James McCloud

AFFILIATION Star Fox ROLE Founder and leader (former) STATUS Presumed dead

INTEL James McCloud served with distinction as a pilot in the Corneria Defense Force, where his dedication to the Lylat System and unimpeachable record suggested he would enjoy a long and storied career. However, James chose to leave the service and enter the private sector, establishing the freelance paramilitary organization known as Star Fox.

Reportedly, James felt that leading a small, nimble unit capable of rapid emergency response—and unbeholden to military bureaucracy—would allow him to serve the Lylat System more effectively. He recruited his best friend and fellow Defense Force pilot Peppy Hare as co-owner of Star Fox, then later completed the roster by recruiting Pigma Dengar, also formerly of the Defense Force.

By all accounts, the Star Fox team was successful—if not entirely profitable—under James's leadership. In fact, he maintained a close working relationship with General Pepper, taking a variety of military contracts. It was the general who hired Star Fox to investigate suspicious activity on the planet Venom—a disastrous mission from which James did not return.

James is survived by his son, Fox McCloud, who has recently assumed his father's role as leader of a new incarnation of Star Fox.

ASSESSMENT James McCloud was known to be courageous and clearheaded—a natural leader possessed of a strong moral compass. He valued perseverance in the face of adversity, and he often counseled fellow pilots to trust their instincts both in and out of combat.