One of Smash Bros’ most iconic characters, Captain Falcon has a moveset that makes him an intimidating, recognizable threat. In this article, we break down his moveset in detail so players can know how to best use him or play against him.
Captain Falcon is a truly interesting character in that he, unlike everyone else on the Smash Bros. roster, had a moveset made up for him completely from scratch. The result is a unique melee combatant with all sorts of powerful attacks that we’ll be breaking down starting with his:
Captain Falcon’s regular attack is a quick jab combo which, when held, is 3 punches. If the attack button is rapidly pressed, however, the combo can be extended to deal more damage and less knockback.
It’s recommended that you use the extended version when trying to build up damage. The standard 3 punch combo is optimal for finishing characters off at the ledge, killing medium weight characters at 140%.
Up Tilt: A move that’s great for punishing, this move is unique in that Captain Falcon’s lower heel has a unique hitbox that, when hitting opponents on the swing down, will spike opponents down.
While very situational, when pulled off as a proper punish, this tilt is immensely satisfying and can potentially frustrate opponents.
Forward/Back Tilt: A basic kick (that can be angled depending on the direction inputted on the controller).
This move can be good for poking or gaining some distance, but its use case is rather limited.
Down Tilt: Falcon does a sweeping kick in front of him.
This move is great for ledge guarding if your opponent isn’t invincible while hanging off the ledge. Its range also makes it so that you can hit opponents while a decent distance away.
Its 22 frames of recovery leave you vulnerable, though, so it should primarily be used for ledge guarding so you can run away if it misses. You can use it to rack up damage but since it does decent knockback and can’t be followed up with many other attacks, doing down tilt for this purpose is impractical.
Forward Throw: Falcon punches his opponents forwards, dealing a bit of damage and knockback.
Up Throw: Falcon punches his opponents upwards, dealing a bit of damage and knockback.
Both Falcon’s up and forward throws are not optimal in comparison to his other options.
Back Throw: Falcon swings his opponents behind them and launches them with a kick.
At low percents, this move doesn’t do much. At higher percentages, however, it can be used as a kill throw when close to ledge.
Down Throw: Falcon slams his opponent down onto the ground.
By far his most versatile option. At low to mid percentages, this can be followed up with combos that can even lead to kill confirms.
One of his most basic combos involve throwing opponents down and using nairs to build up decent damage.
Neutral Special: The iconic Falcon Punch. Captain Falcon winds back before unleashing a powerful, fiery punch onto his opponents. If the opposite direction is inputted at the start of the attack, Falcon will turn his attack around and punch behind him instead.
This move isn’t one you’ll be using all too much. Its strength and powerful knockback are balanced by Its long windup and recovery, making it impractical to use outside of being a stylish finisher or punish.
Forward/Backward Special: Captain Falcon leaps towards the direction inputted on the controller. If he makes contact with an opponent, he unleashes a fiery uppercut into the air, dealing decent damage in the process. If landed offstage at the very end of the hitbox, the move will have a meteor effect on opponents.
The move is great for racking up damage and starting some combos at early percents, as its low knockback makes it possible to follow up with other aerials.
Its long startup makes it easy to block. If his opponents successfully block the attack, Falcon will still uppercut and deal with the move’s lengthy recovery frames. During this time, he’ll be wide open for punishes. If he misses, he will promptly hit the ground and be wide open.
If done in the air, the move leaves Falcon in his helpless state, unable to move. If using this as a recovery, make sure you’re not too far away!
Down Special: When on the floor, Captain Falcon will rocket forwards with a flaming kick. When performed in the air, he shoots downwards at a diagonal angle with a flaming kick.
The move does decent damage and knockback, making it a valid kill option and can definitely take opponents by surprise.
Its lengthy startup and end lag make it easily punished, so the move shouldn’t be used too often, otherwise your patterns will be easily read and punished.
Up Special: Falcon’s recovery. He leaps upwards and, if making contact with anyone, latches onto them before jumping off. This allows him the opportunity to act more and up B again.
As a recovery, it’s on the weaker side. The aerial movement you have is not bad but compared to other recoveries, he doesn’t gain much vertical or horizontal distance.
As an offensive move, though, the move is a decent finisher. With a lot of Falcon’s aerial combos, the move can be used as a finisher to blast opponents away.
Forward Air: Fondly referred to as the “Knee of justice”, Falcon knees the area in front of him.
When landed properly, the move is powerful and deadly with its knockback and damage.
Unfortunately, the timing of this technique is quite strict, so its use is very limited. Practice is required to learn the timing for this attack (the sweet spot is at the very start when Falcon juts his knee out). If the move is “whiffed”, meaning it hasn’t hit the sweet spot, the move does very little damage and knockback. Its recovery frames are rather lengthy, which leave you open to punishes.
Back Air: Falcon punches the area behind him. The move deals both decent damage and knockback.
While the move also has a sweet spot if landed towards the start of the move, it’s still a solid tool to use in the air.
When combined with Reverse Aerial Rushes and auto-cancelling, the move gains new life as an oppressive way to approach opponents with a move that comes out fast and is quickly recovered from.
Up Air: Falcon kicks the air above him in an arch, dealing decent but unimpressive damage and knockback.
This aerial serves as a great combo move to build up damage, due to the size of the hitbox and its low knockback. Can be used at mid-range percents after a down throw to rack up damage.
Down Air: Falcon kicks his feet downwards, dealing both solid damage and knockback to his opponents. If timed correctly, the move has a meteor effect and shoots opponents downwards.
This move is best used off stage to punish opponents and send them shooting down without the hope of recovering. It can be used to send opponents shooting straight down onto the stage, however, and thus has potential to be a small combo starter.
It’s key to note that if characters are not directly below Falcon when they are hit by this attack, they will not shoot downwards but rather be knocked back as they would by a standard attack.
The knockback on this attack, even without the meteor effect, is still something to be reckoned with, though.
Neutral Air: Falcon kicks the air in front of him twice. The first kick combos into the second, which carries most of the knockback. If both are landed, the move does decent damage and knockback.
By far Falcon’s most versatile aerial, his neutral air can be used to ledge guard opponents with weaker recoveries, start combos if only the first kick connects, and it can be chained together to create a combo of nairs against opponents at low percents.
Keep your opponent’s weight and size in mind as these traits affect how easily they can be hit by combos. Below is a video that demonstrates using these aerials in combos after using down throw.
Forward Smash: Falcon punches the air in front of him, dealing good damage and knockback.
As this move is a smash attack, it should only be used as a finisher to punish opponents that are easy to read. Its long startup and endlag make it impractical to constantly be using.
Up Smash: Falcon kicks into the air above him twice, dealing good damage and knockback.
This move does the least damage out of all of Falcon’s smash attacks. Like his forward smash, it should mainly be used to punish enemies. Its second hit, however, can catch opponents off guard as it may connect if the first kick lowered the opponent’s shield enough.
Down Smash: Falcon kicks the areas in front of and behind him, dealing good damage and knockback.
Since Falcon covers both his front and back with this attack, it’s great for punishing people who frequently roll.
If connecting at certain angles, the first kick may knock opponents into the second hit resulting in decent damage.
While we’re talking about Falcon it would be good to take note of his nature as a heavy-weight character. While he has speed, he’ll still have a hard time recovering compared to other characters. His large stature also means he’s a big target, making him susceptible to combos.
Captain Falcon offers a very exhilarating playstyle, with many of his moves sharing a high-risk, high-reward playstyle. He’s fast, allowing him to close gaps and keep up with his opponents quickly– and with so many powerful moves at his disposal, he can oppressively overwhelm players. If you want to play him though, keep in mind that just as you’re able to combo your opponents, the endlag of your moves, along with Falcon’s size and weight make him easily susceptible to punishes and combos himself.
