Animal Crossing: New Horizons featured a wide variety of villagers that you could invite to your island and befriend. However, not all of the villagers from the previous game, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, or its Welcome Amiibo update, made it into the game and enjoyed island life, instead resigning themselves to their small homes or campers in the 3DS game.
That doesn't mean we've forgotten about these villagers. We still miss them dearly and would love to see them return in the next installment of the Animal Crossing series. With the Switch's predecessor on the horizon, we're hoping to see some of our favorite villagers return.
10 Filly
The Heroine of 7-Eleven
- Birthday: July 11th
- Zodiac sign: Cancer
- Favorite song: KK Samba
Filly is a regular horse villager who was introduced as part of a crossover with 7-Eleven in Happy Home Designer. She later appeared as one of the RV-driving villagers you could invite to your campsite in New Leaf if you used the Wi-Fi option near participating 7-Eleven stores, providing fun convenience store items for your home in the game.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tries, Filly will never be able to move into your town, as she is one of only two villagers who cannot. However, it would be exciting to pair her with other hero-themed villagers like Kid Cat and Agent S to form a superhero team to protect your new town, wherever Nintendo sees the Animal Crossing series going next.
9 Feline
The laziest hunter
- Birthday: January 6th
- Zodiac sign: Capricorn
- Favorite songs: KK March (Happy Home Designer), KK Adventure
Felyne is a lazy feline villager added as a crossover with the Monster Hunter series. It shares its name with the series' bipedal feline companions that help make your dangerous life a little easier.
Felyne may want to be a monster hunter like the series that inspired him, but his skills mean he’s better at befriending cats. His house may look intimidating with its Monster Hunter-themed furniture, but it’s hard not to love this laid-back feline. Let’s hope he befriends more than just cats in the next game. Let’s hope he becomes our friend, too.
8 Hold
Fueki the hamster
- Birthday: June 11th
- Zodiac sign: Gemini
- Favorite song: KK Samba
Holden is a jock hamster added as part of a collaboration with the Japanese company Fueki. Like Filly, Holden will never be able to move into your town, but he can offer you Fueki-themed items from his RV.
The hamster never returned to the island to pursue his glue-loving life, but one can't help but admit that the little guy would be perfect for a children's town with his bold red and yellow color scheme—if Fueki were willing to participate in another collaboration.
7 Chickpea
Keeping it fresh
- Birthday: May 28th
- Zodiac sign: Gemini
- Favorite song: Bubblegum KK
Cece is a lively squirrel, designed to resemble Callie, the squid sister from the Splatoon series, so it makes sense that she can only visit your campsite when the Callie amiibo is scanned.
With her older sister Viche, Cece creates two parts of a whole: cosplaying the famous Squid Sisters of Inkopolis. With four of the octopus villagers who have arrived in New Horizons and the fifth who hasn’t, Cece could help your new town “stay fresh” if you go with a Splatoon-inspired look.
6 Viche
The tide is going out
- Birthday: July 7th
- Zodiac sign: Cancer
- Favorite song: Bubblegum KK
Viche is a normal Squirrel Villager who is the other half of the famous Squid Sisters. As Marie from the Splatoon series, she visits your campsite in New Leaf when the Marie amiibo is scanned.
Along with her sister Cece, Viche's name is a pun on the seafood dish “ceviche,” just as the Squid Sisters Callie and Marie's names are a pun on the dish “calamari.” Together with her sister, she could transform your new Animal Crossing town into the next stage for the Squid Sisters (or Squirrel Sisters).
5 Inkwell
It's time for a Splatfest
- Birthday: June 2nd
- Zodiac sign: Gemini
- Favorite song: KK Adventure
Inkwell is a villager of athletic octopuses, and the only octopus that never came to life on the island in New Horizons. He can move to your New Leaf town from your campsite if you scan one of the three Inkling amiibo.
This jock villager is eager to enter a Splatfest competition, with his catchy catchphrase “splat,” and would fit right in with the other four octopus villagers and the Squirrel Sisters in a Splatoon-themed town if it were to return. Nintendo could definitely make more Splatoon-themed villagers if they wanted to support a completely new look in their next installment.
4 Wolf Connection
The Hero of Twilight
- Birthday: December 2nd
- Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
- Favorite song: KK Western
Wolf Link, also known as W. Link, is a cocky wolf villager based on the Twilight Hero from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. He may join your town from your campsite in New Leaf if certain Legend of Zelda amiibo are scanned.
His home in New Leaf resembles the prison cell where he first became playable, and Wolf Link wasn't free to enjoy life on the island like many other wolves in the series. A new game could be his chance to play the lead role on a Zelda-themed island or town, paying homage to one of Nintendo's most iconic series. Its own Zelda-themed furniture could certainly help liven things up.
3 Ganone
The King of Evil
- Birthday: February 21st
- Zodiac: Pisces
- Favorite song: KK Dirge
No hero is complete without a fitting villain, and this grumpy pig villager makes sure that happens. He might just move into your town in New Leaf if certain Legend of Zelda amiibo are scanned.
Ganon's home in New Leaf pays homage to the original Legend of Zelda, where he first appeared, with additional twin thrones and two golden screens to showcase his status as the rightful king of the Gerudo. If you were to create a Zelda-themed town in a future Animal Crossing game, no Hyrule would be complete without its greatest antagonist.
2 Eponym
Free-spirited steed
- Birthday: November 21st
- Zodiac sign: Scorpio
- Favorite song: Wandering
Link's trusty steed galloped toward New Leaf like a lively villager. He could move into your town if certain Zelda amiibo were scanned.
This gentle horse's home was a nod to his original home at Lon Lon Ranch in Ocarina of Time, complete with a bottle of Lon Lon Milk and a Cucco ornament. Horse lovers and Zelda fans alike would be more than happy to have this longtime friend in their new town, and he'd make a good companion for Wolf Link if you ever create a Zelda-themed island or town.
1 Medley
Bird without wings
- Birthday: December 13th
- Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
- Birthday: KK Island
What's a bird without wings? A young Rito from Wind Waker, of course! However, in Animal Crossing terms, Medli was a normal bird villager who could move into your New Leaf town if certain amiibo were scanned.
Since Medli's first appearance in Wind Waker, the Rito have become much more prominent in the Legend of Zelda series, appearing in Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity, and Tears of the Kingdom. If you can place houses high on cliffs in the next Animal Crossing game, Medli might be keeping a close eye on a Zelda-themed town from above, even though she hasn't gotten her wings yet. Even if it's just in your head, you might imagine her working alongside Pelly and Phyllis to help deliver mail, just like the Rito mailmen before her.
