Fox McCloud is the current leader of StarFox Team, assuming the role of leader when his father, James, was murdered.

Early Life

Fox (real name: James McCloud Jr.) was born on Corneria to loving parents, James McCloud and Vixy Reynard. Around the age of four, Andross planted a car bomb in James' car, but it exploded and killed Vixy when she started it to drive to work. After this life-altering event, Fox was raised by his father, who taught him about fighter jets and spacecraft, sparking his interest in the subject matter.

By the time Fox turned 12, he enlisted in the Cornerian Flight Academy, as his father did. It was during his attendance of the Flight Academy that he met Falco Lombardi, a rough-and-tumble street punk. After becoming friends, Fox helped Falco straighten his life out, and enrolled in the flight school with Fox. At the Flight Academy, Fox would meet Bill Grey, who would later join the military and become the leader of the Bulldog Squadron.

Coming of Age

Things were going well for the young McCloud, until he recieved devastating news about his father during the Lylat Wars. His father was betrayed by his long-time friend, Pigma Dengar, and taken captive on Venom by Andross, and presumed dead. This rocked young Fox's world to its very core, sending him into a very deep depression. He dropped out of the Cornerian Flight School at age 14 from stress and grief for his father's death, and fled to Papetoon with Peppy Hare and Falco, where they scraped out a meager existance as Robin Hood-like characters, raiding Andross' imperial cruisers for supplies, and giving them to the poor people of Papetoon.

Upon hearing from General Pepper that Andross was planning to conquer Corneria and the remainder of the Lylat System, Fox convinced Falco and Peppy to join him and work with the military to help overthrow Andross and protect their home world.

Though just aged 18, Fox quickly took up his father's mantle and assumed responsibility for his team, and beginning the long-standing relationship with the military that Fox continues to this day as their mercenary-for-hire.

It was at this point that he met Fara Phoenix, a skilled female pilot for the Cornerian Defense Forces. Fox and his crew organized a plan and took off for Venom, eventually defeating Andross, and deciding to continue his father's legendary team, StarFox.

Battling Andross

Fox has proven himself to be quite the adversary for Andross, particularly after he survived his defeat on Venom, and began reconstructing his forces during the Lylat Wars. During his first encounter with Andross, he learned that Andross was responsible for both of his parents' deaths (Vixy via a mis-placed car bomb, and James through direct murder), sending Fox into an insane rage as he blew up Andross' base on Venom.

A few years would pass before he would hear of Andross again, this time, from General Pepper. When Andross began reassembling his forces on Venom, StarFox Team was called to action. Though having to face the added threat of StarWolf, hired by Andross, Fox and crew were able to neutralize them and defeat Andross once more. In return for their loyal service to the military, Fox was paid a handsome reward and was able to repair the Great Fox, and pay off much of his father's 80-year loan taken out to purchase the craft.

Mission to Sauria

A few years later, Fox was notified by General Pepper that planet Sauria was breaking up, and was willing to pay Fox to investigate the cause. Fox answered the call of duty and travelled to Sauria, soon finding himself in the middle of battle with General Scales, as well as meeting Krystal, who would become the newest member of his crew. He would later learn that Andross was responsible for the breakup of Sauria, and the destruction of Cerinia. Fox manages to overcome Andross, with the last-minute help of Falco, who decides to rejoin StarFox after roughly four years of being on his own.

Aparoid Assault

The next threat that Fox faced was the Aparoid invasion. He struggled to liberate Corneria, and reluctantly accepted help from StarWolf in doing so. After saving General Pepper's life from the Aparoids, he decides to take the fight to the Aparoid homeworld. Peppy nearly loses his own life saving his team with the Great Fox, but they manage to work their way into the bowels of the Aparoid base. An unexpected obstacle is thrown at Fox, when the Aparoid Queen begins telepathically telling him to give up and join them in James' voice and appearance, mimicking his dead father, though Falco reminds Fox not to buy it for a second.

Even fifteen years after his father's death, Fox still sees his father's spirit from time to time, either through hallucinations, or from stress in the heat of battle, guiding him to safety.

Spin-Off: StarFox Command

Nine years after StarFox: Assault, Fox and crew respond to the newest threat of the system, the Anglar, who have set up a base on Aquas. Fox rounds up his crew and proceeds to clean up the invading forces, liberating Corneria and the remainder of the Lylat System. Much like during the events of StarFox 64, Fox once again sees his father guiding him out of the base on Aquas.

Appearances in the Games

Fox has appeared in every StarFox game to date (naturally), as well as in the three Super Smash Bros. video games.

Appearances in the Comics

Fox also appears in all of the StarFox comics published by Nintendo.

Personality

Initially, Fox was a young pilot that lacked some self-confidence but had the ambition to do well and please his father, but also quick to anger and occasionally unreasonably stubborn when he gets his mind stuck on doing something (such as flying through a black hole to get to Venom). As he grew older, he matured rapidly, particularly after his father's death, and became the skilled and confident leader today.

His attitude can be stoic and distant at times, but he is also highly professional. However, Fox is known to get cocky. While thought of as somewhat of a "daddy's boy" because of his deep respect for his fallen father, and how he claims to miss him, clinging to the faint hope that he somehow made it out of Venom alive and is somewhere else, he puts his emotions aside during battle, or when his friends need him. Like his father, he is unwaveringly loyal to his friends, standing by their side to the end, through good and bad.

Despite his deep respect for his father, he hates being called "junior", and prefers to be called "Fox", a childhood nickname his father gave him.

Voice

Fox speaks much like a young man finding his place in the world, but still maturely. During Star Fox 64, for example, he still sounded much like a teenager, both in pitch and in words used.

Physical Appearance

Fox has light-brown fur over much of his body, with beige fur covering his stomach, slightly pointed muzzle, and tailtip, as well as the insides of his large, pointed ears. He stands at roughly 1.73 meters (5 feet 8 inches) and weighs 70.31 kg (155 lbs). Fox's eye colour is greenish-blue. Though James was rarely (if ever) seen without his sunglasses, Fox is sometimes seen wearing them.

Fox's typically wears military boots, green pants, and a flight vest, along with a green undershirt, and red scarf around his neck, under his flight vest. Until StarFox Adventures, he typically wore a flight helmet with communicator (which also obscured his white "fox mowhak" hair), but as of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he wears a monacle-styled analyzer and communicator.