Every Animal Crossing Special Character You Still Didn’t Know Exists, Ranked

Suppose you’ve only played Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In that case, there is a world of passionate characters that achieve a depth of humanity that isn’t quite so apparent in the personality system of the most recent Animal Crossing title. Special characters appeared in the first-generation games and included some who people new to the franchise might recognize, such as Celeste, Harvey, and Kapp’n. In previous games, the special characters tended to refer to rare visitors to your town, business owners in town, or government officials.

Due to the absolute magnitude of Animal Crossing characters, there are many that people have definitely overlooked if you’re not familiar with the entire catalog. This short overview of characters that were integral to gameplay in the old games that might be forgotten now may just inspire you to dust off an old console and check on your town.

9

Beppe, Carlo, and Giovanni From Pocket Camp

Meet the Three Penguins

Starting off this list with one that more people might recognize, the trio of birds who run OK Motors, the camper customization store in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. This trio consists of Beppe, Carlo, and Giovanni. These black birds each have their own jobs at OK Motors with Beppe being a painting prodigy, Giovanni as the leader of the group, and Carlo as the often forgetful mechanic. The Italian inspiration of these characters makes them particularly unique in terms of car fascination.

The cute trio is only available in Pocket Camp and are currently not available as Amiibo cards. Since vehicles aren’t a large part of any other Animal Crossing titles, it is under speculation that the blackbird brothers will not be available in the Series 5 editions of the Amiibo cards either.

8

Chip Is From Multiple Animal Crossing Games

Your Friendly Neighborhood Police

Almost a familiar face for New Horizons players, Chip is the father of C.J. and an avid fisherman. Chip was introduced in the first game of the series as the Fishing Tourney host, where players could only give him different kinds of bass at the time. In his evolution, Chip has become one of the key special event characters that visit towns. The Fishing Tourney in City Folk and New Leaf was the only way for players to acquire the golden fishing rod, as Chip would award the players with the tool after they caught every type of fish.

In his retirement, Chip no longer hosts the Fishing Tourney in any games, despite his original involvement in Pocket Camp‘s fishing tourney prior to November of 2020. However, Chip can be invited to the Roost in New Horizons via the amiibo. There is also a chance for him to appear with Nat if they are invited to the Roost via amiibo.

7

Digby From New Leaf

The Postman Always Rings Twice

A rather intense Shih Tzu, Digby is the spokesman for the HH Showcase in New Leaf. One of the best fun facts about Digby is that he is Isabelle’s twin brother and is often mentioned in her morning announcements in New Horizons. In New Leaf, Digby was the gateway to other players’ homes through the StreetPass function that was available on the Nintendo 3DS. Digby hasn’t been in the franchise as long as some of the other special characters, but he is incredibly useful as he was a key part of some of the multi-player facets.

Although he was not originally in New Horizons, players can now invite him to the Roost with his Amiibo card. In Happy Home Designer, Digby was given a promotion and was an employee of Nook’s Homes alongside the player. He also appears in Pocket Camp as the host of the gardening event, Digby’s Artful Retreat.

6

Gracie From City Folk & New Leaf

Fashion Icon of Animal Crossing

Gracie is just as amazing as her name makes her out to be. A fashionable giraffe that goes above and beyond to maintain her fashionable image, she has been featured in every game in the Animal Crossing franchise. Because of how long her neck is, Gracie is actually taller than most other characters, adding more to her uniqueness among other characters. Gracie is a fashion designer in much of the series and offers exclusive items to the players if they complete certain tasks. In City Folk and New Leaf, Gracie owns GracieGrace, a high-end fashion and furniture store.

Gracie’s appearance in every installation of the Animal Crossing franchise even extends to New Horizons if players have her Amiibo card. Both of these cards can be used to invite Gracie to the Roost in New Horizons, otherwise, she appears in many of the other titles perpetually breaking laws and mingling with the snooty villagers.

5

Katie Was Introduced In Wild World

The Friendly Face of the Able Sisters

Katie is canonically a young kitten who is often separated from her mother. First introduced in Wild World, she was seen alongside her mother, Katilin, and wishes to be reunited with her. This was an interesting use of the ability to visit other towns that the player has visited via the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. Unfortunately, if players wish to find Katie in the older titles, it is no longer possible, making her even more special than originally considered.

Katie’s design adapted over the course of the games from City Folk and New Leaf to resemble a Japanese kindergarten student, showing that she was growing up. Currently, she is available in New Leaf and New Horizons. Although she was initially absent in New Horizons, she can be invited to the Roost via her Amiibo and her poster can be obtained as well.

4

Pelly From Multiple Animal Crossing Games

Your Avian Airport Assistant

Pelly is one of three pelicans that have long worked within the Animal Crossing series. Not to be confused with her sister, Phyllis, Pelly works the day shift at the post office and town hall depending on what game you’re playing. She is a white pelican with bangs and a joyful disposition, and perhaps a bit of a crush on Pete the mail-pelican. Pelly was the primary event announcer and bulletin writer before handing over some of the jobs to Isabelle in the later games, but she has always retained her cheery attitude towards the player.

Pelly can be found in every game within the Animal Crossing franchise and her story develops the later in the generations that players proceed. Pelly was added to New Horizons in the 2.0 update and is able to be invited to the Roost via her amiibo. Otherwise, she is constantly manning the mail desk and sighing over Pete.

3

Pete From Various Animal Crossing Games

The Nooklings’ Reliable Right Hand

In a similar position to Pelly, Pete was the postman who delivered all the mail within the games before New Horizons. Pete takes his job very seriously and can even be talked to if players catch him while he is putting letters in their mailbox. He is aware of the crush that Pelly has on him, but is much more interested in her more mature sister, Phyllis. This love triangle between them can be easily overlooked, but the importance of having the connection was a prime display of Animal Crossing’s attention to the tiny details.

Pete can be seen in every game in the series, including the film and Pocket Camp. His voice previously matched the cranky villagers, despite his polite nature. Pete has both a Series 3 Amiibo card and a Series 4 Animal Crossing e-Reader card that allows players to interact with him.

2

Blanca From New Leaf & Others

The Mysterious Fortune-Teller

Blanca is a bit of an unappreciated random visitor throughout the Animal Crossing series. Having one of the most unique appearances, Blanca actually requests that the player draw her face for her. There is a 50% chance of encountering her in the first game, but she has become more of a random villager throughout the series. In New Leaf, Blanca played a game that had the player determine which one of the villagers she was disguised as based on clues.

Blanca is actually only available to invite to your island in New Horizons via her amiibo. Due to the discontinuation of WiiConnect24, Blanca is no longer able to be encountered in City Folk. She is a fun, albeit kind of creepy, addition to the Animal Crossing special character list that deserves all the attention.

1

Serena From City Folk & More

The Ultimate Animal Crossing Chef

The most incredible Animal Crossing special character that is often forgotten is hands down Serena. Serena is a white Chihuahua with big purple beady eyes who happens to be a goddess within the town fountain in City Folk. She is one of the only ways to acquire a silver or golden ax in the game. There is a chance for her to give players an upgraded ax if they throw their ax into the fountain, much to Serena’s displeasure. Despite being a goddess, she is very immature and has a highly unpredictable mood. If players throw their ax into her fountain, there is a chance she will keep it for herself, give it back, or give them an upgraded silver or golden ax.

The only game that Serena can be found in is City Folk, giving her a proper forgotten character status. There are mentions of her in New Leaf as there is a chance that peppy villagers may refer to her in conversation about the old ways of acquiring a silver or gold ax. To date, she does not have an amiibo card in any Animal Crossing game.