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Fox McCloud is a fictional anthropomorphic fox and the main character in the Star Fox series. He’s normally a likable character in the franchise, but in Star Fox Command, he was badly flanderized.
Why He Sucked
NOTE: This is only focusing on the Star Fox Command interpretation of him since Fox himself is generally a likable character.
- Flanderizarion: Rather than being the kind, brave, wise, and charming leader he was in the previous games, Fox was downgraded into a bland, boring, and occasionally jerkish character, making him very unlikable.
- It seems to try to give him flaws in order to flesh him out more, but it was executed terribly by taking away his iconic personality, to where Fox is hardly even recognized as a character.
- His chemistry and relationship with Krystal, which was sweet in the first two games they were together, as well as his friendships with his teammates in every game he was in prior to this one, are heavily botched in multiple ways as described below.
- After their relationship had bloomed between him and Crystal, he then becomes afraid of the possibility of her getting hurt during a battle and kicks her off the Star Fox team. This is a dumb reason, especially since he previously approved of her teammate skills in Star Fox: Assault. Which kinda makes him seem drastic at the same time.
- His design, along with most characters, look like a watered-down version to his design years prior to Star Fox Command.
- His tail looks pretty short in this game, implying that he got it cut off as a trophy after a lost fight. Can't blame them, he is a fox after all.
- He’s still not very cunning, where he would often shoot first and then ask questions later.
- Laughable lines like “I was the one who told her to quit this life. I'm sure she hates me now.” and “Hang on, Slippy! We're not... He hung up! What a cad! Wait, what's that...?”
- He is much more of a bland and basic version of Fox McCloud as a hero, where he comes out with no personality and character development. This makes him clichéd somehow, he's essentially the typical "I'm gonna save the day" type of protagonist with his traditional shooting & flying habits, and nothing else to say about him.
Redeeming Qualities
- Fox was a much better character in previous games where he was established as a kind, thoughtful leader.
- He is noticeably decent and tolerable on the ? path leading to the ? ending where he is in character, moreso than he is on most of the paths. (Which path is he the most decent and tolerable in this game?)
- He still has good intentions in what he is doing. Considering that he is still heroically willing to fight against an antagonistic swarm of villains.
- Despite being drastic with kicking Krystal off the team for an irrational reason, he still cares for her.
- On top of that, he still shows that he cares about his teammates and is still very close with them.
- His character design is still passable and appealing.
- There are endings where Fox makes up with Krystal and will either let her rejoin the team or he retires with her and start a family together.
- He later redeems himself in future entries like Star Fox Zero and Star Fox 2, going back to his iconic personality.