The Best Villagers In Animal Crossing Ever, Ranked

In the Animal Crossing series, you are welcomed to a new place that you must cultivate and personalize, transforming your new home into whatever you want. You can also catch bugs and fish to sell or display at the museum and make friends with the local villagers.

Each villager in Animal Crossing is unique, boasting fun, colorful character designs and charming personalities. Befriending your fellow villagers is one of the highlights of the series and will keep you coming back to the game every day. There is no wrong choice when picking your favorite villager, as each one offers something different.

Updated on April 1, 2025 by Casey Foot: With the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, discussions of a new Animal Crossing game are starting to heat up. As such, we thought we’d revisit our ranking of the best villagers in the entire series, in hopes that we might see them soon on the Switch successor.

35

Dobie

Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

Debuting in Doubutsu no Mori+, Dobie was originally a Lazy villager, but his personality was changed to Cranky when he returned in New Leaf Welcome amiibo. The Cranky personality is much more befitting of his character, as his design resembles an older dog.

His design is also unique within the Animal Crossing series, as he’s one of the few villagers who shows signs of aging through his wrinkles. His furniture in Welcome amiibo and New Horizons suggests that he’s an avid writer, as he is surrounded by books and papers.

34

Coco

More Than Meets The Eye

Coco is a consistent face across the Animal Crossing series, having appeared in every game so far. Her design is based on haniwa – clay pottery from the Kofun period of ancient Japan – much like the series’ gyroids. In New Horizons, the developers adjusted Coco’s movement physics compared to the other rabbits to fit her clay design, as her ears don’t bounce when exercising.

Because she has such a striking face, it’s surprising when you talk to her and she has a Normal personality. This is what makes her so interesting, though, as she stands out from the rest of the Normal villagers.

33

Genji

The Tale Of A Jock

A brown and white rabbit with pink cheeks, Genji is a rabbit villager who has appeared in every game in the series so far. His name references the Genji era of Japan and The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, one of the world’s first novels.

Genji’s photo and poster show him holding a pen and paper, perhaps calling back to where his designers got their inspiration. Genji is also a big fan of exercise as a Jock villager and he has the fitness hobby in New Horizons, so if you have him as a villager, you’ll want to get him some exercise equipment.

32

Wolf Link

The Hero Of Twilight

Wolf Link (known as W. Link in the game) is one of the special villagers based on The Legend of Zelda. He is based on Twilight Princess Link, where he is turned into a wolf. His design is almost identical to his Twilight Princess look and you can tell who he is straight away.

His house interior is full of Zelda references too, as he owns the Master Sword, a Hyrulean treasure chest, and the Hylian Shield. It also appears to be harkening back to the scene where Wolf Link meets Midna for the first time, as his room looks like a jail cell, just like the scene in Twilight Princess.

Unfortunately, Wolf Link and the other Zelda villagers only appear in New Leaf – Welcome amiibo and never came to New Horizons.

31

Zucker

Hope Your Villagers Are Vegetarian…

Zucker is a Lazy octopus villager introduced in New Leaf. He is based on takoyaki, a popular Japanese dish typically made with octopus, which is… pretty unfortunate, but it makes for a good theme.

His house interiors in both New Leaf and New Horizons continue the food theme, as the former has conveyor-belt sushi tables, and the latter has food stalls. His design theme is a bit dark when you think about it too much, but he looks so cute it’s easy to overlook it.

30

Chevre

Pen Pal For Life

Chevre is a goat villager with a Normal personality type that has appeared in every game in the series, making her a familiar face to many long-time fans. As a Normal villager, Chevre is sweet and supportive and will welcome you immediately.

In New Horizons, Chevre has a framed photo of another villager, Nan, in her house, which is most likely a reference to a Japanese children’s song about a white goat and a black goat. With such a cute detail, you might want to consider inviting this kindhearted goat to live on your island (and Nan too).

There are eight personality types in Animal Crossing. They are Cranky, Jock, Lazy, Smug, Normal, Peppy, Snooty, and Big Sister (or Uchi).

29

Cookie

How The Cookie Crumbles

This adorable pink dog villager is just as sweet as her name suggests. Cookie is a Peppy villager, meaning she’s easy to befriend and is always willing to have a chat about the latest pop stars.

If you’re going for a pink theme on your island, she’s the perfect villager to invite, as her house is just as vibrant as she is and completely decorated with the pink Cute furniture set. Her name also suggests that her design is taken from pink sugar cookies, so she’d also fit in well with a food or sweet-themed island.

28

Tangy

Very Ap-peeling

This Peppy cat villager is designed after either tangerines or oranges, with orange fur and a leaf on her head. Not only does Tangy look like a tangerine, but she also decorates her home with furniture modeled after fruits as well.

Her appearance is somewhat ironic considering citrus fruits are toxic to cats in real life. Her picture quote in Animal Crossing: Wild World refers to this fact, as she says “They say cats hate citrus. THAT REALLY HURTS MY FEELINGS!” Regardless of this, Tangy has a cheery personality and is always there for you when you need her.

27

Beau

A Dear Sweetheart

As a Lazy villager, Beau is perfect for anyone who wants to relax and have a good time. Introduced in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Beau is classified as a deer, though his horns make him look more like an antelope.

You can tell he loves camping because the interior of his house in New Horizons features a picnic and sleeping bag, and the exterior has a log cabin appearance. Beau’s laid-back lifestyle is perfect for island living, and he will always be around whenever you feel like taking a break from your chores and errands.

26

Chief

A Chief Choice

Appearing in every game in the series, Chief is a Cranky wolf villager who more closely resembles a fox in terms of his appearance. As a Cranky villager, he can be a bit closed off, something that’s mirrored in his catchphrase, “harrumph”.

Although he appears well-dressed, Chief’s house in New Horizons suggests there’s more to this preppy exterior than meets the eye, as his decor resembles a street vendor. Perhaps it’s worth befriending Chief just to find out where he got these goods from and to get a discount on them.

25

Cephalobot

Robot Or Octopus?

Cephalobot is one of the most well-designed octopus villagers in the series, with an eye-catching robotic appearance. His name is also a pun on the word ‘cephalopod’, marine animals encompassing creatures such as octopuses and squids. He may be a Smug villager, but he’s pretty nice once you get to know him.

He joins the likes of other robot villagers such as Sprocket and Ribbot, with a shiny metallic exterior and yellow, glowing eyes. His house in New Horizons pays homage to his robot theme, as it’s decorated to look like the inside of a spaceship.

Octopus villagers are the rarest in Animal Crossing. There are only five in total: Cephalobot, Inkwell, Marina, Octavian, and Zucker.

24

Lobo

What It Says On The Tin

Another Cranky wolf villager, Lobo also has a harsh exterior that you’ll need to pry open to befriend him. Although, once you’ve done so, you’ll be friends for life. Lobo is also something of a celebrity, as he appears on the Lucky KK album cover alongside Lolly, sporting traditional clothing.

Lobo might be the quintessential wolf villager, as his name literally means “wolf” and his catchphrase, “ah-rooooo” sounds just like a wolf’s howl. You’d be remiss to not include him on an island full of wolf villagers.

23

Judy

Don’t Judge Her

Judy is a Snooty villager, which means she’s always down to discuss the latest gossip about her neighbors. Don’t let her sparkling eyes deceive you, because she can be fairly rude to you until she gets to know you more.

Aside from spreading rumors, this cub villager adores music and can often be found singing a tune while walking around town. Her catchphrase, “Myohmy”, and her anime-like eyes make Judy seem innocent, but she’s more mischievous and fun than meets the eye.

22

Roald

Your Best B-B-Buddy

There are plenty of cool penguin villagers you could invite to your town, but few are as charming and endearing as Roald. He is a Jock villager with spirit and charisma to spare, and he always seems to be motivating himself and anyone else around him.

Roald has been around since the very first Animal Crossing and has never missed an opportunity to become your neighbor. Even if you don’t like sports, hearing Roald talk about his latest basketball game or brag about his abs will put a smile on your face because of his infectious energy.

21

Marina

Pretty In Pink

A cute octopus villager, Marina is the only female octopus to appear in the series so far. As a Normal villager, she’s easy to befriend, making her a great choice of companion for your island.

Marina’s design is effortlessly endearing, with yellow cheeks that complement her solid pink coloring. True to her adorable look, Marina’s house in New Horizons is also based around the color pink. Her uniqueness as one of the few octopus villagers in the series makes her stand out from the other characters.

20

Mira

Sailor Mira

Introduced in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Mira is a Sisterly rabbit villager with a superhero-themed design. Her appearance seems to be inspired by Minako Aino (better known as Sailor Venus) in her Sailor V form, a character from the Sailor Moon series.

As a Sisterly villager, Mira is someone that you can form a close bond with and can also call on if you’re ever in trouble, thanks to her identity as a superhero. She’d stand up for you if you ever fell victim to one of Redd’s infamous fake artwork scams.

19

Flora

It’s Boring Being The Same

If you want to fill your town with unique villagers, few stand out like Flora. Introduced in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Flora is classified as being an ostrich, though everything about her appearance makes her look like a pink flamingo. She loves being different, and often reminds people that “pink is the new black”.

Flora is incredibly friendly and as a Peppy villager, she will be keen to become friends with you when you first meet. She dreams of becoming a famous pop star one day, and she loves sharing her goals and new song ideas with you. It’s hard to ever feel bad when Flora is around to lift you back up.

18

Dom

World Dom-ination

Dom is a sheep Jock villager that only cares about hitting the gym and beating his personal record, despite his cute and fluffy appearance. Although he might not look like a Jock villager at first, this makes Dom stand out all the more.

Dom’s cutest design feature is his large, watery black eyes and the adorable face he makes when he’s upset about something – you definitely can’t say no to that, so you might find yourself being recruited for his next 100-mile jog around the island. If you invite Dom to stay, you’re sure to have a gym buddy for life.

17

Raddle

An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Raddle is a Lazy villager who was first introduced as an islander in Animal Forest e+, where he could be brought to your private island by scanning his e-reader card. Thankfully, it’s now less complicated to invite Raddle to live on your island, as he can be found on Mystery Island Tours in New Horizons (if you’ve got enough Nook Miles Tickets to search for him).

Raddle resembles a yellow-banded poison dart frog and wears a doctor’s outfit in New Horizons, complete with a lab coat and surgical mask. His house in New Horizons also resembles a science classroom, with anatomical mannequins and science experiment equipment.

16

Whitney

That’s One Stylish Wolf

Whitney is a beautiful, Snooty wolf that loves to talk about gossip with you, no matter which game you’re playing. However, she isn’t in any of the games before Animal Crossing: Wild World. After that, she’s been a constant. She used to wear a floral knit tee, but her outfit was upgraded in New Horizons to a blue sleeveless shirtdress. After all, she has to continue to be a fashion icon serving up looks, both in fashion and face.

Her catchphrase of “snappy” might make you think you must be quick when talking to her, but she’s a joy to have around in any setting, even if it’s only in Happy Home Designer or Happy Home Paradise. So, if you have an empty plot for her to move into, take the plunge and bring Whitney home.