Animal Crossing has a wonderful tendency to indulge in my love of all things dark and spooky, all while making it insanely cute in the process. It’s one of my favorite aspects of the games, as I consider it to be not only a creative choice but also a freeing one that inspires unique character designs and personalities. Enter Lucky, a dog villager who may or may not be an ancient Egyptian mummy who wants to live his after-life to the fullest.
Meet Lucky!
Lucky has been in the Animal Crossing series since the first game, Animal Forest. He is a Lazy Dog Villager who, despite his rather spooky appearance, is one of the friendliest villagers I’ve ever had! I’ve got an affinity for the dog villagers, who are almost all very friendly and adorable, but Lucky is special. He has the bonus of resembling a mummy, but a mummy who has a penchant for eating 3 o’clock snacks long before it’s 3 o’clock. Perhaps it’s ironic that his name is ‘Lucky,’ as most of us would consider being undead (or…I guess, just injured enough to be almost totally wrapped up in bandages) to be the exact opposite of good luck. But Lucky is a plucky optimist who takes each day in stride, with a friendly disposition and a bright outlook on friendship and life. It’s probably thanks to the fact that he’s ‘lucky’ enough to see another day, whether that’s due to his being an undead mummy or simply the victim of a boating accident that’s left him covered in bandages.
Or maybe it’s all thanks to his glowing yellow eye.
Who is Lucky?
- Name: Lucky
- Gender: Male
- Species: Dog
- Birthday: November 4th
- First Appearance: Animal Forest (Dōbutsu no Mori)
- Hobby: Play
- Personality: Lazy
- Catchphrase: “rr-owch”
Appearance
Lucky is wrapped head to toe in bandages, excluding his black ears, black tail, and just enough of his face to expose some black fur underneath and a glowing yellow eye. Though the reason for his strange getup is up for debate, all you need to know is that his extremely recognizable profile is a dog wrapped in (clean) bandages, no matter the cause.
In earlier games, Lucky wore a white shirt with the numbers 23 in giant orange numbers across the front. As the series progressed, his numbers shrank to fit in the upper left corner of his shirt, though he kept the giant numbers on his back. However, New Horizons gave Lucky a major fashion makeover. He’s now dressed in an Open-Collar Shirt in coral. He’s a very fashionable mummy dog, now!
Personality
If I were a dog that had suffered a mysterious accident involving a mysterious fishing trip gone wrong, I don’t think that I’d have Lucky’s positive attitude. But that’s just what I love about him! Lucky is a lazy villager who loves to relax, eat food, and fish, and bask in the sunshine. Like other lazy villagers, he’s compatible with almost every personality type except for Snooty ones who disagree with his lifestyle. He’s remarkably chill for a possibly-undead villager who, by rights, has every right to be Cranky or even Snooty (as I would act if I were a mummy. It would give me an over-inflated sense of self-importance, for sure).
Lucky instead has taken his misfortunes and turned them into a happy-go-lucky view of the world, taking joy in the simple things like food, the outdoors, and good company. His hobby is playing, meaning his favorite thing to do is simply run around with his arms extended. I suppose his joie de vivre could be explained by a near-death experience or a new appreciation for life since he’s been raised from the dead. I just know I’m glad whenever I visit with him at my campsite, as talking with him always seems to help me look on the brighter side of life.
Preferences
New Leaf
- Favorite StylLucky Animal Crossing: Flashy
- Favorite Color: Purple
- Default Clothing: No. 23 Shirt
- Default Umbrella: Bat Umbrella
- Skill: Forgetting Stuff
- Favorite Song: K.K. Dirge
- Coffee: Mocha, The Regular Amount of Milk, Two Spoonfuls of Sugar
Lucky’s tastes in New Leaf don’t differ too much from his preferences in the earlier games. Like most real-life goths I know, his favorite style is Flashy. Coupled with his favorite color, purple, Lucky easily shares my sense of style. His least favorite style in this game is Iconic, which is ironic considering how iconic his Bat Umbrella is. Honestly. I’d kill for that umbrella.
His Halloween fear is the Mummy Mask, which comes as a surprise to absolutely no one.
Pocket Camp
- Theme: Historical
- Reward: Steel
- Clothing: No. 23 Shirt
In Pocket Camp, Lucky’s theme is Historical, meaning any furniture, snacks, or clothing marked with the little brick icon are things he’ll enjoy! Lately, I’ve taken to giving him pound cake in excess amounts in the hopes that he will forever enjoy being a permanent resident of my cabin.
New Horizons
- Preferred Style: Simple
- Favorite Color: Beige and White
- Hobby: Play
- Default Clothing: Open-Collar Shirt in the Coral shade
- Default Umbrella: Orange Umbrella
- Food: Lollipop
- Drink: Soda Can
- Popsicle: Ramune-soda
- Favorite Song: K.K. Dirge
Lucky’s preferences have evolved from his appearance at the very start of the franchise. His preferred style is Simple as opposed to Flashy. His favorite colors are Beige and White as opposed to Purple. ‘Hey,’ you might be thinking. ‘Who toned down Lucky’s personality? Where is his Bat Umbrella?’ Believe me; I, too, was initially distraught at the thought of Lucky no longer wishing to stand out. But the changes do make sense: in a way, it’s kind of sweet that his favorite color is that of his bandages.
House
Lucky’s house has stayed remarkably consistent throughout the Animal Crossing franchise. From the first incarnation of Lucky in Animal Forest, Lucky’s décor has been decidedly Egyptian-themed, with some variations. He uses the Ancient Wall and Ancient Tile, displaying hieroglyphs for all his visitors to see. From Animal Crossing (2002) through Wild World and City Folk, he was the proud owner of two Legend of Zelda Master Swords, a bookshelf, a Stone Lantern, a Bus-stop sign, and a Potbelly Stove. And, because I live for the gyroids, it’s worth mentioning that he always kept two dingloids by the front entrance.
Enter New Leaf, and Lucky starts to experiment. Though his Ancient Wall remains, gone is the Ancient Tile. In its place is the Sahara’s Desert floor, which suits the rest of his furniture so well: two pyramids, a sphinx, a cactus, and a jukebox (playing K.K. Dirge, of course). He’s also switched up one of the dingloids, opting for a Tall Dingloid to balance out the squatness of the other. It just goes to show, that you can take the mummy out of Egypt, but you can’t take Egypt out of the mummy. Outside, his home is constructed from yellow brick, with a dark green border surrounding a grey and gold iron door.
New Horizons is where things start to get a little interesting, as Lucky breaks away from his stereotypical Egyptian theme in a stunning way. The exterior of his house is now a dark purple with white siding as if to represent a blend of his past and current tastes. His door is dark, olive-colored wood. But inside is where things get a little spooky. The Ramshackle Wall and Swamp Flooring have replaced the Egyptian hieroglyphs and sandy floor. Gone are the pyramids, replaced instead by three Western-Style Stones of varying shades. A Throwback Skull Radio sets the mood with K.K. Dirge, as visitors to his home, admires the two Tiki Torches, Tin Bucket, Skeleton, and Red-Leaf Pile. All of these changes, complete with Lucky’s wardrobe makeover, suggest to me that maybe he’s embracing his Mature Goth era. And you know what? Good for him.
New Leaf
I’m very bitter about how things went with Lucky in my New Leaf village. I was still very new to the game when he arrived in my town, and I was immediately charmed by his mummy persona. I thought it was adorable that such a fantastical element was included, and I love mummies! I love Ancient Egypt! Lucky was an unexpected joy that welcomed me to the world of New Leaf and set my expectations high. He was the perfect Lazy Villager, and I loved hanging out in what I considered to be his Pharaoh’s Tomb of, a living room.
Then I forgot to check the game for a month.
What can I say? I got busy with school. Real-life demanded my attention. I did not know that, if you don’t check on your villagers every day, they have a tendency of packing up and moving out! Nobody else told me. I had to find out the hard way when one day I opened my mailbox and found a goodbye letter from Lucky. I was crushed, to say the least, that one of my favorite villagers had left without, in my mind, a fair warning. But I decided to hope for the best and keep an eye out for him in the campsite or Main Street area. Of course, with Lucky being the same friendly dog as ever, he always made sure to say hello.
Pocket Camp
Lucky was added to the world of Pocket Camp on October 16, 2018, perfect for a Scorpio like him! Since then, he’s been a resident of my cabin, where he likes to interact with the other Lazy residents. Should you wish to invite this adorable Mummy dog to live at your campsite, here’s what you need to know:
Get your friendship level up to Level 5 through fulfilling his tasks, and of course, gifting him snacks. Next, craft these:
- Fireplace
- Ramshackle Floor
- Creepy Statue
- Candle
- Creepy Skeleton
Once you’re ready to indulge in making your campsite just a little bit spookier, Lucky will feel welcome to come and go! Personally, since his character was introduced so close to Halloween, I repurposed my cabin’s décor to match Lucky’s taste and kept it that way throughout the season. Every year I like to decorate with them in his honor!
As with other villagers, Lucky’s friendship levels will continue to go up if you put in the work. If you do, here’s what he’ll gift you after reaching the level in question:
- Level 7: No. 23 Shirt, Sparkle Stones
- Level 9: Sparkle Stones
- Level 15: Creepy Clock Crafting Request
- Level 20: Lucky’s Framed Picture, Sparkle Stones
- Level 25-60: Sparkle Stones
New Horizons
Lucky was not one of the villagers who moved to my island during the main storyline but came along much later. This ended up working in my favor as if he’d been an original villager his house would have contained some of my ill-matching native fruit furniture sets. I am quite happy that Lucky came around much later, and was able to decorate in keeping with his new vision.
Because Lazy villagers are one of my favorite personality types, Lucky fits right in with most of the other villagers on my island, and I often see him encouraging other islanders to run around and play in the square. I always get a bit of a chuckle when I catch him in the museum, and I can’t help but wonder if he feels a kinship to the items on display.
Summary
Lucky may be the result of an unfortunate boating accident who happens to have eccentric taste, or he may be an undead mummy looking to make his house feel more like home. He may have a touch of bad luck, but he’s never once let that keep him down. Though he only sees through one bright, glowing eye, his view of life is one of optimism and playfulness. Lucky has been a fan favorite since the beginning of this series, and it’s for more than just his unique appearance. He’s a little ray of sunshine that hasn’t stopped bringing joy to players like me since 2002.
Maybe, just maybe, that’s lucky after all.
FAQs
Question: What is the Walker is Dead Theory?
Answer: Buckle up, it’s time to put on your tin foil hats and engage in a little conspiracy theory time. As you know, Lucky’s default shirt used to bear the number 23 in orange. Most fans of Lucky see this as simply being an homage to the symbolism of’ 23,’ namely that it’s an unlucky number that indicates great misfortune. However, there is a second dog villager with numbers on his default shirt: Walker, who in Dobutsu no Mori+ and Pocket Camp, wears the number 67. Walker also has the dark fur on his ears and tail, mirroring Lucky’s still-visible parts. But the thing that has cemented the theory in the minds of so many fans is that, should you subtract 67-23, you’re left with the number 44. Why is that significant? Well, the number 13 to Americans is what 4 is to the Japanese. It represents death in Japanese culture, seeing as how it’s sometimes pronounced ‘shi’, which is the word for death. Fans of the theory take all of this to mean that Lucky is, in reality, just Walker still…you know…walking around.
It’s a pretty convincing argument, and Animal Crossing is certainly not above indulging in darker, fantastical elements. Could Walker have died and come back as a mummified dog? Or even a severely injured one? Okay, I’ll bite, even though they can both walk around my island at the same time…or my campsite…or my village. Let’s say I suspend my disbelief just enough. The trouble is, Walker’s face fur is white, while the fur around Lucky’s is all black.
‘Couldn’t he have been burned?’ you may argue.
‘On a fishing trip?’ I would retort. ‘Is this Jaws 2?’ No. In my mind, while this is certainly a fascinating theory, I think it’s too easily debunked.
Question: Is Lucky a Mummy or Just an Injured Dog who Should Probably be in the Hospital?
Answer: There are two camps of Lucky fans, both of which have very strong opinions. I fall under the “Lucky is a Mummy” camp, thanks to the years of his interior décor choices and the fact that other Egyptian-themed characters do exist, (see: Ankha). If a group of animals meant to resemble mythical creatures exist, why wouldn’t there be a group for Egypt? There’s also the fact that, in France, his name is Ramsès, after the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II. It’s all just too on-the-nose to not mean something.
However, it is a canonical fact that Lucky is, well, unlucky. His Animal Crossing e-Reader card states that he did meet misfortune on a fishing trip. As bandages are an indicator of injury, it’s very possible that Lucky just hurts himself constantly and is always in a state of recovery. His catchphrase is “rr-owch,” after all. Comically large casts have always been a staple in cartoons and video games, so this isn’t much of a stretch. My only counter-argument is that Lucky has a Play hobby, which allows him to run around constantly, not just in the plaza. Would somebody who was that injured want to race around the island?
Then again…maybe that’s how he keeps hurting himself.
- Lucky Animal Crossing - June 13, 2022
- Drago Animal Crossing - May 27, 2022
- Pietro Animal Crossing - May 12, 2022