I have been fortunate enough to have played each and every Animal Crossing game. While I haven't invested as much time in each of them as I have in Wild World in particular, I've still sunk hundreds if not thousands of hours into the entire franchise, cultivating my village, presiding over town decisions, hanging out with my favorite villagers, and simply living, breathing, and, most importantly relaxing in its suitably cozy worlds.

So, color me surprised when I learned that one of Animal Crossing's best villagers is actually based on a world-famous actress. Worse still, the signs pointing to their connection were blatantly obvious, so much so that it seemed everyone else had noticed them. Whether it was how relaxed I was playing each Animal Crossing game, or just my naivety when it comes to celebrities, I not only missed this connection but also the many other villagers based on equally famous people.

Deirdre Is Apparently Based On Audrey Hepburn

There Is A Lot Connecting Them

During my first playthrough of New Leaf, I never had the great fortune of meeting Deirdre, the deer villager with the big sister archetype. However, during a subsequent playthrough - as much as I hate wiping my village, I felt like a fresh start - she finally appeared, and I immediately fell in love. Deirdre's bubbly personality, affectionate tone, and humorous side made her immediately appealing, and since then our relationship has only blossomed. In fact, she's one of the many reasons I keep popping back into my village every so often.

While I wouldn't class her as one of the best Animal Crossing villagers - that honor goes to the absolutely incredible Chevre - Deirdre is definitely one of the more interesting ones, even despite the fact that she's only appeared in New Leaf and Horizons so far. However, while I absolutely adore her, I was completely blindsided when I discovered that she is based on none other than acclaimed actor and movie icon, Audrey Hepburn. It seems surreal to be writing about this, especially as it's seemingly rather inconsequential, and yet I cannot get it out of my mind.

As pointed out by Ordinary-Sir-1784 on Reddit, Deirdre is seemingly a stand-in for Hepburn. While not officially confirmed, there is a lot of evidence that connects the two, primarily the fact that famously Audrey Hepburn had a pet deer - one sadly not called Deirdre. They also somewhat resemble one another, in so far as an anthropomorphic deer can resemble a human, and they share the same birthday of May 4. There is certainly enough there to say that their connection is more than mere coincidence.

I Can't Believe I Didn't Notice This Animal Crossing Connection Before

It Has Been Right In Front Of Me

It is fairly surprising that I hadn't put two and two together, especially as the evidence was right in front of me. Yet, I'm ittedly not exactly well-versed in Hepburn's life - I didn't even know she had a pet deer until recently - nor was I intimately familiar with Deirdre until recently, despite having quite extensively played both Horizons and New Leaf. As much as New Leaf is still incredible, it isn't my go-to Animal Crossing anymore, especially now that I've finally located a copy of Wild World to play.

So, while I can't believe that I missed this connection, I can also definitely understand why. Surprisingly, I thought that it would in some way impact my digital relationship with this fictional villager, but it almost had the adverse effect. It's not like I avoid Deirdre, but there's something rather unsettling about Animal Crossing villagers being based on real and dead people. It is to be expected, I suppose, but it doesn't make it any less ghoulish. As someone who studied the concept of Hauntology at university, this isn't new to me, but that doesn't make it any less bizarre.

Hauntology is the concept coined by French philosopher Jacques Derrida, which focuses on how social, political, and cultural ideas can be preserved through the medium of art. It can also refer to the idea of people being preserved forever via film and photography, a literal ghost within a frame, simultaneously alive and dead.

Still, it did send me down a rather windy rabbit hole of attempting to uncover other Animal Crossing villagers who happen to be based on real people. As much as I didn't want to ruin the many unique Animal Crossing villagers for myself, I was curious to see not only how inspired the team behind Animal Crossing was, but just how far back these inspirations ran. Surprisingly, it turns out that Deirdre isn't the only one. In fact, there are quite a lot of villagers throughout Animal Crossing's history that are based on real people.

Some Villagers Are Based On Real People

From Marlo To K.K. Slider

There are so many Animal Crossing villagers that are based on real people, and frankly, that is quite surprising to me. I did a little bit of digging, but even after a cursory search, I discovered more than I had expected to. Perhaps the most famous - and only confirmed - example is everyone's favorite guitar-playing dog, K.K. Slider. He is based on Kaumi Totaka, the sound designer on the Animal Crossing series, among other Nintendo properties. In fact, in game, K.K. Slider confirmed that his real name is Totakeke, a play on Totaka and K.K.

My favorite example of an Animal Crossing villager being based on a real person is Marlo, the cranky mouse villager who's famous for his catchphrase "gabeesh". His mafioso attire and general cranky attitude give him a striking resemblance to Vito Corleone from The Godfather, who was famously portrayed by actor Marlon Brando. Another slightly more on-the-nose example is Elvis the lion villager, whose current catchphrase is "unh-hunh" and in Wild World was "Thank you very much." 10 points for guessing who that is based on.

One of Animal Crossing's worst villagers, Marcel, is based on famous French mine artist, Marcel Marceau. Like all good mimes, he wore a lot of face paint, just like Animal Crossing's Marcel. There are even more examples, some more tenuous than others, but they all paint a picture of a very culturally diverse and informed development team who were keen on putting their favorite film, music, and literary icons - among others - in their game. As much as it may unsettle me a little, Animal Crossing's villagers being inspired by famous faces is quite fascinating, at least to me.

Source: Ordinary-Sir-1784/Reddit, Rocket Elijah/YouTube