If you want the best duck villagers in ACNH, these ones fit the bill.

The Animal Crossing series looked to real-world animal species when designing its 35 different villager types. One such animal species is the duck - birds that are most commonly found in water and have different colorations and feather patterns depending on the type of duck they are.

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The Animal Crossing developers put in a lot of effort when designing the duck villagers, referencing the characteristics of real-life ducks and building on them to create distinctive designs. Whether a classically adorable duck design or a new twist on this animal’s appearance, these villagers stand out from the crowd and are definitely ones you’ll want to invite to your island.

Introduced in Animal Crossing: Wild World, Drake is a duck villager with the Lazy personality type. Drake’s design most closely resembles the mallard, a type of duck, whose male species is known for its signature green head feathers. In fact, a male mallard is referred to as a “drake”, which explains where he got his name from.

As a Lazy villager, Drake has a laid-back personality, and like other Lazy villagers, he’ll often be on the hunt for his next snack. Drake’s house interior continues the green theme, as lots of his furniture items are painted in a similar shade.

A mainstay in the Animal Crossing series, Pompom has appeared in every entry so far. Pompom’s bright orange hair perfectly complements the white of her feathers, meaning that she suits almost any outfit you give her. Pompom’s name might be a reference to the pom poms used by cheerleaders, a connection that makes sense when you consider her peppy personality and love of being the center of attention.

Pompom’s favorite saying is "Happiness is a rainy day!", a cute homage to how ducks love to be in the water.

Alongside Molly, Bill is one of the most effortlessly appealing duck villagers, as his design is simple and stays true to the classic cartoon duck look. Bill’s reddish-brown feathers, slightly curled fringe and large black eyes give him a cute appearance, complemented by his namesake, his bright yellow bill.

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In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Bill wears a Basketball Tank, giving you an insight into his love of sports as a Jock villager. As a Jock, Bill is constantly looking for a way to get his reps in around your island; however, he also has an appreciation for good food, as his house interior has a Clay Furnace, Steamer Basket Set, and an Imperial Dining Table.

Gloria is a Snooty villager who knows a thing or two about fashion and how to do the perfect winged eyeliner. Gloria looks like she’s just stepped off the silver screen thanks to her perfectly curled hair, bold blue eyeshadow, and defined bottom lashes. Her look is a mix between 1920s actors and 1960s fashion models, such as Twiggy, who wore similar graphic eye makeup.

Gloria’s decadent tastes are also showcased through her furniture items, as she has her very own fountain in her house. In fact, Gloria’s house interior looks just like the sets that the actors that her design takes inspiration from might’ve worked on.

One of the most under-appreciated duck villagers, Freckles’ bright pink color scheme and wide-set eyes mean you either love her or hate her, but she has a certain charm about her that resonates with a lot of the Animal Crossing community.

Freckles is definitely another villager that stays true to her name, as she has a smattering of freckles just above her bill. In Japanese, Freckles’ name is Maguro, AKA Tuna, a fact that explains her fish-inspired decor in New Horizons. Freckles’ peppy personality means she is easy to get along with and will be a great fishing buddy to have on your island, if you haven’t invited her already.

A yellow duck with thick rectangle eyebrows and dot-shaped eyes that lend him a cartoony appearance, Joey resembles a traditional yellow duck hatchling, especially when paired with the Bear Tee and diaper combo he’s wearing. It’s also possible that Joey could be wearing a loincloth, as he wants to become a sumo wrestler.

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Joey’s house interior in New Horizons is beach themed - the perfect choice for this game's getaway island experience. As Joey’s a duckling, you’ll have to make sure you look after him when he joins your island.

Pate is a peppy duck villager who has appeared in every entry of the Animal Crossing series. Pate’s name most likely comes from the French word “pâté”, a meat spread made from a duck’s liver. However, despite this unfortunate name, Pate remains one of the most unique-looking duck villagers in the game.

Pate’s light blue color scheme perfectly complements her pink cheeks, resulting in a very cute duck villager design. The highlight of Pate’s appearance has to be her squiggly eyebrows that give her a constantly worried expression in contrast to her outgoing personality.

First appearing in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Molly is a Normal duck villager with brown feathers and rosy cheeks. Molly’s personality is as sweet as her appearance, and you’re sure to see her reading a book around your island. In fact, in both New Leaf and New Horizons, Molly has a large bookshelf in her house, showing that she’s quite the reader.

Molly’s favorite saying, “Like water off a duck’s back”, demonstrates her carefree and kind-hearted personality, as she’s not one to start disagreements and will get along with most other personality types on your island.

Scoot, a Jock villager, cares a lot about his exercise habits, referenced by the fact that he’s wearing a swimming cap at all times. It’s this swimming cap that makes Scoot’s design so charming when combined with his green color scheme, bright pink cheeks, and Frog Tee.

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Scoot’s love of the water is in line with real-world ducks, and his favorite saying is “Some birds avoid the water; ducks look for it”. Scoot even has his very own plastic pool in his house where he can make sure he’s getting his laps in.

With Ketchup, the clue’s in the name, as both her character design and favorite saying, “When in doubt, eat a tomato!” reference her love for this fruit. Ketchup’s tomato-inspired design sets her apart from the other duck villagers, providing a unique twist on this villager type.

The developers did an excellent job of incorporating elements of a tomato into Ketchup’s design, including her red feathers, yellow-orange cheeks, and green hair that resembles the stalk and leaves on the top of a tomato. Ketchup is also the perfect villager choice for any cottage-core island, especially as her house interior is decorated like a cozy campsite in the woods.

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Casey is a first-class English Literature graduate with a love for both gaming and writing creative pieces. After university, she shared her passion for Nintendo, horror games, and RPGs through her blog where she writes think pieces and fun top 10s on a wealth of games. As well as new games, she enjoys looking back on classics like Silent Hill, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy VII. In her free time, Casey enjoys spending time with her English Bull Terrier, adding to her ever-growing figure collection, and creating embroidery pieces of her favorite characters.