Animal Crossing: New Horizons – ‘Ugly’ Villagers We Love

Camryn Davis | March 10, 2022

Stop hitting your ugly villagers with your nets! Just because they’re a little uglier than Chevre or Fauna doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a spot on your island. Having a cute island is fun, but some of the less attractive villagers have the best personalities! Also, they’re animated animals designed almost solely to be adorable… how ugly can they really be? Here are a few villagers you shouldn’t judge based solely on their looks next time they visit your campsite.

Coco

Coco’s a controversial villager — some people love her, some people are terrified by her, but you know what? I love Coco. She looks like a gyroid, and honestly, her empty, hollow eyes are kind of cute. Her house is tranquil and incredibly calming to enter — just take a look at her stone table! She has a normal personality, so she gets along with most villagers and can easily make friends in the game. If her blank, endless eyes scare you that much, you can gift her glasses to cover them and make her look more normal.

Rocket

The poor gorillas of Animal Crossing. Listen, I get it. The pink suit, weird blonde fur in the back, and the helmet that never comes off, it isn’t for everyone. Despite her appearance, Rocket’s pretty cool. She’s a member of a superhero team, plus ‘vroom’ is a fun catchphrase. Although her helmet/hair cap is very ugly, it’s fun to gift her items that she can put on top of it. Same with her tracksuit; if you gift her a dress, she’ll wear it over her tracksuit. Dedication to the drip.

Hamphrey

Hamphrey gets his ‘ugly’ reputation from his furrowed brow and single bucktooth. He also has a cranky personality type, so he takes a little while to warm up to the player. I’m kind of obsessed with Hamphrey, though. His sweater vest is adorable, and the angry eyebrows just add to his cuteness. Plus, you feel special once you become friends with him. You might not like your cranky villagers at first, but give them a chance to get to know you!

Elise

Elise looks like a mom from the 80s who makes great meatloaf and talks like Janice from Friends. Her shirt is cute and retro, and the red glasses suit her. The fact that she has a snooty personality just adds to her housewife aesthetic. She’s so different from most of the other villagers, and that’s what redeems her ‘ugliness’. Also, once you’re good enough friends with her, she’ll reward you with a photo of herself. Seriously. It’s great.

Hippeux

Yes, Hippeux looks like Shrek, let’s move on from that. He exudes intelligence and has a pretty sick library look going on in his house. He looks like he was an English professor for 60 years. His blue eyes that clash with his neon green skin hold wisdom. Also, he’s a smug villager, which is arguable the best personality type in Animal Crossing. Hippeux might be a little cocky, but if my house was covered in Rococo series furniture, I would be too.

I hope next time you see an ugly villager on a Mystery Island or at your campsite, you talk to them before sending them hateful letters or beating them with your net. I promise spending 50,000 Nook Miles to find Raymond is NOT worth it. Settle for a gorilla or duck next time. At least you’ll always have Isabelle on the island.

All images courtesy of Nintendo