New Horizons’ Squirrel Villagers, and Here’s My Official Ranking

As one of the busier categories in Animal Crossing: New Horizons — there were 19 squirrels available at launch compared to the 3 octopus options — I was spoiled for choice when it comes to which squirrels I wanted to live alongside me. That number has since grown, with the 3.0 update for New Horizons bringing two Splatoon-themed Villagers to the game. Intriguingly, I’d place these newcomers at the top and bottom of the list, as one design is phenomenal while another is incredibly off-putting. As for the rest of the Squirrels, there’s a healthy mix of good, average, and downright ugly options that players can find lurking on Kapp’n’s mystery islands or spot in their campsites.

S-Tier: The Pinnacle of Squirrel Designs

These two squirrels are the best of the bunch in my eyes, with Marshal quite possibly being my favorite Animal Crossing Villager ever (he’d be edging out the cute chubby penguin Roald if that were the case). Anyone who knows me will know that Eminem is my favorite musician ever, so a cranky-looking squirrel that resembles the rapper — and shares a first name with him — is inevitably going to be popular with me. What makes Marshal so great is the combo of his smug personality and perturbed facial expression. Sure, there are other Villagers with angry vibes, but they don’t have Marshal’s appealing color scheme, rosy cheeks, or likable vibes to contrast them.

While I fully expected Marshal to be on his own at the top of the list, as he’s always been a cut above the rest in my eyes (and the eyes of many others, given how he’s consistently one of the most popular Animal Crossing Villagers), the newcomer Cece is too awesome not to include alongside him. Originally, she appeared in New Leaf’s Welcome amiibo update, with the Splatoon-inspired Villager being updated with a Shiver-themed look for New Horizons. Though she is unfortunately only available by scanning an amiibo, I’m tempted to track her down since I love her edgy vibe so much. Outside the white spots on her purple hair that resemble a squid’s tentacles, the Splatoon vibes are muted, and that’s a good thing. With hair swept over her face, a pierced ear, and red eyes, she has a vibe that stands out from the hundreds of other Villagers in the game, and those who don’t have any attachment to Splatoon can still appreciate her.

A-Tier: Phenomenal Fits For Any Island

• Ione (#3)
• Caroline (#4)
• Tasha (#5)
• Static (#6)
• Poppy (#7)
• Blaire (#8)

Ione falls just outside S-Tier for me, coming close to the top because of her stunning, galaxy-themed tail. I don’t love the blonde eyeshadow that matches her hair, but everything else about her is great. Caroline takes fourth place for me due to her stunning orange color and the yellow swirl on her tail matching her hair nicely. Sure, I wish the orange on her default top didn’t blend in with her skin, but you can always change her Animal Crossing outfit when you bring her home, which certainly helps. Tasha is close behind at #5, as I love the idea of sneaking a skunk into the squirrel lineup. Only her eyebrows hold her back a bit, as I’ve never loved the short pointy style on Villagers, but she’s a really cool-looking character overall.

Next up is Static, who I love for his bright yellow and green lightning bolt and matching tail, not to mention his lazy eyes and unique smile. Not everyone will dig this color scheme, but it works for me, as does the cranky personality type and the deep voices it provides its characters with. Poppy is another super cute squirrel, with her default flowery dress making for a charming ensemble. Her pointed mouth and interesting eye shape help her stand out a tiny bit, making for a likable (if still a bit basic) Villager. Rounding out the A-tier is Blaire, with her shiny brown nose and black color scheme making her a visually appealing character. Her vibrant orangey ears do just enough to stand out, keeping her design from being too safe (though it certainly doesn’t stand out as much as Static or Tasha).

B-Tier: Overlooked Options With Noticeable Flaws

• Filbert (#9)
• Peanut (#10)
• Sylvana (#11)
• Pecan (#12)
• Mint (#13)
• Nibbles (#14)

The ninth-best squirrel in my view is Filbert, who would be a calming presence on any island due to his chill facial expression, rosy cheeks, and toothpaste color scheme. My only big issue with this Animal Crossing character is the orange ears, which don’t match the other colors and stick out like a sore thumb. Rounding out the top ten is Peanut, a pink squirrel who, like Filbert, has a design that gels smoothly apart from one glaring detail. Her color and expression may be great, but the dark blue arrow on top of her head is just ugly enough to keep her out of A-Tier. Next up is Sylvana, a character with a charming side-eye expression and a nice brown and white color scheme… that is, again, ruined by one detail: her pink ears.

Villagers 12 and 13 continue this theme. Pecan is essentially a less appealing Poppy, with her pink shadow and purple ears clashing when they could have easily been matched up to better compliment each other. Mint is a pretty cute (and appropriately-named) Villager, sure, but her orange ears clash with the rest of her color scheme. I don’t love her bottom eyelashes, either, as they come too close to her large rosy cheeks and make for a slightly messy look. Lastly, there’s Nibbles, and while I get how her buck teeth won’t be for everyone, I love how her color, seed-like freckles, and dress all work together to create a watermelon-themed aesthetic. However, unlike other themed Villagers like Tia or Merengue, if the dress is ever replaced with another clothing item players gift to Animal Crossing’s Villagers, the vibe will be completely ruined.

C-Tier: These Squirrels May Have Some Fans, But I’m Not One of Them

• Agent S (#15)
• Sally (#16)
• Cally (#17)
• Sheldon (#18)

Animal Crossing’s sports-themed Villagers are hit or miss with players, and unfortunately for me, they’re a miss more often than not. Sure, I have a soft spot for Victoria since she was one of my starter Villagers in New Horizons, and because the racehorse vibe feels more logical than a racecar-driving gorilla, but Agent S is a bit too close to the latter for me. His expression under his helmet is a bit off-putting, too, and unless one were going for the full line-up of racecar drivers, I don’t really see the appeal in recruiting him. Still, I can acknowledge that he stands out, which can’t be said for the rest of this tier.

Sally and Cally don’t just have rhyming names, but they share the cardinal sin of being boring when there are so many beloved Animal Crossing characters. I do like the former a little more than the latter because of her lazy expression, which usually works for me, though she desperately needs to find some better eyeshadow that matches her colors better than the gaudy purple color she’s currently using. Then again, without it she’d be as forgettable as Cally, whose receding hairline, odd eyes (what exactly is she looking for in the sky?) and laughably large rosy cheeks combo with some terribly bland colors to make for a rough design. Lastly, there’s Sheldon, who is borderline D-Tier due to his rude expression, gross color scheme, and the dreaded Jock personality. Sure, his letterman jacket matches his ears, but if that’s ever swapped out, he’ll be almost as ugly as it gets. However, I’d choose him over the bottom of the barrel in a heartbeat, so he can hang onto the dead last position in C-tier.

D-Tier: Squirrels That Are Being Hit With a Net if They Come Anywhere Near My Island

• Viche (#19)
• Ricky (#20)
• Hazel (#21)

Sure, I wouldn’t actually search for any of the Villagers outside S-Tier or A-Tier, but I wouldn’t mind seeing them here and there. Every Villager in this category, however, would be completely avoided. To be even more blunt, if I had a choice between even saying hi to them on a Mystery Island or digging for clams all day, I’d choose the boring clam-farming. For instance, though I can appreciate that Viche is a Splatoon homage, she is a mess to look at compared to Cece. The black eye mask, the orange pom-pom on the side of her head, the nasty neon yellow — it all looks rough. Worst of all, Viche used to have a unique green color scheme and beauty mark that stood out in a good way. Now, though, she resembles a bland human NPC more than a cute Squirrel villager, as the tail is the only giveaway that this is meant to be an animal. Frye’s unique ears and head shape made her bold design appealing to some Splatoon fans, but only the worst traits of that character are present in her Animal Crossing counterpart.

While it’s wild to have the Splatoon collab Villagers at the #2 and #19 spots respectively, for me the gap between them really couldn’t get better. That said, at least Viche will appeal to some Frye fans, and her flaws can be attributed to the difficulty of recreating a complicated character design. There’s no excusing the ugliness of Ricky and Hazel, though. I mean, seriously, WHAT are those unibrows? Ricky almost feels deliberately unappealing thanks to the yellow color scheme, red nose, and wavy mouth design. Honestly, I’m ashamed to share a name with him. Then, there’s Hazel, who keeps the unibrow but trades the wavy mouth for buck teeth and some ugly pink cheek makeup. She tops it all off with a bowl cut that makes Stranger Things’ Will Byers look like an expert in hairstyles, and her tracksuit only makes her more disgusting. While I’d do anything to make a Villager like Marshal feel at home on my island, I’d have to quarantine my campsite if I caught Hazel inside it. I may love most of the Squirrel Villagers, but I can’t defend the critters at the bottom of this ranking.

Systems

Released

March 20, 2020

ESRB

Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases

Developer(s)

Nintendo EPD

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

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