Animal Crossing: New Horizons Villager Tier List - New Best Villagers

Okay, listen. Ranking every single Animal Crossing villager is a nearly insurmountable task. Everyone has their own opinions, and comparing every single villager isn’t even the most useful idea short of knowing who’s the best of the best. Most villagers are going to fall into the mid to low ranks anyway! So, we had the idea not to make a tier list out of every New Horizons villager, but to make a tier list for each species. In fact, as of November 2, we’ve now done this twice. We’ve updated the entire tier list by re-ranking all of the original villagers and adding the six Sanrio and 16 Update 2.0 villagers.

This guide will help you answer the question: Who are the best Wolves to have? (You probably said Audie, didn’t you?) The idea is that it’s a lot easier to rank the animals only in comparison to others of their species. So, that’s what we’ve done. Hopefully, this helps you figure out which villagers you want to pursue!

It should be obvious, but this is an opinionated tier list. I don’t claim to be the one true voice of the entire Animal Crossing community. I’ve rated all of the villagers based on a combination of their appearance, home style, community popularity, and to a lesser extent, their catchphrase. 

Here is a rough outline of what each tier means:

  • S-Tier: Super popular. Just about everyone wants them on their island.
  • A-Tier: A great villager. You should consider adding them to your island.
  • B-Tier: Above average. Has a few qualities that make them better than an average villager.
  • C-Tier: Average villager. They don’t really stand out.
  • D-Tier: Below average or awful. Some villagers in this tier are just okay. Others you’ll want to avoid like the plague lest you spend days trying to get them to leave.

Villagers inside each tier are sorted alphabetically (for the most part). For example, Del and Gayle are equal in ranking. I have not ranked Del ahead of Gayle.

Animal Crossing Alligator Tier List

Sadly, the alligators in Animal Crossing: New Horizons aren’t certain to grab your attention. They mostly fall into the lower ranks of tier lists like ours. Drago is unique in that he’s supposed to be a damn dragon, which is enough to get him to B-tier on our list. Del has swapped from the pirate life to join the robot gang. And Gayle has a fondness for pink that few other villagers can rival. The rest aren’t super noticeable though; even Alfonso can’t be saved by being a Mario reference.

That said, we’ve bumped Alli up and placed newcomer Roswell at the bottom of the pile. Sorry, bud!

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
BDrago
Animal Crossing Drago
Lazyburrrn
CDel
Animal Crossing Del
Crankygronk
CGayle
Animal Crossing Gayle
Normalsnacky
CAlli
Animal Crossing Alli
Snootygraaagh
DAlfonso
Animal Crossing Alfonso
Lazyit’sa me
DBoots
Animal Crossing Boots
Jockmunchie
DSly
Animal Crossing Sly
Jockhoo-rah
DRoswell
Lazyunknown


Animal Crossing Anteater Tier List

Anteaters fall into a very similar bucket as the alligators do. Most are either entirely uninteresting or downright unpleasant. Snooty is the literal embodiment of the snooty personality and Cyrano goes around sneezing on you with every sentence. Anabelle is the lone standout since she looks like a pangolin and comes with an awesome starting shirt. Olaf is also notable since he has pants and sleeves, something few villagers have. The interesting fact here is that they remain if you change his shirt. Those clothes are apparently just part of his skin.

We’ve upgraded Antonio to B and placed Zoe among the best anteaters available.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
BAntonio
Animal Crossing Antonio
Jockhonk
BZoe
Normalwhiifff
BAnabelle
Animal Crossing Anabelle
Peppysnorty
CAnnalisa
Animal Crossing Annalisa
Normalgumdrop
COlaf
Animal Crossing Olaf
Smugwhiffa
DCyrano
Animal Crossing Cyrano
Crankyah-CHOO
DPango
Animal Crossing Pango
Peppysnoooof
DSnooty
Animal Crossing Snooty
Snootysnifffff


Animal Crossing Bear Tier List

With the sheer number of bear villagers available, you’d think there would be more stellar choices. Megan is cute as it comes, but the rest of the bears are average at best. There’s also a whole lot of cranky folks here that you may want to avoid if that’s not your thing. We recommend Ursala as an underrated villager. Her sisterly personality is good and her house is seriously nice.

In the latest update, we’ve promoted Pinky (Disclaimer: She’s on my island and she’s the cutest) and Tutu to B-Tier and Teddy to C-Tier while demoting Ursala.

 

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
AMegan
Animal Crossing Megan
Normalsundae
BPinky
animal crossing pinky
Peppywah
BTutu
animal crossing tutu
Peppytwinkles
CUrsala
Animal Crossing Ursala
Sisterlygrooomph
CGrizzly
animal crossing grizzly
Crankygrrr…
CCharlise
animal crossing charlise
Sisterlyurgh
CTeddy
animal crossing teddy
Jockgrooof
DIke
animal crossing ike
Crankyroadie
DCurt
animal crossing curt
Crankyfuzzball
DBeardo
animal crossing beardo
Smugwhiskers
DChow
animal crossing chow
Crankyaiya
DNate
animal crossing nate
Laxyyawwwn
DPaula
animal crossing paula
Sisterlyyodelay
DKlaus
animal crossing klaus
Smugstrudel

Animal Crossing Birds Tier List

Fans of Animal Crossing will already know that Jacques is the most popular of the birds. As a whole, birds are fine and good additions to your island.

In our update, we’ve evened out the spread of birds by promoting a few. Ace, the new bird, is currently C-Tier.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
BJacques
animal crossing jacques
Smugzut alors
BLucha
animal crossing lucha
Smugcacaw
BPiper
animal crossing piper
Peppychickadee
BMidge
animal crossing midge
Normaltweedledee
BAce
Jockace
CAnchovy
animal crossing anchovy
Lazychuurp
CJay
animal crossing jay
Jockheeeeeyy
CJitters
animal crossing jitters
Jockbzzert
CSparro
animal crossing sparro
Jocklike whoa
DAdmiral
animal crossing admiral
Crankyaye aye
DJacob
animal crossing jacob
Lazychuuuuurp
DPeck
animal crossing peck
Jockcrunch
DRobin
animal crossing robin
Snootyla-di-da
DTwiggy
animal crossing twiggy
Peppycheepers

Animal Crossing Bulls Tier List

Bulls can be hit or miss depending on what you like. None of them are really cute, but Stu is at least colorful. He’s also one of the few villagers who has a modern outdoors setting inside of his house. He lives in an alleyway, which opens up some cool possibilities for gift ideas!

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
BStu
animal crossing stu
Lazymoo-dude
CCoach
animal crossing coach
Jockstubble
CRodeo
animal crossing rodeo
Lazychaps
DVic
animal crossing vic
Crankycud
DAngus
animal crossing angus
Crankymacmoo
DT-Bone
animal crossing tbone
Crankymoocher

 

Animal Crossing Cat Tier List

Everybody likes cats, so it should come as no surprise as to how highly ranked many of these villagers are. Raymond has been the face of Animal Crossing since New Horizons came out, with some paying up to 15 million Bells to get their hands on him. Expect that to end now that he’s available as an Amiibo card, though. They’re all solid grabs, just please know that Ankha was S-Tier when we first released this list far before the Internet did what the Internet does.

The biggest change here is Lolly moving to S-Tier.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SAnkha
animal crossing ankha
Snootyme meow
SRaymond
animal crossing raymond
Smugcrisp
SLolly
animal crossing lolly
Normalbonbon
ABob
animal crossing bob
Lazypthhhpth
APunchy
animal crossing punchy
Lazymrmpht
AMerry
animal crossing merry
Peppymweee
ARosie
animal crossing rosie
Peppysilly
ATangy
animal crossing tangy
PeppyreeeeOWR
BKid Cat
animal crossing kid cat
Jockpsst
BKiki
animal crossing kiki
Normalkitty cat
BMitzi
animal crossing mitzi
Normalmew
BOlivia
animal crossing olivia
Snootypurrr
CFelicity
animal crossing felicity
Peppymimimi
CKabuki
animal crossing kabuki
Crankymeooo-OH
CKatt
animal crossing katt
Sisterlypurrty
CPurrl
animal crossing purrl
Snootykitten
CTom
animal crossing tom
Crankyme-YOWZA
CRudy
animal crossing rudy
Jockmush
DKitty
animal crossing kitty
Snootymrowrr
DMoe
animal crossing moe
Lazymyawn
DMonique
animal crossing monique
Snootypffffft
DStinky
animal crossing stinky
JockGAHHHH
DTabby
animal crossing tabby
Peppyme-WOW

 

Animal Crossing Chicken Tier List

None of the chickens in New Horizons really stand out. They’re all average at best. Becky gets bonus points for a super classical house, which is hard to come by.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
CBecky
animal crossing becky
Snootychicklet
CKen
animal crossing ken
Smugno doubt
CEgbert
animal crossing egbert
Lazydoodle-duh
DPlucky
animal crossing plucky
Sisterlychiky-poo
DAva
animal crossing ava
Normalbeaker
DBenedict
animal crossing benedict
Lazyuh-hoo
DBroffina
animal crossing broffina
Snootycluckadoo
DKnox
animal crossing knox
Crankycluckling
DGoose
Jockbuh-kay

 

Animal Crossing Cow Tier List

You only have four options when it comes to cows. We recommend Naomi just because she’s the most colorful and has the most personality. Unfortunately, though, her house is full of antiques and is the opposite of her bright appearance.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
CNaomi
animal crossing naomi
Snootymoolah
CTipper
animal crossing tipper
Snootypushy
DNorma
animal crossing norma
Normalhoof hoo
DPatty
animal crossing patty
Peppyhow-now

 

Animal Crossing Cub Tier List

While there are always villagers that stand out in each species, Judy is unique in all of Animal Crossing. Her colors and eyes have made her one of the most in-demand villagers. Honestly, there are so many cute cubs to choose from that it’s hard to go wrong. Unless you go with Barold. Listen, if you opt for him, good for you. But he will not be invited to my island.

Some highlights: Maple is now S-Tier, Pekoe is A-Tier, and Marty has been placed in C-Tier.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SJudy
animal crossing judy
Snootymyohmy
SStitches
Lazystuffin
SMaple
animal crossing maple
Normalhoney
ABluebear
animal crossing bluebear
Peppypeach
AJune
animal crossing june
Normalrainbow
ACheri
animal crossing cheri
Peppytralala
APekoe
animal crossing pekoe
Normalbud
BOlive
animal crossing olive
Normalsweet pea
CPoncho
animal crossing poncho
Jockli’l bear
CTammy
animal crossing tammy
Sisterlyya heard
CMarty
Lazypompom
DBarold
animal crossing barold
Lazycubby
DChester
animal crossing chester
Lazyrookie
DKody
animal crossing kody
Jockgrah-grah
DMurphy
animal crossing murphy
Crankyladdie
DPudge
animal crossing pudge
Lazypudgy
DVladimir
animal crossing vladimir
Crankynyet

 

Animal Crossing Deer Tier List

As a whole, Nintendo has done a great job with the deer in Animal Crossing. Not a single one is worse than the average. Pick whoever you want; it’s hard to go wrong!

No major changes here, but Shino debuts as an S-Tier villager. Chelsea has no such luck and is only average.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SBeau
animal crossing beau
Lazysaltlick
SDiana
animal crossing diana
Snootyno doy
SFauna
animal crossing fauna
Normaldearie
SShino
Peppyokaaay
ADeirdre
animal crossing deirdre
Sisterlywhatevs
AErik
animal crossing erik
Lazychow down
BBam
animal crossing bam
Jockkablang
BLopez
animal crossing lopez
Smugbuckaroo
BZell
animal crossing zell
Smugpronk
CBruce
animal crossing bruce
Crankygruff
CFuchsia
animal crossing fuchsia
Sisterlyprecious
CChelsea
Normalpound cake

Animal Crossing Dog Tier List

Cats clearly beat dogs when it comes to Animal Crossing. There are some goodies here, but they rank lower as a whole. As a forewarning though: Lucky does live in a graveyard this time around.

Frett starts off as an average C-Tier villager.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
ALuckyanimal crossing luckyLazyrrr-owch
ACherryanimal crossing cherrySisterlywhat what
ACookieanimal crossing cookiePeppyarfer
BBonesanimal crossing bonesLazyyip yip
BGoldieanimal crossing goldieNormalwoof
CButchanimal crossing butchCrankyROOOOOWF
CPortiaanimal crossing portiaSnootyruffian
CShepanimal crossing shepSmugbaa baa baa
CBeaanimal crossing beaNormalbingo
CFrettCrankyunknown
DBenjaminanimal crossing benjaminLaxyalrighty
DBiskitanimal crossing biskitLazydog
DDaisyanimal crossing daisyNormalbow-WOW
DMacanimal crossing macJockwoo woof
DMaddieanimal crossing maddiePeppyyippee
DMarcelanimal crossing marcelLazynon
DWalkeranimal crossing walkerLazywuh

 

Animal Crossing Duck Tier List

Someone send Ketchup to my island. Thanks.

As much as I want to deduct points from Bill and Drake for both having quacko as a catchphrase, I just can’t bring myself to do it.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
AKetchupanimal crossing ketchupPeppybitty
AMollyanimal crossing mollyNormalquackidee
CBillanimal crossing billJockquacko
CDrakeanimal crossing drakeLazyquacko
CGloriaanimal crossing golriaSnootyquacker
CPompomanimal crossing pompomPeppyrah rah
CScootanimal crossing scootJockzip zoom
CJoeyanimal crossing joeyLazybleeeeeck
DDeenaanimal crossing deenaNormalwoowoo
DDerwinanimal crossing derwinLazyderrrr
DFrecklesanimal crossing frecklesPeppyducky
DMaelleanimal crossing maelleSnootyduckling
DMallaryanimal crossing mallarySnootyquackpth
DMirandaanimal crossing mirandaSnootyquackulous
DPateanimal crossing patePeppyquackle
DQuilsonanimal crossing quillsonSmugridukulous
DWeberanimal crossing weberLazyquaa

Animal Crossing Eagle Tier List

Eagles are kind of underrated in the Animal Crossing community. Most of them are good additions, but few would consider them among their favorites. The good news? While there haven’t been any ranking changes, our new arrival Quinn is likely to be among the most popular additions. We’ve tentatively placed her in A-Tier.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
AQuinnSisterlyproper
BApolloanimal crossing apolloCrankypah
BCeliaanimal crossing celiaNormalfeathers
CAmeliaanimal crossing ameliaSnootycuz
CAveryanimal crossing averyCrankyskree-haw
CKeatonanimal crossing keatonSmugwingo
CPierceanimal crossing pierceJockhawkeye
CSterlinganimal crossing sterlingJockskraaaw
DBuzzanimal crossing buzzCrankycaptain
DFrankanimal crossing frankCrankycrushy

Animal Crossing Elephant Tier List

TIA IS A TEA KETTLE. (We’ve upgraded her to S-Tier). Dizzy was bumped up by two tiers and Chai slots in just below Tia.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
STiaanimal crossing tiaNormalteacup
AChaiPeppyflap flap
BCydanimal crossing cydCrankyrockin
BMargieanimal crossing margieNormaltootie
BDizzyanimal crossing dizzyLazywoo-oo
CEllieanimal crossing ellieNormalli’l one
CEloiseanimal crossing eloiseSnootytooooot
COpalanimal crossing opalSnootysnoot
DTuckeranimal crossing tuckerLazyfuzzers
DAxelanimal crossing axelJockWHONK
DBig Topanimal crossing big topLazyvillain
DPaoloanimal crossing paoloLazypal

 

Animal Crossing Frog Tier List

If you like frogs, there are some good frogs. If you don’t like frogs, the selection may seem underwhelming. Lily stands out as the one character who everyone seems to welcome. Important note: frogs should not have realistic lips. Please delete this from my memory, thanks.

When it comes to catchphrases, Jeremiah isn’t the best. Nee-deep? Really? Prince is just burping and Raddle is another sneezer.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
ALilyanimal crossing lilyNormaltoady
BRibbotanimal crossing ribbotJockzzrrbbitt
CCousteauanimal crossing cousteauJockoui oui
CHenryanimal crossing henrySmugsnoozit
CJeremiahanimal crossing jeremiahLazynee-deep
CTadanimal crossing tadJocksluuuurp
CRaddle
animal crossing raddle
Lazyaaach-
DDivaanimal crossing divaSisterlyya know
DDriftanimal crossing driftJockbrah
DPuddlesanimal crossing puddlesPeppysplish
DCamofroganimal crossing camofrogCrankyten-hut
DCroqueanimal crossing croqueCrankyas if
DFrobertanimal crossing frobertJockfribbit
DGigianimal crossing gigiSnootyribette
DHuckanimal crossing huckSmughopper
DJambetteNormalcroak-kay
DPrinceLazyburrup
DWart Jr.animal crossing wart jrCrankygrr-ribbit

 

Animal Crossing Goat Tier List

Sherb has taken the internet by storm, but there are other good goats, too! All-in-all, we stand by our original rankings. No changes here.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SSherbanimal crossing sherbLazybawwww
APashminaanimal crossing pashminaSisterlykidders
BChevreanimal crossing chevreNormalla baa
BKiddanimal crossing kiddSmugwut
CNananimal crossing nanNormalkid
DBillyanimal crossing billyJockdagnaabit
DGruffanimal crossing gruffCrankybleh eh eh
DVelmaanimal crossing velmaSnootyblih

 

Animal Crossing Gorilla Tier List

The gorillas aren’t great, honestly. Not even Louie and his reference to Donkey Kong is enough to make him popular. Rilla, the lone post-release addition, fails to impress.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
CBooneanimal crossing booneJockbaboom
CLouieanimal crossing louieJockhoo hoo ha
CHansanimal crossing hansSmuggroovy
DAlanimal crossing alLazyAyyeeee
DBoydanimal crossing boydCrankyuh-oh
DCesaranimal crossing cesarCrankyhighness
DPeeweeanimal crossing peeweeCrankyli’l dude
DRocketanimal crossing rocketSisterlyvroom
DVioletanimal crossing violetSnootysweetie
DRillaPeppyhello

 

Animal Crossing Hamster Tier List

Hamsters are great, and not just because you can show them a hamster cage and have them freak out. They’re so darn cute. 

In this update, we give Apple the credit she’s due, finally give Hamphrey a bump despite being a grump, and place Marlo in B-Tier.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SAppleanimal crossing applePeppycheekers
AFlurryanimal crossing flurryNormalpowderpuff
BHamletanimal crossing hameletJockhammie
BHamphreyanimal crossing hamphreyCrankysnort
BMarloCrankygabeesh
CGrahamanimal crossing grahamSmugindeed
CSoleianimal crossing soleilSnootytarnation
DClayanimal crossing clayLazythump
DRodneyanimal crossing rodneySmugle ham

 

Highlights from the Animal Crossing Community:

Animal Crossing Hippo Tier List

In my eyes, Bertha and Bubbles belong together outside my city hall singing a duet. No changes for the hippos.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
BBerthaanimal crossing berthaNormalbloop
BBubblesanimal crossing bubblesPeppyhipster
CBittyanimal crossing bittySnootymy dear
DHarryanimal crossing harryCrankybeach bum
DHippeuxanimal crossing hippeuxSmugnatch
DRoccoanimal crossing roccoCrankyhippie
DBiffanimal crossing biffJocksquirt

Animal Crossing Horse Tier List

Julian is a damn unicorn, folks. Reneigh and Roscoe are also good, but neither can put up the popularity numbers that Julian does.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SJuliananimal crossing julianSmugglitter
AReneighanimal crossing reneighSisterlyayup, yup
BRoscoeanimal crossing roscoeCrankynay
BCleoanimal crossing cleoSnootysugar
BSavannahanimal crossing savannahNormaly’all
CAnnaliseanimal crossing annaliseSnootynipper
CColtonanimal crossing coltonSmugcheck it
CPapianimal crossing papiLazyhaaay
CBuckanimal crossing buckJockpardner
CWinnieanimal crossing winniePeppyhay-OK
DElmeranimal crossing elmerLazytenderfoot
DClydeanimal crossing clydeLazyclip-clawp
DEdanimal crossing edSmuggreenhorn
DPeachesanimal crossing peachesNormalneighbor
DVictoriaanimal crossing victoriaPeppysugar cube

Animal Crossing Kangaroo Tier List

Just like eagles, kangaroos are still cute and a solid addition, but aren’t a super popular species. Their catchphrases are a little weird in the year of our Lord 2021. Love to have villagers going around ending every sentence with “child,” “wee baby,” and “my pet.”

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
CCarrieanimal crossing carrieNormallittle one
CSylviaanimal crossing sylviaSisterlyboing
CMathildaanimal crossing mathildaSnootywee baby
CWaltanimal crossing waltCrankypockets
DRooneyanimal crossing rooneyCrankypunches
DAstridanimal crossing astridSnootymy pet
DKittanimal crossing kittNormalchild
DMarcieanimal crossing marcieNormalpouches

Animal Crossing Koala Tier List

Koalas are average, though they do get extra points for being so damn colorful. Eugene stands out as one of the most unique villagers out there. We think Faith will be decently popular after her release, so we’ve sorted her into the A-Tier for now.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
AFaithNormalaloha
BEugeneanimal crossing eugeneSmugyeah buddy
CAliceanimal crossing aliceNormalguvnor
CLymananimal crossing lymanJockchips
CMelbaNormaltoasty
COzzieanimal crossing sydneyLazyol’ bear
CSydneyanimal crossing sydneyNormalsunshine
CYukaanimal crossing yukaSnootytsk tsk
DCanberraanimal crossing canberraSisterlynuh uh
DGonzoanimal crossing gonzoCrankymate

Animal Crossing Lion Tier List

I’m not a huge fan of the lions’ face designs and the community might not be, either. None of these are super popular options, but I at least wanted to give Lionel credit for being unique.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
BLionelanimal crossing lionelSmugprecisely
CLeopoldSmuglion cub
CRexanimal crossing rexLazycool cat
DBudanimal crossing budJockshredded
DElvisCrankyunh-hunh
DMottanimal crossing mottJockcagey
DRoryanimal crossing roryJockcapital

Animal Crossing Monkey Tier List

Just like with Eagles, Monkeys were okay but really needed a new villager to be the face of the species. I believe Tiansheng will be exactly that, so he’s been slotted into A-Tier.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
ATianshengJockwuwu
BSharianimal crossing shariSisterlycheeky
CDelianimal crossing deliLazymonch
CNanaanimal crossing nanaNormalpo po
DEliseanimal crossing eliseSnootypuh-lease
DFlipanimal crossing flipJockrerack
DMontyanimal crossing montyCrankyg’tang
DSimonanimal crossing simonLazyzzzook
DTammianimal crossing tammiPeppychimpy

Animal Crossing Mouse Tier List

The mice are super cute but don’t quite land in my books; there are simply better options out there. I don’t actually dislike most of them. Someone just needs to tell me what’s going on with Rizzo and Limberg, though. They’re straight-up creepy-looking.

With the glasses and color combination, I suspect Petri will be the new favorite Mouse.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
APetriSnootymmmhmm
BDoraanimal crossing doraNormalsqueaky
CBellaanimal crossing bellaPeppyeeks
CBreeanimal crossing breeSnootycheeseball
CRodanimal crossing rodJockace
CSamsonanimal crossing samsonJockpipsqueak
CBroccoloanimal crossing broccoloLazyeat it
DBettinaNormaleekers
DPenelopeanimal crossing penelopePeppyoh bow
DAnicottianimal crossing anicottiPeppycannoli
DCandianimal crossing candiPeppysweetie
DChadderanimal crossing chaddarSmugfromage
DGretaanimal crossing gretaSnootyyelp
DLimberganimal crossing limbergCrankysquinky
DMooseanimal crossing mooseJockshorty
DRizzoanimal crossing rizzoCrankysquee

Animal Crossing Octopus Tier List

I understand why Zucker is popular; he’s takoyaki, after all. All of these are among the most sought-after villagers, likely because there are only four of them available. While there’s been a lot of hype for Cephalobot, I think he’ll fall into the secondary tier.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SMarinaanimal crossing marinaNormalblurp
SZuckeranimal crossing zuckerLazybloop
ACephalobotSmugdonk donk
BOctaviananimal crossing octavianCrankysucker

Animal Crossing Villager Spotlights:

Animal Crossing Ostrich Tier List

Flora wins the popularity battle here, which should come as no surprise. We’ve done some rebalancing here, giving Sprocket and Julia a much-needed boost. Rio will likely fall somewhere around them in popularity.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
AFloraanimal crossing floraPeppypinky
APhoebeanimal crossing phobeSisterlysparky
BBlancheanimal crossing blancheSnootyquite so
BJuliaanimal crossing juliaSnootydahling
BSprocketanimal crossing sprocketJockzort
BRioPeppyli’l chick
CCranstonanimal crossing cranstonLazysweatband
CGladysanimal crossing gladysNormalstretch
DPhilanimal crossing philSmughurk
DQueenieanimal crossing queenieSnootychicken
DSandyanimal crossing sandyNormalspeedy

Animal Crossing Penguin Tier List

Despite winning over the entire internet prior to the launch of New Horizons, Roald has fallen in the popularity charts. He’s still a champion in our minds, though. There’s been some slight shuffling in these ranks but Chabwick, the new Penguin, starts in Tier C.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
ARoaldanimal crossing roaldJockb-b-buddy
ASprinkleanimal crossing sprinklePeppyfrappe
AAuroraanimal crossing auroraNormalb-b-baby
BCubeanimal crossing cubeLazyd-d-dude
CFrigaanimal crossing frigaSnootybrrmph
CGwenanimal crossing gwenSnootyh-h-hon
CHopperanimal crossing hopperCrankyslushie
CWadeanimal crossing wadeLazyso it goes
CChabwickLazyunknown
DBoomeranimal crossing boomerLazyhuman
DFloanimal crossing floSisterlycha
DIgglyanimal crossing igglyJockwaddler
DPuckanimal crossing puckLazybrrrrrrrrr
DTexanimal crossing texSmugpicante

Animal Crossing Pig Tier List

All three of our top-ranked pigs are not only cute but also have decent houses! Gala is basically living in a statehouse, complete with jail bars, surveillance cameras, and gold bars. Hugh has piles and boxes of food with nothing else other than a fridge, sleeping bag, and freezers; it’s kind of endearing. Agnes, on the other hand, has this gray/black themed abode with a black rose bed, lots of flowers, a wall-mounted TV, and more.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
AHughanimal crossing hughLazysnortle
AAgnesanimal crossing agnesSisterlysnuffle
BGalaanimal crossing galaNormalsnortie
CCurlyanimal crossing curlyJocknyoink
CKevinanimal crossing kevinJockweeweewee
CLucyanimal crossing lucyNormalsnoooink
CCobbanimal crossing cobbJockhot dog
CPancettianimal crossing pancettiSnootysooey
DBorisanimal crossing borisCrankyschnort
DChopsanimal crossing chopsSmugzoink
DMaggieanimal crossing maggieNormalschep
DPeggyanimal crossing peggyPeppyscweetie
DRasheranimal crossing rasherCrankyswine
DSporkanimal crossing sporkLazysnork
DTrufflesanimal crossing trufflesPeppysnoutie

Animal Crossing Rabbit Tier List

Coco is probably the most iconic rabbit in New Horizons. I mean, just look at them! Even if their house is a bit bland, it’s unique among villager designs. Ruby is another popular choice, which is great because she also comes with a space-themed house! Out of all of them, I think Cole is the most underappreciated. Look at those eyes.

Two new additions here: Toby, who is entirely lackluster, and Sasha, who is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Please come to my island, Sasha! [Editor’s note: oh my god, I would die for Sasha.]

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SCocoanimal crossing cocoNormaldoyoing
SSashaLazyhoppity
ARubyanimal crossing rubyPeppyli’l ears
AGenjianimal crossing genjiJockmochi
BBunnieanimal crossing bunniePeppytee-hee
BChrissyanimal crossing chrissyPeppysparkles
BColeanimal crossing coleLazyduuude
BFrancineanimal crossing francineSnootykarat
BTiffanyanimal crossing tiffanySnootybun bun
BSnakeanimal crossing snakeJockbunyip
CMiraanimal crossing miraSisterlycottontail
CBonbonanimal crossing bonbonPeppydeelish
CCarmenanimal crossing carmenPeppynougat
CClaudeanimal crossing claudeLazyhopalong
CDocanimal crossing docLazyol’ bunny
CDottyanimal crossing dottyPeppywee one
CHopkinsanimal crossing hopkinsLazythumper
CO’Hareanimal crossing ohareSmugamigo
DGabianimal crossing gabyPeppyhoneybun
DGastonanimal crossing gastonCrankymon chou
DPippyanimal crossing pippyPeppyli’l hare
DTobySmugribbit

Other Animal Crossing Guides:

Animal Crossing Rhino Tier List

All of the available rhinos have been overshadowed by Merengue and for a justified reason. Just look at her! She has a strawberry horn! Hornsby gains some extra points just because of his awesome shade of blue.

As part of the 2.0 Update, Azalea will likely be above average in popularity.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SMerengueanimal crossing merengueNormalshortcake
BHornsbyanimal crossing hornsbyLazyschnozzle
BAzaleaSnootyunknown
CTankanimal crossing tankJockkerPOW
DReneeanimal crossing reneeSisterlyyo yo yo
DRhondaanimal crossing rhondaNormalbigfoot
DSpikeanimal crossing spikeCrankypunk

Animal Crossing Sheep Tier List

The New Horizons sheep have something to offer everyone. Do you want a super cute, dancing sheep? Go with Dom. Muffy is a godsend for all of the goths out there. And there’s no way we couldn’t include Pietro, even if clowns aren’t for everyone.

We were pretty harsh on the sheep overall in our initial rankings, so we’ve bumped multiple sheep up a tier. Etoile currently finds herself alongside Muffy and Pietro.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SDomanimal crossing domJockindeedaroo
AMuffyanimal crossing muffySisterlynightshade
APietroanimal crossing pietroSmughonk honk
AEtoileNormalfuzzy
BFritaanimal crossing fritaSisterlyoh ewe
BStellaanimal crossing stellaNormalbaa-dabing
CBaabaraanimal crossing baabaraSnootydaahling
CCurlosanimal crossing curlosSmugshearly
CEuniceanimal crossing euniceNormallambchop
CWillowanimal crossing willowSnootybo peep
CVestaanimal crossing vestaNormalbaaffo
DTimbraanimal crossing timbraSnootypine nut
DCashmereanimal crossing cashmereSnootybaaaby
DWendyanimal crossing wendyPeppylambkins

Animal Crossing Squirrel Tier List

Squirrels are similar to cubs in that there are a plethora of cute options. Whether you opt for Marshal’s testy façade or the excitement that Caroline exudes is up to you! By now, you’ve probably noticed that I’m not a huge fan of angry-looking villagers. So, if that’s your thing then just reverse the order. Ricky and Sheldon are definitely not my thing, but maybe they’re yours.

I’m almost positive that Ione is going to end up among the top three villagers from the 2.0 update, so she’s S-Tier off the bat, as well.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SMarshalanimal crossing marshalSmugsulky
SIoneNormalgleam
APoppyanimal crossing poppyNormalnutty
BCarolineanimal crossing carolineNormalhulaaaa
BFilbertanimal crossing filbertLazybucko
BHazelanimal crossing hazelSisterlyuni-wow
BMintanimal crossing mintSnootyahhhhhh
BStaticanimal crossing statocCrankykrzzt
CAgent Sanimal crossing agent sPeppysidekick
CBlaireanimal crossing blaireSnootynutlet
CNibblesanimal crossing nibblesPeppyniblet
CPeanutanimal crossing peanutPeppyslacker
CPecananimal crossing pecanSnootychipmunk
CSallyanimal crossing sallyNormalnutmeg
CSylvanaanimal crossing sylvanaNormalhubbub
CTashaanimal crossing tashaSnootynice nice
DCallyanimal crossing callyNormalWHEE
DRickyanimal crossing rickyCrankynutcase
DSheldonanimal crossing sheldonJockcardio

Animal Crossing Tiger Tier List

Tigers, like the Lions, fail to impress as a whole. Some of them are cute, but their houses are pretty bland and don’t stand out. The only major change is bumping up Bianca to B-Tier because she’s clearly the best Tiger available.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
BBiancaanimal crossing biancaPeppyglimmer
CBangleanimal crossing banglePeppygrowf
CRolfanimal crossing rolfCrankygrrolf
CTybaltanimal crossing tybaltJockgrrRAH
DClaudiaanimal crossing claudiaSnootyooh la la
DLeonardoanimal crossing leonardoJockflexin
DRowananimal crossing rowanJockmango

Animal Crossing Wolf Tier List

Wolves are surprisingly underrated. Even old grumps like Dobie have a certain amount of charm. We’ve updated our rankings to reflect that.

TierVillagerPersonalityCatchphrase
SAudieanimal crossing audiePeppyFoxtrot
AWhitneyanimal crossing whitneySnootysnapppy
AFreyaanimal crossing skyeSnootyuff da
ASkyeanimal crossing skyeNormalairmail
BChiefanimal crossing chiefCrankyharrumph
BFanganimal crossing fangCrankycha-chomp
BWolfganganimal crossing wolfgangCrankysnarrrl
CDobieanimal crossing dobieCrankyohmmm
CKyleanimal crossing kyleSmugalpha
CViviananimal crossing vivianSnootypiffle
DLoboanimal crossing loboCrankyah-rooooo

 

About the Author

Dillon Skiffington

Dillon is the Senior Game Guides Editor at Fanbyte. He's been writing about video games for 15 years and has thousands of hours logged in FFXIV and hundreds of hours in Destiny 2.