Editing Fox (SSB4)

|ranking = 7-8

'''Fox''' ({{ja|フォックス|Fokkusu}}, ''Fox'') returns as a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. He was one of the characters confirmed to return in the game during the [[E3 2013]] trailers on June 11th, 2013. He was also among the first wave of [[amiibo]] figures that are compatible with ''SSB4''.

As in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', {{s|wikipedia|Kenji Nojima}} reprises his role in the Japanese version with his re-recorded voice clips of the game. Mike West, who voiced Fox in ''{{s|wikipedia|Star Fox 64}}'' and reprised his role in the 3DS remake, ''{{s|wikipedia|Star Fox 64 3D}}'', now voices Fox in the English version, replacing Jim Walker from ''Brawl''.

Fox has been ranked 7th/8th (tied with {{SSB4|Sonic}} on the last SBR tier list) in all versions of the [[tier list]] to date, placed in the A tier on the final tier list. This is a noticeable improvement from his previous position from ''Brawl'' where he was ranked 15th of 38 characters as an upper mid tier character, and marks Fox's return to being ranked as a top tier character, like in ''Melee''. Fox's strengths include very quick mobility, a fast and [[transcendent]] projectile in his {{b|Blaster|Fox}}, and an anti-[[camping]] move in his {{b|Reflector|Fox}}. Altogether, these grant him one of the fastest and safest [[approach]]es in the entire game and allow him to easily keep up with almost any opponent. Fox also boasts a versatile combo game thanks to his quick, low knockback moves, along with capable KOing power, with a quick and powerful finisher in his up smash.

 

Regardless, Fox's weaknesses are not enough to keep him out of the top tier, which is evident by his high tournament representation, such as from {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}, and Fox has attained great results.

Along with his mobility, his attack speed is remarkable. Most of his moves come out in fewer than 10 frames, and some, such as his up smash, also boast terrific power. Though his aerials have noticeable landing lag, they have favorable [[auto-cancel]] frames, with his up and back aerials auto-cancelling in a short-hop, and the latter two deal high knockback as well. Fox's frame data grants him a formidable [[approach]], as he can [[pressure]] and poke with his tilts and aerials without leaving himself open to [[punish]]es. His {{b|Blaster|Fox}}, despite being nerfed, is an invaluable tool in Fox's arsenal. Its rapid-fire abilities and range give it great utility in zoning, camping, forcing approaches, and racking on damage. All of the above factors give Fox a powerful [[neutral game]].

Finally, Fox has terrible endurance. His light [[weight]] and high gravity allow many characters to KO him below 100%. Not only that, but his falling speed leaves him extremely susceptible to combos, though less vulnerable to juggles. Thus, he loses the main advantage that light-weights possess while suffering from their most glaring weakness. Some characters can easily rack up 50% on Fox off of one combo, a prominent example being {{SSB4|Luigi}}, and he along with other characters can potentially bring Fox to KO percents with one or two combos. His aforementioned recovery issues only exacerbate Fox's frailty. Since Fox aims to rack up heavy damage but can struggle KOing, he is in even greater danger of losing his stock to opponents with heavy [[rage]], and his endurance prevents him from making effective use of the mechanic.

Fox received a mix of buffs and nerfs, but despite being directly [[nerf]]ed from ''Brawl'' to ''Smash 4'', several universal changes benefited Fox significantly more in ''SSB4''. Fox's neutral game is less effective, with increased lag on his aerials and a weakened camping game due to the removal of auto-canceling on his Blaster. This means Fox can no longer safely bait as many bad approaches from his opponents. Additionally, his general damage output and frame data were nerfed and some of his finishers (such as up smash) have been weakened. He is lighter, and the changes to [[hitstun canceling]] combined with his higher fall speed and gravity makes him even easier to combo and worsens his endurance. One of his most significant nerfs was to his {{b|Reflector|Fox}}, which can no longer allow him to stall in the air effectively due to its drastically increased ending lag, no longer has [[intangibility]] on startup removing its ability to break combos and can no longer semi-spike, making it much less effective overall now being near useless outside of reflecting projectiles.

However, Fox benefits from the general changes of ''SSB4'' enough to overcome these nerfs. This most notably includes the removal of [[chain grab]]bing, which was a major reason for his mid-tier placement in ''Brawl'', and early hitstun canceling, which restores his ability to perform short combos with some of his more versatile attacks, such as his up tilt and neutral aerial. Additionally, while Fox's neutral game was nerfed, it still remains better than most due to his retained mix-ups, excellent [[foxtrot]] and [[short hop]] and his overall mobility. Fox also benefits from a better [[jab cancel]] at higher percents, which can set up KOs more reliably. His recovery has also improved, with [[Fox Illusion]] no longer leaving him [[helpless]] and [[Fire Fox]] traveling farther. Fox benefits from the untechable [[reeling]] animation arguably more than any other character, as it now allows Fox to combo his weaker moves (such as down or neutral aerial) into his smash attacks for a K.O.

*{{change|Due to the aesthetic used in ''Smash 4'', Fox's attire is sleeker, his overall color scheme is more vibrant, and his fur is of a significantly higher visual quality than in ''Brawl''. His teeth are also more pronounced.}}

*{{change|Fox has received three new [[alternate costume]]s, one of which resembles [[Slippy Toad]]'s appearance in ''Star Fox: Assault''.}}

*{{buff|Fox [[dash]]es faster (2.08 → 2.184), now only slightly trailing his Melee dashing speed.}}

**{{buff|His [[initial dash]] is also faster (2.1 → 2.4), still being the fastest in the game, but by a significantly larger margin this time around.}}

*{{change|Fox [[falling speed|falls]] much faster (1.831 → 2.05), going from the third fastest to the fastest. This improves his vertical endurance (despite his lower weight/higher gravity), but makes him more susceptible to combos.}}

**{{buff|His fast-falling speed is significantly faster (2.5634 → 3.28), going from the fourth fastest to the fastest.}}

*{{nerf|Fox's [[gravity]] is even higher (0.175 → 0.19). While this does improve his ability to land, this also makes him even more susceptible to combos when he is not put into tumble and it hinders his endurance even further (especially horizontally).}}

*{{nerf|Fox's [[double jump]] is much lower, going from being around high enough to reach the top platform on [[Battlefield]] to now barely surpassing his full hop.}}

*{{buff|[[Roll]]s have less ending lag (FAF 32 → 27), now being among the fastest in the game.}}

*{{buff|The changes to hitstun canceling and [[Directional Influence]], significantly improve Fox's combo potential, with Fox now gaining a slew of new combos and KO confirms due to their changes.}}

**{{nerf|However, they also significantly increase Fox's own susceptibility to combos due to his low weight and high falling speed, as well as noticeably hindering his already poor endurance.}}

*{{buff|The removal of [[chain grab]]bing significantly improves Fox's endurance moreso than almost any other returning veteran, while also not hindering Fox as he lacked any chain grabs of his own (outside of very difficult [[grab release]] chain grabs in a small number of matchups).}}

*{{buff|The removal of [[tech]]ing from a reeling tumble state benefits Fox moreso than any other returning veteran as he can easily set up reeling with his forward tilt or late neutral aerial, which can then easily lead into an up smash for a KO.}}

*{{nerf|The removal of [[meteor canceling]] makes Fox significantly more susceptible to [[meteor smash]]es, due to his low weight and high falling speed, while he lacks any powerful meteor smashes of his own to compensate.}}

**{{buff|However, his higher and less laggy aerial grab release animation also leaves him in a less exploitable spot when he is aerial grab released off stage.}}

**{{buff|The first hit of neutral attack deals more knockback (10 (base), 20 (scaling) → 15/40), improving its [[jab cancel]]ing potential.}}

**{{change|The first hit's far hit is positioned slightly higher (y offset: 0 → 0.6).}}

**{{nerf|The first hit has more ending lag (FAF 16 → 18).}}

**{{buff|The second hit deals more knockback (25 (base), 30 (scaling) → (25/32)/(70/80)), noticeably improving its jab canceling potential, especially at higher percents.}}

**{{buff|The second hit's body hitbox launches opponents at a higher angle (20° → 68°), improving its jab canceling potential.}}

**{{change|The far hit is positioned slightly higher (y offset: 0 → 0.6).}}

**{{nerf|The second hit has more ending lag (FAF 18 → 21).}}

**{{nerf|The second hit deals less damage (2% → 1%).}}

**{{nerf|The second hit's arm and hand hitboxes send opponents at a less favourable angle, especially the former (80° → 40° (arm)/76° (hand)).}}

**{{buff|Fox now has to press the attack button three times in order to initiate the infinite (if he does not hold it after hitting an opponent). This makes it much harder for the player to accidently perform the neutral infinite.}}

**{{nerf|The infinite deals less damage (2%/1% → 0.4% (starting hit)/0.7% (loop)).}}

**{{nerf|The finisher launches opponents at a higher angle (0° → 361°).}}

**{{change|Forward tilt has a slightly altered animation where Fox swings his leg more horizontally inward, as opposed to thrusting his leg out forward.}}

***{{nerf|This also means that the entire move now has [[transcendent priority]] (rather than just Fox's foot), hindering its safety against stronger attacks and projectiles.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt has a shorter duration (frames 3-10 → 3-7) with no animation change, reducing its range in front of Fox.}}

**{{nerf|The sweetspots have been repositioned (x/y offsets: 0/4 → 3.9/-0.6), slightly reducing their range.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt deals less damage (10% (ground foot)/8% (aerial foot/legs/body) → 9%/7% (ground/aerial foot)/6% (legs/body)), hindering its KO potential.}}

***{{buff|However, this combined with the changes to hitstun canceling/DI significantly improves its combo potential beyond lower percents, to the point where the move now has some KO setups at high percents.}}

***{{buff|However, this further improves the move's combo potential at higher percents.}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt deals less damage (9%/8%/7% → 8%/7%/6%), hindering its KO potential.}}

***{{buff|However, when combined with the changes to hitstun canceling/DI, this improves down tilt's combo potential, particularly from mid percents with the sourspot.}}

**{{buff|Dash attack has increased base knockback (35 (clean)/20 (late) → 55/40). This not only improves dash attack's KO potential but when combined with the changes to hitstun canceling/DI, this also improves its combo potential.}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack deals less damage (7% (clean)/5% (late) → 6%/4%).}}

**{{nerf|The clean hit's foot hitbox has been slightly repositioned (x/y offset: 0/-4.5 → -0.7/4.4), slightly reducing its range.}}

**{{buff|Forward smash has an altered animation where Fox's right foot enlarges more and Fox travels about twice the distance, significantly improving its range.}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash has more ending lag (FAF 41 → 46).}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash deals less damage (15% (clean)/12% (late) → 14%/11%).}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash's foot and head hitbox is marginally smaller (4.32u/3.84u → 4.3u/3.8u) and the foot hitbox has been moved slightly closer to Fox (x/y offset: 0/4.2 → 4.1/0), slightly reducing its range relative to Fox.}}

**{{nerf|Up smash deals less damage (17%/15% (clean)/13% (late) → (16%/14%)/11%), with the clean hit also having decreased knockback scaling (96 → 94), hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The foot hitbox has been repositioned (x/y/z offset: 0/2.7/2.5 (clean), 0/2.7/1.8 (late) → (3/2.1/0)/(2.9/2.1/0), slightly reducing its range.}}

**{{nerf|Fox's running up smash covers noticeably less distance out of an initial dash, forcing him to rely on his jump cancelled up smash.}}

***{{nerf|When combined with the removal of [[DACUS]], this hinders up smash's approach potential.}}

**{{change|Down smash has more base knockback but less knockback scaling (50 (base), 65 (scaling) → 30/75).}}

***{{buff|This improves its overall KO potential.}}

***{{nerf|However, this also hinders its edgeguarding potential, as well as its KO potential when used close to the horizontal blast zone, and even from around center stage on smaller tournament legal stages.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash has a shorter duration (frames 6-10 → 6-7).}}

**{{nerf|Down smash has more ending lag (FAF 50 → 53).}}

**{{nerf|Down smash has a new charging animation where Fox stands upright on one leg while bracing himself when looking up; this somewhat enlarges his hurtbox while charging compared to the previous animation.}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial has more landing lag (9 frames → 11).}}

**{{nerf|The foot hitbox has been moved closer to Fox (x/y offset: 0/-2.38 → 2.3/0), with the foot hitbox now failing to fully cover Fox's foot.}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial's first four hits now send aerial opponents at the [[autolink angle]] (75° → 366°) with [[set knockback]] (10 (base), 50 (scaling) → 120 (set)/100 (scaling)). When combined with the weakening of SDI, this allows it to connect much more reliably and it makes the move harder to escape, despite its SDI multiplier being increased (1× → 1.3×).}}

***{{buff|Additionally, if Fox fast falls in the middle of the attack, it will drag opponents down with him. This can notably lead into a [[footstool jump]] off stage, allowing Fox to get off stage KOes at extremely low percents (although it is difficult and risky to perform).}}

**{{buff|The first four hits deal more knockback to grounded opponents (10 (base), 50 (scaling) → 60/120 (hit 1)/60/150 (hits 2-4)).}}

**{{change|The final hit has a higher [[hitlag]] multiplier (1× → 2×).}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial has noticeably increased landing lag (18 frames → 27).}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial deals much less damage (6% (hit 1)/5% (hits 2/3)/4% (hit 4)/23% (total) → 2%/1%/0.6%/0.8%/7.4%), going from the most damaging forward aerial in ''Brawl'' to one of the least damaging in ''Smash 4''.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial has an altered animation where Fox extends his foot further out. This noticeably reduces forward aerial's range relative to Fox, with the first four hits no longer being disjointed.}}

**{{nerf|The first four hits have smaller hitboxes (6u/6u/4u (hit 1)/5.5u/5.5u/3.5u (hit 2) → 4u/3u) and the body hitbox has been removed. This significantly reduces their range, especially on the foot, despite its hitboxes being positioned further outwards (x/y/z offset: 1/5.2/0 → 5.1/0.8.1.2).}}

**{{nerf|The final hit launches at a lower angle (75° → 70°) and has decreased knockback scaling (140 → 130), hindering its KO potential and making it more susceptible to DI, especially when considering its higher hitlag.}}

**{{nerf|Due to Fox's increased falling speed and gravity, forward aerial has a weaker hover effect. This not only hinders its recovery potential, and its ability to chase aerial opponents (especially when combined with Fox's lower double jump) but this also;}}

***{{nerf|Removes its ability to [[auto-cancel]] in a short hop, noticeably hindering its approach potential.}}

***{{nerf|Removes Fox's ability to land on the top Battlefield platform with full hop - forward aerial, as well as removing/hindering its ability to land on other hard to reach areas.}}

**{{buff|Back aerial has larger hitboxes (4u/4u/4u/3u → 4.6u/4.6u).}}

**{{buff|Back aerial notably benefits from the increased [[shieldstun]], now granting Fox frame advantage on shield if its auto-cancel is timed properly.}}

**{{change|As with most back aerial's, back aerial now always launches opponents in the opposite direction Fox is facing.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial deals less damage (15% → 13%), without full compensation on its knockback scaling (85 → 88), hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The sourspots on Fox's body have been removed, reducing back aerial's range in front of Fox, as well as reducing back aerial's overall utility.}}

**{{buff|Down aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 31 → 29).}}

**{{buff|The first six hits have altered angles (285° → 250° (body/110° (foot)) and knockback (33 (base), 0 (set) 40 (scaling) → 0/5/100 (body)/38/0/30 (foot)). When combined with weakening of SDI, this makes down aerial connect more reliably, as well as making it much more difficult to escape.}}

**{{buff|The final hit has larger hitboxes (6.4u → 4.5u/8.5u) and it has gained an additional smaller hitbox on Fox's body (similar to its ''Smash 64''/''Melee'' counterparts), increasing its range.}}

**{{change|The loop hits now uses a weak kick sound, while the final hit and new landing hit use a medium kick sound (rather than a medium punch sound).}}

**{{change|The final hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1x → 2x).}}

***{{buff|This improves the move's followup potential at lower percents (when auto-cancelled), while still being able to lead into KO confirms at higher percents due to the changes to hitstun canceling/DI (although the move is still too weak on its own to lead to KOes).}}

***{{change|The move's higher launch angle allows Fox to lead into aerial followups, but removes its ability to lead into ground moves.}}

***{{nerf|However, the move's new angle also removes its edgeguarding ability, and Fox overall has less followup options out of the move, especially since it can now be DIed from very low percents.}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has a new landing hitbox with a high hitlag multiplier, allowing it to benefit from the introduction of [[frame canceling]].}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has much more landing lag (12 frames → 25), significantly hindering its safety, as well as its followup potential (although frame cancelling with the landing hit does partially compensate for this).}}

**{{nerf|The first six hits deal less damage (3% → 1.4%), significantly reducing down aerial's total damage output (21% → 11.4%).}}

**{{nerf|The first six hits now use smaller extended hitboxes (6.4u → 3u/3u), significantly reducing their horizontal range.}}

**{{nerf|Compared to the previous loop hits, the landing hit deals less damage (3% → 1%), more knockback (33 (base), 40 (scaling) → 20/150) and launches opponents at a horizontal angle (285° → 361°). When combined with the move's higher landing lag (even when taking frame canceling into account) this hinders down aerial's followup potential, removing up tilt followups beyond lower percents (which are a lot more difficult to set up due to the horizontal launch angle) and tightening the percentage window for up smash KO confirms.}}

**{{nerf|The landing hit has a smaller extended hitbox (6.4u → 4u) compared to the previous looping hits.}}

**{{buff|All grabs have less ending lag (FAF 30 (standing)/40 (dash)/36 (pivot) → 29/36/34).}}

**{{buff|Dash grab has less startup lag (frame 11 → 10).}}

**{{nerf|Pivot grab has more startup lag (frame 9 → 11).}}

**{{buff|The weakening of [[DI]] benefits Fox's back and up throws (especially the former), as it is now more difficult to DI out of the lasers' line of fire.}}

**{{change|Throw lasers now use a unique sound laser sound effect (rather than a punch sound) and up/down throw's lasers also now have a laser effect.}}

**{{buff|The changes to hitstun canceling/DI significantly improve down throw's combo potential, as it is now a reliable combo starter at lower percents.}}

**{{change|The lasers now use an extended hitbox (z stretch: 0 → 6).}}

**{{nerf|Down throw's lasers deal less damage (2% → 1.5%), reducing down throw's total damage output (9% → 7%).}}

*[[Floor attack]]s:

**{{buff|Floor attacks deal more damage (6% → 7%) and shield damage (1 → 8) per hit, without full compensation on their knockback scaling (50 → 48).}}

**{{nerf|Floor attacks launch opponents at a higher angle (361° → 48°).}}

**{{nerf|Back floor attack has less intangibility (frames 1-26 → 1-22).}}

**{{buff|Edge attack no longer has [[set knockback]] (110 (set), 100 (scaling) → 90 (base)/20).}}

**{{buff|Edge attack has less startup lag (frame 25 → 19).}}

***{{nerf|However, its total duration was unchanged, giving it more ending lag.}}

**{{nerf|In a similar vein to {{SSB4|Falco}}, Blaster no longer auto-cancels upon landing, greatly hindering its safety and camping ability.}}

***{{nerf|In addition to this, Fox can now only fire two lasers from a short hop due to his lower short hop (with his higher falling speed/gravity generally reducing his laser output in mid-air), further hindering its camping potential.}}

***{{nerf|In addition to this, the laser now only uses one extended hitbox, rather than two normal hitboxes. This both reduces the laser's range and it means that the back of the laser still has a large blind spot.}}

**{{buff|Fox Illusion no longer leaves Fox [[helpless]] after the move is performed in the air, though it can still only be used once in the air. When combined with the removal of [[edge hog]]ging, this drastically improves its recovery potential.}}

**{{buff|Fox no longer dashes over the edge when using Illusion on the ground.}}

**{{buff|If Fox performs Fox Illusion on the first frame of his jump, he will now perform the aerial version rather than the grounded version. When combined with the move's lower landing lag, this greatly reduces the move's lag when used after a jump.}}

**{{change|Fox Illusion has less base knockback but more knockback scaling (68 (base), 40/60 (ground/aerial scaling) → 10/(170/200)).}}

**{{bugfix|Fox Illusion no longer gives Fox [[RCO lag]].}}

***{{buff|This naturally makes Fox Illusion less risky as an approach or recovery option.}}

**{{nerf|Fox Illusion deals less damage (4% → 3%).}}

**{{nerf|Fox Illusion has more startup lag (frame 20 → 21) and ending lag (FAF 64 → 70).}}

**{{nerf|Fox Illusion can no longer be shortened, hindering its mix-up potential.}}

**{{nerf|Fox can no longer reuse Fox Illusion if he is aerial [[grab release]]d out of it.}}

**{{buff|Fox's momentum is no longer completely halted after performing Fire Fox at an upwards 45° angle, making it cover noticeably more distance.}}

**{{buff|Fire Fox's dashing hitboxes are larger (4.7u (clean)/3.8u (late) → 5.3u/4.7u).}}

**{{nerf|Fire Fox has more landing lag (18 frames → 20 (normal/30 (RCO lag)).}}

**{{buff|Reflector now protects Fox from most explosive projectiles, with the exception of [[sudden death]] Bob-ombs.}}

**{{change|Reflector has an updated sound effect.}}

**{{nerf|Reflector deals less damage (5% (grounded opponents)/4% (aerial opponents) → 2% (both)), without full compensation on its knockback against grounded opponents (60 (base), 30 (scaling) → 66/32).}}

**{{nerf|Reflector launches aerial opponents at a much higher angle (10° → 40°), significantly hindering its edgeguarding and KO potential despite its higher knockback.}}

**{{nerf|Reflector has more startup lag (frame 3 → 6).}}

**{{nerf|Reflector no longer grants Fox intangibility during its startup, removing its use as a combo breaker and as a close range defensive tool.}}

**{{nerf|Similar to its ''Smash 64''/''Melee'' counterparts, Fox is now locked in his reflector for 20 frames before he can release it, drastically increasing the move's ending lag (FAF 22 → 41). This significantly hinders its safety as an attack on the ground, as well as removing its followup potential.}}

**{{nerf|Fox has slightly higher gravity when using Reflector (0.2666666 → 0.27). When combined with its increased ending lag, this drastically hinders Reflector's stalling potential.}}

Fox has been slightly buffed overall in game updates. His jab cancel was weakened and his jab lock was completely removed, though his {{b|Blaster|Fox}} and {{b|Reflector|Fox}} were improved. Fox also does not seem to be notably affected by the changes to the shield mechanics brought about by updates [[1.1.0]] and [[1.1.1]].

*{{buff|{{b|Reflector|Fox}}'s hitbox duration increased|1 frame|2.}}

*{{buff|All variations of {{b|Blaster|Fox}} had their ending lag decreased by 3 frames.}}

|fsmashdesc=A butterfly kick. It has good range since Fox somersaults forward. Has possibly the lowest base knockback in the game for a forward smash, but decent knockback growth.

|usmashname=Flip Kick ({{ja|サマーソルトキック|Samāsoruto Kikku}}, ''Somersault Kick'')

|usmashdesc=A bicycle kick, similar to Yoshi's up smash. It loses strength the farther it is into the animation. The clean hit has the [[slash]] effect. It hits on frame 8, has high power, and has intangibility on head during startup and clean hit, making it Fox's most potent finisher. However, it has high ending lag (45 frames).

|fthrowdesc=Releases the opponent and quickly performs a cross, launching them forward. Can lead into a dash attack or up smash at low to high percentages if the opponent does not DI away or tech. It is also Fox's strongest throw, but it does not start KOing until extremely high percentages.

|dthrowdesc=Forces the opponent onto the ground and fires four rapid, point-blank shots at them with his Blaster. A semi-reliable combo starter into forward aerial, back aerial, or up aerial, depending on DI, but since it has high base knockback and scaling, such follow-ups become impossible past very low percentages unless the opponent DIs poorly.

|desc-side=Fox throws his {{b|Blaster|Fox}} into the air, then allows it to land back into its holster.

|desc-jp=Fo-kusu! *claps 3 times*

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

<!--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 -->

''See also: [[:Category:Fox players (SSB4)]]''

*{{Sm|Charliedaking|USA}} - One of the best Fox players in the United States. His best results came from the second half of 2017, with placements such as 5th at {{Trn|2GGC: ARMS Saga}} and 7th at {{Trn|2GGC: West Side Saga}}. He is ranked 67th on the [[PGR 100]].

*{{Sm|Eon|USA}} - First broke out onto the scene by placing 9th at {{Trn|2GGC: GENESIS Saga}} defeating {{Sm|komorikiri}} and {{Sm|6WX}}. He has since been a regular at SoCal events at majors, including placing 9th at {{Trn|IBP Masters Showdown}} and 13th at {{Trn|Smash Masters League: Battle for Vegas}}, ultimately ranking 98th on the [[PGR 100]].

*{{Sm|Kuro|Japan}} - One of the best Fox players in Japan after switching to the character in mid-2017, placing highly at several notable Japanese events including 4th at {{Trn|Sumabato Tokaigi Qualifier 2}} and 9th at both {{Trn|Sumabato 27}} and {{Trn|Umebura Smash 4 Final}}. He is ranked 97th on the [[PGR 100]].

*{{Sm|Larry Lurr|USA}} - The best Fox player of all-time who was also a top 10 player for most of the game's lifespan, ultimately ranking 8th on the [[PGR 100]]. Although he never won the major, he came the closest, including placing 2nd at {{Trn|2GGT: ZeRo Saga}} and 3rd at {{Trn|EVO 2017}}.

*{{Sm|Light|USA|p=Connecticut}} - The second-best Fox player of all-time who was in contention for the best in 2018, especially following a string of strong results which included placing 4th at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 4}}, {{Trn|Smash Sounds}}, and {{Trn|Shine 2018}}. He is ranked 43rd on the [[PGR 100]], the second-highest Fox player on the ranking.

*{{Sm|NAKAT|USA}} - Co-mains Fox alongside {{SSB4|Ness}} and was one of the best Fox players throughout the game's lifespan. He most notably used Fox to place 9th at both {{Trn|CEO 2016}} and {{Trn|2GGC: Greninja Saga}}. He is ranked 49th on the [[PGR 100]].

*{{Sm|Shogun|Japan}} - One of Japan's best Fox players of all time, regularly placing in the top 16 at Japanese events including 4th at {{Trn|Sumabato 16}} and 7th at both {{Trn|Umebura 25}} and {{Trn|Umebura 28}}. He is ranked 82nd on the [[PGR 100]].

*{{Sm|Xzax|USA}} - One of the best Fox players in the world from 2015 to 2016, regularly placing well at SoCal events such as 5th at {{Trn|2GGT: Fresh Saga}} and 17th at {{Trn|2GGT: Abadango Saga}}. Although his results have since declined, he has still seen occasional success, such as 33rd at {{Trn|2GGC: Civil War}} upsetting {{Sm|ZeRo}}, and as such is ranked 92nd on the [[PGR 100]].

===Tier placement and history===

During the game's release, Fox was considered a mid-tier character by the ''SSB4'' community. Players believed the reductions to his overall damage output, the weakening of his up smash, the heavily increased landing lag on his aerials, the loss of [[Blaster]] [[auto-cancelling]] and shine-spikes, and his increased frailty resulted in him being worse than his ''Brawl'' incarnation. However, they slowly reassessed their thoughts on the character, as the removal of [[chaingrabbing]] and [[edge-hogging]] and the heavy changes to [[hitstun]] cancelling would prove beneficial to Fox, as such mechanics plagued him in ''Brawl''. Opinions on Fox improved further as players discovered the first two hits of his jab could perform [[infinite]]s and easily combo into other moves, including his main finishers. As a result, a massive amount of Fox players rushed into the competitive scene and quickly gained results, with many spamming the infinite as their battle strategy. Ultimately, this "infinite" carried even casual players to victories over experts. While nerfs to his jab in patch 1.1.0 removed the infinite and reduced its combo utility, his results continued to improve thanks to the efforts of players such as {{Sm|Charliedaking}}, {{Sm|Eon}}, {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}}, and most notably {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}, who consistently ranked in the top 10 on global power rankings. In addition, Fox also notably benefited from the nerfs to {{SSB4|Sheik}} and {{SSB4|Luigi}}, who were among Fox's most challenging match-ups prior to their nerfs.

These points have led Fox to be considered a top tier character by the community as the metagame advanced, which is reflected on him ranking at 7th on all iterations of the ''4BR'' [[tier list]]. This also makes Fox the only character to consistently stand on the same placing on each iteration of the tier list (although he shares the spot with {{SSB4|Sonic}} on the fourth and final tier list). However, some smashers such as {{Sm|Dabuz}} and {{Sm|ESAM}} have claimed that Fox should be ranked higher on the tier list due to his dominant results and overwhelming advantage state, with both players ranking Fox among the top 5.

{{Trophy/Fighter

|name=Fox

|image-3ds=FoxTrophy3DS.png

|image-wiiu=FoxTrophyWiiU.png

|desc-3ds-ntsc=Fox is the leader of the mercenary unit Star Fox, often enlisted to defeat the evil Andross. His piloting skills are top notch, but in Smash Bros. he brings speed and fast attacks to the battle. His Reflector move allows him to turn projectile attacks against his foes, increasing their power for a punishing blow.

|desc-wiiu-ntsc=Fox McCloud is the leader of the mercenary flight team, Star Fox, often enlisted to defeat the evil Andross. His piloting skills are top notch, but in Smash Bros. his strength is sheer speed. His Reflector move allows him to turn projectile attacks against his foes, increasing their power for a punishing blow.

|desc-pal=Leader of the Star Fox team, Fox is a skilled pilot with a strong sense of justice. In this game, he's quick on his feet and can use his speed to toy with opponents, attacking relentlessly and giving them no room to breathe. Even if they try to attack him from afar with projectiles, his Reflector move just sends them flying right back!

{{Trophy/Fighter

|name=Fox (Alt.)

|image-3ds=FoxAltTrophy3DS.png

|image-wiiu=FoxAltTrophyWiiU.png

|desc-ntsc=Fox is at home in the air, and many of his moves, like his up smash, Flip Kick, will send foes up there. It's great for KO'ing a damaged opponent. Another handy move is his up special Fire Fox. The flames that surround Fox deal damage to nearby foes, and you can launch yourself in any direction once charged.

|desc-pal=The Flip Kick that Fox does for his upward smash can really send foes flying. It's well worth pulling out this attack in combos against airborne opponents. Try following it up with his red-hot Fire Fox special to hammer them repeatedly. The fact that you can fly in any direction with this move is a real bonus too!

|name=Landmaster (Fox)

|image=LandmasterFoxTrophyWiiU.png

|desc-ntsc=Originally designed for exploration, the Landmaster in Fox's Final Smash has been converted into an ultra-high-performance, anti-air, rolling combat vehicle. When Fox hops aboard, he can drive or roll into foes and blast them with cannon fire. It can even fire in midair. And best of all, Fox is safe from damage inside this metal beast!

|desc-pal=Originally designed for exploration, the Landmaster in Fox's Final Smash has been converted into an ultra-high-performance, anti-air, rolling combat vehicle. When Fox gets on board, he can drive or roll into foes and blast them with cannon fire. It can even fire in mid-air. And best of all, Fox won't take any damage while inside!

|game=ssb4-wiiu

Blaster SSB4.jpg|His {{b|Blaster|Fox}}.

SSB4 Fox Reflector.jpg|Using his {{b|Reflector|Fox}} to [[reflect]] {{SSB4|Samus}}'s attack.

**However, despite his current Japanese voice actor being Takashi Ōhara since ''Star Fox 64 3D'', Kenji Nojima reprises Fox in Japanese by the time of both ''Smash 4'' and ''Star Fox 64 3D''{{'}}s release dates. This trait is also shared with {{SSB4|Falco}}.

*''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' is the only ''Smash Bros.'' game where Fox is not holding his Blaster in his official art and also the only game where he is not featured in the boxart of both versions.

*Fox is the only character in ''SSB4'' whose normal falling speed is higher than 2, at 2.05.

*In {{for3ds}}, Fox will appear to have two upper jaws if the game is paused right after getting hit, but only while using an attack that makes him visually open his mouth. This appears to be a graphical error similar to the "double mouth" glitch experienced by {{SSB4|Sonic}}.