Since the original Animal Crossing, the Able Sisters have been more than just porcupines who let you display your custom designs. They have provided more story-telling than any other set of characters in the history of the franchise. A lot of this is thanks to the eldest of the bunch, Sable, as she sits by her sewing machine and chats about her life with the player.
But, even after five games of getting to know Sable, Mabel, and Label, there is still plenty to think and wonder about when it comes to these three siblings who've been through a lot together. Here are 10 questions about the Able Sisters about their past, present, and future that remain unanswered.
10 How Did Their Parents Die?
This is a heavy question to start, but it is the major moment of the Able Sisters' lives that shaped all of them for who they are today. When first getting to know Sable better, the player is told that Sable spent most of her life raising Mabel, as both their mother and father passed away when Mabel was very young. What could have led to the sisters losing their parents at such a young age, forcing Sable into growing up quickly and taking care of Mabel by herself?
9 How Much Older Is Sable Than Her Sisters?
Knowing that Sable had to raise Mabel after their parents' death, it's hard not to wonder how old she was when she first took on the maternal role for Mabel. Did she have to deal with this when she was only just a teenager? Was she at least close to or already an adult when tragedy struck? It's worth noting that Label was old enough to move out on her own, so is it possible that there's a 20 to 25-year gap between Mabel and Sable?
8 What Is Mabel's Understanding Of The Past?
Despite being the peppier of the two, Mabel is far less talkative than Sable when it comes to her personal life. She hasn't delved far into what it was like growing up with Sable raising her, but her oldest sister does state in conversation that Mabel was far too young to remember what happened to their parents, nor what led to Label's initial departure.
This may mean that any knowledge Mabel has about the early days come second-hand from Sable. It would be interesting to know what growing up without truly getting to know her parents meant to Mabel and how it has affected her life.
7 Why Did Label Leave Her Family Behind?
Label had always wanted to become a big-time fashion designer, but, when her parents died, Sable seemed to put an emphasis on wanting the family to stick together.
While it hasn't been fully confirmed, it could be assumed that the fight Label had with Sable was about her wanting to leave home to pursue her dreams and Sable not allowing her. With that said, cutting ties from her family was a major and harsh decision made by Label that she seemed to feel bad about years later.
6 What Made Label Suddenly Want To Return?
In what many Animal Crossing fans refer to as "The Episode" in Animal Crossing: City Folk, it was revealed that Label had begun sending letters to Mabel with gifts of money in it. Mabel began to wish that her two sisters would somehow reconcile after years have seemingly past.
In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the sisters are reunited and working together at Ables Sisters. With that in mind, it is still unclear what happened that made Label want to return to her old life and give up her job at GracieGrace.
5 Does Mabel Have Similar Aspirations As Label?
In Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, Sable brings up the idea that Mabel could potentially want to pursue something beyond the Able Sisters tailor shop. "I never told anyone, but I always worried that Mabel would run off like Labelle and start her own shop," Sable said. "She's so talented, but I think she believes she needs me to help her out with things. The truth is, I need her more than she needs me. I'm just happy she stayed around." While it doesn't seem likely that Mabel will leave her sister, does she also want to become a major fashion designer like Label?
4 What Is The Relationship Today Between Sable and Tom Nook?
Sable once told a story in Animal Crossing: Wild World about how she grew up with Tom Nook. They would climb to the top of the observatory in their town and gaze up at the stars. She even wished on a star to "keep Tom Nook's pure spirit protected" after he moved away to the city, and they became pen pals. She even received a gift of scissors from him, which she kept even when they got dull. So, what is their relationship now that they are working in the same town? To this day, the two characters have not interacted in-game.
3 Does Sable Still Have Issues With The City?
As mentioned above, Sable talked about how she wished that Tom Nook's spirit will remain pure even after heading into the city, which she viewed as a harsh and uncaring environment. This was a theme in Wild World, as another incident that took place when she was weirded out by a panicked Blathers, whose backstory includes living out in the city.
After she learns, though, that Blathers was just running away from a bug and came into the Able Sisters shop to buy his sister a gift, her attitude began to change about people who live in the city. But, does she still hold animosity towards the city life? And did that have something to do with Label leaving them for the city?
2 What Does The Future Look Like For Label?
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Label has left the Able Sisters shop again, but this time is still on good terms with her sisters. In fact, they work together to provide coupons for the shop whenever the player helps Label find a look that fits her description.
Her role in the game is similar to that of Gracie's from New Leaf, which implies that Label is on her way up. She even has started her own Labelle fashion line. The only question is, what is going to be her next step after she finishes her fashion evaluations?
1 What Will The Future Hold For The Tailor Shop?
Since the very first game, Able Sisters has always been a small-town shop with a nice selection of clothing. It has never grown into anything more than that, and it's worth wondering if Sable and Mabel would ever consider any expansions similar to those that Tom Nook and the Nooklings have done with their stores. Knowing their humble beginnings and personalities, there's a good chance they'll stay small. But, who knows what life may bring if their sister makes it big and they can turn their shop into a department store?