Already within a few months after its release, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has seen the return of many famous special characters. From Gulliver washing up to the shores of the island on a weekly basis to Redd docking his vessel to the back of the island on the secret beach, players have had their hands filled with small quests.
Still, many characters remain to be unveiled. There’s Brewster and his coffee shop, The Roost, which is speculated to come to the game. However, seasonal characters like Jack are also expected to return once their respective events roll around. Although Halloween is still months away, here’s a look at all the things players can expect from Jack, the special character associated with October’s special, spooky event.
10 Appearances
Jack has been a pretty consistent addition in Animal Crossing games since the very beginning of the franchise. He’s appeared in Dōbutsu No Mori and its + version, as well as Animal Crossing, City Folk, New Leaf, Happy Home Designer and Pocket Camp. As such, he’s been in all the major versions of the game.
According to the Animal Crossing Wiki, Jack has also been confirmed for New Horizons, which means players can expect to see him return into their games by the time October rolls around.
9 He’s A Scorpio
Since Jack is a character very much associated with Halloween, it’s no wonder that his birthday is the actual day of Halloween proper, October 31st. That makes him a Scorpio villager, which means he’s not the easiest person to befriend.
Scorpios tend to be a bit callous and stubborn, but they’re very intelligent and resourceful. No one can get a job done quite like a Scorpio, who knows what they want and will pursue their goals relentlessly.
8 Tim Burton References
There’s nothing more iconic to Halloween than Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas, which is a movie that may have also served as major inspiration for Jack’s character. Specifically, for Jack’s original, Japanese name.
Jack’s real name is actually Pumpking, a combination of the words “pumpkin” and “king.” In Tim Burton’s popular movie, Jack Skellington — who could have also inspired Jack’s English name — is known as the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town.
7 He Appears At A Special Time
Jack is a special character, but unlike the weekly or monthly ones that appear regardless of season, he only appears during Halloween season. It’s unclear how this will work for New Horizons, but it’s possible he’ll appear as early as October 1st, in the same way Zipper T. Bunny appeared at the beginning of Bunny Day season.
Jack is a specter, and he’s also claimed to be the Czar of Halloween. On Halloween night, in past games he can be seen trick-or-treating.
6 He’s Hard To Distinguish
During Halloween night in past games, villagers have been known to disguise themselves to look just like Jack, which can make it challenging for the player to find the real Jack in a sea of lookalikes.
However, in later games such as New Leaf, his difference in height has often revealed his identity. The color of his pumpkin head will also distinguish him from the rest.
5 He Gives Spooky Furniture
The main benefit from interacting with Jack is the fact that he’ll give the player Spooky furniture. This is a brand new collection of furniture only available during Halloween season.
By talking with Jack often enough and trading candy with him, the player can collect all of the furniture, which is about 14 different pieces of Spooky items. These items are recognizable by their orange pumpkin exterior.
4 Trick Or Treat?
When interacting with Jack, in true Halloween theme he will ask the player “trick or treat?” By giving Jack some candy, they exchange it for some Spooky furniture. However, if they happen to not have any candy, they’ll have to pick trick.
Jack’s tricks in the past have either had him remove something from the player’s inventory, such as an item or two, or even changing their clothes with ripped up, spooky clothes with patchwork.
3 Inspiration For His Name
Although Jack’s name could have been inspired by Jack Skellington, just like his Japanese name, it’s also perfectly possible it was simply inspired by something closer to regular Halloween traditions.
The jack o’ lantern that acts as his head might be the reason why he’s called Jack. This is further confirmed by the fact that all the furniture he gives out is also pumpkin themed.
2 Getting Candy
Although not directly related to Jack, candy is one of the main ways of exchanging items with him, which is why it’s interesting to speculate how Nintendo will distribute candy in the future, come the season event of Halloween.
In the past, candy has been available at the Nook Store, but it can also be trick-or-treated from fellow villagers. Perhaps in Bunny Day fashion, candy will also be available randomly in the wild in New Horizons? Either way, there’s no question it will make a comeback if Jack does as well.
1 His Amiibo Card
Jack has an e-Card and amiibo card. His e-Card is the number 204 right after Redd’s, which is number 203; his amiibo Card is among the first 150 cards, at 117, right after Chip and before Poncho’s.
Jack’s amiibo card reveals that his hand sign is scissors and also showcases the fact that he’s a special character. He doesn’t have the animal species marker at the top left corner like most normal villagers.
NEXT: Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Every Special Visitor On Your Island (& What To Do With Them)
