With well over 400 villagers to choose from, Animal Crossing has many characters that fans have strong feelings about. Whether it’s a favorite character, one they can’t stand, or simply one whose design speaks to them, there’s a villager out there for just about every type of player. But one type of Animal Crossing design seems lacking compared to others, so the next game should give them another chance.
The characters who move into a player’s town in Animal Crossing have always been the heart of the series. In a game about creating an ideal town or island retreat, the company players decide to keep says a lot about what type of ideal they’re striving for. The games have a variety of personality types for villagers, such as jock, smug, lazy, or snooty. These personalities determine what the characters say and how they act, but the physical designs of each character speak for them in a different way. It’s no secret that some Animal Crossing villagers have cursed designs, which some players find off-putting, but others are drawn to above all other types.
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Animal Crossing Needs More Blursed Villagers
One of the best things about games like Animal Crossing is that even the creepy and unusual characters have a cute quality to them. When it comes to cute games, nothing really seems cursed, but rather feels like a mixture of a curse and a blessing. These so-called ‘blursed’ characters have become standouts in the series ever since the first game introduced Coco, a rabbit whose eyes and mouth appear as empty holes peering into a hollow head. Each new Animal Crossing game brings new characters with it, and a handful of them have become fan favorites simply because of these off-putting designs.
Coco was just the start of the villagers who feel off in one way or another. Though most players seem to want the cutest characters in Animal Crossing for their village, others prefer characters with bizarre design choices. In a similar vein to Coco, Hazel is another character who divides the fanbase. An adorable squirrel with a prominent unibrow, many players believe her signature eyebrow either saves or ruins her appearance. Other villagers are cursed more for their actions than their appearance. Barold, whose design is still strange, decorates his house to look even stranger. Wall-to-wall surveillance monitors have led players to believe he may be spying on their community. Blursed characters, who look or behave strangely, add some much-needed variety to the game. Of course, the cutesy atmosphere is what players have come to expect, but there’s still room for a bit of weirdness to seep in.
More Blursed Villagers Would Make Animal Crossing More Compelling
After the whirlwind success of New Horizons, Nintendo has a tough job ahead of it if it wants the next Animal Crossing game to top the last one. Each new game has brought new mechanics, themes, and characters to the table, so players will be expecting something new, but maybe delivering something they’re not expecting could pay off. Some players have suggested that more lifelike villagers could be added to Animal Crossing by including more sub-personalities or allowing character interactions to change them over time. Those changes would spice up the lives of the villagers, but so too would more characters that aren’t as wholesome as players might be anticipating.
There will always be room for more adorable and likable characters in the Animal Crossing world, but it’s also worth focusing on the strange ones as well. Players who don’t like that type of character can always replace them with another one, but those who want the x factor of blursed characters don’t have as many options. By doubling down on new character types, Animal Crossing could help its audience grow while still appealing to longtime fans with their favorite pre-existing characters.
Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing is a Nintendo-exclusive life sim franchise spread across numerous Nintendo consoles. Featuring anthropomorphic villagers, strong customization, and a real-time day cycle, the Animal Crossing series offer unique and varied gameplay.