- For fighter info, see Fox (Super Smash Bros.), Fox (Super Smash Bros. Melee), Fox (Super Smash Bros. Brawl), Fox (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U), and Fox (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate). For the universe, see Star Fox (universe).
Fox McCloud (フォックス・マクラウド Fokkusu Makuraudo?) is the main protagonist in the Star Fox video games and leader of the Star Fox team. The son of James McCloud, the original leader and founder of the Star Fox team. Fox is an expert pilot and has saved the galaxy from numerous threats. As a member of the "perfect-attendance crew", He has appeared in all five Super Smash Bros. games. His voice actor in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee is Shinobu Satouchi during the fights, and Steve Malpass during the cutscenes in Adventure Mode. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he is voiced by Jim Walker and Kenji Nojima. However, in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, his voice actor was replaced by his voice from Star Fox 64, its 3DS remake, and Star Fox Zero, Mike West.
Character description[]
Fox McCloud made his debut in Star Fox for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993. The leader of the Star Fox team, Fox led his team through the Lylat System to save the galaxy from the evil Andross. The game was a huge hit and has led to several sequels. Star Fox 2 would see Fox once more commanding the team (along with two new recruits, Fay and Miyu) into battle against a revived Andross. This would also mark Fox's first encounter with Wolf O'Donnell and his team. Although Star Fox 2 was completely finished, it was canceled because of the Nintendo 64's impending launch and said system being more cost-effective in regard to developing polygonal games.
Though this sequel to Star Fox was shelved until 2017, Fox would return in the Nintendo 64 smash hit Star Fox 64 which revealed some key details about Fox's past in this 'updated' Star Fox. Fox's father, James McCloud, who was renowned as one of the greatest pilots of his time, was the leader of the original Star Fox team. Upon investigating the planet Venom, James was presumed killed by Andross. Seeking to avenge his father, Fox formed a new Star Fox team which consisted of his teammates Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare (who was a member of the original team), and Slippy Toad. At the end of Star Fox 64, Fox independently fought and killed Andross at the end of the adventure. Depending on the path taken, Fox would either face a robotic duplicate of Andross, or the evil scientist would be reduced to a floating brain. In the latter final battle, Andross attempts to drag Fox to the grave with him, though Fox is saved at the last minute by the apparent ghost of his father, who leads him out of Andross' rapidly crumbling base.
After this, Fox would be featured in his first fighting game in the original Super Smash Bros. and has appeared in every installment of the series since.
Fox McCloud would then be featured again in Star Fox Adventures with a new Star Fox member, Krystal. This game was a departure from the original Star Fox games as it was more of an action/adventure game, which saw Fox rescuing Dinosaur Planet from (unknown at the time) Andross who was seeking to revive himself after the Star Fox team became a pale shadow of its former self. During his quest, Fox meets and falls in love with a blue vixen named Krystal. After this, Fox would return in Star Fox Assault, which saw a reinvigorated Star Fox team saving the galaxy from a new threat called the Aparoids. A year later, Fox would return in Star Fox Command, although his relationship with Krystal sours when he breaks it up for her safety. Angered, Krystal joins Star Wolf out of spite, though Fox tries to bury his angst in order to help stop the Anglar Empire, the latest threat to the Lylat system. Depending on player actions, Fox can either reconcile with Krystal and retire to a happy family life, or lose all the glory to Star Wolf and instead become a professional racecraft driver with Falco.
Star Fox Zero serves as a pseudo-remake of 64s story, retreading familiar ground.
Fox has been compared to Luke Skywalker of the Star Wars franchise several times, including Nintendo Player's Guide for Assault. Fox is often depicted as outspoken and righteous in his actions, putting the wellbeing of the innocent above all else. Nothing will get in his way of completing the mission, even if it means fighting. Fox likes to be in control of the situation at all times and becomes uncomfortable to the point of complaining when things don't go his way. This can be seen in Adventures where he expresses disappointment when General Pepper forbids him from bringing a blaster to a mission. Despite his reputation as a confident leader, Fox does have secret insecurities about not living up to his father. Still, he managed to save the galaxy several times and learned to trust himself over time.
Apperance and traits[]
Fox has green eyes which sometimes appear to be blue and orange-brown fur. His golden-brown white-highlighted hair is cut into a crew cut. The rest of his skin is a cream-colored tone. He additionally has a bushy white-tipped tail which appears to be very short in Star Fox 64 and Command, implying that it might have been cut off at a certain point. Fox is of medium/short height and medium weight, which is present in the original "Super Smash Bros.", but future games have him as a mid-sized target, but very light.
Before Star Fox Adventures, Fox's eye color was inconsistent. In-game, it was yellow-orange in Star Fox, but blue in puppets and most artwork (and infrequently green). It is also blue in Star Fox 2, which was originally in development for the SNES. It was black in Star Fox 64 (along with the other characters) and given a consistent green afterward.
Fox is an overall vigorous and loyal bellwether. Albeit scarcely of a cocky rogue with a propensity to disregard rules and regulations (and to repine if he's not being paid enough), he is ultimately, according to Star Fox Adventures, "pure of heart". Fox is shown to be very protective of his friends, as visually perceived in the games, of his team. Fox's countenance is always either a stoic look or cocky smile. In contrast to his personality and traits portrayed in Adventures, Star Fox: Assault depicts Fox as a professional and decisive mercenary.
In Super Smash Bros.[]
As a playable character[]
Fox McCloud's debut as one of the four characters chosen by Masahiro Sakurai for the proof-of-concept of Super Smash Bros. as a crossover party-fighting game, along with Mario, Donkey Kong, and Samus Aran.
Fox appears in the original Super Smash Bros. as one of the starting eight playable characters. He is based off his appearance in Star Fox 64.
Fox is a weak, but fast character. His Neutral B move is the Blaster which sends one powerful energy beam at his opponents. His Up B is the Fire Fox which envelops Fox in flames and sends him flying in any direction. His Down B is the Reflector, which serves as both an offensive and defensive move (it reflects any projectiles that come in contact with it). Fox is 3rd best in this smash game with great matchups.
In-game description:
- Following his dead father's footsteps as the young leader of the Star Fox Team, Fox McCloud's piloting of the super-high-performance combat ship ARWING for the Lylatian System is still fresh in our memories. His one weakness may be his difficulty earning the trust of his teammates.
- Works:
- Star Fox (SNES)
- Star Fox 64 (N64)
In Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
As a playable character[]
Fox returns in Super Smash Bros. Melee, retaining his role as a starting playable character. His appearance is once again based off his design in Star Fox 64.
His moveset has not changed much, though his blaster has changed. The blaster will not cause his enemies to flinch, but he can now rapid-fire his blaster without having to recharge it after every shot. His new Side B move is the Fox Illusion which causes Fox to rush ahead in a blur and can be used as a recovery move.
Trophies[]
By tradition, Fox as a playable character is featured on its personal 3 trophies. Its normal trophy is acquired by beating the Classic mode with Fox on any difficulty, and its Smash Red and Smash Blue trophies are acquired the same way by beating the Adventure and All-Star modes, respectively.
- Fox McCloud
- Fox McCloud is the leader of a band of adventurers-for-hire known as Star Fox. Fox and his fellow pilots Peppy, Slippy, and Falco patrol the Lylat system in their mother ship, the Great Fox. From the cockpit of his Arwing, Fox leads the ceaseless pursuit of the evil scientist Andross, who doomed Fox's father.
- Star Fox [03/93]
- Fox McCloud [Smash]
- Fox is among the quickest and nimblest of the Smash Bros. characters. His speed is offset by low firepower, however, and he's better at one-on-one fights than melees with multiple foes. His Blaster is unique: it does damage but it doesn't make enemies flinch. His Fox illusion is best used as a surprise attack.
- B: Blaster
- Smash B: Fox Illusion
- Fox McCloud [Smash]
- Fox falls quickly, so he's a tough target to strike from below; however, this advantage can work against him when he goes flying sideways. You can use the Control Stick to set the direction of the Fire Fox technique while it's charging up. On a side note, Fox is also much lighter than he was in the N64 Super Smash Bros. game.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
As a playable character[]
Fox is a starting playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His appearance this time is a mix between his Star Fox Assault and Star Fox Command appearances, but his fur has the color scheme from Star Fox 64. It is also the first Super Smash Bros. game where Fox's eyes are their proper color (green).
His special moves are unchanged. Fox additionally now has a Final Smash, in which he summons the Landmaster tank. Once inside, Fox can use the tank to move around, hover, fire shots, and "do a barrel roll". The tank itself is treated like a platform, so other characters and items can stand on top it.
Jim Walker, his Star Fox Assault voice actor, voices Fox in English; while by proxy, his new Japanese voice actor Kenji Nojima voices him in Japanese.
Fox was nerfed in Brawl, but is still relatively high on the tier list - ranking 15th place in C tier.
Trophies[]
- Fox
- The leader of the commando unit for hire known as Star Fox. He uses both the team's mother ship, the Great Fox, and his personal Arwing fighter to challenge the evil scientist Andross. He made his name as an ace pilot but has lately shown himself also to be an adventurer with a knack for hand-to-hand combat.
- Star Fox (N64)
- Star Fox: Command (NDS)
- Fox (Assault)
- The leader of the one and only Star Fox team. Fox McCloud has superb battle skills and is an expert pilot of both the Arwing and Landmaster. In on-foot battles, Fox starts with a blaster and continues on with four other types of weapons as he fights through the Aparoids. Fox also demonstrates his skills in air combat using the plasma cannons on the Arwing.
- Star Fox: Assault (GCN)
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U[]
As a playable character[]
Fox is a Starter character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U being confirmed as a playable character during the E3 2013 Nintendo Direct.. Much like in Brawl, Fox's appearance is primarily based on Star Fox Command, but has been given higher quality fur visuals, much like Donkey Kong. Contrary to his appearance, Mike West, his Star Fox 64 and Star Fox 64 3D English voice actor, now voices Fox. However he is still voiced by Steve Malpass in Corneria and Jim Walker in Lylat Cruise.
Fox has been nerfed in this game as most of his attacks now have more lag along with his finishers being weakened in terms of power and knockback. However, his recovery options has been improved as Fox Illusion no longer puts him in a helpless state and Fire Fox's traveling distance has been slightly increased. He also benefits from 3DS/Wii U's general changes, such as the removal of hitstun canceling and chain-grabbing. Fox still retains his key strengths from past games, and thus ranks 7th out of 55 on the 3DS/Wii U tier list (being tied with Sonic), having noteworthy representation and results in tournaments.
Trophies[]
- Fox
- Fox is the leader of the mercenary unit Star Fox, often enlisted to defeat the evil Andross. His piloting skills are top notch, but in Smash Bros. he brings speed and fast attacks to the battle. His Reflector move allows him to turn projectile attacks against his foes, increasing their power for a punishing blow.
- (SNES) Star Fox (03/1993)
- (N64) Star Fox 64 (07/1997)
- Fox (Alt.)
- Fox is at home in the air, and many of his moves, like his up smash, Flip Kick, will send foes up there. It's great for KO'ing a damaged opponent. Another handy move is his up special Fire Fox. The flames that surround Fox deal damage to nearby foes, and you can launch yourself in any direction once charged.
- (SNES) Star Fox (03/1993)
- (N64) Star Fox 64 (07/1997)
- Fox (Assault)
- When Andrew Oikonny and the remnants of his uncle Andross's army use guerilla tactics to stage a rebellion, the Cornerian forces find themselves under a lot of pressure. Fox and his unit arrive to save the day, only to encounter an even greater threat. Can Fox handle the incoming assault from this mysterious new foe?
- (SNES) Star Fox: Assault (02/2005)
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
As a playable character[]
Fox returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. His design is now based on his appearance from Star Fox Zero. He has a new Final Smash which involves an Arwing strike with his Star Fox Team. Mike West returns again as Fox's voice.
Trivia[]
- Fox, alongside Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Pikachu, Kirby, and Yoshi are the only characters that are starters in every single Super Smash Bros. title.
- Fox is also the only starter character from his series.
- Fox and Pikachu are the only characters who have been at the top of a tier list before, and are currently ranked at least in the upper portion of the mid-tier in established tier lists of every game in the series.
- Fox is the second character in the series to ever be ranked in SS tier, after Meta Knight.
External Links[]
Star Fox universe | ||
---|---|---|
Characters | Fox McCloud (64 · Melee · Brawl · 3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) Falco Lombardi (Melee · Brawl · 3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) Wolf O'Donnell (Brawl · Ultimate) | |
Side Characters | Assist Trophies | Andross · Krystal |
Mii Fighter Costume | Fox McCloud | |
Background characters | Fox McCloud · Falco Lombardi · Slippy Toad · Peppy Hare · Krystal · ROB 64 · Wolf O'Donnell · Leon Powalski · Panther Caroso | |
Miscellaneous | Arwing · Wolfen · Great Fox | |
Stages | Sector Z · Corneria · Venom · Lylat Cruise · Orbital Gate Assault | |
Item | Smart Bomb | |
Music | List of Music (Star Fox series) | |
Collectibles | Trophies | Melee Trophies · Brawl Trophies · 3DS Trophies · Wii U Trophies |
Stickers | List of Stickers (Star Fox series) | |
Spirits | List of spirits (Star Fox series) | |
Masterpieces | Star Fox 64 |