Fox (SSBB)

This article is about Fox's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For the character in general, see Fox McCloud

Fox in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Universe	Star Fox
Other playable appearances	in SSB in Melee
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Landmaster
Tier	C (15)

Fox (フォックス Fokkusu) was confirmed for Super Smash Bros. Brawl at Nintendo World 2006. Fox was the first fighter to appear on the DOJO!! that did not appear on the E3 2006 video. When he was revealed in the Nintendo World 2006 trailer, he was shown with his blaster in his hand at all times, leading to much speculation over how his attacks might change in Brawl. However, his gun is shown in its holster in all subsequent screen shots shown at the Super Smash Bros. DOJO!!.

Fox is currently ranked 15th in C tier which is also known to be the upper-mid tier, a fairly large downgrade from his position at the top of the Melee tier list (first to fifteenth). Fox still maintains his incredible movement and attack speed, with several highly damaging and effective setup moves (with his down aerial excelling at both qualities). To boost Fox's offensive prowess farther, he possesses a very fast up smash with sufficient horizontal and vertical reach, that can reliably KO the majority of characters under 100% (which besides being very effective out of a dash or DACUS, has a guaranteed setup at any percent with down aerial). Additionally, Fox possesses the fastest projectile in Brawl in his Blaster (that's also transcendent), a long reaching recovery with many options, and an effective semi-spike (his Reflector). Fox however, is notoriously frail, sustaining the fourth most knockback in Brawl, with rather poor vertical endurance (despite strong vertical momentum cancelling abilities), and among the worst horizontal endurance. His endurance problems are exasperated by his extreme falling speed and acceleration, which leaves him heavily vulnerable to standard combos and juggles, as well as locks and chain throws, some of which can bring Fox to KO percentage from zero damage, if not zero deathing him outright. Additionally, Fox's attacks are very poor on shield, as they tend to be ending lag heavy, while lacking sufficient shield stun and reach to hit opposing shields safely, thus Fox is easily punished out of shield. Fox also has poor aerial movement and mobility, an over-reliance on his up smash to KO (while Fox does possess a few other KO moves, they are significantly less effective), and his projectile is unable to flinch opponents (thus it's incapable of hindering the opponent's approach). Nonetheless, Fox's amazing offensive prowess tends to outweigh his significant flaws, with his matchups being above average overall (despite a few hard counters), along with above average tournament results (though his results are significantly better in Japan, where he's ranked seventh in top tier).

Attributes

Fox is a very light character who moves at very high speeds, clocking in as the third fastest runner and 2nd fastest walker in the game (with Marth being the fastest). Almost all of his attacks come off quickly and combine with each other. Fox's excellent speed is counter-balanced by the small and short reaching hitboxes in most of his attacks. This can complicate approaches, and his Blaster doesn't make up for that because it doesn't make opponents flinch. However, it is able to force approaches, unless the opponent has a lasting reflector, PSI Magnet, or low enough crouch to avoid it.

His up smash is a powerful vertical killer, and to a lesser extent, his up tilt. His up smash is also his only move that can KO under 100%, and is a good move due to its high knockback scaling, speed, and reach. His forward air can add extra height to Fox's jump, and also produces a hovering effect if used shortly after jumping (this usually makes up for his other recovery options), and his back air has high horizontal knockback. As far as specials go, Fox's blaster can easily build damage from a distance, it refreshes stale moves if it hits, and it's also able to steal KOs. Fox's Reflector not only reflects projectiles, but can semi-spike opponents when used in the air, and also slows Fox's aerial movement. The jump cancel has been replaced with a dash cancel, allowing a continuous shine volley across the stage (it works best at 70% and above depending on the character). As far as recovery goes, Fox Illusion can be used to gain a horizontal boost, and can also be canceled before completion to trick opponents, as opposed to Fire Fox, which comes off much slower but can move vertically. However, Fire Fox is easily edgeguarded. Fox is also able to wall jump and can boost grab.

Fox's most notable attribute, as well as the most notorious, is his short jump in relation to the rest of the Brawl cast (much like Jigglypuff having the slowest falling speed in the game). His falling speed acceleration is the fastest, and his falling speed is the third fastest in the game that makes it unusual for a character as light as he is. It has advantages and some hindrances, all of which must be known to make the best use of Fox. Some advantages of such speed are that it makes him difficult to touch in the air. Some hindrances of this are that it makes him more susceptible to chain-grab(particularly Pikachu's buffered chain-grab that has a 0-death on Fox) and locks (like Sheik's F-Tilt lock), and it shortens his recovery.

The end result is that Fox is a glass cannon. The average range make it non- difficult for him to approach characters with strong defensive games and fighters with better protection space him quite easily, forcing him to rely on his Blaster to force approaches if needed, which some characters can avoid rather effortlessly. His combination of very low weight (seventh lightest character), very fast overall falling speed (third fastest normal falling speed and fastest accelerated falling speed), mediocre directional influence, and mediocre recovery for his weight create a tendency to k.o. at low percentages. However, he does everything very quickly, and once the opponent is knocked back he has flexible follow up options, but his speed makes him tough to control.Although he has many great skills and combo's, Fox can pull his weight around. In reality Fox is a skillful fighter. With many ways of a lot of combo attacks, great speed, with a balance defense and offence. If a real Fox player knows and/or can play him the right way, he can reach great heights. If possible, he might not be stopped.

Changes from Melee to Brawl

Fox has suffered a somewhat large nerf in Brawl. Overall, Fox is a faster but weaker character. His blaster travels roughly half the distance it previously did. His shine has slightly faster normal drop time, but can no longer be jump canceled. Fox's Up Tilt and Neutral Attack combo are faster, but the little latter has decent hitstun and is among the average jabs in the game. Reflector no longer comes out in one frame, and it no longer has set knockback, but it completely halts aerial momentum, to a greater extent than in Melee. Fox's falling speed has decreased, though it is still very fast compared to other characters in Brawl, and his air speed has increased. However, both only changed a little. His Forward Aerial now gives him an increased height in his jumps and slows down his falling speed when used immediately after jumping, which comes with both his jumps. Fox's Forward Smash is faster, but it has less range, knockback, and is less safe on shields. His Up Smash and Up Aerial have been weakened, with the latter no longer KOing reliably under 140% due to lower scaling, but is more efficient at KOing closer to blast lines. Fox can now shoot three lasers in a short hop. Fox also has a new Back Aerial that has more power but slower startup, more ending and landing lag, shorter hitbox duration, and less reach. His jumping height was also increased. Most of his moves are now stronger but don't have a lot of knockback (except his up-smash). Use his strong moves wisely to gain a even higher advantage and finish it with his strongest move.

Fox also had a few cosmetic changes. His Back Aerial has a new animation, and his Forward Smash is now a butterfly kick. He has been graphically updated, his design being now a mix of his appearances in Star Fox Command and Star Fox Assault. He also has a new voice in both English (Jim Walker) and Japanese (Kenji Nojima).

Brawl Manual Description

The famous Arwing pilot boasts first-class speed and agility in combat.

Moveset

Ground Attacks

Normal

• Neutral attack - Left jab (2%), right hook (2%), then a flurry of kicks, or the Rapid Kick (1-2%). However, the jab combo doesn't link very well unlike Falco's combo. Has a start-up of 2 frames.
• Dash attack - Running kick. At low percentages, can lead into an up tilt, leading into various other combos. Its best use is undoubtedly the up tilt follow-up, though his down and up smash are also possible. Somewhat short duration and range, though, and can easily be shield grabbed. Does 7%. Hitbox out on frame 3-6.
• Forward tilt - A quick right kick. Moderate-low knockback, best used as a quick spacer. Can be angled up or down. 6% damage. Hits on frame 6.
• Up tilt - A fast scorpion kick that covers Fox's back, though his whole body becomes a hitbox. Consists of three small, barely noticeable hits. 1st and 2nd hits do 3% each with little knockback and third hit does 4% with moderate knockback. Little ending lag. Hitbox out on frame 3. This attack, though its KO potential was reduced, is still very useful. It easily chains into itself, which is good for damage racking, and can even lead into his up smash. It can also lead into an aerial. This move is the pinnacle of most of Fox's combos.
• Down tilt - Low tail whip. Fox crouches on the ground and performs a 360-degree spin with his tail. The attack does more damage when the opponent is close to Fox, with a maximum of 9% and a minimum of 7%. Hitting with the tip of the tail sends the opponent upward. Not one of Fox's more useful attacks, though still somewhat useful. If the foe is hit upwards, it's good for an fair setup, and if knocked forward, it can lead into a dash attack. Has a start-up of 8 frames.

Smash attack

• Side smash - A spinning kick. As with his other iterations with this move, this smash has moderate knockback. Hits on frame 14. Best used near the edge, this move KOs regularly above 130%. When used at 30-60% damage on the stage, it knocks the foe to the ground, which can lead into a dash attack, up tilt, and/or a aerial follow up. Does 15%-21%.
• Down smash - Split kick. Hits on both sides. Strong move with great range, greater than Falco's, with about the same start-up time though it slightly has more ending lag. Hitbox out in frame 6-7. Does 14%-19% damage.
• Up smash - A back-flip kick. The attack is significantly less effective if it hits while the opponent is behind Fox. KOs most characters at about 100% with high vertical knockback and slight horizontal knockback. It's the strongest up smash out of all 3 Star Fox characters, similar to how Wolf has the strongest down smash of the three and Falco has the strongest forward smash. It is considered Fox's best finisher as it has fast start-up (frame 10), good reach for an up smash, and it is by far Fox's strongest attack. Does 17%-23%.

Other

• Ledge attack - Pulls himself up into a sliding kick. This has a somewhat similar animation to his Forward Smash from Super Smash Bros. 8% damage.
• 100% Ledge attack - Gets up slowly, then does an axe kick while whipping his tail. 8% damage.
• Trip attack - Gets up and kicks on both sides with low range. 6% damage.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial - Flying sex kick. Comes out quick (has a start-up of 4 frames)and is good for spacing. Maximum of 9%.
• Forward aerial - Quintuple kick. Increases jump height and reduces falling speed while in effect, useful at recovery attempts. Can deal up to 23%. Hits on frame 7.
• Back aerial - A slow back kick, although it's quite powerful. Useful for edgeguarding and it reliably KOs under 150%. Does 15% damage. Hitbox out on frame 9.
• Up aerial - An upward tail whip with a follow-up kick. Hitting with the tail causes 5%, while the kick causes 11% along with strong vertical knockback. However, his up aerial can no longer reliably KO under 150% as it did in Melee. However, it can still be an effective vertical KO move at high percentages on airborne opponents and is effective for juggling at lower percentages. Hits on frame 10.
• Down aerial - Drill kick. Does more damage the closer the opponent is to Fox and can deal up to 21%. It can meteor smash, but it is hardly noticeable at lower percentages due to its very weak power. While not the best choice for spiking a foe, it does a good amount of damage, and if the whole move connects right before landing on the stage, it easily allows an up-tilt, grab, a down or an up smash for KOing. Has a start-up of 5 frames.

Grabs & throws

• Pummel - Knees the opponent. A fairly fast pummel. 1% damage each.
• Standing grab - Grabs opponent by the neck.
• Dash grab - Halts with one foot and grabs, somewhat predictable.
• Pivot grab - The range is as great as he can boost grab, and has a long grab range.
• Forward throw - Punches the opponent forward. 7% damage. Can pseudo-chain throw if a dash is buffered.
• Back throw - Throws opponent backward diagonally and shoots them with his Blaster. Blaster shots can be avoided using DI. Up to 8% damage.
• Up throw - Throws opponent up and shoots them with his Blaster. Can be avoided using DI. Up to 8% damage.
• Down throw - Slams opponent on the ground and shoots them three times with his blaster. 9% damage. Can be followed up with either a forward aerial at low percentages on certain characters or an up aerial on all characters.

Special moves

Fox's special moves

Neutral special	Blaster Shot	Blaster
Side special	—	Fox Illusion
Up special	Fire Fox
Down special	Reflector
Final Smash	—		Landmaster		Team Star Fox

Taunts

• Up: Fox charges fire and says "Here I come!". This taunt can be used for faking Fox's Up Special.
• Down: Like in Melee, Fox backs up, bends down a bit, and says "Come on!", although it seems faster.
• Side: Fox throws his blaster around himself, watches it flip, and catches it.

On-screen appearance

• Ejects from an Arwing.

Cheer

Fox Fox! *claps three times*

Victory poses

• Flips his tail up and looks to the side with a smug (prideful) expression on his face with his arms crossed.
• Goes into shooting position with his blaster at 2 different angles, then points it at the screen saying "Mission Complete".
• Flips his Blaster in the holster and says "This is Fox - Returning to base" And puts his hand on his hip. If Fox wins a battle against Falco He does this pose, but instead says "Better luck next time, Falco"

In Competitive play

Matchups

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Character Matchups

Avg.

Role in Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary

An Arwing is seen engaging the battleship Halberd, but is soon struck and begins to fall toward it. This causes Kirby and Zelda/Peach to be blown overboard in its wake.

It is later shown that the Arwing crash-landed at the edge of a jungle, near a lake. Diddy Kong discovers the Arwing, but Rayquaza rises from the lake and territorially attacks the Arwing with an Energy Ball setting it aflame. As Diddy is snatched up by the provoked Pokémon, Fox is ejected from the cockpit of the burning Arwing and proceeds to effortlessly rescue Diddy from the clutches of the serpentine Pokémon using his Fox Illusion and Reflector.

Fox in the SSE

After the two defeat the giant Pokémon, Fox attempts to leave, but is dragged back by Diddy and follows him deeper into the jungle. Soon, they fight a Shadowbug clone of Bowser and defeat it. Suddenly, the real Bowser fires his Dark Cannon at them, and Fox barely dodges the shot. Although Diddy is eager to fight Bowser, Fox knows that they can't survive against his Dark Cannon, so he grabs Diddy and jumps off a cliff.

After recovering from the fall and quickly making their way through The Swamp, they are ambushed by Bowser again, who succeeds in turning Diddy into a trophy. Bowser then attempts to turn Fox into a trophy, but he manages to dodge the shot, so Bowser sends some Shadowbugs to clone Diddy's trophy, outnumbering Fox. Falco suddenly appears out of nowhere in his Arwing and saves Fox from Bowser by destroying his Dark Cannon, forcing Bowser to escape. The Diddy clone begins to absorb more Shadowbugs, becoming gigantic as a result. Fox uses the opportunity to revive the real Diddy, and the three fight the clone. After Falco unwillingly joined the group, they find a ship carrying Donkey Kong's trophy to a floating island. The Great Fox suddenly appears, and as Falco and Diddy attempt to free DK, Fox plans to take down the Halberd with the Great Fox.

The Great Fox duels with the Halberd, but it ends up getting carried away by it, gets crashed into a mountain, and flies away in smoke. Later on, as Peach and Sheik are making their escape after Snake frees them, Fox is seen attacking the Halberd again in his Arwing. During the fire-fight, some of the Arwing's blasters hit dangerously close to Peach. Sheik does a very high range teleport on top of the Arwing and breaks open the cockpit. Both Sheik and Fox fall out of the Arwing and on the Halberd deck. They start running towards each other at high speeds and just before they break into a fight, Peach randomly offers them a cup of tea. Although Fox is shocked by this, when Sheik accepts hers, he accepts his as well. Just as they do, a group of Shadowbug Mr. Game & Watches fall from the Halberd's cockpit and form into Duon. The three are joined by Lucario and Snake (who knocked them down there in the first place), as well as Falco who arrives on another Arwing, and defeat the monster. Duon leaves behind the real Mr. Game & Watch trophy as it disappears. Fox prepares to blast the trophy, but Peach approaches it and revives Mr. Game & Watch. Fox joins the rest of the heroes in the assault on the Subspace Gunship and the attack on Tabuu although he would be one of the many heroes to be transformed into trophies by Tabuu. However, like the other heroes, his trophy could be found and be revived by King Dedede, Luigi, and Ness in Subspace. After being rescued, he join the rest of the heroes to go to The Great Maze and defeat Tabuu.

Exclusive Stickers

The following stickers can either be only used by Fox, or by a select few characters including Fox:

• Fox (Star Fox Command): [Tail] Attack +18
• Fox (Star Fox Adventures): [Arm, Leg] Attack +15
• Wolf: [Arm, Leg] Attack +15
• Pigma: [Arm] Attack + 7
• Krystal (Star Fox Adventures): [Electric] Attack +28
• ROB: [Electric] Resistance +15
• Krystal (Star Fox Command): [Energy] Attack +12
• Falco (Star Fox Command): [Energy] Attack +14
• Fox (Star Fox 64): [Energy] Attack +18
• Fox (Star Fox: Assault): [Energy] Attack +33
• Arwing: [Leg] Attack + 6
• Falco (Star Fox Adventures): [Specials: Indirect] Attack +11
• Wolfen (Star Fox 64): [Tail] Attack +16
• Krystal (Star Fox: Assault): [Tail] Attack +17
• Panther: [Tail] Attack +18
• Miniature Dachshund: [Tail] Attack +28
• Wolfen (Star Fox: Assault): [Tail] Attack +30
• Falco (Star Fox 64): [Weapon] Attack +11
• Andrew: Launch Resistance + 7

Costumes

Fox's alternate costumes in SSBB

Trophies

• 

  Main trophy

• 

  Trophy based on his Star Fox: Assault model

Trivia

• Fox holds the world record for Co-Op Target Smash!! Level 3 with Pit (completed in 4.03 seconds).
• The early trailers of Super Smash Bros. Brawl featured Fox constantly holding his blaster, instead of holstering it as usual.
• If Fox uses a Forward Aerial during a Mini Light Brawl, the momentum created by the attack actually causes him to float upwards.

External links

• Fox's page at Smash Bros. DOJO!!
• Fox Character Guide at SWF
• Fox's Moves - History Behind Super Smash Bros. Brawl, by CrappyCaptureDevice