The Next Animal Crossing Can Finally Explore One Mysterious Character More

Highlights

• Nintendo should introduce deeper narrative elements in the next Animal Crossing to create a more interactive world.
• The player’s parents are rarely mentioned in the franchise, with the father only appearing in rare circumstances.
• It would be interesting to explore the backstory of the player’s dad and include more interactions with parents in future games.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the latest installment in the Animal Crossing series, was undoubtedly a significant milestone for the franchise when it was released in 2020. While it’s true that Nintendo had already established a loyal following, ACNH propelled the series into the mainstream spotlight. However, there’s still room for improvement, and delving into the backstories and motivations of Animal Crossing‘s characters could be the key to unlocking this potential.

To create a more interactive in-game world, Nintendo could introduce deeper narrative elements in the next Animal Crossing. Though there are plenty of characters that could benefit from this change, there’s one mysterious personality that the developer could finally begin to explore. The player’s parents aren’t mentioned much and, interestingly, the father only appears in rare circumstances.

Animal Crossing Could Benefit From Including the Player’s Dad More

The Player’s Parents Are Hardly Ever Mentioned in the Animal Crossing Franchise

The player’s parents, often referred to as Mom and Dad, are brought up so infrequently that it can be easy to forget that they do exist. Since the pair never actually physically appear in any of the Animal Crossing games, it can only be assumed that they are human, since their child is human. If they are human, this would make the couple one of the few humans in the Animal Crossing universe. There are only four known humans, the player, the parents, and an implied fourth since the player mentions in ACNH that the man-faced stink bug reminds them of their uncle.

What little there is to be gleaned about the player’s dad mostly comes from information in the mom’s letters. The dad, for unknown reasons, typically only writes on Father’s Day, though in New Leaf he will send letters a bit more frequently. The mom, however, is far more consistent, sending letters sharing updates on her life alongside celebrating milestones such as the Animal Crossing player’s birthday. This includes sending gifts on days such as, but not limited to:

• Birthdays
• Toy Day
• New Year’s Day
• Becoming Mayor
• The first of the month

The mom will only send a gift for becoming the town mayor in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

It’s Time For Nintendo To Focus On The Player’s Dad in Animal Crossing

Based on the limited information about the dad, it’s clear that this particular Animal Crossing NPC could use an update. For example, the next Animal Crossing could fill in information as to why the parents are such a small part of the player’s life. This could include a backstory as to why the mom appears to be closer to their child.

Perhaps a hidden rift or past trauma is the reason behind the player’s distant relationship with their dad. Of course, it’s entirely plausible that the father just isn’t much for writing letters. This may be closer to the truth considering that on one Father’s Day, he wrote: “See? Your Mom isn’t the only writer in the family”, indicating that he simply doesn’t do it often. This is further solidified by the fact that the mom mentions the dad is too “old-fashioned” to tell the player that they are always welcome home.

While Nintendo might not be keen on delving deeper into the dad’s story, there are plenty of existing ACNH villagers who could fill the “substitute dad” void with open arms. Still, the idea of parents playing a bigger role in a future Animal Crossing game is enticing. After all, a future with parents who can visit the island and share heartwarming moments could be a unique feature in the next installment.