| Animal Crossing series | |
| Caption: | Several major recurring characters in the Animal Crossing series. From left: Blathers, K.K. Slider, Tom Nook, Timmy & Tommy, Isabelle, and Mabel. |
| First: | Animal Crossing (2001) |
| Last: | (2020) |
| Creator: | Nintendo EAD |
| Designer: | Katsuya Eguchi |
The life simulation video game series Animal Crossing, created by Katsuya Eguchi[1] and first released in 2001 by Nintendo, features an assortment of recurring characters. Titles in the series follow the player character as they live in a village populated by anthropomorphic animals, with gameplay that proceeds in a nonlinear fashion and in-game events that occur in real-time. As of , the most recent release in the series, there are over 400 animal characters that can potentially populate a player's village. In addition to these villager characters, Animal Crossing features characters that appear in the villages of all players; these characters typically serve a particular gameplay function, or appear at a specific in-game event.
was released for the Nintendo 64 in 2001 exclusively in Japan. An enhanced remake of the game for GameCube was released as Animal Forest+ in Japan, and as Animal Crossing worldwide. The games introduce many of the series' core recurring characters, notably businessman Tom Nook, traveling musician K.K. Slider, and Mr. Resetti, who lectures the player if they reset the game.[2]
| Character | Original Name | Species | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfonso | Alligator | A lazy villager. Also appears in the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. | |
| Ankha | Cat | A snooty villager. Appeared first in the GameCube game. Famous for an animated pornography video called Ankha by Ankha, colloquially known as Ankha Zone, which depicts Ankha having penetrative sex with the player character, set to the 1985 song "Camel by Camel" by Croatian singer Sandy Marton.[3] [4] | |
| Apollo | Eagle | A cranky villager. Also appears in the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. | |
| Blanca | Cat | A faceless cat who asks the player to draw their (his in Japan, her elsewhere) face. Hosts April Fool's Day in New Leaf. | |
| Blathers | Owl | A museum curator, paleontologist, and the brother of Celeste. | |
| Booker | Dog (Bulldog) | He works as a police officer in Animal Crossing and New Leaf and as a gatekeeper in Wild World and City Folk. | |
| Bunnie | Rabbit | A peppy villager. | |
| Cesar | Gorilla | A cranky villager. Also appears in the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. | |
| Chip | Beaver | Hosts the Fishing Tourney in all series titles except New Horizons. Father to C.J.. | |
| Copper | Dog (Akita) | Works as a police officer in Animal Crossing and New Leaf and as a gatekeeper in Wild World and City Folk. | |
| Cyrano | Anteater | A cranky villager. Also appears in the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. | |
| Don Resetti | Mole | Lectures the player if they reset their game. Brother to Mr. Resetti. | |
| Farley | Gnome | A spirit who lives inside the town fountain. | |
| Franklin | Turkey | Hosts the Harvest Festival. | |
| Gracie | Giraffe | A fashion designer. | |
| Gulliver | Seagull | Appears as a marooned sailor in Animal Crossing, New Leaf, and New Horizons; and a stranded astronaut in Wild World and City Folk. In New Horizons, he also appears as a marooned pirate called Gullivarrr.[5] | |
| Hopper | Penguin | A cranky villager. Also appears in the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. | |
| Jack | A pumpkin-headed character who hosts Halloween. | ||
| Jingle | Reindeer | Hosts Toy Day. | |
| Joan | Wild boar | A vendor who sells turnips on the "stalk market". | |
| K.K. Slider | Dog (Jack Russell) | A traveling musician and DJ. | |
| Kapp'n | Turtle | He has alternately worked as a row boat operator, a taxicab driver, and a bus driver. Husband to Leilani, father to Leila, and son of Grams. | |
| Katrina | Panther | A fortune teller. | |
| Mabel | Hedgehog | Co-owner of the Able Sisters tailor shop. Sister to Sable and Label. | |
| Margie | Elephant | A normal villager. Also appears in the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. | |
| Pelly | Pelican | Works the day shift at the post office in Animal Crossing and New Leaf and at the town hall in Wild World and City Folk. Sister to Phyllis. | |
| Pete | Pelican | A mail carrier. | |
| Phyllis | Pelican | Works the night shift at the post office in Animal Crossing and New Leaf, and at the town hall in Wild World and City Folk. Sister to Pelly. | |
| Porter | Monkey | A porter at the train station. | |
| Redd | Fox | Operates a black market goods store. Also known as Crazy Redd. | |
| Mole | Lectures the player if they reset their game. Brother to Don Resetti. | ||
| Rosie | Cat | A peppy villager. Also appears in the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. | |
| Rover | Cat | A cat who assists the player in setting up the game. | |
| Sable | Hedgehog | Co-owner of the Able Sisters tailor shop. Sister to Mabel and Label. | |
| Saharah | Camel | A traveling rug and carpet vendor. | |
| Savannah | Zebra | A normal villager, who is actually a horse villager. | |
| Timmy & Tommy | Raccoon | Twin apprentices and nephews to Tom Nook. | |
| Tom Nook | Raccoon | A businessman who manages the town shop and the player's home loan. | |
| Tortimer | Tortoise | The mayor of the town. He later retires to live on a tropical island in New Leaf. | |
| Villager | Human | The player character, whose name, gender, appearance and house are customizable. In New Leaf, the first player to create a save file on each copy takes on the role of the town's mayor. | |
| Wendell | Walrus | A traveling artist. | |
| Wisp | Ghost | A spirit who provides the player with rare items. | |
was released on the Nintendo DS in 2005.[6]
| Character | Original Name | Species | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewster | Pigeon | Operates The Roost, a coffee shop. | |
| Celeste | Owl | Works at the museum observatory. Sister to Blathers. | |
| Champ | Monkey | A jock villager. Also appears in the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. | |
| Dr. Shrunk | Axolotl | Teaches the player emotes, also known as "Reactions". | |
| Harriet | Dog (Poodle) | Operates a beauty salon called Shampoodle. | |
| Kaitlin | Cat | Mother to Katie. | |
| Katie | Cat | A kitten who asks the player to reunite her with her mother Kaitlin. | |
| Lyle | Otter | A businessman who alternately works as an insurance salesman and for the Happy Home Academy. | |
| Pascal | Otter | A traveling philosopher. | |
| Whitney | Wolf | A snooty villager. Also appears in the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. | |
was released on the Wii in 2008.[7]
| Character | Original Name | Species | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frillard | Frilled lizard | Teaches the player emotes. | |
| Kicks | Skunk | A shoeshiner and shoe salesman. | |
| Label | Hedgehog | A fashion designer. Sister to Mabel and Sable. Also known as Labelle. | |
| Lloid | Haniwa | Operates the auction house in City Folk, and works as a construction worker in New Leaf and New Horizons. | |
| Nat | Chameleon | Hosts the Bug-Off in City Folk and New Leaf. | |
| Pavé | Peacock | Hosts Festivale. | |
| Phineas | Sea lion | Rewards the player with gifts and merit badges. | |
| Serena | Dog (Chihuahua) | A goddess who lives inside the city fountain. | |
| Zipper T. Bunny | Bunny | Hosts Bunny Day. | |
was released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2012.[8] The game introduces Isabelle, a secretary at the town hall who has been described as a "fan-favorite" and a mascot of the Animal Crossing series.[9] [10] [11] Additional content and characters were added to the game in Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome Amiibo, a free update for the game released in late 2016.[12]
| Character | Original Name | Species | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrus | Alpaca | Works at Re-Tail, a refurbishment shop. Husband to Reese. | ||
| Digby | Dog (Shih Tzu) | Works at the Happy Home Showcase. Twin brother to Isabelle. | ||
| Grams | Turtle | Mother to Kapp'n, mother-in-law to Leilani, and grandmother to Leila. | ||
| Harvey | Dog (Spaniel) | A hippie who operates the campground in New Leaf and Photopia in New Horizons. | ||
| Isabelle | Dog (Shih Tzu) | A secretary and assistant to the player. Twin sister to Digby. | ||
| Leif | Sloth | Operates the gardening store. | ||
| Leila | Turtle | Daughter to Kapp'n and Leilani, and granddaughter to Grams. | ||
| Leilani | Turtle | Wife to Kapp'n, mother to Leilani, and daughter-in-law to Grams. | ||
| Luna | Tapir | Operates the Dream Suite. | ||
| Reese | Alpaca | Works at Re-Tail. Wife to Cyrus. |
was released on the Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020. Certain characters introduced in previous Animal Crossing titles were not present in the game at launch, but have been added through free downloadable content (DLC) updates.[13] Other characters were added in Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise, a paid DLC update slated for release on November 5, 2021.[14]
| Character | Original Name | Species | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audie | Wolf | A peppy villager. Supposedly named after an elderly woman who played New Leaf for over 3500 hours.[15] [16] | ||
| C.J. | Beaver | Hosts the Fishing Tourney. Son of Chip and roommate and business partner to Flick.[17] | ||
| Daisy Mae | Wild boar | A turnip vendor and granddaughter of Joan. | ||
| Flick | Chameleon | Hosts the Bug-Off. Roommate and business partner to C.J. | ||
| Niko | Monkey | A worker at Paradise Planning. Appears in Happy Home Paradise. | ||
| Orville | Dodo | A receptionist for Dodo Airlines. Brother of Wilbur. | ||
| Raymond | Cat | A smug villager. The first Animal Crossing villager to have heterochromia. Noted by outlets as being especially popular in the game's trading and exchange economy.[18] [19] [20] | ||
| Wardell | Manatee | A worker at Paradise Planning. Appears in Happy Home Paradise. | ||
| Wilbur | Dodo | An Aircraft pilot for Dodo Airlines. Brother of Orville. |
Several spin-off Animal Crossing series titles have been produced, which feature their own original characters.
| Character | Original Name | Species | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ai | あい | Human | A female human villager. Protagonist of the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. |
| Beppe | Works at OK Motors. Introduced in . | ||
| Carlo | Blackbird | Works at OK Motors. Introduced in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. | |
| Giovanni | Blackbird | Works at OK Motors. Introduced in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. | |
| Lottie | Otter | Works at Nook's Homes. Niece to Lyle. Introduced in . | |
| Yū | ゆう | Human | A male human villager. Appears in the 2006 film Dōbutsu no Mori. |
| Character | Forest | Crossing | Wild World | City Folk | New Leaf | New Horizons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blanca | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Blathers | |||||||
| Booker | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Brewster | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| C.J. | |||||||
| Celeste | |||||||
| Chip | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Copper | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Cyrus | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Daisy Mae | |||||||
| Digby | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Don Resetti | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Dr. Shrunk | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Farley | |||||||
| Flick | |||||||
| Franklin | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Frillard | |||||||
| Gracie | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Grams | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Gulliver | |||||||
| Harriet | data-sort-value="Y" | ||||||
| Harvey | data-sort-value="Y" | ||||||
| Isabelle | |||||||
| Jack | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Jingle | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Joan | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| K.K. Slider | |||||||
| Kaitlin | |||||||
| Kapp'n | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | data-sort-value="Y" | |||||
| Katie | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Katrina | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | |||||
| Kicks | |||||||
| Label | |||||||
| Leif | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Leila | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Leilani | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Lloid | |||||||
| Lottie | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Luna | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Lyle | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Mabel | |||||||
| Nat | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Niko | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Orville | |||||||
| Pascal | data-sort-value="Y" | ||||||
| Pavé | data-sort-value="Y" | ||||||
| Pelly | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Pete | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Phineas | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Phyllis | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Porter | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Redd | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Reese | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Rover | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Sable | |||||||
| Saharah | |||||||
| Serena | |||||||
| Timmy & Tommy | |||||||
| Tortimer | data-sort-value="Y" | ||||||
| Villager | |||||||
| Wardell | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Wendell | data-sort-value="Y (DLC)" | ||||||
| Wilbur | |||||||
| Wisp | data-sort-value="Y" | ||||||
| Zipper T. Bunny | data-sort-value="Y" |