Tom Nook, the famous brown Japanese tanuki raccoon of the Animal Crossing franchise is the most well-known character in the series, and for a good reason. His bottomless pockets filled with bells and riches are basically what make the world of Animal Crossing go around, as he’s able to finance just about any business.
While he’s become a bit of a hated and loved character due to the unbearable loans that he often puts on the player, there’s still a lot that many, especially somewhat new fans might now know about the mascot of the franchise. Here’s just a few facts about Tom Nook, the one and only business mogul of Animal Crossing.
10 He Abandoned A Friend For Work
Those who have by now unlocked the clothing store will know the Able Sisters, and more specifically, Sable, the reddish brown hedgehog. She’s always busy with her sewing machine in the corner, and doesn’t seem to want to speak with the player too much.
However, few know that Sable and Tom Nook actually used to be very close friends in the past. When Tom decided to travel to the city to test his luck with a business endeavor, he left Sable behind. From what players can tell, it seems like their friendship isn’t as close as it once used to be.
9 He Laid Off The Player
Those who have played New Leaf before coming to New Horizons will know that initially, Tom Nook hires the player to work at his store in order to pay back some of their loans. However, this job comes to an end when there’s no more things to do at the store.
This leads to Tom laying off the player and encouraging them to think of alternate ways to make money. It seems a bit cold of him to just leave the player to their own devices after according them a loan that they need to pay back, but it’s just one of the reasons why he’s such a controversial character.
8 He Makes A Cameo
Although Tom Nook isn’t an iconic mascot in the same way as Isabelle is, where he would become a playable character in another game, he still makes a few cameos in other games which have made him even more recognizable.
He’s most well-known for his appearances in Super Smash Bros. games, as well as even a special Nintendo edition of the popular board game Monopoly, which is very fitting given his fame as a businessman.
7 He Can Be Woken Up At Night
Most players are probably acquainted with the Nook’s Cranny drop off box into which players can sell things after store hours. However, what many may have never heard of is the fact that once upon a time it was possible to wake up Tom in the middle of the night to access his store.
This feature was in Animal Forest e+, and would summon a sleepy Tom Nook to man his store if the player knocked on the store’s door at 3 AM. The downside was that prices would be much higher, and he would buy the player’s items for fewer bells.
6 He’s Worked With Redd
Redd, the cunning fox with his very own business, is considered the ultimate rival to Tom Nook. The two have even worked together in the past, but Tom states that his experience wasn’t the best, most likely due to Redd’s lack of trustworthiness.
That being said, there are many similarities between Tom and Redd, which could easily make them either old friends or bitter rivals. Redd has clearly copied his logo from Tom’s logo, and even wears the apron that Tom once wore when manning his own store.
5 His Name Is Inspired By Tanuki
Those who have long wondered why Tom’s last name is Nook while finally have their answer. In Japanese, Tom’s name is actually Tanuki, which is the species of raccoon that his character is modeled after.
When this word is pronounced in English, it writes roughly as “Tanooki”, which is why the translators most likely chose “Nook” as his last name, in order to stay as true as possible to the original Japanese version of the game.
4 He’s A Gemini
Although Tom’s birthday can’t be celebrated the same way as regular villager birthdays, it’s still worth noting that he’s born on the 30th of May. This is actually the same day that Hamlet, a hamster villager, was also born on.
Tom’s birthday makes him a Gemini, which means he enjoys the company of others and can adapt to almost any type of situation or environment. It explains why he’s able to thrive by setting up a business just about anywhere.
3 He Has A Catchphrase
Most villagers have a unique catchphrase that sets them apart from each other. Usually, they’ll have something to do with their species, or even a feature of the character or design their modeled after.
Tom Nook doesn’t exactly have a catchphrase, but he has a specific way of speaking which could be considered his catchphrase. He can be often heard saying “yes, yes”, which might sound a bit sly, as though he’s planning on something.
2 He Seems Lazy, But Isn’t
Another feature that’s completely absent in Tom Nook is a villager personality type. Since he’s a special character this isn’t really relevant to him, but it’s still cool to speculate what kind of personality he was modeled after.
Based on his appearance alone, it would be easy to say he’s probably a lazy villager since his eyelids are droopy. Moreover, in New Leaf he had the lazy villager type voice, which would further confirm this theory. That being said, he’s a hardworking businessman, which kind of contradicts his image.
1 He’s Seen As A Villain
Tom is a controversial character, one that has torn the Animal Crossing fanbase into two: those who believe he’s a capitalist pig and those who believe he’s actually quite fair and understanding of the finances of the player.
Whatever the case might be, in 2003 he was awarded the spot as the best Nintendo villain, at Nintendo’s Annual Power Awards event, even though the developers have claimed that he’s anything but a villain.
NEXT: Animal Crossing: 5 Reasons Tom Nook Is A Predatory Loan Shark (& 5 That He’s On Your Side)
