Rodney Animal Crossing Guide

Rodney is a little blue hamster who first appeared in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. He has appeared in every game since then except for Pocket Camp. His name is a play on the word rodent.

This little guy doesn’t have a strong presence in the Animal Crossing community. I’ve never seen him be claimed as a favorite villager or have any memes centered around him. He doesn’t fit the stereotypical cute or cool looks that make villages popular but isn’t particularly ugly, so he tends to be forgotten.

While he isn’t one of my favorites either, I find him interesting. Many villagers look happy, calm, or confident in their default expressions. This makes them easily likable and approachable. However, the villagers with distinct and unique faces give more character, be if they aren’t as popular.

Rodney doesn’t look angry or sad. He’s still smiling, so he seems happy, but his drooping eyes give him a tired look. This sets him apart and makes his personality feel distinct. I appreciate characters who aren’t generically happy or cute. 

Quick Facts

  • Species: Hamster
  • Personality: Smug
  • Gender: Male
  • Birthday:  November 10
  • Star Sign: Scorpio
  • Hobby: Music
  • Catchphrase: le ham
  • Favorite Song: K.K. Rockabilly

Rodney’s Appearance

rodney animal crossing

Rodney has a look that isn’t broadly appealing. His fur is a dull teal with a cream-colored muzzle and magenta bangs. Light brown freckles run along the top of his muzzle, underneath his eyes. There are three on either side, and the middle two sit above a small pink nose.

He had a wide mouth with a lazy smile. It comes up in the middle and then curves slightly on either end—two rounded buck teeth with thick outlines matching the mouth line protruding from the center.

However, what is most noticeable about Rodney and gives him the most character are his tired eyes. They are large and egg-shaped with tan drooping eyelids.

His irises are oval-shaped and dark brown with black pupils, mostly covered by his eyelids. Then he has light blue bags underneath his eyes, making me think this rodent hasn’t slept in days.

In every game, Rodany’s default outfit has been a pink-striped tank. While it is more saturated than his other colors, it goes well with his hair and nose.

Rodney’s Personality

As a smug villager, Rodney prefers the finer things in life and isn’t afraid to spoil himself. He doesn’t have the same luxurious tastes as other smug villagers, though, as he prefers a vintage 50s look over designer brands and city living.

He wants to come across as chill and cool but often trips up while trying to do so. Being constantly concerned with how people view him causes him to overlook the details of what he’s saying.

He’ll find a new phrase that makes him seem cultured and use it in the wrong context, making him seem more foolish than he realizes.

While he is a bit vain, his heart is in the right place. He’ll compliment you and the other villagers when they do something impressive and, reluctantly, will share what he believes to be the keys to his success. He will claim his reason for doing so would be to share in your spotlight.

Underlying all this boasting is a need to relax. You won’t often find him running around with other high-energy villagers. He prefers a nice stroll to take in the scenery. He might claim this is for academic purposes, but really he stayed up too late last night listening to podcasts about the latest trends.

Rodney’s Home

rodney's house animal crossing

In New Leaf, Rodney’s house resembles an arcade. He has various games, like table tennis, pinball, and arcade machines scattered throughout his house. When taking a break from gaming, he has easy snack access from his candy jar and candy machine.

His regular furniture focused on color. A kiddie table sits in the middle of all the game machines, with the candy jar on top. A simple loveseat and a common bed are on opposite sides of the room, both bright red.

Next to the sofa, there’s a sloppy stereo for playing music and housing all the game cases since Rodney doesn’t have the time to organize all of them.

Even the exterior of his house in New Leaf is brightly colored. The magenta roof is rounded in three tiers above the teal siding. The steel chimney poking out the side emits star-shaped smoke when he’s home. Surrounding the house is a white picket fence that opens for a bright blue door covered in diamonds.

Usually, I would think all the bright colors would clash, but they are the perfect tones to make Rodney’s house look cheery and eye-catching.

On the other hand, Rodney’s New Horizons house is a bit more muted. There is still teal on the roof, but it’s a duller shade.

The door is burgundy, with a circular window in the center. What makes the most difference is the siding. It’s plain beige with thin log trim corners. I wouldn’t have guessed these houses belong to the same hamster.

However, the inside of the house in New Horizons brings back all the color lost in the exterior. The blue diner wall fills his walls with mismatched decorations. He keeps his games, this time featuring vintage things like billiards, darts, and pinball.

While bright and busy, his house isn’t chaotic. The games are all neatly arranged in a corner beside a beautiful jukebox. He has a good sitting area, a teal corner booth made of box sofas, and a red diner table. Next to the booth is the same red candy machine he had in New Leaf.

The room gives off the perfect feel of a 50s diner. It would be the ideal spot to hang out, play some games, and chat. Since New Leaf, Rodney has clearly read some interior design magazines and learned how to organize his room and refine his style.

Gift Guide

rodney animal crossing

All of your villagers have a hidden friendship level. There are various ways to increase it, but giving your villagers gifts is the most effective. However, it would help if you chose your gifts wisely. Every villager has their own tastes and will usually display the gifts you give them. 

This means that giving them the wrong gift won’t increase their friendship level as much as you want. Even worse, you’ll be stuck with your villager wearing ugly clothes or using furniture that doesn’t match their house.

To avoid this, ensure you give your villagers gifts that don’t reappear, like identified fossils or something that both you and the villagers will like.

Every villager has two styles and two colors they prefer. Rodney’s preferred styles are gorgeous and cool. His favorite colors are pink and colorful.

First, we’ll look at what kinds of clothes Rodney likes. I prefer giving my villager clothes over furniture. I like how most houses are decorated and don’t want to ruin any part of them.

Plus, when you give your villagers clothes, it expands their possible wardrobe. They won’t be stuck wearing the same default outfit daily, so they’ll feel more alive and fashionable. Here are the best clothes for Rodney.

  • Camel Groovy Tunic (2,016 Bells)
  • Light Blue Pullover Jacket (2,016 Bells)
  • Blue Flashy Cardigan (1,440 Bells)
  • Pink Round Shades (1,872 Bells)
  • Pink Bold Aloha Shirt (1,152 Bells)

Next, we’ll look at the furniture that will fit with Rodney’s default house. Furniture is tricky because you don’t know where it might be placed, and it might get replaced later.

However, if you keep giving furniture, you might be able to get rid of something you don’t like. I always recommend giving door decorations when you give furniture. They are easy to replace and are guaranteed to get used.

  • Pretty Cosmos Wreath (Craftable)
  • Pink Water Bird (1,920 Bells)
  • Stacked Magazines (Craftable)
  • Luncheon Plate Meal (2,400 Bells)
  • Pink Capsule Toy Machine (3,720 Bells)

Should You Invite Rodney to Your Island?

Rodney isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. He isn’t the cutest villager since he looks like a sleepy, acne-ridden teen. In a franchise focused on aesthetics, this is the first major hurdle to being well-liked.

The second hurdle is that he falls under what many consider ugly villagers. Still, he doesn’t have a defining trait with which people can associate him.

Hazel is often categorized as ugly, but her unibrow, beady eyes, and bangs make her unique enough that people still like her. Rodney doesn’t have anything like that, so he is often forgotten.

Still, I think every villager has someone who will love them. In Rodney’s case, I think he would fit in well with someone that likes the underdog. Any player that’s sick of the pretty villagers that get all the attention and just wants a friend that’s a little freaky would appreciate Rodney.

Rodney would also make a good fit on a couple of themed islands. Any hamster-themed island would have to include him since there aren’t enough hamsters for a full island. His diner-themed home would be good for anyone looking to create a 50s or rural America-inspired island.

Lastly, his colorful yet subdued fur would fit in with anyone looking to create a community of creatures that aren’t bright and cute but don’t look like real animals.

Rodney’s Amiibo

rodney amiibo card

In late 2015 the second series of Animal Crossing amiibo cards were released. Rodney was in this set at number 146. His card featured him with one hand on his hip, and the other swung to his side. The card had a lime green background and a fist hand symbol.

There are four games where Rodney’s card can be used as his own character and five where it can be used as a generic Animal Crossing card.

In New Lead and New Horizons, you can scan Rodney’s card to invite him to your town or island. Additionally, in New Horizons, you can invite him to take pictures in Photopia, drink coffee at the Roost, or get a vacation home in Happy Home Paradise.

In Amiibo festival, scanning Rodeny’s card allows you to play with him in minigames and place his house on the board. Happy Home Designer enables you to design a house for Rodney.

The other five games- Style Savvy: Styling Star, Conga Master Party, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Kirby Planet Reboot, and Taiko Drum Master- will only unlock Animal Crossing-themed items rather than Rodney himself.

Most of these items are aesthetic, like costumes or patterns, though in Kirby’s game, you’ll unlock a special ability.

FAQs

Question: How do you get rid of Rodney in Animal Crossing?

Answer: Without time travel or amiibo cards, patience is the only way to get rid of any villager. Hitting them with a net and ignoring them doesn’t do anything to make them leave. Fifteen days after a villager has moved out, the option for another villager to move opens back up.
If a villager has a thought bubble over their head, they may want to move. When you talk to them, they suggest moving, and you can agree or convince them to stay. If you tell them no, a villager will take another five days to ask to move.
The villager that wants to leave is mostly random, though villager who’s just asked to move out, had their birthday recently, or just had their house moved won’t ask. So you can either wait and hope Rodney asks to leave, time travel until he asks to go, or get an amiibo card and request him to move.

Question: What villager type is Rodney?

Answer: Rodney is smug, meaning he likes the finer things in life, like luxury goods and high art, but in the end, the thing he loves the most is attention.

Question: What is Rodney’s catchphrase?

Answer: Rodney’s catchphrase is “le ham,” which references his species as a hamster and the tendency of smug villagers to speak other languages as le means the in French. However, ham is not french, so he’s just saying “the ham” in the fanciest way he can.

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