For fighter info, seeWolf (SSBB) andWolf (SSBU).For other uses, seeWolf (disambiguation)

Wolf O'Donnell
Official artworks of Wolf O'Donnell fromStar Fox Zero andStar Fox Assault.
Universe	Star Fox
Debut	Star Fox 64 (1997)
Smash Bros. appearances	Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Starlink: Battle for Atlas (2018, Nintendo Switch)
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo 64
Species	Wolf
Gender	Male
Place of origin	Lylat System
Created by	Shigeru Miyamoto[1] Takaya Imamura[1]
Designed by	Takaya Imamura[1]
Englishvoice actor	Jay Ward
Japanesevoice actor	Mahito Ōba (Brawl/Lylat Cruise smash taunt) Kōsuke Takaguchi (Ultimate)
Article on Lylat Wiki	Wolf O'Donnell

Wolf O'Donnell (ウルフ・オドネル,Wolf O'Donnell) is a character from theStar Fox series. Wolf is the leader ofStar Wolf, an infamous team of skilled mercenaries that have crossed paths withStar Fox on several occasions, and is the mutual rival of Star Fox's leader,Fox McCloud.^[2][3]

After making a cameo inSuper Smash Bros. Melee during one of itsopening movie's cutscenes, Wolf transitioned into anunlockable character inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. He returned in that capacity inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate after being absent fromSuper Smash Bros. 4.

Origin[edit]

Wolf was originally going to appear inStar Fox 2 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). InStar Fox 2, Star Wolf is introduced as a team of mercenaries consisting of its leader Wolf and his wingmatesLeon Powalski,Pigma Dengar andAlgy.^[4] Due to the team's tenacious and unscrupulous methods, they have become feared throughout the Lylat System, with Wolf in particular being noted as someone who is willing to betray anyone for the right price.^[4] In order to ensure that his second attempt at conquering the Lylat System succeeds,Andross hires Star Wolf to intercept and kill Star Fox.^[4]

AlthoughStar Fox 2 was completely finished, it was canceled because of theNintendo 64's impending launch and said system being more cost effective in regard to developing polygonal games.^[1] Despite this, some ofStar Fox 2's features were carried over toStar Fox 64 (andStar Fox Zero by extension), including Star Wolf, whileStar Fox 2 itself would later be included as part of the SNES Classic Edition in 2017.^[1]

Wolf made his proper debut inStar Fox 64, a remake of the firstStar Fox game. As inStar Fox 2, he is both an elite pilot and the leader of Star Wolf. Unlike inStar Fox 2, however, Wolf sports an eyepatch on his left eye instead of a large scar on his right eye. Another noticeable difference is that Wolf's personality has more depth. In the past, he had a rivalry withJames McCloud, and it's because of this feud that Wolf wants to combat his son, a gifted pilot by the name ofFox McCloud, and sought to prove himself as being just as capable as Fox. The official Japanese guide forStar Fox 64 also mentions that, despite his villainous ways, he is also a "man of integrity" and a "magnanimous" character. It's implied it's because of this that Pigma was able to take advantage of him and manipulate him into forming Star Wolf to do his and Andross' bidding.^[5]

Shortly before theLylat Wars, Andross hired Pigma to persuade Wolf, as well as Leon, to form Star Wolf to assist hisarmy and, as a last resort, defend key routes to his base of operations onVenom. In addition to payment, Andross, along with Pigma, custom engineered each member of Star Wolf aWolfen, an advanced model of fighter craft. However, Andross also forced Pigma to place his nephew,Andrew Oikonny, onto Star Wolf in order to provide the team with technological and financial support.^[6] Throughout the game, the player can battle Star Wolf up to two times, though there are three different battles with them overall, depending on which routes are taken on the map.

Shortly after Andross' defeat on Venom, Star Wolf abandoned the Venomian Army and resumed their roles as mercenaries willing to accept any mission, regardless of legality. However, Andrew was kicked out of the team shortly after the Lylat Wars^[7], due to his poor piloting skills and arrogance regarding his heritage towards his deceased uncle who he no longer had the backing of, which prompted him to take control of the remainder of the Venomian Army and follow in Andross' footsteps by staging a rebellion against Corneria.^[8] At another point in time, Pigma was also expelled from Star Wolf, owing to his unreliability and insatiable greed.^[3]

Nine years after the events ofStar Fox 64, Wolf reappeared inStar Fox: Assault. During these intervening years, Wolf assumed control over theSargasso Space Zone, an illegal hub for criminals and former members of the Venomian Army. He also recruitedPanther Caroso, a top-class pilot, to replace Andrew and Pigma.^[3] When Star Fox searched for Pigma in order to retrieve aCore Memory that he stole earlier, Star Wolf proceeded to face Star Fox in a dogfight over what Wolf presumed to be an invasion of his territory.

Upon being defeated, Wolf called off their dogfight, but would later arrive on Corneria alongside Leon and Panther in order to save Fox from the rising threat of the Aparoids. Although Wolf said the only reason for doing this was so he could defeat Fox himself, Wolf's advice and grudging respect toward Fox nevertheless signaled his transition from a full-fledged villain into an honorable, albeit still unlawful, anti-hero. Following this incident, Star Wolf provided backup to Star Fox at theBeltino Orbital Gate and theAparoid Homeworld. After Star Fox successfully destroyed the Homeworld, Star Wolf was nowhere to be found. DuringKrystal's acknowledgement of their sacrifice as being among the many lives lost during the conflict, Fox speculated that Wolf, Leon, and Panther might have still been alive, following their discovery of Peppy and ROB 64 surviving the suicide charge that allowed Star Fox to destroy the Aparoid Queen at the cost of the Great Fox.

InStar Fox Command, Fox's assumption of Star Wolf's survival was proven correct. Following the destruction of the Aparoids, Star Wolf resumed their status as mercenaries. In response, the Cornerian Military placed a bounty for each member, with Wolf having the highest bounty set at $30,000. To avoid attention, Star Wolf set up a base onFichina before hatching a plan to simultaneously remove their bounties and improve their reputations. Soon after, Wolf recruited Krystal into Star Wolf following her expulsion from Star Fox, which was caused by Fox's fear of her dying while a part of the team like his father.

With the advent of theAnglar Empire, Star Wolf sought to remove their bounties by plotting a way to defeat them, which reaffirmed their status as anti-heroes. AlthoughCommand features multiple branching storylines that see Star Wolf achieve varying degrees of success in their bid to stop the Anglar Empire,Command's director Dylan Cuthbert stated that none of them represent the true ending as it's effectively up to the player to decide how the game truly ends, based on their preferences and choices in the story.^[9]

InStar Fox Zero, a reimagining ofStar Fox 64, Wolf and his team are depicted almost identically to their portrayals in that title. Despite this, Wolf's portrayal in particular received a few noticeable alterations. The Sector β mission can result either in him shooting down Fox's mentor and teammate,Peppy Hare, or retreating after he receives a sufficient amount of damage (in reference to his appearance inStar Fox 2). The Wolfens are also capable of assuming a wolf-like Hunter mode to counter the Arwing's bipedal Walker mode.

In the Nintendo Switch version of Ubisoft'sStarlink: Battle for Atlas, exclusiveStar Fox content features a crossover story that occurs some time after the events ofStar Fox Zero.^[10] InStarlink, Wolf decides to fly solo in search of additional firepower to use for himself in the power vacuum caused by Andross' defeat. His journey ultimately leads him to the Atlas star system to acquire a Spin Drive for his conquest of the Lylat System. Soon after arriving in Atlas, Wolf forged alliances with several Outlaws, most notably Cash Guavo, Zonna Vangore and Koval Grimm.

In response, Star Fox pursue Wolf to Atlas in order to thwart his plans, and forge an alliance with the Starlink Initiative on the common ground of protecting Atlas.^[11] Wolf's hideout is eventually discovered by Star Fox and Starlink, at which point they proceed to stop him. After Wolf's initial plans are foiled, he reforms Star Wolf alongside Leon, Pigma and Andrew in order to gain revenge.^[12] After Leon, Pigma and Andrew's individual plans are foiled, they regroup with Wolf and ally with numerous Outlaws in a final attempt to defeat Star Fox and the Starlink Initiative. Although Star Wolf are almost successful in their attempt to steal Starlink's flagship, the Equinox, by using a battleship armed with tractor beams, they are ultimately defeated by the combined efforts of Star Fox and Starlink, and are launched into a wormhole that sends them back to the Lylat System.

InSuper Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

Wolf, as he appears inSuper Smash Bros. Melee.

InSuper Smash Bros. Melee'sopening movie, there is a brief cutscene whereFox, piloting hisArwing, crosses paths with Wolf in hisWolfen, which then concludes by quickly featuring mugshots of the two characters in their cockpits. Wolf is also mentioned in the Wolfen'strophy description. While the aforementioned cutscene led to very early fan speculation of Wolf having a role in the game, perhaps as a playable character,Smabura-Ken confirmed that this was not the intended purpose of his cameo.^[13]

The Wolfens also appear as platforms inCorneria andVenom, seemingly doing battle with the Arwings.

InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

As a playable character[edit]

Wolf, as he appears inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl.

Wolf appears as anewcomer inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. He can beunlocked by playing 450 VS. Mode matches, clearingBoss Battles Mode withFox orFalco, or entering a secret door inThe Ruins after completingThe Subspace Emissary. Like Fox and Falco, Wolf sports a modified version of his design inStar Fox: Assault andStar Fox Command.

According toSuper Smash Bros. series creatorMasahiro Sakurai, Wolf's inclusion was highly requested by fans because of his popularity within his home series.^[14] AlthoughKrystal, another highly requestedStar Fox character, was also a candidate for a roster spot, Sakurai said that the combination of time constraints and using Fox and Falco as source materials resulted in Wolf having much better potential to be a fully realized fighter in comparison to her.^[14]

Compared to his fellowStar Fox fighters, Wolf both derives and deviates from them in a variety of ways. Like Fox and Falco, Wolf'swalking andfalling speeds are both very fast, and hisgravity is very high in spite of his size. However, Wolf is taller, heavier, and overall stronger than they are.^[15] By extension, he has the slowestdashing speed among them (especially compared to Fox's), yet hisair speed is drastically faster in comparison. Unlike Fox and Falco, Wolf uses a feral fighting style; in addition to keeping his basic stance low to the ground in spite of his taller height, it results in the majority of his moveset noticeably differing from theirs aesthetically and mechanically.^[15]

Despite havingspecial moves similar to Fox and Falco's in regard to both naming and mechanics, Wolf's respective versions nevertheless deviate in very noticeable ways. HisBlaster fires shots one at a time likeFalco's, yet features a bayonet that damages opponents if they are close enough.^[15]Fire Wolf hits multiple times likeFire Fox andFire Bird, yet lacks aflameeffect and consists of a flying kick instead of a headfirst dash.Wolf Flash quickly propels Wolf, similarly toFox Illusion andFalco Phantasm; it is also capable ofmeteor smashing like the latter when sweetspotted.^[15] However, it propels Wolf diagonally instead of horizontally.^[15]

Compared to Fox and Falco's Reflectors, Wolf'sReflector has a lower damage multiplier and higher travel speed multiplier when used against projectiles. Unlike theirs, it can also function as a pseudo-counterattack because of the significant number ofintangibility frames it produces, while the barrier itself is ovoid instead of hexagonal.^[15] Finally, Wolf'sLandmaster has greater firepower and mobility at the cost of a shorter duration.^[15] It also features a red and gray color scheme akin to the Wolfen's, instead of the standard blue and white.^[15]

Due to Wolf's excellent aerial mobility, fast and long-ranged attacks, and plethora of options, his overallmatchup spread is slightly favorable. Most notably, this includes a manageable matchup againstMeta Knight despite being soft countered by Meta Knight. However, Wolf has a poor recovery and a severe susceptibility tochain grabbing, the latter of which results in him being countered by a few characters, most notoriouslyKing Dedede. Overall, Wolf's strengths and respectable tournament success have resulted in him being currently ranked 14th out of 38 on thetier list. This places him at the top of the C tier, and posits him as a mid tier character.

Trophy[edit]

Wolf's trophy inBrawl

Wolf

A pilot whose real name is Wolf O'Donnell. He leads a group of mercenaries called Star Wolf. He's crossed paths with Fox many times, and each acknowledges the other as a competent rival. Wolf's constant interference with Fox is a result of Wolf's history with Fox's dad, James. Wolf's long history of criminal enterprise has resulted in a large bounty on his head.

:Star Fox 64

:Star Fox: Assault

A pilot whose full name is Wolf O'Donnell. He leads a group of mercenaries called Star Wolf. He's crossed paths with Fox many times, and each acknowledges the other as a competent rival. Wolf's constant interference with Fox is a result of Wolf's history with Fox's dad, James. Wolf's long history of criminal enterprise has resulted in a large bounty on his head.

:Lylat Wars

:Star Fox: Assault

Stickers[edit]

Name	Game	Effect	Fighter(s)
Wolf	Star Fox Command	Attack +27
Wolf	Star Fox: Assault	Attack +15	Fox Falco Wolf

Wolf (Star Fox Command)

Wolf (Star Fox: Assault)

InSuper Smash Bros. 4[edit]

UnlikeFox andFalco, Wolf does not return as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. 4. His only direct appearances are as atrophy inbothversions ofSSB4, and viaLylat Cruise'sSmash Taunt. Outside of these cameos,Wolf Flash is one ofFox Illusion'scustom variations. On a related note,Star Wolf's three songs can also be played onCorneria,Orbital Gate Assault, and Lylat Cruise.

Trophy[edit]

Wolf O'Donnell's trophy inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Wolf O'Donnell's trophy inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U

Wolf O'Donnell

Wolf used to fight in Andross's army, tangling with Star Fox in battle after battle. After Andross's exile, he went his own way and formed a mercenary team called Star Wolf. He and his eternal rival, Fox, have even fought on the same side from time to time...but inevitably, they always meet again as enemies.

:Star Fox 64 (07/1997)

:Star Fox: Assault (02/2005)

Wolf used to fight in Andross's army, where he tangled with Star Fox in many a dogfight. After Andross's exile, he went his own way and formed a mercenary team called Star Wolf. He and his eternal rival Fox have even fought on the same side from time to time...but inevitably, they always meet again as enemies.

:Lylat Wars (10/1997)

:Star Fox: Assault (04/2005)

InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

As a playable character[edit]

Wolf, as he appears inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Wolf returns as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was formally announced alongside the rest of the cast viaUltimate's E3 2018 trailer on June 12th, 2018.^[16][17] Jay Ward reprises his role as Wolf's voice actor for the overseas versions, while Kōsuke Takaguchi now voices him in the Japanese version.

LikeFox andFalco, Wolf's design has been updated to reflect his appearance inStar Fox Zero.^[16] In Wolf's case, he has a longer snout and a normal eyepatch, while his visible eye is slightly larger and has a red iris. Unlike Fox and Falco, however, Wolf's attire is entirely original toUltimate.

Spirit[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language	Name
Japanese	ウルフ,Wolf
English	Wolf
French	Wolf
German	Wolf
Spanish	Wolf
Italian	Wolf
Chinese (Simplified)	沃鲁夫,Wolf
Chinese (Traditional)	沃爾夫,Wolf
Korean	울프,Wolf
Dutch	Wolf
Russian	Вульф
Portuguese	Wolf

Trivia[edit]

• In bothBrawl andUltimate, Wolf has a slower running speed than Falco, who in turn has a slower running speed than Fox. However, in the Versus mode ofStar Fox: Assault, which predates Wolf's playableSmash debut, the speed differences are the opposite, with Wolf being the fastest.

References[edit]

v • d • e Star Fox universe
Fighters	Fox (SSB ·SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Falco (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Wolf (SSBB ·SSBU)
Assist Trophies	Andross ·Krystal
Stages	Sector Z ·Corneria ·Venom ·Lylat Cruise ·Orbital Gate Assault
Items	Smart Bomb
Other	Leon Powalski ·Panther Caroso ·Peppy Hare ·ROB 64 ·Slippy Toad
Vehicles	Arwing ·Great Fox ·Landmaster ·Wolfen
Trophies,Stickers, andSpirits	Trophies (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4) ·Stickers ·Spirits
Music	Brawl ·SSB4 ·Ultimate
Masterpiece	Star Fox 64

• Characters
• Star Fox universe
• Wolf
• Trophies (SSBB)
• Trophies (SSB4-3DS)
• Trophies (SSB4-Wii U)
• Stickers
• Spirits