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10 Underrated Animal Crossing Villagers You Need to Meet

2025-11-22 16:00
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10 Underrated Animal Crossing Villagers You Need to Meet

Discover 10 amazing Animal Crossing villagers that deserve more attention. From adorable ducks to stylish dalmatians.

10 Best Animal Crossing Villagers That Nobody Talks About Animal Crossing character stung by wasps Animal Crossing character stung by wasps 4 By  Carrie Lambertsen Published 20 minutes ago Carrie is a Senior Writer at ScreenRant who previously managed Geek to Geek Media and wrote for SwitchRPG. She is particularly knowledgeable when it comes to WoW, Diablo, and cozy games. She has a passion for supporting the indies and always enjoys sharing her passions with others through her writing. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

There have been over 480 villagers in the Animal Crossing series, with many having come and gone throughout the franchise's history. Designed as a game where you often interact with and form friendships with these characters, anyone who's ever played an Animal Crossing game has their favorites. These virtual friends can tug at our heartstrings to the point where we will spend hours seeking them out on islands in ACNH or even purchasing Amiibo cards just to ensure we can get them. But with so many possibilities, many adorable little villagers can fall through the cracks.

Of course, some special villagers are only available as part of distinctive collaborations between Animal Crossing and other franchises. These include special characters themed to Zelda, Splatoon, Hello Kitty, and more. Despite being amazing in their own right, this list sticks to some of the incredible villager options that are included as part of the main game, because there are already so many that it's hard to narrow it down to ten.

Derwin Is The Adorably Relatable Little Friend

Male, Lazy Personality, Duck

Derwin and a player character in Animal Crossing New Horizons Derwin and a player character in Animal Crossing New Horizons

Derwin may not be the most fashionable or intelligent, but this sweet little guy has a heart of gold. He's been here since the original Animal Crossing game with the same yellow and white striped shirt. With a lazy personality, he is relaxed and loves his snacks, and can be seen running around the island with his arms stretched out, pretending to fly.

He feels like a sweet, nerdy kid who just needs a friend, and I love him all the more for it. Plus, how can you not like having a villager who says "derrrr" as his catchphrase?

Rod Is A Tough Pirate With Some Perfect Catchphrase Opportunities

Male, Jock Personality, Mouse

Rod the pirate mouse in Animal Crossing New Horizons Rod the pirate mouse in Animal Crossing New Horizons

It seems like the mouse villagers often get overlooked, despite being a very cute design with those giant ears. Rod blends the adorable little mouse look with his tough jock personality, always talking about how strong he is and working hard on his "huge abs".

His outfit, particularly his blue-and-white striped bandana, gives him the look of a pirate. This makes changing his catchphrase in ACNH even more fun with all the pirate-themed phrases you can give him.

Nana Is A Positive Pink Monkey

Female, Normal Personality, Monkey

Nana the monkey in Animal Crossing New Horizons Nana the monkey in Animal Crossing New Horizons

Nana may not look like anything special, although her bubblegum pink fur is pretty cute. She is a wonderful villager to have around, though, with a positive outlook on life and a friendly attitude towards everyone. She is extremely relatable to many of us, with a little anxiety about whether her home is clean enough when people are visiting.

This cleanliness concern she has did get a little over-the-top in her debut game, Animal Crossing: Wild World, where she had an imaginary friend named Moppina who was a reflection of her cleaning worries.

Filbert's House Is Out Of This World

Male, Lazy Personality, Squirrel

animal crossing filbert animal crossing filbert

I absolutely love little Filbert. Squirrels in Animal Crossing are nearly all pretty cute, but Filbert's pink cheeks and sweet attitude make him one of the best. With the lazy personality, he acts more like a cheerful child, loving bugs and seeming a bit naive in general.

Filbert is another one who has been around since the first Animal Crossing, and has always had a space-themed interior to his house. In ACNH, his house looks so fun and whimsical with the Crescent-moon Chair and stars decorating his blue home.

Savannah, Because Where Else Can You Be Friends With A Zebra?

Female, Normal Personality, Horse

Savannah in The Roost with Brewster in Animal Crossing New Horizons Savannah in The Roost with Brewster in Animal Crossing New Horizons

Savannah is a Horse villager, but her coloration makes her unique by changing her design to a zebra. She looks so cute, and has the music hobby which leads her to sing anywhere she wants, adding a touch of song to your game. Her favorite saying, "Keep your chin up!" is charming and uplifting, and can add so much joy to an island in ACNH.

Savannah has been in the series since the first Animal Crossing game, and has always been shy and caring. This sweet zebra has been known to compliment you on your speed in helping her with favors, even if you take all day to do it.

Ketchup's Unique Design Lands Perfectly

Female, Peppy Personality, Duck

Animal Crossing New Horizons Tomato festival tee on Ketchup. Animal Crossing New Horizons Tomato festival tee on Ketchup.

There are a lot of quirky character designs in the Animal Crossing series, like Chadder the cheese mouse and Stitches the stuffed bear. Most of these can end up coming across a bit on the creepy, or at least strange, side, but Ketchup shows that it can be done well.

This peppy little red duck may look like a tomato, but it's done so well that it isn't garish. The tomato leaf just looks like hair, and her coloring is so sweetly done that it works. Ketchup first showed up in Doubutsu no Mori e+, and then was in New Leaf - Welcome Amiibo before joining the full roster of villagers in New Horizons.

Punchy Could Be The Most Cat-Like Cat Villager

Male, Lazy Personality, Cat

animal crossing's punchy cat sitting in a cat bed on the floor animal crossing's punchy cat sitting in a cat bed on the floor

As far as the lazy personality villagers go, Punchy somehow seems a bit more mature than most. Almost like he is more intelligent than he's letting on, but chooses to live life on the lazier side, kind of like a real cat. He also has a more realistic color pattern than many Animal Crossing villagers, which adds to his being very cat-like. In fact, Punchy's default catchphrase is "mrmpht", which is a sound I'm pretty sure I've heard my cat make.

Ultimately, if you want to have a realistic cat in your game, Punchy is the way to go.

Drift Has A Fantastic Look To Him

Male, Jock Personality, Frog

Drift at Brewsters The Roost in Animal Crossing New Horizons Drift at Brewsters The Roost in Animal Crossing New Horizons

Frogs in the real world can have so many different types of beautiful color patterns to them, that I'm glad they added some in Animal Crossing too. Based somewhat on the reticulated poison frog, Drift has vibrant reds and yellows in his appearance.

Having these bright colors adds to his jock personality, looking more like some type of sports car (fitting for his name) or a colorful sports team jersey than a character. Really, with that color pattern, any other personality type simply wouldn't have fit.

Interestingly, in the original Animal Crossing game, Drift was one of the villagers with allergies. In Drift's case, he was allergic to apples and would get upset if players tried to gift them to him.

Iggly's Bulging Muscles Are There Somewhere

Male, Jock Personality, Penguin

Iggly in Animal Crossing Iggly in Animal Crossing

I love that cute and chonky little Iggly was given the jock personality. This penguin villager first appeared in City Folk and has a default catchphrase of "waddler" that references the waddle that penguins do when they walk.

What makes Iggly the best is the combination of his look along with his personality. Hearing this spherical villager talking about his abs and bulging muscles is just awesome and brings a smile to my face every time I talk to him.

Portia The Dalmatian Is A Fashion Icon

Female, Snooty Personality, Dog

Portia at Brewsters The Roost in Animal Crossing New Horizons Portia at Brewsters The Roost in Animal Crossing New Horizons

Snooty villagers often aren't my favorite, as I prefer having the more positive and upbeat personalities to surround myself with. However, Portia is an exception. She has a classy, chic look to her and may be heard criticizing other villagers for their clothing. According to her e-reader card, she is said to be snooty because she wants to have a little brother to boss around.

As you might expect, her home is classic and regal with a touch of elegance to her surroundings and classical music on the stereo. This fashionista dalmatian has been in all games in the Animal Crossing series, and is the only dog with the snooty personality.

animal crossing new horizons animal-crossing-new-horizons.jpg 10 9.1/10 ScreenRant logo 9/10

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Simulation Placeholder Image OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 90/100 Critics Rec: 99% Released March 20, 2020 ESRB E for Everyone: Comic Mischief Developer(s) Nintendo EPD Publisher(s) Nintendo Engine Havok community-stretch-with-various-villagers-1.jpg 10 Images community-stretch-with-various-villagers-1.jpganimal-crossing-new-horizons-island-lost-divorce.jpgAnimal Crossing New Horizons character resting on a beach towelAnimal Crossing New Horizons character resting on a beach towelgardening-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons-1.pngPlanting a tree in Animal Crossing New Horizons.animal-crossing-new-horizons-starter-house-cropped.jpgscreenshot-1137.jpganimal crossing new horizons bridge partyTalking to Tom Nook in his tent in the plaza at the start of Animal Crossing New HorizonsTalking to Tom Nook in his tent in the plaza at the start of Animal Crossing New Horizonsnew-horizons-isabelle.jpgA player character sitting at the bank of the river in Animal Crossing New HorizonsA player character sitting at the bank of the river in Animal Crossing New Horizonsezgif-com-webp-to-jpg-4.jpgClose

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