10 Removed Animal Crossing Characters That Should Be Re-Added To The Game

Animal Crossing: New Horizons certainly has no shortage of possible villagers to move onto a player’s island, yet there are still many more NPCs who have been lost to time and didn’t get a chance to accept the island getaway package. Whether they were special promotional characters that were from Zelda or Splatoon crossovers, or simply really fun animals, it is sad that not all of them have been brought to the current title. As rumors circulate about when a new entry to the series could happen, it is fun to think of what possible villagers could return.

Of course, Animal Crossing: New Horizons continues to be a popular game with many players checking their islands on a daily, or at least frequent basis. Despite the game being over four years old now, it remains as one of the best cozy games on the Nintendo Switch. Although the game is no longer receiving massive content updates, it would still be nice to see some of these old friends be added as possible DLC or amiibo villagers. Many of these characters would be perfect fits for ACNH islands.

10

Hambo (Jock Pig)

Appeared In Animal Crossing, Animal Forest, Animal Forest+, & Animal Forest E+

Animal Crossing‘s very own version of Rambo, the serious jock-type pig, Hambo, previously appeared in the first four titles in the series. Animal Forest (also known as Dōbutsu no Mori), Animal Forest+ (Dōbutsu no Mori+), Animal Crossing, and Animal Forest e+ (Dōbutsu no Mori e+) all featured this bodybuilding jock. In those games, his catchphrase is “Yo,” and his house has a Tatami Floor and Bamboo Wall. Interestingly, despite the artwork for Hambo displaying him with a grimace on his face, he actually is smiling in the games.

Naturally, Hambo does not directly reference a relation to Rambo, but his headband, serious attitude, and love for fitness certainly add to the overall theme. Bringing this fun play on a beloved cultural icon back to enjoy a laid back island lifestyle in New Horizons, or in whatever the next iteration of the franchise will be, would be a welcome addition to the current Jock lineup.

9

Flash (Cranky Bird)

Appeared In Animal Crossing, Animal Forest+, & Animal Forest E+

Similar to Hambo, the tropical loving bird, Flash, also appeared in the original Animal Crossing as well as Animal Forest+ and Animal Forest e+. Flash is a cranky bird with bright feathers and a love for the beach. His initial, default, clothing is the Blue Aloha Shirt and he has an adorable straw hat.

Flash is a very interesting choice for developers to have left out of New Horizons, as the game having a vacation island theme would have made Flash an obvious choice for a headlining character. His e-card bio for Animal Crossing states, “he dreams of an eternal summer, where he can welcome visitors to his island and charm them with his words.” If not in the main game, he should have at least been included in the Happy Home Paradise DLC for the game.

8

W Link Or Wolf Link (Smug Wolf)

Appeared In Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome Amiibo

W. Link, more commonly referred to as Wolf Link, is a smug wolf from the Welcome Amiibo update to Animal Crossing: New Leaf. As part of the promotion to showcase how amiibos could be used to add new villagers to the game, there were four villagers based on The Legend of Zelda franchise. Wolf Link would only be added if a player scanned one of the Link amiibos from various Zelda games, at which time W. Link would move into the campground.

W. Link’s appearance is based on Wolf Link from Twilight Princess, and he begins wearing a special Wolf Link outfit to look like a fur design. Although Wolf Link doesn’t appear in the recent Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom games, many would still have appreciated the crossover and loved to have any version of Link on their ACNH islands.

7

Huggy (Peppy Koala)

Appeared In Animal Crossing, Animal Forest, Animal Forest+, & Animal Forest E+

The cheerful and cute koala villager, Huggy, was in the first four Animal Crossing/Animal Forest titles (AC, AF, AF+, AFe+), and is a peppy-type character. While she may have been left out of the more recent games due to a plethora of Koalas and the number of peppy, happy girls in the game, it is sad that this popular friend is not around any longer.

The tan koala has a very traditional look for a koala, which sadly also makes her very similar to many of the others, but her cheery smile and cute personality make her lovable. Huggy also has a love of music and dancing, with many instruments in her home, as well as Plinkoid Gyroids. She is a cute friend that was a favorite for many, and hopefully will make a return in future titles.

6

Medli (Normal Bird)

Appeared In Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome Amiibo

Another Legend of Zelda crossover character is the bird, Medli. From the AC: New Leaf – Welcome Amiibo update, she is made to look like the beloved Rito character Medli from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Medli will show up at the campsite in New Leaf if a player scans one of the following amiibo:

Not only is Zelda‘s Medli a favorite character for many, but the fact that this Animal Crossing version did such a good job of capturing her looks and personality makes her a villager who should have become a continued member of the series. Medli is a normal-type villager who has a goal of becoming a harpist, which again ties back to her Zelda version.

5

Inkwell (Jock Octopus)

Appeared In Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome Amiibo

Inkwell is a jock-type octopus character who played the role of being a crossover character for the game Splatoon. Inkwell only appears in the Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome Amiibo update and will show up at the campsite after an amiibo for either the Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, or Inkling Squid is scanned. His birthday, June 2, is the day that Splatoon added the Ranked Battle feature in an update, and his catchphrase of “splat” is a direct reference to the game.

Inkwell is a funny villager who loves sports, and has many references and Easter eggs that hearken back to Splatoon. The interior of his house in New Leaf is especially fun, with a house design looking like a small Splatoon level. While he may not be the most charismatic of villagers, he is an entertaining one to have around and the lack of octopus villagers in New Horizons further makes his dismissal baffling.

4

Carrot (Normal Cow)

Appeared In Animal Forest E+

Carrot is one of the fun food-themed villagers, as a normal-type cow with an orange body and bright green hair to make her look like a carrot. She only appeared in Animal Forest e+, and was only able to appear in that game if a player had her e-card. This truly rare cow had a fun and colorful house with the N64 logo, three Gyroids, and a grass meadow floor.

Animal Crossing games have a fondness for creating silly characters who are either based on food or are dressed as food, such as Tangy the tangerine cat, Chadder the cheese mouse, and many more. For some players who want to fill an island with only food-themed villagers, bringing Carrot back to the series in a more formal way would help to fill out this theme.

3

Sunny (Normal Frog)

Appeared In Animal Forest E+

Like Carrot, the happy frog villager, Sunny, only appears in Animal Forest e+ and must have her e-reader card scanned in order to be obtained. Sunny was a popular character, however, and was even on the cover of the King K.K. music record until her image was replaced with Lily in New Leaf. This light green frog has a normal-type personality and has many musical instruments in her house.

Sunny captured a lot of players’ hearts because of her adorable look and friendly attitude. While some of the frogs in the game can be rather unique, Sunny features a more traditional cute vibe for a frog, which makes her a favorite village for many in the Animal Crossing fanbase.

2

Cece (Peppy Squirrel)

Appeared In Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome Amiibo

Along with the other crossover villagers added with Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome Amiibo was a set of two squirrel sisters, Cece and Viche. These two squirrels are self-proclaimed cosplayers of the Squid Sisters, Callie and Marie, from Splatoon. Of the two, Cece was more popular, although it is hard to have one without the other, and truly they should both be added to the game if one is.

Cece not only has Callie’s look down, but she also has the catchphrase “Stay Fresh,” which is the familiar saying of the Splatoon sisters. Her peppy-type personality and regular Splatoon references are cheerful and fun to watch, even for those who don’t play Splatoon. It is also fun when villagers with family relationships, such as the bunnies Chrissy and Francine, are shown in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

1

Epona (Peppy Horse)

Appeared In Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome Amiibo

Given the incredible popularity of The Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Switch, and the fact that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have both been massive successes during the time of ACNH, it is interesting that the peppy horse villager Epona was not brought to the recent game. Epona was only available in the Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome Amiibo update when a Link Rider, Sheik, or Ocarina of Time Link amiibo were scanned.

Naturally, the AC version of Epona is based on Link’s beloved horse, Epona, from many of the Zelda games. The villager has the catchphrase “neigh” and has a special, unique Epona outfit with a Triforce on the chest. One can only hope that she will be added to future titles or as an update to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, because there are few things better for a Zelda fan than being able to make friends with Epona.