Nintendo's long-running life sim franchise Animal Crossing is home to a cast of diverse and interesting characters. In addition to the numerous villagers that populate the player's town or island (of which everyone has their own favorites), there are also recurring NPCs that can be found staffing the town's shops, visiting during special events, or otherwise filling out the positions that make the world of Animal Crossing go 'round.
Characters like these can have personalities ranging from high-strung and abrasive, to laid back and aloof. They also often have their own backstories, relationships with other characters in the game, and attitudes towards the player. Of course, this range of behaviors and personalities means that players will inevitably have their own sets of favorites -- characters that they absolutely must see in any new Animal Crossing release.
Redd
Redd's entire being is summed up in the term "sketchy," and he works as a sort of questionable version of the franchise's more respectable item vendor Tom Nook. This guy operates Crazy Redd's Emporium, a secretive storefront that requires special permission to visit, and may or may not have counterfeit items available for purchase.
However, if the player wishes to populate the halls of the museum's art gallery, they basically have no choice but to go through Redd. This makes his aloof and conniving personality come across brilliantly, as the player knows they might be being tricked but have to try their best to outwit the fox.
Phyllis
Phyllis is typically found working in administrative positions to keep the bureaucracy of the player's town running smoothly, such as the post office and town hall, during the night shift. As the older sister of the exceedingly friendly Pelly, Phyliss is by comparison hilariously bitter and fed up with her work in general. There's a relatability to that bitterness.
She also has a somewhat complicated relationship with her frequent coworker, Pete, who can also often be found staffing the post office or town hall. Pete apparently has an overwhelming work crush on Phyllis, but her cranky demeanor means that most villagers don't expect that he has much of a chance.
Rover
Rover has a relatively minor role in the larger Animal Crossing universe, but an important one nonetheless. He typically shows up as the first character the player will meet when they first start up the game, asking them questions about who they are and where they are going.
While the player's interactions with Rover might be brief, he's among the most memorable characters in Animal Crossing because of what he represents. Meeting Rover signifies the start of a new journey, a new town, and new villagers to meet. His is the face that welcomes a new player to Animal Crossing, and as such he deserves due recognition.
K.K. Slider
K.K. Slider is another series mainstay: a drifter equipped only with a guitar (and sometimes D.J. equipment) whose only goal is to travel across the land and spread good vibes through music. Typically, he'll appear in the player's village on a weekly basis, giving them the opportunity to listen to some music and also to take that track home with them to play in their own homes.
K.K.'s connection to spaces outside the town is important to his character, as it doesn't seem like he ever wants to stay in one place for too long. This makes the wider world of Animal Crossing seem just a little bit more alive: what are these other places K.K. plays at, and who might live there?
Brewster
Brewster is a laid-back pigeon of few words, interacting with the player only to serve them coffee at the local café called The Roost. However, despite Brewster's somewhat limited dialogue, he's managed to make himself a favorite among fans thanks to the calming atmosphere he cultivates within his place of work.
Brewster might not say much, but there's enough nuance to his dialogue to make it clear that he's quietly passionate about his craft. This is a pigeon who loves to make coffee, and who has strong preferences about how it ought to be prepared and consumed. Through visiting his café, the player can develop a complex palate for the finer things in coffee, just so long as they don't burn their tongue in the process.
Tortimer
An aged tortoise named Tortimer was once the mayor of the town the player moved to in the earlier Animal Crossing titles. It was always a little bit unclear what exactly his responsibilities were as mayor, and many players got the impression that he was guided more by personal whims than by procedure or policy. Still, his eccentric grandpa-like demeanor made him immediately endearing.
Tortimer retired from his position as mayor in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, leaving that responsibility to the player (for some reason) and taking an extended vacation on a tropical island far away from the hustle and bustle of the typical Animal Crossing town. Although he hasn't made a comeback in New Horizons, one can easily imagine that he's still out there on his island doing whatever it is he typically does.
Resetti
Resetti might be without a doubt the angriest character in Animal Crossing, but the game wouldn't be quite the same without him. Bursting out of the ground as soon as the player powers on the game with the express intention of berating them for forgetting to save, Resetti is fully committed to his job, and after one of his lectures, it's unlikely that a player will power off their console without saving again.
Unfortunately, Resetti's role in recent Animal Crossing titles is somewhat scaled back thanks to the introduction of autosave systems (hard to forget to save when the game does it for you). Despite his abrasive personality and aggressive manner of speech, many players look back on his rants fondly and wish for his return in the future.
Blathers
Blathers is an aptly-named owl who operates the town museum in every Animal Crossing game. He is absolutely full of interesting facts about quite literally every insect, fish, fossil, or piece of art that the player could possibly bring his way, and he's more than happy to dispense that information regardless of who's willing to listen.
In addition to his talkative nature and severe fear of bugs, it's clear Blathers is an extraordinarily dedicated individual; fully committed to making the local museum the institution of repute that it deserves to be. He is, as far as anyone can tell, the sole employee and proprietor of the museum, meaning that all exhibitions available must be the work of him and him alone, which is impressive to say the least.
Tom Nook
Tom Nook is a staple for the franchise; one of the most commonly recurring characters to grace the screens of various Nintendo consoles across the Animal Crossing games. He's also among the most controversial, which lands him high up on this list. Tom Nook is regularly criticized for his predatory lending practices, with some players taking issue with being forced into purchasing a house and then working to pay it off.
At the same time, though, he brings a certain familiarity to the series. He might always have his own bottom line as his primary concern, but that doesn't mean he's unconcerned about the player's well-being. These loans are interest-free, after all.
Able & Sable
Able and Sable are the hedgehog sisters who run the recurring Tailor shop in Animal Crossing: The Able Sisters. Players here are able to purchase fashion items, as well as display their own designs with the hopes of having them catch on with the villagers, and, of course, speak with Able and Sable.
Sable might not say much at all first, and Able might not drop the pretense of her work, but if the player speaks with them enough they'll eventually begin to reveal a surprisingly moving backstory. There's a reason Sable feels like she needs to work as hard as she does, and when the details of this motivation are revealed it re-contextualizes her relationship with Able in an interesting way.