Editing Falco (SSBU)

{{ArticleIcons|ultimate=y}}
{{disambig2|Falco's appearance in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''|the character in other contexts|Falco Lombardi}}
{{Infobox Character
|name = Falco
|image = [[File:Falco SSBU.png|250px]]
|game = SSBU
|ssbgame1 = SSBM
|ssbgame2 = SSBB
|ssbgame3 = SSB4
|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|tier = A
|ranking = 26
}}
'''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 that match his portrayal from ''Star Fox Zero'' and ''Starlink: Battle for Atlas''. In the Japanese version, Falco is now voiced by Kōsuke Takaguchi, who voiced the character in ''Star Fox 64 3D'' and ''Star Fox Zero'' (and also voices {{SSBU|Wolf}}), reprising his role with new voice clips. This reflects his succession of  Hisao Egawa, the character's voice actor since the original ''Star Fox 64''.

Falco is ranked 26th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him towards the center of the A 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 was initially below average compared to the other ''Star Fox'' fighters, it has since surpassed both Fox and Wolf thanks to strong results and placements from players such as {{Sm|MASA}}, {{Sm|Tilde}}, {{Sm|M0tsunabE}}, and {{Sm|Rarikkusu}}.

==How to unlock==
Complete one of the following:
*Play [[VS. match]]es, with Falco being the 32nd character to be unlocked.
*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Fox}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the 4th character unlocked after {{SSBU|Peach}}.
*Have Falco join the player's party in [[World of Light]].
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]].

==Attributes==
Falco is a [[weight|lightweight]] character with the highest [[jump]] in the game, a fast [[initial dash]] speed, the 7th highest [[gravity]], the 10th fastest [[walking speed]], the 11th fastest [[falling speed]], the 12th highest [[traction]] and the 9th best [[air acceleration]], but in contrast has average [[dashing]] speed and the 23rd slowest [[air speed]]. This makes his movement somewhat polarizing as he has overall mediocre horizontal movement (especially while airborne), but excels in reaching impressive heights.

Owing to his status as a "talented aerial fighter" with an "amazing jumping ability" and fast falling speed, Falco's greatest strengths lie in his strong combo, juggling, and edgeguarding capabilities; with his aerials being most evident of these traits. Up aerial, in particular, is his primary juggling tool, thanks to its quick startup, wide hitbox that can hit opponents on landing, and low overall lag and knockback. These traits make it very effective at starting and extending juggles, as well as being capable of comboing into itself and other aerials. Additionally, it can KO at high percentages near the upper blast line. Neutral aerial has a large, lasting hitbox that covers Falco and is a fast multi-hit, making it a good disruptor and combo extender/finisher. It can also drag opponents downward, allowing it to start combos on stage. Forward aerial has decent horizontal range and is also a lasting multi-hit, allowing it to edgeguard and KO reliably. Like his neutral aerial, it can drag opponents downward as well, potentially leaving offstage opponents in a very vulnerable position. Back aerial is one of the strongest aerials of its kind and can reliably KO even from center-stage. Lastly, down aerial, while nowhere near as notorious as its previous iterations, comes out fast and is a lasting hitbox; with its clean hit being a powerful meteor smash, giving it the ability to start combos onstage and score early KOs against poor recoveries.

Although Falco's ground game appears limited, he has a handful of respectable options at his disposal. Up tilt, in particular, is Falco's staple in initiating combos thanks to its very quick startup, large hitboxes, and low ending lag and knockback. It can combo into itself and any of his aerials, and even set up for KO's into back aerial or up aerial at high percents. Down tilt, despite being Falco's most powerful tilt, is also capable of follow-ups into aerials thanks to its sourspots' lower power. Additionally, it covers a good distance in front of himself, allowing him to KO grounded opponents with ease or 2-frame many recoveries. Forward smash has considerable range and respectable KO power, while down smash starts up quickly and sends at a [[semi-spike]] angle, working as another quick KO option and heavily threatening those with poor recoveries. His other moves, although more situational, still have their uses: neutral attack comes out exceedingly quick and its first two hits can [[lock]], forward tilt can be angled and is relatively fast, allowing it to be used as a decent neutral option, and dash attack has a long duration, enabling it to catch dodges and landings, with its clean hit sending at a favorable angle for juggles and its late hit setting up for potential edgeguards.

Complementing Falco's aerials and tilts is his grab game, as shielding too often provides Falco the opportunity to make use of his highly damaging throws. Up throw is highly useful, as much as up tilt, it is an effective combo starter into any of his aerials at all percents, and can perform KO setups or even outright KO with its second hit. Down throw combos into forward aerial at low percents and forward, while lacking true combos, is useful for setting up edgeguards and tech-chases. Finally, back throw's first hit is a semi-spike that sets up for Falco's strong edgeguarding game, while its second hit can outright KO at high percents near the ledge.

Considering his versatile moveset, Falco's specials can provide unique benefits. [[Blaster]] is his primary ranged option, with it being an effective disruptor due to its fast projectile and surprisingly low ending lag. Its shots can be used to pressure, provoke, or halt approaches, snipe double jumps, or even outright gimp poor recoveries. [[Falco Phantasm]] propels Falco a significant distance very quickly, making it great for horizontal recovery. Its grounded version can start combos at low to mid percents and even set up KOs with back aerial at high percents, while its aerial version can meteor smash careless edgeguarders and even 2-frame low recoveries. [[Fire Bird]] is his primary recovery option and grants respectable distance in any chosen direction. Falco can notably use it in conjunction with [[footstool]] as an [[out of shield]] option; it has damaging hitboxes throughout and can deal up to 40% if all hits connect. Lastly, [[Reflector]] activates on frame 1, making reacting to projectiles less of a liability for Falco; it also has a hitbox that activates slightly later that serves as a decent poking tool.

In spite of Falco's well-balanced strengths, he has numerous weaknesses. His most prominent flaws are his survivability and his inconsistency. Despite being a lightweight, Falco is vulnerable to combos due to his fast falling speed and lack of reliable escape options. Although Falco's recovery grants a respectable distance, it is very linear. Falco Phantasm no longer passes through shields, making it far easier to corner him and force him offstage as a result. Without his double jump, Falco is in great danger offstage due to the nerfs to air dodging and his two recovery options, each being slow and predictable.

Regarding his moveset, Falco has several moves that do not function properly and can even work against him. Up smash, despite having fast startup and high vertical reach, has large blind spots that often miss outright against many grounded opponents, leaving him extremely vulnerable from behind and against small or crouching opponents (even if they're directly in front of Falco). Plaguing him since ''Smash 4'', both up tilt and up smash are prone to failing to properly connect against aerial opponents. Despite its appearance, neutral aerial has difficulty hitting opponents from behind, and due to changes in the game's engine, the move's looping hits are more prone to missing than they were in the previous installment. While Blaster and Reflector have reduced lag, the former is still unsafe on hit even from a distance, while the latter still has a misleadingly small hitbox, and its removed trip chance ironically makes it even more unsafe on hit overall than in ''Smash 4''. Most notoriously, however, are Falco's back and up throws. Due to changes in the game's physics, the lasers from both throws are even more susceptible to [[DI]] than before, allowing opponents to survive what otherwise would effortlessly KO.

These aforementioned problems compound Falco's other, more defined weakness of struggling to secure a KO. Like fellow ''Star Fox'' fighters {{SSBU|Fox}} and {{SSBU|Wolf}}, Falco's strongest moves are also his slowest in terms of startup and/or endlag, requiring careful execution to avoid heavy punishment. Lastly, Falco's damage output and range have been nerfed from ''Smash 4''. This is especially noteworthy due to most of the cast receiving various buffs, not limited to these aspects, and the prominence of swordfighters and zoners in ''Ultimate''.

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.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
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, have less range due to Falco not moving forward as much, while up smash's hitbox was altered to such an extent that it has significantly less range in front of him, and the second hit now also misses grounded opponents behind him unless they're large enough. His forward smash also has less range, especially in the late hit, as Falco now stops in place in the middle of the attack instead of keep lunging forward. {{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's key strengths have become more threatening than before, now possessing a significantly deadlier punish game courtesy of his various options to combo opponents and the potential to transition them into a KO, and his neutral game has seen noticeable improvements, though at the cost of worse KO ability, recovery and disadvantage, which means Falco must keep playing carefully to make use of his strenghts. This overall amounts to Falco being a much better character in ''Ultimate'' than he was in ''SSB4''.

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

==Update history==
Falco has been noticeably buffed via game updates. Prior to update 7.0.0, he was left totally unchanged; update 7.0.0 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 seen as an effective 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}}

==Moveset==
*Falco can [[wall jump]].
''For a gallery of Falco's hitboxes, see [[Falco (SSBU)/Hitboxes|here]].''

{{MovesetTable
|game=SSBU
|neutralcount=2
|neutralinf=y
|neutralname=Wing Chop ({{ja|ウイングチョップ|Uingu Choppu}})<br>Reverse Chop ({{ja|リバースチョップ|Ribāsu Choppu}})<br>Gyro Cutter ({{ja|ジャイロカッター|Jairo Kattā}})<br>Finish Kick ({{ja|フィニッシュキック|Finisshu Kikku}})
|neutral1dmg=1.5%
|neutral2dmg=1.5%
|neutralinfdmg=0.3% (loop), 3% (last)
|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 Wippu}})
|ftiltdmg=6%
|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}})
|dtiltdmg=13% (near), 12% (mid), 10.5% (far)
|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|Wingu Ejji}})
|fsmashdmg=16% (clean), 12% (late)
|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 and stops in place in the middle of the move, reducing its range, giving it less range, especially in its late hit. Regardless, the clean hit is Falco's strongest finisher, 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=Double Somersault Kick ({{ja|ダブルサマーソルトキック|Daburu Samāsoruto Kikku}})
|usmashdmg=4% (hit 1), 13% (hit 2)
|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 to punish landings from above Falco, and can no longer be used as an all-purpose smash attack, Furthermore, up smash is known to occasionally fail in the conversion from the first hit to the second, which weakens it as a finishing move.  The second hit KOs Mario at 117%.
|dsmashname=Ground Kick ({{ja|グラウンドキック|Guraundo Kikku}})
|dsmashdmg=15% (feet), 12% (legs)
|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}})
|fairdmg=1% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6), 3% (landing hit)
|fairdesc=Spins in a drill-like formation, hitting multiple times with his beak, similar to Pikachu's. 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}})
|bairdmg=13% (clean), 7% (late)
|bairdesc=A back kick ending in a turn. 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}})
|uairdmg=9%
|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'')
|dairdmg=13% (clean), 8% (late)
|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}})
|fthrowdmg=4% (hit), 3% (throw)
|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/Horizontal ({{ja|クローズレンジブラスターＨ|Kurōzu Renji Burasutā Ecchi}})
|bthrowdmg= 6% (throw), 3% (Blaster shot)
|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/Vertical ({{ja|クローズレンジブラスターＶ|Kurōzu Renji Burasutā Vī}})
|uthrowdmg=4% (throw), 4% (Blaster shot)
|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}})
|dthrowdmg=2% (throw), 3% (Blaster shot)
|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.
|floorfname=&nbsp;
|floorfdmg=7%
|floorfdesc=Gets up and does a thrust kick behind him with one leg, and then in front of him with the other.
|floorbname=&nbsp;
|floorbdmg=7%
|floorbdesc=Similar to his frontal floor attack, but he kicks in front of himself first.
|floortname=&nbsp;
|floortdmg=5%
|floortdesc=Does a sweep kick forward, then backward.
|edgename=&nbsp;
|edgedmg=9%
|edgedesc=Lifts his entire body onto the stage to attack with a corkscrewing dropkick, before returning onto his feet from a back handspring.
|nsname=Blaster
|nspage=Blaster (Falco)
|nsdmg=3%
|nsdesc=Pulls out his Blaster and fires a slim blue laser [[projectile]]. Compared to {{SSBU|Fox}}'s [[Blaster]], it fires at a much slower rate but causes [[hitstun]] and deals [[electric]] damage. It is very laggy on the ground, making it very punishable if the opponent is close or at a low percentage. However, it is much more effective in the air, as it can be fired marginally faster while airborne and has significantly lower ending lag, with short hop Blaster shots causing Falco to experience only 6 frames of landing lag. This is one of Falco's main tools with multiple uses, including deterring [[approach]]es, gimping offstage opponents, tacking on damage, and locking failed techs.
|ssname=Falco Phantasm
|ssdmg=7% (grounded), 6% (aerial)
|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 cancellable animation where he fist pumps both his arms towards his sides.
|usname=Fire Bird
|usdmg=2% (charging loop), 3% (tackle startup), 2% (tackle loop)
|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.
|dsname=Reflector
|dspage=Reflector (Falco)
|dsdmg=5% (Reflector), 1.2× reflected projectile
|dsdesc=Activates his Reflector and kicks it forward, [[reflection|reflecting]] any projectiles back towards opponents and doing minimal [[electric]] damage to opponents that make contact. It then returns to him as if it was magnetized. It can also be used as a poking tool that can [[lock]] floored opponents.
|fsname=Team Star Fox
|fsdmg=3% (trapping hit), 30% (Arwings), 10% (end)
|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.
}}

===Stats===

{{Attributes
| cast=89
| weight=82 | rweight=74-75
| dash=2.035 | rdash=25-27
| run=1.619 | rrun=56
| walk=1.344 | rwalk=11
| trac=0.127 | rtrac=13
| airfric=0.01 | rairfric=40-51
| air=0.977 | rair=64
| baseaccel=0.01 | rbaseaccel=15-87
| addaccel=0.09 | raddaccel=7-10
| gravity=0.13 | rgravity=8-9
| fall=1.8 | rfall=13-18
| ff=2.88 | rff=13-18
| jumpsquat=3 | rjumpsquat=1-88
| jumpheight=50.51 | rjumpheight=1
| shorthop=17.34 | rshorthop=22
| djump=50.51 | rdjump=3
| ellag=5 | rellag=76-86
}}

===[[Announcer]] call===
{{audio|Needs announcer calls from other languages.}}
<gallery>
Falco English Announcer SSB4-SSBU.wav|English/Japanese/Chinese
Falco French Announcer SSBU.wav|French
Falco Russian Announcer SSBU.wav|Russian
</gallery>

===[[On-screen appearance]]===
*Ejects from an upside-down [[Arwing]].
<gallery>
FalcoOnScreenAppearanceSSBU.gif|Falco's on-screen appearance
</gallery>

===[[Taunt]]s===
*'''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.
<gallery>
SSBUFalcoTaunt1.gif|Falco's up taunt.
SSBUFalcoTaunt2.gif|Falco's side taunt.
SSBUFalcoTaunt3.gif|Falco's down taunt.
</gallery>

===[[Idle pose]]s===
*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.
<gallery>
SSBUFalcoIdle1.gif|Falco's first idle pose.
SSBUFalcoIdle2.gif|Falco's second idle pose.
</gallery>

===[[Crowd cheer]]===
<div class="tabber">
<div class="tabbertab" title="English, Japanese/Chinese, Italian, Dutch, French">
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"
|-
!{{{name|}}}
!Cheer (English)
!Cheer (Japanese/Chinese)
!Cheer (Italian)
!Cheer (Dutch)
!Cheer (French)
|-
! scope="row"|Cheer
|[[File:Falco Cheer English SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Falco Cheer Japanese SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Falco Cheer Italian SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Falco Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Falco Cheer French NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Falco Cheer French PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]
|-
! scope="row"|Description
|Fal - co! || Fal - co! || Fal - co! *claps 3 times* || Fal - co! || Fal - co!
|}
</div>
<div class="tabbertab" title="German, Spanish, Russian, Korean">
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"
|-
!{{{name|}}}
!Cheer (German)
!Cheer (Spanish)
!Cheer (Russian)
!Cheer (Korean)
|-
! scope="row"|Cheer
|[[File:Falco Cheer German SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Falco Cheer Spanish NTSC SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Falco Cheer Spanish PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Falco Cheer Russian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Falco Cheer Korean SSBU.ogg|center]]
|-
! scope="row"|Description
|Fal - co! || Faaaaal - co! || Fal - co! Fal - co! || Fal - co! 
|}
</div>
</div>

===[[Victory pose]]s===
*'''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.
*'''Right:''' 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.'').
[[File:StarFoxUniverseTheme.ogg|thumb|This victory theme is based upon the main theme of ''{{s|lylatwiki|Star Fox 64}}'', most specifically the title theme. It is also reminiscent of the music that would play when a mission was completed or accomplished.]]
<gallery>
FalcoVictoryPose1SSBU.gif
FalcoVictoryPose2SSBU.gif
FalcoVictoryPose3SSBU.gif
</gallery>

==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 -->

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

*{{Sm|Juice|USA}} - The first notable Falco player who mained him in competitive play, coming to prominence in the second half of 2019 after placing 13th at {{Trn|Shine 2019}} defeating {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} and 25th at {{Trn|Glitch 7 - Minus World}}. He was ranked 81st on the [[OrionRank 2019]] as the only player on the ranking who was a Falco main. He went on hiatus in the first few years of the post-pandemic metagame, and dropped Falco when he returned in favor of {{SSBU|Roy}}.
*{{Sm|Larry Lurr|USA}} - Though he saw some success with Falco in the early metagame, he primarily played {{SSBU|Wolf}} during this time, and only played Falco more often in the post-pandemic metagame, later becoming one of the best Falco players in North America. He used solo-Falco to win {{Trn|DreamHack Rotterdam 2022}}, notably outplacing Tilde and defeating {{Sm|Supahsemmie}} twice, and placed 13th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}} and 17th at {{Trn|Battle of BC 5}} with primarily Falco. 
*{{Sm|MASA|Japan}} - One of the greatest Falco players of all time, and the overall best in 2023. He first came to prominence during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by placing 5th at [[Tournament:Kagaribi|the first Kagaribi]] before becoming the first Falco player to place top 8 at a major, doing so by placing 7th at {{Trn|Seibugeki 8}}. Since then, he has placed higher at many other events, including 4th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 8}} and {{Trn|Wave 4}} and 5th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP Ultimate}} and {{Trn|Sumabato SP 52}}. He was ranked 38th on the [[LumiRank 2023]] as the second Falco player ranked in the top 50.
*{{Sm|M0tsunabE|Japan}} - One of the best Falco players from Japan, coming to prominence in 2023 with several top 8 finishes at majors despite an overall inconsistent season, having placed 5th at {{Trn|Seibugeki 13}} and 7th at both {{Trn|DELTA 4}} and {{Trn|UltCore}}. His consistency improved in the following year, and he continued to place well at majors, including placing 7th at {{Trn|Seibugeki 17}} and {{Trn|DELTA 9}}. As such, he became one of the best Falco players in the world that year, and was the only Falco player ranked top 50 on the [[LumiRank 2024.1]], ranking 45th.
*{{Sm|Rarikkusu|Japan}} - Though initially playing {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, he picked up Falco in 2023 and eventually swapped out Donkey Kong in favor of Falco by mid-2024. His results improved after the swap, and he became one of the best Falco players in the world. His achievements include a winning record over {{Sm|Raru}} and 1st at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 58}}, the second time that Falco has won an A tier. He has also had several great performances at other majors, including 2nd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 54}}; 5th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 53}}; and 7th at {{Trn|Seibugeki 18}}. He was ranked 33rd on the [[LumiRank 2024.2]].
*{{Sm|Tilde|USA}} - One of the greatest Falco players of all time, and the overall best in 2021. He came to prominence in the online metagame before transitioning offline, and eventually became the first Falco player to rank in the top 50 offline, ranking 29th on the [[OrionRank Ultimate: Eclipse]]. He notably won {{Trn|Riptide 2022}}, the first A tier won by a Falco player as well as the largest, and has also performed well at majors, such as placing 3rd at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}} and 7th at {{Trn|Luminosity Makes BIG Moves 2024}}.

===Tier placement and history===
Before release, many players immediately took notice of Falco's drastic improvements from the previous game, as the mechanics of the game were greatly in his favor, and he received improvements to his combo and neutral games. However, upon release, many quickly believed that Falco's buffs were less significant than originally thought, in part due to the early metagame favoring agile characters and characters with disjoints, and Falco was largely overshadowed by his fellow Spacies, both of whom fit well with the metagame, and as such, were considered top tiers. On the other hand, Falco still found success in the early metagame thanks to players such as {{Sm|Kofi}} and {{Sm|Juice}}. As a result, his representation in the metagame remained around average, and he was widely considered a mid-tier character.

Though many early metagame Falco players either dropped him or stopped competing altogether, a new wave of Falco players appeared in the post-pandemic metagame, which greatly overshadowed his results in the early metagame. These players especially highlighted Falco's extensive combos and strong edgeguarding capabilities, which gradually became more effective as the metagame progressed. The first Falco player to do so was {{Sm|Tilde}}, who achieved many respectable performances online before establishing himself in the offline metagame, becoming the first Falco player to place top 8 at a major &mdash; doing so at {{Trn|Super Smash Con: Fall Fest}} &mdash; and eventually winning {{Trn|Riptide 2022}}. The following year had {{Sm|MASA}} make his mark on competitive play, with several top 8 performances at majors throughout 2022. These results, which were beginning to match the results of the other Spacies, led Falco to rank 41st on the first tier list as an upper-mid character. {{Sm|M0tsunabE}} established himself the next year, who made waves in 2023 before arriving in the top 50 in 2024. With three Falco players ranking in the top 100 in 2023, Falco would rise six spots to 35th on the second tier list. Finally, {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} player {{Sm|Rarikkusu}} eventually switched to playing primarily as Falco in 2024 and achieved similarly strong performances, including becoming the closest Falco player to winning a major at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 54}}. With four different Falco players ranking in the top 50 at one point in the post-pandemic metagame, his representation eventually surpassed the other two Spacies in representation (especially in Japan, where Falco was the second-most represented character behind {{SSBU|Steve}} for the [[LumiRank 2024.2]] season). This resulted in Falco jumping nine spots to 26th on the third and current tier list, now surpassing {{SSBU|Wolf}} by one spot.

=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Soar Above the Darkness==
[[File:SSBU Congratulations Falco.png|thumb|Falco's [[congratulations screen]].]]
All of Falco's battles are against "dark" forms of main characters. Referencing how [[Crazy Hand]] is the chaotic version of [[Master Hand]], he is encountered instead of Master Hand on lower difficulties.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Round!!Opponent!!Stage!!Music!!Notes
|-
|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]]
|-
|Final||{{SSBU|Crazy Hand}}||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Crazy Hand}}'' <small>(Less than 7.0 intensity)</small><br>''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand / Crazy Hand}}'' <small>(7.0 or higher intensity)</small>||On intensity 7.0 or higher, {{SSBU|Master Hand}} teams up with Crazy Hand.
|}

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

==Role in [[World of Light]]==
[[File:WoL-20Falco.jpg|thumb|Finding Falco in World of Light|left]]
Falco was among the fighters summoned to the cliffside to fight an army of [[Master Hand]]s.

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.
{{clrl}}

===Fighter Battle===
{|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]]
|Falco
|{{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}} as Falco. 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''.

<center>
<gallery>
SSBU spirit Falco Lombardi.png|383. '''''Falco Lombardi'''''
</gallery>
</center>

==In Spirit Battles==
===As the main opponent===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
! colspan=4|Spirit
! colspan=7|Battle parameters
! colspan=1|Inspiration
|-
! style="width:5%;"|No.
! style="width:5%;"|Image
! Name
! Series
! Enemy Fighter(s)
! style="width:5%;"|Type
! style="width:5%;"|Power
! Stage
! Rules
! Conditions
! Music
! Character
|-
|153
|{{SpiritTableName|Expresso|size=64}}
|''Donkey Kong'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|1,800
|[[Green Hill Zone]]
|•Slippery Stage
|•The stage's platforms are very slippery<br>•The enemy has increased move speed<br>•The enemy falls slowly
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|The Map Page / Bonus Level (Remix)}}
|
|-
|186
|{{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}}
|2,200
|[[Skyloft]] (hazards off)
|•Item: Cucco
|•The enemy favors neutral air attacks<br>•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd<br>•The enemy is easily distracted by items
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Village of the Blue Maiden}}
|
|-
|231
|{{SpiritTableName|Loftwing|size=64}}
|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series
|•Giant {{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|2,800
|[[Skyloft]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|•Hazard: Heavy Wind
|•Dangerously high winds are in effect<br>•The enemy is giant
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Ballad of the Goddess (Original)}}
|
|-
|241
|{{SpiritTableName|Revali|size=64}}
|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (100 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|4,400
|[[Skyloft]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|•Hazard: Heavy Wind
|•Dangerously high winds are in effect<br>•[[Stamina battle]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Kass's Theme}}
|
|-
|334
|{{SpiritTableName|Coo|size=64}}
|''Kirby'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}<br>•{{SSBU|Kirby}} {{Head|Kirby|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|4,100
|{{SSB|Dream Land}}
|•Hazard: Heavy Wind
|•Dangerously high winds are in effect<br>•The enemy loves to jump<br>•The enemy falls slowly
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Kirby|Forest/Nature Area}}
|
|-
|442
|{{SpiritTableName|Farfetch'd|size=64}}
|''Pokémon'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}}
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|1,800
|[[Golden Plains]] (hazards off)
|N/A
|•The enemy starts the battle with a [[Lip's Stick]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl)}}
|
|-
|478
|{{SpiritTableName|Skarmory|size=64}}
|''Pokémon'' Series
|•Metal {{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (120 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|2,500
|[[Unova Pokémon League]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|N/A
|•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•The enemy is metal
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Pokémon Gold / Pokémon Silver Medley}}
|
|-
|484
|{{SpiritTableName|Lugia|link=y|size=64}}
|''Pokémon'' Series
|•Giant {{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|10,000
|[[Pirate Ship]]
|•Hazard: Heavy Wind
|•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
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Pokémon Gold / Pokémon Silver Medley}}
|
|-
|838
|{{SpiritTableName|Gulliver|size=64}}
|''Animal Crossing'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|4,200
|[[Tortimer Island]]
|•Hazard: Heavy Wind
|•Dangerously high winds are in effect after a little while
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Animal Crossing|Town Hall and Tom Nook's Store - Animal Crossing: Wild World}}
|
|-
|852
|{{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}}
|8,800
|[[Luigi's Mansion]]
|•Item Tidal Wave ([[Food]])
|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•Reinforcements will appear during the battle<br>•Certain items will appear in large numbers after a little while
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Animal Crossing|The Roost - Animal Crossing: Wild World}}
|
|-
|870
|{{SpiritTableName|Beat|link=y|size=64}}
|''Mega Man'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Mega Man}} {{Head|Mega Man|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|3,900
|[[Wily Castle]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Hazard: Heavy Wind
|•Dangerously high winds are in effect<br>•The enemy favors grabs and throws
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Mega Man|Mega Man 4 Medley}}
|
|-
|1,323
|{{SpiritTableName|Owl|size=64}}
|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|3,500
|[[Wuhu Island]] (Swaying Bridge)
|N/A
|•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls ([[Kyogre]])<br>•The enemy falls slowly
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Woodlands - The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes}}
|
|-
|1,407
|{{SpiritTableName|Orville & Wilbur|size=64}}
|''Animal Crossing'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}}{{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|9,500
|[[Pilotwings]]
|•Item: [[Cucco]]
|•The enemy has increased attack power<br>•The enemy is easily distracted by items
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Animal Crossing|Plaza / Title Theme - Animal Crossing: City Folk / Animal Crossing: Wild World}}
|Orville (Orange costume)<br>Wilbur (White costume)
|-
|1,499
|{{SpiritTableName|Chozo Soldier|size=64}}
|''Metroid'' series
|•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}×2
|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|3,900
|[[Brinstar]]
|N/A
|•Reinforcements will appear during the battle<br>•The enemy starts the battle with a [[Killing Edge]]<br>•''The enemy starts the battle with a [[Back Shield]]''<br>•''The enemy starts the battle with a [[Death's Scythe]]''
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Metroid|Psycho Bits}}
|Red Chozo Soldier (Red costume)<br>Silver Chozo Soldiers (Black costumes)
|}

===As a minion===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
! colspan=4|Spirit
! colspan=7|Battle parameters
! colspan=1|Inspiration
|-
! style="width:5%;"|No.
! style="width:5%;"|Image
! Name
! Series
! Enemy Fighter(s)
! style="width:5%;"|Type
! style="width:5%;"|Power
! Stage
! Rules
! Conditions
! Music
! Character
|-
|238
|{{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}}
|9,200
|[[Great Plateau Tower]]
|N/A
|•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd<br>•Defeat an army of fighters
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Main Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}}
|{{s|zeldawiki|Revali}}
|-
|386
|{{SpiritTableName|Peppy Hare|link=y|size=64}}
|''Star Fox'' Series
|•Bunny {{SSBU|King Dedede}} {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}}<br>•{{SSBU|Fox}} {{Head|Fox|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}
|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|8,800
|[[Venom]]
|N/A
|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Main Theme - Star Fox 64 (Melee)}}
|{{s|lylatwiki|Falco Lombardi}}
|-
|387
|{{SpiritTableName|Krystal|link=y|size=64}}
|''Star Fox'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Fox}} {{Head|Fox|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}
|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|13,100
|[[Corneria]]
|•Assist Trophy Enemies (Krystal)
|•Hostile assist trophies will appear
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Theme from Area 6 / Missile Slipstream}}
|{{s|lylatwiki|Falco Lombardi}}
|-
|388
|{{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}}
|3,300
|[[Corneria]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|N/A
|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Area 6 - Star Fox 64}}
|{{s|lylatwiki|Falco Lombardi}}
|-
|1,053
|{{SpiritTableName|Maria Renard|size=64}}
|''Castlevania'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•{{SSBU|Charizard}} {{Head|Charizard|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Incineroar}} {{Head|Incineroar|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|3,700
|[[Reset Bomb Forest]] (hazards off)
|N/A
|•The enemy starts the battle with a [[Cucco]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Castlevania|Slash}}
|[https://castlevania.fandom.com/wiki/Suzaku Suzaku]
|-
|1,130
|{{SpiritTableName|Donbe & Hikari|customname=[https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Donbe Donbe] & [https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Hikari Hikari]|size=64}}
|''Famicom Mukashibanashi'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Young Link}} {{Head|Young Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}<br>•{{SSBU|Villager}} {{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}}<br>•{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} {{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Duck Hunt}} {{Head|Duck Hunt|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Tan}}
|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|3,500
|{{b|Duck Hunt|stage}} (hazards off)
|N/A
|•Defeat an army of fighters
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Shin Onigashima Medley}}
|[https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Shin_Onigashima Ohana]
|-
|1,365
|{{SpiritTableName|Nakoruru|size=64}}
|''SAMURAI SHODOWN'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} (140 HP)<br>•Tiny {{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}} (40 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|3,800
|{{SSBB|Yoshi's Island}} (winter)
|•Attack Power ↑<br>•Item: Swords
|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Fatal Fury|Banquet of Nature - SAMURAI SHODOWN}}
|[https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/Mamahaha Mamahaha]
|}

===As an ally===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
! colspan=4|Spirit
! colspan=7|Battle parameters
! colspan=1|Inspiration
|-
! style="width:5%;"|No.
! style="width:5%;"|Image
! Name
! Series
! Enemy Fighter(s)
! style="width:5%;"|Type
! style="width:5%;"|Power
! Stage
! Rules
! Conditions
! Music
! Character
|-
|395
|{{SpiritTableName|Leon Powalski|link=y|size=64}}
|''Star Fox'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Yoshi}} {{Head|Yoshi|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Crafted}}<br>•{{SSBU|Wolf}} {{Head|Wolf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•Ally: {{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|3,700
|[[Venom]] ([[Ω form]])
|N/A
|•You lose if your CPU ally is KO'd
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Star Wolf's Theme / Sector Z (for 3DS / Wii U)}}
|{{s|lylatwiki|Falco Lombardi}}
|}

==[[Alternate costume (SSBU)#Falco|Alternate costumes]]==
{|style="margin:1em auto 1em auto;text-align:center"
|-
|colspan=8|[[File:Falco Palette (SSBU).png|link=Alternate costume (SSBU)#Falco|1000px]]
|-
|{{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=50px}}
|{{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Orange}}
|{{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Blue}}
|{{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Red}}
|{{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Green}}
|{{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Black}}
|{{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=White}}
|{{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Pink}}
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
SSBU Falco Number.png|Falco's fighter card.
Falco unlock notice SSBU.jpg|Falco's unlock notice.
SSBUWebsiteFalco1.jpg|Falco on {{SSBU|Battlefield}} after catching his {{b|Reflector|Falco}}.
SSBUWebsiteFalco2.jpg|Firing his [[Blaster]] on [[Pokémon Stadium 2]].
SSBUWebsiteFalco3.jpg|Performing [[Falco Phantasm]] next to {{SSBU|Sonic}} on [[Prism Tower]].
SSBUWebsiteFalco4.jpg|[[Air dodging]] on [[The Great Cave Offensive]].
SSBUWebsiteFalco5.jpg|Attacking {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} with Falco Phantasm on [[Lylat Cruise]].
SSBUWebsiteFalco6.jpg|Performing [[Fire Bird]] on the [[Great Plateau Tower]].
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]].
</gallery>

===Fighter Showcase Video===
{{#widget:YouTube|id=rJj9J5MW8xg}}

==Trivia==
*Unlike in previous ''Smash'' games, where he was confirmed post-release, Falco was the 8th character to be confirmed for ''Ultimate'', and the second outside of the [[perfect-attendance crew]].
*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.
*A section of Falco's trailer shows him showing frustration by charging [[Fire Bird]] once he notices a roast chicken [[food]] item on the ground. This is a recurring joke from ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'', as {{SSB4|Falco}}'s clear movie shows him crouching near the roast chicken food item, as well as {{SSB4|Roy}}'s clear movie, where he is seen "turning" into a roast chicken item upon being hit by [[Flare Blade]].
*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.
*Due to an error on the American official site blog, Falco does not have his own Fighter tag nor the general "Fighter" tag on his blog entry, thus not being listed when sorting the "By Fighter" category. The former also applies to {{SSBU|Incineroar}}.
*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>
*Strangely, the [[footstool jump]] sound effect does not play if Falco is on the receiving end, unless it is a phantom footstool.
*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.
*If Falco uses Falco Phantasm in the air and lands without any action, the move's special landing animation will play, but with no sound and landing effects.
*Falco's down taunt in English ("Hands off my prey!") has become notorious in the community, especially since interrupting it at the right time with Falco's down smash (where Falco himself in English makes a grunt that sounds like "Caw!") can make it sound like he is saying "Hands off my cock". None of this applies to his Japanese voice.
*When Falco performs a forward smash with the Home-Run Bat, he grunts during the windup rather than during the swing. This is a carryover from ''Brawl'', where all characters would grunt during the windup but Wolf. He shares this distinction with [[Ice Climbers (SSBU)|Nana]].
*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.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{SSBUCharacters}}
{{Star Fox universe}}
[[Category:Falco (SSBU)| ]]
[[Category:Spirits]]
[[es:Falco (SSBU)]]
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