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Captain Falcon

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For fighter info, see Captain Falcon (SSB), Captain Falcon (SSBM), Captain Falcon (SSBB), Captain Falcon (SSB4), and Captain Falcon (SSBU).
Not to be confused with Falco.
Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon
FZeroSymbol.svg

Official artwork of Captain Falcon from F-Zero GX.

Universe F-Zero
Debut F-Zero (1990)
Smash Bros. appearances SSB
Melee
Brawl
SSB4
Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (cameo, 2017)
Console/platform of origin Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Species Human
Gender Male
Place of origin Port Town
Created by Shigeru Miyamoto[1]
Takaya Imamura[1][2]
Voice actor Ryō Horikawa
Article on F-Zero Wiki Captain Falcon

Captain Falcon (キャプテン・ファルコン, Captain Falcon), full name Douglas Jay Falcon,[citation needed] is the main playable racer from the F-Zero series of futuristic Nintendo racing games and is the mascot of the franchise. As a member of the "perfect-attendance crew", Captain Falcon has been featured as a playable character throughout the entire Super Smash Bros. series. His highly offensive playstyle, his signature moves (most notably his Falcon Punch) and his memorable quotes have made him a fan favorite character across the Super Smash Bros. series despite F-Zero's status as a lesser-known Nintendo franchise. His voice actor throughout the Super Smash Bros. series is Ryō Horikawa.

In Super Smash Bros.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

As a playable character

Main article: Captain Falcon (SSBM)
Captain Falcon in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Captain Falcon as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Captain Falcon makes a return appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee, still in his incarnation from F-Zero X. This time, he is a starter character as opposed to being an unlockable character in the previous game, and as before, one of his alternate costumes is Blood Falcon in both coloration and the logo on his suit's back. His new side special move is the Raptor Boost, a rushing uppercut attack. Newcomer Ganondorf is a clone of Falcon due to their similar moves, but they have different animations for several attacks.

Captain Falcon ranks 8th on the Melee Smash Back Room tier list. Captain Falcon remains the most maneuverable character in the game, with the fastest running speed which lends itself to a fast and long dash-dance as well as a short hop that can cover great distances, a high falling speed, and the longest moonwalk. This complements his attacks well, particularly his aerial attacks: his forward aerial, called the Knee Smash, is a powerful, low-trajectory finisher, and his aerial attacks in general are low-lag and good at comboing in tandem with his throws. Despite this strong aerial moveset, Falcon's ground attacks are generally slow and lack range, which is exacerbated by his lack of projectiles. Captain Falcon is a fastfaller which lends him the game's highest resistance to attacks of vertical trajectory, making him resistant to upward KO's but vulnerable to combos. Since his up special can not attack targets who may be hanging on a ledge, he can be easily edge-guarded.

Trophies

Captain Falcon, as a playable character, is featured on three trophies. His normal trophy is acquired by beating the Classic mode with Captain Falcon on any difficulty, and his Smash Red and Smash Blue trophies are acquired the same way by beating the Adventure and All-Star modes, respectively. Note that his normal trophy depicts both Falcon and his vehicle, the Blue Falcon, and that his Smash Blue trophy depicts his Blood Falcon alternate costume.

Captain Falcon's Classic mode trophy says:

Captain Falcon
Usually a relentless bounty hunter, Captain Falcon shifts gears to become a race pilot once the F-Zero Grand Prix begins. His beloved racer, the Blue Falcon, can exceed the speed of sound, and he knows how to drive it; he'll go down as one of the all-time greats. Now 36 years old, Captain Falcon wears his F-Zero X visor.
Captain Falcon [Smash Red]
Falcon's style is a balanced combination of raw power and speed. His attacks are slow, but when combined with Falcon's high mobility, he's a formidable combat force. The Falcon Punch packs the highest degree of destructive power, while the explosive Raptor Boost can be used to smash airborne foes into the depths.
  • B: Falcon Punch
  • Smash B: Raptor Boost
Captain Falcon [Smash Blue]
The Knee Smash, used in midair on foes in front of you, is slow and has a short reach, but if it connects, it'll send foes flying a long way on a low trajectory. Falcon uses his Falcon Dive to grab an enemy in midair and fling them away with an explosive blast. He can do this technique repeatedly without landing, so it can also be used as a recovery move.
  • Up & B: Falcon Dive
  • Down & B: Falcon Kick

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

As a playable character

Main article: Captain Falcon (SSBB)
Captain Falcon as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he has reverted back to secret character status and has since lost his title of fastest character to Sonic. His moves are largely unchanged from the previous games, except he can do a reverse Falcon Punch. His design is a mix between his F-Zero X and F-Zero GX design, with his scarf hanging out instead of being tucked in. His Final Smash is his Blue Falcon, which he calls for then rams into opponents. His home stages are Port Town Aero Dive and Big Blue.

Falcon's position has fallen from one of the highest in SSB and Melee to one of the lowest in the tier list in Brawl. He ranks 34th on the current Brawl tier list because his power and speed were reduced, the physics changes severely hindered his efficiency, and his Knee Smash's sweet spot is more difficult to land.

Trophy

Captain Falcon trophy from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Captain Falcon
A skilled F-Zero pilot and resourceful bounty hunter. All that's known of his past is that he hails from Port Town. He's won fame and fortune outracing his opponents in his beloved Blue Falcon. His incredible athleticism and never-say-die attitude makes him the pilot to turn to in times of trouble.
SNES: F-Zero
GameCube: F-Zero GX

Stickers

Name Game Effect Character(s)
Capt. Falcon F-Zero DefenseSlash+023EffectIcon(Slash).png Resistance +23 CaptainFalconHeadSSBB.png
Capt. Falcon F-Zero GX AttackArmLeg+008TypeIcon(Hand).pngTypeIcon(Foot).png Attack +8 CaptainFalconHeadSSBB.png
Capt. Falcon F-Zero X AttackSpecialsDirect+019SpecialsDirect.png Attack +19 CaptainFalconHeadSSBB.png
Brawl Sticker Capt. Falcon (F-Zero).png
Capt. Falcon
(F-Zero)
Brawl Sticker Capt. Falcon (F-Zero GX).png
Capt. Falcon
(F-Zero GX)
Brawl Sticker Capt. Falcon (F-Zero X).png
Capt. Falcon
(F-Zero X)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

As a playable character

Main article: Captain Falcon (SSB4)
From the official website.
Captain Falcon as he appears in Super Smash Bros. 4.

Captain Falcon returns as a veteran in Super Smash Bros. 4. He appears in Robin's trailer fighting him, Chrom, and Lucina. He is once again a starter character like in Melee and retains his design from Brawl.

Captain Falcon has returned to a favorable position like in SSB and Melee, as he ranks 19th out of 55 on the SSB4 tier list, putting him in B tier. The changes to hitstun canceling greatly benefit Captain Falcon, as they notably restored his once-lost combo game. As usual, he combines speed with power, as well as an effective and vastly reaching dash grab. Raptor Boost saw an increase to its knockback, making it a reliable KO move. Nevertheless, Captain Falcon still saw some notable nerfs. His Knee Smash gained extra landing and ending lag, and it can no longer autocancel from a short hop. His trademark Falcon Punch also deals less damage and much less knockback. Additionally, his recovery remains pretty linear and easy to edgeguard against. Overall, Captain Falcon's appearance in SSB4 is seen as a return to his former glory thanks to the important buffs he received, earning him respectable representation and results in tournaments.

As a costume

Mii Brawlers dressed as Captain Falcon.

Captain Falcon's design serves as the basis of a downloadable content costume for Mii Brawlers.

Trophies

Captain Falcon
Ntsc In the F-Zero racing scene, Captain Falcon uses his Blue Falcon to win big. His origin largely a mystery, he's made his way to the Smash Bros. battlefield to prove his worth outside the cockpit. He's got speed and power, and his distinct Falcon Punch leaves a dent. Start it in the air to surprise your foes!
Pal We love it when this F-Zero pilot from Port Town takes a break from racing the Blue Falcon to take on challengers in brawls. His balance of speed, power and weight is spot on, and his slow but mighty Falcon Punch is oh so sweet when it finally connects. Try starting the attack in mid-air and punching your way into a frantic fray!
SNES: F-Zero (08/1991)
GameCube: F-Zero GX (08/2003)
Captain Falcon (Alt.)
Ntsc Captain Falcon's default down special, Falcon Kick, is no ordinary kick—it surges forward in a fiery blaze. It's a versatile attack that moves sideways on the ground and diagonally down in the air. His forward air attack, Knee Smash, can send an enemy flying for miles if hit just right.
Pal The captain's Falcon Kick isn't just any old kick - it blazes either to the side or diagonally down to terrorise the enemy. Its speed also makes it top-notch for surprise attacks! Another move to try out is his forward air attack, Knee Smash. If you get as close to someone as you can before using it, it can launch them miles!
SNES: F-Zero (08/1991)
GameCube: F-Zero GX (08/2003)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

As a playable character

Main article: Captain Falcon (SSBU)
Captain Falcon as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Captain Falcon returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Captain Falcon reverts to his status as an unlockable character like in SSB and Brawl; as the first character in Fox's Classic Mode character unlock tree, he can potentially be the first character unlocked in the game, for the first time in the series.

Spirits

Trivia

  • Captain Falcon was the first character who didn't use their face as their stock icon, with his falcon symbol being used instead in Smash 64.
  • There has been speculation that Captain Falcon shares the same model as the ones seen in Dragon King: The Fighting Game, the original vision of “Super Smash Bros.” before Nintendo characters were added.
  • Captain Falcon carries a gun in his holster, but never uses it in Super Smash Bros. This is similar to Ganondorf and his sword from Melee onward until Ultimate (although he does use it for his custom neutral special move in SSB4, Warlock Blade), Sheik and her knife in Brawl and Smash 4, and Snake and his handgun in Brawl.
  • Captain Falcon has become a meme of sorts within the Smash Bros. fandom, being depicted as a being whose power is god-like and unrivaled, using the Falcon Punch and his other moves as a demonstration of such.
  • Captain Falcon has always had exactly the same weight as Link in each of the NTSC releases of the Super Smash Bros. games.
  • While Captain Falcon's scarf is tucked in most of the F-Zero games and anime, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl onward his scarf hangs out of his shirt in a similar fashion to how Captain Falcon's evil clone, Blood Falcon, wears his scarf in the F-Zero series.
  • Yoshi and Captain Falcon are the only sole representatives to appear in all five games in the Super Smash Bros. series. Coincidentally, they both debuted in SNES launch titles.
    • Captain Falcon is the only one of the original four unlockable characters to currently remain a sole representative, as Jigglypuff and Luigi debuted alongside Mario and Pikachu while Lucas debuted in Brawl as an EarthBound newcomer.
  • Unlike most characters in the Super Smash Bros. series, where their series' popularity had gained them a position as a fighter, Captain Falcon has gained popularity as a result of being a fighter. In fact, in the anime F-Zero GP Legend, he uses the Falcon Punch, which originated from SSB.
  • Captain Falcon is the only character to have written but non-spoken dialogue in the Super Smash Bros. series; his congratulations screen in Super Smash Bros. has him say "Thank you for playing. Yes. I am Number One ![sic]"
  • Out of the original four unlockable characters, Captain Falcon is the one who has been a starter character the highest amount of times, being playable from the start in three games (counting Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U individually).
  • Captain Falcon is the only character to have originated from a racing game.
    • As a result, he arguably has the least amount of references made to his abilities out of all the characters in the Smash Bros. series, as all of his special moves and nearly all of his standard attacks are original to the series; the only reference made to F-Zero is his Final Smash, Blue Falcon.
    • Even more interesting is the fact that Ganondorf, whose moveset pulls from Falcon's, has more references to his appearances within The Legend of Zelda than Captain Falcon does to F-Zero.
  • Captain Falcon is one of two characters to be listed by abbreviations on the victory screen, trophies, and character select screen (being listed as C. Falcon in Super Smash Bros. and Melee), the other being Donkey Kong

References

  1. ^ a b Interview: F-Zero AC/GC. IGN.com (2002-03-28). Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
  2. ^ F-Zero Press Conference. IGN.com (2003-07-08). Retrieved on 2007-06-21.