Ever since its release last month, Animal Crossing: New Horizons continues to captivate gamers from all walks of life with its unique gameplay, various customization options, and of course, its wonderful cast of villagers who have breathed life into Animal Crossing since its inception back in the early 2000s.
Now, with 400 villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, fans are probably seeking the best villagers to live on their islands, especially since the game allows only 10 villagers to permanently reside on the island at any given time. Of course, while every player will have their own favorite and not-so-favorite villagers in the game, here is a tiered list of villagers that are ranked from the most popular and most sought after character to the ones that most players haven't even heard of.
Tier A
Villagers: Ankha, Beau, Bob, Chevre, Coco, Diana, Flurry, Judy, Lolly, Marshal, Megan, Merengue, Mott, Raymond, Stitches.
The villagers included in Tier A of this list are the villagers that most Animal Crossing: New Horizons players are looking to invite in their respective villages. Of course, apart from the popularity of these characters throughout the Animal Crossing franchise, most of them have the best personalities in the game, making them easy to befriend and get along with. An example of which is Merengue, who is not only a popular villager but is also one of the best-designed ones. Apart from her cute strawberry horn, Merengue is also extremely friendly towards the player and other villagers and often compliments everyone and hands out useful gifts to the player.
Interestingly enough, despite his smug attitude, Marshal is still one of the most sought-after villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Throughout the franchise, Marshal is known to be difficult to impress, even after the player gives him interesting gifts. However, even though Marshal appears disinterested most of the time, he is still mostly polite and lively, making him a wonderful addition to any Animal Crossing village.
Tier B
Villagers: Audie, Bam, Bluebear, Bunnie, Chief, Chrissy, Cookie, Cyd, Deirdre, Erik, Fang, Fauna, Felicity, Francine, Fuchsia, Genji, Julian, Kabuki, Ketchup, Maple, Marina, Mira, Molly, Muffy, Octavian, Pietro, Poppy, Punchy, Ruby, Sherb, Tia, Whitney, Wolfgang, Zell, Zucker.
Villagers belonging to Tier B are still popular among longtime Animal Crossing fans, especially since most of the characters on this Tier have appeared in numerous Animal Crossing games. One notable villager in this list is Chief, who is a cranky wolf villager that made his debut in the first Animal Crossing game. Due to his personality, Chief is initially grouchy at first, but soon warms up to the player once befriended.
Another popular villager in the list is Pietro who is a smug sheep villager that dresses as a clown. Although his getup is bright and colorful, some players often feel uncomfortable in his presence, especially with his smile that never fades. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Pietro's house is filled with all sorts of fun and colorful objects such as a jukebox, cotton candy stall, and a color wheel.
Tier C
Villagers: Agent S, Apollo, Apple, Bangle, Bianca, Blanche, Butch, Carmen, Celia, Cheri, Cherry, Colton, Ellie, Flora, Frita, Hamlet, Hazel, Hornsby, Jaques, June, Kid Cat, Kidd, Lobo, Lopez, Plucky, Merry, Mitzi, Nan, OHare, Olivia, Papi, Pashmina, Peanut, Pecan, Pekoe, Reneigh, Ribbot, Rolf, Roscoe, Rosie, Rudy, Shep, Skye, Snake, Sprinkle, Static, Tammy, Tom, Vesta, Willow.
Tier C includes villagers that are still somewhat familiar to veteran Animal Crossing fans and has villagers that have also appeared in multiple main games from the longstanding social simulator series. Players would remember the sisterly squirrel villager named Hazel, who is best known for her unibrow. Interestingly enough, Hazel is one of those self-aware villagers in the game, which is reflected in her catchphrase "uni-wow!" Due to her sisterly personality, Hazel often coaches the player and gives them helpful in-game tips, making her a decent addition to the island.
Moreover, the list also includes Sprinkle, who is the cute peppy penguin villager that made her debut in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Given that she only appeared in New Leaf and AC: New Horizons, Sprinkle is not that popular among long-time fans of the franchise, but she is slowly getting the attention of some players. Her adorable design and fun personality make her an interesting neighbor, but she is also known for wanting to always be in the center of attention.
Tier D
Villagers: Admiral, Agnes, Al, Alfonso, Alice, Alice, Allie, Amelia, Anabelle, Anchovy, Angus, Anicotti, Astrid, Ava, Barold, Becky, Benedict, Bertha, Bettina, Biff, BigTop, Boomer, Boone, Boris, Boyd, Broccolo, Daisy, Del, Diva, Dizzy, Dobie, Doc, Dora, Dotty, Drift, Elmer, Eugene, Purrl, Sterling, Stu, Sydney, Sylvana, Tabby, Tank, Teddy, Tiffany, Timbra, Tipper, Tucker, Tutu, Twiggy.
Villagers in Tier D are those that are either not popular enough among longtime fans, or those with personalities that are off-putting. One of which is the cub villager Barold who made his debut in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Barold also has a lazy personality and is not really that interesting to talk to since his preferred topics of choice only revolve between relaxation and food. He is also unpopular among more active villagers given that they do not understand his laidback and lazy lifestyle.
Another villager that is not that well-known in the Animal Crossing franchise is Tifanny, who is the snooty rabbit villager that first appeared in Animal Crossing: Wild World. Apart from her lack of fame, Tifanny's personality is also a reason why not many players like her as a villager. Initially, Tifanny will be hostile towards the player and other villagers and often finds herself blurting out arrogant and rude comments even is she doesn't mean to.
Tier E
Villagers: Claude, Claudia, Cleo, Clyve, Coach, Cobb, Curt, Cyrano, Deena, Derwin, Drake, Ed, Egbert, Elise, Eloise, Flip, Flo, Harry, Hippeux, Huck, Hugh, Ike, Peaches, Peewee, Peggy, Penelope, Phoebe, Pippy, Plucky, PomPom, Snooty, Spike, Sprocket, Stinky, Sylvia, T-Bone, Tad, Tammi, Tasha, Tex, Truffles, Ursula, Violet, Walker, Walt, Weber, Wendy, Winnie, Yuka.
Tier E contains villagers that are unfamiliar even to the most dedicated Animal Crossing fans. Of course, there are still names on this list that are still somewhat familiar such as Curt who is the cranky bear villager that first appeared in Animal Crossing: Wild World. Throughout the game, Curt is mostly seen engaging in his favorite hobbies, which include fishing and hunting fossils.
Tier F
The final Tier in this list includes all the remaining villagers that were not included in previous tiers. Due to the massive list of characters that the Animal Crossing franchise has accumulated, it is inevitable for some characters to remain unnoticed by most players, even veteran Animal Crossing fans. Despite this, it is still interesting to meet some rare villagers in this tier, especially since there is a strong possibility that there may be hidden treasures in this category that could include unique villagers that will bring color and fun to the player's island village.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.