Falco (SSB4)

Falco in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Star Fox
Other playable appearances	in Melee in Brawl
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Landmaster
Tier	F (38)

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

Falco is currently ranked 38th out of 56th on the tier list, placing him in the F tier and making him the second lowest ranking character in that tier. When taking into account his ranking of 7th out of 38 in Brawl, Falco's tier drop is the third largest since Brawl, while his ranking in SSB4 marks the first time that he has fallen out of top-tier contention, a predicament shared with Marth. All of Falco's moves have high speed, decent range and favorable angles, granting him a very resilient combo game and strong juggling capabilities. These are further aided by his good grab game and strong jumps, with the latter once again being the highest in the game. However, Falco's neutral game has been drastically weakened, with his two staple moves, Blaster and down aerial, now being much slower. Both are also incapable of autocanceling from a short hop, eliminating Falco's ability to approach safely. Finally, even though the removal of hitstun canceling makes his down throw much better for combos, it can no longer lead into the Gatling Combo due to said combo having been removed or rack up damage on its own. In the end, while Falco is technically better overall, the sheer weakening of the tools that gave him a powerful neutral game has resulted in low tournament representation and poor results for him.

How to unlock

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

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

Falco must then be defeated on Corneria.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

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

Falco must then be defeated on Orbital Gate Assault.

Attributes

Falco is a light character with polarized movement. Unsurprisingly for a bird, he can ascend highly into the air courtesy of his jumps being the strongest in the game. Falco also possesses a fast walking speed, fast falling speed and average air acceleration, but a rather slow dashing speed, low air speed and very high gravity. These stats give Falco slow horizontal movement, but proficient vertical movement. They also give him good vertical survivability for a character of his weight.

Falco's greatest strength is the resilience of his moveset. His neutral attack and forward tilt are both exceedingly quick, while up tilt and down tilt can be used to combo into another attack or KO at high percentages. His smash attacks are all powerful and have decent range as well. Down smash is also a semi-spike, making it very good at edgeguarding. His aerial moves are also powerful in their own way. Neutral aerial is very quick and deals 11% if all of its hits connect, making it excellent at disrupting the opponent's moves and a great combo finisher. Forward aerial is powerful and can easily KO off-stage. It also has a strong landing hitbox which sends the opponent away if the move wasn't over. Up aerial sends opponents vertically and is a great move for combos and KOing off the top, thanks to Falco's high jumps. Back aerial is Falco's strongest aerial, as well as his second fastest, making it a great choice in any case. Lastly, down aerial, while significantly nerfed from Brawl, can still be useful for KOing off-stage due to its meteor smashing capability. All of these traits grant Falco a very versatile combo game.

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

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

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

Falco has a number of useful custom moves. Burst Blaster has less range, but is much faster, forcing bad approaches from the opponent much more easily. Falco Phase cannot damage opponents and does not grant any momentum, the latter of which is a trait shared with the Melee version of Falco Phantasm, but it also enables Falco to not be hurt either and is also faster. Distant Fire Bird is slower and has no charging hitbox, a trait shared with the Melee version of Fire Bird, but it moves further and has more momentum, considerably improving his recovery. Reflector Void destroys most projectiles instead of reflecting them, but deals more damage on contact, and is the optimal choice against certain characters like Villager or if the opponent lacks projectiles. Aside from these options, Falco's other custom moves are either very situational or do not have worthwhile advantages over his default specials.

Due to his neutral game being severely nerfed since Brawl, Falco's weaknesses tend to outweigh his strengths, resulting in infamously low tournament representation and similar results outside of Keitaro's and Cyro's efforts.

Changes from Brawl

Falco has received a mix of buffs and nerfs, but even though the former are more than the latter, he is considered to be nerfed overall.

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

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

Aesthetics

• As part of the aesthetic used in SSB4, Falco's overall color scheme is brighter compared to how it looked in Brawl. Additionally, his eye reticle is smaller than it was in Brawl.
• Falco now says "Get some!" when he performs his side taunt, instead of "Don't try me."

Attributes

• Falco's dashes faster (1.432 → 1.472).
• Falco's air speed is faster (0.893 → 0.93).
• Falco's air acceleration is faster (0.07 → 0.09).
• Falco's falling speed is faster (1.708 → 1.8), which makes him harder to KO, but slightly more susceptible to combos.
• The removal of chain grabbing weakens Falco's approach, as he can no longer chain grab with his down throw. However, it also improves his overall endurance, as he is no longer vulnerable to chain grabs himself.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack now transitions into a finisher, where Falco swipes his wing across.
• Sweetspotted down tilt's base knockback has been increased (25 → 50), restoring its KOing potential from Melee. The removal of hitstun canceling also makes it a good combo starter at low percents.
• Dash attack has doubled startup lag (frame 4 → 8).
• Forward smash has increased knockback (40 base/88 growth → 42/96).
• Forward smash hits 1 frame later (frame 16 → 17) and its reach has been decreased.
• Falco has a new up smash, a backflip kick. It deals 2% more damage (14% → 16%) and hits twice instead of once, with the first hit leading into the second and leaving no sourspot behind Falco. It also comes out 1 frame earlier (frame 8 → 7), hits better against crouching opponents and grants intangibility frames on Falco's legs. These changes make it stronger overall.
• Up smash's ending lag has been increased. The removal of DACUS and the Gatling Combo also remove up smash's potential as an option for KOing from his down throw, approaches and follow-ups and its combo potential, respectively.
• Down smash has been restored somewhat to how it functioned in Melee, as Falco's feet are now intangible during its start-up and charging periods. It also has increased knockback growth (70 → 78).

Aerial attacks

• Neutral and forward aerials hits connect together better due to launching opponents at the auto-link angle.
• Neutral aerial has more landing lag (9 frames → 15).
• Forward aerial deals 2% less damage (11% → 9%) and its start-up has been increased (6 frames → 10).
• Forward aerial's last hit's knockback has been altered (80 base/60 growth → 55/145), making it a very reliable KOing option off-stage. Its landing lag has also been decreased (33 frames → 25) and it has a new landing hitbox that deals 3%, which enables it to KO at around 160% on-stage.
• Falco has a new back aerial, where he kicks behind him while shortening more his body. It has much higher knockback growth (103 → 130) compared to the previous back aerial, now being one of the strongest of its kind if landed clean.
• Back aerial has less range and its lingering hitbox has been shortened by 8 frames.
• Up aerial deals 1% less damage (11% → 10%).
• Up aerial no longer has a sourspot and consistently launches opponents upward, improving its follow-up potential.
• Clean down aerial's angle has been altered (280° → 285°), allowing it launch opponents off-stage from slightly farther away from the ledge. Due to its 2.0x hitlag multiplier, the move also benefits considerably from frame cancelling upon landing.
• Down aerial's start-up and landing lag have been increased (start-up: frame 5 → 16, landing: 12 → 23 frames), which drastically weakens its utility and prevents it from auto-canceling from a short hop. Clean down aerial also has decreased knockback growth (100 → 80).

Throws/other attacks

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

Special moves

• Blaster can no longer auto-cancel, removing silent lasers. It also fires slower and the aerial speed increase is less significant than in Brawl. While it can still be used to jab reset, laser locking is no longer possible. These changes have removed all of this move's utility in approaching.
• Blaster shots now deal a consistent 3% damage regardless of distance.
• Falco Phantasm no longer dashes over edges when used on the ground. It also has less landing lag when used while airborne. It no longer leaves Falco helpless when used in midair and gives Falco some slight forward momentum after the move ends. The introduction of ledge-trumping also allows it to be used for gimping opponents after trumping the edge, while allowing him to recover using Fire Bird.
• Falco Phantasm has increased start-up (17 frames → 19). It can also no longer be canceled, removing Falco's recovery mix-up options.
• Falco Phantasm's animation has been slightly changed. Falco spreads his wings out when performing it.
• Fire Bird covers more distance.
• Reflector starts and ends faster. The removal of hitstun canceling also makes it a better poking option than in the previous game, as Falco can now use another move once Reflector ends while the opponent is stunned, especially if Reflector causes them to trip at low percentages, giving the move new follow-up opening options.
• Because Reflector is faster, the window that Falco gets to reflect projectiles is slightly shorter, making timing of the move more crucial than in Brawl. Its reflection multiplier has also been significantly weakened (1.5x → 1.2x)
• Reflector's animation has been slightly changed. It is now more fluid and Falco now catches the device with his wing once the animation ends.
• Landmaster is weaker and its duration has decreased.

Update history

Falco has been buffed via game updates. In update 1.0.4, his Blaster's firing rate was increased, which slightly improved his neutral game. Update 1.0.8 buffed Falco's punishing game by making his neutral aerial more versatile, as well as increasing the speed of his up and forward aerials. Update 1.1.1 slightly increased his aerial mobility by increasing his air speed and acceleration. Update 1.1.4 increased his down smash's knockback, while improving his up smash by decreasing its start-up, increasing its knockback, and granting intangibility to its first hit. Lastly, the new shield mechanics also aid some of Falco's moves without harming others. These changes gave Falco more offensive options and improved his previously nerfed damage racking ability, making him better than he was in the game's initial release. However, since none of them have improved his very weak neutral game, Falco still remains at a large disadvantage compared to most of the cast.

1.0.4

• Blaster fires faster.
• Forward aerial's landing hit deals 3% more damage: 2% → 5%.
• Fixed a glitch where Reflector Void would fail to properly reflect Timber.

1.0.8

• Falco's air speed increased: 0.893 → 0.93.
• Falco's air acceleration increased: 0.07 → 0.09.
• Neutral attack has been improved. It locks opponents more reliably for all of its hits and all of its hitboxes' sizes have been slightly increased.
• Neutral aerial has been improved. Its hitboxes' sizes increased, its hits now properly keep opponents in place, and it always produces knockback towards the direction Falco faces, significantly improving its follow-up potential.
• Neutral aerial deals 1% less damage: 12% → 11%.
• Forward aerial deals 1% more damage if all aerial hits connect: 5% → 6%.
• Forward aerial's start-up and landing lag decreased: 12 frames → 10 (start-up), 32 frames → 25 (landing).
• Forward aerial overall lag decreased: 58 frames → 50, giving it follow-up potential.
• Forward aerial's landing hit deals 2% less damage: 5% → 3%.
• Up aerial's start-up decreased: 10 frames → 7.
• Up aerial's hitboxes' sizes increased and deal more vertical knockback.
• Up aerial's sourspot has been removed, now leaving it with a single hitbox that deals 1% less damage than the up aerial's previous sweetspot: 11% → 10%. While this means it is much more consistent in utility, it means it no longer has a hitbox that is extra powerful.
• Sweetspotted down aerial lasts 1 frame longer.
• Sourspotted down aerial's hitboxes' sizes increased.
• Sweetspotted down aerial no longer meteor smashes grounded opponents. Instead, it now launches opponents at a slightly diagonally vertical trajectory. While this removes its follow-up potential at high percentages, it can no longer be teched by grounded opponents.
• Falco Phantasm's start-up increased: frame 18 → 19.

Technical changelist 1.0.8

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

1.1.4

• Up smash has been improved. Both hits come out 1 frame earlier, the first hit has intangibility frames on his legs, the move lands better against ducking opponents and the move is stronger overall.
• Down smash's knockback growth increased.
• Fixed the down throw ledge spike glitch.
• Trip invincibility and all trip follow-ups except floor attack have had their invincibility decreased by 1 frame.

Technical changelist 1.1.4

Change	Old value	New value
Up smash first kick startup	frame 8	frame 7
Leg intangibility	N/A	7 → 11
Up smash first kick (hitbox 0/1) base knockback	60	70
Up smash first kick (hitbox 0/1) knockback growth	25	18
Up smash first kick (hitbox 0) position	(1.5,0,0)	(2,0,0)
Up smash first kick (hitbox 2) base knockback	80	70
Up smash first kick (hitbox 2) knockback growth	30	18
Up smash first kick (hitbox 2) position	(5,0,0)	(7.7,0,0)
Up smash first kick (hitbox 2) other position	(5,0,0)	(7,0,0)
Up smash second kick startup	frame 13	frame 12
Up smash second kick (hitbox 0/1/2) base knockback	30	31
Up smash second kick (hitbox 0/1/2) knockback growth	98	104
Up smash second kick (hitbox 0) position	(5,0,0)	(7,0,0)
Up smash second kick (hitbox 1) position	(1.5,0,0)	(2,0,0)
Down smash knockback growth	76	78

Moveset

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

On-screen appearance

• Ejects from an upside-down Arwing.

Taunts

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

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

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

Crowd cheer

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

Victory poses

This article or section is incomplete. You can help SmashWiki by expanding or finishing it. The editor who added this tag elaborates: Japanese victory quotes with translations

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

• Jumps high into the air and then performs a crouching pose upon descending to the ground.
• Performs a rapid series of kicks and then poses, saying "Had enough already?"
  • If Fox is present after a match, there is a chance he will instead say "You're off your game, Fox."
• Crosses arms and looks away, saying "You aren't worth the trouble."

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

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

Notable players

•  AC
•  Cyro
•  Keitaro

Trophies

Falco

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

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

: Star Fox (03/1993)

: Star Fox 64 (07/1997)

Falco (Alt.)

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

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

: Star Fox (03/1993)

: Star Fox 64 (07/1997)

Landmaster (Falco)

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

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

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• FalcoAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Landmaster

In Event Matches

Solo Events

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

Co-op Events

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

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Falco's amiibo, exclusive to Best Buy.

• 

  Kicking Little Mac.

• 

  Readying his Blaster.

• 

  Attacking Bowser with Diddy Kong, Fox, and Takamaru.

• 

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

• 

  Staring down Fox.

• 

  Attacking Link and Marth.

• 

  Posing with Pikachu.

• 

  In his Landmaster attacking Samus.

• 

  Using Falco Phantasm on Greninja.

• 

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

• 

  Hitting Lucario while wearing a Bunny Hood.

• 

  Using Falco Phantasm.

• 

  Slashing Pit.

• 

  Uses Falco Phantasm on Pit and Yoshi.

• 

  Hitting Charizard.

• 

  Fires his blaster.

• 

  Uses Fire Bird on Mario.

• 

  Firing alongside with Fox.

• 

  Jabs on Olimar.

• 

  Forward aerial attack on Mega Man.

• 

  Dash attack.

• 

  Falco in standby mode.

• 

  Down smash.

• 

  Poses with Peach.

• 

  Attacking Toon Link.

• 

  A pose.

• 

  Attacking Greninja.

• 

  Aerial attack with Andross.

• 

  Uses a Drill Arm on Mario and Sonic.

• 

  A taunt.

• 

  Poses with Captain Falcon.

Trivia

• Falco has three English voice actors between both versions of Super Smash Bros. 4. He has Marc Lund for his battle voice and the Orbital Gate Assault Smash taunts, Dex Manley for the Lylat Cruise Smash taunts, and Ben Cullum for the Corneria Smash taunts. He shares this with Fox.
• Interestingly, the custom move set for his neutral special, Blaster will actually influence the throws in which Falco uses it. He also shares this with Fox.
• This is Falco's first appearance where he is not unlocked by completing 100-Man Smash. This unlock criteria goes to Wario instead.
• Falco is the last non-DLC character amiibo to be released in the Super Smash Bros. amiibo lineup.