One of the most popular aspects of the Animal Crossing series is its villagers, each with their own unique designs and personality capable of capturing the hearts of players. With the way Animal Crossing: New Horizons places a big emphasis on collecting a player's favorite villagers for their island, some have become extremely dedicated to filling their island with only the best villagers the game has to offer. While each entry has added new potential residents, some haven't appeared outside their original game, leaving a lot of forgotten friends that the successor to Animal Crossing: New Horizons could bring back.
The original Animal Crossing title on the GameCube is full of one-off villagers who have yet to appear in another entry in the franchise. One such example is the sleepy bear Dozer, whose lazy, laid-back personality made him a relatable neighbor for many players. In an entry infamous for its character personalities ranging from sweet and friendly to rude and cranky, it's chill characters like Dozer who deserve to see a comeback in a future Animal Crossing title to fit with the relaxing nature of the series.
Animal Crossing's Dozer Has Been Trapped on the GameCube for Too Long
Dozer's name, which literally translates to "Sleep" in the Japanese version of Animal Crossing, is a play on the idea of dozing or sleeping lightly. He is a purple bear with a curly unibrow, brown muzzle, and perpetually closed eyes to signify just how sleepy he is. To add to his tired persona, his catchphrase is the onomatopoeic "zzzzzz" which alludes to his snoring and rounds out his identifying trait of constantly napping. Funnily enough, his initial outfit is the Bear Shirt meaning he is a bear wearing a picture of a bear on his clothes, which adds to his overall goofy charm.
Personality wise, Dozer falls into the lazy villager category, so he enjoys activities like eating food and relaxing the most. This personality can end up in conflict with some of the other types in the game, namely the jock and snooty villagers who disagree with his lifestyle choices. Unlike the dialogue of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the in-depth personality system of this early Animal Crossing title allows for more unique character interactions, and if a future game were to go this same route, Dozer's charming chats would make him a perfect character to bring back.
Taking a peek inside Dozer's house reveals a Classic Bed as the centerpiece surrounded by two Exotic Lamps, two Cabana Lamps, and two Regal Lamps. Add to the decor a couple of gyroids, an owl clock, and a metronome and this Animal Crossing villager's furniture has some humorous implications. The six lamps surrounding his bed along with a clock and the tick of the metronome suggests that Dozer has trouble waking up from his naps and needs the bright lights and alarm clock to rouse him from his slumber. They could also imply that he is afraid of the dark, so he needs six lamps around his bed to help him feel safe.
Interestingly, Dozer initially appeared on a couple of official products for Animal Crossing: New Leaf despite not appearing in the game. A poster of the villagers in the game and the official Prima Guide both listed him as an available villager, but he is not found anywhere in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. This could suggest that he was planned for the game, but ultimately cut, meaning Nintendo has considered including him as a returning villager in the past and could consider adding him again in a future Animal Crossing title.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for Nintendo Switch.
