Falco (SSB4)

Falco in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Star Fox
Other playable appearances	in Melee in Brawl
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Landmaster

Falco (ファルコ, Falco) returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. Falco was officially confirmed on October 3rd, 2014, alongside Ness and Wario, coinciding with the the North American and European release of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. His moveset appears to be largely unchanged from its Brawl incarnation.

In Japanese, he is once again voiced by Hisao Egawa. In English, instead of being voiced by Dex Manley like in Brawl, he is now voiced by Mark Lund, his voice actor from Star Fox 64 3D and Star Fox Zero.

How to Unlock

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

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

Falco must then be defeated on Corneria.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

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

Falco must then be defeated on Orbital Gate Assault.

Attributes

This article or section is incomplete. You can help SmashWiki by expanding or finishing it.

Changes from Brawl

While he received miscellaneous buffs, Falco was nerfed overall from Brawl to SSB4. Although Falco has technically been buffed in most regards, with increased KO ability in several of his attacks, an above-average selection of throws, and an improved recovery due to the buffs to Falco Phantasm and the removal of edge-hogging, the few nerfs he received crippled his previously effective neutral game and approaching ability, making him much less effective as a character.

Falco's most significant nerf was to his Blaster; formerly the crux of his neutral game, the shots can no longer auto-cancel, weakening his approaches and his ability to pressure from afar. The removal of DACUS only exacerbates this, as Falco now lacks any safe and quick ways to approach enemies on the ground and follow up on combos or strings. His down aerial, which was a staple in his playstyle in previous games, has also been significantly nerfed, weakening his ability to close out stocks quickly. It also weakens his ability to approach with down aerial, a relatively effective strategy in past games, unless the player utilizes frame cancelling, a complicated and impractical advanced technique that is extremely hard to perform consistently and can be thrown off by shielding on reaction. The removal of chain grabbing is also a double-edged sword for Falco; while Falco is no longer an easy victim to it, its removal means that he loses his down throw chain grab, which impairs his ability to rack up damage quickly. His already poor recovery received a mix of buffs and nerfs; while Falco Phantasm can now be used in tandem with the slightly buffed Fire Bird, Falco Phantasm no longer has mix-ups.

Thus, while Falco's combo options besides his down aerial have been left relatively untouched, he is now more easily camped and must work much harder to win neutral exchanges. Additionally, due to the nerfs to his down throw, he can no longer convert as powerfully as he could in Brawl if he manages to win in neutral battles. As both of these are disadvantages he cannot afford to endure at high-level play due to his fast falling speed and the ease in which he can be comboed by other characters, Falco is considered much less viable than he has ever been in the past.

In recent updates, Falco has been given improvements to his punishing game; his neutral aerial is now more versatile, his up and forward aerials come out faster, and his throws have improved. While this does not improve Falco's worsened neutral game (except for the buff to his Blaster), it does give him more options while he is on the offensive and improves his previously nerfed damage racking ability, making him slightly more viable.

Aesthetics

• As part of the aesthetic used in SSB4, Falco's overall color scheme is brighter compared to how it looked in Brawl. Additionally, his eye reticle is smaller than it was in Brawl.

Attributes

• Falco's dashes slightly faster (1.432 → 1.472).
• Falco's falling speed is faster (1.708 → 1.8), which makes him slightly more susceptible to combos.

Ground attacks

• Neutral infinite now transitions into a finisher.
• Dash attack is slightly slower, with an extra 4 frames of start-up (hitting on frame 8 instead of 4).
• Down tilt sweetspotted has much more base knockback (25 → 50), restoring its KOing potential from Melee.
• Up smash hits twice, deals more damage (14% → 16%) and has no sourspot behind Falco.
• Up smash has more ending lag and the removal of DACUS removes its potential as an approach option, follow-up option, and KOing option from his down throw. Falco can also no longer perform the Gatling Combo, removing its comboing potential.
• Down smash has slightly more growth (70 → 76). Falco's feet are now intangible during start-up and the charging period.
• Forward smash deals more knockback (40 base/88 growth → 42 base/96 growth).
• Forward smash hits 1 frame later (16 frames → 17 frames) and has less reach.

Aerial attacks

• Forward and neutral aerials connect better. Neutral air also uses the auto-link angle now.
• Neutral aerial has more landing lag (9 frames → 15 frames).
• Last hit of forward aerial has significantly increased knockback (80 base/60 growth → 55 base/145 growth), making it a very reliable KO move offstage and has much less landing lag (33 frames → 25 frames). It additionally has an added landing hitbox that deals 3% and can KO at around 150%.
• Forward aerial deals less damage (11% → 9%) and has 4 frames extra start-up (6 frames → 10 frames).
• New sweet spotted back aerial has much more growth (103 → 130), making it a very powerful KO move both onstage and offstage.
• New back aerial has less range, lost its lingering hitbox and no longer hits in front of Falco.
• Down aerial's meteor smash has much weaker growth (100 → 80), and the move has significantly more startup (frame 5 → 16) and landing lag (12 frames → 26 frames), drastically worsening its utility.
• Up air can lead into a down air "pillar" combo.
• Up air no longer has a sourspot and consistently sends upwards, leading to more followups.
• Up air deals 1% less damage (11% → 10%).

Throws/other attacks

• All of Falco's laser-based throws now consist of one strong blaster shot instead of three weak blaster shots, making them more reliable for damage racking, especially at high percentages.
• Up throw's new vertical trajectory along with its aforementioned single strong shot makes it better for follow-ups, and it is arguably his best throw to string with at middle to high percentages.
• Back throw deals more damage and knockback, just barely making it a viable kill throw at around 140% near the edge.
• Down throw deals less damage and has lost its chain grabbing ability, removing one of his best strategies from Brawl as well as harming Falco's damage racking game. It also has more base knockback (45 → 60) making it more difficult to follow up on.

Special moves

• Falco Phantasm no longer leaves Falco helpless when used in midair, and can no longer dash over edges when used on the ground. It also has less landing lag when used while airborne, and gives Falco some slight forward momentum after the move ends.
• Falco Phantasm has more startup (17 frames → 19 frames).
• Falco Phantasm has a new animation, involving Falco spreading his arms out.
• Falco Phantasm can no longer be canceled, removing recovery mix-ups with it.
• Fire Bird gains more recovery distance.
• Blaster loses practicality as an approach option as shots no longer auto-cancel, cannot be fired as frequently, and aerial Blaster shots barely get a noticeable increase in attack speed. The height of Falco's short hop often shoots the lasers over the opponent's heads. It also covers significantly less range (not even the full Final Destination length). It also can no longer silent laser. Due to its slower speed, and the new physics involving locks, the Blaster can no longer lock floored opponents.
• Blaster shots now deal consistent 3% damage as they travel farther.
• Reflector starts and ends slightly faster. Because of SSB4's removal of hitstun cancelling, it is a better poking option than in the previous game as Falco can now use another move once Reflector ends while the opponent is stunned, especially if Reflector causes them to trip at low percentages, giving the move new follow up-opening options.
• Because Reflector is faster, the window that Falco gets to reflect projectiles is slightly shorter, making timing of the move more crucial than in Brawl.
• Falco's Reflector animation is more fluid, and he now catches the device with his wing once the move ends.
• Landmaster is less powerful and lasts a shorter duration.

Update history

In update 1.0.4, Falco was slightly buffed due to his Blaster shooting slightly faster, which slightly improved his neutral game. Update 1.0.8 buffed his punishing game by making his neutral aerial more versatile, increasing the speed of his up and forward aerials, and improving his throws. While these buffs do not notably improve Falco's worsened neutral game, they do give him more options while he is on the offensive and improve his previously nerfed damage racking ability.

1.0.4

• Blaster can shoot faster.
• Forward aerial's landing hit deals 3% more damage: 2% → 5%.
• Fixed Reflector Void failing to reflect Timber properly.

1.0.8

• Neutral attack has been improved. It locks opponents more reliably for all of its hits and all hits have slightly larger hitboxes.
• Up smash's second hitbox starts up 1 frame sooner, and lasts 2 frames longer.
• Neutral aerial has been significantly improved. It has larger hitboxes, can now properly keep opponents in for all hits, and always produces knockback towards the direction Falco faces, significantly improving its follow-up capabilities.
• Forward aerial has 2 frames of faster start-up and overall completes about 9 frames faster, giving it follow-up capabilities. It additionally has reduced landing lag and deals 1% more damage if all aerial hits connect: 5% → 6%.
• Forward aerial's landing hit deals 2% less damage: 3% → 1%.
• Up aerial's start-up was decreased by 3 frames and its hitboxes deal more vertical based knockback, making it more viable for combos. Its hitboxes are also slightly larger.
• Up aerial's sourspot was removed, now leaving it with a single hitbox that deals 1% less damage than the up aerial's previous sweetspot: 11% → 10%. While this means it is much more consistent in utility, it means it no longer has a hitbox that is extra powerful.
• Down aerial's sweetspot lasts 1 frame longer, and its sourspot's hitboxes are slightly larger.
• Down aerial's sweetspot no longer meteor smashes grounded opponents, now sending opponents at a slightly diagonal vertical trajectory. While this removes its follow-up potential at high percents, it can no longer be teched by grounded opponents.

Technical changelist

Change	Old value	New value
Jab 1 hitboxes 0 and 2 switched
Jab 1 base knockback	30	35
Jab 1 angle (hitboxes 0-1)	80°	68°/77°
Jab 1 size (hitboxes 0-1)	2/3	2.5/3.2
Jab 1 Z-offset (hitbox 0)	0	-0.5
Jab 2 hitbox 2 angle	50°	45°
Jab 2 hitbox 2 size	2	5
Jab 2 Z-offset (hitbox 2)	0	-0.5
Transition from Jab 2 to Jab 3	frame 10	frame 9
Rapid jab loop hitbox sizes	2/3	2.7/3.2
Up smash final hit longevity	frames 13-20	frames 12-21
Neutral air weight-based knockback increased
Neutral air range increased
Neutral air (hit 2) damage	3%	2%
Neutral air hits now auto link
Neutral air's final hit now forces front-facing knockback
Animation speed 1.33x for frames 0-37
Looping hits refresh time	6	4
Number of looping hits	3	5
Forward air landing damage	5%	3%
Forward air base knockback	30	50
Up air damage	11%	10%
Up air angle	68°/68°/80°	65°/75°/85°
Up air base knockback	27/27/30	35/35/35
Up air knockback growth	100/100/20	90/90/90
Up air hitbox 0 size	4.8	5
Animation speed 1.5x for frames 0-8
Up air startup	10 frames	7 frames
Down air sweetspot produces a different hitbox with a nonmeteor angle on grounded opponents	280°	80°
Down air sourspot replaces sweetspot one frame later	19	20
Down air sourspot hitbox size	5	5.3

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%	Falco performs two jabs, then tilts diagonally and spins very quickly with his wings out to repeatedly slash the opponent. He finishes the attack with a strong swipe.
			2%
			0.4% (loop), 3% (last)
Forward tilt			9%	A mid-level roundhouse kick. It can be angled, but has below-average knockback.
Up tilt			4% (hit 1 most), 3% (hit 1 late tip), 5% (hit 2)	Swings both of his wings above his head, hitting twice. The tip of the first hit is a meteor smash, although it is very hard to land consistently in normal gameplay as both attacks chain well into each other. A good move in general, being both good for comboing and a fast but somewhat weak KOing option, dealing enough vertical knockback to KO at around 150%.
Down tilt			12% (near), 11% (mid), 9% (far)	Falco quickly swipes his opponent's legs with his tail feathers. Surprisingly good knockback for its speed, it is a reliable KOing option around 120% if sweetspotted.
Dash attack			9% (clean), 6% (late)	Falco performs a flying kick.
Forward smash			15% (clean), 10% (late)	Falco swings his wings forward in an overhead powerful swipe, slashing anyone who is caught in it. Has high knockback and its sweetspot is at his hands.
Up smash			4% (hit 1), 12% (hit 2)	Falco performs a backflip kick. Hits twice with moderate knockback.
Down smash			15% (feet), 12% (legs)	Falco does a split kick that comes out rather quickly. His legs are intangible for a short time before the attack strikes. Below-average range. Has a very small sourspot in the center of his body that deals weak vertical knockback, but endlag renders it practically unusable for comboing.
Neutral aerial			3% (hits 1-2), 2% (hit 3), 4% (hit 4)	Falco performs a few spinning swipes with his wings, hitting four times. A good combo move, the final hit knocks opponents away.
Forward aerial			1% (loop), 4% (last), 3% (landing)	Falco spins in a horizontal corkscrew to perform a drilling peck. It is similar to Pikachu and Sonic's forward aerials. All of its hits chain well into each other and the final hit deals impressive knockback, KOing off-stage around 100% while not being particularly hard to land. Landing while the move is used causes a shockwave that knocks opponents away with decently strong knockback, making this move one of Falco's best KOing options both on-stage and off-stage.
Back aerial			13% (clean), 7% (late)	Falco does a back kick. Excellent start-up and knockback scaling make it a viable KOing option despite its fairly low range and its hitbox no longer lingering as long as it did in Brawl.
Up aerial			11%	Falco does a forwards flip kick into the air. Juggles well at low percents and can KO at higher percents. Its knockback is somewhat lacking compared to Fox's, but Falco's high jumps allow it to be used from very high up near the blast line, where it can KO at around 110%.
Down aerial			13% (clean), 8% (late)	Falco performs a downward corkcrew stomp. High start-up lag and hits once with a meteor smash. It has been significantly nerfed from Brawl, although it benefits from frame cancelling.
Grab			—	Grabs the opponent.
Pummel			2%	A quick knee strike.
Forward throw			4% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	Falco punches the opponent away. Can combo into a forward air at low to mid percents if the opponent's jump is read, which can become a fairly reliable KO set-up at particularly high percents.
Back throw			6% (throw), 3% (shots)	Falco throws the foe backwards and then shoots them once with his Blaster. Can KO at around 140% near the edge if opponent is hit by the Blaster's laser.
Up throw			4% (throw), 4% (shots)	Falco throws the foe upwards and then shoots them once with his Blaster. Arguably Falco's best combo throw at mid to high percents due to his high jumps and it can lead into a KO with up air if the opponent's reaction is read.
Down throw			2% (shots), 3% (throw)	Falco throws the opponent to the ground and shoots them in the chest with his Blaster. Good combo starter at low to mid percents.
Floor attack (front)			7%	Falco lunges and kicks backwards and forwards.
Floor attack (back)			7%	Falco extends to attack in front and in back.
Floor attack (trip)			5%	Falco spins around, kicking those who are near.
Edge attack			7%	Falco lunges at the opponent with a kick.
Neutral special	Default	Blaster	3%	Falco fires his Blaster. Unlike Fox's Blaster, it is slow but can stun the opponent and is slightly more powerful. The Blaster fires a bit faster in the air, although this speed increase is not really noticeable.
	Custom 1	Explosive Blaster	1% (loop), 2% (last)	Falco fires a shot that slows down as it travels and explodes right before it stops. It pushes opponents while traveling, but does not do damage until the shot explodes.
	Custom 2	Burst Blaster	2%	Falco's Blaster acts similarly to Fox's Blaster in that it fires more rapid shots, but with less power, range, and loses it ability to make the opponent flinch. The ending lag is significantly reduced.
Side special	Default	Falco Phantasm	7% (ground), 6% (airborne opponents when used in air)	Falco dashes forward at a blinding speed, leaving behind after-images. Unlike Fox Illusion, Falco Phantasm will launch airborne opponents straight downwards on contact, and it has faster start-up. On grounded opponents, it sends them upwards with favorable force to combo into a back aerial.
	Custom 1	Falco Phase	0%	Falco is intangible for the duration of the move, but cannot hit opponents either. It also covers slightly less distance.
	Custom 2	Falco Charge	4% (early), 12% (clean), 4% (late)	A shorter dash that hits much harder at the beginning of the move.
Up special	Default	Fire Bird	2% (charging loop), 3% (launch hit 1), 2% (launch hits 2-8), 2% (launch hit 9)	Falco cloaks himself in flames and suddenly fires himself in any direction, depending on what direction is held. The attack hits multiple times. It also travels a shorter distance than Fox's Fire Fox.
	Custom 1	Fast Fire Bird	2%	Falco instantly fires himself in any direction, but at the cost of a shortened distance.
	Custom 2	Distant Fire Bird	8% (first hit), 2% (loop)	Falco charges up for a longer period of time, but travels further. The initial part of the attack launches opponents while the rest of the attack hits opponents multiple times, dealing weak knockback and cannot link hits very well.
Down special	Default	Reflector	5% (reflector), 1.2x (reflection)	Falco activates his Reflector and kicks it away from him, reflecting any projectiles and shocking any enemies it comes in contact with. It then returns to him as if magnetized. The move can be used as a poking tool that trips low-damage opponents and can start combos.
	Custom 1	Accele-Reflector	2% (reflector), 1.0x (reflection)	The reflector can only reflect projectiles while moving forwards, but doubles the speed of the reflected shots which deal the same damage as before. The Accele-Reflector is colored green.
	Custom 2	Reflector Void	9% (reflector)	The reflector destroys projectiles instead of reflecting them, but deals more damage on contact. The Reflector Void is colored purple.
Final Smash		Landmaster	12%/11%/10%/8% (movement), 10% (roll), 8%/12% (shot)	Falco summons his Landmaster. Like Fox's Landmaster, Falco's version can shoot laser blasts from the cannon and can damage foes by maneuvering around. Unlike Fox's however, it has better aerial mobility, shorter duration and its blasts are weaker.

Taunts

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

Idle Poses

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

On-Screen Appearance

Falco ejects from an upside-down Arwing.

Victory Fanfare

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

Victory Poses

• FalcoPose1WiiU.png
• FalcoPose2WiiU.png
• FalcoPose3WiiU.png

• Jumps high into the air and poses on the ground.
• Does rapid kicks and poses, saying "Had enough already?".
  • If Fox is present after a match, there is a chance he will instead say "You're off your game, Fox."
• Crosses arms and looks away, saying "You aren't worth the trouble."

In Competitive Play

Official Custom Moveset Project

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

Notable players

•  AC
•  Keitaro

In event matches

Solo Events

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

Co-op Events

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

Trophies

Falco

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

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

: Star Fox (03/1993)

: Star Fox 64 (07/1997)

Falco (Alt.)

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

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

: Star Fox (03/1993)

: Star Fox 64 (07/1997)

Landmaster (Falco)

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

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

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• FalcoAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Landmaster

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Falco's amiibo.

• 

  Kicking Little Mac.

• 

  Readying his Blaster.

• 

  Attacking Bowser with Diddy Kong, Fox, and Takamaru.

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

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  Staring down Fox.

• 

  Attacking Link and Marth.

• 

  Posing with Pikachu.

• 

  In his Landmaster attacking Samus.

• 

  Using Falco Phantasm on Greninja.

• 

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

• 

  Hitting Lucario while wearing a Bunny Hood.

• 

  Using Falco Phantasm.

• 

  Slashing Pit.

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  Uses Falco Phantasm on Pit and Yoshi.

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  Hitting Charizard.

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  Fires his blaster.

• 

  Uses Fire Bird on Mario.

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  Firing alongside with Fox.

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  Jabs on Olimar.

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  Forward aerial attack on Mega Man.

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  Dash attack.

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  Falco in standby mode.

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  Down smash.

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  Poses with Peach.

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  Attacking Toon Link.

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  A pose.

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  Attacking Greninja.

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  Aerial attack with Andross.

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  Uses a Drill Arm on Mario and Sonic.

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  A taunt.

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  Poses with Captain Falcon.

Trivia

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