Ever since Animal Crossing debuted in 2001, fans have been pulled in by the fun offered by the game’s interior design possibilities. Players spent hours collecting furniture, coordinating wallpaper, and redecorating until everything was just right. A person’s home says a lot about their personality, but their virtual homes can say even more.
The same goes for the villagers in the game, whose houses always revealed a hobby or personality trait. After the massive redesign of villager houses in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, some homes fit their residents better than ever. Check out these villager homes that just make sense.
10 Hans
A smug villager introduced in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Hans is well-dressed and here to impress. Smug villagers are all about the image they present, so what image is Hans’ house trying to present?
A comfortable abode in the snowy mountains, of course, since Hans is the spitting image of the Abominable Snowman. This also explains his German name, since rumored Yeti sightings have occurred in the Austrian Alps. It’s good to know that the Yeti enjoys sledding like the rest of us.
9 Knox
If you’ve ever heard of Fort Knox, then you’ll understand this one. Fort Knox is an American vault that holds a huge sum of the country’s gold, which makes Animal Crossing’s Knox a pretty on-the-nose reference. Not only does he wear a golden helmet and shoes, but he guards a room filled with Golden caskets and Golden candlesticks.
It seems that Knox collects almost anything that has a golden color regardless of its actual value, such as the Phonograph in the corner. We do have to admire his dedication, though.
8 Merengue
Merengue is considered by many to be one of the cutest villagers out there, and it’s hard to debate against someone with a strawberry for a nose. As a Normal villager, her personality’s just as sweet as her namesake, which makes her the perfect villager to have a cafe/bakery-themed house.
Similar to her house in New Leaf, Merengue has a cute couch for her visitors to sit, tea for them to enjoy, a Soft-Serve lamp for light, and a Kitchen island for all her baking needs. The menu sign and Stand mixer are lovely new additions that make the cafe aesthetic feel that much more authentic.
7 Lucky
Lucky is a series favorite ever since the first Animal Crossing game, but unfortunately, that love doesn’t translate to good fortune for him. Lucky is, true to his name, lucky to have survived, though whatever his injuries were required a full-body cast to recover.
Wrapped up in all though bandages, however, he looks quite like a mummy, which is why his previous homes were Egyptian themed. In New Horizons, the designers went in a different direction and gave Lucky his very own graveyard to haunt. Mummies are technically undead, so the joke works pretty well.
6 Bones
Bones is one of several dog villagers in the series who have been around since the beginning of Animal Crossing on the GameCube. His name may seem quite obvious at first: dogs love to chew and bury bones for safekeeping. So then why would such a typical dog-like villager have a distinguished library home?
There’s one theory among fans: Bones is actually a nod to “Wishbone”, a 90s family show by PBS that features a dog by the same name. Wishbone re-enacted stories from classic literature such as Oliver Twist or Sherlock Holmes to help children understand the stories better. Not only do Bones and Wishbone share a brown spot on their eye and colored ears, but it would also explain Bones’ library home a lot better.
5 Raddle
Raddle has had a long journey into the spotlight where he is now. In Animal Forest e+, players had to scan Raddle’s e-reader card in order to meet him, and in Animal Crossing: New Leaf he was only available through Amiibo. Finally, New Horizons allowed any player to encounter him without the use of cards or extra devices, but is it worth it?
Absolutely, if only because of how chaotic everything about him is. Not only does Raddle’s name refer to a rattling cough, but his coloring matches the yellow-banded poison dart frog. That’s two reasons why he wears a mask, but if you want a third reason, it’s probably to protect himself from all the funky experiments he does in his science lab house.
4 Flora
Flora is a Peppy villager whose name references Florida, a common home for Flamingos. A unique and beautiful creature, the Flamingo has many quirks about it that make it fascinating to learn about, such as how they live in groups called colonies.
One fact you might not know is that Flamingos actually sleep while standing on one leg, which makes Flora’s room design make a whole lot more sense. They are also water birds, which explains the wallpaper and flooring as well. Seeing Nintendo incorporate species facts into their interior design choices is cool to see, especially since it’s another opportunity to educate people.
3 Ribbot
When it comes to Jock villagers, Ribbot is… strange, to say the least, but that’s also why a lot of players like him so much. This robot frog has been a series mainstay ever since the GameCube, so it’s unlikely Nintendo is going to pull the plug on him anytime soon.
In New Horizons, Ribbot diverges from his previous house themes of Space and Sleek furniture in favor of a more industrial workshop aesthetic. His room fits him so perfectly: he has Servers to maintain his hardware, tools to fix any mechanical issues, and a computer to research any problems he might encounter. The metal of the Ironwood furniture is an excellent choice, as is the Circuit-board wall and Future-tech flooring.
2 Sparro
At first glance, it may not be that obvious why Sparro’s house suits the bird villager so well, but it only takes a little birding knowledge to get the connection. Sparro is based on a sparrow, but his markings are closest to the Russet Sparrow found in Japan, as well as the Himalayas and other parts of Eastern Asia.
Sparrows, like other small birds, are known to take dust baths, in which they will dig a hole in the dust and flap around, getting the dust all over their body and feathers. This serves as a cleaning tactic for them, as the dust absorbs excess oil from their feathers and smothers parasites. As sparrows are commonly found in playgrounds (especially dusty ones), Sparro’s home makes total sense. Technically, it’s a giant bathtub for him.
1 Victoria
It’s clear to see that Victoria is dedicated to her career, so much so that she brings her work home with her… literally. As a racehorse, her name could be a reference to the Victorian Derby, or even the word “Victory”, but her catchphrase, “sugarcube,” is a clear reference to how horses enjoy sugar cubes as a treat.
Victoria’s house has changed constantly over her history as a villager, but her New Horizons home might be the best one yet. She has all 7 Springy ride-on horses, a track to race around, and a full crowd to cheer her on. After a glorious victory, she can hit the hay.
