Smashpedia
Register
Advertisement
This article is about Wolf's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For other uses, see Wolf O'Donnell.
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.
—Description from the Super Smash Blog.

Wolf is a veteran fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the first playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He is classified as fighter #44. Just like in his previous appearance, Wolf is unlockable, with his unlock fight occurring at Lylat Cruise.

Attributes[]

Strengths[]

  • Amazing air mobility with very fast air speed and good air acceleration as well as high falling and fast falling speed, granting him amazing ground to air transitioning.
  • Has large hitboxes on many moves with several of them being disjointed.
  • Very strong neutral game due to his Blaster and fast disjointed aerials.
    • His Blaster fires a laser that has a large hitbox, a long duration, transcendent priority, and deals more knockback and hitstun than most projectiles. This allows him to force approaches and deter approaches even if his opponent has better ground mobility than he does. There is also a bayonet hitbox on the Blaster, giving it utility in close quarters as well.
    • His forward aerial is a fast and disjointed move that can combo into itself and his other aerials. He can easily use it to stuff out his opponent's jumps if his Blaster conditions them to do so. His neutral aerial is a fast aerial with a strong clean hitbox.
  • Amazing punish game and damage dealing potential with many different ways to rack up damage and a sizable amount of KO options.
    • These include all of his smash attacks, forward tilt, back aerial, neutral aerial at high percents, up aerial near the upper blast lines, down aerial, Fire Wolf, and Wolf Flash.
  • Has a reflector, giving him a defensive option against projectiles and zoners.
  • Possesses outstanding overall versatility, allowing him to adapt to any situation.

Weaknesses[]

  • Easy to combo and juggle.
  • Exploitable recovery as Fire Wolf travels a short distance while Wolf Flash only travels horizontally, making him easy to edgeguard and gimp if he is not careful. Additionally, he can only choose one of these options since they both leave him helpless which will lead to an SD if he doesn't grab the ledge.
  • Slow dash speed.
  • Average out of shield game.
  • Can have a tricky time against characters with reflectors or absorption based moves since they can negate his Blaster in neutral.
  • Many of his finishers have slow startup, making them difficult to land.

Summary[]

To be added.

Changes From Brawl[]

Attributes[]

  • His design has been updated to match his appearance in Star Fox Zero.
  • Has new side taunt.
  • Third taunt replaces the roar with a howl-esque sound.

Ground Attacks[]

  • Third hit of jab is different.
  • New dash attack.
  • Side smash no longer propels Wolf as far as in Brawl.

Aerial Attacks[]

  • Wolf's new neutral air resembles Fox's.

Grabs and Throws[]

  • His Up throw is now with one claw instead of two.
  • New down-throw.

Special Attacks[]

  • The blasts fired from his Blaster have been recolored purple.

Moveset[]

Ground Attacks[]

Normal[]

  • Neutral Attack: Slashes once upwards, slashes again, then finishes with an outward swipe (2%, 2%, 4%).
  • Forward Tilt: Forcefully brings his claws together, then separates his claws on impact (5% hit 1, 6% hit 2).
  • Up Tilt: Hops slightly and kicks straight upward (10%).
  • Down Tilt: Kicks out with his foot while crouching (6%).
  • Dash Attack: Performs a dashing kick (11%).

Smash Attacks[]

  • Forward Smash: Does a forceful, standing palm strike that slightly propels him forwards (15%).
  • Up Smash: Does a breakdance-like spin, then scissor kicks above his head (6% hit 1, 12% hit 2).
  • Down Smash: Swipes along the ground with one hand, from front to back (16/12% hit 1, 14%/10% hit 2).

Other attacks[]

  • Floor Attack (Front): Gets up and kicks in the front and in the back (6%).
  • Floor Attack (Back): Gets up and punches forwards and kicks backwards (6%).
  • Floor Attack (Trip): Spins around, kicking foes with who are close (5%).
  • Ledge Attack: Gets up and slashes inward (9%).

Aerial Attacks[]

  • Neutral aerial: Performs a flying kick, much like Fox's Neutral Aerial (12% clean, 8% late).
  • Forward aerial: Slashes downward with his left arm (9%).
  • Back aerial: An inwards roundhouse kick, similar to Ridley's Back Aerial (15%).
  • Up aerial: Swipes in an arc above his head (12%).
  • Down aerial: Swipes both of his hands below himself (15% arms, 13% body).

Grabs and Throws[]

  • Grab: Swipes forward with his right arm.
  • Pummel: Hits his opponent with his right knee (1%).
  • Forward Throw: Slashes his opponent, launching them away (4% hit 1, 3% throw).
  • Back Throw: Throws the opponent behind him, then slashes upward (11%).
  • Up Throw: Throws the opponent upward and swipes outward above him, launching the opponent. (5% hit 1, 2% throw).
  • Down Throw: Hops up, holding the opponent's head, and slams them on the ground (8.5%).

Special Moves[]

Wolf's Special Moves
Brawl Ultimate
Standard Special Blaster
Side Special Wolf Flash
Up Special Fire Wolf
Down Special Reflector
Final Smash Landmaster Team Star Wolf

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.

On-Screen Appearance[]

  • Ejects from a Wolfen.

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!" if Fox or Falco were present during the match.

  • Performs two slashes and a roundhouse kick saying "You're good, but I'm better".
  • Claws the air and poses.
  • Raises an arm and turns towards the camera, saying "Weaklings, the lot of you".

In competitive play[]

Initial opinions of Wolf were mixed before the release of Ultimate, with players noting the loss of his renowned back aerial and powerful DACUS, reduced invincibility from Reflector, and Wolf Flash still causing helplessness, which was a big detriment compared to Fox and Falco's respective side specials. However, players began to realize the effectiveness of Wolf's buffs past the game's release, as it gave him a powerful projectile courtesy of his Blaster, effective combos due to his modified physics, and a notorious edge guarding tool in down smash, which kept its high power despite being nerfed twice through game updates. This caused Wolf to gain a renowned, controllable neutral game, allowing him to dictate the flow of battle through use of his Blaster, overall speed, and combo ability.

As a result, Wolf has consistently been a very popular pick in competitive play since Ultimate's early lifespan; he has been the most used character in many competitive events, including Pound 2019, EVO 2019,  and Valhalla III. In addition, many professional players have attained strong results with the character, and players in general have agreed that Wolf is potentially one of the best characters in the game. However, Wolf's weaknesses have become more exploitable as the meta evolved, with his strongest mains either dropping him (Zackray) or moving to other characters (MkLeo). This has put his current standing in the meta in question, although it is agreed that the character is a top-tier with some such as Ned and Cloudy believing he is top 5 while Tweek believing he is top 3 and a contender for the best alongside Joker and Pikachu before the pandemic.

Wolf continues to see strong results after the pandemic period thanks to the efforts of Charliedaking, Jakal, Larry Lurr, Ouch!? and moxi, though opinions would drop from certain top representatives as more characters would end up being considered top 5 such as Pyra/Mythra and Steve.

Notable Players[]

  • Atelier - Co-mains Pokémon Trainer with Wolf and is one of the best Wolf players in Japan. Placed 1st at Sumabato SP 3, 2nd at Maesuma TOP 2, 5th at Sumabato SP 19 using mostly Wolf, and 17th at EVO Japan 2020 with wins over players such as Abadango, Nietono, and Kome. Currently ranked 28th on the Japan Player Rankings.
  • Charliedaking - One of the best Wolf players in the world. Placed 4th at Super Smashed Fest, 9th at both GENESIS 7 and Ultimate Nimbus, 17th at 2GG: SwitchFest 2019, and 25th at both The Big House 9 and Frostbite 2020 with wins over players such as Elegant, moxi, and ScAtt. Currently ranked 1st on the SoCal Ultimate Power Rankings.
  • Jakal - One of the best Wolf players in the United States. Placed 1st at Smashadelphia @ Gifts for Gamers 2019, 5th at Super Smash Con: Fall Fest, and 9th at Shine 2019 and Glitch 7 - Minus World with wins over players such as Tweek, Marss, Dabuz, and Light.
  • Keen - The best Wolf player in South America. Placed 4th at both Smash Chile - Civil War and Iwanna Torneo Nacional! as well as 25th at Smash Factor 8 with wins over Javi, Chag, and Frido. Currently ranked 5th on the Chilean Power Rankings. Online, placed 4th at SWT: South America Ultimate Online Qualifier and 7th at White Phoenix.
  • Larry Lurr - One of the best Wolf players in the world. Placed 1st at DreamHack Anaheim 2020, 7th at The Kid, the Goat, and the Mang0, 9th at Thunder Smash 3: Clash of the Pandas, 17th at 2GG: Prime Saga, and 25th at Mainstage with wins over players such as MkLeo, Marss, and Nairo.
  • Masha - One of the best Wolf players in Japan. Placed 3rd at Karisuma SP 5, 4th at Sumabato SP 5, 5th at Karisuma SP 6, and 13th at Sumabato SP 7 with wins over players such as Abadango, T, and Shogun. Currently ranked 40th on the Japan Player Rankings.
  • Oryon - The best Wolf player in Europe. Placed 1st at Smash Contest: DoKomi 2021, 5th at both Syndicate 2019 and VCA 2021, 9th at Albion 4, and 13th at GENESIS 8 with wins over players such as Glutonny, Abadango, and Gackt. Currently ranked 7th on the European Smash Rankings.
  • Ouch!? - The best Wolf player in Canada. Placed 1st at Pinnacle 2021, 3rd at Battle of BC 4, 4th at VORTEX and Play With Heart, and 13th at Port Priority 5 with wins over players such as Shuton, Kome, and Riddles. Currently ranked 16th on the Smash Canada Rankings Ultimate.
  • Tweek - Formerly considered the best Wolf player in the world but has since dropped the character. Placed 1st at both Frostbite 2019 and Glitch 8 - Missingno, 2nd at 2GG: Kongo Saga, 5th at The Big House 9, and 9th at GENESIS 6.
  • Zackray - Formerly considered the best Wolf player in the world during the early metagame but has since dropped the character. Placed 1st at both Umebura SP 2 and The Big House 9, 2nd at Umebura SP 5, 5th at GENESIS 6, and 7th at EVO 2019.

Classic Mode: Reunited Roster[]

Wolf fights fighters who are veterans that didn't appear in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. (Thus, Mewtwo, Roy, and Dr. Mario do not appear in Brawl.) His boss, Galleom, fits with this theme because he was cut from 3DS/Wii U.

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 Pokemon Stadium Pokemon Gold / Pokemon Silver Medley
4 Squirtle Pokemon Stadium 2 Pokemon Gym/Evolution - Pokemon Red / Pokemon Blue Squirtle's Pokemon Trainer is absent.
5 Ivysaur Spear Pillar Battle (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar Ivysaur's Pokemon Trainer is absent.
6 Snake Shadow Moses Island Theme of Tara
Final Galleom Galleom's Stage Boss Battle - Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Role in World of Light[]

Although Wolf does not appear in the World of Light cutscene, he was one of the characters (aside from Kirby, who had managed to escape) to be captured by Galeem.

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).

Palette Swaps[]

Wolf Palette (SSBU)-0

Tips[]

Tips about a character's background and how to use that character can appear at random intervals on the loading screen. The player can also access the full list of tips at any time in the "Vault" section. The following tips are copied verbatim from the in-game text.

  • Wolf's Origins: Wolf's debut was in Star Fox 64, released in 1997. His first appearance would have been Star Fox 2, but that title was delayed a bit.
  • In His Series: Wolf is an ace pilot and leader of the elite team Star Wolf. He's been known to work for the evil Andross. Wolf not only has a connection to Fox, but also to Fox's father James.
  • Blaster (Neutral Special): A two-part attack where you first attack with the blade on the Blaster and then fire a shot. Use it near an opponent to hit with both. The attack is powerful, but you cannot continuously fire.
  • Wolf Flash (Side Special): Input up or down with the control stick to slightly change the direction you dash forward. If the claw makes contact, it hits hard. The center area has a powerful meteor effect!
  • Fire Wolf (Up Special): Input a direction to make Wolf move in that direction while attacking. He doesn't go far, but it has great launching power, making it great for KOs.
  • Reflector (Down Special): Projectiles opponents fire will be reflected back at them with more speed and power. Opponents directly hit with the Reflector will be thrown slightly upward.
  • Team Star Wolf (Final Smash): Team Star Wolf's launch is a coordinated attack on the targeted fighters. Wolf's dialogue changes if Fox or Falco have been targeted.

Trivia[]

  • Wolf is the only Star Fox represent who doesn’t appear in the intro of World of the Light and who can’t be unlocked before Dharkon’s arrival.

Gallery[]

External links[]


Smash Ultimate logo glow  · Fighters
Veterans Bayonetta  · Bowser  · Bowser Jr.  · Captain Falcon  · Cloud  · Corrin  · Dark Pit  · Diddy Kong  · Donkey Kong  · Dr. Mario  · Duck Hunt  · Falco  · Fox  · Ganondorf  · Greninja  · Ice Climbers  · Ike  · Jigglypuff  · King Dedede  · Kirby  · Link  · Little Mac  · Lucas  · Lucario  · Lucina  · Luigi  · Mario  · Marth  · Mega Man  · Meta Knight  · Mewtwo  · Mii Fighters (Mii Brawler  · Mii Gunner  · Mii Swordfighter)  · Mr. Game & Watch  · Ness  · Olimar  · Pac-Man  · Palutena  · Peach  · Pichu  · Pikachu  · Pit  · Pokémon Trainer (Charizard  · Ivysaur  · Squirtle)  · R.O.B.  · Robin  · Rosalina & Luma  · Roy  · Ryu  · Samus  · Sheik  · Shulk  · Snake  · Sonic  · Toon Link  · Villager  · Wario  · Wii Fit Trainer  · Wolf  · Yoshi  · Young Link  · Zelda  · Zero Suit Samus
Newcomers Banjo & Kazooie  · Byleth  · Chrom  · Daisy  · Dark Samus  · Hero  · Incineroar  · Inkling  · Isabelle  · Joker  · Kazuya  · Ken  · King K. Rool  · Min Min  · Piranha Plant  · Pyra/Mythra  · Richter  · Ridley  · Sephiroth  · Simon  · Sora  · Steve  · Terry
StarFoxSymbol 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
Advertisement