Fox (SSBU)

Fox in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Star Fox
Other playable appearances	in SSB in Melee in Brawl in SSB4
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Team Star Fox
Tier	S- (13)

Fox (フォックス, Fox) is a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Initially teased in the then-unnamed Ultimate's announcement trailer, he was officially revealed on June 12th, 2018 alongside fellow Star Fox fighter Falco and the rest of the returning roster during the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct. Fox is classified as Fighter #07.

Mike West reprises his role from Super Smash Bros. 4, with new voice clips that match his portrayal from Star Fox Zero and Starlink: Battle for Atlas. In the Japanese version, Takashi Ōhara, who voiced Fox in Star Fox 64 3D and Star Fox Zero, reprises his role with newly recorded voice clips, replacing Kenji Nojima from Super Smash Bros. Brawl to Smash 4.

Fox is ranked 13th out of 82 on the tier list, placing him close to the end of the S- tier. This is a marginal drop from his placement in Smash 4, where he was ranked 7th/8th out of 54 and tied with Sonic. Fox's biggest strengths revolve around his phenomenal movement options, stellar frame data, and high damage output. This makes him one of the fastest characters in Ultimate, giving him the ability to overwhelm opponents easily and one of the best neutrals and advantage states in the entire game. Fox also has several ways to KO reliably thanks to his powerful and quick smash attacks and his notoriously safe back aerial at ledge. Finally, Fox's combo and juggling game also greatly benefits from universal changes made in the transition from Smash 4 to Ultimate, such as the game's increased speed, reduction to landing lag, and airdodging nerfs.

However, Fox also has some noticeable weaknesses. His most notable weakness is his survivability, as he is the fifth lightest character in the game and has the fastest falling speed and gravity out of anyone in the roster. This means his endurance is one of the worst in the game, as he is susceptible to potential early KOs, while his extreme falling speed and gravity make him vulnerable to combos. Finally, although Fox has several recovery options that cover a great distance, their linearity makes it easy for him to be edgeguarded continuously if the player isn't careful, while Fire Fox can be angled but it stops him in place until he launches himself in the chosen direction, which leaves him open to attacks.

Overall, Fox's strengths outweigh his weaknesses, and he has garnered several strong results from players such as Light, Kaninabe and Paseriman.

Attributes

Fox is a lightweight, hit-and-run type character with excellent grounded mobility and good frame data for the majority of his moveset. Fox is incredibly mobile: he possesses the sixth-fastest dashing speed, third-fastest walking speed, 33rd fastest air speed, 21st highest air acceleration, the highest falling (and thus fast falling) speed and gravity in the game, with the latter two allowing him to quickly move from the air to the ground with ease. These attributes allow him to keep up with almost any opponent while additionally making him very difficult to punish.

In terms of attack speed, Fox has only one normal move with over 10 frames of startup lag, his forward smash, which greatly helps him with approaching and comboing, while some of them are decently powerful despite their quick startup. All of his grounded moves, excluding smash attacks, have both low startup and ending lag, which allows them to connect and flow into each other extremely easily. All of his aerials also have quick startup lag, and some of them are able to auto-cancel from a short hop (back aerial, up aerial), or have low landing lag (neutral aerial, back aerial). Alongside his fast-falling speed, this gives him a good aerial approach and shield pressure.

Another one of Fox's biggest strengths is his combo potential. Almost all of his moves can combo into each other, and he even has several KO confirms. Though a majority of his combos are not as lengthy compared to other characters like Sheik, the higher damage output makes up for it.

Fox's tilts are an important part of his combo game. Forward tilt, while mostly used for spacing, can be used as a combo starter at low to mid percentages and can start tech chases at higher percentages, allowing Fox to extend his combos if the opponent fails to tech or if the tech is read properly. Up tilt can combo into itself and can lead to other grounded moves or aerials. Down tilt is one of Fox's best combo starters despite it being difficult to connect, and can combo into most of his aerials and up smash at various percentages. Dash attack is quick and is one of his best moves for whiff punishes, with its early hit being able to combo into several moves (most notably neutral aerial) or start a 50:50 scenario into his forward aerial or up aerial, while the late hit can set up into up smash as a KO confirm at high percentages.

Fox's aerials are also a huge staple of his moveset, arguably being the most important part of his combo game. All of his aerials have either average or above-average damage output, and they can combo into other aerials and some grounded moves, including smash attacks. Neutral aerial has very high speed, as well as low knockback, all of which allow it to combo into other moves even at high percentages, and allows it to serve as a reliable KO setup, with the weak hit of neutral aerial being able to lead into an up smash. Forward aerial can combo into up aerial and can drag opponents down if Fox lands before ending the move, allowing for jab lock/tech chase opportunities, and can even drag the opponents down offstage, which can gimp certain characters. Back aerial can combo into grounded moves at lower percentages and is useful for shield pressure and KOing at high percentages. Up aerial deals the highest amount of damage and can combo into itself, making it a great juggling move. Additionally, it can serve as an effective KO move, which makes it arguably his most potent aerial, due to the number of moves that can combo into it. Down aerial can pressure shields and can lead to other aerials if autocanceled. The landing hit launches opponents at a low angle and can set up into up smash as a KO confirm.

His grab-and-throw game is below average but is nonetheless an important part of Fox's arsenal. Fox's grab is fast and has decent ending lag, but it has low range, requiring Fox to be very close to the opponent. His pummel, while weak, is very fast, allowing him to slightly damage the opponent before throwing, and is effective for unstaling other moves. None of his throws are true combo starters (barring down throw at low percentages if the opponent DIs in), but they can help with setting up juggles and combos if the opponent's reaction is read properly.

Fox's special moves have several uses. His Blaster, while it lacks hitstun and deals low damage at a longer range, is quick and helps with forcing approaches while unstaling his moves without drastically reducing the effectiveness of the projectiles. Fox Illusion is one of his two recovery moves, covers a good horizontal distance, and doesn't leave him helpless. It can be used to start combos or even KO outright at really high percentages with the grounded version. Fire Fox covers a great distance, can be angled, and deals serious damage if all of the hits connect, and with the high knockback, it can stage spike reckless edge guarders. Reflector is quick, reflects projectiles, and is one of the only reflectors that can be held indefinitely. It has intangibility and a hitbox on startup, which can help with breaking out of combos or gimping weak recoveries offstage. It also reduces Fox's falling speed, giving him landing or recovery mix-up potential.

Fox has good KO potential despite his attributes. Although he only has a handful of finishers, the few he has are quite fast and reliable, making them great spacing and anti-air options. Fox's up smash has quick startup, high knockback on a clean hit, good range, and even has setups into it, making it his primary KO move. Forward smash, while fairly weak at lower percentages, has decent knockback growth, decently fast startup lag, and moderate end lag. It's best used for punishing the regular ledge getup because of the good range and lasting hitbox. Down smash is his quickest smash attack, which makes it useful for covering rolls. It can also 2-frame punish the opponents, all while sending them at a semispike angle. Up aerial deals high knockback and can KO at reasonable percentages if the opponent is above the ground. Back aerial, while noticeably weaker compared to his fellow Star Fox characters Falco and Wolf, still has decent knockback and launches at a semi-spike angle, and is his safest KO move.

However, Fox has several notable weaknesses. His primary weaknesses are endurance and recovery. He's the fifth lightest character in the game, in addition to being taller than other characters in his weight class (though still relatively small), and has the highest falling speed and gravity, which makes him extremely susceptible to combos and getting KO'd early, which gives him a terrible disadvantage state and one of the worst survivabilities out of all the cast. His recovery, while covering a great distance, is nonetheless linear and predictable. Fox Illusion can't be angled and can only change the drift after the hitboxes end, which can be intercepted with most moves. Fire Fox has a very slow startup, and while it can be angled, it remains linear, which makes him very vulnerable to stage spikes and meteor smashes and causes him to get KO'd extremely early offstage. Reflector can only stall once, which lessens the mix-up options. His air dodges have among the shortest distances in the game, making them ineffective for recovery, and coupled with the falling speed, air dodging below the stage is almost always fatal.

Despite possessing moves with high knockback, he can struggle to KO opponents. Up smash has high-end lag and is hard to land without a read or setup. Neutral aerial, which is used to KO confirm into up smash, can be predictable and only true combos at certain percentages without tumbling the opponent, unless it gets stale, while down aerial has high landing lag and can sometimes send the opponent at a different angle. Forward or down smash are also hard to land and deal unimpressive knockback at mid-high percentages, and the latter has low reach. Up aerial is predictable, has narrow hitboxes, can be stale if used frequently, and the second hit can sometimes even miss after hitting with the first one. Back aerial has a small hitbox, short duration, and is angled somewhat high, making it hard to land, especially on short characters. All of his KO moves deal unimpressive shield damage, and because the moves can be stale on shield, this can make the opponent shield more often and cause his moves to KO even later. Fox Illusion stops on shield, which can make it punishable if used predictably. In addition, none of his throws are viable KO options, which further exacerbates the unreliability of KOing. Since he has high falling speed, high-end lag on his aerials, and slow vertical recovery, edge guarding with Fox is risky and can put him in an even more vulnerable position. In addition, while rage can help with KOing to a certain extent, he doesn't benefit from it as much as heavier characters, who can usually survive for much longer and gain more rage in return.

Overall, Fox is a glass cannon character. He can approach the opponents with his proficient movement and attack speed, along with a decent damage output for a rushdown character, which allows him to quickly deal serious damage to opponents and KO them with several of his finishers. However, the player must stay unpredictable and not let himself get punished; otherwise, he himself can suffer from high-damaging combos and get KO'd very early.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Fox has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition to Ultimate. His moveset has been altered in several ways that, while leaving his core playstyle relatively unchanged, have altered the way he has to execute said playstyle, and the changes to the game's engine further compound this, causing him to be a more polarized character.

Fox's buffs primarily come from his moveset's improved versatility. Blaster's shots travel farther, and the move has less endlag, granting him a far better camping tool. His primary KO options in his forward and up smashes, as well as Fire Fox, now have increased knockback, which has overall further improved his KO power. Down tilt had its knockback and angles altered, whereas dash attack has less ending lag, making both even better combo starters overall. In addition, Reflector's startup has been cut in half and grants him intangibility (reminiscent of his Melee incarnation), allowing him to escape combos easier and edgeguard more safely.

Fox also greatly benefits from many of the changes to Ultimate's gameplay mechanics. The universal increase in horizontal mobility has especially improved his previously lackluster air speed, while making his grounded speed even faster. The ability to use any attack out of a run drastically benefits his close-ranged combat and further improves his grounded moveset's utility and combo ability, giving him far more options than he had to pressure the opponent on the ground. The universal reduction to landing lag also improves his aerial game's combo ability, but most importantly, it improves his already great safety on shield despite the reduced shieldstun on aerial attacks. Finally, the changes to air dodge mechanics notably benefit his powerful juggling options.

However, Fox has also received many glaring nerfs as well, the most significant ones being to his survivability, the ability to combo into his finishers, and the ability to easily cross-up; many of the changes to gameplay mechanics further compound these issues. Fox is even lighter, now being the fifth lightest character in the game, and his gravity now matches that of his Melee incarnation, worsening his already bad endurance, while both Fox Illusion and Fire Fox travel a shorter distance, and Reflector now only stalls Fox's momentum out once, making him easier to edgeguard. Combined with the ability to use only one air dodge before landing or getting hit, the smaller sizes in stages' edges, and the fact that enough downwards velocity now causes opponents to be KO'd faster from the bottom blast line, Fox's survivability is much worse than before, possibly the worst in his appearances so far. Conversely, while Fox's KO potential was improved, he has also lost several KO confirms due to his moveset's worsened combo potential outside of down tilt and dash attack; forward tilt's altered knockback reduces its combo and KO potential and almost completely removes its locking potential, one of down tilt's hitboxes that could lead into up aerial at high percentages was removed, and up tilt can no longer lead into KO setups as easily due to its altered knockback and its altered hitbox placements rendering it unable to hit opponents hanging on an edge or during their 2-frame vulnerability. The removal of frame canceling and the changes to reeling animations, no longer being untechable, have also drastically worsened his down aerial's combo ability.

Fox's dash attack, despite being faster, is now almost unable to cross-up opponents (unless they're small or thin) due to its higher shieldstun and the changes to jostling mechanics, and Fox Illusion can no longer bypass shields, making it much more difficult for him to recover back on-stage by crossing the opponent up, and instead making it much easier to punish him. His forward smash, while stronger, has noticeably less range, as Fox jumps at a reduced distance and the hitbox is active for a shorter period of time, making it harder to land. Other nerfs also include the worsening of his already poor grab game, with his grabs having even less range, now being tied for the third shortest, back throw being worse for edgeguarding, and the faster knockback physics completely removing down throw's combo potential when combined with its unfavorable angle and Fox's slower initial dash. Up smash has lost its small sourspot in front of Fox, but its animation was made faster with the hitbox duration unchanged, which, while making it easier to hit opponents behind him, also makes the clean hit slightly harder to land; the move also no longer grants intangibility to Fox's head during startup, making it a less effective anti-air.

Lastly, the changes to perfect shielding both benefit and hinder Fox. He arguably benefits from the revamped perfect shield the most, because of possessing very quick moves like up tilt or up smash, while perfect shield is ineffective against quick multi-hitting attacks like his down aerial. In contrast, it also makes it easier to retaliate against otherwise hard-to-punish moves, like his neutral aerial, forcing Fox to use his staple landing moves less predictably.

Overall, Fox is a more polarized glass cannon. Most of his tremendous strengths and advantages remain, and some of his moves have increased utility, resulting in a much more vast repertoire of versatile options; however, his key weaknesses are easier to exploit, and he has an even harder time getting out of disadvantage, meaning he has to play more carefully to gain or retain the advantage. The shifts to game mechanics compound both points. Despite the introduction of DLC characters and various changes from game updates, Fox performs similarly effectively in Ultimate as in SSB4.

Aesthetics

• Fox's design is now a combination of his appearance in Star Fox Zero and his design used in Brawl and SSB4. His flight suit, boots, headset, and visible whiskers are from Zero, while he retains his gloves and weapon designs from SSB4. The proportions of his head have been slightly altered, and his fur is more pronounced. Lastly, the aesthetic used in Ultimate has resulted in Fox's overall color scheme being more vibrant.
• Fox's jacket collar is smaller, and his holster is now indigo with vegas gold tints. Additionally, his headset is entirely gray. Lastly, Fox's toe boxes are much smoother and are brick red. These changes are unique to Ultimate.
• Like all characters, Fox is significantly more expressive than in previous games.
• Fox's idle, walking, and on-screen appearance animations are all slightly different. However, Fox reverts to his idle animation from Brawl while holding a small item.
• Opponents and items hit by Fox's lasers have a black puff of smoke appear out of them, as if they are being burned.
• Much like in Melee, Fox once again vocalizes when performing a midair jump.
• Fox's taunts have been tweaked.
  • Up taunt has a different ending animation, with him performing a short fist pump. He also says "Let's go!" instead of "Here I come!" during the taunt.
  • Side taunt has an altered animation: Fox spins his Blaster in his hand rather than tossing it in the air.
  • Down taunt has Fox saying "Come at me." instead of "Come on!".
• Fox's side-inputted victory pose now has the camera positioned behind Fox, rather than in front of him.
• Fox's air dodge has an altered animation.

Attributes

• The changes to perfect shielding both benefit and hinder Fox. He can more easily punish the opponents out of shield with his fast moves and allows him to pressure shields because of perfect shields mostly being ineffective against multi-hits like his down aerial, but it also makes easier for the opponents to punish his safe aerials, most notably neutral aerial.
• Like all characters, Fox's jumpsquat animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 4).
• Fox's weight has been decreased (79 → 77), resulting in him being lighter than Kirby and the 5th lightest character in the game.
• Fox dashes faster (2.184 → 2.402).
  • However, his initial dash is slower (2.4 → 2.09), no longer being the fastest in the game.
• Fox walks faster (1.45 → 1.523).
• Fox's air speed is noticeably faster (0.96 → 1.11), being average instead of below-average.
• Fox falls slightly faster (2.05 → 2.1), which allows him to land more safely, but makes him easier to combo.
  • His fast-falling speed is faster as well (3.28 → 3.36).
• Fox's gravity is much higher (0.19 → 0.23), being as high as in Melee. While this makes his jumps faster and allows him to land more safely, it worsens his already poor endurance at higher percentages by a lot, particularly when coupled with his lower weight, and it also makes him much more susceptible to combos at lower percentages. It also shortens his air time, and makes his recovery more linear.
• Fox's traction is higher (0.06 → 0.115).
• The removal of un-techable reeling on the ground hinders Fox more than the rest of the returning veterans, as his up smash KO setups from his forward tilt, neutral aerial and down aerial at high percentages can always be teched.
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-14 → 4-12).
• Back roll has more ending lag (FAF 27 → 33).
• Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 25 → 24).
• Spot dodge has more startup and grants less intangibility (frames 2-15 → 3-14).
• Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 2-25 → 2-26).
• Air dodge has more ending lag (FAF 31 → 39), although it is the fastest in the game due to the universal changes.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • The first hit transitions into the second hit faster (frame 6 → 5), which transitions into the infinite faster (frame 7 → 5).
  • The infinite has a shorter gap between hits (4 frames → 2) and a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.5×), allowing it to connect more reliably and making it harder to escape, despite its higher SDI multiplier (0.4× → 0.6×).
  • The first hit and infinite deal less damage (2% → 1.8% (hit 1), 0.7% → 0.6% (infinite)).
  • The first and second hits have a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.8× (hit 1), 1.2× (hit 2)), giving opponents more time to SDI them.
  • The second hit's hitboxes have a shorter duration (frames 2-3 → frame 2).
  • The infinite has more startup (frame 3 → 5), no longer possessing an early hit that deals 0.4%, though this is mitigated by the second hit's faster transition into it.
  • The infinite's finisher has more ending lag (FAF 33 → 39).
  • The first and second hits have altered angles (35°/80°/20° (hit 1), 40°/76°/68° (hit 2) → 361°/180°) and knockback (hit 1: 15 base/40 scaling → 20/15 base/35/33/20 scaling, hit 2: 25/32 base/70/80 scaling → 20 base/35/33/20 scaling) to keep opponents close to Fox, akin to other neutral attacks. This allows them to connect better and jab lock, but worsens their guaranteed jab cancel setups.
  • The first and second hits have altered animations, with Fox standing more upright rather than lunging forward.
  • The infinite has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 6×. This allows it to lock opponents into their shields between each hit, and thus pressure them more effectively, but also allows them to cancel shieldstun and punish Fox more easily if they shield 10 hits or more.
  • The infinite's finisher has higher base knockback (30 → 55), but lower knockback scaling (170 → 130).
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt angled up deals less damage (8% → 7%).
  • For all angles, forward tilt has higher base knockback (10 → 40), but lower knockback scaling (110 → 80). This makes it safer on hit at low percents and improves its combo potential into dash attack, but hinders its KO potential and removes its ability to lock.
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt's animation has been changed, with Fox's foot being higher and at a raised angle on the frame that the hitbox first comes out. This prevents it from 2-framing.
  • The clean hit's grounded sweetspot deals less damage (9% → 8%).
  • The sourspots take priority over the sweetspots, diminishing the move's damage potential.
  • Every hitbox except the sweetspot has been reduced (5.5u/5u/4u → 5u/4.5u/3.5u).
  • The sourspots deal more knockback (18 base/110 scaling → 20/125). Conversely, the sweetspots have consistent base knockback (22 (grounded)/18 (aerial) → 20), and effectively deal less knockback as a result of their scaling values remaining unchanged. This improves the combo potential of the sweetspots, but reduces the combo potential of the sourspots.
  • The sourspots launch opponents towards Fox like the grounded sweetspot (80° → 110°). As a result, combined with their higher knockback, this further worsens their combo potential.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt launches opponents at overall higher angles (45°/65°/80°/90° → 77°/75°/72°), has higher base knockback (25 → 70) with lower knockback scaling (100 → 50), and has gained a hitstun modifier of 3. This noticeably improves its combo potential.
  • Its hitboxes have been slightly reduced, with the farthest hitbox having been removed altogether (3.3u/3.2u/3u/2u → 3.2u/2.8u/3u).
  • Due to the farthest hitbox's more horizontal angle, it can no longer true combo into an up aerial as a KO option at high percents.
  • It uses a slap SFX instead of a punch SFX on hit.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack has less ending lag (FAF 36 → 32), improving its combo potential.
  • It has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 1.8×. Combined with its lower ending lag and the increased shieldstun for ground attacks, this makes it safer on shield.
  • Due to the changes to jostle mechanics, it can no longer cross-up shields, allowing it to be punished more easily despite its increased shieldstun.
  • It has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.15×).
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash deals more knockback (20 base/98 scaling → 28/100 (clean), 20 base → 30 (late)), improving its KO potential and improving its safety at lower percentages.
  • It has a shorter duration (frames 13-15 → 13-14 (clean), 16-18 → 15-16 (late)) and travels a shorter distance, noticeably reducing its range.
• Up smash:
  • Up smash's clean hit has increased knockback scaling (94 → 97), slightly improving its KO potential.
  • The early clean hit deals consistent damage (16%/14% → 16%).
  • The animation is faster with the hitbox duration unchanged. While this makes it easier to hit behind Fox, it also makes the clean hit harder to land, making it less consistent as a KO option.
  • It no longer grants intangibility on Fox's head at frames 1-9, making it worse as an anti-air tool.
  • The move's ending animation has been modified: Fox does a three point landing after doing his up smash.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (11 frames → 7 (neutral), 27 → 18 (forward), 15 → 9 (back), 22 → 13 (up), 25 → 17 (down)).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has less ending lag (FAF 42 → 39).
  • The hitbox on Fox's non-kicking leg has been removed, slightly reducing the move's range below Fox.
  • Its hitboxes have a shorter duration (frames 4-25 → 4-23).
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial deals significantly more damage (2%/1%/0.6%/0.8%/3% → 1.8%/1.3%/1.8%/2.8%/4.8% (hits 1-5), 7.4% → 12.5% (total)), with knockback scaling compensated on the last hit (130 → 103).
    • Overall, it deals less knockback at low to mid percents, and more knockback at high percents.
  • The linking hits have a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.66×), making them harder to SDI out of.
  • All hits after the first come out faster (frame 13, 19, 26, 32 → 11, 16, 21, 26), allowing them to connect more reliably, and giving the move faster interruptibility as a result (FAF 51 → 44).
    • Due to the move's auto-cancel window remaining unchanged, this effectively increases its ending lag before it can auto-cancel.
  • Due to the shorter gaps between hits, and rage no longer affecting set knockback, the move cannot lead into a footstool as effectively, hindering its gimping potential.
  • Due to Fox's higher gravity, and no compensation on the vertical boosts from the kicks, the move is much less effective at extending Fox's jumps, stalling him in the air and makes it much harder to auto-cancel in a full hop.
  • The move has gained a landing hitbox, which improves its safety on landing, but hinders its tech-chasing capabilities.
  • It has an altered animation.
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial auto-cancels slightly later (frame 15 → 18), making it harder to auto-cancel in a short hop fast fall.
  • It has an altered animation, with Fox facing more towards the screen, and leaving his leg outstretched for the entirety of the hitbox duration, effectively increasing the range of the last 2 frames of the active frames.
• Up aerial:
  • The second hit of up aerial deals less damage (11% → 10%), although with its knockback scaling compensated (100 → 108).
  • Fox's higher falling speed and gravity prevents up aerial to auto-cancel in a short hop unless inputted in the first frame of jumpsquat.
  • Due to the lower landing lag, the first hit can combo into other moves, and possesses a KO setup into up smash at high percents.
  • The first hit of up aerial uses a slap SFX instead of a punch SFX on hit.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial's linking hits deal more knockback (5 set/38 base → 20/65) and their upper hitboxes use a different angle (250° → 325°), allowing them to connect better.
    • They also have a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.66×), making them harder to SDI out of.
  • It auto-cancels slightly earlier (frame 29 → 28).
  • The hitbox on the foot is slightly larger (3u → 3.2u), but is no longer extended.
  • The final hit's foot hitbox is noticeably smaller (8.5u → 7u).
  • The move can no longer be frame canceled, worsening its landing hit's combo potential at higher percents despite its lower landing lag.

Throws and other attacks

• All grabs have increased ending lag (FAF 29 → 37 (standing), 36 → 45 (dash), 34 → 40 (pivot)).
• All grabs are less extended (Z2 offset: 9u → 8u (standing), 10.8u → 9.6u (dash), -15u → -13.5u (pivot)), reducing even further his already poor grab range.
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals less damage (1.2% → 1%).
  • It has less startup (frame 2 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 10 → 6), but deals considerably more hitlag (4 frames → 11), increasing its effective duration.
  • Pummel has an extended hitbox (Z offset: 6.5-9.5), improving its ability to hit bystanders.
  • Forward throw releases opponents 1 frame earlier, but with the same FAF, increasing its ending lag.
  • Back throw launches opponents at a higher angle (45° → 56°), worsening its ability to set up edgeguards.
• Down throw:
  • Due to the new knockback speed up effect decreasing hitstun for higher knockback values, as well as Fox's slower initial dash speed, the move has lost its combo potential almost entirely, only leading into a forward aerial at very low percents if the opponent does not DI away.
  • Down throw fires three lasers instead of four, but they deal more damage (1.5% → 2%), leaving the total damage unchanged.
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).

Special moves

• Blaster:
  • Blaster has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 37 (grounded), 38 → 35 (aerial)), improving its camping ability.
  • The animation length in the air is longer (41 frames → 58), increasing the amount of time air mobility is locked, and how long before Fox can grab the ledge, if the move is not interrupted.
• Fox Illusion:
  • Fox Illusion deals more damage (3% → 8% (grounded), 5% (aerial)), with knockback only fully compensated on the aerial version (10 base/170 scaling → 30/110 (grounded), 10/200 → 15/148 (aerial)). This drastically increases the grounded version's knockback, allowing it to KO middleweights under 180%.
  • It can no longer send opponents behind Fox, allowing the aerial version to start combos more consistently.
  • The grounded version has much less ending lag (FAF 70 → 56).
  • Fox Illusion has more startup lag (frame 21 → 25).
  • The aerial version has more ending lag (FAF 70 → 73).
  • The move covers slightly less distance, and it immediately halts when it hits an opponent's shield, making it easier to punish.
• Fire Fox:
  • Fire Fox deals less damage on the initial hits (2% → 1.8%), but more on the dash (14% → 16% (clean), 8% → 10% (late)), allowing it to still deal slightly more total damage (28% → 28.6%).
  • The initial hits deal less knockback (28 base/30 scaling → 20/20), and have lower hitlag (1× → 0.8×) and SDI multipliers (1× → 0.6×), allowing them to connect more effectively despite launching at a more vertical angle (110° → 105°).
  • The dash deals more knockback (60 base → 70 (clean), 60 base/60 scaling → 85/50 (late)), which alongside its increased damage improves its KO potential, despite launching at a lower angle (80° → 60°).
  • It also has larger hitboxes (5.3u (clean)/4.7u (late) → 7.2u/5u).
  • Fire Fox travels a shorter distance.
  • Its charging animation has been altered, and Fox glances up before firing.
• Reflector:
  • Reflector has less startup (frame 6 → 3) and ending lag (FAF 41 → 37).
  • It has gained intangibility on frames 2-3, improving its utility as a combo breaker and making it a more reliable gimping tool.
  • The aerial hitbox launches at a lower angle (40˚ → 24˚), improving its edgeguarding potential.
  • Reflector is a darker shade of blue.
  • Consecutive uses of the move will no longer stall Fox in the air before landing, reducing its utility as a stalling tool.
• Final Smash:
  • Fox has a new Final Smash called Team Star Fox, which involves an Arwing strike. Upon activating, Fox yells, "It's go time!" If the Arwings successfully catch their target, Fox yells, "Star Fox, fire at will!" with it captioned on screen during the cinematic.