Falco Lombardi

Falco Lombardi (ファルコ・ランバルディ Faruko Ranbarudi) is an expert pilot of the Star Fox team, and a good friend of Fox. Falco Lombardi is often cocky and smart-mouthed. His first name came from the genus “Falco” for animals like a peregrine falcon. Falco is named after both Falco, an Austrian musician and Carlo Lombardi, special effects artist in Hollywood.

Falco often joins and leaves the Star Fox team throughout the series of games, as he joined the team for the action. After Star Fox 64, Falco leaves the team due to a lack of excitement, returning at the end of Star Fox Adventures. Depending on the path in Star Fox: Command, Falco may or may not leave Star Fox after joining, but he stays in the default ending.

Falco is seen as Fox’s good friend and second-in-command. He is the best Arwing pilot in the team, making him very handy in battle. However, he has a tendency to not follow advice (he dislikes authority), and also likes to be late and appear at the last minute to save the day (as seen in the end of Adventures, and in several missions in Command). He would not like to admit it, but he considers the team his family.

Falco has made appearances in other games, including Super Smash Bros. Melee. He is an unlockable character that has similar moves to Fox. His blaster, though lacking in rapid fire capability, can stun opponents; something Fox is incapable of doing. However, Falco’s recovery move, Firebird, has shorter reach than fox’s Fox Fire and doesn’t burn the opponent at startup, making Falco more vulnerable to attack. Falco possesses the highest first jump in the game, while Fox possesses one of the lowest. His Reflector will send an enemy directly upward. Falco also possesses one of the best spikes in the game; as it always sends the enemy downward. Falco has also been confirmed as an unlockable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His Final Smash is driving a Landmaster tank which, although weaker than Fox’s, it has better hovering ability and can even fly characters off the stage and not be killed.

Trivia
Character designer Takaya Imamura originally gave Falco the name "Falco Rambaldi" as a tribute to film special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi. Japan romanized this name as "Lambardi", Nintendo of America later settled on Lombardi.