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|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|tier = B+
|tier = B+
|ranking = 41
|ranking = 35
}}
}}
'''Falco''' ({{ja|ファルコ|Faruko}}, ''Falco'') is a playable fighter in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was officially revealed on June 12th, 2018 alongside fellow ''Star Fox'' fighter {{SSBU|Fox}} and the rest of the returning roster during the [[E3 2018]] Nintendo Direct. Falco is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #20]].
'''Falco''' ({{ja|ファルコ|Faruko}}, ''Falco'') is a playable fighter in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was officially revealed on June 12th, 2018 alongside fellow ''Star Fox'' fighter {{SSBU|Fox}} and the rest of the returning roster during the [[E3 2018]] Nintendo Direct. Falco is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #20]].
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Mark Lund reprises his role from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' with new voice clips, sounding more akin to his appearances in ''Star Fox Zero'' and ''Starlink: Battle for Atlas''. In the Japanese version, Falco is now voiced by Kōsuke Takaguchi, reprising his role from ''Star Fox 64 3D'' and ''Star Fox Zero'' and who also voiced {{SSBU|Wolf}}, replacing Hisao Egawa from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', and ''Smash 4''.
Mark Lund reprises his role from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' with new voice clips, sounding more akin to his appearances in ''Star Fox Zero'' and ''Starlink: Battle for Atlas''. In the Japanese version, Falco is now voiced by Kōsuke Takaguchi, reprising his role from ''Star Fox 64 3D'' and ''Star Fox Zero'' and who also voiced {{SSBU|Wolf}}, replacing Hisao Egawa from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', and ''Smash 4''.


Falco is ranked 41st out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him in the B+ tier. This is a significant improvement over his 46th out of 54 placement in ''SSB4''.
Falco is ranked 35th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him in the B+ tier. This is a significant improvement over his low tier placement in ''SSB4'', where he was ranked 46th out of 54 characters. Falco, unlike his fellow ''Star Fox'' brethren, is more centered on combos and advantage state, with his aerial combos being formidable and highly damaging. His up tilt is one of the best combo starters in the game, courtesy of him having the highest jump and vertical mobility in the game along with excellent aerial followups. Falco's edgeguarding is also very effective due to his aerials having either long-lasting hitboxes (neutral aerial and forward aerial) or being strong KO tools (back aerial and down aerial). His [[Blaster]] helps to force approaches and can aid with some defensive play and [[Falco Phantasm]] serves as a solid burst option to surprise opponents. His [[Reflector (Falco)|Reflector]] is his main anti-zoning tool, which can also help set up niche edgeguards and combos.
 
Despite these strengths, Falco has some weaknesses. Like Fox and Wolf, his endurance is not the greatest; in Falco's case, he is a lightweight character with the same predictable recovery issues as the other space animals due to [[Fire Bird]] and Falco Phantasm's linear angles. While Falco possesses one of the best vertical mobilities in the game, his horizontal mobility is not as formidable, as he lacks the grounded mobility of Fox and the air mobility of Wolf, giving him difficulty approaching and staying in [[neutral]]. While his combo game is strong, he lacks strong KO moves, making him reliant on moves such as down tilt, back air, or edgeguarding.
 
Overall, Falco's drastic improvements has resulted in him seeing significantly better representation in comparison to ''Smash 4''. While the size of his playerbase pales compared to the other ''Star Fox'' fighters, Falco still sees solid results from players such as {{Sm|Tilde}} and {{Sm|MASA}}.


==How to unlock==
==How to unlock==
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==Attributes==
==Attributes==
Falco is a lightweight character with the highest [[jump]] in the game, a fast [[initial dash]] speed, the 7th highest [[gravity]], the 10th fastest [[walking speed]], the 11th fastest [[falling speed]], the 12th highest [[traction]] and the 9th best [[air acceleration]], but in contrast has average [[Dash|dashing speed]] and the 23rd slowest [[air speed]]. This makes his movement somewhat polarizing as he has overall mediocre horizontal movement (especially while airborne), but excels in reaching impressive heights.
Falco is a [[weight|lightweight]] character with the highest [[jump]] in the game, a fast [[initial dash]] speed, the 7th highest [[gravity]], the 10th fastest [[walking speed]], the 11th fastest [[falling speed]], the 12th highest [[traction]] and the 9th best [[air acceleration]], but in contrast has average [[dashing]] speed and the 23rd slowest [[air speed]]. This makes his movement somewhat polarizing as he has overall mediocre horizontal movement (especially while airborne), but excels in reaching impressive heights.


Owing to his status as a "talented aerial fighter" with an "amazing jumping ability" and fast falling speed, Falco's greatest strengths lie in his strong combo, juggling, and edgeguarding capabilities; with his aerials being most evident of these traits. Up aerial in particular, is his primary juggling tool, thanks to its quick startup, wide hitbox that can hit opponents on landing, and low overall lag and knockback. These traits make it very effective at starting and extending juggles, and as well as being capable of comboing into itself and other aerials. Additionally, it can KO at high percents near the upper blast line. Neutral aerial has a large, lasting hitbox that covers Falco and is a fast multi-hit, making it a good disruptor and combo extender/finisher. It can also drag opponents downward, allowing it to start combos on stage. Forward aerial has decent horizontal range and is also a lasting multi-hit, allowing it to edgeguard and KO reliably. Like his neutral aerial, it can drag opponents downward as well, potentially leaving offstage opponents in a very vulnerable position. Back aerial is one of the strongest aerials of its kind and can reliably KO even from center-stage. Lastly, down aerial, while nowhere near as notorious as its previous iterations, comes out fast and is a lasting hitbox; with its clean hit being a powerful meteor smash, giving it the ability to start combos onstage and score early KOs against poor recoveries.
Owing to his status as a "talented aerial fighter" with an "amazing jumping ability" and fast falling speed, Falco's greatest strengths lie in his strong combo, juggling, and edgeguarding capabilities; with his aerials being most evident of these traits. Up aerial in particular, is his primary juggling tool, thanks to its quick startup, wide hitbox that can hit opponents on landing, and low overall lag and knockback. These traits make it very effective at starting and extending juggles, and as well as being capable of comboing into itself and other aerials. Additionally, it can KO at high percents near the upper blast line. Neutral aerial has a large, lasting hitbox that covers Falco and is a fast multi-hit, making it a good disruptor and combo extender/finisher. It can also drag opponents downward, allowing it to start combos on stage. Forward aerial has decent horizontal range and is also a lasting multi-hit, allowing it to edgeguard and KO reliably. Like his neutral aerial, it can drag opponents downward as well, potentially leaving offstage opponents in a very vulnerable position. Back aerial is one of the strongest aerials of its kind and can reliably KO even from center-stage. Lastly, down aerial, while nowhere near as notorious as its previous iterations, comes out fast and is a lasting hitbox; with its clean hit being a powerful meteor smash, giving it the ability to start combos onstage and score early KOs against poor recoveries.
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==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
Likely owing to his low-tier placement in ''SSB4'', Falco has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition to ''Ultimate'', being greatly buffed overall.
Falco was previously considered a lackluster character in ''SSB4'', due to the harsh nerfs he received in the previous game as well as gameplay mechanics working adversely towards him. Likely owing to this, Falco has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition to ''Ultimate'', being greatly buffed overall.
 
Falco's buffs mainly address his weakened tools that affected his previous transition from ''Brawl'' to ''SSB4'', notably to his notoriously nerfed {{b|Blaster|Falco}} and [[down aerial]]; Blaster has faster startup, now fires at the same rate while grounded as it does in the air, and has much lower ending lag, drastically improving one of his staple moves and making it less punishable. Additionally, down aerial is much faster (now being half as fast as in ''Brawl'') and has regained its ability to [[autocancel]] from a short hop. These changes allow both to function as tools for approaching or walling once again, instead of being limited to only [[edgeguarding]] and hard reads. Many of Falco's other moves have been made more usable as well. [[Neutral attack]]'s first two hits can [[lock]], and its infinite portion connects more consistently; [[down tilt]], [[forward smash]] and [[up smash]] deal more damage, while [[forward tilt]] and [[up tilt]] have reduced ending lag (greatly improving their spacing and combo potential, respectively), and [[forward aerial]] starts faster.
 
Changes to gameplay mechanics have been kind to Falco. His grounded movement is noticeably faster, and the universal 3-frame jumpsquat and reduction to [[landing lag]] improve his strong aerial game, allowing him to easily juggle aerial foes while leaving him less vulnerable when landing; this also makes his short hop combos more effective. The nerfs to air dodging further strengthen his aerial game, allowing him to once again abuse his edgeguarding capabilities. As a result, Falco's [[neutral game]] is more consistent, improving on one of his biggest weaknesses from ''SSB4''.


Falco's buffs mainly address his weakened tools that affected his previous transition from ''Brawl'' to ''SSB4'', notably to his notoriously nerfed {{b|Blaster|Falco}} and [[down aerial]]: Blaster has faster startup, fires at a faster rate while grounded, and has much lower ending lag, drastically improving one of his staple moves and making it less punishable. Additionally, down aerial is much faster (now being half as fast as in ''Brawl'') and has regained its ability to [[autocancel]] from a short hop. These changes allow both to function as tools for approaching or walling once again, instead of being limited to only [[edgeguarding]] and hard reads. Many of his other moves have been made more usable as well: his [[neutral attack]]'s first two hits can [[lock]], and its infinite portion connects more consistently. [[Down tilt]], [[forward smash]] and [[up smash]] deal more damage, while [[forward tilt]] and [[up tilt]] have reduced ending lag (greatly improving their spacing and combo potential, respectively), and [[forward aerial]] starts faster. Falco's grounded movement is noticeably faster, and the universal 3-frame jumpsquat and reduction to [[landing lag]] improve his strong aerial game, allowing him to easily juggle aerial foes while leaving him less vulnerable when landing; this also makes his short hop combos more effective. Finally, the nerfs to air dodging further compliment his aerial game, allowing him to once again abuse his edgeguarding capabilities. As a result, Falco's [[neutral game]] is more consistent, improving on one of his biggest weaknesses from ''SSB4''.
However, Falco has also received numerous nerfs, which worsen a few of his worst traits and give him more defined weaknesses. Though he possesses the highest jump in the game, Falco has had his already poor recovery nerfed as [[Falco Phantasm]] now travels slightly less distance and no longer passes through shields, making it even easier to intercept and more punishable. Additionally, while many of his combo-centric moves were made more effective through reduced lag, they have also been weakened (forward tilt, up tilt and [[up aerial]]), requiring him to deal more hits to acquire damage. This ties in with Falco's KO ability, which has also been toned down: moves such as forward aerial and [[back throw]] do less knockback, while his strongest attacks have higher startup lag (down tilt, [[down smash]], and most notably [[back aerial]]), making it harder for him to close a stock.


However, Falco has also received noticeable nerfs, which worsen some of his worst traits, including his [[recovery]]. Though he does possess the highest jump in the game, Falco has had his already poor recovery nerfed as [[Falco Phantasm]] now travels slightly less distance and no longer passes through shields, making it even easier to intercept and more punishable. Meanwhile, Falco's other recovery option in [[Fire Bird]] is also still extremely linear and easy to exploit. Furthermore, the nerfs to air dodges make both of his recovery options even more linear and exploitable than before. Additionally, while many of his combo-centric moves were made more effective through reduced lag, they have also been weakened (forward tilt, up tilt, [[up aerial]]), requiring him to deal more hits to acquire damage. This ties in with Falco's KO ability, which has also been toned down: moves such as forward aerial and [[back throw]] do less knockback, while his strongest attacks have higher startup lag (down tilt, [[down smash]], and most notably [[back aerial]]), making it even harder for him to close a stock. Moves such as neutral attack and forward smash no longer move him forward as much, reducing their range, while up smash's hitbox was altered to such an extent that it will completely miss against grounded opponents unless they are right in front of Falco. Finally, {{b|Reflector|Falco}} no longer has a bonus chance to [[trip]] opponents, removing its utility for follow-ups and worsening its overall safety. As a result, while Falco may have more effective combos and spacing abilities than before, many of his weaknesses are even more defined.
Certain moves such as neutral attack and forward smash no longer move him forward as much, reducing their range, while up smash's hitbox was altered to such an extent that it will completely miss against grounded opponents unless they are right in front of Falco. {{b|Reflector|Falco}} no longer has a bonus chance to [[trip]] opponents, removing its utility for follow-ups and worsening its overall safety. Finally, although the changes to air dodging help Falco more than they hinder him, they make both of his recovery options even more linear and exploitable than before.


Overall, Falco is considered to be much better than his appearance in ''SSB4'', since his key strengths are more threatening than before, and his neutral game has seen noticeable improvements. Although his player base is still somewhat small, he has nonetheless achieved very good results thanks to many good players such as {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}, {{Sm|Kofi}}, {{Sm|PiXL}}, {{Sm|Juice}}, and {{Sm|Tilde}}. The general consensus is that he is an upper-mid/lower-high tier character.
In the end, Falco is considered to be much better than his appearance in ''SSB4'', with his key strengths being more threatening than before, and his neutral game has seen noticeable improvements, though at the cost of worse KO ability, recovery and disadvantage. This overall amounts to Falco being a much better character than he was in ''SSB4''.


{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Falco}}
{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Falco}}
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==Update history==
==Update history==
Falco has been noticeably buffed via game updates. Curiously, he was left totally unchanged throughout several updates until update 7.0.0, which enlarged his shield as part of a near-universal buff. Following this, update 8.0.0 granted Falco a number of noteworthy buffs. His infamous up smash became significantly more consistent, thanks to hitbox and knockback adjustments, and its respectable power was increased even further. Neutral aerial, which was also somewhat notable for being inconsistent, was noticeably improved via hitbox adjustments and its last hit being sped up.
Falco has been noticeably buffed via game updates. Curiously, he was left totally unchanged throughout several updates until update 7.0.0, which enlarged his shield as part of a near-universal buff. Following this, update 8.0.0 granted Falco a number of noteworthy buffs. His infamous up smash became significantly more consistent, thanks to hitbox and knockback adjustments, and its respectable power was increased even further. Neutral aerial, which was also somewhat notable for being inconsistent, was noticeably improved via hitbox adjustments and its last hit being sped up.
Down tilt's overall lag was decreased and its angle was adjusted; these changes not only improved both its KO and combo potential, but also reduced its susceptibility to DI. Down aerial also became more useful, as its excessive ending lag and landing lag were both decreased. Lastly, [[Falco Phantasm]] was sped up and its hitboxes were improved, which improved its trapping potential and even granted it utility as a set-up option.
Down tilt's overall lag was decreased and its angle was adjusted; these changes not only improved both its KO and combo potential, but also reduced its susceptibility to DI. Down aerial also became more useful, as its excessive ending lag and landing lag were both decreased. Lastly, [[Falco Phantasm]] was sped up and its hitboxes were improved, which improved its trapping potential and even granted it utility as a set-up option.


In update 13.0.1, Falco was buffed one last time. His dash attack deals deals more damage on both of its hitboxes with compensated knockback, making it KO slightly earlier. And finally, his forward smash now has added hitboxes on frame 17, making it better match the animation and giving it slightly longer hitbox detection.
Update 13.0.1 buffed Falco one last time. His dash attack deals more damage on both of its hitboxes with compensated knockback, making it KO slightly earlier. And finally, his forward smash now has added hitboxes on frame 17, making it better match the animation and giving it slightly longer hitbox detection.


Due to his buffs, Falco fares better than he did at ''Ultimate''{{'}}s launch, and he is now generally seen a lower high tier character.
Overall, Falco fares better than he did at ''Ultimate''{{'}}s launch, and he is now generally seen a lower high tier character.


'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|7.0.0}}'''
'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|7.0.0}}'''
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|fsdmg=3% (trapping hit), 30% (Arwings), 10% (end)
|fsdmg=3% (trapping hit), 30% (Arwings), 10% (end)
|fsdesc=Upon activation, Falco announces "Showtime!" and targets in front of himself with a green reticle. Three Arwings fly in an unorthodox formation from behind the screen in the area where the reticle is located. Upon hit, both Falco and his victims are sent skywards, and a cinematic begins with Falco and his team flying in a group of Arwings. Falco then announces "Time for a little payback!" (single opponent), or "We've got multiple bogies inbound!" (multiple opponents), as all of the members then fire lasers at the trapped opponents, damaging them heavily. Compared to Fox's version, Falco's Arwing flight has a more erratic flight pattern, and the launching hit causes vertical knockback.
|fsdesc=Upon activation, Falco announces "Showtime!" and targets in front of himself with a green reticle. Three Arwings fly in an unorthodox formation from behind the screen in the area where the reticle is located. Upon hit, both Falco and his victims are sent skywards, and a cinematic begins with Falco and his team flying in a group of Arwings. Falco then announces "Time for a little payback!" (single opponent), or "We've got multiple bogies inbound!" (multiple opponents), as all of the members then fire lasers at the trapped opponents, damaging them heavily. Compared to Fox's version, Falco's Arwing flight has a more erratic flight pattern, and the launching hit causes vertical knockback.
}}
===Stats===
{{Attributes
| cast=89
| weight=82 | rweight=74-75
| dash=2.035 | rdash=25-27
| run=1.619 | rrun=56
| walk=1.344 | rwalk=11
| trac=0.127 | rtrac=13
| airfric=0.01 | rairfric=40-51
| air=0.977 | rair=64
| baseaccel=0.01 | rbaseaccel=15-87
| addaccel=0.09 | raddaccel=7-10
| gravity=0.13 | rgravity=8-9
| fall=1.8 | rfall=13-18
| ff=2.88 | rff=13-18
| jumpsquat=3 | rjumpsquat=1-88
| jumpheight=50.51 | rjumpheight=1
| shorthop=17.34 | rshorthop=22
| djump=50.51 | rdjump=3
}}
}}


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===[[Idle pose]]s===
===[[Idle pose]]s===
*Turns his torso towards the camera (away from it if he's facing left).
*Turns his torso towards the camera (away from it if he is facing left).
*Similar to the first one, but he flaps his left wing in front of his face after turning.
*Similar to the first one, but he flaps his left wing in front of his face after turning.
<gallery>
<gallery>
SSBUFalcoIdle1.gif|Falco's first idle pose
SSBUFalcoIdle1.gif|Falco's first idle pose.
SSBUFalcoIdle2.gif|Falco's second idle pose
SSBUFalcoIdle2.gif|Falco's second idle pose.
</gallery>
</gallery>


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*'''Left:''' Does a flurry of rapid kicks and then poses, saying "Had enough already?" ("{{ja|くたばるのはまだ早ぇぜ。|Kutabaru no wa mada hae~ze.}}", ''Too early to kick the bucket just yet.'').
*'''Left:''' Does a flurry of rapid kicks and then poses, saying "Had enough already?" ("{{ja|くたばるのはまだ早ぇぜ。|Kutabaru no wa mada hae~ze.}}", ''Too early to kick the bucket just yet.'').
**If Fox was present in the match, there's a chance he’ll say "You're off your game, Fox!" ("{{ja|腕が落ちたな、フォックス。|Ude ga ochita na, Fokkusu.}}", ''Your skills have fallen off, Fox.'') instead.
**If Fox was present in the match, there's a chance he’ll say "You're off your game, Fox!" ("{{ja|腕が落ちたな、フォックス。|Ude ga ochita na, Fokkusu.}}", ''Your skills have fallen off, Fox.'') instead.
*'''Up:''' Jumps high into the air while scoffing, then poses on the ground while forcing a laugh. His ending pose is reminiscent of his artwork in ''Smash 4'', as well as his old [[spot dodge]] animation.
*'''Up:''' Jumps high into the air while scoffing, then poses on the ground while forcing a laugh. His ending pose is reminiscent of his artwork in ''Smash 4'', as well as his old [[spot dodge|spot dodging]] animation.
*'''Right:''' Walks up towards the camera, shrugs, and crosses his arms, saying "Sorry! Gotta jet!" ("{{ja|付き合ってらんねぇな。|Tsukiatte ran ne~na.}}", ''Not worth associating with.'').
*'''Right:''' Walks up towards the camera, shrugs, and crosses his arms, saying "Sorry! Gotta jet!" ("{{ja|付き合ってらんねぇな。|Tsukiatte ran ne~na.}}", ''Not worth associating with.'').
[[File:StarFoxUniverseTheme.ogg|thumb|This victory theme is based upon the main theme of ''{{s|lylatwiki|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.]]
[[File:StarFoxUniverseTheme.ogg|thumb|This victory theme is based upon the main theme of ''{{s|lylatwiki|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.]]
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==In [[competitive play]]==
==In [[competitive play]]==
===Tier placement and history===
Before release, many players immediately took notice of Falco's drastic improvements from the previous game. This was thanks to several factors, such as the mechanics of the game being greatly in his favor, the improvements to his already potent combo game, and his improved neutral game due to his improved blaster and speed. Due to this, Falco was greatly anticipated to be a very strong character in ''Ultimate'', with many top professionals stating that he could potentially be a top-tier character.
Unfortunately, opinions on Falco quickly dwindled when the game released as the buffs he received were seen to be "overhyped," and most players paid more attention to {{SSBU|Fox}} and {{SSBU|Wolf}} characters that while had some similarities with Falco, were also considered more viable, and players reassessed Falco as a mid-tier character. Still, despite dwindling opinions, Falco saw some success in the early metagame thanks to players such as {{Sm|Kofi}} and {{Sm|Juice}}, and as a result Falco's representation in the metagame remained around average.
The post-pandemic metagame saw a noticeable shift in Falco's metagame: although Falco's early metagame players became less active or saw worse results, new Falco players began making their marks on the metagame, most notably {{Sm|Tilde}} and {{Sm|MASA}}, both of whom are known for using Falco's powerful combos to secure strong results at majors. Falco's improving results helped gradually improve the community's perception on Falco, with some players believing the character has the potential to be high-tier. As it stands, Falco is currently ranked 41st on the current tier list near the top of upper-mid tier.
===Most historically significant players===
===Most historically significant players===
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<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->
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''See also: [[:Category:Falco players (SSBU)]]''
''See also: [[:Category:Falco players (SSBU)]]''


*{{Sm|Juice|USA}} - The best Falco player in the early metagame. Placed 7th at {{Trn|Smashadelphia 2019}}, 13th at {{Trn|Shine 2019}}, 17th at {{Trn|Glitch 6}}, and 33rd at both {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} and {{Trn|Glitch 8 - Missingno}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}}, {{Sm|LeoN}}, and {{Sm|Scend}}. Currently ranked 1st on the [[Philadelphia Power Rankings#Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Rankings|Philadelphia Ultimate Power Rankings]].
*{{Sm|Juice|USA}} - The best Falco player in the early metagame, placing 13th at {{Trn|Shine 2019}} defeating {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} and 25th at {{Trn|Glitch 7 - Minus World}}. He was also ranked 81st on the [[OrionRank 2019]], the highest-ranking player who primarily played Falco. He dropped Falco in favor of {{SSBU|Roy}} following the pandemic.
*{{Sm|Larry Lurr|USA}} - One of the best Falco players in the United States. Placed 1st at {{Trn|DreamHack Rotterdam 2022}}, 2nd at {{Trn|G4 Smash Ultimate Invitational}}, 9th at both {{Trn|DreamHack Dallas 2019}} and {{Trn|Get On My Level 2022}}, and 17th at {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|MkLeo}}, {{Sm|VoiD}}, and {{Sm|Sparg0}}. Ranked 40th on the [[PGRU v3 NA]].
*{{Sm|Larry Lurr|USA}} - One of the best Falco players in the United States, playing the character alongside {{SSBU|Wolf}}. Although somewhat inconsistent, he has still placed highly at many events, including winning {{Trn|DreamHack Rotterdam 2022}} using solo-Falco and placing 13th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}} and 17th at {{Trn|Battle of BC 4}} primarily using Falco.  
*{{Sm|MASA|Japan}} - One of the best Falco players in the world. Placed 4th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 8}}, 5th at both {{Trn|Kagaribi}} and {{Trn|Seibugeki 9}}, 7th at {{Trn|Seibugeki 8}}, and 9th at {{Trn|Wave 2}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|KEN}}, {{Sm|Kameme}}, and {{Sm|Abadango}}.
*{{Sm|MASA|Japan}} - One of the best Falco players in the world in the post-online metagame. He is the second Falco player ranked in the top 50, with his highest being 38th on the [[LumiRank 2023]]. He regularly places highly at majors despite some dips, most notably placing 4th at both {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 8}} and {{Trn|Wave 4}} as well as 5th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP Ultimate}}.
*{{Sm|M0tsunabE|Japan}} - The second-best Falco player in Japan. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|WINNER! -Next 2-}}, 5th at {{Trn|WAVE CHAMPIONS 1}}, 7th at both {{Trn|WINNER! -Next 3-}} and {{Trn|DELTA 4}}, and 9th at {{Trn|Wave 4}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Zackray}}, {{Sm|Asimo}}, and {{Sm|Cosmos}}.
*{{Sm|M0tsunabE|Japan}} - The second-best Falco player in Japan in the post-online metagame, especially since mid-2023, where despite inconsistencies he had several notable peaks at majors, including placing 5th at {{Trn|Seibugeki 15}} and 7th at both {{Trn|DELTA 4}} and {{Trn|UltCore}}.
*{{Sm|Tilde|USA}} - The best Falco player in the world. Placed 1st at {{Trn|Riptide 2022}}, 4th at {{Trn|Momentous}}, 9th at {{Trn|Glitch 8.5 - Konami Code}}, 13th at {{Trn|Temple: Hermès Edition}} and 17th at {{Trn|Riptide}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}}, {{Sm|Gen}}, and {{Sm|NickC}}.
*{{Sm|Tilde|USA}} - One of the best Falco players in the world, and the definitive best in 2021. He is the first Falco player ranked in the top 50, with his highest being 29th on the [[OrionRank Ultimate: Eclipse]]. He notably won {{Trn|Riptide 2022}}, the largest tournament win for a Falco player, and has also performed strongly at majors such as 4th at {{Trn|E-Caribana}} and 7th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con: Fall Fest}}. Although he has since become less active outside his region, he is still considered one of the best Falco players, most notably placing 3rd at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}}, the best Falco placement at a major/supermajor.
 
===Tier placement and history===
Before release, many players immediately took notice of Falco's drastic improvements from the previous game, as the mechanics of the game being greatly in his favor and he received improvements to his combo and neutral games. However, upon release many quickly believed that Falco's buffs seemed "overhyped", and Falco was largely overshadowed by his other fellow Spacies, both of which were considered top tier. Despite this, Falco still found success in the early metagame thanks to players such as {{Sm|Kofi}} and {{Sm|Juice}}. As a result Falco's representation in the metagame still remained around average, and he was widely considered a mid-tier character.
 
In the post-online metagame, although many of Falco's older players either dropped the character or saw worse results, new Falco players began making their marks on the metagame, most notably {{Sm|MASA}}, {{Sm|M0tsunabE}}, and {{Sm|Tilde}}. These players became known for using Falco's powerful combos and KO confirms to secure strong results at majors. Falco's improving results and representation helped gradually improve the community's perception on him, with some players believing the character has the potential to be high-tier. As it stands, Falco is currently ranked 35th on the current tier list.


=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Soar Above the Darkness==
=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Soar Above the Darkness==
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SSBUWebsiteFalco5.jpg|Attacking {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} with Falco Phantasm on [[Lylat Cruise]].
SSBUWebsiteFalco5.jpg|Attacking {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} with Falco Phantasm on [[Lylat Cruise]].
SSBUWebsiteFalco6.jpg|Performing [[Fire Bird]] on the [[Great Plateau Tower]].
SSBUWebsiteFalco6.jpg|Performing [[Fire Bird]] on the [[Great Plateau Tower]].
SSBUWebsiteDarkPit2.jpg|Falco attacking {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} on [[Spirit Train]].
SSBUWebsite21.jpg|Taunting on Lylat Cruise.
SSBUWebsite21.jpg|Taunting on Lylat Cruise.
SSBUWebsiteTerry4.jpg|{{SSBU|Terry}} using [[Power Geyser]] on {{SSBU|Link}} and {{SSBU|Villager}} on [[King of Fighters Stadium]].
</gallery>
</gallery>


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*Falco's artwork was one of the three that have been updated on the official site, alongside {{SSBU|Palutena}} and {{SSBU|Shulk}}. In his case, he is covered with more feathers, his forehead appears slightly larger, the gaps in his wings were made smaller, and his body and beak have more saturated colors.
*Falco's artwork was one of the three that have been updated on the official site, alongside {{SSBU|Palutena}} and {{SSBU|Shulk}}. In his case, he is covered with more feathers, his forehead appears slightly larger, the gaps in his wings were made smaller, and his body and beak have more saturated colors.
*Due to an error on the American official site blog, Falco does not have his own Fighter tag nor the general "Fighter" tag on his blog entry, thus not being listed when sorting the "By Fighter" category. The former also applies to {{SSBU|Incineroar}}.
*Due to an error on the American official site blog, Falco does not have his own Fighter tag nor the general "Fighter" tag on his blog entry, thus not being listed when sorting the "By Fighter" category. The former also applies to {{SSBU|Incineroar}}.
*The afterimages of Falco's [[Falco Phantasm]] still use his model from ''Smash 4'' rather than his ''Ultimate'' model. This is shared with Fox's [[Fox Illusion]].
*The afterimages of Falco's [[Falco Phantasm]] still use his model from ''SSB4'' rather than his ''Ultimate'' model. This is shared with Fox's [[Fox Illusion]].
*Falco's zipper will sometimes detach from his jacket on certain animations such as hanging on an edge. This also happens with {{SSBU|Wolf}}.<ref>[https://imgur.com/fCU3NvX]</ref>
*Falco's zipper will sometimes detach from his jacket on certain animations such as hanging on an edge. This also happens with {{SSBU|Wolf}}.<ref>[https://imgur.com/fCU3NvX]</ref>
*Strangely, the [[footstool jump]] sound effect does not play if Falco is on the receiving end, unless it is a phantom footstool.
*Falco, {{SSBU|Peach}}, {{SSBU|Zelda}}, {{SSBU|Olimar}}, {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}} and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} are the only fighters to appear as allies in spirit battles.
*Falco, {{SSBU|Peach}}, {{SSBU|Zelda}}, {{SSBU|Olimar}}, {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}} and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} are the only fighters to appear as allies in spirit battles.
*Falco's Classic Mode route is vaguely similar to {{SSBU|Ken}}'s, as both of their routes fight "dark" forms/rivals of main characters as opponents, and both of their routes have the same opponents in some rounds.
*Falco's Classic Mode route is vaguely similar to {{SSBU|Ken}}'s, as both of their routes fight "dark" forms/rivals of main characters as opponents, and both of their routes have the same opponents in some rounds.
**Falco and Ken are the only two fighters to face [[Crazy Hand]] by himself as their final boss in Classic Mode under Intensity 7.0.
**Falco and Ken are the only two fighters to face [[Crazy Hand]] by himself as their final boss in Classic Mode under Intensity 7.0.
*If Falco uses Falco Phantasm in the air and lands without any action, the move's special landing animation will play but with no sound and landing effects.
*If Falco uses Falco Phantasm in the air and lands without any action, the move's special landing animation will play but with no sound and landing effects.
*Falco's down taunt in English ("Hands off my prey!") has become notorious in the community, especially since interrupting it at the right time with Falco's down smash (where Falco himself in English makes a grunt that sounds like "Caw!") can make it sound like he is saying "Hands off my cock". None of this applies to his Japanese voice.
*When Falco performs a forward smash with the Home-Run Bat, he grunts during the windup rather than during the swing. This is a carryover from ''Brawl'', where all characters would grunt during the windup. He shares this distinction with [[Ice Climbers (SSBU)|Nana]].
*When Falco performs a forward smash with the Home-Run Bat, he grunts during the windup rather than during the swing. This is a carryover from ''Brawl'', where all characters would grunt during the windup. He shares this distinction with [[Ice Climbers (SSBU)|Nana]].
*In the Sound Test, Falco's special victory quote against Fox is ordered before his generic victory quotes. This is unlike Fox and Wolf, who have their special victory quotes ordered after their generic ones.
*In the Sound Test, Falco's special victory quote against Fox is ordered before his generic victory quotes. This is unlike Fox and Wolf, who have their special victory quotes ordered after their generic ones.
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