With the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise and the free 2.0 update, 16 new villagers joined the game, many of which were met with an instant outburst of fan approval. Eight brand new villagers were introduced, and eight more were brought back from previous games to take part in island life. Players were quick to pick favorites and rank the new villagers, and some of 2.0’s brand new characters immediately became the game’s most popular villagers yet with their unique designs and vibrant personalities.

Ever since the original Animal Crossing was released for the Nintendo GameCube, there have been all-around fan-favorite villagers that players hoped to recruit to their own towns. New Horizons is no exception, introducing villagers like Raymond who became massively popular at the game’s release. The 2.0 update’s newest additions have players clearing space on their islands and stocking up on Nook Miles Tickets once again for a chance to recruit one of them. Nintendo has stated that 2.0 and Happy Home Paradise is the last major update to the game’s content, so it’s likely that these villagers will be the last added to the franchise in New Horizons.

Related: Animal Crossing 2.0: New Furniture, Items, & Customization Explained

Recruiting Animal Crossing villagers to an island can be a challenging task as villagers appear at random at island campsites and on deserted islands. Players will often go villager hunting, cycling through stacks of Nook Miles Tickets to visit island after island in hopes of finding their favorites. Villagers can also be recruited using their respective Amiibo cards, given that the player has the card of the villager they want, which puts these cards in high demand. This makes trading an appealing option for players who prefer to trade their in-game items and Bells for the villagers that they want.

With sites like Nookazon, which allows players to connect with each other by posting items that they have to trade, it’s easy to see which villagers are making their way into players’ hearts and rising to the top of the tier lists. Top-ranked villagers trade for millions of Bells, and the new villagers that were introduced in Animal Crossing 2.0 are soaring past the popularity that previous villagers had seen on the site. Their unique designs and traits made these villagers a must-have for many players, and Nookazon shared its list of Animal Crossing villagers that are most shared. The eight newly-added villagers staked their claim at the top of the chart, but these villagers are the cream of the crop among them.

Shino Is A New Fan-Favorite Animal Crossing Villager In Happy Home Paradise

Shino joined Animal Crossing with an immediate surge in popularity, becoming Nookazon’s most-traded and most expensive villager with a price tag of over 30 million Bells. With her Peppy personality type, this brand new deer villager is easy to befriend and extremely excitable, making her one of the most endearing characters added to the game in the 2.0 update. Her striking eyeliner and upturned eyebrows, coupled with the fact that her eyes never quite close when she laughs, add a lot of personality to her design, and her home interior is harmonious and serene. She’s particularly special for fans who love Halloween as her birthday is on October 31.

Sasha Is One Of The Best New Animal Crossing Villagers

Sasha is another brand new villager introduced to Animal Crossing in the 2.0 update, and fans quickly fell in love with his sweet nature and adorable design. This mint blue rabbit is the only male villager to have the fashion hobby, sporting a cute blue Letter Jacket as his default outfit. His personality type is lazy, giving him a laid-back aura that makes him easy to get along with. Along with Shino, Sasha’s popularity has soared past even that of the beloved Raymond, earning him a spot on Nookazon’s most-traded list.

Ione Is One Of The Best New Villagers In ACNH

Between her gorgeous starry tail and astral design, Ione was quick to capture the hearts of stargazers and space fans. Not only does this blue squirrel have an aesthetically-pleasing design and color scheme, but she actually glows in the dark like the star she is.

Related: Animal Crossing 2.0: Best Villagers To Find At Brewster's Roost

She enjoys the popularity of other squirrel villagers, but Ione’s galactic look makes her truly one-of-a-kind despite her normal personality type. Currently, she’s second to Shino on Nookazon with a trade cost of around 10 million Bells.

Cephalobot Is One Of Animal Crossing 2.0's Best Villagers

Octopus characters are among the rarest and most unique villagers in Animal Crossing, and 2.0’s brand new Cephalobot is now one of only three robotic villagers to appear in the game. Unlike Ribbot and Sprocket, who are both jocks despite not technically having muscles, Cephalobot has the smug personality type like fan favorites Raymond and Marshall. He’s polite and gentlemanly, albeit a bit conceited as he will brag about himself frequently, but he’s easy to befriend and gets along with other villagers. With his sci-fi-themed house and “My Other Home” vacation home request, it’s implied that Cephalobot is also an alien, making him one of the new villagers that’s actually out of this world.

Marlo Is One Of Animal Crossing's Best New Villagers

With his stout appearance and sharp fashion sense, there’s more to Marlo than meets the eye. Rumored to be the head of an unknown underground organization according to his description in Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, Marlo is a cranky hamster with a crime boss aesthetic. His name is likely a reference to The Godfather’s Marlon Brando, and his catchphrase “gabeesh” is similar to the slang “capiche.” His smug-looking facial features and tiny sunglasses bring a lot of personality to his design, but players will definitely want to stay on his good side.

Petri Is A Great New Animal Crossing Villager For Happy Home Paradise

Petri is an actual lab rat, sporting a white doctor’s coat and large, round glasses that distinguish her as a scientist. This white mouse has a Snooty personality type and education hobby, making her a bit more rude toward the player than most of the other new villagers added in this update. However, Petri’s stylized appearance and home interior classify her among the game’s more unique villagers, and she’s worth getting to know for many players. She even sports sharp eyeliner and grey eyeshadow beneath her default opaque glasses, staying fashionable even while she’s in the lab. Along with the other new Animal Crossing villagers that were introduced, Petri quickly became one of Animal Crossing: New Horizons players' most-wanted villagers.

Next: Animal Crossing: How To Invite Amiibo Villagers To Happy Home Paradise

Source: Nookazon.