The Animal Crossing franchise has been built on the personalities and charm of its many villagers. There are currently over 400 villagers in New Horizons, with the majority returning from previous games. All come with their own unique styles, catchphrases and goals.

With the number of villagers to pick from, it's hard to choose which have the best quirks about them. There are five robotic villagers across the Animal Crossing games, and five villagers who are inspired by different food items. Players can meet several iconic characters, such as Isabelle, Tom Nook and Blanca - but who are the most unique villagers you can invite to your island or campsite?

10 Pietro

The Smug Clown Villager

Pietro is a clown-themed sheep who first appeared in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. His uniqueness mainly comes from his appearance, as he is the only villager who has such a colorful circus-inspired design, besides perhaps Marcel, who is likely inspired by mimes. He has a large red nose, and his catchphrase is "honk honk" to go along with it. He dons white face paint with a blue teardrop on one eye, and a pink heart on the other.

The name Pietro is Italian, being a variant of the name Peter. Despite this, his name is likely a play on Piero, which is a word used in Japanese meaning "clown" derived from the character Pierrot from traditional French pantomimes. His houses in New Horizons and New Leaf both appear to be circus-themed and are as colorful as he is.

9 Hans

The Abominable Snowman

Hans is a gorilla villager, but he better resembles a Yeti. He is mostly blue with white/gray hair, which makes him look cold or winter-themed. His house in New Horizons has a snowy theme to it, and in all of his appearances will request items which are related to skiing. This is probably a reference to how the most common "sightings" of yetis have been in the mountains.

He is one of four animals based on mythological creatures, with the others being Julian, Phoebe, and Drago, who resemble a unicorn, phoenix and dragon. Out of these villagers, Hans' inspiration is slightly less obvious, with no clear hint in his name. Some Animal Crossing players mistake him simply for just a white and blue gorilla.

8 Tucker

The Wooly Mammoth

Tucker is a brown elephant villager who is based off of the Wooly Mammoth. His default clothing in New Horizons is the Caveman Tank, which links into his ancient theme. He is the only elephant villager with large tusks, and is the only villager who appears to have been inspired by a prehistoric animal.

Despite Tucker also being a member of the species, mammoth fossils can be found in both New Leaf and New Horizons. This has some slightly unnerving implications for the possible timeline of Animal Crossing. However, this means that he is also the only villager to be of the same species as a fossil.

7 Ruby

The Albino Rabbit With A Love For The Moon

Ruby is a rabbit with a peppy personality who stands out because of her large, red eyes. If it were not obvious by her eyes and white fur, she's the only villager in the Animal Crossing world who is albino. In all of her appearances, her house has been themed around space and the moon - in New Horizons' Happy Home Paradise, her vision for her home will be "a place to ire the moon."

In Japanese, Ruby's name is Luna, which is another nod to her inspiration.

This is likely a reference to the "moon rabbit," a mythological figure based on the markings on the moon looking similar to the shape of a rabbit or hare. The decision to depict her with albinism was likely to tie into this reference, since those with albinism are more vulnerable to the negative effects of sunlight. Ruby's photo in New Horizons depicts her with a night sky background, suggesting she is most at home when underneath the moon.

6 Ione

The Squirrel That Glows In The Dark

Ione is a light blue squirrel villager who is fascinated with stars and constellations. She's a more recent addition to the Animal Crossing franchise, coming to New Horizons and Pocket Camp in October 2021. She has a dark blue tail with small, star-like markings that mimic the night sky.

Aside from her distinctive design, Ione differs from other villagers because she glows in the dark. During the night, Ione's ears and paws will glow, as shown in a video on YouTube by Ninten News Neko. Unlike Lucky or the robotic villagers, there isn't an obvious reason as to why she glows, other than her apparent connection to stars and astrology.

5 Ankha

The Ancient Egyptian Cat

Ankha is an iconic cat villager with an ancient Egyptian-inspired design. Her name is derived from the "Ankh," which was an Egyptian symbol which is also referred to as the "key of life." In Japanese, her name translates to "Nile," which is an obvious reference to the famous Egyptian river. In her various appearances, players can find several items themed around her inspiration inside her houses, such as pyramids and golden caskets.

In other languages, most of Ankha's names are derivative of Cleopatra.

Unlike most villagers, Ankha has more of a fixed expression and is constantly frowning. Ankha was added to Pocket Camp in January 2022 - in this installment, her description details that some believe her to be over three thousand years old. She herself claims to have been a cat in Cleopatra's court, which would line up with her apparent age. Ankha's snooty personality may be a result of the significance cats held in Egyptian society.

4 Stitches

A Living Teddy Bear

Stitches is a cub who resembles a stuffed teddy bear, and is heavily implied to be made out of fabric and stuffing. The mismatched colors of his body and limbs create the impression that he has been stitched together with different textiles. Though his description in Pocket Camp clarifies that "he is NOT a toy," he is often confused as one because of his lazy, laid-back nature and lack of energy. His houses often contain "childish" items - in the Animal Crossing games up to New Leaf, his houses have mainly used items from the "kiddie," "playroom" and "nursery" themes.

Players tend to either love or hate Stitches. Many find him to be creepy due to his crossed-out eyes and harsh color palette, while others have found the stuffed bear to be adorable. Either way, he has one of the most unique concepts, and is the only villager to have an overtly plush-like appearance.

3 Lucky

The Luckiest - Or Perhaps Unluckiest - Villager

Lucky is a black dog villager who resembles a mummy since most of his body is covered in bandages, with only one of his eyes, his ears and tail actually being visible. His one discernible eye is bright yellow and glows, which suggests that he could possibly be of a supernatural nature - though fans can only speculate on this, as despite his appearance and house decor, there is no official material which confirms he is of the undead persuasion. In New Horizons, his eye will glow in the dark, which is not a trait shared by many villagers.

In Animal Forest, players can find two gyroids in Lucky's house. These were figurines that were often buried with the dead, which s the argument that Lucky may actually be dead/undead.

In previous games, his houses contained Egyptian-themed furniture, but he no longer has this in New Horizons. His name could either refer to how "lucky" he is to have survived the injuries he's endured, or could be ironic considering the severity of his wounds. Lucky's injuries were confirmed to have been received on a fishing trip, after he cast his rod too far and slipped on a rock, and players haven't received much more elaboration on his backstory.

2 Cobb

Zombie, Mad Scientist, Or Neither?

Similarly to Lucky, Cobb is a pig villager who many players have theorized to be undead. His green complexion and constant references to Pork or Bacon have led many to believe that he could be a zombie. His signature catchphrase is "hot dog," which is often made out of pork. His English name comes from cobb salad, which is a dish that typically includes bacon.

He could be inspired by Frankenstein, since he also seems to follow the "Mad Scientist" archetype. His house in New Leaf resembles a laboratory, and the interior of his New Horizons house has lots of paper and books scattered across it, as well as a whiteboard where he seems to have been jotting down ideas. As a jock, he has an interest in bodybuilding - but this may be a play on words, and be a reference to the literal building of bodies.

1 Coco

The Suspiciously Gyroid-Like Rabbit

Coco is another villager who fans tend to be divided on - many find her hollow face unnerving, and she will constantly hold the same expression. Her name is likely a play on "Coconut," as the fruits are also hollow and have similar black spots. Despite this, she has a normal personality and will be friendly towards the player and other villagers. Her face closely resembles gyroids, which are a strange geometric species which appear throughout the Animal Crossing series, with an example of one being Lloid.

The gyroids are based off of Haniwa, which were ancient Japanese sculptures that were buried with the dead in funerary rituals. This may be why Coco has such a haunting or "creepy" appearance. Her existence also suggests that there may be more lore to the gyroids than what is presented to the player, as Coco possibly having similar origins to them blurs the lines between them and the animals. With the gyroids being a staple of the Animal Crossing franchise, Coco is one of its most unique villagers.

Source: YouTube/Ninten News Neko