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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Wolf (SSBU)

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Revision as of 02:17, January 26, 2020 by NaughtyPigMario (talk | contribs) (→‎Active)
This article is about Wolf's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the character in other contexts, see Wolf O'Donnell.
Wolf
in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Wolf SSBU.png
StarFoxSymbol.svg
Universe Star Fox
Other playable appearance in Brawl


Availability Unlockable
Final Smash Team Star Wolf
Wolf (SSBU)
“ 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 fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was announced on June 12th, 2018 and 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 with new voice clips, while Kosuke Takaguchi, Wolf's Japanese voice actor from Star Fox 64 3D and Star Fox Zero, reprises his role in the Japanese version, replacing Mahito Oba.

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 7th 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, as he is a middleweight. 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 some of the most noticeable changes of any returning veteran, similarly to Link and Mr. Game & Watch. Being a last-minute addition in Brawl, most of his moveset has been reanimated to look more polished and further differentiate from Fox. As a result, Wolf received a mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition from Brawl, but has been considerably buffed overall.

Like most of the returning veterans, his initial dash is much faster, while his run and air speed 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's lasers deal more damage and knockback, 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 a vastly more effective approach option, his forward aerial has become an excellent combo starter due to its 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 KO option in his back throw, and useful combo starters in his up throw and down throw. Finally, Wolf Flash and Fire Wolf are far stronger, giving him two more powerful, if risky, KO options; the former in particular can now be aimed 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 for KOing offstage.

However, Wolf has received a few significant nerfs as well. Some of his moves have received increased lag in all aspects, such as his forward smash, down smash, 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, he has a more difficult time scoring KOs as his finishers are much harder to land in general, forcing him to either time them precisely or lure the opponent into them; while he does possess KO setups into Wolf Flash offstage, they are extremely risky, as Wolf will self-destruct more often than not and the opponent can DI to avoid them. Additionally, several of his moves have reduced range to various degrees, most notably his new forward smash, which no longer travels a considerable distance forward, and his forward aerial, which has lost its deceptively large disjoint. His already poor recovery has been made worse, as both Fire Wolf and Wolf Flash have decreased distance, making him more susceptible to edgeguarding 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. However, Wolf's results have become worse overtime as Zackray who was his strongest player dropped him in favor of Joker as well as MkLeo and Tweek abandoning him in favor of other characters. As such, Wolf's viability has been questionable as players are debating on whether Wolf is as good as originally imagined. Regardless, he still has above average results and is widely agreed to be significantly better than he was in Brawl.

Aesthetics

  •   Wolf's design takes some elements from his appearance in Star Fox Zero. He now sports a traditional eye patch instead of a visor, and his normal eye is red instead of purple. His fur is also more detailed and fluffier due to the game's graphical improvements.
  •   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 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 are now old gold instead of gray. Lastly, Wolf no longer carries his reflecting device around. These changes make Wolf's design largely unique to Ultimate.
  •   All of Wolf's alternate costumes are completely renewed, two of which are based on his appearance in Star Fox Zero and Andrew Oikonny. He has gained two more additional costumes, bringing his total up to the standard eight.
  •   Like many other characters, Wolf is more expressive. He now smirks in an evil manner on certain occasions, like his side taunt, spotdodging, when grabbing opponents, and his up victory pose.
  •   All of Wolf's claw-based attacks now sport purple claw trails.
  •   The majority of Wolf's animations are more fluid and polished. He now has many animations of his own rather than reusing Fox's. This includes the animations for his air dodge, rolls, spot dodge, and shielding, among several others.
  •   Walking, dashing, and falling animations have all been altered.
  •   Crouching animation has been altered. He now kneels akin to the other spacies instead of laying on all four limbs. 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 fur has physics-based movement.
  •   Wolf's ears now have unique animations, such as bending while dashing and twitching during his Brawl idle animation.
  •   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 has a new side taunt, a beckoning gesture with two fingers 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 only has the audience howling, instead of going "Wooolf! - *howl*".
  •   All of Wolf's victory poses have been given either updated animations or dialogues.
    •   He has a new left-inputted victory pose where he claws the air and poses, replacing the victory pose where he snarls, crosses his arms and then laughs.
    •   His up-inputted victory pose now has him saying "You're good, but I'm better.", one of his famous lines from Star Fox 64. This replaces his "I will be the one to...take you down!" line from Brawl.
    •   His right-inputted victory pose ending animation has been altered as he now extends his right arm, keeping his left arm closer to his face as the camera zooms in. In addition, he now says "Weaklings, the lot of you." instead of "Weaklings, the bunch of you.".
  •   Wolf's specific victory dialogue against Fox ("Playtime's over, Star Fox!") has a chance of being used on any of his three victory poses rather than solely on the left-inputted victory pose.
  •   Wolf's tumbling animation no longer detaches his left arm from his elbow.

Attributes

  •   Wolf 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 transitions to his idle animation from Brawl when 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 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 takes 3 frames to complete (down from 5).
  •   Wolf is significantly lighter (102 → 92), going from above average to below average weight. 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 they allow 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:
    •   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 smaller hitboxes (4u/3u/3u → 1.6u/1.8u/2.2u/2.2u (hit 1), 3u/3.5u/4u → 2u/2.5u/3u (hit 2), 5u/4u/4u → 2.5u/2.8u/4u (hit 3)) with a shorter duration (2 frames → 1 frame).
    •   The first two hits have higher hitlag multipliers (1× → 1.6× (hit 1), 1.2× (hit 2)) and SDI multipliers (0.5× (hit 1), 0.3× (hit 2) → 1×).
    •   The third hit no longer deals extra shield damage (6 → 0).
    •   The first two hits have altered angles (80°/35°/30° → 361°/180° (hit 1), 20°/15°/45° → 361° (hit 2)) and knockback (22/26/28 base/30 scaling (hit 1), 35/50/15/25 (hit 2) → 25/20 base/25/20 scaling) 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.
    •   Neutral attack has a much cleaner look overall. The ending hit is a third claw swipe instead of a lunging bite.
  • 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 less 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 is no longer impossible to SDI (0× → 1×).
    •   The first hit has a different angle (361° → 60°) and a lower hitlag multiplier (3× → 1.8×).
    •   The second hit has more base knockback (40 → 55), but less knockback scaling (120 → 106). This slightly worsens its KO ability from center stage, but improves it near edges.
    •   The move has an updated animation where Wolf forcefully brings his claws together.
  • Up tilt:
    •   Up tilt's hitboxes that affect both grounded and aerial opponents have reversed priority (10%/9%/8% → 8%/9%/10%), making the sweetspot harder to land.
    •   All hitboxes except the grounded-and-aerial sweetspot are smaller (6u/5u/5u → 4.5u).
    •   The 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.
  • Dash attack:
    •   Wolf has a new dash attack: a lunging kick instead of a backflip.
    •   It no longer halts Wolf's momentum, instead boosting him forward a considerable distance. This drastically increases its horizontal range, despite its hitboxes being smaller (3.5u/4.5u/5u → 2.5u/3.5u/4u). It can also cross-up opponents despite the changes to the jostle mechanics.
    •   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 and smaller hitboxes, dash attack has less vertical range.
    •   It no longer deals extra shield damage (1 → 0), although it is still more damaging against shields due to its increased damage output.
  • Forward smash:
    •   Wolf has a new forward smash: a forceful standing palm strike that deals one hit instead of two.
    •   Due to 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 more consistent and 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 double the startup lag (frame 10 → 20), no longer being one of the fastest forward smashes in the game.
      •   However, it has less ending lag (FAF 46 → 42), especially given the slower startup. Coupled with its increased damage and much higher shieldstun, it is now safe on shield and can be used to bait approaches.
    •   It does not have Wolf lunge as far forward, and its hitboxes are smaller (4.5u/4u/3u (hit 1), 6.5u/5u (hit 2) → 3.5u/3u), significantly decreasing its range.
  • 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 utility for approaching.
    •   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 ability to KO earlier horizontally.
    •   The move has an altered animation: a breakdance-style rotation followed by an upward dropkick. The hits are 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 increased knockback (50 base/90/60 scaling → 37 base/93 scaling (hit 1), 50 base/90 scaling (hit 2)). As a result, the sweetspots are 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 KO opponents near edges at much lower percents, especially if Wolf has rage.
    •   Down smash has noticeably more startup with a shorter hitbox duration (frames 8-10 → 14-15 (hit 1), 14-16 → 21-22 (hit 2)), and more ending lag (FAF 35 → 44).
    •   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 second hit has considerably smaller hitboxes (5.5u/4.4u/4.4u → 2.5u/3u/3.5u).
    •   The move's animation has been altered: Wolf swipes both sides with one hand.

Aerial attacks

  • Neutral aerial:
    •   Wolf has a new neutral aerial: a sex kick similar to Fox's.
    •   It has one frame less landing lag (10 frames → 9).
    •   It deals more damage (8% → 12% (clean), 3%/1% → 8% (late)).
    •   The clean hit uses three hitboxes instead of only one (4u → 4.2u/4.2u/3.5u), while the late hit has larger hitboxes (4u/2.5u/2.5u → 4u/4u/3u), and both cover a larger area in front of Wolf due to the move's new animation. This greatly improves its utility as an approach option.
    •   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 increases 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.
    •   Its hitboxes are much smaller (7u/5u/4u → 4.5u/4u/3.5u), no longer possessing a large disjoint.
    •   Forward aerial sends opponents at a less vertical angle (75° → 60°).
  • 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, possessing 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 sourspots are smaller (5.3u/4.7u → 4.5u/4u) and now take priority over the sweetspot, requiring more careful spacing to KO efficiently with the move.
  • 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).
    •   The outermost hitbox is smaller (5.5u → 5u).
  • 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 low percents.
    •   The sourspot is smaller (6u → 5u) and now takes priority over the sweetspot.
    •   The move has a slightly altered animation, where Wolf swipes downwards instead of plunging his fists down.

Throws and other attacks

  • Grabs:
    •   All grabs have more ending lag (FAF 30 → 37 (standing), 40 → 45 (dash), 35 → 40 (pivot)).
    •   Dash grab has less startup lag (frame 11 → 8).
  • Pummel:
    •   Pummel deals more damage (1% → 1.3%).
    •   It deals significantly more hitlag (4 frames → 14), lengthening its duration. Combined with the majority of other characters receiving similar pummel durations, it is no longer the fastest in the game.
  • Forward throw:
    •   Forward throw has a different animation, where Wolf slashes the opponent away instead of punching them. The first hit has a slash effect instead of a neutral effect.
    •   It has one frame less ending lag (FAF 34 → 33).
    •   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), no longer KOing under 350% even at the edge.
  • Back throw:
    •   Back throw has a different animation, where Wolf performs a jumping slash from below, instead of fully somersaulting and slashing the opponent from above.
    •   It has less startup (frame 26 (hit 1), 27 (throw) → 23, 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)) with no compensation on 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 different animation, where Wolf 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.
    •   It 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, this allows it to combo into Wolf Flash at mid percents.
  • Floor attacks:
    •   Floor attacks deal more damage (6% → 7%) and shield damage (1 → 8) per hit, with minimally compensated knockback scaling (50 → 48).
      •   They have less startup (frame 19 (front), frame 17 (back) → 16 (both)) and ending lag (FAF 50 → 46).
    •   Their angles have been altered (361° → 48°).
  • Edge attack:
    •   Wolf has a new edge attack, an inward slash.
    •   It deals more damage than his previous under 100% edge attack (8%/6% → 9%), and no longer has set knockback (110 set/100 scaling → 90 base/20 scaling), making it stronger at higher percents.
    •   It has less startup (frame 25 → 24) and grants more intangibility (frames 1-23 → 1-26).
    •   It has more ending lag (FAF 55 → 56), while its hitboxes have a shorter duration (frames 25-32 → 24-26) and are smaller (5.76u → 5u).
    •   Its angle has been altered (361° → 45°).

Special moves

  • Blaster:
    •   Both the bayonet's hitbox and the lasers deal more damage (4% → 7% (bayonet), 5% early/6% clean/5% late → 6%/8%/7% (laser)) and knockback (70 base/40 scaling → 80/37 (bayonet), 20/24/20 set/100 scaling → 35/40/30/120 (laser)).
    •   The lasers have a longer duration (frames 16-48 → 16-50).
    •   Blaster has more ending lag (FAF 45 → 53), hindering its camping ability, while the bayonet's hitbox has more startup (frame 11 → 15).
    •   The lasers have received negative shield damage (0 → -3/-4/-3.5), effectively dealing half their usual damage to shields.
    •   The bayonet's 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.
    •   Wolf has an altered animation for firing lasers: it is a thrust forward before a firing animation that causes the Blaster to recoil upwards, instead of Brawl's downwards draw animation.
    •   The lasers fired from Wolf's Blaster are colored purple instead of green. The blaster itself has a new design and updated sound effects.
  • Wolf Flash:
    •   Wolf Flash can 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, despite having smaller hitboxes overall (3u/10u → 4u/7u). In particular, it can 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.
    •   The move 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.
    •   It has been given updated visual effects: its trail 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 first hit and looping hits deal more base knockback with minimal knockback scaling, rather than using set knockback (15 set/100 scaling → 50 base/10 scaling (hit 1), 60/0/70/70 set/70/12/70/50 scaling → 60/35/60/40 base/20 scaling (looping hits)), which may cause opponents to get hit out of range at very high percents, but overall helps them link better.
    •   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.
    •   The grounded version's last hit has larger hitboxes (6u/6u/5u → 6u/8u/5u).
    •   The move travels less distance, worsening its recovery potential.
    •   All hits except the grounded version's last hit have smaller hitboxes (8u → 7u (hit 1), 7u/9u/3.5u/3.5u → 5u/6u/3.5u/3.5u (looping hits), 9u → 6u (aerial, last hit)).
    •   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 delivers the final kick aimed in the direction he traveled rather then performing a horizontal kick.
  • Reflector:
    •   Reflector deals more damage (3% → 4%).
    •   Its hitbox is larger (6u → 9u), and has less startup with a longer duration (frames 8-9 → 6-8).
    •   Reflected projectiles have a higher damage multiplier (1.3x → 1.5x).
    •   It has been given a hitbox once a projectile has been successfully reflected, which deals 5% damage.
    •   Due to explosive hitboxes now being reflectable, it protects Wolf from all types of explosives when active (with the exception of sudden death Bob-ombs).
    •   The ending lag of the held variant has been reduced (FAF 18 → 13). Additionally, the aerial version no longer has 1 additional frame of lag, matching the grounded version.
      •   A 10-frame window has been added where Wolf is locked in his reflection hitbox before he can cancel out of the move, resulting in the move having increased ending lag (FAF 27 grounded/28 aerial → 31).
    •   Its intangibility has more startup with a shorter duration (frames 1-9 → 5-8), 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.
    •   Reflector has updated visual effects, resembling a force field. It also has unique sound effects that are no longer shared with Fox's Reflector.
    •   It has an altered animation, where Wolf holds out his reflecting device. He also always faces the screen while Reflector is active.
  • 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!" and summons a large aiming reticle in front of him. If the crosshair successfully catches a target, a cutscene is initiated where Wolf yells, "Grahaha! The hunt is on, boys!" with it captioned on screen. The target is then fired at with the Wolfen's lasers, and then launched horizontally 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.

Update history

Wolf has received a mix of buffs and nerfs via game updates. In 3.0.0, on top of the universal shield changes which hinder Blaster's shield damage, the sweetspot of his down smash's front hit, infamous among the community for its extreme power especially near edges, was made slightly weaker. An exploit that allowed Wolf to reduce Wolf Flash's landing lag with a directional air dodge was also removed. These nerfs, however, were negligible as he still retained all of his positive traits and continued to perform very well in tournaments.

Wolf was once again nerfed in 3.1.0, which slightly weakened his down smash's frontal sweetspot a second time, reduced the range of Fire Wolf's last hit, and most significantly increased the ending lag of Blaster, previously notable as a safe neutral tool that could counter approaches with relatively low risk. However, this update also brought some buffs to Wolf: his neutral attack and Fire Wolf connect more reliably, the former no longer causing the third hit to miss characters at high percents, and Reflector is overall faster by one frame. It is unknown how these changes will affect Wolf in the long run, as while the nerfs are more impactful than in the previous update, he has also received noteworthy buffs.

  3.0.0

  •   The sweetspotted front hit of down smash deals less knockback scaling with its base knockback not fully compensated, weakening it overall (50 base/90 scaling → 56/82).
  •   Blaster's lasers have received negative shield damage (0 → -3/-4/-3.5 (early/clean/late)), effectively dealing half their usual damage to shields.
  •   Using a directional air dodge before Wolf Flash no longer reduces its landing lag. However, the reduced landing lag still persists if Wolf lands while helpless.

  3.1.0

  •   Neutral attack has received various changes to connect more reliably.
    •   The first hit's second hitbox has been moved closer to Wolf (Z offset: 6.5u → 8u), with the third and fourth hitboxes instead covering a larger horizontal area (Z offset: 11u → 10u-11u) and having more knockback scaling (15 → 20), better dragging opponents towards Wolf.
    •   The second and third hit's outermost hitboxes are displaced further horizontally (Z offset: 11u → 12u (hit 2), 9.5u → 11u (hit 3)). As a result, the third hit is less likely to miss opponents after the second hit at higher percents.
  •   The sweetspotted front hit of down smash deals noticeably less base knockback, but has more knockback scaling (56 base/82 scaling → 37/93), causing it to KO later near edges and from center stage.
    •   However, this allows it to KO slightly earlier from across the stage.
  •   Blaster has more ending lag (FAF 50 → 53).
  •   Fire Wolf's first hit and looping hits deal less knockback (40 base/25 scaling → 50/10 (hit 1), 60/98/60/88 base → 60/35/60/40 (looping hits)), allowing them to connect more reliably.
  •   The last hit of Fire Wolf has smaller hitboxes (9u → 6u).
  •   Reflector has less startup lag (frame 7 → 6) with identical ending lag (FAF 32 → 31), shortening its minimum duration.
  •   Reflector grants intangibility earlier (frame 6 → 5).
  •   Reflector reflects projectiles earlier (frame 10 → 9).

Moveset

For a gallery of Wolf's hitboxes, see here.

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

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack   2% An inward slash with his left hand, followed by another inward slash with his right, finishing with an outward swipe with the right. 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 and launch angle 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. It also has the chance to trip, which can potentially make it a combo starter. 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% Rears back, then performs a forceful palm strike. While it has slow startup, hitting on frame 20, it has notoriously low ending lag (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) A breakdance-like spin followed by an upward dropkick. It has the fastest start-up of his smash attacks. The first hit offers surprisingly long horizontal range, which when combined with its moderately fast startup, makes it a great out-of-shield option. 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, its power is slightly below-average for a smash attack, not KOing middleweights until around 120% uncharged, 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 with the same hand. 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), making it safe on shield if spaced, can reliably 2 frame punish opponents, and the sweetspots are extremely powerful, with the front hit's sweetspot being among the strongest down smashes in the game and 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 and knockback 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, has a longer duration, 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 due to its frequent use in his neutral game.
Back aerial   11% (body), 13% (leg), 15% (foot) A backwards kick. 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 down 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. However, the lower angle makes it a rather potent tech-chasing move at higher percentages.
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. However, its launching angle is mostly diagonal, making it somewhat easy to DI.
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 60-100% percent range, it can also combo into Wolf Flash depending on weight and DI, though doing this close to an edge will cause Wolf to self-destruct in the process, making it a high-risk, high-reward combo.
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. It has the ability to be able to reliably disrupt and force approaches thanks to its decent lag, as well as the laser's moderately large size and transcendent priority. Unlike most projectiles, it has great utility in close-quarters combat, as the blaster itself has a hitbox on the bayonet which connects to the laser, dealing decent damage if both hits connect. As a result, it is an excellent tool in Wolf's neutral game, due to the myriad of abilities it is capable of. This move is the centerpiece of Wolf's neutral game and is widely considered to be one of the best projectiles in the game.
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 more in front of him 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 renders him helpless, and has high landing lag (30 frames), making it very risky to use and requiring Wolf to choose 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, which makes it a potent edgeguarding tool if used correctly.
Down special Reflector 4% (startup), 5% (reflection), 1.5× 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 5-8), and damages opponents in addition to launching them at a mostly vertical angle (65°), granting it some combo potential. There's also another hitbox that comes out once Wolf reflects a projectile that deals 5% damage. Unlike Fox's Reflector, Wolf's version does not stall him upon first use 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 cutscene 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 asking "Are you scared?" (どうした、どうした?, What's wrong, what's wrong?).
  • Down taunt: Kneels down, slaps the ground with one hand and makes a howling-esque noise.
    • Smash Taunt: Kneels down before contacting Team Star Wolf. This can only be done on Lylat Cruise, and is performed by tapping the down taunt command. Wolf will hold a pose for a few seconds, then a conversation will begin. This can only be done once each round and if the player is hit while Wolf is holding his pose before the conversation starts, it is canceled.

  • Wolf's up taunt.

  • Wolf's side taunt.

  • Wolf's down taunt.

Idle poses

  • Claws at the air.
  • Pretends to howl.

  • Wolf's first idle pose

  • Wolf's second idle pose

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.

  • Left: Raises his right hand towards his face. He then moves his arms in alternating circular motions before bringing his left arm towards his right side. He then concludes by swinging out his left arm while raising his right, assuming a martial arts stance.
  • Up: Performs two alternating slashes and an inverted roundhouse kick, saying "You're good, but I'm better." (貴様を倒すのはこの俺様だ！, You will be defeated by the very me!). After the kick, Wolf assumes a low-postured stance in which he raises his right arm behind himself while he holds out his left while smirking.
  • Right: While facing away from the camera, Wolf raises his right arm. He then turns quickly toward the camera, gesturing towards the screen with his claws. During the entirety of the pose, he scoffs and says "Weaklings! The lot of you." (弱者どもめ。, 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.

In competitive play

Initial opinions of Wolf were mixed before the release of Ultimate, with players noting the loss of his renowned back aerial and powerful DACUS, reduced invinciblity from Reflector, alongside Wolf Flash still causing helplessness, which was a big detriment compared to Fox and Falco's respective side specials. However, players began to realise the effectiveness of Wolf's buffs past the game's release, as it gave him a powerful projectile courtesy of his Blaster, effective combos due to his modified physics, and a notorious edgeguarding tool in down smash, which kept its high power even despite being nerfed twice through game updates. This caused Wolf to gain a renowned, controllable neutral game, allowing him to dictate the flow of battle through use of his Blaster, overall speed, and combo ability.

As a result, Wolf has consistently been a very popular pick in competitive play during Ultimate's early lifespan; he has been the most used character in many competitive events, including Pound 2019[1], EVO 2019, [2] and Valhalla III[3]. In addition, many professional players have attained strong results with the character, and players in general have agreed that Wolf is potentially one of the best characters in the game. However, Wolf's weaknesses have become more exploitable as the meta evolved, with his strongest mains either dropping him (Zackray) or moving to other characters (MkLeo and Tweek). This has put his current standing in the meta in question, although it is agreed that Wolf is a solid high tier at this point in time.

Notable players

Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the Fall 2019 PGRU, which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from July 13th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.

Active

Inactive

Classic Mode: Reunited Roster

 
Wolf's congratulations screen.

Wolf fights fighters who are veterans that did not appear in Super Smash Bros. 4, starting with the veterans that debuted in Super Smash Bros. Melee. 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 Base Boss Battle - Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Wolf has Star Wolf accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light

 
Finding Wolf 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)

Template:-

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

In Spirit Battles

As the main opponent

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
398
 
 Panther Caroso Star Fox series •Wolf  
 
 1,800 Corneria N/A •The enemy has increased move speed Star Wolf
399
 
 Wolfen Star Fox series •Wolf  
 
 9,200 Venom (Battlefield form) N/A •The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly
•The enemy has increased attack power
•The enemy has increased move speed 		Star Wolf (Brawl)
446
File:Cubone Spirit.png
 Cubone Pokémon series •Wolf  
 
 1,700 Luigi's Mansion •Item: Boomerang •Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue
479
File:Houndoom-Spirit.png
 Houndoom Pokémon series •Curry Wolf  
 
 4,100 Kalos Pokémon League (Blazing Chamber only) N/A •The enemy breathes fire Pokémon Gold / Pokémon Silver Medley
492
File:Absol.png
 Absol Pokémon series •Wolf  
 
 2,000 Spear Pillar (hazards off) N/A •The enemy starts the battle with a Death's Scythe Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon Ruby / Pokémon Sapphire
522
 
 Zoroark Pokémon series •Wolf  
•Lucario   (×3)
 
 3,500 Prism Tower N/A •Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Zoroark)
•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd 		Battle! (Reshiram/Zekrom)
600
File:Bio rex.png
 Bio Rex F-Zero series •Wolf  
 
 1,900 Port Town Aero Dive •Item Tidal Wave •The enemy becomes more powerful after eating
•Certain items will appear in large numbers after a little while 		Fire Field (Remix)
672
File:GangrelSpirit.png
 Gangrel Fire Emblem series •Wolf  
•Bayonetta  
 
 3,700 Find Mii (Ω form) N/A •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy has increased attack power 		Id (Purpose) (Remix)
796
 
 Sonic the Werehog Sonic the Hedgehog series •Wolf  
 
 4,200 Luigi's Mansion •Move Speed ↓
•Attack Power ↑
•Hazard: Fog 		•The stage is covered in fog
•The enemy's physical attacks have increased power
•The enemy has increased attack power 		Knight of the Wind
959
 
 Mumkhar Xenoblade Chronicles series •Wolf  
 
 3,800 Gaur Plain (hazards off) •Metal Shift
•Giant 		•The enemy is giant when the enemy's at high damage
•The enemy will occasionally turn metal when the enemy's at high damage
•Stamina battle 		You Will Know Our Names
976
File:Hogansalley.png
 Gangster, Lady, & Policeman Hogan's Alley •Wolf  
•Peach  
•Ike  
 
 1,700 Tomodachi Life (Battlefield form) N/A •Defeat the main fighter to win Duck Hunt Medley Gangster
1,073
 
 Werewolf Castlevania series •Wolf  
 
 3,600 Luigi's Mansion (Battlefield form) N/A •The enemy's physical attacks have increased power
•The enemy has increased move speed 		Crash in the Dark Night
1,254
 
 Toy Poodle Nintendogs series •Wolf   (×3)
•Ally: Duck Hunt  
 
 3,900 Living Room •Assist Trophy Enemies (Nintendog) •Join forces with a CPU ally
•Hostile assist trophies will appear
•The enemy has increased move speed 		Bathtime Theme
1,363
File:Iori Yagami.png
 Iori Yagami THE KING OF FIGHTERS series •Wolf (×2) (   )
 
 9,500 Reset Bomb Forest (second room only) N/A •Stanina Battle
•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
•All fighters have reduced jump power 		Stormy Saxophone 2 - KOF '96 Wild Iori (default costume)

As a minion

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
395
 
 Leon Powalski Star Fox series •Yoshi  
•Wolf  
•Ally: Falco  
 
 3,700 Venom (Ω form) N/A •You lose if your CPU ally is KO'd Star Wolf (Brawl) Wolf O'Donnell
396
File:Generalpigman.png
 Pigma Dengar Star Fox series •Wario  
•Wolf  
 
 4,300 Lylat Cruise (Battlefield form) •Move Speed ↑ •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy has increased move speed when the enemy's at high damage
•The enemy tends to avoid conflict 		Star Wolf (Brawl) Wolf O'Donnell
916
File:GeoStelar&OmegaXis.png
 Geo Stelar & Omega-Xis Mega Man Star Force series •Richter  
•Wolf  
 
 3,900 Moray Towers •Hazard: Zap Floor •The floor is electrified Shooting Star Omega-Xis
1,368
 
 Zacian & Zamazenta Pokémon series •Fox  
•Wolf  
 
 13,900 Spear Pillar (Ω form) N/A •The enemy starts the battle with a Killing Edge The Battle at the Summit! Zamazenta

Alternate costumes

 
               

Gallery

Character Showcase Video

Trivia

  
Wolf's left foot being twisted around during his
forward tech rolling animation (left) and on his
"Up" victory pose on the Results Screen (right).
  • 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. [4] [5]
    • Oddly, in his showcase video, the inconsistencies only appear in the final part of the video, when he attacks Fox.
    • They are also present in Fox's, Mewtwo's, and Corrin's character showcase videos.
    • Additionally, the inconsistencies are used for his model in the first five screenshots of his character page on the Smash Bros. Ultimate official website.
  • The visual effects for all of Wolf's claw-based attacks display three slash trails, despite attacking with four fingers.
  • Wolf's unique line when winning a match against Fox 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 either his official artwork or amiibo. Additional straps were added on his shinguards that match the color of the bands on his gloves.
  • Wolf is the only playable Star Fox character whose voice actor from Brawl reprises their role in Ultimate, while Fox and Falco's voice actors were changed from Brawl to Smash 4, which is retained in Ultimate.
  • Unlike in Brawl, looking through Wolf's eyepatch reveals that the eye socket is empty.
  • Navigating the camera around Wolf's model reveals that there are a few gaps in some parts of his body including:
    • Between the bandana and collar in the back.[6]
    • Between the left side of his waist and jacket. It's more noticeable to see in this video.[7][8]
    • Underneath between his jacket and lower waist.[9][10]
      • Additionally, Wolf's zipper disconnects from his jacket when performing certain animations such as his idle pose or hanging on an edge. This also happens with Falco.
      • Certain animations will also cause the nape of Wolf's neck to detach from his bandanna, exposing a gap.
  • There's currently an animation error with Wolf's forward teching animation, his left foot will be twisted the other way when rolling.
    • The same thing happens for exactly 1 frame during the roundhouse kick segment of his "Up" victory pose.
  • When Wolf walks off a platform with his left leading foot, his body becomes slightly disfigured. This is better seen when playing game in slow motion.
    • Additionally, if he throws an item upward while airborne, both his arms will be dis-positioned before snapping back to to normal.
  • Wolf, Marth, Lucina, Young Link, Roy and Chrom are the only characters that uses their crouching animation from their previous Smash Bros. game when holding a small item (in Chrom's case, he uses Roy's previous crouching animation).
    • This makes Wolf, Marth, and Lucina the only characters to have both updated idle and crouching animations, but will transition to their previous animations when holding a small item.
  • Wolf is the only Star Fox character:
  • Much like in Brawl, Wolf's supine floor attack is the only arm-based attack that involves him punching rather than using his claws.
  • Despite Wolf's design changing from Brawl, the Star Fox Smash Taunt reuses his design from Brawl. This is also the case with Fox and Falco.
  • If Fox is present in the match, the lasers fired from Wolf's Blaster generates a black smoke effect when hitting an opponent, an item or wall, much like the lasers fired from Fox's Blaster.

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ [3]
  4. ^ [4]
  5. ^ [5]
  6. ^ [6]
  7. ^ [7]
  8. ^ [8]
  9. ^ [9]
  10. ^ [10]


Fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Veterans Bayonetta · Bowser · Bowser Jr. · Captain Falcon · Cloud · Corrin · Dark Pit · Diddy Kong · Donkey Kong · Dr. Mario · Duck Hunt · Falco · Fox · Ganondorf · Greninja · Ice Climbers · Ike · Jigglypuff · King Dedede · Kirby · Link · Little Mac · Lucario · Lucas · Lucina · Luigi · Mario · Marth · Mega Man · Meta Knight · Mewtwo · Mii Fighter (Mii Brawler · Mii Gunner · Mii Swordfighter) · Mr. Game & Watch · Ness · Olimar · Pac-Man · Palutena · Peach · Pichu · Pikachu · Pit · Pokémon Trainer (Charizard · Ivysaur · Squirtle) · R.O.B. · Robin · Rosalina & Luma · Roy · Ryu · Samus · Sheik · Shulk · Snake · Sonic · Toon Link · Villager · Wario · Wii Fit Trainer · Wolf · Yoshi · Young Link · Zelda · Zero Suit Samus
Newcomers Banjo & Kazooie · Byleth · Chrom · Daisy · Dark Samus · Hero · Incineroar · Inkling · Isabelle · Joker · Kazuya · Ken · King K. Rool · Min Min · Piranha Plant · Pyra / Mythra  · Richter · Ridley · Sephiroth · Simon · Sora · Steve · Terry
  Star Fox universe
Fighters Fox (SSB · SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Falco (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Wolf (SSBB · SSBU)
Assist Trophies Andross · Krystal
Stages Sector Z · Corneria · Venom · Lylat Cruise · Orbital Gate Assault
Items Smart Bomb
Other Leon Powalski · Panther Caroso · Peppy Hare · ROB 64 · Slippy Toad
Vehicles Arwing · Great Fox · Landmaster · Wolfen
Trophies, Stickers, and Spirits Trophies (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4) · Stickers · Spirits
Music Brawl · SSB4 · Ultimate
Masterpiece Star Fox 64

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