Villager popularity has always been an important part of the Animal Crossing ecosystem. In the early days of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a vague black market for the most sought-after villagers quickly became one of the best ways to earn bells and rare items. Nowadays, that market has cooled, but villager popularity rating is still an active part of the fanbase. After one of the most unlikely villagers has shot to the top of the charts, I'm questioning if Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans are alright.

One of the strangest villagers to reach the top of the popularity charts has just done so. Chops, the military pig with a stache, has beaten out the likes of Marshal and Raymond by a suspiciously large number of votes in this month's rankings. Based on how Chops has more than double the votes of Marshal, it seems likely that pranksters are behind the dramatic ranking shifts.

Chops Has Dethroned Some Of The Typical "Best" Villagers

Marshal And Raymond Have Been Cast Aside

Every few weeks, villager popularity polls found on beloved villagers like Marshal, Raymond, Sherb, Molly, Shino, Maple, Lolly, Bob, Stitches, and Zucker. All of these are cute, basic villagers, and they tend to have inoffensive personalities, which makes them extremely popular for players who want a certain aesthetic on their island.

New Horizons' new villager additions were Raymond, Sherb, Megan, Cyd, Audie, Reneigh, Judy, and Dom.

In a strange twist, all of these classically popular villagers have been pushed down the rankings by Chops. To put it lightly, Chops has never been one of the most popular villagers in the game. This mustached pig sports a red military jacket with blond curls, which, alongside his Smug personality type, makes him a less than desirable villager to live on the island. In this month’s vote, Chops has dramatically risen through the ranks from the lower tiers to the number one position.

Villagers Are A Big Deal In ACNH

The Most Important Part Of An Island Is Its Residents

It’s hard to oversell how important villagers are. For most New Horizons players, collecting their favorite Villagers is the most important (and difficult) part of the game. To get a villager onto the island, you'll have to either be extremely lucky and have them visit the island campsite, find them by visiting a mystery island, or invite a villager who is already moving out from someone else’s island. Villagers can also be invited via Amiibo card, though it takes a lot of repeat visits to convince them to stay.

Since it’s so difficult to find villagers organically, trading on online marketplaces like Nookazon is often the only reliable way to get a Dreamie villager. When New Horizons first came out, the obsession with collecting certain villagers was at an all-time high, especially for villagers that were brand new to the series and didn’t have an Amiibo card yet. This included villagers like Raymond, a cute bespectacled cat that fans went completely insane for. Prices for these villagers were outrageous, at millions of bells, hundreds of Nook Miles Tickets, and rare DIY recipes for just one trade.

Does Chops Deserve This Spot?

Every Villager Deserves Some Love

Chops and Barold. My personal favorite, Rudy, currently sits right in the middle of tier 4, the most average of average positions. However, it’s clear that the current ranking of villagers isn’t due to a change of heart in the fandom, but more likely an effort by trolls or bots to dethrone long-standing popular villagers like Marshal and Raymond. Looking back at previous votes shows that the rankings have never changed so dramatically, especially enough for two tier six villagers to shoot to tier one.

What was once an incredibly important matter when Animal Crossing: New Horizons was just released is now a somewhat silly prank. If a vote ranking like this had been manipulated back in 2020, scores of Raymond fans would have likely taken to social media to rally for their comfort character. For now, Chops the smug pig can enjoy his time at the top.

Source: Animal Crossing Portal