James McCloud

James McCloud
Species	Fox
Eye color	Unknown
Relatives	Fox McCloud (son), Marcus McCloud (possible grandson)
Debut	Star Fox 64

James McCloud was the ace pilot who formed the original Team Star Fox, a band of mercenaries-for-hire usually working with General Pepper and the Cornerian Defense Force. The team's run ended in tragedy after betrayal by Pigma Dengar, which led to James's presumed death. However, he has made several post-mortem appearances that question whether or not he is truly dead.

Background

The original Team Star Fox consisted of James McCloud, Peppy Hare and Pigma Dengar. The team's final mission was an exploration of Venom to examine reports that the mad scientist Andross was amassing a new fleet of warships for invasion of the Lylat System. During this mission, Pigma turned traitor and betrayed his teammates to Andross. Peppy Hare was able to escape, but James was captured and presumably killed by Andross. With James's passing, he was survived by his son Fox, who inherited the Great Fox and ROB64, which James had bought for the team but had never gotten the chance to utilize. Fox later led a new Star Fox team.

Despite his believed death, James has shown himself to Fox at several times. In Star Fox 64, Fox ventured to Venom with his new Star Fox team and succeeded in defeating Andross. However Fox then had a limited amount of time to escape a maze-like canyon. James McCloud suddenly appeared to his son, riding an Arwing, and guided Fox through the Venomian mazes to safety. Fox was looking forward to celebrating with his father, but afterwards, James was nowhere to be found. Then in Star Fox Adventures some of the Cheat Tokens Fox found revealed messages apparently from James, and some of the messages predicted future events (such as Falco's eventual return and that Andross was still alive).

James also made a surprise appearance in one ending path of Star Fox Command, and this time he was playable. In the final raid on Venom in Ending 6, James McCloud suddenly appeared in his Arwing to aid Fox, Falco and Dash in their battles under the Venomian oceans. It seemed that Fox was the only person who could see them (although while playing as James, Dash or Falco would occasionally congratulate him for good moves). Once again James disappeared after the battle was done.

Trivia

• In the original Super NES Star Fox, Fox's father was occasionally mentioned but unnamed. In the game it is said that Fox's father had disappeared after entering the Black Hole, but this plot point may no longer be canon following the retcons of Star Fox 64.
• A human racer named James McCloud appeared in F-Zero X as an homage to this character. He even wears sunglasses like the Star Fox James, has a son and leads a galactic patrol team called Galaxy Dog.
• In Star Fox Assault the real James does not appear, but the Aparoid Queen does impersonate him in a vain attempt to seduce Fox into joining the Aparoids.
• In Ending 2 of "Star Fox Command", after Fox has a son, Fox wears sunglasses similar to James's.
• In Star Fox Adventures, one of the messages earned from throwing tokens in the well is from James: "I can see you have matured into a strong leader. I am always there with you. Never give up... Trust your instincts... My son..."
• "Star Fox Command" Description: "Fox's father and the leader of the original Star Fox squadron. He was betrayed by a teammate into the clutches of Andross, where it's said he lost his life".
• In the 1992 Star Fox comics, Fox's father was given the simple name of Fox McCloud Sr. Andross, while living on Corneria, wanted Fox Senior's wife for his own. So he arranged for Fox Senior to carry a prototype bomb into space for a test, but secretly programmed it to explode while Fox was towing it. This explosion created the Black Hole and causes Fox Senior's apparent death, although later issues revealed that instead of dying he had been sent into an alternate dimension. He lived in the whale at Sector Y and occasionally appeared to help Fox.