Falco (SSB4)

Falco in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Star Fox
Other playable appearances	in Melee in Brawl
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Landmaster
Tier	F (47)

Falco (ファルコ, Falco) returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. Falco was officially confirmed on October 3rd, 2014, alongside Ness and Wario, coinciding with the North American and European release of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. In Japanese, he is once again voiced by Hisao Egawa via re-recorded voice clips. In English, Mark Lund, Falco's voice actor from Star Fox 64 3D and Star Fox Zero, now voices him, replacing Dex Manley from Brawl.

Falco is currently ranked 47th out of 55 on the tier list, an extreme drop from Brawl where he was ranked 7th out of 38, making this his worst placement in the series. The majority of Falco's moves have high speed and very favorable angles, granting him a strong combo game and juggling capabilities. These are further aided by his good grab game and strong jumps, with the latter remaining the highest in the game. His moves that lack speed or reach are also packed with power, giving his moves surprisingly high KO power; for example, his back aerial can reliably KO below 130%. He also boasts an effective grab game and out of shield game, with all of his throws possessing great utility and/or KO power, while the speed of his moves allows him to easily punish opponents out of shield.

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

Owing to his flaws, especially compared to his Brawl incarnation, Falco has held poor tournament representation and results in competitive play. Although updates to the game have attempted to buff a number of his negative attributes, he still has struggled to make an impact at tournaments at the national level.

How to unlock

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

• Play 20 VS Matches.
• Complete Classic Mode without using any continues.

Falco must then be defeated on Corneria.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

• Play 10 VS Matches.
• Clear Classic Mode on any intensity.

Falco must then be defeated on Orbital Gate Assault.

Attributes

Falco is a light character with polarized movement. He has the strongest jumping ability, a fast walking speed, fast falling speed and high air acceleration, but a rather slow dashing speed, below average air speed and very high gravity. These stats give Falco slow horizontal movement, but proficient vertical movement. They also give him good vertical survivability for a character of his weight.

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

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

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

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

Falco benefits a decent amount from custom moves. Burst Blaster has less range, but is much faster, forcing bad approaches from the opponent much more easily. Falco Phase cannot hit opponents and does not grant any momentum, like in Melee, but Falco cannot be hurt either, and the move is also faster. Distant Fire Bird is slower and has no charging hitbox, like in Melee, but it moves further and has more momentum, considerably improving his recovery. Reflector Void destroys most projectiles instead of reflecting them, but deals more damage on contact, and is the optimal choice against certain characters like Villager or if the opponent lacks projectiles. The other variations of his custom moves are either very situational, or do not have many advantages over the default.

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

Changes from Brawl

Falco has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition from Brawl to SSB4. Even though the former are of greater quantity than the latter, he is considered to be significantly nerfed overall, due to his neutral game being drastically weakened.

Falco's power has been improved significantly, removing his main weakness from Brawl. His down tilt has regained its lost power from Melee and his smash attacks are stronger. His forward aerial is stronger and unaffected by SDI, his up aerial has consistent power and more vertical knockback, and his back aerial has much more power, to the point of being the eighth strongest overall in the game. In addition, his grab game has had its consistency drastically improved, with up throw and down throw having comboing abilities, and back throw now having KO power. His recovery, another severe weakness he has had since Melee, has been heavily buffed. While Falco Phantasm can no longer be interrupted, it no longer puts Falco in helpless state, allowing Fire Bird to be used immediately after, with the latter also granting more distance than before. Due to being slow, both moves also benefit a lot from the removal of edge-hogging.

However, the few nerfs Falco received created new weaknesses that were harsh enough to cripple his neutral game. The removal of DACUS (and subsequently the Gatling Combo) prevents his newly buffed up smash from being used as an approach option or a combo finisher. The removal of chain grabbing is a double-edged sword for Falco. While he is no longer adversely affected by it, his ability to easily rack up large amounts of damage is no longer present. Down aerial, a staple in Melee and Brawl, has been drastically slowed down, to the point where it is now useless outside of edgeguarding. Finally, his Blaster, formerly one of the most reliable tools for approaching and pressuring, is slower and incapable of autocancelling. These changes make Falco much less of a threat in the neutral game, as it is considerably harder for him to put his high power to good use.

Due to these nerfs, Falco considered to be one of the characters to get truly nerfed in the initial transition from Brawl, alongside Meta Knight, Marth, King Dedede, Jigglypuff and Olimar, though the former two are still considered solid characters in competitive play due to both the buffs they had received in their transitions from Brawl, as well as the buffs they later received in game updates, all of which are much more noticeable buffs when compared to Falco.

Aesthetics

• Due to the aesthetic used in SSB4, Falco's attire is sleeker, and his overall color scheme is more vibrant.
• Blaster's design has slightly changed.
• Falco now says "Get some!" when he performs his side taunt, instead of "Don't try me."

Attributes

• Falco's dashes faster (1.432 → 1.472).
• Falco's air speed is faster (0.893 → 0.93).
• Falco's air acceleration is faster (0.07 → 0.09).
• Falco jumps significantly higher.
• Falco falls faster (1.708 → 1.8). This improves his vertical endurance, but makes him more susceptible to combos.
• Falco's fast falling speed is faster (2.3912 → 2.88), improving his air game and making him less susceptible to juggling.
• Falco's gravity is higher (0.112 → 0.13). This improves his aerial mobility, but hinders his horizontal endurance and air time.
• Soft landing is faster (3 frames → 2).
• Item throw is weaker (1 → 0.94).
• The removal of chain grabbing both helps and hinders Falco. It significantly improves his endurance, but hinders the utility of his down throw, by removing its powerful chaingrabs.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack has received a finisher, an outward knifehand strike.
• The first and second hit of neutral attack no longer have set knockback (5 set/100 scaling → 35 base/30 scaling (first hit), 20 set/100 scaling → 30 base/30 scaling (second hit)), and the second hit has less reach (6u → 5u). The first and rapid hits also deal less damage (4% → 3% (first hit), 1% → 0.4 (rapid hits)).
• The first and second hit of neutral attack have altered knockback angles (80° → 68°/77°/80° (first hit), 50° → 80°/50°/45° (second hit)).
• Dash attack has increased knockback (40/30 base/90 scaling → 80/70/70). It also has a new animation where Falco instead kicks while leaning away from his kicking-direction and recovers with a forward lean brake (in a slightly different fashion than Fox's dash attack), somewhat altering his hurtbox position.
• Dash attack has noticeably increased startup lag (frame 4 → 8).
• Up tilt has more startup (frame 4 → 5).
• Down tilt has an altered animation where rather than spinning around in place with his tail out, Falco steps forward slightly and sweeps his tail in front of him, which somewhat increases its reach. It also has more base knockback (25 → 50/35), restoring its KOing potential from Melee. The changes to hitstun cancelling also make it a good combo starter at low percents.
• The sourspot hitboxes of down tilt have less knockback scaling (90 → 88), and the middle hitbox deals less damage (12% → 11%).
• Forward smash has increased knockback (40 base/88 scaling → 42/90/93/96 (clean hit), 10 base → 30 (late hit)).
• Forward smash has 1 frame more starting lag (16 → 17) and the late hit has less reach (9u → 6u).
• Forward smash has increased hitlag (0.5× → 1× (clean hit), 0.3× → 0.5× (late hit)). This makes it safer on shield, but easier to DI.
• Falco has a new up smash animation, a sideways-flipping kick that hits with both legs with the following-legged hit re-positioning him forward. It deals 2% more damage (14% → 16%) and hits twice instead of once, with the first hit leading into the second and leaving no sourspot behind Falco. It also has increased knockback (20 base/98 scaling → 31/104). Furthermore, it comes out 1 frame earlier (frame 8 → 7), hits better against crouching opponents and grants intangibility frames on Falco's legs. These changes make it stronger overall in terms of racking up damage.
• Up smash causes Falco to recover in a slight pose, causing more ending lag. The removal of DACUS also eliminates its use as an approach option, combo finisher (in the form of the Gatling Combo) or KO follow-up after a down throw.
• Down smash has higher knockback scaling (70 → 78). It also has intangibility on his legs, restoring the move's usefulness from Melee.
• Sourspotted down smash deals less damage (13% → 12%).

Aerial attacks

• All loop hits of neutral and forward aerials connect better, as they use the autolink angle.
• The final hit of neutral aerial, all hits of forward aerial, and the clean of down aerial have increased hitlag (1x → 2x (neutral), 0.7× → 1× (forward aerial looping hits), 2× → 2.5× (forward aerial final hit), 1× → 2× (down)). This makes them safer on shield, but easier to DI.
• Each hit of neutral aerial has more reach (5u → 6u (multi-hits), 5u → 8u (final hit)). The final hit via a new animation (where Falco leans forward with his left side a bit more) also has increased knockback (40 base/100 scaling → 55/130).
• Neutral aerial has much more landing lag (9 frames → 15).
• Forward aerial deals 2% less damage (11% → 9%) and has more startup (6 frames → 10). The final hit also has an increased SDI multiplier (0× → 1×) and less reach (8u → 6u).
• Forward aerial now has a finishing hit that deals more knockback (80 base/60 scaling → 55/145), making it a very reliable KOing option offstage. Its also has less landing lag (33 frames → 25), less ending lag (58 → 50), autocancels earlier (frame 49 → 46), and has a new landing hitbox that deals 3% and high knockback (30 base/160 scaling) that can KO at 160% near the ledge, as well as making it harder to punish.
• Falco's back aerial has a new animation with Falco kicking more horizontally while leaning further away (akin to his dash attack), which narrows Falco's own hurtbox somewhat. It now has much higher knockback scaling (103 → 130), now being one of the strongest of its kind if landed clean; the horizontal hitbox also makes it a bit more suitable to use during a short-hop. It also autocancels earlier (frame 23 → frame 15).
• Back aerial's new animation now gives it a slightly more narrow hitbox on top of with less reach on both sides of Falco (6u → 4.8u) with no extra hitboxes on his left leg, and its lingering hitbox has been shortened by 8 frames. This drastically reduces the move's overall utility.
• Up aerial deals 1% less damage (11% → 10%).
• Up aerial has less startup (frame 10 → 7), deals more knockback (27/30 base/100/20 scaling → 35/90), and has more reach (4.8u → 5u). Each hitbox also now launches opponents at a more vertical angle (68°/80° → 65°/75°/85°), improving its follow-up and KO potential. It also no longer has a sourspot.
• The clean hit of down aerial has a different launch angle on aerial opponents (280° → 285°), allowing it to gimp offstage opponents more easily. Due to its 2× hitlag multiplier, the move also benefits heavily from frame cancelling upon landing.
• The clean hit of down aerial has a different launch angle on grounded opponents (280° → 80°). This makes it stronger and prevents teching, but also removes its follow-ups at high percentages.
• Down aerial has an altered animation, resulting in drastically more startup while Falco delays before stomping (frame 5 → 16) and increased landing lag (12 frames → 23). These drastically worsen its utility and prevent it from autocancelling from a short hop. Its clean hit also has lower knockback scaling (100 → 80) and less reach (5.5u → 4.2u (clean hit), 5.5u → 5.3u (late hit)).

Throws/other attacks

• Standing and pivot grabs have slower startup (standing: frame 6 → 8, pivot: frame 9 → 11).
• Dash grab's startup has been lowered by one frame (frame 11 → 10).
• Excluding forward throw, all throws now consist of one strong Blaster shot instead of three weak shots, making them more reliable for damage racking, especially at high percentages.
• Back throw deals 1% more damage (8% → 9%) and more knockback. When combined with the previous point, this makes it a reliable KO throw at around 150% near the edge.
• Along with its aforementioned single strong shot, up throw's new vertical trajectory makes it much better for follow-ups at mid to high percents. It also benefits from the new rage mechanic, which makes it a reliable KO throw on stages with platforms.
• The changes to hitstun canceling makes down throw a better combo starter at low to medium percents, particularly into dash attack, neutral aerial, back aerial or forward aerial.
• Down throw now hits only twice, dealing less damage in total (9% → 5%). It also has more knockback (45 base/130 scaling → 60/110), making it more difficult to follow up on at higher percents.

Special moves

• Blaster fires slower (once every 24 frames → once every 29 frames (grounded), once every 16 frames → once every 24 frames (aerial)) and can no longer autocancel, removing silent lasers and making the aerial speed increase less significant than in Brawl. While it can still be used to jab reset, laser locking is no longer possible. Blaster shots also travel a much shorter distance. These changes have removed nearly all of this move's utility in approaching.
• Blaster has less startup (frame 12 → 11 (grounded), frame 10 → 9 (aerial)).
• Falco Phantasm no longer dashes over edges when used on the ground. It also has less landing lag when used in the air. It no longer leaves Falco helpless when used in midair and gives Falco some forward momentum after the move ends. The introduction of ledge-trumping also allows it to be used for gimping opponents after trumping the edge.
• Falco Phantasm has increased startup (17 frames → 18). It can also no longer be interrupted, removing Falco's recovery mix-up options. The move also dashes more slowly, and the attack has less range, due to the hitbox ending before he has dashed forward the full distance.
• Fire Bird covers more distance, has less startup (frame 21 → 20), and has a decreased SDI multiplier (1.5× → 0.8×).
• Fire Bird no longer gives Falco a slight vertical boost at the end of the move, making it slightly harder to recover if Falco overshoots the ledge from behind.
• Reflector starts and ends faster. The increase in shieldstun also makes it a better poking option than in Brawl. It also has more reach (3u → 3.5u).
• Reflector deals less damage (6% → 5%), has a lower trip chance (40% → 25%) and deactivates once Falco grabs the device (frame 33), shortening the window Falco gets to reflect projectiles and making timing of the move more crucial than in Brawl. Its reflection multiplier has also been decreased significantly (1.5× → 1.2×).
• Landmaster is weaker and does not last as long.
• Landmaster is now light blue, instead of dark blue.

Update history

Falco has been buffed via game updates. In update 1.0.4, his Blaster's firing rate was increased, which slightly improved his neutral game. Update 1.0.8 buffed Falco's punishing game by making his neutral aerial more versatile, as well as increasing the speed of his up and forward aerials. The same update also slightly improved his aerial mobility by increasing his air speed and acceleration. Update 1.1.4 increased his down smash's knockback, while improving his up smash by decreasing its start-up, increasing its knockback, and granting intangibility to its first hit. Lastly, the new shield mechanics also aid some of Falco's moves without harming others. These changes gave Falco more offensive options and improved both his KOing and his previously nerfed damage racking abilities, making him better than he was in the game's initial release. However, since none of them have improved his below average neutral game, Falco still remains at a disadvantage compared to most of the cast.

1.0.4

• Forward aerial's landing hit deals considerably more damage (2% → 5%). Its knockback values were not compensated, drastically improving its KO potential.
• Forward aerial's landing hit extends farther horizontally (z offsets: 11/8 → 12/7), increasing its horizontal range.
• Down aerial has less ending lag (FAF 58 → 52) and landing lag (26 frames → 23).
• Blaster has a more generous repeat window (frames 7-14 → 7-17).
• Grounded Blaster has a shorter delay between shots (34 frames → 29).
• Grounded Blaster has less ending lag (FAF 64 → 59).
• Fixed a glitch in which Reflector Void failed to reflect Timber properly.
• Landmaster's falling hitbox can no longer hit damageable floors.

1.0.8

• Falco's air speed increased: 0.893 → 0.93.
• Falco's air acceleration increased: 0.07 → 0.09.
• Neutral attack improved. It keeps opponents in place more reliably for all of its hits and its hitboxes' sizes increased.
• Neutral aerial improved. It keeps opponents in place more reliably for all of its hits, its hitboxes' sizes increased, and it always launches in the direction Falco faces.
• Neutral aerial deals 1% less damage: 12% → 11%.
• Forward aerial deals 1% more damage if all aerial hits connect: 5% → 6%.
• Forward aerial's start-up and landing lag decreased: 12 frames → 10 (start-up), 32 frames → 25 (landing).
• Forward aerial overall lag decreased: 58 frames → 50, giving it follow-up potential.
• Forward aerial's landing hit deals 2% less damage: 5% → 3%.
• Up aerial's start-up decreased: 10 frames → 7.
• Up aerial's hitbox sizes increased and deal more vertical knockback.
• Up aerial's sourspot removed, leaving it with a single hitbox that deals 1% less damage than its previous sweetspot: 11% → 10%. This makes its utility much more consistent at the cost of an extra powerful hitbox.
• Sweetspotted down aerial's duration increased by 1 frame.
• Sourspotted down aerial's hitboxes' sizes increased.
• Sweetspotted down aerial no longer meteor smashes grounded opponents. Instead, it now launches opponents at a slightly diagonal trajectory. This makes it incapable of being teched at the cost of removing its follow-up potential at high percentages.
• Falco Phantasm's start-up increased: frame 18 → 19.

Technical changelist 1.0.8

Change	Old value	New value
Jab 1 hitboxes 0 and 2 switched
Jab 1 base knockback	30	35
Jab 1 angle (hitboxes 0-1)	80°	68°/77°
Jab 1 size (hitboxes 0-1)	2/3	2.5/3.2
Jab 1 Z-offset (hitbox 0)	0	-0.5
Jab 2 hitbox 2 angle	50°	45°
Jab 2 hitbox 2 size	2	5
Jab 2 Z-offset (hitbox 2)	0	-0.5
Transition from Jab 2 to Jab 3	frame 10	frame 9
Rapid jab loop hitbox sizes	2/3	2.7/3.2
Neutral air weight-based knockback increased
Neutral air hitbox sizes increased
Neutral air (hit 2) damage	3%	2%
Neutral air hits now auto link
Neutral air's final hit now forces front-facing knockback
Animation speed 1.33× for frames 0-37
Looping hits refresh time	6	4
Number of looping hits	3	5
Forward air landing damage	5%	3%
Forward air base knockback	30	50
Up air damage	11%	10%
Up air angle	68°/68°/80°	65°/75°/85°
Up air base knockback	27/27/30	35/35/35
Up air knockback scaling	100/100/20	90/90/90
Up air hitbox 0 size	4.8	5
Animation speed 1.5× for frames 0-8
Up air startup	10 frames	7 frames
Down air sweetspot produces a different hitbox with a nonmeteor angle on grounded opponents	285°	80°
Down air sourspot replaces sweetspot one frame later	19	20
Down air sourspot hitbox size	5	5.3

1.1.4

• Up smash's first hit has less startup lag with a longer duration (frame 8 → 7-8). The animation was unchanged, giving the move considerably more range below Falco.
• During up smash, Falco now has intangibility on his attacking leg while the hitboxes are active.
• Up smash's first hit has altered knockback (60/80 (base near/far), 25/30 (scaling near/far) → 70/18).
• Up smash's first hit now has weight independent knockback.
• Up smash's Middle hitbox has been moved slightly forwards (x offset: 1.5 → 2).
• Up smash's far hitbox is positioned further away from Falco (x offset: 5 → 7.7 (hit 1 early)/7 (hit 1 late/hit 2)), giving the move more range.
• Up smash's second hit deals more knockback (30 (base), 98 (scaling) → 31/104), improving its KO potential.
• Down smash has higher knockback scaling (76 → 78), slightly improving its KO potential.
• Down Throw Ledge Spike Bug removed.
• Trip invincibility and all trip followups except floor attack have one less frame of invincibility.

Moveset

• Falco can wall jump.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%	Performs two knifehand strikes, then tilts diagonally and spins very quickly with his wings spread out before finishing with another knifehand strike. A handy jab cancelling tool due to its quick speed(comes out on frame 2), as it can be followed up by a tilt, down smash or a grab.
			2%
			0.4% (loop), 3% (last)
Forward tilt			9%	A roundhouse kick. It can be angled, but has below average knockback. Can jab reset opponents.
Up tilt			4% (hit 1 most), 3% (hit 1 late tip), 5% (hit 2)	Slightly twists around and swings both of his wings upward. The tip of the first hit is a meteor smash, although it is very hard to land consistently in normal gameplay as both attacks connect well with each other. Useful for comboing. It also functions as a fast, though somewhat weak KOing option, dealing enough vertical knockback to KO at around 160%.
Down tilt			12% (near), 11% (mid), 9% (far)	Swipes across the floor with his tail feathers. One of the strongest down tilts in the game, reliably KOing at 120% if sweetspotted. Interestingly, this moves possesses a small hitbox behind Falco, that is oddly even more powerful, and thus can KO earlier, though this is difficult to do. It also has combo potential depending on the knockback it deals.
Dash attack			9% (clean), 6% (late)	A flying kick. The late hit launches the opponent at a lower angle.
Forward smash			15% (clean), 10% (late)	A two-handed overhead slash. Has high knockback and speed, though has some startup on the flipside. Its sweetspot is at his hands. KOs at 102%.
Up smash			4% (hit 1), 12% (hit 2)	A sideways-flipping kick that hits twice. Falco's leg has intangibility during the first hit. KOs at 130% and comes out as a rather fast damage rack-up tool, but has some notable lag.
Down smash			15% (feet), 12% (legs)	A split kick. Comes out quickly and Falco's feet are intangible for a short time before the attack. However, it has below average reach. There is a very small sourspot in the center of his body that deals weak vertical knockback, but its ending lag renders the move practically unusable for combos. Falco's hurtbox also shrinks down during this attack, allowing him to avoid high-aimed moves if timed properly.
Neutral aerial			3% (hits 1-2), 2% (hit 3), 3% (hit 4)	Spins and swipes repeatedly with his wings, hitting four times. A good combo move, with each hit connecting well with one another. The last hit launches opponents away.
Forward aerial			1% (loop), 4% (last), 3% (landing)	Spins in a horizontal corkscrew to perform a drilling peck. It is similar to Pikachu and Sonic's forward aerials. Can KO around 100% offstage while not being particularly hard to land. Landing while the move is in use causes a shockwave that launches opponents away with decently strong knockback, making this move one of Falco's most reliable KOing options overall.
Back aerial			13% (clean), 7% (late)	A back kick. Its very fast startup and incredibly high knockback scaling make it a great KOing option despite its fairly low reach and its hitbox no longer lasting as long as it did in Brawl.
Up aerial			10%	A somersault kick. Juggles well at low percentages and can KO at higher percents. Its knockback is somewhat lacking compared to Fox's, but Falco's high jumps allow it to be used from very high up near the blast line, where it can KO at around 115%.
Down aerial			13% (clean), 8% (late)	A downward corkscrew stomp. A decently strong meteor smash on aerial opponents, but has high startup lag and landing lag, making it more useful for reads. Though very situational, frame cancelling is highly effective due to the clean hit's 2× hitlag multiplier. Its late hit can also jab reset floored opponents.
Grab			—	An average grab.
Pummel			2%	Knee strikes the opponent. Decent speed.
Forward throw			4% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	Does a Hook Punch that bashes the opponent forward. Can combo into a dash attack at until medium percentages if the opponent does not react.
Back throw			6% (throw), 3% (shots)	Throws the opponent backwards and then shoots them once with his Blaster. Can KO at around 150% near the edge if the opponent is hit by the laser.
Up throw			4% (throw), 4% (shots)	Throws the opponent upwards and then shoots them once with his Blaster. A reliable combo starter until high percentages thanks to Falco's high jumps. It can combo into any aerial (except down aerial) and, with a proper read, lead into a KO with up aerial. The throw itself can KO at high percentages if performed on stages with platforms, although opponents can DI away from it at said percent range.
Down throw			2% (shots), 3% (throw)	Throws the opponent to the ground and shoots them with his Blaster. Like his up throw, it is a very reliable combo starter. It can lead into an up smash, a dash attack or either a neutral, forward, or down aerial at low percentages, as well as a back aerial at medium percentages.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Lunges and kicks backward and forward.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Extends to attack in front and in back.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Spins around while kicking.
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	A corkscrew dropkick.
Neutral special	Default	Blaster	3%	Fires his Blaster. Unlike Fox's variant, it is slow, but can make the opponent flinch and is slightly more powerful. The Blaster fires slightly faster in the air, although this speed increase is negligible. Due to the lasers' low fixed knockback, any floored opponent will be jab reset if hit by one.
	Custom 1	Explosive Blaster	1% (loop), 2% (last)	The Blaster's laser slows down as it travels and explodes right before it stops. It pushes opponents while traveling, but does not deal damage until the laser explodes.
	Custom 2	Burst Blaster	2%	Acts similarly to Fox's Blaster in that it fires faster, but has lower power, range, and loses its ability to make the opponent flinch. Additionally, it still fires slower than Fox's, though its ending lag is significantly lower.
Side special	Default	Falco Phantasm	7% (ground), 6% (airborne opponents when used in air)	Dashes forward at a blinding speed, leaving behind afterimages. Unlike Fox Illusion, Falco Phantasm will launch airborne opponents straight downward on contact, and it has 2 less startup frames. On grounded opponents, it sends them upwards with favorable force to combo into a back aerial.
	Custom 1	Falco Phase	0%	Falco is intangible for the duration of the move, but it cannot hit opponents either. It does not give Falco any momentum.
	Custom 2	Falco Charge	4% (early), 12% (clean), 4% (late)	The dash's range is shorter, but it hits much harder at the beginning of the move.
Up special	Default	Fire Bird	2% (charging loop), 3% (launch hit 1), 2% (launch hits 2-8), 2% (launch hit 9)	Cloaks himself in flames and suddenly fires himself in any direction, depending on what direction is held. The attack hits multiple times. It also travels a shorter distance than Fox's Fire Fox.
	Custom 1	Fast Fire Bird	2%	Instantly fires himself in any direction, but at the cost of a shortened distance.
	Custom 2	Distant Fire Bird	8% (first hit), 2% (loop)	The charging time is longer, but Falco travels further. The initial part of the attack launches opponents while the rest of the attack hits opponents multiple times, dealing weak knockback and having a 1.5× SDI multiplier.
Down special	Default	Reflector	5% (Reflector), 1.2× (reflection)	Activates his Reflector and kicks it away from him, reflecting any projectiles and shocking any enemies it comes in contact with. It then returns to him as if magnetized. The move can be used as a poking tool that can jab reset or trip low damaged opponents to start combos.
	Custom 1	Accele-Reflector	2% (Reflector), 1× (reflection)	The Reflector deals less damage, can only reflect while moving forward and does not increase the reflected projectiles' damage output, but doubles the speed of the reflected projectiles. The Accele-Reflector is colored green.
	Custom 2	Reflector Void	9% (Reflector), 0.75× (reflection)	The Reflector deals more damage and destroys absorbable projectiles instead of reflecting them. Non-absorbable projectiles are still reflected, but deal less damage due to its lowered reflection multiplier. Its angle and knockback are almost identical to his Reflector in Melee. The Reflector Void is colored purple.
Final Smash		Landmaster	12%/11%/10%/8% (movement), 10% (roll), 8%/12% (shot)	Calls in a Landmaster. Like Fox's Landmaster, Falco's version can shoot laser blasts and damage opponents while maneuvering around. Unlike Fox's however, it has better aerial mobility at the cost of weaker blasts.

On-screen appearance

• Ejects from an upside-down Arwing.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Kicks his Reflector around like a hacky sack and says "Piece of cake!" (楽勝だぜ。, An easy win.) before catching it.
• Side taunt: Poses by standing on one foot with his wing raised before saying "Get some!" (かかってきな。, Come bring it.)
• Down taunt: Spins once and crosses one wing before saying "Hands off my prey!" (俺の獲物に手を出すな！, Get your hands off my prey!)
• Smash taunt: When fighting as Falco on the Corneria stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS or Lylat Cruise in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, quickly tap down on the directional pad once and he will kneel down and seem as though he is trying to communicate with someone through a device, and then stand back up, at which point a conversation will begin with another character from the Star Fox universe.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Slightly turns to his side.
• Moves his wing in front of his face.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Fal-co!	Fal-co!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

A flourished remix directly from Brawl based on the theme that would play at the title screen in Star Fox 64.

• Jumps high into the air and then performs a crouching pose upon descending to the ground.
• Performs a rapid series of kicks and then poses, saying "Had enough already?" (くたばるのはまだ早ぇぜ。, Too early to kick the bucket just yet.)
  • If Fox is present after a match, there is a chance he will instead say "You're off your game, Fox." Or in Japanese: 腕が落ちたな、フォックス。 (Your skills have fallen off, Fox.)
• Crosses arms and looks away, saying "You aren't worth the trouble." In Japanese: 付き合ってらんねぇな。 (Not worth associating with.)

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Falco	1123	1121	1133	1131	3123
	3121	3133	3131	2123	2133

Notable players

•  AC - 1st place at 2GG: Breakthrough, 33rd in singles and 13th in doubles (with Charliedaking) at 2GGT: Mexico Saga.
•  Anragon - Europe's best Falco player; 3rd place at Neokan Party 3 and 9th at MARS 2016.
•  Daybreak - Ranked 10th on the Michigan Smash 4 Power Rankings.
•  Keitaro - 25th at KTAR XVII, 2GGT: FOW Saga and Smash Factor 5. Formerly ranked 10th on the New Jersey Smash 4 Power Rankings.
•  Osiris - The best Falco player in MD/VA.
•  Larry Lurr - Uses Falco as a rare counterpick. However he has not pulled out Falco in majors.

Tier placement and history

Falco has been viewed rather poorly ever since Smash 4's release. Players took little time to notice the severe nerfs to his Blaster, which was an essential component of Falco's playstyle in his previous iterations and a driving force behind his top-tier placements in Melee and Brawl. The nerfs to his down aerial, another signature move of his, further contributed to his weak status, as well as being somewhat slower on the ground than in Brawl. As time went on and Falco saw little representation and almost no notable results to speak of, it became clear that his nerfs were indeed too severe for him to be even a mid-tier character in the eyes of the community. This is in spite of the fact that Falco has received numerous buffs over the game's life span, due to them largely failing to address his ineffective neutral game. Meanwhile, characters like Ike, Meta Knight, Marth, and Mewtwo, who were all at some point considered similarly below-average, would go on to receive more meaningful buffs, which served to only worsen Falco's position relative to the cast. Falco's nerfs and his ongoing lack of tournament presence would lead him to place at 38th on the first tier list released by the 4BR. He then saw drops to 49th on the second tier list, and again to 50th on the third tier list.

Recently however, Falco has had some noteworthy results as of lately thanks to smashers like AC and Keitaro. Many smashers have also learned that Falco has some favorable and even matchups against some of the middle and high tier characters like Villager, Mega Man, Toon Link, Olimar and Lucas. Due to these traits, some players have argued in support of him and believe he is rather underrated, citing his strong combo game, powerful back aerial, feared down tilt and an effective reflector. Due to the discovery of Falco's niche matchups, he saw a slight improvement to 47th with some smashers still claiming he deserves to be even higher. Regardless, Falco holds the distinction of having the largest tier drop from Brawl to Smash 4.

Trophies

Falco

A talented pilot and part of the Star Fox team, Falco can be a bit rough around the edges. He once led his own galactic gang before joining up with Fox. In Smash Bros., his ability to jump high and deal damage in the air makes him a powerful threat, and his thrown Reflector can catch foes by surprise.

Ex-gang leader, ace pilot and comrade of Fox, Falco Lombardi might play it cool, but he's burning with passion on the inside. In this game, he excels at jumping and aerial combat, and the way his Reflector move flies forwards can catch foes off guard. Add to that his balanced array of attacks, and it's clear that Falco's a real threat.

: Star Fox (03/1993)

: Star Fox 64 (07/1997)

Falco (Alt.)

Falco's Blaster looks identical to Fox's at first, but actually it's quite different! The beams Falco fires deal more damage and cause the victim to flinch, but at a slower rate of fire. Considering Falco's lineage, it's not all that surprising that he can fire faster while airborne.

Falco's Blaster looks identical to Fox's at first glance, but they are actually quite different. Most notably, Falco's version causes enemies to flinch, which can be invaluable when warding off approaching foes. It also deals more damage and has a slower fire rate - though its fire rate actually increases when used in mid-air.

: Star Fox (03/1993)

: Star Fox 64 (07/1997)

Landmaster (Falco)

Falco jumps aboard his landmaster for his Final Smash, This powerful combat vehicle sports an explosive cannon and a heavily armored exterior. Falco can blast other fighters or simply drive into them with his tank. This landmaster also flies higher than Fox's, letting Falco give his rivals a pick-me-up...off the stage!

With immense firepower and tough armour, the Landmaster makes for a mighty Final Smash. Falco can use this fine combat vehicle to run down and roll into rivals, as well as inundate them with cannon blasts. His Landmaster can hover a bit higher than Fox's making it easier to pick rivals up and give them a nice comfy ride off the stage!

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• FalcoAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

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  Landmaster

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Melee: Falco is one of the eight opponents fought in this event. All the opponents debut in Melee and reappeared in Smash 4 as veterans.
• Duck Hunt!: As Duck Hunt, the player must defeat 10 ducks which appear in the stage background. Falco can interfere with the progress with Giant Falco appearing after some time has passed.
• Great Fox Defense: Falco must prevent a group of Mr. Game & Watches from landing on the stage. The Mr. Game & Watches have more stock on higher difficulties.
• Up to Speed: As Sonic, the player must defeat Fox, Falco, and Captain Falcon in a high-speed 1 stock match.

Co-op Events

• Keep 'Em off the Ship!: Fox and Falco team up to prevent a larger wave of Mr. Game & Watches from landing on the stage.
• Sky Pirates: Meta Knight and Dark Pit must team up to defeat Captain Falcon and Falco before the plane returns to the airfield.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.
• Visiting Onett: Falco is one of the opponents Ness and Villager must fight against. The opponents are space characters or characters from other planets.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Falco's amiibo.

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  Kicking Little Mac with his dash attack.

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  Readying his Blaster.

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  Attacking Bowser with Diddy Kong, Fox, and Takamaru.

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  Riding on an Arwing with Captain Falcon, Little Mac, and Fox.

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  Staring down Fox.

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  Attacking Link and Marth.

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  Posing with Pikachu.

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  In his Landmaster attacking Samus.

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  Using Falco Phantasm on Greninja.

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  On Boxing Ring with Captain Falcon, Luigi, and Shulk.

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  Hitting Lucario while wearing a Bunny Hood.

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  Using Falco Phantasm.

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  Slashing Pit with his forward smash.

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  Uses Falco Phantasm on Pit and Yoshi.

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  Hitting Charizard.

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  Fires his blaster.

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  Uses Fire Bird on Mario.

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  Firing alongside with Fox.

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  Jabs on Olimar.

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  Forward aerial attack on Mega Man.

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  Getup attack.

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  Falco in standby mode.

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  Down smash.

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  Poses with Peach.

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  Attacking Toon Link.

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  A pose via his ledge attack.

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  Attacking Greninja.

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  Back aerial attack with Andross.

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  Uses a Drill Arm on Mario and Sonic.

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  A taunt.

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  Poses with Captain Falcon.

Trivia

• Falco has three English voice actors between both versions of Super Smash Bros. 4. He has Marc Lund for his battle voice and the Orbital Gate Assault Smash taunts, Dex Manley for the Lylat Cruise Smash taunts, and Ben Cullum for the Corneria Smash taunts. He shares this with Fox.
  • Regardless of the release dates of both Star Fox 64 3D and Super Smash Bros. 4, Falco is still reprised by Hisao Egawa in Japanese as opposed to being voiced by his new Japanese voice actor, Kōsuke Takaguchi (this also occurs with Fox).
• Interestingly, the custom move set for his neutral special, Blaster, will actually influence the throws in which Falco uses it. He also shares this with Fox.
• This is Falco's first appearance where he is not unlocked by completing 100-Man Smash. This unlock criteria goes to Wario instead.
• Falco is the last non-DLC character amiibo to be released in the Super Smash Bros. amiibo lineup.
  • Ironically, Falco was released after Mewtwo.
• Falco's sidestep animation has been the center of memes as of recent in the Smash community, as it looks identical to the well-known dance move, the dab (it should be noted, though, that Falco's spot-dodge dab dates all the way back to Melee contrary to popular belief). This in turn has, humorously enough, given him a considerably larger playerbase among the casual side of the community.
  • This pose is also seen in Falco's artwork.
• Due to being placed 47th on the tier list, Falco's tier placement marks the first time a Star Fox character is in the low tiers.