Editing Falco (SSBU)

'''Falco''' ({{ja|ファルコ|Faruko}}, ''Falco'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. Falco is classified as fighter #20.

Mark Lund and Kōsuke Takaguchi, Falco's voice actors from ''Star Fox 64 3D'', ''Star Fox Zero'', and, for the former, ''Starlink: Battle for Atlas'' reprise their roles with new voice clips.

*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Fox}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the fourth character unlocked after {{SSBU|Peach}}.

With the exception of the third method, Falco must then be defeated on [[Corneria]].

Falco has been significantly buffed in the transition from SSB4 to Ultimate where he was at the low-tier placement in ''SSB4''. His buffs mainly address his weakened tools that affected his previous transition from ''Brawl'' to ''Smash 4'', notably to his notoriously nerfed {{b|Blaster|Falco}} and [[down aerial]]: Blaster is significantly faster when firing and has much lower ending lag in midair, drastically improving one of his staple moves and making it less punishable. Additionally, down aerial is much faster (now being half as fast as in ''Brawl'') and has regained its ability to [[autocancel]] from a short hop. These changes allow both to function as tools for approaching or walling once again, instead of being limited to [[edgeguarding]] and hard reads. Many of his other moves have been made more usable as well: his [[neutral attack]]'s first two hits can [[lock]], and its infinite portion connects more consistently. [[Down tilt]], [[forward smash]] and [[up smash]] deal more damage, while [[forward tilt]] and [[up tilt]] have reduced ending lag (greatly improving their spacing and combo potential, respectively), and [[forward aerial]] starts faster. Finally, Falco's grounded movement is slightly faster, and the universal 3-frame jumpsquat and reduction to [[landing lag]] improve his strong aerial game, allowing him to easily juggle aerial foes while leaving him less vulnerable when landing; this also makes his short hop combos more effective. As a result, Falco's [[neutral game]] is more consistent.

However, Falco has received significant nerfs as well, which worsen some of his weakest traits, including his [[recovery]]. Though he does possess the highest jump in the game, Falco has had his already poor recovery ability nerfed as [[Falco Phantasm]] now travels slightly less distance and stops on shield, making it even easier to intercept and more punishable. Meanwhile, Falco's other recovery option in [[Fire Bird]] is also still extremely linear and easy to exploit. Additionally, while many of his combo-centric moves were made more effective through reduced lag, they have also been weakened (forward tilt, up tilt, [[up aerial]]), requiring him to deal more hits to acquire damage. This ties in with Falco's KO ability, which has also been toned down: moves such as forward aerial and [[back throw]] do less knockback, while his strongest attacks have higher startup lag (down tilt, [[down smash]], and most notably [[back aerial]]), making it even harder for him to close a stock. Moves such as neutral attack and forward smash no longer move him forward, reducing their range, while up smash's hitbox was altered to such an extent that it will completely miss against grounded opponents unless they are right in front of Falco. Finally, {{b|Reflector|Falco}} no longer has a bonus chance to [[trip]] opponents, removing its utility for followups. As a result, while Falco may have more effective combos and spacing abilities than before, his weaknesses are even more defined.

Overall, Falco is considered to be much better than his appearance in ''SSB4'' since his key strengths are much more threatening than before. Although his player base is still small, he has still achieved good results thanks to many players such as {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}, {{Sm|Kofi}}, and {{Sm|PiXL}}. Several top players also think very highly of Falco as they believe that he has the tools to be a viable threat in the metagame. This, however, is debatable.

===Aesthetics===

*{{change|Falco now wears his flight suit and headset from ''Star Fox Zero'' and his eyes are now colored green, although he still retains some elements of his appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. 4''. His feathers feature simple detailing, similar to ''[[Brawl]]''. Lastly, the aesthetic used in ''Ultimate'' has resulted in Falco's overall color scheme being more subdued.}}

*{{change|Falco's holster has been redesigned indigo with vegas gold tints, and his headset is now entirely gray. These changes are unique to ''Ultimate''.}}

*{{change|[[Idle]], [[sidestep]], and [[roll]] animations have changed slightly. However, he will revert to his idle poses from ''Brawl'' while holding a small [[item]].}}

*{{change|Falco's initial and secondary falling animations have been altered.}}

*{{change|Falco has a new [[victory pose]]. He walks up to the camera, shrugs, and says "Sorry! Gotta jet!" while crossing his arms. This line replaces his "You aren't worth the trouble." line from previous games.}}

*{{buff|Like all characters, Falco's [[jumpsquat]] animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 6).}}

*{{buff|Falco [[run]]s much faster (1.472 → 1.619).}}

**{{buff|His [[initial dash]] speed is faster (1.9 → 2.035).}}

*{{nerf|Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-16 → 5-16), and more ending lag ([[FAF]] 30 → 35).}}

*{{nerf|[[Spot dodge]] has more startup (frame 2 → 3).}}

*{{nerf|Air dodge has more ending lag (FAF 32 → 44).}}

**{{buff|The neutral infinite has faster startup (frame 8 → 5), a much shorter gap between hits (5 frames → 2), and deals less [[hitlag]], in addition to keeping opponents on the ground, allowing it to connect much more reliably and making it harder to escape.}}

**{{change|The neutral infinite's finisher has a new animation: Falco performs a spinning downwards kick instead of a knifehand strike, and backflips upon finishing the attack.}}

**{{buff|Neutral infinite's finisher connects better due to its hitbox change, as it was prone to missing in ''Smash 4''.}}

**{{change|Neutral infinite has a much larger "wind" particle around Falco while he spins.}}

**{{nerf|It deals less damage (9% → 6%), with altered knockback (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 42/60). While this makes forward tilt slightly safer at lower percents, it hinders its locking potential and greatly reduces its KO potential to the point it can no longer KO under 300% from center stage.}}

***{{change|The second hit's knockback was not compensated, further aiding in combos but reducing its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|All of down tilt's hitboxes deal more damage (12%/11%/9% (near/mid/far) → 13%/12%/10.5%) and the mid hits have higher base knockback (35 → 40). This improves the move's KO potential, while keeping its combo potential intact due to Falco's faster jumpsquat.}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt has more startup (frame 7 → 10), with its total duration increased as well to match the change to startup (FAF 29 → 32).}}

**{{nerf|It has an altered animation where Falco doesn't move as far forward, hindering its range.}}

**{{change|Up smash has a new animation: a [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/540_kick 540 kick] while facing the camera (if facing left, his back is toward the camera). In terms of execution, it is similar to {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}}'s up smash.}}

**{{buff|Up smash's second hit deals slightly more damage (12% → 13%), although with its knockback compensated (31 (base), 104 (scaling) → 28/102).}}

**{{nerf|Its animation change lifts its hitboxes much higher from the ground. This prevents it from hitting behind Falco, and reduces its horizontal reach in front of him, with up tilt's first hit having more range. This significantly reduces up smash's utility.}}

**{{nerf|The second hit has a shorter duration (frames 13-20 → 13-18).}}

**{{change|Falco's torso faces the camera while performing down smash. He also spreads his palms out towards the camera, with one arm on the ground.}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial's third and fourth hits have less startup lag (frame 14 → 10 (hit 3), frame 23 → 19 (hit 4)).}}

***{{nerf|However, the move's total duration remains the same, thus increasing its ending lag. This worsens its ability to combo into other attacks without landing.}}

**{{nerf|Due to Falco rising faster from his jumps, opponents are more likely to fall out of neutral aerial's looping hits, making it harder to connect.}}

**{{change|It has a larger "wind" particle around Falco while he spins.}}

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

**{{buff|It [[auto-cancel]]s earlier (frame 46 → 42).}}

**{{buff|The landing hit deals more base knockback (30 → 50), allowing it to KO more reliably near edges.}}

**{{change|It has a slightly altered animation, with one of Falco's arms facing the camera while he looks back over his shoulder.}}

**{{change|It has an altered animation where Falco's body faces the side of the screen more than in ''Smash 4'', matching the hitboxes more closely.}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has significantly faster startup (frame 16 → 10), being only twice the startup of Falco's down aerial in ''Brawl''.}}

**{{change|Down aerial's clean hit on grounded opponents has more base knockback, but less knockback scaling (10 (base), 80 (scaling) → 55/50). This allows it to start combos at a wider range of percents, but hinders its KO potential.}}

*{{nerf|As a consequence of the faster knockback physics, [[back throw]] and [[up throw]]'s lasers stop connecting earlier.}}

**{{nerf|Back throw's release deals less knockback. However, due to the aforementioned change, this fails to make it connect better into the laser, while reducing the move's KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Up throw has increased combo ability due to Falco's faster jumpsquat and jump speed.}}

**{{change|Down throw has an altered animation. Falco lays the opponent on the ground and fires a point-blank Blaster shot without slamming the opponent downwards.}}

**{{buff|Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).}}

**{{buff|The grounded version has altered knockback (40 (base), 100 (scaling) → 83/50). Combined with the aforementioned change, and Falco's faster jumpsquat and jump speed, this grants it combo potential from low to mid percents if it hits near the end of the dash.}}

**{{buff|The charging portion's looping hits launch opponents towards Falco instead of away from him, allowing them to connect much more reliably.}}

**{{buff|The dashing portion's looping hits connect significantly more consistently, due to using a different [[autolink angle]] that lifts opponents off the ground, though it is still prone to launching opponents away at very high percents.}}

**{{nerf|It no longer has a bonus [[trip]] chance, removing its followups.}}

**{{change|Falco has a new [[Final Smash]], [[Team Star Fox]], which involves him leading an Arwing strike in a similar manner to {{SSBU|Fox}}'s Final Smash, but with a more erratic and aggressive flight pattern. Unlike Fox's version, Falco's sends opponents almost vertically.}}

**{{change|Upon activating, Falco yells, "Showtime!" If the Arwings successfully catch their target, Falco yells, "Time for a little payback!", one of Falco's famous quotes from ''Star Fox 64'' with it captioned on screen during the cinematic.}}

**{{buff|Team Star Fox can potentially deal more damage than Landmaster (although it could also deal a lot less), and the single hit has increased KO power, making it more consistent.}}

**{{nerf|It is much easier to avoid compared to Landmaster, and is overall less versatile.}}

**{{buff|Due to being a cutscene Final Smash, Falco can no longer accidentally [[self-destruct]] like he could in the Landmaster.}}

|neutralname= 

|neutraldesc=Performs two knifehanded strikes before spinning his whole body to perform a series of knifehand strikes, with a final downward axe kick that sends the opponent away. The first two jabs can [[lock]]. The first hit starts on frame 2, making it one of the fastest neutral attacks in the game. At mid percents, it can be followed up with [[Blaster (Falco)|Blaster]] to lock opponents who miss a tech. As Falco's neutral attack will only transition into an infinite and has high ending lag if canceled on the second hit, it can be punishable on shield. Regardless, its speed makes it a reliable close-range interceptor.

|ftiltname= 

|ftiltdesc=A roundhouse kick that can be angled both up and down. The angled versions send Falco's leg at very strong angles, being capable of missing medium-sized characters like {{SSBU|Mario}} if aimed up, but being able to hit any grounded character when aimed down. It is fast (frame 6) and has rather low ending lag (19 frames), but will not cause tumbling until around 70%, making more suited for creating space at lower percents. At higher percents, it can set up a tech-chase situation.

|utiltname= 

|utiltdmg=3.5% (hit 1), 2.7% (hit 1 sourspot), 4% (hit 2)  

|utiltdesc=Swings his wings up in the air, one after the other. Very fast (frame 5) with wide hitboxes that can hit prone opponents in front, and medium-sized characters from behind. One of Falco's best combo initiators due to its speed, low ending lag and low knockback, allowing him to follow up with his capable aerial moves. It can combo into itself or neutral aerial at low percents, most aerials at mid percents, and even up aerial at around 110% as a KO setup. Hit 1 has a sourspot near the end of its hitbox duration that deals 2.7%, and has [[set knockback]] with no followups.

|dtiltname=Tail Cutter

|dtiltdesc=Crouches on the floor and swipes with his tail feathers. A very strong down tilt with high damage and knockback, though it is rather slow (frame 10). Deals more damage and knockback the closer the opponent is to Falco, with the sweetspot being capable of KOing Mario at around 128%, and the soupspots being able to start aerial combos.

|dashname= 

|dashdmg=9% (clean), 6% (late)

|dashdesc=A flying kick. Has decent knockback and is a usable approach option due to its speed (frame 8) and the distance Falco moves. The clean hit sends at a diagonal trajectory, while the late hit sends at a [[semi-spike]] angle. However, it is punishable on shield and cannot KO until extremely high percentages.

|fsmashname= 

|fsmashdesc=Uses both wings to perform a wide knifehanded swing in front of himself. Hits on frame 17. Unlike the version in ''SSB4'', Falco does not move forward as much, reducing its range. Regardless, the clean hit is one of Falco's strongest finishers, KOing Mario at 100% from the middle of [[Final Destination]]. The late hit sends at a semi-spike angle and still has respectable KO potential near the ledge, doing so at around 130%.

|usmashname= 

|usmashdesc=Performs a 540 kick while facing towards/away from the camera (the former if he is facing right). Very fast for a smash attack, hitting on frame 7. However, its hitbox has been moved significantly upwards, heavily reducing its utility from ''SSB4'' as it will now completely miss medium-sized opponents touching his back, opponents one character length away from him, and even fully prone opponents directly next to Falco's legs. As a result, it is mostly used as to punish landings from above Falco, and can no longer be used as an all-purpose smash attack. The second hit KOs Mario at 117%.

|dsmashname= 

|dsmashdesc=A split kick. Falco's feet are [[intangible]] during the attack. Comes out fast (frame 8) and sends at a semi-spike angle with reasonable knockback, making it effective against fighters with poor horizontal recovery. However, its range is extremely lacking, with both his forward and down tilts outranging it. KOs Mario at 104% from the edge of Final Destination. It has a sourspot on Falco's legs, though this is very hard to land due to the sweetspot outprioritizing it.

|nairname=Spinning Falco Chop

|nairdmg=3% (hits 1), 2% (hit 2-3), 4% (hit 4)

|nairdesc=Spins his entire body clockwise to perform a series of spinning knifehanded strikes. Despite its looks, it has difficulty hitting opponents from behind. Extremely fast startup (frame 3) with low landing lag (9 frames), hitboxes that cover most of his upper body, and a good damage output. It is an overall effective move for aerial offense, as it can be used out of a short hop as a walling option, follow up into other moves, catch opponents [[out of shield]], and KO offstage at around 90%. The looping hits use the [[autolink angle]], allowing it to start combos while falling; however, the hits now transition faster, making this difficult to do consistently. Opponents may also fall out of the move if Falco fast-falls. [[Auto-cancel]]s from a full hop fast-fall, though the timing is rather strict.

|fairname= 

|fairdesc=Spins in a drill-like formation, hitting multiple times with his beak. It is relatively fast (frame 7) with a further-reaching hitbox than neutral aerial. The hits use the auto-link angle and therefore connect reliably, and can be used to [[gimp]] recovering opponents while falling; trading hits with forward aerial usually results in the opponent being sent diagonally downwards. The final hit deals decent knockback and can KO at 135% near the edge. This move has rather high landing lag (15 frames) and cannot auto-cancel; instead, landing causes a grounded hit in front of Falco which deals moderate knockback. This makes it safer on shield, and can KO at the edge of the stage from 154%.

|bairname= 

|bairdesc=Faces backwards to perform a kick behind himself. Its renowned power from ''SSB4'' has been retained, being one of the strongest back aerials in the game. This makes it Falco's best aerial KO option, doing so on Mario at 85% at the edge of Final Destination. However, its utility has been toned back due to an increase of startup lag, now making its speed rather average (frame 9) and makes it more difficult to hit most characters out of a short hop. Back aerial is also a [[sex kick]], allowing it to wall out opponents while landing. Auto-cancels from a short hop.

|uairname= 

|uairdesc=A somersault kick from back to front above himself. Sends at a slightly diagonal trajectory upwards. Hits on frame 7, auto-cancels from a short hop, has low landing lag (9 frames) and possesses a deceptively wide hitbox which can catch opponents if used right before landing. These factors make it an excellent aerial juggling tool, as it can knock opponents into the air for additional followups, including into itself. Due to Falco's impressive jump height, it can act as a KO option at around 130% near the upper blast line. However, it will not hit medium-sized characters during a short hop unless Falco directly touches his foe.

|dairname=Corkscrew Meteor

|dairdesc=A downward corkscrew kick that hits once. Has sex kick properties, with the clean hit dealing a powerful diagonal [[meteor smash]] against aerial opponents. Previously infamous for being heavily nerfed from ''Brawl'' to ''SSB4'', down aerial has been significantly buffed in ''Ultimate'': it now auto-cancels in a short hop and has twice the startup of the iteration in ''Brawl'' (frame 10). As a result, it is an excellent tool in the [[neutral game]], allowing Falco to put out a lasting hitbox with little risk of punishment. It is also a potent [[edgeguarding]] tool due to the meteor smash's sheer speed. On grounded opponents, the move instead launches them directly upward at a slight angle with higher base knockback but much lower knockback scaling, granting it combo potential at a wide variety of percents, including into a second down aerial as a KO combo. However, the move has notably high ending lag, noticeable landing lag (14 frames) and very poor horizontal range. Regardless of these factors, down aerial is once again one of Falco's staple moves.

|grabname= 

|grabdesc=Reaches forward with his right wing. A fast grab.

|pummelname= 

|pummeldmg=1.2%

|pummeldesc=Knees the opponent. Rather slow for a pummel.

|fthrowname= 

|fthrowdesc=Slams the opponent forward with his right arm. Has no true followups at 0%, though it can followup with dash attack. At around 40%, it causes opponents to tumble, allowing setups such as a lock from neutral attack or Blaster, or tech chases if the opponent rolls. Otherwise, this throw is mostly used to send opponents offstage.

|bthrowname= 

|bthrowdesc=Throws the opponent behind him before firing a Blaster shot towards them. The laser can KO at extremely high percentages near the edge, though opponents can [[DI]]'d out of it. It is otherwise used to send opponents offstage, like forward throw.

|uthrowname= 

|uthrowdesc=Throws the opponent above him before firing a Blaster shot towards them. An effective aerial combo initiator, as it can combo into aerials from 0% till as high as 120% if the laser connects. At high percents, up aerial can KO an opponent after an up throw. However, opponents can DI away from the laser, much like back throw.  

|dthrowname= 

|dthrowdesc=Lays the opponent on the ground before firing a point blank Blaster shot. It is an effective combo throw like up throw, though it is more focused on grounded followups. Combos into neutral attack, dash attack, forward tilt, up smash, neutral aerial, forward aerial, Blaster, and [[Falco Phantasm]]. Can also set up for Blaster locks.

|floortdesc=Does a sweep kick forward, then backwards.

|ssdesc=Rears back before launching himself forward in a blue blur of afterimages. The grounded move will stop if Falco reaches a ledge. Compared to [[Fox Illusion]], Falco Phantasm starts up faster and deals less knockback when grounded, but will weakly meteor smash aerial opponents, allowing it to be used for gimps. As the grounded version moves opponents slightly towards Falco, it can be used to initiate combos. It is also an excellent horizontal recovery option, as it does not cause [[helplessness]]. However, it can only be used once in midair before landing, will cause Falco to stop in front of a shielding opponent, and has a predictable trajectory. As a result, it is easily punishable if used carelessly. Despite its looks, the hitbox stops short near the end of the move when Falco begins to slow down. After concluding the dash, Falco does a cancelable animation where he fist pumps both his arms towards his sides.

|usdesc=Engulfs himself in an aura of [[flame]] before launching himself in a fiery tackle. The trajectory of the move can be chosen before Falco launches himself, with up to 16 angles to choose from. After the move ends, Falco becomes helpless. Compared to [[Fire Fox]], Fire Bird travels less distance, deals multiple hits and has almost no KO potential, though it does a high amount of total damage if every hit lands (does a maximum of 33%). It can therefore be used as a niche damage-racking option, though the looping hits sometimes have issues keeping the opponent trapped in the move.

|fsdesc=Upon activation, Falco announces "Showtime!" and targets in front of himself with a green reticle. Three Arwings fly in an unorthodox formation from behind the screen in the area where the reticle is located. Upon hit, both Falco and his victims are sent skywards, and a cinematic begins with Falco and his team flying in a group of Arwings. Falco then announces "Time for a little payback!" (single victim), or "We've got multiple bogeys inbound!" (multiple targets), as all of the members then fire lasers at the trapped opponents, damaging them heavily. Compared to Fox's version, Falco's Arwing flight has a more erratic flight pattern, and the launching hit causes vertical knockback.

Ejects from an upside-down [[Arwing]].

*'''Up taunt''': Kicks his {{b|reflector|move}} around and says "Piece of cake." ({{ja|楽勝だぜ。|Rakushō da ze.}}, ''An easy win.'') before catching it.

*'''Side taunt''': Holds out his hand and slowly raises it, saying "Come on!" ({{ja|かかってきな。|Kakatte ki na.}}, ''Come bring it.'')

*'''Down taunt''': Spins on one foot, then poses with one of his arms/wings before him, stating "Hands off my prey!" ({{ja|俺の獲物に手を出すな！|Ore no emono ni te wo dasu na!}}, ''Get your hands off my prey!'') while doing so.

**'''[[Smash Taunt]]''': Kneels down before [[Star Fox Smash Taunt|contacting Team Star Fox]]. This can only be done on ''Star Fox'' stages, and is performed by tapping the down taunt command. Falco will hold a pose for a few seconds, then a conversation will begin. This can only be done once each round and if the player is hit while Falco is holding his pose before the conversation starts, it is canceled.

*Slightly turns to his side.

*Moves his wing in front of his face.

*Does a flurry of rapid kicks then poses, saying "Had enough already?" ({{ja|くたばるのはまだ早ぇぜ。|Kutabaru no wa mada hae~ze.}}, ''Too early to kick the bucket just yet.'').

**If Fox was present in the match, there's a chance he will say "You're off your game, Fox!" ({{ja|腕が落ちたな、フォックス。|Ude ga ochita na, Fokkusu.}}, ''Your skills have fallen off, Fox.'').

*Jumps high into the air and poses on the ground, scoffing. His ending pose is reminiscent of his artwork in ''Smash 4''.

*Walks up towards the camera, shrugs, and crosses his arms, saying "Sorry! Gotta jet!" ({{ja|付き合ってらんねぇな。|Tsukiatte ran ne~na.}}, ''Not worth associating with.'').

==In competitive play==

===Notable players===

<!--If you are planning to add a player you consider to be notable, please provide tournament results in some shape or form in the edit summary (be it a link to a results thread or bracket of placing high in a tournament of other notable players or a video of them beating a notable player). Winning tournaments without notable players present is generally not enough to warrant a spot.-->

*{{Sm|Juice|USA}} - Co-main {{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} with Falco and placed 17th at {{Trn|Glitch 6}} and 33rd at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} with both characters.

*{{Sm|Kofi|USA}} - One of the best Falco players in the world. Placed 9th at both {{Trn|Overclocked Ultimate}} and {{Trn|Smash at The Paramount}}, 17th at {{Trn|Suplex City Smash}}, and 65th at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}.

*{{Sm|Larry Lurr|USA}} - The best Falco player in the world. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Super Splat Bros}}, 7th at both {{Trn|Goodwill of Orange County's Charity Invitational}} and {{Trn|The Kid, the Goat, and the Mang0}}, 9th at {{Trn|DreamHack Dallas 2019}}, and 17th at {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}}. Has wins over {{Sm|VoiD}}, {{Sm|Charlie}}, {{Sm|Prodigy}}, {{Sm|YB}}, and {{Sm|Lui$}}.

*{{Sm|PiXL|USA}} - Placed 7th at {{Trn|Pre-Genesix}} and 17th at {{Trn|Crown}}.

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

|1||{{SSBU|Dark Samus}} {{Head|Dark Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Frigate Orpheon]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metroid|Multiplayer - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes}}''||

|2||{{SSBU|Dark Pit}} {{Head|Dark Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Reset Bomb Forest]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Dark Pit's Theme}}''||

|3||{{SSBU|Link}} {{Head|Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}} and {{SSBU|Toon Link}} {{Head|Toon Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}||[[Bridge of Eldin]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Dark World (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''||References Dark Link from various ''Legend of Zelda'' titles.

|4||{{SSBU|Lucas}} {{Head|Lucas|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}}||[[New Pork City]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Porky's Theme}}''||References the Masked Man from ''Mother 3''.

|5||{{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} {{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}||[[Port Town Aero Dive]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|F-Zero|Devil's Call in Your Heart}}''||References Blood Falcon.

|6||Giant {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}} {{Head|Mr. Game & Watch|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Find Mii]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Game & Watch|Flat Zone}}''||

|colspan="5"|Bonus Stage

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Falco has ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Main Theme - Star Fox 64 (Brawl)}}'' accompany the credits.

During the opening cutscene, Falco was present when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light. Falco attempted to flee the scene immediately, as he was already seated in his Arwing; however, Galeem destroyed his aircraft and vaporized him, placing him under Galeem's imprisonment along with the rest of the fighters, excluding {{SSBU|Kirby}}.

Falco is unlocked in the space area of the World of Light on the planet resembling Titania, a callback to the Star Fox games where Fox rescues a teammate on said planet if they were shot down in certain levels. The player must have a [[Slippy Toad]] or ROB 64 spirit to ride the [[Great Fox]] to navigate this sector. Then, the player must defeat the Starship Mario and the Aparoid spirits to access his unlock stage.

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"

! style="width:5%;"|No.

! style="width:5%;"|Image

! Name

! Type

! Power

! Stage

! Music

| 20

| [[File:Falco SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]

| {{SSBU|Falco}}

| {{color|#dc1029|Attack}}

| 7,500

| [[Lylat Cruise]] ([[Ω form]])

| ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Space Armada}}''

{{-}}

==[[Spirit]]s==

Falco's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing [[Classic Mode]]. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Falco in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a Fighter Spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in ''Ultimate''.

Falco Spirit.png|383. '''''Falco Lombardi'''''

|{{anchor|Expresso}}Expresso

|''Donkey Kong series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|{{anchor|Cucco}}[[Cucco]]

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|•Tiny {{SSBU|Falco}} Team {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (×5)

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|•Item: [[Cucco]]

|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Termina Field}}

|{{anchor|Loftwing}}Loftwing

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[Skyloft]]

|{{anchor|Revali}}Revali

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{anchor|Coo}}Coo

|''Kirby series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{anchor|Farfetch'd}}Farfetch'd

|''Pokémon series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|{{anchor|Skarmory}}Skarmory

|''Pokémon series''

|•Metal {{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[File:Lugia2.png|center|64x64px]]

|[[Lugia]]

|''Pokémon series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|•Dangerously high winds are in effect after a little while<br>•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls ([[Lugia]])<br>•The enemy is giant

|[[File:Gulliver.png|center|64x64px]]

|Gulliver

|''Animal Crossing series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|[[File:Brewster Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Brewster

|''Animal Crossing series''

|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•{{SSBU|Villager}} (x2) ({{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}{{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}})<br>•{{SSBU|Isabelle}} {{Head|Isabelle|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeNeutral.png|20px|center|Neutral]]

|•Item Tidal Wave

|{{anchor|Beat}}[[File:Beat.png|center|64x64px]]

|[[Beat]]

|''Mega Man series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|[[File:Owl Spirit.jpg|center|64x64px]]

|Owl

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{anchor|Zelda (Breath of the Wild)}}Zelda (Breath of the Wild)

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Link}} {{Head|Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•{{SSBU|Inkling}} {{Head|Inkling|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}<br>•{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} {{Head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=ShortsBlue}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|{{anchor|Peppy Hare}}[[Peppy Hare]]

|''Star Fox series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeNeutral.png|20px|center|Neutral]]

|{{anchor|Krystal}}[[Krystal]]

|''Star Fox series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeNeutral.png|20px|center|Neutral]]

|•Assist Trophy Enemies ([[Krystal]])

|{{anchor|ROB 64}}[[ROB 64]]

|''Star Fox series''

|•{{SSBU|R.O.B.}} {{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•{{SSBU|Fox}} {{Head|Fox|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[File:Maria DX.PNG|center|64x64px]]

|Maria Renard

|''Castlevania series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|[https://castlevania.fandom.com/wiki/Cardinal Suzaku]

|{{anchor|Donbe & Hikari}}[[File:Donbe hikari.png|center|64x64px]]

|Donbe & Hikari

|''Famicom Mukashibanashi Series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeNeutral.png|20px|center|Neutral]]

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Shin Onigashima Medley}}

|{{anchor|Leon Powalski}}[[Leon Powalski]]

|''Star Fox series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Star Wolf (Brawl)}}

SSBUWebsiteFalco5.jpg|Attacking {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} with Falco Phantasm on [[Pokémon Stadium]].

SSBUWebsite21.jpg|Taunting on [[Lylat Cruise]].

ShovelKnight1.jpg|[[Buried]] with {{SSBU|Villager}} and {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}} by [[Shovel Knight]] on [[Garden of Hope]].

=== Character Showcase Video ===

*One of the pictures of Falco from [https://www.smashbros.com/en_US/fighter/20.html his fighter page] on the ''Ultimate'' website features him using [[Fire Bird]] above the [[Great Plateau Tower]]. This is a likely homage to {{s|zeldawiki|Revali}}, a similar looking character from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}}''. Falco is used to represent Revali in Spirits mode.

*In Falco's character showcase video, frame-by-frame inspection reveals that the hitbox visualization of Falco's {{b|Blaster|Falco}} lasers and [[Falco Phantasm]] are visible while Falco fights Cloud. [https://i.imgur.com/qsfT2se.jpg][https://i.imgur.com/tJWcR2t.png]. This is likely an error that went unnoticed during editing.

*Falco and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} are the only clones in World of Light that appears in the opening cutscenes. In Falco's case, he briefly appears when he is trying to escape from the beam of light.

*Falco's artwork was one of the three that have been updated on the official site, alongside {{SSBU|Palutena}} and {{SSBU|Shulk}}. In his case, he is covered with more feathers, his forehead appears slightly larger, and his body and beak have more saturated colors.

*The afterimages of Falco's [[Falco Phantasm]] still uses his model from ''Smash 4'' rather than his ''Ultimate'' model. This is shared with Fox's [[Fox Illusion]].

*Falco's zipper will sometimes detach from his jacket on certain animations such as hanging on an edge. This also happens with {{SSBU|Wolf}}. <ref>[https://imgur.com/fCU3NvX]</ref>

*Falco, {{SSBU|Peach}}, {{SSBU|Zelda}}, {{SSBU|Olimar}}, and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} are the only fighters to appear as allies in spirit battles.  

*Falco and {{SSBU|Squirtle}} are the only fighters not to receive any changes through updates, as of [[3.1.0 (SSBU)|3.1.0]].