Ace

"Ace" is the designation given to certain enemy aircraft in the Ace Combat series. Featured in nearly all titles since Ace Combat 2 (except Ace Combat Advance), they have become somewhat of a staple for the series. Aces are named such for their target designation, which features their callsign below their aircraft's name (i.e. F-15E "Oryol".) As well, they are often characterized for their use of special paint schemes, which in most cases can be unlocked for player use by destroying them. Furthermore, they also stand out for their often superior flight capabilities, which allow them to easily evade missile fire.

In the Ace Combat series

Ace Combat 2

Main article: Ace Combat 2/Aces

Ace Combat 2 was the game that introduced the aces concept. In total, there are 11 aces to destroy, which vary between individual pilots and squadrons. Included in this listing is the Z.O.E. Squadron, a formation of five unique aircraft present only in certain missions. During a campaign playthrough, each Z.O.E. aircraft must be destroyed in order to force the next one to spawn (i.e. if the Captain is killed in Sledgehammer, the Colonel will spawn in Power Play), eventually culminating with the ADF-01 Z.O.E. Commander in mission #21.

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies

Main article: Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies/Aces

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies contains a total of eighteen aces across the game's 18 missions, including an unknown ace alluded to with the F-4E Phantom II's special paint scheme named "Biela". Fitting in with the game's asteroid collision-themed backstory, all aces, excluding the new Yellow Squadron, are named after ancient astronomers; for example, Biela is named after German Baron Wilhelm von Biela, while Mrkos is named after Antonín Mrkos of Czechoslovakia.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

Main article: Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War/Aces

Following in the footsteps of Shattered Skies, Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War contains a total of 16 ace pilots, spread through the game's 32 missions. The game is notable for introducing the trend of featuring paint schemes from previous games, in this case featuring a special Su-37 ace named "Yellow" in mission #27, alluding to the Yellow Squadron from AC04, while also featuring references to anime. It also marked the introduction of "Zipang", an F-14D ace famous for their purple, Japanese sakura-themed design.

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War

Main article: Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War/Aces

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War features the highest number of ace pilots at 169, warranting its own section in the "Assault Records" menu. Each of the game's aces appears under certain circumstances, such as difficulty levels and missions, excluding those with a scripted appearance, such as the plot-related ace squadrons, Wolfgang Buchner in mission #10, and former wingman Larry Foulke, who becomes the game's final boss in mission #18.

Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception

Main article: Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception/Aces

Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception features over thirty ace enemies, including the new Alect Squadron. As well, the game introduces the concept of "star units", special enemy targets referred to as such due to their star-shaped radar signature, which unlock new aircraft customization parts upon destruction.

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation

Main article: List of aces in Ace Combat 6

Similar to Ace Combat 04, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation features fifteen ace pilots across its 15 missions, the most notable of which is Lorenz Riedel, one of the members of the Gault Squadron towards the end of the Belkan War and one of the series' few cross-game characters.

Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion

Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion introduces the Chimera Squadron as the only ace unit in the game.

Ace Combat: Joint Assault

Main article: Ace Combat: Joint Assault/Aces

Introduced in this game is the Varcolac Squadron.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon has a different take on the "ace" concept. The main campaign features no enemy aces whatsoever, outside Andrei Markov (and, to some extent, Sergei Illich), the central antagonist. In Co-Op Mode, several new aces are introduced.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy

Main article: Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy/Aces

As a remake of Ace Combat 2, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy features similar aces to the original game. Many of the aces, however, have different planes, and some have different names. In addition, the Z.O.E. aircraft play a role in the story and hence appear as TGT, making their destruction mandatory. Similar to Ace Combat X, shooting down these aces unlocks new parts for aircraft customization.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Main article: Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown/Aces

Aces will only appear when replaying campaign missions on Normal or higher difficulty, in either campaign mode or Free Mission mode. They have same durabilty as other enemies but they will be more skilled, which in turn takes longer to shoot down. Some Aces will directly attack the player, while others will attempt to retreat at high speed or hold position at a certain point on the map, depending on the mission.

Enemy units marked as TGT usually must be destroyed to advance the mission. The TGT text is always in red, except if the player changes this in Ace Combat 7.