The long-anticipated Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Switch is finally here! Once again, gamers can be engrossed in a virtual life of joy and wonder, while revisiting old animal friends and meeting new ones. Amongst this vast slew of colorful animal buddies is Coco, an interesting character who tends to stand out with her peculiar traits. As is happens, there is quite a bit more to this strange rabbit villager than meets the eye.
With this list, we'll take a closer look at this ambiguous character and highlight 10 interesting details you likely never knew about her.
Updated May 12th, 2020 by Stephen LaGioia: Since its release in March, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has absolutely taken off, selling millions of units and shining as a standout social game on Switch. This is brought an increase in popularity for many of the series' villagers, including the fan-favorite Coco, who makes a return in this sequel. Thus, we felt it appropriate to update our list with 5 more entries that explore this peculiar villager.
15 Roughing It In New Horizons
Though Coco never sported the most lavish home arrangements, it seems she's downsized even more since her last appearance in Animal Crossing.
Players who happen upon this odd villager will notice her home decorated with basic DIY items and a sandstone-pattern wall. Complimenting this basic caveman decor are furnishings such as a stone table, stone stools, and a hay bed. One could say Coco is a true minimalist, in more ways than one.
14 Has A Major Sweet Tooth
Apparently, Coco likes to compensate for her vacant appearance and lifeless themes by consuming a beverage that keeps her about as active and spritely as can be.
She enjoys drinking Mocha with milk, along with a whopping 2 spoonfuls of sugar. One could make the argument that this fits in with her physical traits which partly resemble a chocolate rabbit.
13 Physics-Defying Ears
Given Coco's other-worldly tendencies, it's perhaps fitting that she's able to defy physics and gravity - at least when it comes to her ears.
In fact, Coco stands as the only rabbit villager whose ears remain completely still. This is compared to other animal villagers with long ears that sway and bounce when walking around. This certainly fits in with her stoic, ethereal nature.
12 Her Stock And Popularity Are At An All-Time High
One particularly elaborate Animal Crossing page can be found at animalcrossingportal.com. In addition to a wealth of information regarding this series, there's also a multi-tiered list that ranks the current popularity and value of villagers.
This gives players a sense of how many Bells they'll ideally be able to make when selling their villager to someone else. As it happens, Coco's recently made a giant leap from the depths of the lower second tier to the top region of tier one. This means she is currently worth a whopping 15-20 million Bells!
Given her popularity and the recent "Bunny Day" event which compliments her, it's not surprising that her stock would rise so fast in May.
11 Is Featured In A Cartoon
Newgrounds.com animator with the tag "Skylegend Animation" has recently created a series of Animal Crossing shorts. This darkly-tinged romp fittingly features Coco, who takes center stage in the second episode.
The short definitely succeeds in capturing the dark, eerie side of this bizarre villager, while decorating the scene with some vibrant visuals and fun storytelling.
The short can be viewed here.
10 Reference To A Significant Era In Japan
Though the appearance and name of this character may seem simple, there's quite a bit of nuance and multiple layers of symbolism behind her. Perhaps the biggest one is her Japanese name, "Yayoi." This is in reference to the historical era in Japan, dating from 300BC to AD300, where "Haniwa" statues were prominent.
So what's the connection, here? Well, these statues were largely the inspiration for the iconic Gyroids in Animal Crossing games. This makes sense as her hollowed, blank expression very much resembles these objects.
9 Her Face Is A Reference To The First Animal Crossing
Speaking of Coco's unique facial features, there's certainly more than meets the eye here, as well. As we've mentioned, this eerily void expression Coco takes on is meant to resemble Gyroids. Yet, it's also a cheeky reference to the very first Animal Crossing title on the GameCube.
One strange action that would initiate in the game was a unique facial feature that triggered after a player reset their game without saving with the Gyroid. This would also occur if a player failed to save their game white visiting another player's village.
While it appears to be a bizarre glitch, this was apparently an intentional move, serving as a sort of odd punishment to the player for not properly using the game's save function.
8 Eerie Death Symbolism
You may have noticed something of a grim, even morbid vibe to Coco, on account of her vacant face and unsettling music in her home. In fact, the eeriness of this tune is no accident, but rather, one among many references to her death motif. It's called "K. K. Dirge," which is a reference to a traditional western funeral march song.
Additionally, going back to the Gyroid symbolism, these are actually a reference to Japanese funeral rituals. During the Yayoi Period, Haniwa sculptures were crafted with terracotta clay and were used for burial with the dead as funerary objects. These would essentially serve as both gravelike structures and representations of the dead with their blank looks and separate protruding parts.
7 Is Afraid of Mummies
Many of the Animal Crossing villagers come with their own brief descriptors, many of which seem standard enough. Yet, Coco holds some pretty interesting and unique traits, as you might imagine from her strange appearance. Not only is her life goal to be an Astronaut, but she's also specifically frightened of mummies.
Again, this certainly ties into her death symbolism. Yet, it's somewhat ironic as well, given she's partly a representation of the living dead or a ghostly apparition herself.
6 A Strange Writing Skill
Staying on the topic of Coco's distinct characteristics, another one comes in the form of a rare talent in Animal Crossing. This villager, in fact, has the ability to write backwards. This may also be emblematic of her morbid traits, as its symbolism of a mirror image or reversal definitely relates to the nature of death. It definitely fits her unorthodox, unsettling tendencies.
Interestingly enough, though, the snooty cat in Animal Crossing known as Purrl also shares this unique quality.
5 A Reference To Fruit - And Something Darker
Strangely enough, the English, French, and German names of Coco/Koko all refer to the coconut, injecting more meaning into her deceptively simple name. Why the seemingly random reference to a tropical fruit, though?
Well, the "coconut" name itself is yet another reference to death, again lining up with the death themes of this villager. According to Hispanic folklore, the Coco is a shape-shifting death-dealer. The fruit was branded and associated with this morbid name because of a mythical monster referred to by Portuguese explorers. To them, the fruit's appearance resembled a sort of monstrous skull, hence the name "coconut."
4 May Be A Reference To Chocolate Bunnies
Yes, as it happens, there are seemingly even more references with regards to Coco's name.
Given that this villager is a rabbit with beige skin and long ears, it's likely that she's also meant to resemble - or is at least partly inspired by - chocolate bunnies. This would certainly make sense, given the name's obvious reference to this delectable sweet.
Her unchanging, expressionless face - which is in fact, the only villager to have this stagnant feature - would also line up with the chocolate bunny comparison.
3 A "Normal" Personality That's Easy To Upset, But Also Befriend
Part of Animal Crossing's charm is its unique dynamic of different personalities acting and responding to one another. In the case of Coco, she comes with a "normal" personality, despite her very abnormal appearance.
"Normal" types are female characters in Animal Crossing who are typically kind to the player, and in the case of Coco, easier to befriend than most other NPCs. They're obsessed with cleanliness and hygiene, and are actually self-depreciative to a degree. Still, they can also be easy to upset. While they get along with most, they clash with cranky villagers - but hey, wouldn't you? Coco is one of a total of 71 normal villagers, who are the most common female personality.
2 Her Unshakable Spirit And Giving Nature
Being the generally warm "normal" type that she is, Coco typically has a kind demeanor and an unshakable spirit to her. This is emphasized in her exchanges with other villagers, but also the players themselves.
You may find that even after saying something that seems to upset Coco, she'll still "bounce back" as it were and even offer you a present. She may have an eerie way about her, but she's certainly easy to get along with and makes for an ideal neighbor, assuming you can get over her creepy expression and home music.
1 The Meaning Behind Her Home Decor
As you may have noticed upon visiting her interesting home, Coco's somewhat unsettling aura extends to the decor and furnishings of her house as well.
Though there are slight variations in each game, she generally has a smattering of Gyroids and ceramic urns. This is taken one step further in New Leaf, in which she also has a couple of exotic screens and oddly-placed fire pits. This seems to be no accident, and very likely resembling Japanese funerals. During these rituals, these screens were used to pray behind, urns were used to store ashes, and bonfires were used to cremate bodies.