Fox McCloud

Fox in Star Fox Assault.
Fox McCloud
Species	Fox
Eye color	Green
Relatives	James McCloud (father) Krystal (possible wife) Marcus McCloud (possible son)
Voiced by	Dan Owsen (1993, 2015) Mike West (1997, 2011-Present) Steve Malpass (2001-2002) Jim Walker (2005-2008)
Debut	Star Fox

Fox McCloud is the main character of the Star Fox series and the lead pilot of the Star Fox mercenary unit originally founded by his father.

Background

The son of James McCloud, little more is said about Fox's background. Originally James led team Star Fox until Andross captured and (presumably) killed him. After Peppy gave Fox the news, he took over the Star Fox team. Although Peppy remained on the team, Falco and Slippy were both added to the team, as well as ROB 64. Their first mission put them up against Andross in a mission towards Venom in Star Fox 64. Along the way, Fox met Wolf O'Donnell from Star Wolf, who quickly became his arch rival from then on. Eventually Fox did battle with Andross in the core of Venom, eventually defeating him. In order to escape the planet, Fox was led out by an Arwing piloted by James McCloud (how and why being unexplained since then).

Although Fox and the rest of the team earned a large amount of cash for the job, the following eight years were otherwise uneventful. In such times, the team fell apart and the Great Fox fell into disrepair. However, the team soon received word from General Pepper that planet Sauria was in need of aid in Star Fox Adventures. During this mission, Fox's skills as a melee fighter were put to the test. Rather than a blaster, he used Krystal's staff and teamed up with Prince Tricky. Together the two were able to defeat the Sharpclaws, bring the planet into one piece, and (with the help of Falco) unmask Andross once and for all. Along the way, he also met the mysterious Krystal, whom he quickly took a liking to.

With the money earned from the Sauria mission, Fox and his crew were able to repair the Great Fox. Slippy returned to active duty, Falco rejoined the team, and Peppy officially retired as a pilot. To replace him, Krystal was enlisted to join the team. In just a year, Andrew Oikonny gathered the remains of Andross's fleet to defeat Corneria in Star Fox Assault, but was quickly defeated by Star Fox. However, they soon met a new foe, the Aparoids. Eventually Star Fox teamed up with Star Wolf, ultimately defeating the Aparoid Queen, but only at the cost of losing the Great Fox.

Sometime afterwards, Fox and Krystal finally admitted their romantic feelings for each other and became a couple. Although they swore to be together forever, Fox knew the danger that haunted Star Fox pilots. So, in an attempt to protect Krystal, he broke up with her and made her quit the team. With Slippy and Falco slowly drifting away from Fox, soon all that was left of Star Fox was Fox himself and ROB, who continued wandering the galaxy in the Great Fox.

During the Anglar invasion of Star Fox Command, Fox attempted to help the battle at Corneria. He saw that he would be unable to take on the Anglars alone, so he decided to seek out his former wingmates. Depending on the ending path he sought out Falco, Slippy and/or then he swallowed up his pride and went after Krystal. In the event of going after Krystal he found her just as she was joining Star Wolf, with her new boyfriend, Panther. In some ending paths Fox apologized to Krystal in front of Star Wolf and everyone which led her to rejoin Star Fox but Fox acted somewhat cold and indifferent to her afterwards.

Possible Fates

Fox's fate differs depending on which of the nine endings of Star Fox Command are unlocked.

• 

  Fox and Krystal's family in Ending 2
  In Ending 1, Fox and Krystal patch up most of their problems, as this time Fox learned the true meaning of friendship and love. Star Fox continues with a new fifth member in the form of Slippy's fiancee Amanda.
• In Ending 2, Fox dissolves Team Star Fox in order to make up with Krystal and live peacefully with her. They have a son named Marcus, who grows up to lead a new generation of Star Fox.
• In Ending 3, Krystal rejoins Star Fox at first, but ultimately breaks down and leaves to join Star Wolf, leaving Fox heartbroken.
• In Ending 4, Krystal remains with Star Wolf and defeats the Anglar Emperor with them. It is unmentioned what happens to Fox in this ending except that years later, he runs into Krystal, whom had become a heartless bounty hunter, on the planet Kew but does not recognize her.
• In Ending 5 it is Krystal who comes to Fox to make up, and she rejoins Star Fox.
• 

  Fox and Falco at G-Zero in Ending 9
  In Ending 6 Fox, Falco and Dash defeat the Anglar Emperor at Venom. This ending is notable in that James once again appears and aids in the battle, but apparently only Fox can see or hear him. Star Fox's fate in this ending after the battle is not mentioned.
• In Endings 7 and 8, the fates of Fox and Star Fox are unknown.
• In Ending 9 Star Wolf, with Krystal as a member, destroys the Anglars instead of Fox when Fox is waylaid by Pigma after being betrayed by Wolf. Fox becomes heavily depressed until Falco convinces him to instead become a racer in the G-Zero Grand Prix. With new meaning in his life, Fox and Falco become G-Zero GP legends.

Abilities

Fox rarely is seen on foot in the games, but in most cases he is shown to have regular fighting abilities and relies mostly on his blaster (or his inventory in Star Fox Adventures). Smash Bros., however, expands on his fighting abilities by making him a swift and agile fighter with several special abilities, although it is uncertain if these are canon to the main Star Fox games. The following is his special moveset from the Smash Bros. series:

• Standard Special Move: Blaster - Fox simply draws his blaster and fires lasers, having an unlimited supply.
• Side Special Move: Fox Illusion - Introduced in Melee. Fox dashes forward at a speed high enough to leave behind an after image for a short distance, hurting anyone who gets in his path.
• Up Special Move: Fire Fox - Fox flies up into the air surrounding by a flaming aura.
• Down Special Move: Reflector - Fox temporarily projects an energy shield that reflects projectile attacks. In Brawl, it was explained that this device was projected from a device on Fox's belt.
• Final Smash: Landmaster - Exclusive to Brawl with the use of a Smash Ball. Fox summons a Landmaster (by shouting out its name) and temporarily rides it until it fades away upon running out of fuel. Fox's Landmaster can fire powerful blasts and do a barrel role, but is restricted to the ground unlike Falco and Wolf's Landmasters.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• Fox McCloud's clothes have appeared as a costume in games several games, such as the Wii U releases of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Bayonetta 2.
• In Super Mario Maker, Fox is among the unlockable costumes that Mario can transform into using the Mystery Mushroom, being unlocked by completing a 100-Mario Challenge or by scanning an amiibo of Fox.
• Fox McCloud (as seen in Zero) made a guest appearance in the Nintendo Switch version of Starlink: Battle for Atlas as a playable character for several exclusive missions in which he worked with the rest of Star Fox and characters from the game's cast while tracking down Wolf O'Donnell.

Super Smash Bros.

Fox McCloud appeared as a playable combatant in every game of the Super Smash Bros. series, appearing inSuper Smash Bros., Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Over the course of the series, Fox's appearance has been based on his designs from Star Fox 64 (the first two games), a mix of Assault and Command (Brawl), Star Fox 64 3DS (the 3DS/Wii U game) and Star Fox Zero (Ultimate). He also is notable for having two characters with movesets that are mostly coped from his: Falco and Wolf.

• In every game from Melee onwards, Fox can activate hidden conversations with members of Star Fox (as well as Star Wolf in Brawl) on Star Fox-based levels by activating a special taunt.
• In Melee he has three unlockable trophies. In Brawl, he has two initial unlockable trophies (one normal one and one of his Final Smash) in addition to one of Fox as he appears in Assault, and five stickers using art of him from each of the five Star Fox games. In the 3DS/Wii U games, he has two unlockable trophies in both versions while the Wii U version has also has an unlockable trophy for his Final Smash and a trophy for his appearance in Assault.
• In "The Subspace Emissary" mode of Brawl, Fox was first seen in his Arwing engaging the Halberd in aerial combat. However, it was eventually shot down and crashed by a lake. At that point Rayquaza awoke and fired a blast at Fox's Arwing then grabbed Diddy Kong. However, Fox survived (likely with the help of his Reflector) and saved Diddy from Rayquaza's clutches, then together they defeated it in battle. Diddy then literally dragged Fox away to help him search for Donkey Kong. They eventually came across Bowser (after defeating his shadow clone), who attempted to attack them with the Dark Cannon, but Fox and Diddy fled. Later on, Bowser returned and caught them by surprise, turning Diddy into a trophy with the Dark Cannon while the shadow bugs transformed into a giant shadow clone of Diddy. Luckily Falco came to the rescue and helped to defeat the giant Diddy, and the real Diddy was then revived. After helping Diddy to find Donkey Kong, Fox boarded another Arwing and engaged the Halberd in battle again. But when one of the lasers set off an explosion too close to Princess Peach (who was on the hull of the Halberd), Sheik was angered and leaped up then downed Fox's Arwing. Fox landed on the deck of the Halberd and nearly engaged Sheik in battle until Peach eased the hostilities by treating them to tea. Shortly afterwards, they engaged the Duon in battle, after which they joined with the main party for the final battles in Subspace.

Other Media

• Fox was first featured in a the 1993 Star Fox comic series published by Nintendo Power which went beyond the events of the game. A different fate for Fox's parents were shown (with Fox's father, called Fox McCloud Sr. still being alive), and a fifth member of the Star Fox team was introduced in the form of Fara Phoenix, who became a love interest for Fox.
• Fox was also featured in a manga adaptation of Star Fox 64 that was more like a cartoony gag manga.
• In 2002, Fox was featured in the manga Farewell, Beloved Falco, which shows an adventure set between Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Adventures in which tensions build between Fox and Falco about the intentions of Captain Shears, whom they had been assigned to serve on Titania, as Falco is led to believe he is evil due to Katt Monroe's testimony. In the end Falco turns out to be right and Star Fox foils Shears's attempt to resurrect Andross, but as a result of their argument Falco leaves the team.

Canceled Appearances

• Fox was originally going to return in Star Fox 2 for the Super Nintendo before it was canceled. The game would have involved the Star Fox team gaining new members and battling Star Wolf as they battled Andross again to save Lylat.
• Fox was also planned to have a cameo appearance in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga at the Starbeans Cafe, believed to taste the Chuckle Blend. He would give the Gold Ring, which was changed to the Bonus Ring in the final version. The reasons for the removal of these cameo appearances are not known.

Trivia

• Command description: "The leader of the Star Fox squadron. His bravery and sense of justice is strong, although he can be too serious at times."
• When Fox becomes a father in Ending 2 of Star Fox Command, he wears shades identical to those of James McCloud.