Animal Crossing Villager Tier List: The Most Popular Residents Ranked

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has 413 possible villagers. Only 10 can live on your island at a time. Community trading, NPC island tours, and amiibo cards make specific villagers accessible but highly sought after. Here's who the community values most and why.

S-tier (universally beloved, highest trade value)

Raymond — smug cat with heterochromia (different colored eyes). The single most popular villager since ACNH launched. His design is unique, his personality is charming, and his demand has never dropped. The business-suit aesthetic appeals to players who want a "sophisticated" island.

Marshal — smug squirrel. Tiny, adorable, perpetually grumpy expression. His combination of cute design and sassy smug personality makes him one of the most wanted villagers in the game.

Judy — snooty cub with pastel galaxy eyes. Introduced in New Horizons with no amiibo card initially, making her extremely rare. Her design is ethereal and she's become a symbol of the "cottagecore" island aesthetic.

Ankha — snooty cat with Egyptian pharaoh design. One of the most visually distinctive villagers ever designed. Her gold and blue color scheme makes her stand out on any island.

Merengue — normal rhino with a strawberry horn. The dessert-themed design is irresistible. She's sweet-natured with the normal personality type, making her easy to have on your island.

Coco — normal rabbit with a gyroid face. Creepy-cute aesthetic that appeals to horror-cozy crossover fans. Her hollow eyes are simultaneously unsettling and endearing.

A-tier (highly popular, frequently sought)

Bob — lazy cat. One of the original villagers from the very first Animal Crossing. Purple, simple, iconic. Bob has been beloved for 20+ years.

Fauna — normal deer. Warm brown design, gentle personality. The quintessential "cozy island" villager.

Maple — normal cub. Teddy bear aesthetic. Another cottagecore favorite.

Stitches — lazy cub made of patchwork fabric. His design looks like a stuffed animal came to life.

Diana — snooty deer. Elegant purple and white design. The "classy" villager pick.

Whitney — snooty wolf. Sleek white design with blue eyes. Popular for both aesthetic and personality.

Lucky — lazy dog wrapped in bandages. Halloween-themed year-round. Appeals to spooky island builders.

Shino — peppy deer with oni (Japanese demon) horns. Introduced in the 2.0 update. Striking design that blends cute with fierce.

B-tier (popular, solid community demand)

Apollo — cranky eagle. American bald eagle design. Popular with players who want a "tough" villager.

Cherry — sisterly dog. Punk rock aesthetic with a warm personality underneath.

Zucker — lazy octopus designed to look like takoyaki (Japanese street food). Unique and charming.

Marina — normal octopus. Pink, simple, sweet. The nice octopus to Zucker's quirky one.

Molly — normal duck. Small, brown, adorable. "She's just a little duck" energy.

Beau — lazy deer. Sleepy forest boy aesthetic. Pairs well with Fauna for a deer duo.

Dom — jock sheep with rainbow horns. Energetic and colorful.

What determines villager popularity

Design is 80% of it. Villagers with unique, visually distinctive designs consistently rank highest. Cats, deer, wolves, and octopi are the most popular species. Mice, gorillas, and hippos trend lower.

Personality affects it. Smug and snooty personalities have the most entertaining dialogue. Lazy and normal are the sweetest. Cranky and jock have fewer fans but fill specific island vibes.

Rarity drives initial hype. New villagers without amiibo cards (Judy, Raymond, Shino at launch) were initially rare, driving demand. Amiibo availability has equalized this somewhat.

Internet culture amplifies it. Memes, fan art, and TikTok videos create feedback loops that make popular villagers more popular. Raymond's popularity is partially self-reinforcing — he's popular because everyone says he's popular.

How to get specific villagers

Mystery Island Tours — use Nook Miles Tickets to visit random islands. Each island has one random villager if you have an open plot. Low odds for specific villagers (1 in 413) but free to attempt.

Campsite visitors — random villagers visit your campsite. You can convince them to move in by winning card games. Slightly better odds because the game weights personality types you don't already have.

Amiibo cards — scan an amiibo card to invite a specific villager to your campsite. Three visits over three days and they'll agree to move in. The most reliable method for specific villagers.

Trading with other players — when a villager is moving out, other players can visit and invite them. Community trading (r/ACVillager, Nookazon) is the fastest way to get specific villagers.

What we make at Choost

We appreciate Animal Crossing's character design at Choost Games — the principle that visual distinctiveness drives player attachment applies to character design in any genre. For more Animal Crossing content, the animal crossing tips, games like Animal Crossing, and stardew valley vs animal crossing posts have more.

The shortest version

Most wanted: Raymond (cat), Marshal (squirrel), Judy (cub), Ankha (cat). Most beloved: Bob (OG), Merengue (strawberry rhino), Coco (creepy-cute). How to get them: Amiibo cards (guaranteed), trading with players (fast), Mystery Island Tours (free but random). The truth: Every villager has fans. The "tier list" reflects community consensus but your favorite villager is the right villager for your island.