Animal Crossing: New Horizons villagers all have their own personality, charm, and distinguished appearance, but some stand above the rest in the eyes of the game’s fans, earning them S-Rank ratings on many players’ tier lists. S-Rank, or Special Rank, is reserved for villagers who are the absolute cream of the crop and often have unique design elements that set them apart with captivating characteristics that fans can’t get enough of. Animal Crossing has an incredible cast of characters that can become residents on players’ islands, making it difficult for many to decide which have earned an S-Rank and which belong in lower A-Rank or B-Rank tiers.
Of course, everyone has their own favorites and least favorites in the game, and the villagers that some revere as S-Rank aren’t liked at all by others. Animal Crossing gives players the chance to interact with and befriend 397 different villagers that all have their own traits and personalities, and players are encouraged to build friendships with their favorites in this relaxing social simulation game. However, some villagers are undeniably charming and quickly gain astounding popularity with Animal Crossing’s fans.
Tier lists typically range from the coveted S-Rank to the dreaded D-Rank, categorizing each villager based on traits such as appearance, personality, home interior, and even catchphrase. Each Animal Crossing villager has a unique combination of traits that players may come to love or hate during the time they spend together as neighbors on the island, but it’s difficult for any villager to stand out enough to earn an S-Rank status. However, some of the villagers in New Horizons have just the right combination of good design, personality, and popularity to claim a space among the very best at the top of the tier lists.
Ankha Is A Long-Time Animal Crossing Favorite
Ankha is one of the villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons that consistently stays at the top of tier lists with her highly stylized aesthetic and unique charm. Her design is themed around Ancient Egypt with striking eyeliner and a cobra crown, and her name refers to the ancient Ankh symbol. Ankha never smiles, but for this pharaonic cat, her standoffishness and Snooty personality type work in her favor and endear her to many of her fans. Cats are one of the most popular villager types in the game, but Ankha remains a cut above the rest throughout her reign.
Shino Was Instantly Popular After Animal Crossing 2.0
Shino was introduced to Animal Crossing 2.0 with an incredible surge of popularity, quickly winning over the hearts of the game’s players and becoming one of the most highly desired villagers on sites like Nookazon to date. With her red eyeshadow and eyes that never quite close when she smiles or laughs, Shino’s design has a lot of personality and stands out from most of the other deer villagers, which tend to have some of the best designs of any villager type in the game. Not only that, but her Peppy personality type makes her easy to befriend and fun to interact with, which made her extremely popular among fans when she was added to the game in November 2021.
Sasha Is Irresistibly Cute In Animal Crossing 2.0
Along with Shino, Sasha’s introduction to Animal Crossing: New Horizons was met with massive approval from fans who fell for his adorable design and laid-back nature. Sasha has the Lazy personality type, and as of his debut in the series, he’s the only male villager with the Fashion hobby, making him one of the game’s most unique villagers to date. With those sweet, starry eyes of his, it’s hard not to love this cute mint blue rabbit, and Sasha definitely earns his S-Rank at the top of many players’ tier lists.
Raymond's Animal Crossing Fame Was Legendary
When Animal Crossing: New Horizons was first released in March 2020, everyone was in love with Raymond. Originally appearing in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Raymond gained a dedicated fanbase with his heterochromic eyes and seriously cute businessman aesthetic. He was one of the most highly-desired villagers in the game, becoming the most highly-traded and valuable villagers on Nookazon for months after the game's initial release.
He’s one of only 38 villagers with the Smug personality type, which not only makes him stand out even more, but endears many players to him with his gentlemanly - albeit conceited - attitude and occasional flirtation. Like Ankha, he’s one of the most popular cat villagers in the game, and while his popularity has recently fallen below that of new villagers like Shino and Sasha, his S-Rank status probably isn’t going anywhere soon.
Marshal Has Dedicated Fans In Animal Crossing
Like Raymond, Marshal is another Animal Crossing villager that enjoys the popularity of Smug personality types, and with his constant frown and fixed side-eye, fans can’t get enough of this pouty squirrel. His cream color gives him a marshmallowy look, and his rosy cheeks make him irresistibly cute. Marshal also has a cafe-themed home interior with an espresso machine and a charming piano, giving him an air of refinement that many fans have come to love, especially in combination with his adorable appearance and sulky attitude.
Ione Shines Like A Star In Animal Crossing 2.0
Ione is another new villager that was added to Animal Crossing: New Horizons in its 2.0 update, and her aesthetic is practically unmatched by any other villager thus far, earning her an S-Rank at the top of the tier lists. This starry squirrel doesn’t just have an awesome astronomy-themed design, but she actually glows in the dark with a soft blue light. Ione also has the Normal personality type and is very kind towards the player, and while some players may think of the Normal type as a bit boring, Ione’s one-of-a-kind design makes her anything but dull.
Sherb's Sleepy Charm Earns Him S-Rank In Animal Crossing
Sherb is a sweet, sleepy lad that has earned an S-Rank with his soft look and Lazy personality type, sporting a white Winter Sweater as his default outfit that matches his grey striped horns. Between his pink cheeks and wide eyes, Sherb is undeniably one of the cutest villagers added to the Animal Crossing series in New Horizons. Unlike most of the male goat villagers, Sherb doesn’t have a beard, which gives him even more of a baby face and makes him all the more lovable.
Bob Is Number One In Animal Crossing's Lineup
Bob was the first villager to be designed and, as such, appears in every single game in the Animal Crossing franchise. Throughout the years, Bob has remained one of the most popular villagers, becoming the star of many Animal Crossing memes along the way. His half-closed eyes and sly smile compliment his Lazy personality type, and he has the air of a totally relaxed cat that doesn’t have a care in the world. Bob is easily one of the most recognizable villagers, and his enduring popularity places him among the other S-Rank villagers in the tier lists.
Lucky's Ironic Name Scores Him Animal Crossing S-Rank
This poor dog villager is anything but lucky, and perhaps it’s Lucky’s ironic name that keeps him at the top of tier lists. Lucky is completely wrapped in bandages except for one glowing yellow eye poking through, and while it hasn’t been confirmed that he’s undead, his house in New Horizons is graveyard-themed, and he plays K.K. Dirge to add to the sinister vibes.
However, Lucky’s Lazy personality type makes him a friendly villager to talk to, and this unlucky pup doesn’t seem to let his misfortune get him down at all. On top of that, his unique aesthetic makes him a great villager for horror or Halloween-themed islands, but anyone can fall for his peculiar charm.
Zucker Is One Of Animal Crossing's Rarest Villagers
Zucker’s design combines some of the most unique elements of any Animal Crossing villager since he’s not only an octopus, one of the rarest villager types in the game, but he’s also one of the few villagers whose design is based on food. His appearance resembles the Japanese snack, takoyaki, which is a fried ball of dough filled with minced octopus. The toothpick in his head and his sushi-themed villager house interior drives home his food theme, and this Lazy octopus claims his S-Rank status as one of the rarest villagers in the game.
Coco's Unique Design Makes Her An Animal Crossing Favorite
While some players don’t appreciate Coco’s creepy aura, she’s been a fan-favorite of the franchise since her introduction in the original Animal Crossing game due to her haunting yet completely original design. Coco’s appearance is based on Japanese haniwa statues, ancient terra cotta figures that were buried with the dead, which were also the inspiration for the franchise’s gyroids and reflect Coco’s motif of death in the game. Despite her hollow expression and soul-piercing stare, Coco’s Normal personality type gives her a kindly charm, placing this sweet yet spooky rabbit at the top of many Animal Crossing: New Horizons villager tier lists.