I Love Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Squirrel Villagers, and Here’s My Official Ranking

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Like everyone else, I’m totally obsessed with finding the perfect villagers for my Animal Crossing: New Horizons island! It’s funny because people really have strong opinions – some can’t stand the jock personalities because they feel too samey. Others are all about aesthetics and try to build islands with just one type of animal, like all cats or frogs. I personally love having a mix of everyone, but I definitely lean towards certain types. I’m a big fan of cats, wolves, and rabbits, and if you’re reading this, you’ve probably guessed I really love squirrels!

Squirrel villagers are one of the most common types in Animal Crossing: New Horizons – there were 19 available when the game first launched, compared to just 3 octopuses. With the 3.0 update, two new villagers based on Splatoon were added, bringing the total even higher. Interestingly, I think these new villagers are the best and worst of the bunch – one has a fantastic design, while the other isn’t very appealing. Beyond them, there’s a good variety of squirrels, ranging from cute and charming to… less attractive, that players can find on Kapp’n’s boat tours or visiting their campsites.

This ranking excludes Kit because he isn’t yet available in New Horizons, and therefore isn’t included. The villagers are listed from most to least popular.

S-Tier: The Pinnacle of Squirrel Designs

  • Marshal (#1)
  • Cece (#2)

I think Marshal and Roald are the best villagers in Animal Crossing, and Marshal is probably my all-time favorite. Knowing how much I love Eminem, it’s no surprise I’m drawn to a grumpy-looking squirrel who even shares his name! What really makes Marshal stand out is his personality – he’s smug, but also looks a little upset, which is a great combination. There are other villagers with a similar attitude, but none of them have Marshal’s appealing colors, cute rosy cheeks, or overall likable personality to balance it out.

I wasn’t surprised to see Marshal ranked number one – he’s always been a fan favorite and consistently popular in Animal Crossing. However, I also had to include Cece, a newer villager who’s incredibly cool. She first appeared in the New Leaf Welcome amiibo update and received a special look inspired by Splatoon in New Horizons. While she’s only obtainable by scanning an amiibo, I’m seriously considering the effort because I love her unique style. Though her design is Splatooninspired, it’s subtle – just a few white spots on her purple hair that look like squid tentacles. With her hair partially covering her face, a pierced ear, and red eyes, she really stands out among the many villagers in the game, and even players unfamiliar with Splatoon* can appreciate her edgy look.

A-Tier: Phenomenal Fits For Any Island

  • Ione (#3)
  • Caroline (#4)
  • Tasha (#5)
  • Static (#6)
  • Poppy (#7)
  • Blaire (#8)

My top villagers are almost all S-Tier! Ione is just outside that top group, but her galaxy tail is gorgeous. I’m not a fan of her blonde eyeshadow, but everything else is great. Caroline is fourth for me because of her beautiful orange color and how well the yellow swirl on her tail matches her hair. I wish her default outfit didn’t blend in so much, but you can easily change her clothes in Animal Crossing. Tasha is right behind her at number five; I love the idea of having a skunk among my squirrel villagers. Her eyebrows are a little off-putting – I don’t usually like short, pointy eyebrows on villagers – but she’s still a really cool character overall.

I really like Static – his bright yellow and green lightning bolt design, along with his sleepy eyes and quirky smile, are fantastic. While the colors might not appeal to everyone, I think they work well, and I enjoy the grumpy personalities and deep voices often given to characters with this look. Poppy is another adorable squirrel; her sweet floral dress is a charming touch. Her unique mouth and eyes make her memorable, though she’s a fairly simple Villager overall. Finally, Blaire rounds out this top group. Her shiny brown nose and dark color scheme are visually striking, and her bright orange ears add just enough interest to prevent her design from being too plain, though she doesn’t quite pop as much as Static or Tasha.

B-Tier: Overlooked Options With Noticeable Flaws

  • Filbert (#9)
  • Peanut (#10)
  • Sylvana (#11)
  • Pecan (#12)
  • Mint (#13)
  • Nibbles (#14)

Filbert is my ninth favorite squirrel. He’s really calming to look at, with a relaxed expression, rosy cheeks, and a cute pastel color scheme. My only complaint is his orange ears – they don’t quite fit with the rest of his design. Peanut rounds out my top ten, and she’s similar to Filbert: mostly well-designed, but with one noticeable flaw. She has a great color scheme and expression, but the dark blue arrow on her head is just too much. Finally, there’s Sylvana, who has a cute, slightly mischievous look and a nice brown and white color scheme. Unfortunately, like the others, her design is let down by one thing: pink ears.

Villagers Pecan and Mint follow a similar pattern of design flaws. Pecan doesn’t quite live up to the appeal of Poppy, as her pink shading and purple ears don’t coordinate well. Mint is cute and fittingly named, but her orange ears stick out against her overall color scheme. I also find her lower eyelashes a bit distracting, as they’re too close to her rosy cheeks. Nibbles is a standout, though! I appreciate her unique buck teeth, and her colors, freckles, and dress create a charming watermelon theme. The only downside is that if you change her dress, the watermelon look is lost – unlike Villagers like Tia or Merengue whose themes remain even with different outfits.

C-Tier: These Squirrels May Have Some Fans, But I’m Not One of Them

  • Agent S (#15)
  • Sally (#16)
  • Cally (#17)
  • Sheldon (#18)

Not all of the sports-themed villagers in Animal Crossing are popular with players, and I personally don’t usually enjoy them. I do like Victoria, as she was one of my first villagers in New Horizons, and a horse feels more fitting than a gorilla who drives a racecar. However, Agent S reminds me too much of that concept, and his facial expression behind his helmet is a little unsettling. Unless you’re specifically collecting racing-themed villagers, I don’t really see why you’d want him. Still, he’s memorable, which is more than I can say for the other villagers in this group.

Sally and Cally aren’t very interesting villagers, especially when compared to the many charming characters in Animal Crossing. I slightly prefer Sally because of her relaxed look, but her purple eyeshadow is a bit much. Cally, on the other hand, is easily forgettable with her receding hairline, strange gaze, and overly rosy cheeks – all combined with uninspired colors. Then there’s Sheldon, who is almost a D-tier villager due to his unpleasant expression, clashing colors, and Jock personality. While his jacket and ears match, changing his outfit would make him look quite bad. Still, I’d rather have Sheldon on my island than the truly unpopular villagers, so he remains at the very bottom of C-tier.

D-Tier: Squirrels That Are Being Hit With a Net if They Come Anywhere Near My Island

  • Viche (#19)
  • Ricky (#20)
  • Hazel (#21)

I wouldn’t bother actively seeking out villagers outside of the top two tiers (S and A), but I wouldn’t mind seeing them occasionally. However, I’d completely avoid any villager within those lower tiers. Honestly, I’d rather spend all day digging for clams than even say hello to them on a mystery island! For example, while I understand Viche is a nod to the game Splatoon, she just doesn’t look very good compared to Cece. Her design—the black eye mask, orange puffball, and bright yellow—is visually jarring. It’s especially disappointing because Viche used to have a unique green color and a beauty mark that made her stand out. Now, she looks more like a generic human character than a cute squirrel, and you can only tell she’s an animal because of her tail. Frye’s design appealed to some Splatoon fans due to her unique ears and head shape, but her Animal Crossing version only seems to have the least appealing parts of that original character.

Like Cece, Viche can only be acquired via an Animal Crossing amiibo.

It’s surprising to see the Splatoon collaboration villagers ranked so high, at number two and nineteen, and I think the difference in their rankings is perfect. Viche might be popular with fans of Frye, and it’s understandable that a complex design was hard to translate into a villager. However, there’s no defending how unattractive Ricky and Hazel look – seriously, what’s with those unibrows? Ricky almost seems intentionally unpleasant with his yellow color, red nose, and strange mouth. I’m honestly embarrassed to share a name with him. Hazel keeps the unibrow but adds buck teeth and bad pink makeup. Her haircut is so unflattering, even Will Byers from Stranger Things has better style, and her tracksuit just makes things worse. I’d go to great lengths to make a villager like Marshal feel welcome, but I’d have to put my campsite in lockdown if I found Hazel there. I love most squirrel villagers, but I can’t justify defending these two at the bottom of the list.

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2026-01-21 14:06