Animal Crossing: New Horizons is full of characters who have a connection to ancient Japanese folklore and mythology. Some characters just give a slight nod to their related folklore, while others are fully immersed. The relationships between specific Animal Crossing characters and villagers and Japanese mythology might not be immediately apparent, but once those connections are revealed, it helps to further contextualize their respective personalities and aesthetics.
The Animal Crossing series of games is full of iconic characters and villagers, each with their own unique personalities, traits, and visual preferences. Spanning nearly the full spectrum of the animal kingdom, players in Animal Crossing: New Horizons can interact with a number of friendly (and not so friendly) characters, including the beloved Isabelle and enterprising businessman, Tom Nook. There are 413 villagers in total in Animal Crossing 2.0, and the few that are directly connected to Japanese folklore reflect that in their presentation and personalities.
Some of the folklore-inspired Animal Crossing characters can be easy to miss if a player doesn't have the historical context behind their creation, but knowing said context can actually make them even more compelling than they were before. Many of the characters in the game have a strong connection to Japanese folklore, including money-hungry Animal Crossing businessman Tom Nook and con-man Redd. These characters, many of who have been in the games since the beginning, all have their own special connections to their folkloric counterparts.
Animal Crossing's Tom Nook & The Nooklings Are Symbols Of Prosperity
While tanukis are real animals in Japan, the Japanese Raccoon Dog, there is a lot of mysticism connected to the creature, which is considered a yõkai or Japanese forest spirit. Most tanuki statues are pictured with a big belly, a straw hat, a bottle of saké, and some other disproportionate attributes. The tanuki is also said to have a magical leaf to give it power, which connects with the leaf in the Animal Crossing games.
Tom Nook and Timmy and Tommy being tanukis with their role in Animal Crossing: New Horizons fits perfectly. Tanukis stand for good fortune and prosperity and Tom Nook is constantly on the lookout for a way to make bells, where Timmy and Tommy, Tom Nook's possible relatives, run their own shop. One could also say Tom Nook partakes in some mischief by convincing the player to move to a deserted island only to do all of the work to make it inhabitable.
Redd Is A Trickster Forest Spirit In Animal Crossing
The kitsune - literally "fox" in Japanese - is a tricky shapeshifter who gains more paranormal abilities the older and wiser they get. During the Edo period especially, kitsune were thought to be untrustworthy goblins. Like the tanuki, kitsune are a type of yökai. There are many stories of kitsune playing tricks on greedy merchants and even poor townsfolk. They are, however, known for keeping their promises and repaying favors. They also tend to attach themselves to people or households.
Redd, a fox in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, demonstrates traits of the kitsune from folklore. He definitely is a trickster with all of the fake art that he sells in Animal Crossing, which makes him untrustworthy. However, he does keep his promises and always delivers on what the player purchases. He also attaches himself to the player right when they first meet by adopting the player as his cousin.
Kapp'n Is A River Spirit With Dark Secrets In Animal Crossing
The kappa of Japanese Folklore is a green human-like creature with webbed hands and feet, a turtle shell on its back, and a flat spot on the top of their heads. They are known for their love of cucumbers and are said to be the cause of drownings, luring people to the edge of the water and pulling them in. It is said to defeat a kappa, one must bow to it. Being obsessed with politeness, the kappa will bow back and spill the water from the bowl shape on its head, rendering it weak or unable to move.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons character Kapp'n, the boat captain with his own port that takes players to mystery islands, has the appearance of the mythological kappa. He also hints in his songs about this connection. In more than one song, he discusses his love of cucumbers. Kapp'n also sings the lines "cloudy skies mean storms and storms cancel dinner," which could imply that people don't tend to go to the riverside when it's storming so Kapp'n, being a kappa, has no one to lure into the river to eat.
Animal Crossing Character Coco Has Multiple Connections To Death
Haniwa figures are figures made from terracotta clay in ancient Japan. They were used during burial rituals and there are some theories that the spirit of the deceased would reside in the haniwa at their gravesite. The gyroids, and therefore Coco, possibly the creepiest villager in Animal Crossing, are modeled after these haniwa, which is the first connection that Coco has to death.
In many Hispanic countries, there is a myth about a bogeyman-type monster named Coco. Children who don't obey their parents will be visited by Coco in the middle of the night and Coco will either kidnap them or eat them. Either way, the child is never seen again.
Shino Is A Jealous Female Demon In Animal Crossing
Shino, the latest deer villager in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, has the appearance of a hannya mask from the Japanese Noh theater. The hannya masks are known for their two sharp horns and represent the soul of a woman who has turned into a demon due to jealousy. Shino, a popular Animal Crossing villager, has other connections to the Japanese theater than just the hannya mask. Her name is actually a combination of "Shika", Japanese for deer, and Noh, a genre of Japanese theater. Shino also has a Noh mask displayed in her home on the player's island and, in Happy Home Paradise, asks for a stage to rock out on in Japan.
With the long history of Japanese history and folklore and the immense size of the Animal Crossing games, there were plenty of opportunities to combine the two elements in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Whether it is the appearance of magical tanukis and kitsune, to the more paranormal kappas, Japanese folklore is sprinkled throughout the game. There are many other animals from Japanese folklore that could make an appearance in the next Animal Crossing game, like a three-legged crow or potentially even guardian lions.