Wolf (SSBU)

Wolf in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Star Fox
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Team Star Wolf

“	The leader of the Star Wolf mercenary team makes his grand return after 10 years! He puts his sharp claws to good use in wild attacks, and his Final Smash is an all-out attack by Team Star Wolf! If Fox or Falco is in the battle, you may hear a unique line of dialog.	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Wolf (ウルフ, Wolf) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was confirmed playable on June 12th, 2018. Wolf is classified as fighter #44.

Jay Ward, Wolf's English voice actor from Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Starlink: Battle for Atlas, reprises his role while Kōsuke Takaguchi, Wolf's Japanese voice actor from Star Fox 64 3D and Star Fox Zero, replaces Mahito Ōba.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Play VS. matches, with Wolf being the 51st character to be unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Fox or any character in his unlock tree, being the seventh character unlocked after Bowser Jr..
• Have Wolf join the player's party in World of Light.

With the exception of the third method, Wolf must then be defeated on Lylat Cruise.

Attributes

Wolf's attributes and moveset give him a versatile gameplan, somewhere in the middle ground between Fox's focus on pressure and Falco's focus on punishes. This is reflected in his attributes, which include a slow run speed (though his initial dash is quite fast), above average walk speed, and a high falling speed and gravity characteristic of the Star Fox characters. Unlike the other space animals, however, Wolf has among the highest air speeds in the game, and is also significantly heavier than them. Though his special moveset and vertical mobility are derived from his brethren, the similarities end there, with Wolf's being the most unique of the trio.

Wolf's Blaster is the centerpiece of his neutral game. With the lasers causing higher knockback (and therefore hitstun) than the average projectile, and having a long duration with transcendent priority, they grant him the ability to disrupt opponents' approaches, even when their grounded mobility is superior to his own, and its unique close-range hitbox on the bayonet give it some utility in close combat, dealing substantial damage if it connects. Lasers can often force opponents to jump over them, leaving them vulnerable to Wolf's fast aerial attacks; these are comprised of a fast neutral aerial that has a lingering hitbox with a powerful clean hit, a disjointed forward aerial that can combo into itself and his other aerials, a back aerial with moderate startup offset by its high power, an up aerial with fast startup and a wide arc well-suited to juggling, and a down aerial that consistently meteor smashes opponents. While he can apply pressure from a distance, Wolf's close range options are not lacking either. Forward tilt and down tilt are decent poking tools, the latter which can trip at low percents. Forward smash has slow startup, but deceptively low ending lag, while up smash deals high damage, covers a wide area around him, and has decent knockback. His neutral, forward, and back aerials are quite fast and difficult to punish even if shielded, while his standing grab is tied for the fastest in the game. Further augmenting his strong neutral game are his dash attack and Reflector, the former which is useful for punishing aerial approaches and KOing at very high percents, and the latter which allows him to deal with opposing camping while also having a close range hit that can be followed up with aerials.

Once Wolf has won the neutral exchange, he has several options to rack up damage. Forward aerial can combo into itself and other aerials, and into a grab at very low percents, from which up throw can lead into another forward or up aerial until mid-high percents, and down throw can lead into a dash attack at low percents. Should an opponent air dodge in an attempt to escape pressure, Wolf's aerial mobility allows him to chase them down and punish them, usually with an up tilt or up aerial to continue juggling them, or with a back aerial to send them offstage. Once the opponent has sustained a lot of damage, Wolf possesses several KO options. The most reliable one is his back aerial, as its quick autocancel and decent range allow it to be spaced safely, and it can KO relatively early if sweetspotted (at around 110% from center stage), while still possessing respectable power with its sourspots. His side special, Wolf Flash, can either meteor smash or semi-spike opponents at the end of the dash depending on which hitbox connects, both of which are noticeably powerful, while his up special, Fire Wolf, deals deceptively high knockback with its last hit as well. Other notable finishers are his forward smash and down smash, the former due to its low ending lag making it safe on shield and potentially even on whiff, and the latter due to its powerful sweetspot, which can KO at percents as low as 50% at the edge and is an effective 2 frame punish. At higher percents, several of his other moves become threatening, with his forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, and neutral aerial or back throw near the edge all gaining KO potential.

However, Wolf does possess noticeable weaknesses. Though he is not short of finishers, he frequently has difficulty landing his most powerful ones due to their slow startup (with back aerial and all his smash attacks having more than 12 frames of startup) and his below-average run speed, in addition to lacking guaranteed methods to set up into them. In the case of Wolf Flash, although he possesses true setups into the move, such as from his forward aerial or down throw at medium percents, they are very risky to pull off, as he can either end up offstage after its use and self-destruct (since it causes helplessness), or miss the sweetspots and end up vulnerable due to its high landing lag. Like his Star Fox counterparts, Wolf is highly susceptible to combos, due to his tall frame, high falling speed, and compared to them, his higher weight and lack of quick enough options to escape pressure, with his fastest aerial attacks coming out on frame 7. Most critically, however, his recovery is among the worst out of the cast. Wolf Flash and Fire Wolf are both linear and offer below-average distance compared to other recoveries, and unlike Fox and Falco, both of them cause helplessness, restricting him to one option offstage and leaving him with a much shorter recovery distance overall. This leaves Wolf highly vulnerable to gimps and edgeguarding, with meteor smashes in particular being deadly against him even at low percents, to the point exploiting his recovery offsets the increased horizontal endurance his higher weight would otherwise provide.

Overall, Wolf is a non-traditional glass cannon. He sacrifices the power of other glass cannons such as Mewtwo for sheer versatility, due to his combination of an effective projectile for disrupting and forcing approaches, fast approach options of his own, and abundance of combo and KO moves, which allow him to keep up the pressure on his opponent even after winning the neutral game. As such, he is able to adapt to nearly any playstyle. However, due to his vulnerability to combos, poor recovery and trouble securing KOs, Wolf must also be well aware of his opponents, as a single mistake can cause him to sustain heavy damage from combos and end up in a position where he can easily be KO'd.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Wolf received a mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition from Brawl. being buffed overall. Like most of the returning veterans, his initial dash speed is much faster, while his run and air speeds have been slightly increased. In addition to this, however, his fast falling speed is significantly faster, no longer providing the smallest falling speed increase out of the cast by a considerable margin, greatly enhancing his aerial approach and landing ability. Coupled with his superior mobility are the buffs to his Blaster, already an effective projectile in his previous appearance, and his new dash attack; the former shoots larger lasers that deal more damage, while the latter covers much more horizontal range and is stronger, both of which improve his neutral game. His aerial attacks have also seen improvements: his new neutral aerial gives Wolf an effective, all-purpose aerial, his forward aerial can now be followed up from due to its notably reduced ending and landing lag, and his back and up aerials have had their knockback noticeably increased (most notably the former). Wolf's grab game also received some noteworthy buffs, now having a strong throw in his back throw and useful combo starters in his up and down throws. Finally, his Fire Wolf and Wolf Flash are far stronger, giving him two more powerful, if risky, KO options; the latter in particular has received the ability to change its trajectory up or down, slightly improving his horizontal recovery and making the clean hit easier to land.

Wolf also heavily benefits from the changes to gameplay mechanics. The new air dodge mechanics, as well as the changes to hitstun canceling, allow him to combo and juggle his opponents for a longer period of time, especially paired with his improved mobility; he has gained not only several more ways to start combos (such as with a landing up aerial, or a down aerial on grounded opponents), but also KO setups into his powerful Wolf Flash. The drastic weakening of momentum canceling allows his moves to KO earlier and overall put his survivability more in line with the cast. Lastly, the new ledge mechanics and the removal of chain grabbing and meteor canceling also significantly improve his survivability, while the latter change makes his down aerial and Wolf Flash more effective at KOing offstage.

However, Wolf has received a few significant nerfs as well. Some of his moves have received less range and increased lag in all aspects, most notably his forward and down smashes, and his renowned back aerial from Brawl, in exchange for more power; the latter two are particularly noteworthy due to their previous speed and already decent power. Because of this, Wolf has a more difficult time scoring KOs as his options are much harder to land in general, forcing him to either land his KO options precisely or find ways to combo into Wolf Flash offstage (which is extremely risky as the opponent can DI to avoid it and Wolf has to aim it accurately, the latter of which can cause a self-destruct since it causes helplessness). His already poor recovery has been made worse, as both Fire Wolf and Wolf Flash have decreased distance, making him slightly more susceptible to meteor smashes than in Brawl. His neutral and forward aerials, while possessing greater combo ability and safety, are now weaker, with the former also having slower startup, and the latter no longer being a reliable KO option. Finally, his new down throw is less effective for tech-chasing and setting up edgeguards because of its higher launch angle.

Despite Ultimate's new mechanics heavily benefiting Wolf, he has also seen a few nerfs from the changes to the mechanics, most notably the removal of DACUS which hinders his grounded approach. Lastly, his lower weight worsens his survivability, especially horizontally (which is also hindered by the changes to momentum canceling), while he remains an easy combo target due to his high falling speed and the changes to hitstun canceling.

Overall, Wolf's nerfs are offset by the new game mechanics and the buffs he has received, which has currently allowed him to fare better than he did in Brawl during Ultimate's early meta. So far, he has managed to achieve excellent representation and results thanks to Zackray winning multiple Japanese majors with the character, as well as numerous other top players such as MkLeo and Tweek placing favorably with him in tournaments.

Aesthetics

• Wolf's design takes some elements from his appearance in Star Fox Zero. He now sports a traditional eye patch, and his eye is red instead of purple. His fur is also more detailed and fluffier.
• Wolf's jacket is now purple with heliotrope accents and has a more traditional appearance: it has a collar, buttons, a zipper, and a belt; it also appears to have more depth, and his necklace and choker have been replaced with a hopbush bandana (also wears one on his left leg). His gloves match his jacket and are wrapped around in bands. Wolf's boots are less metallic and instead have metallic detailing protruding from his heels and toe boxes; he also now wears shin guards that possess similar metallic details, and his knee pads are asymmetrical. The spikes on his shoulder pads and knee pad are significantly more protruding and old gold. Lastly, Wolf no longer carries his reflecting device around. These changes make Wolf's design largely original to Ultimate.
• Like many other characters, Wolf is now more expressive. He now smirks in an evil manner on certain occasions, like his side taunt, when grabbing opponents, and one of his victory animations.
• The majority of Wolf's animations are more fluid and polished, and none are visibly borrowed from other characters unlike Brawl. Many of his attacks also sport purple claw trails.
• Wolf now has many animations of his own, rather than using Fox's. This includes the animations for his air dodge, rolls, spot dodge, and shielding, among several others.
• Dash and crouch's animations have also changed. Wolf no longer limps when he dashes, and he now kneels akin to the other spacies instead of laying on all four limbs when crouching. However, he transitions to his crouching animation from Brawl when holding a small item.
  • Wolf's new crouching animation doesn't lower his hurtboxes as much as before, making it easier to hit him vertically.
• Wolf's up taunt has him face the screen, regardless which side he's currently facing.
  • The howling voice clip has been sped up to match the new animation.
• Wolf now has a new side taunt, a beckoning gesture with one finger while asking, "Are you scared?" This replaces his taunt from Brawl, in which he kicked the air three times and said "What's the matter, scared?".
• Wolf's crowd cheer now only has the audience howling, instead of going "Wooolf! - *howl*".
• Wolf now says "You're good, but I'm better." during his claw-swiping victory pose, one of his famous lines from Star Fox 64. This replaces his "I will be the one to...take you down!" line from Brawl.
• Wolf's victory pose where he reaches for the sky is now a bit different. He now turns around and extends his right arm, keeping his left arm closer to his face as the camera zooms in. In addition, he says "Weaklings, the lot of you!" instead of "Weaklings, the bunch of you!".
• Wolf has a new victory pose. He now claws the air and poses instead of snarling, crossing his arms, and then laughing.
• Wolf's specific victory dialogue against Fox ("Playtime's over, Star Fox!") now has a chance of being used on any of his three victory poses rather than solely on his left-inputted victory pose.
• Wolf's tumbling animation no longer seems to detach his left arm from his elbow.

Attributes

• Wolf now stands in an upright, much less awkward posture, similar to Yoshi and Bowser in their transitions from Brawl. This translates to his moveset, be it through a tweaked animation or a completely new move. However, he will revert to his posture and idle poses from Brawl while holding a small item.
  • Wolf's new upright posture makes him harder to hit horizontally, but easier to hit vertically.
• The changes to hitstun canceling both help and hinder Wolf: they allow him to combo his opponents much better than in Brawl, but make him more susceptible to combos due to his fast falling speed.
• The 19% damage increase to shields, higher shieldstun and more limited out of shield options allow Wolf to pressure shields much more effectively, with many of his attacks now being safe on shield with proper spacing.
• The changes to momentum canceling both help and hinder Wolf: it makes his stronger moves more likely to KO and renders his vertical endurance more in line with the rest of the cast, but also worsens his horizontal endurance.
• The removal of meteor canceling benefits Wolf far more than any other character, as he is now equally as vulnerable to meteor smashes as the rest of the cast instead of having a significantly longer meteor cancel delay, while making his own meteor smashes much more effective.
• The removal of chain grabbing significantly improves Wolf's survivability and matchups against several characters, most notably no longer being vulnerable to guaranteed zero-to-death combos.
  • However, it also slightly hinders Wolf's damage racking game, as he could chain grab with his down throw in Brawl.
• The removal of glide tossing and super glide tossing hinders Wolf's approach while holding items.
• Like all characters, Wolf's jumpsquat animation now takes 3 frames to complete (down from 5).
• Wolf is significantly lighter (102 → 92). This significantly hinders his endurance, while not making him much less susceptible to combos from other characters due to the changes to hitstun canceling.
• Wolf walks slower (1.3 → 1.208).
• Wolf runs faster (1.4 → 1.54).
  • Wolf's initial dash speed is much faster (1.7 → 2.09).
• Wolf's air speed is faster (1.222 → 1.281).
• Wolf's fast fall speed is much higher and more in line with the rest of the roster (1.9 → 2.88), being far more useful than before.
• Wolf's traction is higher (0.07 → 0.11).
• Forward roll has less ending lag (FAF 32 → 30).
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-19 → 4-15).
• Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-19 → 5-16), and more ending lag (FAF 32 → 35).
• Spot dodge has more startup and grants less intangibility (frames 2-20 → 3-17).
• Air dodge has less startup (frame 4 → 2) and ending lag (FAF 50 → 45).
• Air dodge grants less intangibility (frames 4-29 → 2-26).
• The changes to air dodging help Wolf overall, as it allows him to juggle his opponents more easily than in Brawl when coupled with the changes to hitstun canceling. They also give Wolf an effective way to mix up his recovery and landing options, the latter due to his fast falling speed.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • Neutral attack has a much cleaner look overall. The ending hit is now a third claw swipe, instead of a lunging bite.
  • The first and second hits both transition into the next hits faster (frame 9 → 7).
  • The first hit deals less damage (3% → 2%).
  • All hits have a shorter hitbox duration (2 frames → 1), and Wolf does not lunge as far forward when performing the third hit, decreasing its range. Due to this, the third hit can now whiff at high percents.
  • The first and second hits have altered angles and knockback to keep opponents close to Wolf, akin to other neutral attacks. This allows them to connect better and jab lock, but worsens their jab cancel setups.
• Forward tilt:
  • The changes to shield hitlag from Brawl make forward tilt safer on shield, as shielding opponents now experience the same hitlag as Wolf from the first hit instead of much less, preventing them from punishing him before the second hit comes out.
  • The first hit has decreased knockback scaling (110 → 70), allowing it to connect more reliably into the second hit.
  • Forward tilt has more ending lag (FAF 33 → 35).
  • The first hit has a different angle (361° → 60°).
  • The second hit has increased base knockback (40 → 55), but decreased knockback scaling (120 → 106). This slightly worsens its KO ability from center stage, but improves it near edges.
  • Forward tilt has an updated animation where Wolf forcefully brings his claws together.
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt's grounded sweetspot launches at a lower angle (88° → 80°).
  • It has a new ending animation where Wolf flicks his nose with his thumb while smirking.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt has less horizontal range.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack is now a lunging kick instead of a backflip.
  • It no longer halts Wolf's momentum, instead boosting him forward a considerable distance, drastically increasing its horizontal range.
  • It has a longer hitbox duration with a clean hit and late hit, though with the former still lasting longer than the previous dash attack's hitboxes (frames 11-13 → 11-14 (clean), 15-18 (late)).
  • The clean hit deals more damage (9% → 11%) and has increased knockback (50 base/80 scaling → 40/40/45 base/92/91/85 scaling), noticeably improving its KO potential. Combined with its previous buffs, this allows it to punish landings and whiffed attacks much more effectively.
  • Due to its new animation, dash attack has less vertical range.
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash is now a forceful, standing palm strike that deals one hit instead of two. This new animation does not have Wolf lunge as far forward, significantly decreasing its range.
  • It has double the startup lag (frame 10 → 20), no longer being one of the fastest forward smashes in the game.
  • Due to the move dealing one hit with the same damage as the total of the previous hits (5% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2) → 15%), and its knockback values being unchanged, it is much stronger, allowing it to KO middleweights at 100% from the center of Final Destination, compared to being unable to KO below 140% under the same circumstances.
  • It has less ending lag (FAF 46 → 42), especially given its slower startup. Coupled with its increased damage and much higher shieldstun, it is now safe on shield and can be used to bait approaches.
• Up smash:
  • The second hit has a longer duration (frames 20-22 → 20-23).
  • Up smash has more ending lag (FAF 44 → 48).
  • The removal of DACUS significantly hinders its approach potential.
  • The second hit has a consistent angle (95°/361° → 95°), with the hitboxes on Wolf's body no longer launching horizontally, and has different knockback values (40/50 base/85/100 scaling → 85 base/65 scaling), strengthening the leg hitboxes, but weakening the body hitboxes. This improves its vertical KO power, but removes its potential ability to KO earlier horizontally.
  • Up smash has an altered animation, with Wolf now performing a breakdance-style rotation before the kick, and no longer crossing his legs during the second hit. The hits are now also clearly highlighted by trails.
• Down smash:
  • Down smash's two outermost hitboxes on both hits deal more damage (14%/12% → 16% (hit 1), 13%/10% → 14% (hit 2)) and have consistent knockback scaling (90/60 → 90). As a result, the sweetspots are now located farther away from Wolf instead of closer to him, and have been strengthened significantly to the point the first hit's sweetspots can KO under 100% from center stage.
    • These hitboxes also launch at a lower angle (35°/361° → 30°), allowing them to semi-spike. Combined with their knockback increase, they can now KO opponents near edges at much lower percents, especially if Wolf has rage.
  • Down smash has noticeably more startup (frame 8 → 14 (hit 1), frame 14 → 21 (hit 2)) and ending lag (FAF 35 → 44).
  • Both hits have less horizontal range.
  • Both hits' sourspots have slightly decreased knockback (40 base/90 scaling → 50/80), with the second hit's sourspot also dealing less damage (13% → 12%), reducing their KO potential.
  • The move's animation has been altered. Wolf now swipes both sides with one hand.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial is now a sex kick similar to Fox's. This gives it significantly better range and coverage in front of Wolf, improving its utility as an approach option.
  • It has one frame less landing lag (10 frames → 9).
  • It deals more damage (8% → 12% (clean), 3%/1% → 8% (late)).
  • The late hit no longer has weak set knockback (5 set/100 scaling → 0 base/100 scaling) or a rehit rate, increasing its safety and preventing it from overriding the knockback of the stronger clean hit. Combined with the changes to hitstun canceling, this also drastically improves the move's combo potential on landing.
  • Neutral aerial has more startup and a shorter hitbox duration (frames 4-34 → 7-26).
    • However, the clean hit has a longer duration (frames 4-5 → 7-9).
  • The clean hit deals less knockback (40 base/100 scaling → 30/75), slightly weakening its KO potential.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial has less ending lag (FAF 52 → 41), making it safer to use offstage.
  • It has significantly less landing lag (30 frames → 10), which alongside the changes to hitstun canceling turns it into an excellent combo starter from low to mid percents, with followups including tilts, a grab, aerials (including more forward aerials), and Wolf Flash. This also makes it much safer on shield.
  • It deals less damage (11% → 9%) and knockback (40 base/95 scaling → 45/85), drastically hindering its KO potential.
  • It has less horizontal range.
  • Forward aerial sends opponents at a less vertical angle (75° → 60°).
  • Its animation has been altered.
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial's weakest hitbox has been removed, while all its other hitboxes deal more damage (13%/11%/10% → 15%/13%/11%) and have increased base knockback (20 → 37). This drastically improves its KO potential, with the sweetspot KOing middleweights under 110% from center stage, and the middlespot doing so under 130%.
    • However, its increased knockback removes its ability to lock opponents at lower percents.
  • Back aerial is noticeably slower overall, possesing twice as much startup with a shorter duration (frames 6-9 → 13-15), and more ending (FAF 30 → 45) and landing lag (9 frames → 15). This hinders its utility for challenging opponents' approaches and starting combos, and makes it riskier to use offstage.
    • However, due to the move's autocancel window remaining unchanged, its slower startup makes it harder to punish if used in a short hop.
  • The move's sweetspot is now outprioritized by the sourspots, requiring more careful spacing to land it.
  • Back aerial has an altered animation, closely resembling Ridley's back aerial.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial has more knockback scaling (75 → 85), improving its KO potential.
  • The changes to hitstun canceling noticeably improve its combo potential.
  • It has one frame more landing lag (9 frames → 10).
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 54), making it safer to use offstage.
  • The removal of meteor canceling improves its reliability for edgeguarding, while the changes to hitstun canceling allow it to start combos against grounded opponents beyond lower percents.
  • The sweetspot is now outprioritized by the sourspot, making it harder to land.
  • The move has a slightly altered animation, where Wolf swipes downwards instead of plunging his fists down.

Throws and other attacks

• Dash grab has less startup lag (frame 11 → 8).
• All grabs have more ending lag (FAF 30 → 37 (standing), 40 → 45 (dash), 35 → 40 (pivot).
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals more damage (1% → 1.3%), but is considerably slower, no longer being the fastest in the game.
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw has a new animation: Wolf slashes the opponent away. It now also has a slash effect, instead of a neutral effect.
  • It deals more damage (4% → 5% (hit 1), 3% → 4% (throw); 7% → 9% (total)).
  • It has significantly decreased knockback (35 base/130 scaling → 55/57), reducing its power to the point it can no longer KO under 350% even at the edge.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw has a new animation: Wolf launches the opponent away with an upward slash.
  • It releases the opponent faster (frame 27 → 24), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 50 → 47).
  • It deals more damage (4% → 6% (hit 1), 3% → 5% (throw); 7% → 11% (total)), which also noticeably increases its knockback, improving its KO potential.
  • It launches opponents at a lower angle (68° → 50°), allowing it to set up edgeguards and KO near edges much more effectively.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has a new animation. Wolf now jumps and slashes the opponent with one claw, instead of two like in Brawl. The animation is also cleaner overall.
  • The changes to hitstun canceling allow up throw to combo into a forward or up aerial until high percents, improving its utility.
• Down throw:
  • Wolf has a new down throw: he grabs the opponent by the head, jumps while spinning around once, and chokeslams them into the ground.
  • Down throw has less ending lag (FAF 51 → 41), allowing it to combo into dash attack at low percents.
  • It deals less damage (6% (hit 1 and throw); 12% (total) → 8.5%), with knockback compensated (30 base/86 scaling → 50/65). The first hit has been removed, meaning the move can no longer hit bystanders.
  • Wolf can no longer chain grab with down throw, hindering its damage racking potential.
  • It launches at a different angle (0° → 44°), no longer being a semi-spike. This hinders its tech-chasing and edgeguarding abilities, but combined with its lower ending lag and the changes to hitstun canceling, allows it to combo into Wolf Flash at mid percents.
• Floor attacks:
  • Floor attacks deal more damage per hit (6% → 7%).
• Edge attack:
  • Wolf has a new edge attack, an inward slash. It does not have set knockback unlike his previous edge attacks, making it stronger at higher percents.
  • New edge attack deals more damage than his previous under 100% edge attack (8%/6% → 9%), and is faster than his previous over 100% edge attack.
  • New edge attack has less range than both of his previous edge attacks (especially his under 100% edge attack), and deals less damage than his previous over 100% edge attack (10% → 9%).

Special moves

• Blaster:
  • Wolf has an altered animation for firing lasers from his Blaster, which is significantly faster to fire than the old version.
  • Both the melee hitbox (4% → 7%) and the lasers from Blaster deal more damage (5% early/6% clean/5% late → 6%/8%/7%), with the former also having increased knockback (70 base/40 scaling → 80/37).
  • The lasers are larger and have a longer duration (frames 16-48 → 16-50).
  • Blaster has more ending lag (FAF 45 → 50), hindering its camping ability, while the melee hitbox has more startup (frame 11 → 15).
  • The melee hitbox launches at a higher angle (20° → 60°), no longer being a semi-spike. This hinders its edgeguarding potential, but allows it to set up juggles.
  • The lasers fired from Wolf's Blaster are now colored purple instead of green. The blaster itself has a new design and updated sound effects.
• Wolf Flash:
  • Wolf Flash can now be angled by tilting up or down on the control stick, giving it more recovery mixups and allowing the clean hit to land more easily. In particular, it can now hit several tall characters on the ground when angled down.
  • The clean hit deals more damage (15%/10% → 20%/15%), and the meteor hitbox has more knockback scaling (80 → 100), while the semi-spike hitbox's scaling has not been fully compensated (106 → 85). This makes the move much more powerful and rewarding to land, especially with the removal of meteor canceling.
  • The aerial version has faster startup (frame 21 → 19), matching that of the grounded version.
  • The changes to hitstun canceling give Wolf several ways to combo into Wolf Flash, allowing for risky, yet deadly KO confirms.
  • Wolf Flash can no longer be shortened, and travels less horizontal and vertical distance when not angled.
  • Scarring is harder to perform, as Wolf no longer hugs the ledge as much when using the move, which can result in a self-destruct.
  • Wolf Flash has been given updated visual effects: its trail now features three long, red slash-marks. Another shorter, identical trail also appears in front of Wolf, which indicates the sweetspot.
• Fire Wolf:
  • Fire Wolf has less startup lag (frame 23 → 18), and Wolf gains control sooner after the move has ended.
  • It has five hits, down from nine, but deals more total damage (2% → 4% (hit 1), 1% (hits 2-8) → 2.5% (hits 2-4), 3%/4% (hit 9) → 5%/6% (hit 5); 12%/13% → 16.5%/17.5% (total)).
  • The looping hits use a different type of autolink angle (45°/365°/45°/361° → 40°/367°/40°/367°), allowing them to connect more reliably.
  • The last hit has increased knockback scaling (131 → 148 (grounded), 115 → 136 (aerial)), and launches at a lower angle for the grounded version (65° → 361°). Combined with its higher damage outputs, this makes the last hit powerful enough to KO reliably under 100% near edges, giving Wolf a new finisher.
  • Fire Wolf travels a shorter distance, making it a worse vertical recovery.
  • The first hit uses a different angle (100° → 93°).
  • Fire Wolf has Wolf enveloped in blue aura. The animation itself has been changed, as Wolf performs the multi-hitting kicks with his left foot and the final kick with his right foot. Additionally, Wolf now delivers the final kick aimed in the direction he traveled rather then performing a horizontal kick.
• Reflector:
  • Reflector deals more damage (3% → 4%).
  • The hitbox has less startup with a longer duration (frames 8-9 → 7-9).
  • The move has more ending lag (FAF 27 → 32).
  • Its intangibility has more startup with a shorter duration (frames 1-6 → 6-9), making it less effective for escaping combos.
  • Reflector sends opponents at a higher angle (10° → 65°), and no longer has set knockback (40 set/100 scaling → 60 base/85 scaling). This allows it to be followed up with aerials, but weakens its gimping potential.
  • It has an altered animation, where Wolf holds out his reflecting device.
• Final Smash:
  • Wolf has a new Final Smash, Team Star Wolf, replacing the Landmaster from Brawl. It functions similarly to Team Star Fox, Fox's and Falco's new Final Smash. Upon activating, Wolf yells, "Wolf Pack!" If the Wolfens successfully catch their target, Wolf yells, "Grahaha! The hunt is on, boys!" with it captioned on screen during the cinematic. The target is then fired at with the Wolfen's lasers, and then launched with an explosion at the end.
    • If Team Star Wolf is used against Fox or Falco, Wolf will say, "I've got you now, Star Fox!"
  • Team Star Wolf can potentially deal more damage compared to Landmaster, and the single hit has increased KO power, making it more consistent.
  • Due to being a cutscene Final Smash, Wolf can no longer accidentally self-destruct like he could in the Landmaster.
  • Team Star Wolf is much easier to avoid compared to Landmaster and is overall less versatile.

Moveset

• Wolf can wall jump.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%	A slash with one hand, followed by another slash with the other hand, finishing with an outward swipe. Fairly quick, coming out on frame 4, and can jab lock opponents. However, the last hit has short range compared to other neutral attacks, which can cause it to fail to connect from the previous hits at high percents.
			2%
			4%
Forward tilt			5% (hit 1), 6% (hit 2)	Forcefully brings his claws together, then separates his claws on impact. The first hit produces a large amount of freeze frames. Deals above-average damage for a tilt, and can KO at around 140% near the edge of Final Destination.
Up tilt			10% (foot), 9% (leg), 8% (body)	A leaping upward kick with one leg. It has fast startup, and high power when hitting with the sweetspot at Wolf's foot, KOing middleweights under 140% from ground level. However, unlike most other up tilts, its ending lag prevents it from being used to start combos.
Down tilt			6%	Kicks out with his foot while crouching. The move has rather decent range and quick speed, which makes it a good poking and pressuring option, as well as a useful tool to deny approaches. However, it is the weakest out of Wolf's tilts.
Dash attack			11% (clean), 8% (late)	Lunges forward with a flying kick. Has decent startup, but most importantly, it propels Wolf forward a considerable distance, and its clean hit deals respectable damage and knockback. This allows it to function as a reliable burst option to punish landings, whiffed moves, and follow up from other attacks. Hitting opponents close to Wolf launches them upward, while hitting them near his foot launches them more horizontally. Depending on which hitbox is landed, the clean hit can KO under 150% from center stage, and under 120% near the edge.
Forward smash			15%	Leans back, then performs a powerful palm strike. While it has slow startup, hitting on frame 20, its ending lag relative to it is notoriously low (interruptible on frame 42), allowing it to be safe on shield, and potentially difficult to punish even if missed. It also has remarkable power, KOing middleweights at around 100% from center stage. As a result, it is one of Wolf's safest KO options on the ground.
Up smash			6% (hit 1), 12% (hit 2)	Does a breakdance-like spin, then a scissor kick above his head. It deals high damage, hits at both sides and provides wide coverage above Wolf, making it useful to quickly punish opponents close to him and set up juggles. Due to its moderate ending lag for an up smash, the second hit can also lead into an up aerial at low percents if the opponent's option out of hitstun is successfully covered. However, it is somewhat weak for a smash attack, not KOing middleweights until around 120%, and can be easily punished on shield due to the second hit's lack of horizontal range.
Down smash			14%/16% (hit 1), 12%/14% (hit 2)	Slashes at a low height in front of himself with one hand, then behind himself. Both hits have sweetspots at the tips of Wolf's claws, which launch at a lower, semi-spike angle with higher power. The move has moderate startup (hitting on frame 14 at the front), but has decent ending lag for a smash attack (interruptible on frame 44), can 2 frame punish opponents, and the sweetspots are extremely powerful, with the front one KOing middleweights from center stage at around 85%, and the back one at around 100%, and both KOing them near edges at around 55% and 70% respectively. As a result, it is Wolf's most dangerous edgeguard tool, as well as a reliable finisher at close range.
Neutral aerial			12% (clean), 8% (late)	A flying kick, much like Fox's neutral aerial. Compared to other sex kick neutral aerials, it has slower startup (hitting on frame 7), but deals higher damage with its clean hit. It is one of Wolf's fastest aerials, tied with his forward and up aerials, but compared to those, it hits lower and covers a consistent area. Combined with its low landing lag (9 frames), this makes it very useful for air-to-ground transitioning, as well as starting combos at a variety of percents, with the clean hit being more effective at lower percents and the late hit being more effective at higher percents. The clean hit is also a decent finisher near the edge, KOing at around 145%.
Forward aerial			9%	A downward arcing slash with his left arm. It is a staple of Wolf's neutral game, with its fast startup (tied with neutral and up aerial), wide vertical arc, and low landing lag (10 frames) making it a safe approach option, and combined with its 60° launch angle, allowing it to combo into a multitude of moves, such as a jab, any tilt, or grab at low percents, any aerial attack from low to mid percents (including itself to extend combos), and even Wolf Flash as a KO setup (albeit risky and hard to land) at high percents. However, it has poor edgeguarding ability due to its more vertical angle, and deals the least damage and knockback out of Wolf's aerials, exacerbated further by stale-move negation.
Back aerial			11% (body), 13% (leg), 15% (foot)	An inwards roundhouse kick, similarly to Ridley's back aerial. It has noticeable startup (hitting on frame 13), ending lag, and landing lag (15 frames), making it Wolf's second slowest aerial (behind down aerial). To compensate, its autocancel frames come out very quickly after the hitboxes (on frame 18), effectively giving it little to no ending lag with proper timing, allowing it to poke shields and bait opponents. It is also one of Wolf's main KO moves: it deals high damage and significant knockback if sweetspotted, KOing at around 110% from center stage and 75% near the edge, while its other hitboxes still boast respectable KO potential.
Up aerial			12%	An overhead arcing slash, starting from the front. Its fast startup, wide arc, low landing lag (10 frames) and vertical knockback allow it to juggle opponents very effectively. It can also set up combos into itself and other attacks from low to mid percents, though not as reliably as forward aerial. Additionally, it possesses enough knockback to KO from 120% to 130% near the top blast line.
Down aerial			13% (body), 15% (arms)	A takedown slash below himself with both arms. It has the most startup (hitting on frame 16), ending lag, and landing lag (19 frames) out of Wolf's aerials, making it particularly risky to use offstage due to Wolf's poor recovery. However, it meteor smashes opponents consistently throughout the move, instead of requiring to land a specific part of it like most other meteor smashing aerials. This essentially turns it into a high risk, high reward edgeguarding option. Against grounded opponents, it can combo into a variety of attacks even up to high percents.
Grab			—	Swipes forward with his right arm.
Pummel			1.3%	Hits the opponent with his right knee.
Forward throw			5% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Slashes the opponent away. While it deals decent damage, it is extremely weak, not KOing opponents under 300% even at the edge, and its ending lag is too high for reliable followups. Because of this, it has little utility outside of throwing opponents offstage. Even then, it is mostly outclassed by down throw for said purpose, which also launches horizontally, but deals considerably higher knockback and has combos at lower percents, with forward throw's only advantages over it being its slightly higher damage and lower angle.
Back throw			6% (hit 1), 5% (throw)	Sets the opponent behind himself and launches them away with an ascending slash. Deals the most damage out of Wolf's throws, and has remarkable knockback, allowing it to KO middleweights at around 185% from center stage, and around 130% near the edge.
Up throw			5% (hit 1), 2% (throw)	Brings the opponent above himself and slashes them upward. One of Wolf's most reliable combo starters, leading into a forward aerial or up aerial until around 90%, which can then keep the opponent in a disadvantageous state.
Down throw			8.5%	Grabs the opponent by the head, then does a leaping somersault and slams them onto the ground. It launches opponents horizontally with low ending lag, allowing it to combo into a dash attack until around 45%, or potentially set up tech-chases if the opponent does not DI enough to act out of hitstun before hitting the ground. At around the 60%-80% percent range, it can also combo into down-angled Wolf Flash's semi-spike hitbox for higher damage, though doing this close to an edge will cause Wolf to self-destruct in the process.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Gets up and kicks backward, then forward.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Gets up and punches forward, then kicks backward.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Sweeps one leg around himself, starting from the front.
Edge attack Edge getups			9%	Gets up and slashes inward.
Neutral special		Blaster	7% (bayonet), 6%/8%/7% (laser close-far)	Fires a single, purple energy shot from his blaster. This move is the centerpiece of Wolf's neutral game and one of his most versatile moves, being able to reliably disrupt and force approaches thanks to its decent lag, as well as the laser's moderately large size and transcendent priority. It also possesses a hitbox on the blaster's bayonet, allowing it to deal more damage at close range.
Side special		Wolf Flash	3% (dash), 20% (meteor smash), 15% (semi-spike)	Dashes quickly at a diagonal angle, leaving a claw trail behind, alongside another trail in front of himself at the end of the dash. It can be slightly aimed up or down, the latter which allows it to hit most grounded opponents. The dash itself is very weak, but at the end, it possesses two, much stronger hitboxes; one closer to Wolf's center that meteor smashes aerial opponents, and another closer to his front that semi-spikes both grounded and aerial ones. The meteor hitbox deals extremely high damage with enough knockback to KO opponents at around 10% at ground level, while the semi-spike can KO at around 120% from center stage and 85% near edges; as a result, it is one of Wolf's strongest finishers. However, it causes helplessness, and has high landing lag of 30 frames, making it very risky to use, and requiring Wolf to pick between it or Fire Wolf for recovery.
Up special		Fire Wolf	4% (hit 1), 2.5% (hits 2-4), 5% (hit 5, ground), 6% (hit 5, air)	Propels himself with a kick in the chosen direction, dragging opponents along in multiple hits, then delivers a final kick with his other leg. It is generally subpar as a recovery option, due to its slow startup and lack of distance compared to other recoveries that can be aimed. However, it works decently as an attack, as it deals high damage if all hits connect, and the last hit can KO at around 150% from center stage, and 95% at the edge.
Down special		Reflector	4% (startup), 1.3× damage (reflected projectiles)	Activates his reflecting device, creating an electrical field around himself that reflects incoming projectiles. Reflected projectiles deal more damage and travel at almost twice the original speed. Upon activation, the Reflector also grants Wolf brief intangibility (frames 6-9), and damages opponents in addition to launching them at a mostly vertical angle (65°), granting it some combo potential. Unlike Fox's Reflector, Wolf's does not stall him in the air.
Final Smash		Team Star Wolf	3% (trapping hit), 35% (lasers), 10% (end)	Upon activation, Wolf shouts "Wolf pack!", with a large red reticle appearing in front of him, as a Wolfen flies from behind the screen in the area where the reticle is located. Upon hit, a cinematic begins with Wolf and his crew flying in a group of Wolfens, as Wolf himself says, "Grahaha! The hunt is on, boys!" (saying "I've got you now, Star Fox!" if he hits Fox or Falco), as all of the members then fire lasers at the trapped opponents, damaging them heavily and launching them horizontally as the cutscene ends.

On-screen appearance

• Ejects from a Wolfen.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Leans his head back and howls.
• Side taunt: Does a beckoning gesture with his fingers while smirking and saying "Are you scared?".
• Down taunt: Kneels down, slaps the ground with one hand and makes howling-esque noise.

Idle poses

• Claws at the air.
• Pretends to howl.

Victory poses

In any victory pose, there's a chance Wolf will say "Playtime's over, Star Fox!" (遊びは終わりだ、スターフォックス！, Playtime is over, Star Fox!) if Fox was present during the match.

• Claws the air and poses.
• Performs two slashes and a roundhouse kick, saying "You're good, but I'm better." (貴様を倒すのはこの俺様だ！, I'm the one who'll defeat you!).
• Raises an arm and turns toward the camera, saying "Weaklings, the lot of you." (ふんっ、弱者ども。, Hmph, such weak ones.).

This victory theme is based upon the main theme of 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.

• 
• 
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In competitive play

Notable players

•  ATATA - Got 17th at Midwest Mayhem Ultimate while only using Wolf.
•  Atelier - 7th place at Sumabato SP 2 with solo Wolf.
•  AzureJose - Placed 17th at Smash Conference United with solo Wolf.
•  Boreas - 17th at Umebura SP using just Wolf.
•  Comet - Got 25th at Midwest Mayhem Ultimate while only using Wolf.
•  CsxMark - Placed 17th at Heart of Battle using Wolf and Roy.
•  DAMN. - Placed at 13th in Don't Park on the Grass 2018 with Wolf and Ken.
•  Daybreak - Placed 25th at Glitch 6 and 7th at Retro Arena 64. Has wins over Ryuga, Ksev, and Miloni.
•  Eim - Got 25th place at Umebura SP 2 while only using Wolf.
•  False - Placed 49th at GENESIS 6.
•  k9sbruce - Placed 17th at GENESIS 6.
•  Kain - Got 17th at Midwest Mayhem Ultimate while only using Wolf.
•  komorikiri - Placed 9th at Sumabato SP and 5th at Sumabato SP 2.
•  Lycopis - Got 17th place at Umebura SP with solo Wolf.
•  MkLeo - One of the best Wolf players in the world. Placed 1st at Heart of Battle.
•  Seagull Joe - Placed 49th at GENESIS 6 and 25th at Glitch 6.
•  Shachi - Got 25th at Sumabato SP 2 with Wolf and Sheik.
•  Shu - Co-mains Wolf with Snake and placed 17th at both Umebura SP and Umebura SP 2.
•  Tweek - Placed 9th at GENESIS 6 and 1st at Frostbite 2019. Has wins over Cosmos, Glutonny, Shuton, and Darkshad.
•  VoiD - Uses Wolf as a secondary. Placed 2nd at GENESIS 6 and 5th at Heart of Battle and has defeated Shuton with Wolf
•  Zackray - The best Wolf player in the world. Placed 1st at Sumabato SP and Umebura SP 2. Placed 5th at GENESIS 6.

Classic Mode: Reunited Roster

Wolf fights fighters who are veterans that didn't appear in Super Smash Bros. 4. Notably, his boss, Galleom fits in with the theme, as he was cut from SSB4 as well.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Ice Climbers	Summit	Ice Climber (Melee)
2	Young Link	Great Bay	Overworld Theme - The Legend of Zelda (Melee)
3	Pichu	Pokémon Stadium	Pokémon Gold / Pokémon Silver Medley
4	Squirtle	Pokémon Stadium 2	Pokémon Gym/Evolution - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue	Squirtle's Pokémon Trainer is absent.
5	Ivysaur	Spear Pillar	Battle (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar	Ivysaur's Pokémon Trainer is absent.
6	Snake	Shadow Moses Island	Theme of Tara
Bonus Stage
Final	Galleom	?	Boss Battle - Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Role in World of Light

Although Wolf does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (except for Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

Wolf was one of the many fighters that fell under Dharkon's control upon Galeem's first defeat. He is unlocked in the Mysterious Dimension in the Dark Realm. The player must defeat the Andross spirit (which is the answer to a given question) to reveal a path leading to a wrecked airplane. His unlock battle is on the plane's tail (just to the left of the Krystal spirit).

Fighter Battle

No.	Image	Name	Type	Power	Stage	Music
44		Wolf	Attack	11,800	Lylat Cruise (Ω form)	Star Wolf (Brawl)

In Spirit Battles

As the main opponent

• Panther Caroso
• Wolfen
• Cubone
• Houndoom (Curry)
• Absol
• Zoroark
• Bio Rex
• Gangrel
• Mumkhar
• Gangster, Lady, & Policeman
• Sonic the Werehog
• Werewolf
• Toy Poodle (x3)

As a minion

• Leon Powalski
• Pigma Dengar
• Geo Stelar & Omega-Xis

Spirits

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

• 

  384. Wolf O'Donnell

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Wolf's amiibo.

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  Wolf's fighter card.

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  Wolf taunting on Corneria.

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  Posing with his Blaster in Skyloft.

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  Taunting on Skyworld.

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  Wolf attacking Duck Hunt with his neutral attack on Spear Pillar.

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  Wolf crouching near the Nintendog on The Great Cave Offensive.

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  Grabbing Fox on Skyworld.

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  Wolf, Lucario and Fox sleeping around Chrom with Super Leaf equipped on Living Room.

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  Firing his Blaster on Corneria.

Trivia

• Early gameplay footage of Wolf in Ultimate contains a few inconsistencies between his official render and his in-game model. The soles of his boots are blue in his official render while they appeared red in his in-game model, the straps behind his right shin guard were white instead of black, and his jacket and gloves were dark purple instead of light purple.
  • Oddly, in his showcase video, the inconsistencies only appear in the final part of the video, when he attacks Fox.
  • Additionally, the inconsistencies are used for his model in the first five screenshots of his character page on the Smash Bros. Ultimate official website.
  • They also appear in Mewtwo's character showcase video.
• The visual effects for all of Wolf's claw-based attacks displays three slashes despite Wolf using four fingers to strike.
• If Wolf wins a match with Fox or Falco present, there's a chance he will say, "Playtime's over, Star Fox!" in one of his victory animations, just like he did in Brawl. However, this line is not present in the Sound Test.
• Wolf is the only playable Star Fox character whose Fighter Spirit does not use artwork from Star Fox Zero.
• Wolf’s fighter description in the “Tips” section is the only one to mention a previously cancelled video game, being Star Fox 2.
• There's been a change on Wolf's in-game model that's not present on his official artwork. The straps behind his shinguards have been recolored to purple, matching his jacket, rather than black. The same can be seen for all of his alternate costumes excluding the black one when comparing their models to their official artworks.
  • They were colored black when he was shown during the E3 2018 Direct.