Unlike in the video games, "Captain Falcon" is a title given to a person. Throughout most of the anime Bart Lemming held this title until he died, then it was passed onto Ryu Suzaku (Rick Wheeler) during the last episode. The character of Captain Falcon is generally seen as the reluctant hero. Regardless of whether he is still an active bounty hunter, he is still feared by many criminals, especially in Port Town. Rumor has it that he has retired since the last racing season and has opened a small shop in Mute City. Although he does not appear in every episode, he plays a significant role in the series: his main goal is to stop the efforts of the Dark Million Organization.

(Source: Wikipedia)