Animal Crossing New Horizons gave fans many updates and features with its version 2.0 update. Whether you’re most excited to see Brewster the barista, sail with Kapp’n across the ocean, or harvest crops for tasty recipes, there’s plenty to look forward to. Everyone is especially raving about the new set of villagers to have as neighbors in New Horizons.
The Animal Crossing series already has over 400 villagers to choose from, but players can only move in ten. How can you begin to pick from such a huge variety, especially when Nintendo is adding even more into the game? We ranked the sixteen new villagers so you can decide which one will feel right at home on your island.
16 Ace
Fans of the original Animal Crossing game on the GameCube may remember Ace the bird villager. Ace is a jock type villager whose name probably comes from his original outfit being an ace of spades playing card t-shirt.
Ace is a dark blue bird with a white belly and warm rosy cheeks. We wish his design was a bit more unique and inspired, but it certainly is funny to hear such a tiny villager talk about lifting weights and asking you to come to the gym with him.
15 Rio
Rio is a red ostrich villager who originally appeared in the first Animal Crossing game. Her face is adorned with large orange stars on her cheeks, and her tail feathers are multiple colors. Rio originally was a peppy villager, and her name is surely a reference to the city of Rio De Janeiro.
Rio is low on this list simply because her design is just average. Other ostrich villagers, such as Phoebe and Flora, are loved by Animal Crossing fans for their bright, colorful, and fun designs.
14 Zoe
One of several returning villagers from the original Animal Crossing game is Zoe the anteater. Zoe is a normal type anteater. Animal Crossing’s normal type villagers are anything but average: they are sweet and loved by fans for having such warm personalities.
Zoe is a turquoise anteater with white paws and a white-tipped tail. Her eyes are light golden brown, and she has long eyelashes. We wish her design had more flair, but we appreciate the pretty pop of color in her eyes.
13 Frett
Frett is a dog villager previously exclusive to only Japan’s version of the original Animal Crossing game of the early 2000s. Now, any fan can move him in if they’re looking for a cranky dog villager.
Frett has natural colored fur in his color scheme, unlike some of the other dog villagers. He has thick brown eyebrows, light yellow fur, and white paws. He’s ranked lower because his design is still a bit simple. However, his neutral color scheme certainly is fitting for what an actual dog could look like.
12 Faith
New Horizons is a game all about renovating a tropical island to become a personal paradise. Faith is a Koala villager that perfectly fits the vacation theme of New Horizons with her yellow hibiscus flower and bright color scheme. Her original catchphrase from the very first Animal Crossing even was “Aloha!”
Faith’s fur pattern makes her appear as if she got a nice tan sunbathing along the beach. We definitely can see her living right along the beach by the seashells that wash upon the shore.
11 Roswell
Animal Crossing is lacking in alligator villagers, so it’s nice to get something a little different when Nintendo announced the new villager lineup. Roswell is a returning alligator villager from the Animal Crossing Gamecube era. He kept his exact design and name.
Roswell has a neutral color palette, but the swirling patterns all over his body give his design flair. Some Animal Crossing fans love the crazy and colorful patterned villagers while others prefer animals that have a more realistic design. Roswell is a nice balance of the two ideas.
10 Marlo
Marlo is a black and white hamster villager with very expressive, thick eyebrows. They wear a sleek black jacket that matches their tiny black glasses. At first, Marlo may seem like an ordinary hamster villager, but Nintendo often likes to put hidden Easter eggs into the games.
It seems Marlo’s name refers to actor Marlon Brando, who starred in the Godfather movie. If you compare Marlon’s expression to the Godfather movie poster, you will see the similarities. The dramatic look Marlon Brando is portraying matches closely with Marlo’s expression.
9 Azalea
Animal Crossing fans often gravitate towards the pink, pastel, and sweetest villagers. Merengue is one of the most popular villagers of any species. She is a pink rhinoceros with a strawberry themed horn and dresses like a baker. Azalea probably won’t overtake Merengue in popularity, but she’s a nice addition to the adorable and feminine rhinoceros villagers.
Azalea, like Merengue, has a cute design for her horn. Her name Azalea comes from her horn's design. The point of her horn is the center of a white flower with the petals stretching around her snout. If you love Merengue, consider Azalea for your island too.
8 Cephalobot
It’s been a while since Animal Crossing has released any octopus villagers, and they’re the most scarce in the game. Cephalobot will be the fourth octopus villager in New Horizons and only the fifth in the entire Animal Crossing series.
Cephalobot is a robotic octopus villager, and their name is a pun based on the word cephalopod. Animal Crossing already has two robotic villagers with robot puns for names: Ribbot the frog and Sprocket the ostrich. It’s no surprise Nintendo continued this joke in the series and completed a trio of robots in Animal Crossing.
7 Chabwick
Animal Crossing fans can all agree it’s hard to dislike penguin villagers. Their short, chubby designs make them all cute. Chabwick is a round penguin with slanted droopy eyes that give him a lazy and sleepy expression. He appears to be wearing earmuffs, which are very appropriate for a penguin living in cold climates.
Chabwick was present in the initial Japanese release of Animal Crossing, but he used to be named Nobuo. We’re not sure why Nintendo changed the name so drastically, but at least his design remains the same.
6 Quinn
Quinn is a new eagle villager Nintendo added in the latest update. Quinn is a black eagle with purple-tipped wings and a tuft of purple hair on the top of their head. Their default outfit is a black shirt.
Quinn the eagle has a dark aesthetic like many other fan-favorite villagers. They would feel right at home as a neighbor to Lucky the mummy dog or Muffy the elegant black sheep. If your ideal Animal Crossing aesthetic is spooky and goth, Quinn will be a perfect addition.
5 Petri
Petri is already getting attention from the Animal Crossing community. People love Petri’s unique design, two-toned colorful ears, and their very appropriate name that certainly must reference Petri dishes used in science labs.
Petri is dressed in a lab coat and wears large glasses. Their aesthetic is like the pig villager Cobb, who sometimes wears a lab coat and in every Animal Crossing game has a house littered with books or things you’d find in a science class. We can picture Petri working alongside Cobb on the lab experiment set conducting studies.
4 Tiansheng
One villager we believe deserves a little more praise is Tiansheng. Tiansheng is a monkey villager with a fun and bright color palette. They have big round yellow eyes and on top of their head sits a shiny gold crown.
Tiansheng is such a whimsical character because, like several other Animal Crossing villagers, their design is based on folklore or stories. Tiansheng is inspired by the Chinese myth of the Monkey King, who often is described with a crown or face paint similar to Tiansheng’s facial pattern.
3 Sasha
Rabbit villagers are a fan-favorite of the series, so a new rabbit villager will be beloved in the Animal Crossing community. Sasha is a new rabbit villager with pale seafoam green fur and white paws. They have tiny blonde bangs which match their blonde cottontail.
Some could argue Sasha is “too simple” of a character design, but the reason they’re so loved already are some of the little details that are effective. Sasha’s big, blue, sparkly eyes are especially why they look so adorable.
2 Ione
We’re already anticipating the Animal Crossing fan-made trading website Nookazon to be booming with trades for Ione the squirrel based upon their hype in the Animal Crossing community. Everyone will want to visit your island if you have them as your neighbor.
Ione is a blue squirrel with a gradient on their tail blending from periwinkle blue to deep blue. Their yellow eyeshadow resembles crescent moons, and their tail has tiny sparkles that resemble stars. Ione would probably love the meteor showers on your island or talking to Celeste the owl.
1 Shino
The star of the October Animal Crossing centered Nintendo direct was Shino the deer. They were seen walking across a red zen bridge to get to snowy bamboo forests. Shino would be the perfect neighbor for villagers like Kabuki, Croque, or Genji.
Shino wears a pale green yukata that contrasts beautifully with the pops of red on their eyeshadow and their long horns. Not only is their design gorgeous, but fans already love that they have a Halloween birthday. Shino is elegant, cool, and mysterious.