Except Falco's jab does deserve that low of a placement. The recovery on his jab 2 and rapid jab finisher are fairly high; jab 2 has 21 frames and the finisher has 34 frames. Jab 1 has average 19 recovery frames, but when you figure about the other good jab mixups, they usually have even lower recovery like for jab 1's, Bowser's 12 frames, Captain Falcon's 13, Fox's 16, Kirby's 13, Luigi's 16, Mario's 17 -- rarely do I see Mario use jab mixups, though --, Mr. Game & Watch's 13, Palutena's 16, Ryu's 13, Samus's 14, Sheik's 15, and Yoshi's 14. Jab 2's have Link's 14 frames, Sheik's 13, and Triple D's 16. Some just rock higher knockback or "better" hit angles like DK, Ike, Lucina, and Marth. Those lower, around 5 frames do make a difference. There is also the issue with animation. All the characters I listed when they jab, they don't lean in like Falco. When they jab, they throw out a hit and pull back quickly or in the case of characters like Lucina and Palutena, use weapons, so their bodies wouldn't be in the way to begin with. Falco leans in with his head just asking for a boxer to knock him out and break his beak forcing him to eat through a tube. Sheik throws her body in too, but only for jab 2. Falco does this for both jab 1 and jab 2 while moving forward with each jab. Falco jabbing and trying for a mixup also moves forward making the frame disadvantage much worse; Falco's jab 1 doesn't become remotely positive until 75 when it's -1 on-hit. At 0%, it's -4 which isn't bad, right? Just 4 frames... There are characters with frame 4 and below moves that kill. There are moves that are frame 4 and below invincible that also kill. Jab 2 is even worse in this regard considering it has higher recovery and lower overall knockback.
Mixing up with Falco's jab requires that you're finding someone who's not afraid of pressing buttons which isn't uncommon in lower-level play, doesn't have a frame 4-below option, and that you space his jab 1 very well. Oh, and luck too. Jab to grab isn't exactly ideal when Falco's grab is frame 8. Melee's frame 7 grab was apparently too fast, so Falco rocks the second-slowest melee -- as in not-tether or ranged like Greninja's -- grab in the game under Bowser and Little Mac's frame 9 grabs. Fastest option he has outside of shielding and dodging is Utilt, frame 5, and that doesn't exactly have horizontal range. Ftilt's the second-fastest option except it has no base knockback, so it's unsafe on-hit too... Dtilt's probably the best option except it only hits low, Up Smash, Down Smash, and Reflector which is basically like Ftilt are definitely committal, and Side Smash, frame 17, is a read and the opponent being a complete idiot to let that happen.
The recovery on jab 1 and jab 2 essentially force you to link them and if you're at jab 2, well... rapid jab and that's a pile of crap with its 0.4% per hit, 3 set knockback, and 1.2x SDI multiplier. The recovery on jab 1 and jab 2 is similar to other jabs that aren't good mixups, but are fine when it comes to linking into a jab combo like Charizard, Duck Hunt, Greninja, Peach, the Pits, ZSS, etc. Falco's doesn't do that either. It can't mixup well because of its "average" or "high" depending on how you look at it, recovery, and the fact that after jab 2, its reliability drops hard. Speaking of depending on how you look at it, Falco's jab is arguably more committal than his Ftilt and Dtilt both of which have similar recovery -- 20 for Ftilt and 19 for Dtilt --, but higher, although still fast startup. Here's the thing, his jab, Ftilt, and Dtilt pretty much overlap in range and even coverage, but that only really applies to Ftilt since it an angle, however, if you're looking at low coverage, then yeah, Dtilt too since jab and Dtilt also hit low with Ftilt being capable of hitting low. With aerial, there's always Bair and I would even say landing Nair is less committal and Reflector are less committal than jab.
For rapid jab, compared to other rapid jabs that don't link well, it also just straight up sucks compared to the others. For example, the only other above x1.0 SDI rapid jab is Greninja's. Greninja's at least does 1% per hit and assuming the hits are naturally disjointed since they're water blades, Greninja's rapid jab is relatively safe or just safe compared to Falco who leans in spinning. Or someone like Bowser Jr. who people say has a bad jab, but he's doing 2% per hit. The Pits don't have really good rapid jabs, but still do double Falco's per hit. What you have is a rapid jab that not only has poor connection probably due to its 1.2 SDI multiplier, but also does low damage per hit and isn't safe because of the position Falco's in compared to everyone else who hits out normally rather than lean in while hitting. If rapid jab was decent or as good as say, Bayonetta, Fox, or Palutena's, then whatever, right? Oh look, you made a mistake and I can't think of something to punish you with, so I'll just jab and tack on some damage to at least do something. Fox can and does that often. Did something stupid and know you didn't react fast enough for an Up Smash punish? Just jab. Fast option, good damage, and kicks them out for you to be in a safe zone. Or characters like Peach and ROB. Theirs don't do anything really well, but the simple thing of get off me, get away, and here's some damage. Falco fails to do that. If it didn't, then it would just be an average C-tier jab. The problem is when it fails to do the most basic of things, knocking people back, that almost all moves do while also failing to do anything else (especially well) to make up for it is when it's a F-tier jab to me. Lucario, Meta Knight, Peach, ROB, and Wario at least can knock people back out even if they don't do a lot of damage or aren't as fast. In the case of Meta Knight whose Ftilt and Dtilt are arguably his jabs, his actual jab can at least do what Captain Falcon, Fox, Little Mac, and Pikachu do at the ledge and that's put out a repeating hitbox. The only problem, of course, is that Meta Knight's is a rapid jab with a finisher and not a repeating jab 1 with almost no recovery compared to his. That being said, I do think Meta Knight could drop down, but to D-tier since it at least does something well.
I would also argue that any more should be "there to be a good move". What they do, of course, is what they're good at and therefore, they're a good move. Ganondorf's jab pre-patch and post-patch isn't an amazing move, but it's still good for being a faster option than Ftilt and Dtilt and hitting hit can allow him to challenge aerial approaches. Or in the case of his Utilt, it's still a good move for punishes, especially after shield breaks. It's not an amazing move, but for what it does, it is a good move. It's when comparing them that we judge them on which is better, but I stand by the idea that all moves should be good at what they do. So, something might not be a S-tier Dtilt, but it's a Dtilt that functions and does whatever it does well. Falco's jab to me, doesn't do anything good. It doesn't link well like almost all jabs and it doesn't work well for mixups mostly because of its average / high recovery and sort of knockback. As a fast move, it's almost like a trade and a poor one. Falco slaps you for 3%, 5% if he goes into jab 2, and if he's lucky maybe 8%-ish percent if he connects rapid jab. The opponent? Captain Falcon and Fox can jab back at him for equal or more damage at low percents since they fall to the ground during his jab, Marth can consistently get Dolphin Slash during Falco's jab for anywhere from 6% to 11%, and Jigglypuff can outright kill him with Rest. Luigi? Each time Falco goes into a jab, Luigi can slap 12% onto him over and over and over with Nair whether he decides to mixup or go for a complete jab combo. D1's comment on Falco's jab is spot on:
https://youtu.be/qdlzF92jZtw?t=108. Luigi or any character for that matter, cannot do this to any other jab. Samus maybe if her spacing is poor -- Samus jabs like a normal percent and pulls back -- or if she goes for jab 2 at low percents.
Falco's jab, as D1 described it, is just fast. That's it. It does have the ability to ledge cancel rapid jab, but that's situational. After that, there's nothing about it that's good. The fact it fails to do the most basic of things that all moves do makes it even worse and the main reason why I feel like it should be F-tier by itself -- literally F-tier for failure as a jab and as a move. It's not a Peach and ZSS fast, reliable jab that doesn't do anything else, but a fast jab that doesn't do the most basic of things expected from a move. For that, average and slower jabs that are reliable like Jigglypuff, Lucario, and Wario are better because they're at reliable and they do the most basic of things all moves do: knock people back. Using Peach, Falco's likely to the the same damage as her complete jab, but be at a disadvantage when rapid jab fails and when mixups are risky and not reliable with its recovery and knockback. Peach gets you out and for almost no risk; 5% on you and 0% on her. Falco is more like 3% to 5% on you and potentially 10% or death on him.
