Player Character | Main Town and Island NPCs | Other Special NPCs | Villager Types | Anime Characters
This character sheet is for the main special non-playable characters of the Animal Crossing franchise.
open/close all folders
Public Works
Tom Nook
Tom Nook (Tanukichi)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons outfit
- Voiced by: Naoki Tatsuta (movie)
The owner of the town's main shop, and a tanuki/raccoon. He sells you your house and collects your mortgage, as well as being your main source of income; you get Bells by selling things to him. In New Leaf, he focuses exclusively on real estate, selling players upgrades and remodeling services. In New Horizons, he leads a travel agency that runs a getaway to a deserted island, then starts a new civilization on the island with the people he brings with him, running the island's resident services.
- Alternative Character Interpretation: In-Universe example. Happy Home Designer reveals Tom knows about how some people think of him as greedy, or a villain that must be stopped, he doesn't mind as long as his teachings pull through.Tom Nook: I've heard some folks believe I'm a ruthless and heartless businessman. This is not true, and not just because I am a raccoon and not a man, yes, yes. Hm, perhaps I can see the value of having a boogeyman everyone can unite against. Or rather, in my case, a boogeycritter. But paying one's debts is important! If I must be villainized in my pursuit of teaching, then so be it!
- Benevolent Boss: While he's commonly seen as a ruthless loan shark, it's worth noting that he charges no interest in his home loans, gives you as much time as you need to repay him, and instantly gives you a job without an interview, or without reviewing qualifications or references, in order to pay it off.
- Big Fun: He's rather portly, and is a benevolent character who helps you set up your house in each game. As a hard-working businessman, he doesn't always show his "fun" side, but it's clear that he does have one. Justified because tanukis and raccoons are usually on the chunky side in real life too.
- Big Good: He expressly takes the role of Big Good in New Horizons, leading the charge of the development of the island into a true community, with you as his top enforcer, teaching you everything you need to know, giving proper objectives to make it as great a place as possible, being an Honest Corporate Executive and Benevolent Boss, and generally proving that time and parenthood did wonders for his character.
- But Thou Must!: ...upgrade your house. When you've finished paying a loan off in the early games, he'll ask whether you want to make another upgrade. If you say yes, he goes ahead and builds it... and if you say no, he says he's certain you won't be satisfied with a tiny house and goes ahead and upgrades it anyway. This lasts until New Leaf, at which point he sells upgrades in his shop much like any of the other remodeling jobs he has on hand. You still need to finish paying off your current upgrade before you can buy another, but you can decide to keep your current size after paying it off. The same applies to New Horizons, though at least the first upgrade (from tent to house) is required to progress the island.
- Character Development: The first few games stress how lonely and untrusting Tom Nook is due to being swindled by his business partners in the city, and portray him as a jaded and cynical businessman. In New Leaf, he's mellowed out and begun opening up to others, even going out of his way to buy coffee for the Nooklings and the Able Sisters to show that he appreciates their hard work. By New Horizons, he has plenty of friends and acquaintances whom he's considerably kinder to than in the original games, and much kinder to the player.
- Chaste Toons: According to himself, he's never married. It's unclear what relation his assistants Tommy and Timmy are to him; he says they're not related, but it's commonly thought that they're his nephews. Lazy and Jock villagers theorize that he took them in off the streets out of the goodness of his heart.
- Cynicism Catalyst: Going to the city and having his dreams crushed turned him from a young Wide-Eyed Idealist into the distrusting businessman he is now. His episode gives several of the details — he was denied a loan at the bank, was betrayed by people who allegedly tried to help him but instead stole his assets, and then let a friend borrow money but he ran off and never paid back. Despite all that, he admits that his dream still exists, but he suppresses it nowadays.
- A Dog Named "Dog": In Japanese, he's a tanuki named Tanukichi.
- Dreary Half-Lidded Eyes: His partly-closed peepers indicate a jaded soul.
- Dub Species Change: He's meant to be a tanuki (raccoon dog) in the original Japanese games, but the English localization turns him into a raccoon; despite this, his English name is a pun on the word "tanuki".
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference: In the N64 game and its Gamecube counterparts in Japan, Tom's apron has a kanji symbol instead of a leaf.
- Et Tu, Brute?: At least twice when he tried to strike big in the city, people who claimed to be his friends defrauded him and ran off with his money. It's the reason why he's so untrusting nowadays.
- Fantastic Racism: Happy Home Designer suggests that he's prejudiced towards foxes due to a bad experience with a certain one. note Have you ever worked with a fox? Yes, foxes are never to be trusted, hm? I worked with a fox once in my life. Never again. Not after... the incident. Stop! I cannot say a word more! Let us assume it was tragic and not speak of it again."
- The Gadfly: In the first game, he's a lot more prone to jokes at your expense. For example, he claims that he'll "send you to the raccoon goons" if you fail to pay your mortgage on time, then clarifies that he's kidding.
- Hidden Depths: Lyle reveals that Nook is actually a huge Fanboy of K.K. Slider. This becomes evident in New Horizons, where Nook is very enthusiastic about getting Slider to visit the island and even arranges a performance from him.
- Iconic Outfit: When people think Tom Nook, they typically think of his blue Nook's Cranny apron.
- Indecipherable Lyrics: Once you finally finish off that last loan in New Leaf, he'll celebrate by singing a song to you, which sounds like incoherent growls and hisses. According to him, the song is really old and in Raccoonish.
- Jade-Colored Glasses: What he eventually turned into according to Sable. She was very hurt when she found out that this is what Nook had become after trying to make it big in the city.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Say what you will about him forcing you into mortgages, but Nook's a genuinely nice person, in the later games if nothing else. In New Leaf, you can catch him at The Roost buying free coffee for random townspeople and the twins simply because he appreciates their honest work. Aww...
- Lonely at the Top: He was best friends with Sable in the past, but he lost their friendship in favor of running his Cranny. This is averted in New Horizons, however, where Blathers is explicitly a friend of his and he has more positive relationships with the player and other residents.
- Meaningful Name: Both his Japanese and English name sound like "tanuki", which is his species.
- No Mouth: His mouth isn't visible but his nose twitches when he talks.
- Noodle Incident: The incident that turned him from the Wide-Eyed Idealist to a cynical businessman is hinted several times throughout the series but never fully elaborated. Based on the evidences, it apparently involved Tom Nook being swindled by someone he once trusted, and it's heavily implied to be Crazy Redd based on Nook's hatred of foxes.
- Series Mascot: Zig-zagged. Tom Nook was the de-facto mascot until New Leaf, which is when Isabelle began to represent the franchise in his place. As of New Horizons, the pair have become co-mascots.
- Ship Tease: With Sable; their episodes in Wild World reveal that the two were close friends that shared similar ambitions before Nook suddenly took off for the city. In New Leaf, Lyle mentions that he had dinner with Nook and the Able Sisters, which causes Nook to get noticeably flustered.
- So Proud of You: Expresses pride in the player's accomplishments fairly often in New Horizons, especially when they pay off loans or complete a major development project.
- Tanuki: The English localization calls him a raccoon, but his Punny Name makes it clear that this is what he really is.
- Took a Level in Kindness:
- In New Leaf, he doesn't force you to upgrade your house anymore, and sometimes buys coffee for other people to show his appreciation for their hard work.
- In New Horizons, he lampshades that he doesn't have deadlines or interest on his loans, admits he'll let Timmy and Tommy buy trash and weeds off the player even though it's not very profitable to the company, and expresses pride in the player when they reach milestones in helping build up the island. He also makes up a digital currency (Nook Miles) that the player can earn from helping out others and tidying up the island, and which can be redeemed for goods or Bells.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: According to Sable, he was an idealistic young dreamer before he went to the city and came back as a changed man.
- Verbal Tic: "Yes, yes" and "hm?".
- We Used to Be Friends: With Sable, until he went to the city and they grew apart.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: In Wild World, he'll sometimes tell the player about how he used to be this before he tried to make it big in the city and ended up facing many hardships that really wore him down and caused him to distance himself from friends, including Sable. He finally seems to have gained some of it back by New Horizons admitting to being generous with the player (even against his accountant's advice at times) and seeming overall happier.
Isabelle
Isabelle (Shizue)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons outfit
Introduced in New Leaf, she's a Shih Tzu who introduces you to the town and becomes your secretary. In New Horizons, she moves to your island after the Resident Services building is constructed, assisting Tom Nook by running the service's Civic Consultation Counter and taking over daily announcements from him.
- All There in the Manual: She, alongside most other NPC's shared between New Leaf and Happy Home Designer get more characterisation.
- Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: Her English name contains "bell"; bells are the name of the source of currency in the game. Her head is shaped like a bag of bells, and her hair is tied up with actual bells. When she walks/runs, they can be heard tinkling. She's also the primary gold sink in New Leaf, requiring you to earn a lot of bells in order to upgrade your town.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Discussed by Jock villagers, who fear her going "Isabellistic" should you break a window.
- Black Bead Eyes: Especially in her shocked expression, where they turn into very small black dots.
- Breakout Character: She's made a lot of appearances since her debut, appearing in Super Smash Bros. (first as an Assist Trophy and later as a full-fledged fighter), Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, and Mario Kart 8. She essentially dethroned Tom Nook and K.K. Slider as the "representatives" of the series.
- But Thou Must!: ...be the mayor. Players aren't given the option to not run the town in New Leaf.
- Cute Clumsy Girl: Isabelle is scatterbrained and clumsy at times.
- Demoted to Extra: Downplayed in New Horizons. She doesn't arrive on your island until Resident Services is upgraded to a permanent building, and her role isn't as prominent as in past entries. She's even a little bit more into the background on the game's cover/icon art. But she is the one you go to if you want to make changes to the island's flag, tune or residents and to check on your island's rating, and will always be the first resident you see (outside of the title screen) and hear when you start a new day after she takes over announcements from Tom Nook, so she won't be out of the spotlight anytime soon. With the new update from November 2021, she will also announce what special characters are visiting the island that day in her morning announcements.
- Fangirl: She thinks K.K. Slider is dreamy.
- Genius Ditz: A conversation with Digby in Happy Home Designer mentions that while his sister may be a bit of a silly puppy at times, she apparently has engineering degrees from 19 different universities.
- Girls with Moustaches: Sports a Shih Tzu beard in all of her appearances, though it's stylized more as a muzzle.
- Iconic Outfit: Though she's worn plenty of other outfits over the years, her green gingham vest is her most well-known look.
- Iconic Sequel Character: She's one of the series's mascots, but doesn't appear until the fourth installment.
- Informed Attribute:
- Supposedly Isabelle is such a hard worker that she doesn't even have the time to sleep. But once she's done introducing the player to the town, she doesn't actually do anything except stand in place all day and tell the player basic information. It's also implied she helps organize a few events around the year, but outside of that, it's highly questionable what keeps her so incredibly busy all day.
- It's a bit more apparent with her new Resident Services job in New Horizons, as she can be seen cleaning up or filing paperwork depending on the time of day... though she can also be seen staring out the window or spritzing the flowers at her desk and smelling them. She's also seen hard at work in her reveal trailer for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Played straight. Isabelle has golden hair and is always kind to others no matter what.
- Meaningful Name:
- Her Japanese name is derived from Shih Tzu, the dog breed she's based on.
- Her English name is pronounced "is a bell", referring to the bell she wears and the fact that her head looks like a sack of Bells.
- Her French name is Marie, which is one letter away from "mairie" the French word for "Town Hall", it's also an anagram of "maire", which is French for "mayor".
- Her Spanish name is "Canela" (Cinammon) which is both normally a very stereotypical dog name in Spanish-speaking regions and also a Punny Name, since her name has the suffix for "dog" (Canela)
- Nice Girl: She's very patient despite the mayor's inexperience and likes nothing better than helping you out. She even works on holidays!
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: When at home in Happy Home Designer, she wears a pink shirt, while her twin brother Digby wears a blue one.
- Precious Puppy: While her mature behavior and office job cement her as an adult, she still looks like a small and young Shih Tzu, and she is very endearing.
- Series Mascot: She shares this role with the Player Character and Tom Nook, if her presence on New Leaf's Home Screen graphic is any indication, along with her introduction in New Horizons starts with her taking over Tom Nook's job as island broadcaster.
- Ship Tease: A few lines (and the gift you get from the Valentine's Day event) imply Isabelle has a crush on the mayor, regardless of their gender.
- Take That, Audience!: In Happy Home Designer, she may mention being a mayoral assistant for two years for a town called AAAAAA, and left after the Mayor didn't return. Happy Home Designer came out two years after New Leaf, so this is a clear potshot at players who forgot about their New Leaf towns.
- Twin Telepathy: In New Horizons according to Isabelle, she and Digby may have some form of this, as they often feel the same way at the same time. It even extends to them making the same dinner on some nights.
- Voice Changeling: When asked about the island evaluations in New Horizons, Isabelle will read aloud a review of the island in the voice of whoever it was written by.
Blathers
Blathers (Fuuta)
- Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (movie)
This owl runs the museum in town, and is its primary curator. Though friendly and intelligent, he has a noted tendency for sleeping on the job... and being really, really freaked out by bugs. He was first introduced in Animal Forest+, the Japanese port of the N64 original.
- Absurd Phobia: While his fear of bugs is not absurd itself, thanks to how the museum registers collectible items, Blathers seems to be more afraid of whatever is caught in a bug net than actual bugs and other invertebrates. For example, if you show him a land snail, he would go on of how disgusting they are. But if you show him a whelk, a type of sea snail, he would be delighted and then cheerfully mentions how these snails would eat their prey in visceral detail despite the fact they are both snails. Occasionally, he would mention (and dread) the similarities of some deep-sea creatures to bugs, but these are few in comparison.
- Antiquated Linguistics: He speaks with some elements of this, wot wot!
- Big Brother Instinct: He mentions being afraid that his fear of insects makes him a "substandard brother" towards Celeste, who loves butterflies and going camping and on hiking trips, and that his phobia makes him an embarrassment to her. For her sake, he does attempt to conquer his fear. It doesn't work out as planned, but at least the poor owl tries.
- Big "NO!": Donate a Cockroach to the museum in Wild World, and he'll react with one of these, along with the most vehement protesting in the game by far.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: He has large feathers above his eyes in the manner of eyebrows, giving him the look of a great horned owl.
- Characterization Marches On: In the original games, Blathers found fish repulsive. Come Wild World and he suddenly adores cooking fish.
- Cute Owl: Maybe not in the conventional sense, but he's one lovably dorky guy.
- Family Theme Naming: In Japanese, his name is Fuuta (フータ) and his sister's name is Fuuko (フーコ). Overlaps with Alliterative Family.
- Fell Asleep Standing Up: Blathers is always asleep during the day standing up until the player wakes him up.
- Fur Is Clothing: Well, feathers, but the pattern on his chest resembles an argyle sweater.
- Insufferable Genius: He's very knowledgeable of the various wildlife you give him, and very confident in his intelligence.
- Large Ham: He tends to emote a lot when describing the donations the player gives him.
- Lost in Translation: In the original Japanese, his name and his sister's start with the same two katakana characters. They don't share a similar naming equivalent in English.
- Meaningful Name: He blathers a lot. Defied in New Leaf, as whenever he starts to go off on a tangent, he stops himself. In New Horizons, when giving Blathers the stand to commemorate the opening of the museum, Tom Nook makes sure to stress that he is to give a few brief words before letting him speak.
- Motor Mouth: Hence his name, Blathers talks... a lot, mostly when he gives the Player information on a certain fossil.
- Noodle Incident: That time a snapping turtle chased Blathers across a parking lot and he had to climb on top of a car.
- The Night Owl: Being a literal owl, he is only awake during the nighttime.
- Not a Morning Person: Since Blathers is an owl, which are nocturnal animals, he'll be asleep if you visit him in the middle of the day. He even mentions that he's not much of a morning person if you wake him up.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: In Wild World, you know he's in a hard time when he's awake during the day.
- The One Thing I Don't Hate About You: He absolutely abhors insects, but if you show him a Bell Cricket in New Horizons, he will begrudgingly admit that he likes the sound they make. He then immediately turns around and mentions that while he does find the sound pleasant, he thinks the way they make it by rubbing their wings together is gross. He also agrees with the sentiment that the Madagascan Sunset Moth is the most beautiful moth in the world. Additionally, he admits that honeybees are the insects he hates the least because at least they are important to the environment and they don't actively harm others.
- Owls Ask "Who?": It's in his Japanese name, Fuuta (fuu is the equivalent to hoo). He also peppers "hoot" in his speech, and says "Hooooo... WHO?!" if you wake him up.
- The Owl-Knowing One: Blathers is highly intelligent, as one would expect from a museum curator.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Seems they call him "Blathers" for a reason.
- Sleepyhead: If you visit the museum during the day, you'll have to wake him up in order to speak to him.
- Sympathy for the Devil: Downplayed, Despite the fact that he hates insects, if you show him an atlas moth in New Horizons he will offhandedly mention that he feels bad for them because they are doomed to starve to death upon becoming adults due to no longer having mouths.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Starting with Wild World, he really loves seafood.
- Unknown Item Identification: From Wild World onwards, he can identify fossils that the player shows to him. This is also the only way to identify fake art in Wild World.
- Vegetarian Carnivore: Even though invertebrates are a staple part of the owl's diet, he is terrified of bugs and gets nauseated by the sight of them. He's also repulsed by the idea of eating mice and frogs judging by his description of the tarantula, but guess what bird preys on those animals as well? He also initially didn't like fish until Wild World. In New Horizons, he makes special mention of certain insects whose larva (or even adult forms, in the case of the paper kite butterfly) are poisonous to predators. These cases likely don't help his phobia.
- Verbal Tic: He tends to end sentences with "eh wot?" and to replace "anyhow" with "anyhoot".
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?:
- Blathers really hates bugs, although he still recognizes their importance to the natural world and accepts them as a part of his museum. In the original game, he was similarly perturbed by fish, but this seems to have gone away since Wild World.
- In New Horizons, he also appears to be terrified of tigers. When given a tiger butterfly, he makes an offhand comment about how tigers are terrifying at any size, while his description for the sabretooth tiger fossils have him comment on nightmares he has involving tigers hunting him.
- Younger Than They Look: In Wild World, he states he's still in his twenties, despite his somewhat antiquated way of speaking implying he's older. He traveled to town to curate the museum in lieu of pursuing his doctorate.
Celeste
Celeste (Fuuko)
- Voiced by: Mika Kanai (movie)
Blathers's younger sister was first introduced in Wild World. She is a bit absent-minded, but very cute. She runs the museum's Observatory in the second and third games, and handles the museum's gift shop and personal exhibits in New Leaf. In New Horizons, she appears on nights with meteor showers to stargaze and give you recipes for constellation-themed items.
- Acrophobic Bird: According to Celeste herself in Happy Home Designer, she cannot fly. Though she does fly in the Island Escape minigame in amiibo Festival and New Leaf.
- Cute Owl: She's even the page image!
- The Cutie: Oh, so very cute. Perky, too. She's one of the few characters who the option "You're adorable!" shows up for. If you're female, she will blush and tell you that you are even more adorable. If you're male, she'll become very flustered.
- Depending on the Writer: Can Celeste fly? She does so in the Island Escape minigame in amiibo Festival and New Leaf, but says that she can't in Happy Home Designer.
- Family Theme Naming: In Japanese, her name is Fuuko (フーコ) and her brother's name is Fuuta (フータ). Overlaps with Alliterative Family.
- Fell Asleep Standing Up: Just like her brother, she sleeps standing up during the day until you wake her.
- Gadgeteer Genius: She doesn't build them herself, but in New Horizons, she can give you DIY recipes that tell you how to build various space equipment, including an astronaut suit, a satellite, a lunar rover, a space shuttle and a small spaceship—one that really floats!
- Make a Wish: In New Horizons, she teaches you how to wish on shooting stars. Just tilt the right analog stick upwards to look at the sky, without holding any tools, and press A when a shooting star falls.
- Meaningful Name: Celeste as in "celestial," seeing as she originally dealt with constellations. Something of an artifact in New Leaf, where her job doesn't have much to do with the stars, but rectified in New Horizons.
- The Night Owl: Celeste is literally an owl and, as a Furry Reminder, she sleeps during the daytime.
- The Owl-Knowing One: She's picked this up from her brother, most noticeably in New Horizons, where she'll tell you stories relating to the zodiac should you present her with a corresponding star fragment.
- Owls Ask "Who?": It's in her Japanese name, Fuuko (fuu is the equivalent to hoo). In the English versions, her catchphrase is "Hootie-toot!"
- Pink Means Feminine: She's a red-and-pink female owl with a pink bow, distinguishing her from her brother.
- Sleepyhead: Like her brother, she'll sleep during the day. Unlike her brother, she'll deny the fact that she sleeps on the job.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Like Blathers, she has eyebrow-feathers, Blush Stickers (though hers are more like a Luminescent Blush), black-and-white wingtips, and an argyle sweater-like pattern on her tummy.
- Vague Age: Unlike her brother, her age hasn't been disclosed. Given that Blathers is in his twenties and she's his younger sister, her age could range from being a young child to an adult only a few years younger than him. The games never make it clear: her ability to work a job and her knowledge of astronomy imply that she's an adult, yet her small size and cutesy personality imply that she's a kid. Blathers also referred to her as a "youth" once, so it's possible she could be a teenager.
- Wingding Eyes: She gets stars in her pupils when she's happy. It's adorable.
Tortimer
Tortimer (Kotobuki)
- Voiced by: Kenichi Ogata (movie)
The town's mayor is a goofy old tortoise with eccentric mannerisms and a taste for a good party. He's a bit lazy unless there's a special event going on, though. In New Leaf, he's retired from his post and now organizes and runs tours on the island. First introduced in Animal Forest +, the Japanese port of the N64 original.
- The Bus Came Back: After the version 2.0 update, Tortimer returns to New Horizons as a permanent resident of Harv Island's plaza.
- Cool Old Guy: He's surprisingly a bit of a party animal, and runs most festivities and games on the island.
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference: In the original Japanese version, he wore a white obi sash and a zucchetto instead of his top hat and bowtie, and he also lacked his walking cane. He still wore the glasses, but they had blue lenses instead of clear lenses.
- Hat of Authority: He wears a top hat and is the mayor of the town.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: His laziness as the mayor resulted in Phyllis becoming overworked and jaded.
- Paper-Thin Disguise:
- In Wild World during the acorn festival, instead of Tortimer, the mysterious Cornimer will be waiting for you in front of Town Hall. He's definitely not Tortimer in a mask
, nooo... - "Cornimer" returns semi-randomly in New Horizons, in place of Tortimer on Harv's Island.
- Downplayed in City Folk, where some of the villagers will spread rumors about his shell being fake.
- In Wild World during the acorn festival, instead of Tortimer, the mysterious Cornimer will be waiting for you in front of Town Hall. He's definitely not Tortimer in a mask
- Permanent Elected Official: It's even played with in The Movie where he wins by one vote... the only vote, which is his. In New Leaf, he's retired from his position and the player is the new mayor, inheriting this trope from him.
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: While he was mayor, he apparently didn't do anything that the job of mayor entails apart from being the MC for events. In the original game, his primary mayoral duty was turning on the lamp in the lighthouse.
- Retired Badass: In between City Folk and New Leaf, he retired and moved to his own island, enjoying his sunset years close to his loved ones. The same applies in New Horizons, where he's part of Harv's commune.
- Scatterbrained Senior: He's very old, and tends to be... shall we say, eccentric.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Wears a top hat, bowtie and cane while on the job.
- Signature Laugh: "Heh heh HORF!"
- When I Was Your Age...: He often remarks on his confusion about "kids these days" and modern technology.
- Wise Old Turtle: A very elderly tortoise, and he seems to think of himself as wise, though others occasionally call him on it.
Pelly
Pelly (Peliko)
- Voiced by: Otoha (movie)
One of the two pelican receptionists at the town hall, she works in the daytime. Her sister Phyllis works at night. She has an unrequited crush on the mailbird, Pete.
- A Lizard Named "Liz": A pelican named Pelly.
- Alliterative Family: Pelly and her sister Phyllis.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Pete prefers her sister, Phyllis, even though Pelly has a massive crush on him.
- Family Theme Naming: In the Spanish versions, Pelly and her sister Phyllis' names are "Sol" and "Estrella" (Sun and Star) respectively, referencing how former works the day shift and latter works the night shift.
- Gleeful and Grumpy Pairing: The Gleeful to Phyllis's Grumpy.
- Nice Girl: She's very upbeat and friendly, in contrast to her sister.
- The Pollyanna: Pelly is optimistic and joyful.
- Punny Name: A pelican named "Pelly". Also applies in the French version of the game, where she's known as "Opélie", a twist on "Ophélie", an actual French given name.
- Rhymes on a Dime: In the first game: "Rain or sleet, snow or hail, we'll deliver what you mail!"
- Sibling Yin-Yang: She's a sweet and optimistic girl, and her sister Phyllis is mean and grumpy.
- Theme Naming: All three pelicans have names starting with "P."
Phyllis
Phyllis (Pelimi)
- Voiced by: Yuko Mizutani (movie)
Pelly's older sister. In contrast to her outgoing sister, she's grumpy and cynical. Maybe it's because she always works the graveyard shift. Pete has a crush on her, but she doesn't feel the same way about him.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Gossip floating around your villagers reveals that Phyllis is widely disliked around town, mostly due to her attitude. Snooty and Cranky villagers tend to hate her the most.
- Alliterative Family: Phyllis and her sister Pelly.
- Apathetic Clerk: She's blunt and snappy, and will complain under her breath when someone asks her to do her job.
- Big Sister Instinct: She's very protective of Pelly, especially with regards to her crush on Pete.
- Deadpan Snarker: She tends to mutter things under her breath a lot.
- Family Theme Naming: In the Spanish versions, Phyllis and her sister Pelly's names are "Estrella" and "Sol" (Star and Sun) respectively, referencing how the latter works the day shift and the former works the night shift.
- Gleeful and Grumpy Pairing: The Grumpy to Pelly's Gleeful.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Phyllis isn't immune to happiness or a moment without snarking. It is likely she gets her attitude from having to stay up so late and work the night shift. This is confirmed in New Leaf, where she outright admits in The Roost that she's grumpy from always being swamped with work, and adding that Tortimer was the main reason for this. She states if you became mayor much earlier, things would have been different.
- Official Couple: Her and Pete. Although later games imply that their relationship is largely one-sided on Pete's part.
- Punny Name: In the French version, her name is "Elisabec", "bec" being French for "beak". Because pelicans have large beaks, y'see ?
- Sibling Yin-Yang: While her sister Pelly is optimistic and kind, she's pessimistic and snarky.
- Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: In the first game, at least, this is why Pete prefers her to Pelly.
- Theme Naming: All three pelicans have names starting with "P."
- Took a Level in Jerkass: In the first game, she's merely a Deadpan Snarker, but she becomes more openly vitriolic in Wild World, which correlates to the greater amount of work she has to do.
Pete
Pete (Pelio)
- Voiced by: Akio Suyama (movie)
The mailbird. He's always busy with deliveries, but with good timing, you can chat with him on the job. In the first game, he's somewhat bitter and aloof. In the later games, though, he's just stressed.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Pete is head over heels for Phyllis, although Phyllis makes it very clear that she absolutely hates his guts. And his hat.
- Characterization Marches On: In the first game, he was rather cynical. In the later games, he mellows out and is just overworked.
- Flying Postman: A bird who delivers the mail, and the only bird character that we see actually using his wings.
- Theme Naming: All three pelicans have names starting with "P."
- Videogame Cruelty Potential: In contrast to how in the first game he could be seen walking around near the player's house around the time he delivers mail, the only way to speak to him in the second game is to wait for the right time and shoot him out of the air. However, in the next games he's back to walking around during his delivery run for that very reason. In New Leaf he Lampshades this by saying this is the reason he now only walks while delivering.
- Vocal Evolution: He had a deep voice in the first game. Later games give him a normal male voice.
- What the Hell, Player?: His reaction if you shoot him down to talk to him in Wild World.
Copper
Copper (Policeman A; Original games and New Leaf) (Gatekeeper B; Wild World and City Folk)
In the first game, he and his partner, Booker, are policedogs who notify you of happenings and run the lost and found. In the second and third games, they're city guards instead, helping you with Wi-Fi things as well as the above. In New Leaf they're back to their original role, except that only one of them can work in a town at a time.
- By-the-Book Cop: He's the town's strict law enforcement, and he reports on criminal activity in the area, such as Gracie's illegal parking and Redd's black market.
- Hot-Blooded: He's very dedicated to his work.
- Hidden Depths: Besides being a policeman, he also hosts the group stretches in the original game, indicating his passion for aerobics.
- Perpetual Frowner: He always has a serious expression on his face.
- Policeman Dog: He's a bulldog who serves as the town's policedog slash guard slash lost-and-found keeper.
- Punny Name: Copper is a British slang term for a police officer.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red Oni, passionate about his job and always ready for duty.
- Those Two Guys: He is never seen apart from Booker in City Folk, always standing guard next to him.
Booker
Booker (Policeman B; Original games and New Leaf) (Gatekeeper A; Wild World and City Folk)
Copper's partner is significantly less outgoing than his superior. He still runs the Lost and Found for you, though.
- Apologizes a Lot: Comes with being so shy.
- Dandere: Although Booker is rather shy, he seems at least hospitable to people like the Mayor.
- Extreme Doormat: He will often question himself whether you actually lost the item you are picking up in the Lost and Found, but won't press on.
- Perpetual Frowner: He always frowns due to being nervous and timid.
- Policeman Dog: He's a bulldog who serves as the town's policedog slash guard slash lost-and-found keeper.
- Punny Name: "Booking" is slang for arresting.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue Oni, always quiet and introverted.
- Shrinking Violet: Especially when compared to Copper.
- Those Two Guys: He is never seen apart from Copper in City Folk, always standing guard next to him.
Shopkeepers and Other Businesses
Timmy and Tommy
Timmy and Tommy (Mamekichi & Tsubukichi)
- Ascended Extra: Formerly assistants to Nookington's, they run the main shops in New Leaf and New Horizons.
- The Dividual: Which one is Timmy and which one is Tommy? Does it matter?
- Dub Species Change: Like their uncle, they're meant to be tanuki but are referred to as raccoons in the English localization.
- Family Theme Naming: In Japanese, Tom's name is Tanukichi, while the twins' names are Mamekichi and Tsubukichi.
- Fanboys: Tom says that both boys often profess to looking up to him and wanting to be just like him, however he notes that they most often do it when they've gotten into his things.
- Heartwarming Orphans: Lazy and Jock villagers believe Tom Nook took them off the streets and gave them a nice place to work, out of the goodness of his heart.
- Mini-Me: Tommy and Timmy usually wear matching outfits when they are working with Tom Nook, making the raccoon twins look like younger splitting images of their employer.
- No Mouth: Their mouths aren't visible but their noses twitch when they talk.
- Outgrowing the Childish Name: If you upgrade their shop to T&T Emporium in New Leaf, they will start going by "Timothy" and "Thomas" on the town billboard. Their in-game names don't change.
- Shout-Out: Their English-language names could be a reference to characters from The Sandlot, a pair of brothers named Timmy and Tommy who share a similar Verbal Tic.note
- Single-Minded Twins: Their dialogue makes it seem that they Speak in Unison, though one always lags behind the other. One of Katrina's negative fortunes indicates they don't always get along. In Pocket Camp, Timmy admits the reason they always dress alike is not because of this trope, but Timmy intentionally copying Tommy, whose fashion sense he envies.
- Tanuki: Like their uncle, this is what they were intended to be in the Japanese versions of the games. Their mischievous personalities are also more in line with how tanuki are depicted in folklore.
- The Trickster: Tom Nook occasionally laments their craftiness.
- Verbal Tic: They speak in unison, but whichever Nookling isn't speaking tends to trail behind. ...trail behind.
- Vague Age: They're far smaller than most villagers, especially Nook, whose species they share. This and their "assistant" role led fans to assume they were young children, but then by New Leaf they're running stores on their own. Katie has clearly aged enough to indicate a lengthy Time Skip, so they have aged too, but to what extent is unclear. Tom Nook mentions in New Leaf that they're old enough to drink coffee, and New Horizons confirms this, while the younger Leila and Daisy Mae eat cookies instead. Considering that Katie is clearly still a young child and drinks coffee just fine, it's possible they're still children, just older than Daisy Mae and Leila. They're young enough for in-game villagers to assume Nook adopted them, which at least indicates they're meant to be seen as minors, though teenagers can still be adopted.
Sable
Sable (Asami)
- Voiced by: Saori Hattori (movie)
The oldest Able Sister, she's a quiet hedgehog who doesn't talk much. She runs the Able Sister shops, which sell patterns, and, in later games, clothing and accessories. She spends most of her time at the sewing machine. But with a little talk, she opens up... First introduced in Animal Forest+, the Japanese port of the N64 original.
- Character Development: She becomes less shy the more days you talk to her.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Not so much icy as shy, though. If you talk to her often enough, she'll start being happy to see you when you walk in the door.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: In New Horizons, she can ask you if you've met their other sister Label. This will happen multiple times, even if you have met Label before, or if Sable has already asked you previously if you've met her. Downplayed in that if you've done enough sessions with Label, Sable will stop asking this question and instead start telling you how much she appreciates you helping Label out.
- No Mouth: Her mouth isn't visible but her nose twitches when she talks.
- Odd Name Out: In English, her sisters' names end with "-el", while her name ends with "-le".
- Promotion to Parent: In the past, she had to take care of Mabel and Labelle after their parents were killed in a car accident.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Despite their colored fur and quills, Sable is the shy and quiet blue oni to the cheerful and charismatic Mabel's red.
- Ship Tease: With Tom Nook. She fondly recalls the time Tom sent her a pair of bright orange scissors for her birthday, and how she continued to use those scissors far after the blades had dulled.
- Shrinking Violet: The reason she doesn't talk to you very much at first.
- Theme Naming: She and her sisters Mabel and Label have names that rhyme with "able".
- We Used to Be Friends: With Tom Nook, growing apart after Tom failed his city plans. While Tom eventually grew out of his cynical slump, the two have yet to fully reconcile.
Mabel
Mabel (Kinuyo)
- Voiced by: Mari Adachi (movie)
The youngest Able Sister, she greets customers at the Able Sister's shop and handles the transactions, and is a perky, open sort. First introduced in Animal Forest+, the Japanese port of the N64 original.
- The Baby of the Bunch: Mabel is the youngest of the three Able Sisters.
- Genki Girl: She's always eager to greet you when you enter the shop.
- No Mouth: Her mouth isn't visible but her nose twitches when she talks.
- Odd Name Out: During the period around City Folk where Label changed her name to Labelle while working at GracieGrace, Mabel was the only one of the sisters whose name ended with "-el".
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Despite their colored fur and quills, Mabel is the cheerful and charismatic red oni to the shy and quiet Sable's blue.
- Theme Naming: Like Sable, her name rhymes with able.
- Tomboy: Sable describes her as one, and unlike her sisters, she wears a t-shirt and pants instead of a dress when at home.
- Tomboy with a Girly Streak: She enjoys dolls and footballs.
- Trademark Favorite Food: If you talk to her in Happy Home Designer, she says pickles are her favorite food.
Brewster
Brewster (Master)
- Voiced by: Takaya Hashi (movie)
First introduced in Wild World, he runs the coffee shop beneath the museum. He's a quiet one, but he makes a mean cup of coffee. He came from the city — if you couldn't tell, him being a pigeon and all.
- Animal Facial Hair: He has a mustache, despite being a bird.
- The Bus Came Back: After over a year's long absence in New Horizons, he returns as part of the game's 2.0 update, offering his coffee shop services within the further expanded museum.
- Defrosting Ice King: Become a regular at The Roost and he'll slowly become more open to talk to you.
- Give Me Your Inventory Item: Inverted. Starting with City Folk, if visit him enough times, he'll store your Gyroids for you if he notices one in your inventory.
- Not So Stoic: If you do well during your part-time job at The Roost in New Leaf, people may compliment you that you are even better than Brewster. If they say this, you can see Brewster display the Shock reaction next to you.
- Odd Friendship: He's good friends with Blathers; they met each other in the city, which is why he runs a coffee shop in the museum in the first place. It's never directly commented upon, but Brewster being so quiet and Blathers being... well, Blathers, one can only wonder how they got along so well.
- One Note Chef: He only knows how to make coffee. Really good coffee. He also offers cookies to children in New Horizons.
- Shrinking Violet: Some villagers insist that Brewster's quiet personality is just because he's a shy person. Judging by how he reacts to certain conversations and his very quiet voice, that may very well be true.
- Singing Voice Dissonance: Placing him in front of a microphone in New Horizons has him sing with the voice of a peppy villager rather than the cranky voice like you'd expect.
- The Stoic: Even after you befriend him, he still acts pretty low key.
- Verbal Tic: Being a pigeon, he says "coo" a lot, such as when he greets the player with "coo to see you". It even rubs off on the player when talking to him; for example, the dialogue options when Brewster offers to give you a job are "Coo! I'd love that!" and "No, thanks. I'm coo."
Reese and Cyrus
Reese and Cyrus (Lisa and Kaizou)
- Affectionate Nickname:
- Reese nicknames Cyrus "Cy-Guy".
- Cyrus calls the player "Little Squirt" when talking to him in New Horizons.
- Berserk Button: Reese cannot stand bad drivers, as revealed in the Welcome Amiibo update when you talk to her in her camper. She gets so mad Cyrus is terrified of riding in the same car as her.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: If the player is female, Reese warns the player not to fall for Cyrus.
- Coordinated Clothes: They wear the same style of overalls with the colors reversed; Reese wears red with blue stitches, while Cyrus wears blue with red stitches.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: If the player is male, Cyrus threatens to make the player see in 4D should they "make goo-goo eyes" at his wife.
- Demoted to Extra: Applies to Reese in New Horizons outside of Wedding Season. While she returns with Cyrus as part of his customization service, she doesn't do anything other than watching him work and tells the player to talk to him if they need anything. The Nooklings have also taken her role of being the primary way to buy and sell items.
- Even the Guys Want Him: Cyrus seems to "inspire" Jock villagers regarding his physique, who more or less are swooning at the thought of him if you talk to them outside near Re-Tail.
- Happily Married:
- They're very affectionate with each other and never seem to have any marital problems. In New Horizons, they show up on Harvey's island wanting to take wedding photos for their anniversary every year and generally act like newlyweds through the process.
- In Happy Home Paradise, should the player invite Reese to the archipelago for a vacation home through an amiibo, she will always bring Cyrus along and implies that moving there was a mutual decision. The same applies if the player scans Cyrus' amiibo.
- In New Horizons, Reese and Cyrus will also always bring each other to The Roost regardless of which Amiibo was scanned by the players. If spoken to, Cyrus will explain to the player that the best way to maintain a relationship is to keep taking your sweetheart out to places.
- Meaningful Name: "Reese" and "Cyrus" are both derived from "recycle". Fitting, since they run a pawn shop. "Reese" by itself is phonetically similar to "resell," while Cyrus's Japanese name can mean "remodel", matching their jobs.
- Meet Cute: Reese first saw Cyrus drive a motorcycle down the street, but he crashed it into an ice cream truck, and they've been inseparable ever since.
- Mr. Fixit: Cyrus can refurbish a very large number of things. From changing the wood color and fabric of furniture to turning fossils into models. His customization role returns in New Horizons, as he's able to customize any item with variations in the game for a fee, including items the player is unable to customize themselves.
- Pale Females, Dark Males: Downplayed; Reese's fur and ears are white while Cyrus has a more human-like skin tone.
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Obviously.
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: Some of the villagers think they're this.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Inverted with Reese, who says in Happy Home Designer that she was a mean and rude girl when she was younger, but now is a perfectly pleasant adult.
Digby
Digby (Kent)
- The Bus Came Back: Downplayed. While he still doesn't return as a main NPC in New Horizons like in the previous entries, he can be invited to The Roost using his amiibo, where he'll state that he still does home evaluations through Happy Home Academy. As well, in Happy Home Paradise players can make him a vacation home after inviting him via amiibo.
- Innocently Insensitive: In one of his exclusive logbook entries in amiibo Festival, he notices his coworker Lottie (who has a crush on him) looking different than usual (i.e. she forgot to put on her makeup). He asks if she was feeling OK, which hurts her feelings.
- Mature Younger Sibling: He is the younger twin of Isabelle but is the more mature one of the pair.
- Nice Guy: Similarly to his sister, he's generally a pleasant character to interact with. If invited to The Roost through amiibo in New Horizons, he'll thank the player for looking after his sister.
- Twin Telepathy: In New Horizons according to Isabelle, she and Digby may have some form of this, as they often feel the same way at the same time. It even extends to them making the same dinner on some nights.
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: When at home in Happy Home Designer, he wears a blue shirt, while Isabelle wears a pink one.
- Precious Puppy: Like his sister, Digby has a mature demeanor, but physically, he's so small and cute and fluffy!
Luna
Luna (Yumemi)
- The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes: Though her services help people get a good night's sleep, in one of Katrina's fortunes in New Horizons, Luna herself suffers from insomnia because she is unable to eat her own bad dreams.
- Counting Sheep: Does this before the player enters a dream world.
- Meaningful Name: Her Japanese name, fittingly, means "dreaming"; her localized name is the Spanish word for the moon.
- Youkai: Less obvious than Kapp'n. Her species is likely a reference to the baku, a dream-eating youkai that resembles a tapir in appearance. (It's also the basis of Drowzee and Munna from Pokémon.)
Leif
Leif (Reiji)
- Enmity with an Object: Leif hates weeds.
- Meaningful Name: His Japanese name means "lazy", though it loses its meaningfulness once he gets started weeding.
- Nature Lover: He detests weeds and offers weed-pulling services once he is partnered with the Nooklings (TIY). On Grass Day he hands out flower-themed furniture for pulling weeds. Fittingly, in New Horizons, he becomes a visitor around Earth Day.
- Non-Ironic Clown: Invoked. He appears to be wearing clown facepaint, and he's a very friendly and upbeat guy.
- Punny Name: Just one letter away from "leaf".
Lottie
Lottie (Takumi)
- All Love Is Unrequited: She has a crush on Digby, but considering that the game she's in is about designing homes for villagers... It's probably not going to go anywhere.
- Benevolent Boss: She's the player's boss when working in Paradise Planning yet she is nothing but gregarious and encouraging to her employees and enjoys taking them out for a treat whenever the player reaches a milestone in their career.
- Black Bead Eyes: Without her make-up, Lottie's eyes are actually really small. It's almost as if she's being impersonated by a Ditto.
- Breakout Character: She's pushed as the mascot character for Happy Home Designer in much the same way as Isabelle was for New Leaf, to the point where she took over Isabelle's Twitter account for a time.
- The Bus Came Back: She returns to the series as a part of New Horizons paid downloadable content expansion Happy Home Paradise, which essentially acts as an updated version of Happy Home Designer, the game she debuted in.
- Canon Immigrant: Originally created for the spinoff game Happy Home Designer, she was introduced into the main series with New Leaf's Welcome amiibo update.
- Elegant Gothic Lolita: She appears in Pocket Camp dressed up like one.
- Genki Girl: She's got some fairly high energy.
- Pink Means Feminine: Has pink fur, and fairly feminine.
- Playful Otter: An otter with an upbeat and cheerful demeaner, whenever you're assigned to design someone's home in Happy Home Designer she does a cute pose.
- Verbal Tic: She seems to refer to the player as "Tiger" a lot.
Harvey
Harvey (Paniel)
- Animal Facial Hair: He's a dog with a brown mustache.
- By "No", I Mean "Yes": His response to the player asking if there's Wi-Fi available in his campground; he wants people to experience nature instead of staring at their phones while they're there... but yes, there's Wi-Fi.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: He introduces himself as "Harv" for short or "Haaaaarv" for long. But if you call him that, he immediately forgets that he told you to call him "Harv".
- Dog Stereotype: Inverted. Cocker spaniels are normally stereotyped as pampered and rich, but Harvey is a New-Age Retro Hippie who owns (and probably lives in) an R.V. campground.
- Erudite Stoner: He rivals Pascal and K.K Slider in this department.
- Friend to All Living Things: The yellow birds that appear from time to time seem to love him. They're even seen occasionally perching on Harvey's head!
- Global Currency Exception: Being the hippie that he is, he doesn't accept bells for his wares but a new kind of currency that's earned by doing assigned things around your town.
- Implied Love Interest: In New Horizons, It's implied that he and Harriet are either in a relationship or are into each other, though the game doesn't confirm anything either way.
- New-Age Retro Hippie: He certainly dresses and acts the part.
- Punny Name:
- Harvey... R.V.... It fell under Non-Indicative Name in New Horizons at first, where he's a photographer living on his own private island, but the 2.0 update gave it relevance again: you can help develop a small park behind his house into an R.V. park, which also acts as a flea market.
- In Japanese, he's named after his species, the Cocker Spaniel.
- The French version makes a similar pun, as he's known as "Joe".
- Round Hippie Shades: He is an Erudite Stoner sporting a distinct hippie vibe. This includes typical hippie clothes and, of course, large round glasses.
Orville and Wilbur
Orville and Wilbur (Mōrī and Rodorī)
To the left Orville, to the right Wilbur
Introduced in New Horizons, Orville and Wilbur are a pair of dodo brothers who run Dodo Airlines and manage the player's airport.- Animal Occupation Stereotypes: A variant — they're birds who are also pilots, but they're specifically birds that can't actually fly.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: They both have big brown eyebrows.
- Cool Shades: Wilbur, the older brother, sports a pair with dark brown lenses.
- Doofy Dodo: The whole joke about them is that their careers revolve around flying when they are flightless birds. Additionally, while they're not dumb, they do have a set of quirks that makes them comical, especially with Wilbur's lines being nearly entirely composed of phonetic alphabet phrases.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Orville's not very foolish, but he does stress a little when inputting your ticket information. Wilbur, meanwhile, is always cool as a cucumber and entirely focused on his job.
- Identical Twin ID Tag: Wilbur has shades and Orville doesn't.
- Innocent Innuendo: When you approach Orville multiple times in the same visit to the airport, all subsequent times he will begin by asking:Orville: What can I do ya for?
- Irony: They are airport attendants who are also dodos, a flightless species of bird.
- Malaproper: If you faint while visiting an island (by getting stung once by a scorpion or a tarantula or twice by wasps without taking medicine after the first time) Wilbur will say he "thought you fought the barn," a jumbled version of the idiom "bought the farm," i.e. died. When you buy a tool from him, he encourages you to "utilize it or futilize it," a wacky take on "use it or lose it."
- Meaningful Name:
- Orville and Wilbur Wright were the real-life inventors of the first reliably functional motor-operated airplane.
- They are known as "Mōrī" and "Rodrī" in the original Japanese version, and "Morris" and "Rodrigue" in the French version. Real Life dodo birds were native to the Mauritius and Rodriguez islands.
- Their German names are Bodo and Udo, which both sound similar to the word "dodo".
- Military Alphabet: Wilbur speaks like a soldier on a field mission, giving himself and the player codenames, discussing their outings to other islands like a battle plan, and using the NATO Phonetic Alphabet unnecessarily. However, due to the game being rated E, instead of "Whiskey" for W, he says "Whisker".
- Named After Somebody Famous: They are named after Orville and Wilbur Wright, inventors of the first successful motor-operated airplane.
- Species Loyalty: Wilbur shows off his bird pride when giving his speech at the May Day maze:Wilbur: "We big-shot bird types rely on our inner radar to get us around. [...] But you ground-bound goslings will have to zero in on whatever you can find in the maze to reach your target."
- Theme Naming:
- They constantly use dessert and candy related codenames for their flights.
- On island tours, Wilbur refers to you as "bellbottom [type of music]", himself as "stovetop [item that definitely doesn't belong on a stovetop]", his plane as "Soaring [type of flower]" and the player's island as "[Native fruit]town".
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: When explaining that they never return to the randomly generated islands, Wilbur claims he outright burns his old flightpath plans after leaving, to keep the information "secure."
Niko
- Big Guy, Little Guy: The little guy to Wardell's big guy, although he isn't exactly smarter than Wardell as much as he is more extraverted. Fittingly enough, the two are good contenders for being the smallest and largest characters in the series respectively.
- Hidden Depths: He got into crafting as a hobby thanks to the player's influence.
- Instant Expert: Niko gets into DIY crafting thanks to the player but he's quickly shown to be quite a prodigy at it, creating brand new recipes for counter islands and pillars when given the appropriate materials to experiment with.
- Keet: He shows the kind of energy expected of a monkey. Additionally, when you'll take a picture for the inauguration of a new building, he will jump enthusiastically.
- Precocious Crush: It's implied that Niko is on the younger side and has a crush on Lottie.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The sociable and energetic Red Oni to Wardell's shy and placid Blue Oni.
Wardell
- Big Guy, Little Guy: The big guy to Niko's little guy, but he's really more withdrawn.
- Continuity Nod: His English name is a call-back to Wendell, another NPC based on an aquatic mammal (though walruses and manatees are not closely related in real life).
- Defrosting Ice King: While not necessarily cold, he doesn't have much to say to the player upon them first starting out the game. Once the player progresses further in the game, he begins to warm up to them and say more, as well as unlocks other services for the player to use such as the Happy Home Paradise catalogue.
- Gentle Giant: The largest employee at Paradise Planning - if not one of the largest Animal Crossing characters altogether - and the most reserved too.
- Meaningful Name: His original Japanese name, Nattī, is directly taken from his species name, the manatees. His French name, Mantin, as in "lamantin", the French for "manatee", does the same thing.
- The Quiet One: A manatee of a few words.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Wardell has excellent housekeeping skills and will eventually teach the player how to polish furniture.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The passive and mostly silent Blue Oni to Niko's more active and talkative Red Oni.
- Shrinking Violet: Shy enough to the point that he makes Sable look like a chatterbox in comparison. Even around his workplace friends he's quite introverted, preferring to tidy up the office only while he's alone and immediately getting flustered when Lottie and Niko complements his skills.
