSB4)]]''

*{{Sm|AC|USA}} - Although more known for his {{SSB4|Meta Knight}}, he also has a prominent Falco secondary, most notably using Falco to win the arcadian {{Trn|2GG: Breakthrough}} and defeat {{Sm|6WX}} at {{Trn|2GGC: Midwest Mayhem Saga}}, ultimately placing 7th.

*{{Sm|Anragon|France}} - The best Falco player in Europe. Placed 3rd at [https://www.start.gg/tournament/neokan-party-3/event/wii-u-singles/brackets/66958 Neokan Party 3], [http://challonge.com/fr/MARS2016SingleWiiU MARS 2016], and 33rd at {{Trn|Smashdown World}}. Previously ranked 9th on the [[French Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Arc|p=Japan|Japan}} - The best Falco player in Japan and one of the best in the world. Placed 17th at both {{Trn|Umebura 25}} and {{Trn|Sumabato 20}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Kuro}} and {{Sm|Compact}}.

*{{Sm|Deus|Germany|p=Germany}} - Placed 9th at {{Trn|Smash Valley}} and 13th at {{Trn|Respawn 5}} with a win over {{Sm|Meru}}.

*{{Sm|Keitaro|USA}} - One of the best Falco players in the world. Placed 25th at {{Trn|KTAR XVII}}, {{Trn|2GGT: FOW Saga}}, and {{Trn|Smash Factor 5}} wins over players like {{Sm|Mistake}} and {{Sm|Mr. E}}. Formerly ranked 10th on the [[New Jersey Power Rankings|New Jersey Smash 4 Power Rankings]].

Falco has been regarded rather poorly ever since ''Smash 4''{{'}}s release. Smashers immediately noticed the severe nerfs to his [[Blaster]], which was an essential component of Falco's playstyle in his previous iterations and a driving force behind his top-tier performances in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl.'' The nerfs to his down aerial, another signature move of his, further contributed to his weak status, as well as his grounded mobility being somewhat slower than in ''Brawl''. As time went on Falco continued to see little representation and lacked notable results at a national level, leading many to believe that his nerfs were too severe for him to be even a mid-tier, while the buffs he received in updates failed to address his ineffective [[neutral game]]. Meanwhile, various characters who were at some point considered comparatively sub-par, notably {{SSB4|Meta Knight}}, {{SSB4|Marth}}, and {{SSB4|Mewtwo}}, received buffs that raised their position in the metagame, worsening Falco's position relative to the cast. All these issues led to Falco slowly declining on tier lists, from 38th on the first [[tier list]] to 49th on the second tier list, and then 50th on the third tier list.

It wouldn't be until near the end of the game's lifespan when Falco's representation began to improve, mainly due to dedicated mains such as {{Sm|Keitaro}} or players who use Falco as a secondary or co-main such as {{Sm|AC}} and {{Sm|Daybreak}}. In addition, some players began arguing that Falco had some potentially good matchups against projectile-based characters that were ranked higher than him, like {{SSB4|Villager}}, {{SSB4|Mega Man}}, and {{SSB4|Toon Link}}, although his overall matchup to the top echelon remains rather poor. Due to these developments, some players believe Falco is rather underrated, citing his strong [[combo]] game, powerful [[back aerial]], feared down tilt and an effective reflector. This was reflected in Falco's slight rise to 46th on the current tier list, with a few arguing Falco could be ranked higher. Nevertheless, the community unanimously considers Falco as a shell of his former self.

In All-Star Mode, Falco is fought in Stage 4 in both versions if he has been unlocked alongside {{SSB4|Kirby}}, {{SSB4|Fox}}, {{SSB4|Meta Knight}}, {{SSB4|Wario}}, {{SSB4|Sonic}}, and {{SSB4|King Dedede}}.

==={{GameIcon|SSB4-U}}[[Event Match]]es===

====Solo Events====

====Co-op Events====

*As mentioned above, Falco's custom move Explosive {{b|Blaster|Falco}} will visually alter the lasers from his throws.

*''Smash 4'' is the first installment where Falco is not unlocked by completing [[Multi-Man mode|100-Man Smash]]. This unlock criteria goes to {{SSB4|Wario}} instead.

*Due to being placed 46th on the current tier list, Falco's tier placement marks the first time a ''Star Fox'' character is in the low tiers.