Animal Crossing is a franchise of video games that began in 2001. The player is a human who lives in a village of anthropomorphic animals. The series is known for its open-ended gameplay and the use of the video game console’s internal clock so that the game may be played in real-time with timed events occurring throughout the year. The franchise has spawned a total of five games so far. The games have received a great deal of praise for their calming activities, proving particularly popular with children. Per The Gamer, Animal Crossing: New Horizons won Best Family Game at The Game Awards 2020.
After 20 years on the game market, the Animal Crossing franchise has featured a number of lovable and popular characters. Whether it’s regular special characters, like Tom Nook and his sons, or its villagers, like Hazel and Alice, Animal Crossing is jam-packed with characters to make your time on the island more enjoyable. While there has already been a screen adaptation of Animal Crossing in Japan called Dōbutso no Mori, the game’s popularity — not to mention the recent successes of video game movie adaptations, like Uncharted and Sonic the Hedgehog — has spurred the interest in another screen adaptation. In fact, Brie Larson expressed a desire to star in a movie because of her personal love of the game. While there are plenty of characters to choose from for the cast of a potential adaptation for the screen,here are seven Animal Crossing characters who should star.
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7 Tom Nook
Nintendo
Tom Nook is an important figurehead in Animal Crossing. He is where you go when you want to construct a new building or you want to make improvements on your own home throughout the game. He is, for all intents and purposes, a Mayor of sorts for the island. This beloved Tanukichi sells a house or a tent to the player at the beginning of each game. Nook also helps the player to develop their island through the use of the Nook Bank and his construction options. Nook is a necessity in any screen adaptation of Animal Crossing as he is a driving force in the storyline of the Animal Crossing franchise.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Isabelle
Isabelle becomes employed at City Hall and is responsible for organizing many of the events that take place on the island. This Shih Tzu serves as a secretary at city hall. Her kind demeanor and constant cheerfulness make her a fan favorite among many of the players, earning herself the spot as the de facto mascot of the Animal Crossing franchise. Isabelle is a helpful pal that makes the game more enjoyable, thanks to her daily announcements and her never-ending anecdotes, Isabelle is a staple and is often the first thing that people think of when referring to Animal Crossing. Isabelle is a must-have addition to any potential Animal Crossing film.
5 Mabel
One of the Able sisters and the spiky blue hedgehog that greets you when you enter The Able Sisters shop is Mabel. Co-owner of the tailor shop, Mabel assists players with any purchases made at the shop. Unlike her socially awkward sister Sable, who often refuses to speak to players, Mabel is a charismatic character that most players enjoy seeing when they shop. Should Animal Crossing ever be adapted for the screen, Mabel would be a welcome addition to the cast as she would add some charm to the screen, making us feel more immersed in the world of Animal Crossing.
4 K. K. Slider
K.K. Slider is the ultimate celebrity in the Animal Crossing world. K.K. is a musician who the player must get to perform on their island, once he has performed, the credits roll, indicating that the player has, for the most part, completed the overall plot of the game. Once he performs once, K.K. performs to the townsfolk once a week, giving the player a new song to add to their library of music within the game. K.K.’s character is based on Nintendo’s voice actor and composer Kazumi Totaka. As he has been a part of the franchise since the very first Animal Crossing game, it’s only fair that K.K. Slider makes it into the screen adaptation.
3 Blathers
While some may see Blathers as a bit of a know-it-all character, he is a valuable member of the team in Animal Crossing. This brown night owl is usually asleep in the museum, but when he is awake, he always has some valuable information to share. Blathers runs the museum, and he is who the player can speak with if they have a donation to make to the museum or if they have a fossil that needs analyzing. Blathers brings some educational fun to the game as you can learn interesting facts about some of the wildlife on your island.
2 Kapp’n
Kapp’n is a turtle-like Japanese monster known as a Kappa and serves as a driver of transportation throughout the Animal Crossing franchise. Driving anything from a boat taxi to a bus, Kapp’n is the king of transportation. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Kapp’n ferries players to uninhabited islands to find gyros. During the trip, he provides the player with a jaunty sea tune on their trip between islands. Kapp’n’s light-hearted nature makes him a lovable creature who is another helpful addition to the whacky cast of Animal Crossing characters. This makes Kapp’n a wonderful addition to the cast of any screen adaptation of the video game series.
1 Leif
This garden-loving sloth visits any island about once a week in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to provide the player with an opportunity to cultivate more mature gardens, should they so choose. Leif is an adorable character whose cart of starts, shrubs, and flowers breathe fresh air into the island. He offers the opportunity to change the landscape as the player sees fit. Whether it’s making a new rose garden or choosing to line the town square with shrubs, Leif is the sloth to go to. Leif is the only sloth to appear in the entire series and would be a perfect addition to any screen adaptation of Animal Crossing.
