To the surprise of many players, Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Free update 3.0 did not arrive on the scheduled day. It fell early. Overnight, longtime NPCs quietly stepped into brand new roles and returned to island life as if they had never left at all. Alongside them, a horde of players logged in for perhaps the first time in years to experience the update's new features.
For veterans of the series, that suddenness felt fitting. Animal Crossing has always been about routines changing when you are not looking. And no two characters embody that better than Kapp'n and Mr. Resetti: figures that once defined travel, consistency and structure, now reworked for a softer, more flexible world. This is all there is to know about who they are, where they came from and how New horizons has reshaped its place in the series.
I haven't touched my Animal Crossing Island in 3 years, and this update finally forgives me
Like most fans of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, I'm happy to return to my island after conveniently abandoning it 3 years ago.
Kapp'n: An Animal Crossing NPC probably older than the island itself
Kapp'n is a green turtle inspired by the kappa, a mischievous river yokai from Japanese folklore. His name is a phonetic play on “captain”, slurred as a sailor might say it, and his speech leans heavily towards pirate caricatures – “yar”, “shrimp” and occasional fish-based nicknames for the player. He first appeared in Dobutsu no Mori+ and has not missed a generation since. At its core, Kapp'n is defined by:
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A deep anchorage to the sea
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A strong work ethic
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A penchant for women, cucumbers and old shanties
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A belief that travel should take time
That last trait has made him feared Animal Crossing NPC, just because his singing felt inescapable. It was rude to cut him off, and yet somewhat aggravating to let him continue. In response, players created endless memes and content out of their love for ocean shanties.
Every job Kapp'n has ever taken seriously
Kapp'n's defining role has always been transport, but the “how” has changed with each game.
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Ferry operator (Animal Crossing)
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Rowed players to the island via the Game Boy Advance link cable
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Sung long sea shanties during the trip
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Turned loading screens into character moments
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Taxi Driver (Wild World)
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Replaced Animal Crossing's Rover as an introductory figure
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Determined the player's appearance, name and city
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Appeared frequently on duty at The Roost
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bus driver (City people)
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Drove players between town and city
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Delivered gender-specific dialogue and light flirting if the player villager was female
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Complained about “modern youth” while whistling shacks
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the boat captain (New leaf)
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Returned to sea by motor boat
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Transported players to Tortimer's Island
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Introduced his family as permanent NPCs: his wife Leilani, his mother Grams, and his daughter Leila
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- Island Tour Guide (New horizons)
Mr. Resetti: Animal Crossing's Once Terrifying NPC
Where Kapp'n represents patience, Mr. Resetti always represented consistency. Introduced in original Animal CrossingResetti existed to enforce one rule: save your game. If you didn't, he would show up outside your house to lecture you – sometimes for a few minutes at a time. The more you reset, the angrier he got. His personality is famously explosive, but outside of work he's actually quite calm, polite and surprisingly reflective. He believes life doesn't offer resets, and neither should this game.
How Resetti worked before New Horizons
Players who helped find one Animal Crossing island instead of a semi-inhabited city may not know Resetti's rougher edges. These edges made him infamous, as children with GameCubes or a Nintendo DS feared his presence. Later posts softened his tone, but never removed his message. In previous games, Resetti:
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Forced players to repeat phrases
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Created fake recovery screens
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Broke the fourth wall regularly
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Appeared during Groundhog Day events
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Ran secret surveillance center with his brother Don.
Mr. Resetti in New Horizons: Laid Off, Not Gone
Autosave changed everything. With no resets to punish, Mr. Resetti officially “dismissed” from the Reset Surveillance Center. Instead, he now runs the Rescue Service and helps stranded players return to safety. At first it wasn't entirely clear that he was running the show, but some context clues lead to it still being him, including the occasional self-directed pep talk when you're short on Nook Miles
After the 2.0 update, Resetti returned physically:
In the 3.0 update, he now offers a cleaning service that clears items or flowers from selected areas. In a sense, he still maintains order, only more politely.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
9/10
- Released
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March 20, 2020
- ESRB
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All / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, User Interact, In-Game Purchasing
- Developer
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Nintendo EPD
- Publisher
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Nintendo
