Editing Falco (SSBU)

'''Falco''' ({{ja|ファルコ|Faruko}}, ''Falco'') is a playable fighter in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was officially revealed on June 12th, 2018 alongside fellow ''Star Fox'' fighter {{SSBU|Fox}} and the rest of the returning roster during the [[E3 2018]] Nintendo Direct. Falco is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #20]].

Mark Lund reprises his role from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' with new voice clips, sounding more akin to his appearances in ''Star Fox Zero'' and ''Starlink: Battle for Atlas''. In the Japanese version, Falco is now voiced by Kōsuke Takaguchi, reprising his role from ''Star Fox 64 3D'' and ''Star Fox Zero'' and who also voiced {{SSBU|Wolf}}, replacing Hisao Egawa from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', and ''Smash 4''.

 

Falco is ranked 35th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him in the B+ tier. This is a significant improvement over his low tier placement in ''SSB4'', where he was ranked 46th out of 54 characters. Falco, unlike his fellow ''Star Fox'' brethren, is more centered on combos and advantage state, with his aerial combos being formidable and highly damaging. His up tilt is one of the best combo starters in the game, courtesy of him having the highest jump and vertical mobility in the game along with excellent aerial followups. Falco's edgeguarding is also very effective due to his aerials having either long-lasting hitboxes (neutral aerial and forward aerial) or being strong KO tools (back aerial and down aerial). His [[Blaster]] helps to force approaches and can aid with some defensive play and [[Falco Phantasm]] serves as a solid burst option to surprise opponents. His [[Reflector (Falco)|Reflector]] is his main anti-zoning tool, which can also help set up niche edgeguards and combos.

 

Despite these strengths, Falco has some weaknesses. Like Fox and Wolf, his endurance is not the greatest; in Falco's case, he is a lightweight character with the same predictable recovery issues as the other space animals due to [[Fire Bird]] and Falco Phantasm's linear angles. While Falco possesses one of the best vertical mobilities in the game, his horizontal mobility is not as formidable, as he lacks the grounded mobility of Fox and the air mobility of Wolf, giving him difficulty approaching and staying in [[neutral]]. While his combo game is strong, he lacks strong KO moves, making him reliant on moves such as down tilt, back air, or edgeguarding.

 

Overall, Falco's drastic improvements has resulted in him seeing significantly better representation in comparison to ''Smash 4''. While the size of his playerbase pales compared to the other ''Star Fox'' fighters, Falco still sees solid results from players such as {{Sm|MASA}}, {{Sm|M0tsunabE}}, and {{Sm|Tilde}}.

With the exception of the third method, Falco must then be defeated on [[Corneria]]. In World of Light, he is fought on the [[Ω form]] of [[Lylat Cruise]].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, Falco has the tools that let him defensively pressure his opponent, then effectively capitalize on their errors with his strong combo and edgeguarding capabilities. However, he can struggle keeping up with opponents who can outmaneuver or outrange his options. Although he can score early KOs through a well-executed edgeguard or hard read, Falco must be careful not to let opponents take advantage of his own weaknesses to avoid being combo'd and KO'd early himself.

Falco was previously considered a lackluster character in ''SSB4'', due to the harsh nerfs he received in the previous game as well as gameplay mechanics working adversely towards him. Likely owing to this, Falco has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition to ''Ultimate'', being greatly buffed overall.

Falco's buffs mainly address his weakened tools that affected his previous transition from ''Brawl'' to ''SSB4'', notably to his notoriously nerfed {{b|Blaster|Falco}} and [[down aerial]]; Blaster has faster startup, now fires at the same rate while grounded as it does in the air, and has much lower ending lag, 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 only [[edgeguarding]] and hard reads. Many of Falco's other moves have been made more usable as well. [[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.

Changes to gameplay mechanics have been kind to Falco. His grounded movement is noticeably 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. The nerfs to air dodging further strengthen his aerial game, allowing him to once again abuse his edgeguarding capabilities. As a result, Falco's [[neutral game]] is more consistent, improving on one of his biggest weaknesses from ''SSB4''.

However, Falco has also received numerous nerfs, which worsen a few of his worst traits and give him more defined weaknesses. Though he possesses the highest jump in the game, Falco has had his already poor recovery nerfed as [[Falco Phantasm]] now travels slightly less distance and no longer passes through shields, making it even easier to intercept and more punishable. Additionally, while many of his combo-centric moves were made more effective through reduced lag, they have also been weakened (forward tilt, up tilt and [[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 harder for him to close a stock.

Certain moves such as neutral attack and forward smash no longer move him forward as much, 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. {{b|Reflector|Falco}} no longer has a bonus chance to [[trip]] opponents, removing its utility for follow-ups and worsening its overall safety. Finally, although the changes to air dodging help Falco more than they hinder him, they make both of his recovery options even more linear and exploitable than before.

In the end, Falco is considered to be much better than his appearance in ''SSB4'', with his key strengths being more threatening than before, and his neutral game has seen noticeable improvements, though at the cost of worse KO ability, recovery and disadvantage. This overall amounts to Falco being a much better character than he was in ''SSB4''.

{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Falco}}

==Update history==

Falco has been noticeably buffed via game updates. Curiously, he was left totally unchanged throughout several updates until update 7.0.0, which enlarged his shield as part of a near-universal buff. Following this, update 8.0.0 granted Falco a number of noteworthy buffs. His infamous up smash became significantly more consistent, thanks to hitbox and knockback adjustments, and its respectable power was increased even further. Neutral aerial, which was also somewhat notable for being inconsistent, was noticeably improved via hitbox adjustments and its last hit being sped up.

Down tilt's overall lag was decreased and its angle was adjusted; these changes not only improved both its KO and combo potential, but also reduced its susceptibility to DI. Down aerial also became more useful, as its excessive ending lag and landing lag were both decreased. Lastly, [[Falco Phantasm]] was sped up and its hitboxes were improved, which improved its trapping potential and even granted it utility as a set-up option.

Update 13.0.1 buffed Falco one last time. His dash attack deals more damage on both of its hitboxes with compensated knockback, making it KO slightly earlier. And finally, his forward smash now has added hitboxes on frame 17, making it better match the animation and giving it slightly longer hitbox detection.

Overall, Falco fares better than he did at ''Ultimate''{{'}}s launch, and he is now generally seen a lower high tier character.

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|7.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/7.0.0|char=Falco}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|8.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/8.0.0|char=Falco}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|13.0.1}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/13.0.1|char=Falco}}

|neutralname=Wing Chop ({{ja|ウイングチョップ|Uingu Choppu}}) / Reverse Chop ({{ja|リバースチョップ|Ribāsu Choppu}}) / Gyro Cutter ({{ja|ジャイロカッター|Jairo Kattā}}) / Finish Kick ({{ja|フィニッシュキック|Finisshu Kikku}})

|neutraldesc=Performs two knifehanded strikes before spinning his whole body to perform a series of knifehand strikes, ending with a downward axe kick that sends the opponent away. The first two hits 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 {{b|Blaster|Falco}} 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=Bird Whip ({{ja|バードウィップ|Bādo Uippu}})

|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 (17 frames), but will not cause tumbling until around 70%, making it more suited for creating space at lower percents. At higher percents, it can set up a tech-chase situation.

|utiltname=Flap Upper ({{ja|フラップアッパー|Furappu Appā}})

|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 staple moves and his best combo initiator 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, most notoriously, a reliable KO confirm into back aerial starting potentially as low as 80%, and even as high as 120%. Hit 1 has a sourspot near the end of its hitbox duration that deals 2.7% and has [[set knockback]] with no followups. One of the best up tilts in the game due to its fast startup, low ending lag, combo starting ability, and wide ranged hitboxes.  

|dtiltname=Tail Cutter ({{ja|テイルカッター|Teiru Kattā}})

|dtiltdesc=Kneels down and swipes his tail feathers across the ground. As of update 8.0.0, it is the 2nd strongest down tilt in the game (right after {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}}'s), with the sweetspot (which is on the base of Falco's tail feathers) killing Mario at 122% anywhere on Final Destination without rage. It deals more damage the closer the opponent is to Falco. As mentioned, the sweetspot turns it into a kill move, whereas the sourspots can be used to start aerial combos.

|dashname=Jump Side Kick ({{ja|ジャンプサイドキック|Janpu Saido Kikku}})

|dashdmg=10.5% (clean), 7.5% (late)

|dashdesc=A flying kick. It has decent knockback and is a useful 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's punishable on shield and can't KO until around 190%.

|fsmashname=Wing Edge ({{ja|ウィングエッジ|Uingu Ejji}})

|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 Falco's strongest finisher, killing 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=Double Somersault Kick ({{ja|ダブルサマーソルトキック|Daburu Samāsoruto Kikku}})

|dsmashname=Ground Kick ({{ja|グラウンドキック|Guraundo Kikku}})

|dsmashdesc=A split kick. Falco's feet are [[intangible]] during the attack. It 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 out prioritizing it.

|nairname=Spinning Falco Chop ({{ja|スピニングファルコチョップ|Supiningu Faruko Choppu}})

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

|nairdesc=Spins his entire body clockwise to perform a series of four 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 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=Beak Drill ({{ja|ビークドリル|Bīku Doriru}})

|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 high landing lag (15 frames) and cannot auto-cancel; instead, landing causes a grounded hit in front of Falco with moderate knockback. This makes it safer on shield, and can KO at the edge of the stage from 154%.

|bairname=Reverse Spin Kick ({{ja|リバーススピンキック|Ribāsu Supin Kikku}})

|bairdesc=A back kick. 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=Reverse Overhead ({{ja|リバースオーバーヘッド|Ribāsu Ōbāheddo}})

|uairdesc=A somersault kick from back to the 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 that 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 ({{ja|メテオスクリュー|Meteo Sukuryū}}, ''Meteor Screw'')

|dairdesc=A downwards diagonal 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 very poor horizontal range and low knockback scaling. Regardless of these factors, down aerial is once again one of Falco's staple moves.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|grabdesc=Reaches forward with his right wing.

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

|pummeldmg=1.3%

|pummeldesc=A knee strike. Average power and speed.

|fthrowname=Smash Elbow ({{ja|スマッシュエルボー|Sumasshu Erubō}})

|fthrowdesc=Slams the opponent forward with his right arm. Has no true follow-ups at 0%, though it can follow-up 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=Close Range Blaster H ({{ja|クローズレンジブラスターＨ|Kurōzu Renji Burasutā Ecchi}})

|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 easily [[DI]] out of it. It is otherwise used to send opponents offstage, much like forward throw.

|uthrowname=Close Range Blaster V ({{ja|クローズレンジブラスターＶ|Kurōzu Renji Burasutā Vī}})

|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=Close Range Blaster Down ({{ja|クローズレンジブラスターダウン|Kurōzu Renji Burasutā Daun}})

|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 follow-ups. Combos into neutral attack, dash attack, forward tilt, up smash, neutral aerial, forward aerial, Blaster, and [[Falco Phantasm]]. It can also set up for Blaster locks.

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

|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 over 40 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%, being one of the most damaging up specials in the game). 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 opponent), or "We've got multiple bogies inbound!" (multiple opponents), 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 like a hacky sack, saying "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 in a beckoning gesture, 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, saying "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.

*Turns his torso towards the camera (away from it if he is facing left).

*Similar to the first one, but he flaps his left wing in front of his face after turning.

SSBUFalcoIdle1.gif|Falco's first idle pose.

SSBUFalcoIdle2.gif|Falco's second idle pose.

*'''Left:''' Does a flurry of rapid kicks and 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’ll 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.'') instead.

*'''Up:''' Jumps high into the air while scoffing, then poses on the ground while forcing a laugh. His ending pose is reminiscent of his artwork in ''Smash 4'', as well as his old [[spot dodge|spot dodging]] animation.

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

<!--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 -->

 

 

*{{Sm|Juice|USA}} - The best Falco player in the early metagame, placing 13th at {{Trn|Shine 2019}} defeating {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} and 25th at {{Trn|Glitch 7 - Minus World}}. He was also ranked 81st on the [[OrionRank 2019]], the highest-ranking player who primarily played Falco. He dropped Falco in favor of {{SSBU|Roy}} following the pandemic.

*{{Sm|Larry Lurr|USA}} - One of the best Falco players in the United States, playing the character alongside {{SSBU|Wolf}}. Although somewhat inconsistent, he has still placed highly at many events, including winning {{Trn|DreamHack Rotterdam 2022}} using solo-Falco and placing 13th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}} and 17th at {{Trn|Battle of BC 4}} primarily using Falco.  

*{{Sm|MASA|Japan}} - One of the best Falco players in the world in the post-online metagame. He is the second Falco player ranked in the top 50, with his highest being 38th on the [[LumiRank 2023]]. He regularly places highly at majors despite some dips, most notably placing 4th at both {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 8}} and {{Trn|Wave 4}} as well as 5th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP Ultimate}}.

*{{Sm|M0tsunabE|Japan}} - The second-best Falco player in Japan in the post-online metagame, especially since mid-2023, where despite inconsistencies he had several notable peaks at majors, including placing 5th at {{Trn|Seibugeki 15}} and 7th at both {{Trn|DELTA 4}} and {{Trn|UltCore}}.

*{{Sm|Tilde|USA}} - One of the best Falco players in the world, and the definitive best in 2021. He is the first Falco player ranked in the top 50, with his highest being 29th on the [[OrionRank Ultimate: Eclipse]]. He notably won {{Trn|Riptide 2022}}, the largest tournament win for a Falco player, and has also performed strongly at majors such as 4th at {{Trn|E-Caribana}} and 7th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con: Fall Fest}}. Although he has since become less active outside his region, he is still considered one of the best Falco players, most notably placing 3rd at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}}, the best Falco placement at a major/supermajor.

 

Before release, many players immediately took notice of Falco's drastic improvements from the previous game, as the mechanics of the game being greatly in his favor and he received improvements to his combo and neutral games. However, upon release many quickly believed that Falco's buffs seemed "overhyped", and Falco was largely overshadowed by his other fellow Spacies, both of which were considered top tier. Despite this, Falco still found success in the early metagame thanks to players such as {{Sm|Kofi}} and {{Sm|Juice}}. As a result Falco's representation in the metagame still remained around average, and he was widely considered a mid-tier character.

 

In the post-online metagame, although many of Falco's older players either dropped the character or saw worse results, new Falco players began making their marks on the metagame, most notably {{Sm|MASA}}, {{Sm|M0tsunabE}}, and {{Sm|Tilde}}. These players became known for using Falco's powerful combos and KO confirms to secure strong results at majors. Falco's improving results and representation helped gradually improve the community's perception on him, with some players believing the character has the potential to be high-tier. As it stands, Falco is currently ranked 35th on the current tier list.

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

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

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

|3|| {{CharHead|Link|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Black}} and {{CharHead|Toon Link|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=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|| {{CharHead|Lucas|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Grey}}||[[New Pork City]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Porky's Theme}}''||References the Masked Man from ''Mother 3''.

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

|6||Giant {{CharHead|Mr. Game & Watch|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Find Mii]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Game & Watch|Flat Zone}}''||References Mr. Game & Watch's status as a corrupted character in [[The Subspace Emissary]].

|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 on the cliffside 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 the said planet if they were shot down at certain levels. The player must have a [[Slippy Toad|Slippy]] [[List of spirits (Star Fox series)|Toad]] or [[List of spirits (Star Fox series)|ROB 64]] spirit to ride the [[Great Fox]] to navigate this sector. Then, the player must defeat the [[List of spirits (Super Mario series)|Starship Mario]] and the [[List of spirits (Star Fox series)|Aparoid]] spirits to access his unlock stage.

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

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

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

!Name

!Type

!Power

!Stage

!Music

|20

|[[File:Falco SSBU.png|center|64x64px]]

|{{SpiritType|Attack}} <center>{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}</center>

|7,500

|[[Lylat Cruise]] ([[Ω form]])

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

{{clr}}

==[[Spirit]]==

Falco's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Falco has been unlocked. 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. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''.

SSBU spirit Falco Lombardi.png|383. '''''Falco Lombardi'''''

|{{SpiritTableName|Expresso|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Cucco|link=y|size=64}}

|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series

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

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|•Item: Cucco

|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Village of the Blue Maiden}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Loftwing|size=64}}

|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|[[Skyloft]] ([[Battlefield form]])

|{{SpiritTableName|Revali|size=64}}

|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (100 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Coo|size=64}}

|''Kirby'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Farfetch'd|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Skarmory|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|•Metal {{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (120 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Lugia|link=y|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|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

|{{SpiritTableName|Gulliver|size=64}}

|''Animal Crossing'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Brewster|iw=nookipedia|size=64}}

|''Animal Crossing'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•{{SSBU|Villager}} {{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}}

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|•Item Tidal Wave ([[Food]])

|{{SpiritTableName|Beat|link=y|size=64}}

|''Mega Man'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Owl|size=64}}

|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Zelda (Breath of the Wild)|size=64}}

|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (50 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Link}} {{Head|Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (60 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Inkling}} {{Head|Inkling|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}} (30 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}} (60 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (50 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} {{Head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=ShortsBlue}} (50 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Peppy Hare|link=y|size=64}}

|''Star Fox'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Krystal|link=y|size=64}}

|''Star Fox'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|•Assist Trophy Enemies (Krystal)

|{{SpiritTableName|ROB 64|link=y|size=64}}

|''Star Fox'' Series

|•{{SSBU|R.O.B.}} {{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}} (120 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (50 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Fox}} {{Head|Fox|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}} (50 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Maria Renard|size=64}}

|''Castlevania'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

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

|{{SpiritTableName|Donbe & Hikari|customname=[https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Donbe Donbe] & [https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Hikari Hikari]|size=64}}

|''Famicom Mukashibanashi'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Shin Onigashima Medley}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Leon Powalski|link=y|size=64}}

|''Star Fox'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Star Wolf's Theme / Sector Z (for 3DS / Wii U)}}

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

SSBUWebsiteDarkPit2.jpg|Falco attacking {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} on [[Spirit Train]].

SSBUWebsite21.jpg|Taunting on Lylat Cruise.

SSBUWebsiteTerry4.jpg|{{SSBU|Terry}} using [[Power Geyser]] on {{SSBU|Link}} and {{SSBU|Villager}} on [[King of Fighters Stadium]].

===Fighter 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 also represents Revali in his Spirit battle.

*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<ref>[https://i.imgur.com/qsfT2se.jpg]</ref><ref>[https://i.imgur.com/tJWcR2t.png]</ref>. This is likely an error that went unnoticed during editing.

*Falco and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} are the only clones in World of Light that appear in the opening cutscene. In Falco's case, he appears alongside all the other fighters and later tries 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, the gaps in his wings were made smaller, and his body and beak have more saturated colors.

*The afterimages of Falco's [[Falco Phantasm]] still use his model from ''SSB4'' 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}}, {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}} and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} are the only fighters to appear as allies in spirit battles.

*Falco's Classic Mode route is vaguely similar to {{SSBU|Ken}}'s, as both of their routes fight "dark" forms/rivals of main characters as opponents, and both of their routes have the same opponents in some rounds.

**Falco and Ken are the only two fighters to face [[Crazy Hand]] by himself as their final boss in Classic Mode under Intensity 7.0.

*In the Sound Test, Falco's special victory quote against Fox is ordered before his generic victory quotes. This is unlike Fox and Wolf, who have their special victory quotes ordered after their generic ones.