It was the early days of playing New Horizons, and I was having trouble filling slots. I didn’t really like some of the villagers that were on the islands I was using those Nook Miles tickets to find, nor was I especially thrilled by the prospect of the villagers who appeared in homes automatically after I kicked somebody off my island. I had gotten lucky once, but I had rejected three Islanders (after a trial period, of course…I’m not a monster). When was I going to find my perfect replacement? When was I going to consider my island population absolutely perfect? Who was going to balance out my island with the perfect balance of humor and laid-back energy? When would I—OH my God, there’s a dragon wearing a Bruce Lee shirt?
He was perfect.
Meet Drago!
Drago is a lazy alligator villager that resembles a dragon more than the aforementioned gator. He is my perfect little freak. I’ve loved him since he told me that he communes with the bugs that live in his floorboards, something that, yes, all lazy villagers say…but Drago just exudes this oddball energy. It could be his flamboyant appearance, but it could also just be his Aquarius energy. Weird seeks out weird, you know?
Who is Drago?
- Name: Drago
- Gender: Male
- Species: Alligator
- Birthday: February 12th
- First Appearance: Animal Crossing: New Leaf
- Hobby: Nature
- Personality: Lazy
- Catchphrase: “Burrrn”
Appearance
Though he is technically classified as an Alligator villager, Drago’s design is a playful imagining of what a dragon would look like within the Animal Crossing world. He, like Phoebe, Hans, and Julian, is more mythological creature than traditional animal. Drago is mostly bright green, with adorable tiny blue horns that are partially covered by two minty green fins, reminiscent of the design of many Asian dragons. His lower jaw, underarms, and belly are a pale, almost cream color. His eyes, like many lazy villagers, are constantly only half open, his bright yellow eyes shielded partially by his mint green eyelids. His lips are a bright fuchsia, a very high contrast element to his design that makes him look like he’s smiling constantly. One bright white tooth sticks up from his bottom jaw, though the fact that it’s a pointy fang does nothing to detract from his overall cuteness.
In New Leaf and Pocket Camp, Drago’s initial outfit is the Dragon Suit. However, in New Horizons this outfit now has sleeves! I love this nod to Bruce Lee, though perhaps it’s a fitting tribute in name only. While Drago is most certainly meant to be viewed as a ‘dragon,’ his lazy personality makes it hard to see him doing anything that could require any effort…including martial arts.
Personality
Drago is, at his heart, a big lazy softy. Like most other Lazy villagers, Drago is a laid back, taking-it-easy kind of guy. He loves to eat, and he loves to chill, vibes that I, as a lazy human, can certainly relate to. He is also delightfully weird, throwing comments out of left field that never fail to make me do a double take. “Mmm…doesn’t the air smell delicious today?” “This might sound kind of weird, but I really love the smell of dirt, burrrn.” Don’t even get me started on the communing with the bugs under his floorboards. Drago is busy living his life, and nothing really phases him. He takes each day in stride in accordance with the lazy personality, fishing and resting and sometimes singing all over my island. It helps that his favorite hobby is Nature, so his appreciation of the great outdoors is not really all that surprising. Perhaps he gained an interest thanks to his floor bugs?
Drago is a dragon in appearance only: at his heart, he’s simply a goofy little guy. Whenever I want to have a silly conversation about food, the naiveties of life, or yes, insects, I go straight to Drago’s house. His conversations may be a bit nonsensical, but that is a great deal of Drago’s appeal! He certainly gels with everyone that isn’t a Snooty villager, who more often than not are prone to ‘harshing on his vibe.’ While he doesn’t actively dislike the Jock villagers, he will sometimes annoy them with his lifestyle that runs so antithetically to theirs. To this end, I’ve kept the Jock villagers I like and Drago on separate halves of my village and island alike.
Preferences
New Leaf
- Favorite Style: Iconic
- Favorite Color: Red
- Default Clothing: Dragon Suit
- Default Umbrella: Maple Umbrella
- Skill: Blowing Bubbles
- Favorite Song: Imperial K.K.
- Coffee: Kilimanjaro, Just a little bit of milk, One Spoonful of Sugar
Drago’s preferences in New Leaf are exactly what you would expect from an adorable, lazy, dragon. His favorite style is Iconic (I would expect nothing less), and his favorite color is red, which is evident the second you enter his home for the first time. His least favorite style is Cute, so be sure to keep this in mind when you want to gift him items!
His Halloween fear is the Bug Mask, which I can only assume gets him that much closer in his quest to bond with his favorite, six-legged roommates.
Pocket Camp
- Theme: Harmonious
- Reward: Wood
- Clothing: Dragon Suit
Drago’s preferred theme is Harmonious, so any snack, furniture, or clothing marked with the red fan will be up his alley! The faster you give him harmonious sweet treats and gifts, the sooner he’ll take up residence in your camp (or cabin)! He’ll also gift you wood as a reward for fulfilling any requests he may ask of you.
New Horizons
- Preferred Style: Gorgeous, Elegant
- Favorite Color: Red and Orange
- Hobby: Nature
- Default Clothing: Dragon Suit
- Default Umbrella: Panda Umbrella
- Food: Chocolate Donut
- Drink: Tea (either in a can or a mug)
- Popsicle: Orange
- Favorite Song: Imperial K.K.
Drago’s preferences have stayed fairly consistent in New Horizons, though he has now expanded his favorite colors to include orange as well as red. His nature hobby has stayed the same, and you can easily find Drago at any given moment examining a fossil or fishing. When you start gifting Drago fun clothes to wear, anything clothing from the Elegant or Gorgeous category is on the table! Drago may be a Lazy villager, but he is a dragon after all. He definitely has good taste!
House
In New Leaf, Drago’s house had a light blue roof with a bright red Zen door. It should come as no surprise that Drago’s interior décor is mostly from the Exotic series, complete with imperial wall and floor. Drago is 100% Zen: his house has to reflect that! Besides his exotic bed, lamp, screen, closet, and other pieces, Drago also has a goldfish, quince bonsai, and a lady palm. I always felt relaxed whenever I toured his home, listening to Imperial K.K. and allowing myself to zone out for a while. It’s what Drago would have wanted.
In New Horizons, his house is now yellow rather than white, though the eastern flair is still present in its design. His roof is a bit more greenish blue now, and his door is white instead of red, but the glass is lined with a fancy Zen design in green that really ties the home exterior together. Inside, Drago has upgraded to the modern version of the Imperial Wall, as well as the Imperial Tile. The new red and black theme carries well into his furniture, which ranges mostly from the Imperial set. Black and red seems to be the new theme for Drago, a decidedly darker color scheme (and, in my opinion, easier on the eyes than the New Leaf design). Along with the Imperial Chests, Dining Chair, Dining Table and Partition, Drago also has two cherry-blossom branches that greet visitors at the entryway. There is a touch of gold thanks to the phonograph and seahorse model, each resting on their own imperial chest.
New Leaf
My fascination with this lazy little dragon began back in New Leaf days when I was still new to the world of Animal Crossing. When I met him while traveling in my friend’s village, I knew that I had to have him come to mine. But even though I asked her repeatedly, (one time too many, if I’m honest), she didn’t want to part with him. I understood, since Drago is one of the most creative-looking Lazy villagers there is. So I bided my time, and I eventually found someone who didn’t care for Lazy villagers in general who was willing to trade for one of my Snooty villagers. No regrets.
Drago got a house by the river, and I got to enjoy watching him go day to day, living his idyllic village life of fishing and finding fossils. Though he tended to clash with the Sporty villagers I didn’t want to part with, he fit in very well with the rest of my villagers, and I loved catching him resting by the trees on the riverbank whenever I opened my 3DS.
Pocket Camp
I made sure to work on befriending Drago from the moment his character was dropped in the March 7th, 2018 update to Pocket Camp. He has been a permanent resident of my cabin since our friendship levels were high enough. He’s quite happy there, being a resident foodie, as my cabin design is modelled after a cozy café! If you too would like to enjoy Drago’s carefree presence, here’s how to snag him:
First, get your friendship to a Level 5. Then craft the following:
- Exotic Lamp
- Exotic Screen
- Exotic Table
- Exotic Rug
- Exotic Bench
These items take anywhere from 2-10 hours to complete, but once they’re in your inventory he can come and go to your campsite or cabin as you please! I didn’t make it a permanent setup, but I enjoyed how lovely my cabin looked with the Exotic furniture on display. From there, as your friendship blossoms, he’ll gift you with cool rewards, and make requests that will all go forward to advancing your friendship levels.
- Level 7: Dragon Suit, Sparkle Stones
- Level 9: Sparkle Stones
- Level 15: Lazy-Susan Table Request
- Level 20: Drago’s Framed Picture, Sparkle Stones
- Level 25-60: Sparkle Stones
New Horizons
This time, I got lucky: Drago was one of the first villagers I found on my island hopping trips! I knew the perfect spot for him, right next to the river near a small pond, a play on his favorite saying: “There’s no room for two dragons in one pond.” I got his furniture requests crafted right away, and now that he’s a permanent resident on my island, I couldn’t be happier. I look forward to our almost-inane conversations, as silly as they are, and I love catching him at the crafting table where he’s working on the latest design that was whispered to him from the bugs that take up residence in his floorboards.
He has a good relationship with almost every resident I have, except for Rory, who tends to avoid interacting with him. But even then, they tend to be cordial with each other. He’s often in the large, Friday night group waiting for K.K. Slider’s concert. He’s also often found in the museum, and though I’ve certainly found him in every section of it, I have to laugh whenever he’s in the Insect wing.
Summary
Drago and I are simpatico. If I could actually spend the day whiling away the hours by the streams, examining fossils and taking in nature’s splendor, I wouldn’t want to spend it with any other villager. Blathers may be the expert when it comes to flora and fauna, but Drago has a major advantage: his calm, happy-go-lucky view of life makes the island that much more beautiful. Some have classified Drago as being naïve, and they would be right. He is a bit silly in his conversations, and often comes off as a bit whacky, but that’s just part of his charm. At the end of the day, Drago is what he is, and his fans are very loyal to his simple and charming life. To me, he is the epitome of the Animal Crossing way of life!
So if you’re looking for a new villager and aren’t opposed to the Lazy type, spend some Nook miles on an island hop in search of Drago. I guarantee you that you won’t be disappointed.
FAQ
Question: Is Drago an Alligator? Or a Dragon?
Answer: Though he is classified as an alligator for the sake of keeping the categories of villagers more streamlined, there is no doubt in my or anyone else’s mind that he is meant to be perceived as a dragon. He’s one of four villagers meant to resemble mythical creatures, though they technically can be classified within the standard Animal Crossing taxonomy. The others are Phoebe (a phoenix), Hans (a yeti), and Julian (a unicorn).
Question: Why does he have a Seahorse Model in his Home?
Answer: Drago’s Japanese name, Tatsuo, comes from the Japanese word for Dragon, Tatsu. In Japanese, the word for seahorse is tatsu no totoshigo, or “dragon’s illegitimate child.” Which could also explain why he has fins…flaps? Fans? Frills? Whatever you decide to call them, Drago certainly has them.
Question: Is Drago a Rare Villager?
Answer: No, Drago is not considered rare! I found him island hopping quickly, so if you’re searching for your next favorite Lazy villager, now is the time to start looking! Then again, you can always purchase his amiibo if you want a guarantee.
