Villains & Star Wolf

Andross and Star Wolf anchor the conflict across the Lylat System in Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2. The remake preserves their Star Fox 64 roles while expanding fully-voiced scenes and sharper boss encounters — from early grunts like Granga on Corneria to the true-ending gauntlet on Venom II.

Emperor Andross

Andross is a mad scientist exiled to Venom after his experiments devastated Corneria. From his hidden fortress he commands bioweapons, fleet armadas, and the mutated forces Fox encounters on every planet. His influence appears long before the finale — Attack Carriers on Corneria, the Saucerer invasion at Katina, and the fleet ambush at Area 6 all trace back to his war machine.

The normal ending on Venom pits Fox against Golemech and then Andross in his familiar floating head form inside the fortress core. The true ending replaces that climax with Star Wolf followed by Andross’s grotesque true brain form — a multi-phase fight demanding precision barrel rolls and bomb timing detailed in the beat Andross guide.

Star Wolf Squadron

Star Wolf is Wolf O’Donnell’s rival mercenary team — the dark mirror of Star Fox. They intercept Fox during all-range missions when route conditions trigger their arrival, taunting the squad over open comms while each member peels off for individual duels. Defeating them quickly on Expert prevents sustained wingmate damage that can ruin medal attempts.

Wolf O’Donnell

Wolf flies the lead Wolfen with aggressive boost passes and tight loop maneuvers. He targets Fox first in most intercepts and shares a long rivalry with Fox and Falco. Wolf’s Super Smash Bros. amiibo unlocks exclusive Battle Banner cosmetics and reflects his status as the squadron’s iconic antagonist.

Leon Powalski

Leon is the squadron sniper — cool, precise, and loyal to Wolf. His laser fire hurts more on Expert difficulty and he often engages Peppy or Slippy if Fox evades too long. Break his lock early with charged shots or a well-timed barrel roll.

Pigma Dengar

Pigma is the traitor who sold out James McCloud — a bulky pilot who favors ramming and sustained beam attacks. His dialogue stokes Fox’s anger in intermission scenes and he absorbs damage longer than Leon or Andrew, making charged lasers efficient.

Andrew Oikonny

Andrew is Andross’s nephew and the squadron’s loud, overconfident flanker. He breaks formation more predictably than Wolf, giving patient players opening shots. Andrew’s antics provide comic relief in comm chatter even as Expert damage makes his hits punishing.

Star Wolf in Battle Mode

Outside the campaign, Star Wolf represents one side of the 4v4 Battle Mode conflict. Players on the Star Wolf team use the same characters as avatars, customizing emblems and backgrounds — including amiibo-unlocked art — before all-range matches on three maps. Objectives and team scoring mirror campaign all-range rules from stages like Sector Y and Area 6.

Supporting Antagonists

Andross’s lieutenants appear as stage bosses throughout the campaign: Granga and the Attack Carrier on Corneria, Meteo Crusher in the asteroid belt, Spyborg at Fichina and Sector X, Bacoon beneath Aquas, Sarumarine at Zoness, and Mechbeth on the Macbeth train. Each guards route branches that determine whether Fox reaches Bolse for the normal ending or pushes toward Venom II. Consult individual walkthrough pages for weakness patterns and medal-friendly hit farming on every boss.

Villain Encounters and Routing

Antagonist presence is not random — route conditions decide which Star Wolf members appear and whether Andross deploys fleet ambushes at Area 6. Players who stumble into Bolse after Sector Z missile damage face a shorter Venom gauntlet with fewer Star Wolf interruptions, while perfect Sector Z defense preserves the hard path toward the true ending. Understanding villain placement therefore doubles as route literacy; the route planner maps which bosses and rival pilots appear on each branch.

Expert difficulty increases boss damage output and tightens Star Wolf’s pursuit windows without changing their spawn logic. Medal hunters should learn each antagonist’s opening pattern on Normal before Expert attempts — particularly Pigma’s sustained beams and Wolf’s boost rushes — so wingmates survive the extra pressure.

Related Guides

• Star Fox Team Hero squadron profiles
• Beat Andross Guide Normal and True Form tactics
• Venom II Walkthrough True ending boss sequence