Best villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons ranked

❘ Published: 2024-03-19T16:26:14

Nintendo (via Twitter: @triforcemeg)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons introduces a bunch of new villagers to meet and invite to live on your island. However, as in life itself, there are good and bad neighbors among them. If you’re looking to maintain peace on your land, here are the best villagers in New Horizons.

Animal Crossing has introduced 488 different villagers since the release of its first game back in 2001, and most of them are available in New Horizons, alongside 16 new interesting characters to discover.

Each one of the NPCs available in the game has a name, gender, species, and most importantly a personality. These personalities are divided into 8 categories: Big Sister, Cranky, Jock, Lazy, Normal, Peppy, Smug, and Snooty; and they will determine how they behave and relate around the neighborhood.

To have a peaceful island, you’ll need to find the balance between all of them, but to give you an advantage, here are the ultimate best villagers you can find in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

7. Pietro

Pietro is a very fun, colorful, and loving character to have around your island. This sheep lookalike dressed as a clown was introduced in New Leaf and has a Smug personality.

Despite sometimes being arrogant and self-centered thanks to his performer side, Pietro gets along easily with most villagers as being polite is part of his nature. More so, if the player is female, he will even dare flirt with her sometimes.

This funny fellow loves music and crafting, and his favorite saying is “Be the class clown”.

6. Fauna

Fauna was introduced in New Leaf, but it wasn’t until New Horizons that she gained her well-deserved popularity thanks to her innocent look and good manners.

This tiny deer is very easy to befriend thanks to her Normal personality and how pleasant she is. Despite being shy, she will always act friendly towards the player and will get along with all the villagers.

She dreams of becoming a teacher, that’s why you’ll find her constantly reading books. Her favorite saying is “The first step is always the hardest”.

5. Merengue

Definitely the most sweet-looking character ever created. This pink rhino resembles a dessert thanks to the white coloring on her head and her strawberry-like horn.

Merengue has a Normal personality, which makes her a really neutral and stable neighbor to have around. She’s extremely clean and loves baking, that’s why she might conflict with Lazy villagers from time to time.

She can be found strolling around town, as well as sitting still enjoying nature and fresh air. Her favorite saying is “Life is a piece of cake”.

4. Marshal

Marshal is a fancy squirrel with a Smug personality that debuted in New Leaf. This tiny fellow has an uptight look, but despite this, he enjoys talking to other villagers and can even be flirty with the player regardless of their gender.

Thanks to his gentleman-like type, he’ll get along with nearly all villagers as his endearing personality is a mix of all the other personalities featured in the game.

This polite villager dreams about becoming a designer and loves dancing. His favorite saying is “Seize the day”.

3. Cherry

This lovely red dog debuted in New Leaf (2013) and quickly won the players’ hearts with her Big Sister personality.

She’s a nocturnal neighbor who can be found walking around late at night, but despite her goth-like outfit, she’s one of the most caring, and loveable characters in the whole franchise. Additionally, thanks to her many hobbies, she gets along with almost every villager in town.

Cherry loves music and her favorite saying is “One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him”.

2. Bob

According to the game’s co-creator, Hisashi Nogami, Bob was the first villager created and that’s why his birthday is on January 1st.

This purple cat with a smug look has been part of every Animal Crossing game so far, and his Lazy personality has made him a fan favorite thanks to how simple and laid-back he is. This also resonates with other villagers, as he gets along with everybody except for some Snooty NPCs.

Bob loves walking around flowers and his favorite saying is “You only live once… or nine times”.

1. Shino

Shino was added with the Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0 Free Update, and she quickly became a success. This Peppy deer has a particular look that attracts fans. Her creamy color and kimono make her look sweet and soft, but the tiny fangs as well as the red horns could allude to Baphomet, a well-known goat demon. Plus, her favorite saying is “Better the demon you know than the one you do not”.

Anyhow, Shino is a very upbeat and friendly neighbor who likes to compliment and befriend everybody. You’ll find her reading magazines and daydreaming about being famous. Her catchphrase is “Okaaay”.

So, there you have it – those are the top 7 best villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. For more game content, check out some of our useful guides below: