Wolf (SSBU)

Wolf in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Star Fox
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Team Star Wolf

“	The leader of the Star Wolf mercenary team makes his grand return after 10 years! He puts his sharp claws to good use in wild attacks, and his Final Smash is an all-out attack by Team Star Wolf! If Fox or Falco is in the battle, you may hear a unique line of dialog.	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Wolf (ウルフ, Wolf) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was confirmed playable on June 12th, 2018. Wolf is classified as fighter #44.

Jay Ward, Wolf's English voice actor from Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Starlink: Battle for Atlas, reprises his role while Kōsuke Takaguchi, Wolf's Japanese voice actor from Star Fox 64 3D and Star Fox Zero, replaces Mahito Ōba.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Play VS. matches, with Wolf being the 51st character to be unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Fox or any character in his unlock tree, being the seventh character unlocked after Bowser Jr..
• Have Wolf join the player's party in World of Light.

With the exception of the third method, Wolf must then be defeated on Lylat Cruise.

Attributes

Wolf's attributes and moveset give him a versatile gameplan, somewhere in the middle ground between Fox's pressure-focused playstyle and Falco's punish-oriented gameplay. This is reflected in his attributes, which include a slow dash speed (though his initial dash is quite fast), above average walk speed, and a high falling speed and gravity characteristic of the Star Fox characters. Unlike the other space animals, however, Wolf has among the highest air speeds in the game, and is also significantly heavier than them. Though his special moveset and vertical mobility are derived from his brethren, the similarities end there, with Wolf being the most unique of the trio.

Wolf's Blaster is the centerpiece of his neutral game. With the lasers causing hitstun and having a high duration and transcendent priority, they grant him the ability to disrupt opponents' approaches, even when their grounded mobility is superior to his own, and its unique close-range hitbox on the bayonet give it some utility in close combat, dealing substantial damage if it connects. An opponent will likely resort to jumping over the projectiles, at which point they are open to Wolf's fast aerial attacks, which are comprised of a disjointed forward aerial that can combo into itself and his other aerials, a fast neutral aerial that is quite strong at the sweetspot while having a lingering hitbox, a back aerial whose moderate start-up is offset by its high power, and an up aerial well-suited to juggling. While he can apply pressure from a distance, Wolf is not wanting for close-range options either. Jab and down-tilt are decent pokes, forward smash has deceptively low ending lag, and his neutral, forward, and back aerials are quite fast and difficult to punish even if blocked, while his standing grab is tied for the fastest in the game. Further augmenting his strong neutral game are his dash attack and reflector, the former of which is useful for punishing aerial approaches and KO'ing at very high percents, while the latter ensures he has priority over opposing camping.

Once Wolf has won the neutral exchange, he has several options to rack up damage. Forward aerial can combo into itself and other aerials, and into a grab at very low percentages, from which up throw can lead into another forward or up aerial until mid-percentages. Should an opponent air dodge in an attempt to escape pressure, Wolf's aerial mobility allows him to chase them down and punish them, usually with a back aerial or up tilt after landing. Once his foe is at high percentages, he can threaten them with an outright KO by spacing his safe back aerial and forward smash, or force them offstage with his neutral aerial, forward tilt or throws, after which he may attempt punishing their recovery with another aerial, or cover their ledge options with a down smash. At very high percentages, his fast grab becomes threatening as well, with his back throw KO'ing effectively at the ledge.

Wolf is not free of weaknesses. Though he is not short of finishers, he frequently has difficulty landing them, as he lacks methods to reliably set-up into them, often leading to him throwing out back aerials and forward smashes to seal the stock, while his up smash has high ending lag and his back throw requires rage and stage positioning to KO at reasonable percentages. However, by far Wolf's greatest downfall is his endurance: as with the other space animals, his physics render him highly susceptible to combos. While Wolf is much heavier than both Fox and Falco, Wolf’s weight renders him vulnerable to a myriad of combos, while not being heavy enough to allow him to survive high percents. Most critically, his recovery is among the worst in the cast. His up special, Fire Wolf, is linear and offers poor vertical recovery, making meteor smashes deadly against him even at lower percentages, and his main method of recovery, Wolf Flash, is also linear, though it does offer fair horizontal distance along with a dangerous spiking hitbox. Further worsening the issue, unlike Fox and Falco, both of his recovery options cause helplessness, restricting him to one option offstage and leaving him with a much shorter recovery distance overall. In addition, because Wolf moves diagonally during Wolf Flash, ledges will not stop him. This, in conjunction wih his helpless state, will cause using Wolf Flash near the ledge very risky, as it is extremely easy to self-destruct.

Overall, Wolf is a non-traditional glass cannon. Wolf sacrifices the power of other glass cannons such as Mewtwo for sheer versatility, being able to adapt to nearly any playstyle. His combination of an excellent projectile and good frame data allow him to switch playstyles on a whim, while his combos and aerial mobility ensure he can keep up the pressure on his opponent even after winning the neutral game. However, a Wolf player must be ready to play the long game, as it is not unusual for his foe to live for very long, and a single mistake could see Wolf sustaining heavy damage from combos before finding himself offstage, where often times one more hit is all that is needed to seal his fate.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Wolf has been buffed considerably in his transition from Brawl. He is much more nimble than in his previous appearance, sporting a significantly improved mobility with slightly faster dash and air speeds (although this is the case with the entire cast), and a much faster fast fall speed. Coupled with his superior mobility is the buffs to his Blaster (which shoots larger lasers which deal more damage), already an effective projectile in his previous appearance, and his new dash attack, both of which improve his neutral game. His aerial attacks have also seen improvements: his new neutral aerial gives Wolf an effective, all-purpose aerial, his forward aerial can now be followed up from due to its notably reduced ending and landing lag, and his back and up aerials have deceptively increased power (most notably the former). Wolf's grab game also received some noteworthy buffs, now having a strong throw in his back throw and decent combo starters in his up and down throws. Finally, his Fire Wolf and Wolf Flash are far stronger, giving him two more powerful, if risky, KO options; the latter in particular has received the ability to change its trajectory up or down, slightly improving his horizontal recovery.

Wolf also heavily benefits from the changes to gameplay mechanics. The new airdodge mechanics, as well as the changes to hitstun canceling, make him better at comboing and juggling his opponents for a longer period of time, which pair well with his improved mobility. The changes to momentum canceling allow his moves to KO earlier and overall put his survivbility more in line with the cast. Lastly, the new ledge mechanics, the removal of chain grabbing and meteor canceling also significantly improve his survivability, while the latter change make his down aerial and Wolf Flash more effective at KOing off stage.

However, Wolf has received a few significant nerfs as well. Some of his moves have received less range and increased lag in all aspects, most notably his forward and down smash attacks, and his renowned back aerial from Brawl, in exchange for more power; the latter two are particularly noteworthy due to their previous speed and already decent power. Because of this, Wolf has a more difficult time scoring KOs as his options are much harder to land in general, forcing him to either make hard reads or find ways to combo into Wolf Flash off-stage (which is extremely risky as the opponent can DI to avoid it and Wolf has to aim it accurately, the latter of which can cause a self-destruct since it causes helplessness). His already poor recovery has been made worse, as both Fire Wolf and Wolf Flash have decreased distance, making him slightly more susceptible to meteor smashes than in Brawl. His Blaster also has increased ending lag. His neutral and down aerials are also slightly weaker (with the former being slower) and he also lost one of his better kill moves in forward aerial (though it has gained combo potential). Finally, his new down throw is weaker and cannot be used for edgeguarding and tech-chasing, unlike his previous down throw.

Despite Ultimate's new mechanics heavily benefiting Wolf, he has also seen a few nerfs from the changes to the mechanics, most notably the removal of DACUS which hinders his grounded approach. Lastly, his lower weight worsens his survivability, especially horizontally (which is also hindered by the changes to momentum canceling), while he remains an easy combo target due to his high falling speed and the changes to hitstun canceling.

Overall, Wolf's nerfs are overall offset by the new game mechanics and the buffs he has received, which has currently allowed him to fare better than he did in Brawl during Ultimate's early meta. So far, he has managed to achieve excellent representation and results thanks to Zackray winning multiple Japanese majors with the character, as well as numerous other players.

Aesthetics

• Wolf's design takes some elements from his appearance in Star Fox Zero. He now sports a traditional eye patch, and his eye is red instead of purple. His fur is also more detailed and fluffier.
• Wolf's jacket is now purple with heliotrope accents and has a more traditional appearance: it has a collar, buttons, a zipper, and a belt; it also appears to have more depth, and his necklace and choker have been replaced with a hopbush bandana (also wears one on his left leg). His gloves match his jacket and are wrapped around in bands. Wolf's boots are less metallic and instead have metallic detailing protruding from his heels and toe boxes; he also now wears shin guards that possess similar metallic details, and his knee pads are asymmetrical. The spikes on his shoulder pads and knee pad are significantly more protruding and they are old gold. Lastly, Wolf no longer carries his Reflector on his person. These changes make Wolf's design largely original to Ultimate
• Like many other characters, Wolf is now more expressive. He now smirks in an evil manner on certain occasions, like his side taunt, when grabbing opponents, and one of his victory animations.
• The majority of Wolf's animations are more fluid and polished, and none are visibly borrowed from other characters unlike Brawl. Many of his attacks also sport purple claw trails.
• Wolf now has many animations of his own, rather than using Fox's. This includes the animations for his air dodge, forward and back roll, spot dodge, and shielding, among several others.
• Dash and crouch's animations have also changed. Wolf no longer limps when he dashes, and he now kneels akin to the other spacies instead of laying on all four limbs when crouching. However, he transitions to his crouching animation from Brawl when holding a small item.
• Wolf's up taunt has him face the screen, regardless which side he's currently facing.
  • The howling voice clip has been sped up to match the new animation.
• Wolf now has a new side taunt, a beckoning gesture with one finger while asking, "Are you scared?" This replaces his taunt from Brawl, in which he kicked the air three times and said "What's the matter, scared?".
• Wolf's crowd cheer now only has the audience howling, instead of going "Wooolf! - *howl*".
• Wolf now says "You're good, but I'm better." during his claw-swiping victory pose, one of his famous lines from Star Fox 64. This replaces his "I will be the one to...take you down!" line from Brawl.
• Wolf's victory pose where he reaches for the sky is now a bit different. He now turns around and extends his right arm, keeping his left arm closer to his face as the camera zooms in. In addition, he says "Weaklings, the lot of you!" instead of "Weaklings, the bunch of you!".
• Wolf has a new victory pose. He now claws the air and poses instead of snarling, crossing his arms, and then laughing.
• Wolf's specific victory dialogue against Fox ("Playtime's over, Star Fox!") now has a chance of being used on any of his three victory poses rather than solely on his left-inputted victory pose.
• Wolf's tumbling animation no longer seems to detach his left arm from his elbow.

Attributes

• Wolf now stands in an upright, much less awkward posture, similar to Yoshi and Bowser in their transitions from Brawl. This translates to his moveset, be it through a tweaked animation or a completely new move. However, he will revert to his posture and idle poses from Brawl while holding a small item.
  • Wolf's new upright posture makes him harder to hit horizontally, but easier to hit vertically.
• The changes to hitstun canceling both help and hinder Wolf: they allow him to combo his opponents much better than in Brawl, though it makes him more susceptible to combos due to his fast falling speed.
• The changes to momentum canceling both help and hinder Wolf: it makes his stronger moves more likely to KO and renders his vertical endurance more in line with the rest of the cast, but also worsens his horizontal endurance.
• The changes to air dodge mechanics help Wolf overall, as it allows him to juggle his opponents more easily than in Brawl when coupled with the changes to hitstun canceling. They also give Wolf an effective way to mix up his recovery and landing options, the latter due to his fast falling speed.
• The removal of meteor canceling benefits Wolf far more than any other character, as he is now equally as vulnerable to meteor smashes as the rest of the cast instead of having a significantly longer meteor cancel delay, while making his meteor smashes much more effective.
• The removal of chain grabbing significantly improves Wolf's survivability against certain characters, as he is no longer vulnerable to them. However, it also slightly hinders Wolf's damage-racking game, as he could chain grab with his down throw in Brawl.
• The removal of glide tossing and super glide tossing hinders Wolf's approach while holding items.
• Like all characters, Wolf's jumpsquat animation now takes three frames to complete (down from five).
• Wolf is significantly lighter (102 → 92). This significantly hinders his endurance, while not making him much less susceptible to combos from other characters due to the changes to hitstun canceling.
• Wolf walks slower (1.3 → 1.208).
• Wolf dashes faster (1.4 → 1.54).
• Wolf's air speed is faster (1.222 → 1.281).
• Wolf's fast fall speed is much more in line with the rest of the roster (1.9 → 2.88), being far more useful than before.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • Neutral attack has a much cleaner look overall. The ending hit is now a third claw swipe, instead of a dashing bite.
  • The second and third hits of neutral attack have less startup lag (frame 5 → 4). Wolf can also transition into the second and third hit sooner.
  • Neutral attack deals slightly less damage (9% → 8%).
  • All hits have a shorter duration (2 frames → 1) and Wolf does not lunge as far forward when performing the third hit decreasing its range. Due to this, the third hit can now whiff at high percents.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt has an updated animation where Wolf forcefully brings his claws together.
  • Forward tilt has more ending lag (frame 33 → 35).
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt deals more damage (8% → 10%) improving its KO potential.
  • Up tilt has a new ending animation where Wolf flicks his nose with his thumb while smirking.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt has less range.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack is now a short ranged kick instead of a backflip. It has more horizontal range but less vertical.
  • Dash attack deals more damage (9% → 11%).
  • Dash attack no longer halts Wolf's forward momentum, and boosts him forward a good distance.
  • Dash attack is now a great burst option that can KO at reasonable percents.
  • Dash attack has a longer duration (4 frames → 8).
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash is now a forceful, standing palm strike that deals one hit. The new animation has doubled startup lag (frame 10 → 20), and Wolf does not lunge as far forward, decreasing its reach. The removal of the first hit also means that it can no longer trip opponents.
  • Forward smash deals much more knockback than his previous forward smash due to it dealing more damage (5% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2) → 15%).
  • Forward smash has less ending lag (frame 46 → 42). Coupled with its increased damage, it is now safe on shield and can be followed up with down tilt or neutral attack to deter approaches.
• Up smash:
  • Up smash has an altered animation, now performing a breakdance-style rotation before the kick, and no longer crosses his legs during the second hit. The hits are also now clearly highlighted by trails.
  • The second hit of up smash has a longer duration (3 frames → 4).
  • Up smash has more ending lag (frame 44 → 48) and decreased knockback (40/50 (base), 85/100 (scaling) → 85/65) making it KO slightly later.
  • The removal of DACUS significantly hinders up smash's approach potential.
• Down smash:
  • Down smash has an altered animation. Wolf now swipes both sides with one hand.
  • Down smash's deals more damage (14%/12% front → 16%/14%) (13%/10% back → 14%/12%)
  • Down smash is significantly more laggy, having more startup (frame 8 → 14 (hit 1), frame 14 → 21 (hit 2)) and ending lag (frame 35 → 44). It also has less range.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial is now a sex kick similar to Fox's.
  • Neutral aerial now has more range.
  • Neutral aerial has slightly less landing lag (10 frames → 9 frames).
  • Neutral aerial deals more damage overall (8% → 12% (clean), 1%/3% → 8% (late hit)).
  • The clean hit of neutral aerial makes it a strong finisher at high percentages, while the late hit allows it to be followed up with another attack,such as an aerial or dash attack.
  • Neutral aerial has more startup lag and a shorter duration (frames 4-34 → 7-26). The clean hit also deals less knockback (40 (base), 100 (scaling) → 30/75) slightly weakening its KO potential.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial has an altered animation.
  • Forward aerial has less ending (frame 52 → 41) and landing lag (30 frames → 10). When combined with the changes to hitstun canceling, this allows it to combo into a multitude of moves beyond low percents, including another forward air, other aerials, Wolf Flash and into grab.
  • Forward aerial sends opponents at a less vertical angle (75° → 60°).
  • Forward aerial deals less damage (11% → 9%) and knockback (40 (base), 95 (scaling) → 45/85) hindering its KO potential.
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial has an altered animation, closely resembling Ridley's back aerial.
  • Back aerial's sweetspot deals more damage (13% → 15%) and all hits have increased base knockback (20 → 37) improving its KO potential.
  • Back aerial has much more startup (frame 6 → 13), ending (frame 30 → 45) and landing lag (9 frames → 16). It also has a shorter duration (4 frames → 3), less range, cannot be performed twice in a full hop and it can no longer lock opponents at lower percents.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial is stronger as it has more knockback growth (75 → 85) and the changes to hitstun canceling improve its combo potential beyond low percents.
  • Up aerial has slightly increased landing lag (9 frames → 10).
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial has a slightly altered animation, where Wolf swipes downwards instead of plunging his fists down.
  • Down aerial has less ending lag (frame 60 → 54). The removal of meteor canceling also improves its reliability and allows for follow ups when used on grounded opponents beyond lower percents.
  • Down aerial's sweetspot is harder to land.

Throws/other attacks

• Grabs:
  • Dash grab has less startup lag (frame 11 → 8).
  • All grabs have more ending lag (frame 30 → 37 (standing), frame 40 → 45 (dash), frame 35 → 40 (pivot).
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw has a new animation: Wolf now slashes downward. It now also has a slash effect.
  • Forward throw deals more damage (7% → 9%.)
  • Forward throw has less KO potential while still lacking combo potential.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw has a new animation: Wolf now slashes upward. It also sends opponents at a different angle
  • Back throw has increased damage (7% → 11%) and knockback, making it a viable kill option at high percents when used near the ledge.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has a new animation. Wolf now jumps and slashes the opponent with one claw, instead of two like in Brawl. The animation is also cleaner overall.
  • Up throw can now be followed up with different aerials at low percentages due to the changes to hitstun canceling.
• Down throw:
  • Wolf has a new down throw. Wolf now grabs the opponent by the head, jumps while spinning around once, and chokeslams them into the ground.
  • Wolf can now follow up after down throw with different aerials.
  • Down throw deals less damage overall (12% → 8.5%).
  • Wolf can no longer chain grab with his down throw. Additionally, its new angle hinders its tech chasing and edgeguarding potential.
• Edge attack:
  • Wolf has a new edge attack, an inward slash. It does not have set knockback unlike his previous edge attacks. This improves its spacing potential at higher percents but hinders its spacing potential at lower percents.
  • New edge attack deals more damage than his old under 100% edge attack (8% → 9%) and it is faster than his old over 100% edge attack.
  • New edge attack has less range than both of his previous edge attacks (especially his under 100% edge attack) and it deals less damage than his old over 100% edge attack (10% → 9%).

Special Moves

• Blaster:
  • Wolf has an altered animation for firing lasers from his blaster, which is significantly faster to fire than the old version.
  • Both the melee hitbox (4% → 7%) and the lasers from the blaster deal more damage (5%/6%/5% → 6%/8%/7%).
  • The lasers are larger and now have an increased duration (frames 16-48 → 16-50).
  • The melee hitbox has more startup lag (frame 10 → 15). Blaster also has more ending lag (frame 45 → 50). It can no longer auto-cancel out of a full hop.
  • The lasers fired from Wolf's Blaster are now colored purple instead of green. The blaster itself has a new design and updated sound effects.
• Wolf Flash:
  • Wolf Flash has been given updated visual effects: its trail now features three long, red slash-marks. Another shorter, identical trail also appears in front of Wolf, which indicates the sweetspot.
  • Wolf Flash can now be angled by inputting up or down on the control stick, increasing recovery options. [3][4]
  • Wolf Flash is much stronger dealing more damage (10%/15% → 15%/20%) and the sweetspot has more knockback growth (80 → 86) and benefits from the removal of meteor canceling. Wolf now also has various ways to combo into Wolf Flash due to the changes to hitstun canceling, allowing for risky, yet deadly KO confirms.
  • Scarring is harder to perform, as Wolf no longer hugs the ledge as much when using the move, which can result in a self-destruct.
  • Non angled Wolf Flash travels less horizontal and vertical distance and it can no longer be shortened.
• Fire Wolf:
  • Fire Wolf has Wolf enveloped in blue aura. The animation itself has been changed as Wolf performs the multi-hitting kicks with his left foot and the final kick with his right foot. Additionally, Wolf now delivers the final kick aimed in the direction he traveled rather then performing a horizontal kick. [5]
  • Fire Wolf goes a much longer distance vertically than it does when angled.
  • Fire Wolf goes a much shorter distance than before, making it a worse vertical recovery.
  • Fire Wolf has less startup lag (frame 23 → 18) and Wolf gains control after the move has ended sooner.
  • Fire Wolf's deals more damage (12% ground/13% air → 16.5%/17.5), with and all of its hits connect properly, and final hit deals far more knockback.
  • Fire Wolf deals a maximum of five hits instead of nine.
• Reflector:
  • Reflector has an altered animation, Wolf now holds out his reflecting device.
  • Reflector deals slightly more damage (3% → 4%).
  • Reflector has less startup lag and a longer duration (frames 8-9 → 7-9).
  • Reflector has more ending lag (frame 27 → 32).
  • Reflector's intangibility has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 1-6 → 6-9) no longer making it a strong combo breaking tool.
  • Reflector now sends diagonally up and away instead of forward and down (10° → 65°). This potentially allows it to be followed up with aerials, but weakens its gimping potential. It also no longer has set knockback. [6]
• Final Smash:
  • Wolf has a new Final Smash, Team Star Wolf, replacing the Landmaster from Brawl. It functions similarly to Team Star Fox, Fox's and Falco's new Final Smash. Upon activating, Wolf yells, "Wolf Pack!" If the Wolfens successfully catch their target, Wolf yells, "Grahaha! The hunt is on, boys!" with it captioned on screen during the cinematic. The target is then fired at with the Wolfen's lasers, and then launched with an explosion at the end.
    • If Team Star Wolf is used against Fox, or Falco, Wolf will say, "I've got you now, Star Fox!"
  • Team Star Wolf is much easier to avoid compared to Landmaster and is overall less versatile.
  • Team Star Wolf can potentially deal more damage compared to Landmaster, and the single hit has increased KO power, making it more consistent.
  • Due to being a cutscene Final Smash, Wolf can no longer accidentally self-destruct like he could in the Landmaster.

Moveset

• Wolf can wall jump.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%	Wolf slashes once upwards, slashes again, then finishes with an outward swipe. The linking hits are really quick and can be useful to rack up slight damage. The first hit can jab lock.
			2%
			4%
Forward tilt			5% (hit 1), 6% (hit 2)	Wolf forcefully brings his claws together, then separates his claws on impact. The first hit produces a large number of freeze frames if it connects with an opponent. Has high damage and knockback despite its speed, with good KO potential.
Up tilt			10%	Wolf hops slightly and kicks straight upward, with the ending animation showing him flicking his finger across his nose. Like forward tilt, it has good speed, power and damage, which gives it KO potential at around 125% against middleweights.
Down tilt			6%	Kicks out with his foot while crouching. The move has rather decent range and can cause tripping.
Dash attack			11%	Wolf preforms a dashing kick. Very quick startup, has good damage and knockback, and allows Wolf to travel a fairly good distance. Due to all of these positive traits, it functions as a good burst option that can KO at reasonably high percentages.
Forward smash			15%	Wolf does a forceful, standing palm strike. While it has rather slow startup of 20 frames, it has good power and damage output behind it and is one of Wolf's better KOing options. It is also safe on shield, as a jab or down tilt will cover most of the opponent's options if they are very close.
Up smash			6% (hit 1), 12% (hit 2)	Does a breakdance-like spin, then scissor-kicks above his head. This move hits twice, with the first hit naturally comboing into the second. Gains KO potential at around 125%.
Down smash			16%/14% (hit 1), 14%/12% (hit 2)	Swipes along the ground with one hand, from front to back. The front hit is stronger and KOs slightly earlier than the back hit. One of Wolf's strongest finishing moves.
Neutral aerial			12% (clean), 8% (late)	Preforms a flying kick, much like Fox's neutral aerial. Its clean hit has good knockback which allows it to be a potent finisher at high percentages, and its late hit can start combos into other moves.
Forward aerial			9%	Slashes downward with his left arm. One of Wolf's most useful aerials and combo moves, as its angle and knockback allows it to combo into itself, neutral aerial, and even Wolf Flash as a KO setup (albeit risky).
Back aerial			15%	An inwards roundhouse kick, similarly to Ridley's back aerial. While it has notable startup of 13 frames, it is very strong with high damage and knockback, boasting great KO potential under 100% near the ledge.
Up aerial			12%	Swipes in an arc above his head. Its below-average vertical knockback combined with its overall quick speed make it a capable comboing and juggling tool.
Down aerial			15% (arms), 13% (body)	Wolf swipes both of his hands below himself. Has the highest amount of startup lag out of Wolf's aerials, but has the capability to meteor smash opponents when sweetspotted. Against grounded opponents, the sweetspot can combo into a multitude of moves.
Grab			—	Swipes forward with his right arm. While Wolf's grabs are fast to start up, they each have rather high ending lag.
Pummel			1%	Hits his opponent with his right knee. Extremely fast.
Forward throw			4% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	Wolf slashes the opponent, launching them away. Usually used for throwing the opponent offstage or for positioning.
Back throw			11%	Wolf throws the opponent behind him, then slashes upward. A viable KO option at around 130% near the ledge.
Up throw			5% (hit 1), 2% (throw)	Throws the opponent upward and swipes outward above him, launching the opponent. A rather viable combo starter at low-mid percentages, being able to combo into his aerial attacks.
Down throw			8.5%	Hops up, holding the opponent's head, and slams them on the ground. Like up throw, it is a useful combo starter that can lead into some of Wolf's aerials, and even Wolf Flash as a risky KO setup.
Floor attack (front)			6%	Gets up and kicks in the front and in the back.
Floor attack (back)			6%	Gets up and punches forwards and kicks backwards.
Floor attack (trip)			5%	Spins around, kicking foes with who are close.
Edge attack			9%	Gets up and slashes inward.
Neutral special		Blaster	7% (bayonet), 6%/8%/7% (laser close-far)	Wolf fires a single shot from his blaster. This move is the centerpiece of Wolf's neutral game and one of his most versatile moves, being able to disrupt approaches no matter the opponent's mobility thanks to the laser having transcendent priority, and can easily set up a pressure situation. Its unique close-range hitbox on the bayonet give it some utility in close combat, dealing substantial damage if it connects.
Side special		Wolf Flash	3% (dash), 15% (sweetspot), 20% (meteor sweetspot)	Wolf quickly propels himself diagonally upwards at a 35° angle, which can be slightly altered vertically depending on the input. The sweetspot is located at the center of Wolf near the end that meteor smashes airborne opponents. The sourspot at the end of the move semi-spikes instead. Both hitboxes, however, are extremely powerful, with both having great KO potential.
Up special		Fire Wolf	4% (hit 1), 2.5% (hits 2-4), 5% (hit 5 ground), 6% (hit 5 air)	Wolf propels himself and kicks his opponent. The direction of the dash depends on which direction is held on the control stick. It works better as an attack as it does decent damage and can KO at high percentages. It is subpar as a recovery option, however, due to travelling very little distance no matter the direction aimed.
Down special		Reflector	4% (startup), x1.3 damage (reflected projectiles)	Wolf activates his Reflector around himself. All reflected projectiles deals more damage than they normally would and travels at almost twice the original speed. The Reflector damages nearby foes upon activation, and sends them at an angle that can actually start combos. He also gains brief intangibility upon activation (frames 6-9). Unlike Fox's Reflector, Wolf's version does not stall him in the air.
Final Smash		Team Star Wolf	3% (trapping hit), 35% (lasers), 10% (end)	Upon activation, Wolf shouts "Wolf pack!", with a large red reticle appearing in front of him, as a Wolfen flies from behind the screen in the area where the reticle is located. Upon hit, a cinematic begins with Wolf and his crew flying in a group of Wolfens, as Wolf himself says, "Grahaha! The hunt is on, boys!" (saying "I've got you now, Star Fox!" if he hits Fox or Falco), as all of the members then fire lasers at the trapped opponents, damaging them heavily and launching them horizontally as the cutscene ends.

On-screen appearance

• Ejects from a Wolfen.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Leans his head back and howls.
• Side taunt: Does a beckoning gesture with his fingers while smirking and saying "Are you scared?".
• Down taunt: Kneels down, slaps the ground with one hand and makes howling-esque noise.

Idle Poses

• Claws at the air.
• Pretends to howl.

Victory poses

In any victory pose, there's a chance Wolf will say "Playtime's over, Star Fox!" (遊びは終わりだ、スターフォックス！, Playtime is over, Star Fox!) if Fox was present during the match.

• Claws the air and poses.
• Performs two slashes and a roundhouse kick, saying "You're good, but I'm better." (貴様を倒すのはこの俺様だ！, I'm the one who'll defeat you!).
• Raises an arm and turns toward the camera, saying "Weaklings, the lot of you." (ふんっ、弱者ども。, Hmph, such weak ones.).

This victory theme is based upon the main theme of Star Fox 64, most specifically the title theme. It is also reminiscent of the music that would play when a mission was completed or accomplished.

• 
• 
• 

In competitive play

Notable players

•  ATATA - Got 17th at Midwest Mayhem Ultimate while only using Wolf.
•  Atelier - 7th place at Sumabato SP 2 with solo Wolf.
•  AzureJose - Placed 17th at Smash Conference United with solo Wolf.
•  Boreas - 17th at Umebura SP using just Wolf.
•  Comet - Got 25th at Midwest Mayhem Ultimate while only using Wolf.
•  CsxMark - Placed 17th at Heart of Battle using Wolf and Roy.
•  DAMN. - Placed at 13th in Don't Park on the Grass 2018 with Wolf and Ken.
•  Daybreak - Placed 25th at Glitch 6 and 7th at Retro Arena 64. Has wins over Ryuga, Ksev, and Miloni.
•  Eim - Got 25th place at Umebura SP 2 while only using Wolf.
•  False - Placed 49th at GENESIS 6.
•  k9sbruce - Placed 17th at GENESIS 6.
•  Kain - Got 17th at Midwest Mayhem Ultimate while only using Wolf.
•  komorikiri - Placed 9th at Sumabato SP and 5th at Sumabato SP 2.
•  Lycopis - Got 17th place at Umebura SP with solo Wolf.
•  MkLeo - One of the best Wolf players in the world. Placed 1st at Heart of Battle.
•  Seagull Joe - Placed 49th at GENESIS 6 and 25th at Glitch 6.
•  Shachi - Got 25th at Sumabato SP 2 with Wolf and Sheik.
•  Shu - Co-mains Wolf with Snake and placed 17th at both Umebura SP and Umebura SP 2.
•  Tweek - Placed 9th at GENESIS 6. Has wins over Glutonny, Shuton, and Darkshad.
•  VoiD - Uses Wolf as a secondary. Placed 2nd at GENESIS 6 and 5th at Heart of Battle and has defeated Shuton with Wolf
•  Zackray - The best Wolf player in the world. Placed 1st at Sumabato SP and Umebura SP 2. Placed 5th at GENESIS 6.

Classic Mode: Reunited Roster

Wolf fights fighters who are veterans that didn't appear in Super Smash Bros. 4. Notably, his boss, Galleom fits in with the theme, as he was cut from SSB4 as well.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Ice Climbers	Summit	Ice Climber (Melee)
2	Young Link	Great Bay	Overworld Theme - The Legend of Zelda (Melee)
3	Pichu	Pokémon Stadium	Pokémon Gold / Pokémon Silver Medley
4	Squirtle	Pokémon Stadium 2	Pokémon Gym/Evolution - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue	Squirtle's Pokémon Trainer is absent.
5	Ivysaur	Spear Pillar	Battle (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar	Ivysaur's Pokémon Trainer is absent.
6	Snake	Shadow Moses Island	Theme of Tara
Bonus Stage
Final	Galleom	?	Boss Battle - Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Role in World of Light

Although Wolf does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (except for Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

Wolf was one of the many fighters that fell under Dharkon's control upon Galeem's first defeat. He is unlocked in the Mysterious Dimension in the Dark Realm. The player must defeat the Andross spirit (which is the answer to a given question) to reveal a path leading to a wrecked airplane. His unlock battle is on the plane's tail (just to the left of the Krystal spirit).

Spirits

Wolf's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Wolf in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a Fighter Spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.

• 

  384. Wolf O'Donnell

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Wolf's amiibo.

• 

  Wolf's fighter card.

• 

  Wolf taunting on Corneria.

• 

  Posing with his Blaster in Skyloft.

• 

  Taunting on Skyworld.

• 

  Wolf attacking Duck Hunt with his neutral attack on Spear Pillar.

• 

  Wolf crouching near the Nintendog on The Great Cave Offensive.

• 

  Grabbing Fox on Skyworld.

• 

  Wolf, Lucario and Fox sleeping around Chrom with Super Leaf equipped on Living Room.

• 

  Firing his Blaster on Corneria.

Trivia

• Early gameplay footage of Wolf in Ultimate contains a few inconsistencies between his official render and his in-game model. The soles of his boots are blue in his official render while they appeared red in his in-game model, the straps behind his right shin guard were white instead of black, and his jacket and gloves were dark purple instead of light purple.
  • Oddly, in his showcase video, the inconsistencies only appear in the final part of the video, when he attacks Fox.
  • Additionally, the inconsistencies are used for his model in the first five screenshots of his character page on the Smash Bros. Ultimate official website.
  • They also appear in Mewtwo's character showcase video.
• The visual effects for all of Wolf's claw-based attacks displays three slashes despite Wolf using four fingers to strike.
• If Wolf wins a match with Fox or Falco present, there's a chance he will say, "Playtime's over, Star Fox!" in one of his victory animations, just like he did in Brawl. However, this line is not present in the Sound Test.
• Wolf is the only playable Star Fox character whose Fighter Spirit does not use artwork from Star Fox Zero.
• Wolf’s fighter description in the “Tips” section is the only one to mention a previously cancelled video game, being Star Fox 2.
• There's been a change on Wolf's in-game model that's not present on his official artwork. The straps behind his shinguards have been recolored to purple, matching his jacket, rather than black. The same can be seen for all of his alternate costumes excluding the black one when comparing their models to their official artworks.
  • They were colored black when he was shown during the E3 2018 Direct.