Fox McCloud

Fox McCloud (Japanese: フォックス・マクラウド, Hepburn: Fokkusu Makuraudo) is the main protagonist of Nintendo's Star Fox series. He is an anthropomorphicred fox created by Shigeru Miyamoto and designed by Takaya Imamura. Fox first appeared as the playable character in the 1993 video game Star Fox. Across the series, the player controls Fox as he pilots his spacecraft, the Arwing, with gameplay varying by title. He serves as the leader of the Star Fox team, undertaking missions alongside his teammates. Fox has appeared in other video game franchises, including as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. fighting games. In the 2026 film The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, he is voiced by actor Glen Powell.

During the development of the original Star Fox, Miyamoto sought to enhance player engagement beyond the core gameplay by introducing a cast of characters, with Fox as the central protagonist. The character was partly inspired by Miyamoto's visit to the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan, which has numerous fox statues. Miyamoto relayed this concept to Imamura, who developed Fox’s visual design. Elements of Fox's personality and facial features were based on Miyamoto.

Fox McCloud has been regarded as one of the most recognizable characters in video games. In the Super Smash Bros. competitive play, especially in Super Smash Bros. Melee, he is often considered one of the strongest characters. His prominence in competitive play contributed to the popularization of the phrase "No items, Fox only, Final Destination", an internet meme used to parody highly competitive playstyles, which has since spread beyond the Super Smash Bros. series. His appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was met with mixed responses; though Powell's performance was praised, many critics questioned his inclusion in the film's plot.