The character customization in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the most fun parts of the game. There’s a ton of different styles to choose from, including about thirty hairstyles which players can unlock and enjoy in twelve different color options. To change the style, you just need to have a mirror.
At the beginning of the game, there are eight styles to choose from. From a mirror, you gain access to an additional six styles. After that, purchasing Nook Miles rewards unlocks eight Pop hairstyles and eight Cool hairstyles. Which of these styles are the best? Here’s a complete ranking of all the cuts.
Updated December 3, 2021, by Rosa Baumgartl: The final big update has been released, and with it comes seventeen more hairstyles to personalize your character with. It’s a sad time knowing there will be no further major additions to this wonderful game, and no extra cute looks. But the content the Animal Crossing developers have given us comes with practically endless possibilities and a huge community with which to play it. So here are the fancy new ‘dos ranked so you can continue to keep it fresh!
47 Bald
It’s brillaint to finally have a bald style available in this franchise. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but the possibility is important for some. It’s also super cute to accessorize with!
46 Default Short Bob
This short bob that curves up to the sides is too weird to be cute. Its cartoon-like appearance makes it hard to combine with most outfits. It’s one of the oldest hairstyles in the franchise, being in every other game so far.
45 Default Short
It’s too short, and it hugs the head too much. Its spiky uneven ends are too pronounced with no depth.
If the style was shorter, it could work, but it ends up looking too much likeAnimal Crossing: New Leaf.
44 Default Short Pigtails
The base of this hair is the same as the previous style, combined with two short pigtails jutting from the side which doesn’t look well thought out. This design is difficult to accessorize and unrealistic.
43 Half-Bun Half-Down
Harriet from Shampoodle tries out this style on unsuspecting players on Harv’s island. The neatness and clean-cut hairline makes it look a little like plastic. The texture down the back is pretty though.
42 Rounded Bob
This is certainly a bold fashion choice, and pairs so well with a lot of head accessories. However, the unnatural and symmetrical roundness makes it the most helmet-like hairstyle available.
41 Fab Short Middle-Parted
For all the ’90s fans, you can buy the Fab Hairstyle pack via the Nook Stop. This will unlock a classic boyband look which looks a little too rigid to be cute.
40 Mirror Messy
Messy hairstyles are hard to design which is why this style looks a bit too chunky. The concept is cool and it does a good job of something difficult.
39 Cool Bun
This bun is fine on the surface, but is missing something. The frame around the face is rather plain and the bun isn’t very obvious.
Additional volume or strands of hair could make the style less old fashioned, although that could be the point.
38 Side-Part Fluffy Afro
From the Stylish Hairstyle Collection comes this voluminous fluffy afro look. Textured hair representation has been in short supply until now, though the look changes drastically when wearing any hats or full-head pieces. The lack of detail makes it look less like hair and more like cottonwool.
37 Cool Swept Back
The concept is good: a bob with bangs swept back. This ends up looking a little too clean from the front. It looks more like a helmet than a hairstyle.
36 Mirror Side Swept
The fringe is the main offender here. The part swept up and to the side looks bulky and shiny, like a Ken doll’s hair. Its plastic appearance makes it seem kind of fake.
35 Default Buzz Cut
For a buzz cut, this hair style is alright. It could use some work with different color shades dappled in, otherwise this looks a little painted on.
The texture looks strange too, akin to a carpet. If the color was more sheer it could look more realistic.
34 Stylish Short Buzz With Shorter Sides
This look builds on the previous one, adding a sheerness to the sides of the head to allude to different lengths of hair. The hairline is still too straight though.
33 Default Wavy
It’s an okay hairstyle, but the middle split doesn’t fit the face of most characters. If some softer strands of hair were added to look a little asymmetrical it would look more natural.
32 Cool Smooth
The idea is fantastic, but the execution fails. The line between the the voluminous hair and the shaved part is the issue: it’s too straight and defined. This makes it look almost like a toupe.
31 Mirror Fringed Bob
A decent hair style, it’s a bob that curves towards the chin. It has a very cartoon-like appearance, but is definitely cute.
The hair could use some texturing at the bottom to make it look less like a helmet.
30 Default Short Dreads
The short dreads have a nice texture, and although the line between them and the shaved part is abrupt, it doesn’t look jarring. From up close the individual dreads look bulky.
29 Pop Pigtails
For pigtails, it’s a good style. The tails themselves have a nice amount of volume. The part that needs work is the hair by the ears, as the blunt end to the hair looks plastic.
28 Cool Wavy
This long wavy hair is seen in K-pop these days, and it imitates that long wavy mushroom bowl cut pretty well.
The middle split looks a little overly clean, but it’s not bad given the amount of volume.
