If you’ve spent any significant time terraforming your island or hunting for "dreamies" on mystery tours, you already know the struggle. You’re burning through Nook Miles Tickets. Your eyes are glazing over. Then, suddenly, a bulbous head with a tiny spout appears near a campfire. It's an octopus. In the world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, finding an octopus villager feels like winning a mini-lottery. Why? Because until very recently, there were only three of them in the entire game. Out of nearly 400 potential neighbors, the math was never in your favor.
Honestly, it’s a bit weird when you think about it. We have dozens of cats. We have a literal army of rabbits. But octopuses? They’re the elite tier. They are the only species in the game that isn't a mammal or a bird (unless you count the frog, but even then, the anatomy is totally different). They have these wobbly, undulating tentacles instead of legs. They wear clothes in a way that defies physics. And yet, they are some of the most beloved characters Nintendo has ever designed.
The Numbers Game: Why They’re So Rare
Let’s talk mechanics for a second. In New Horizons, the way the game picks a villager for a mystery island is a two-step process. First, the game rolls for the species. Since there are 35 different species, you have a 1 in 35 chance of the game picking "Octopus." Once the species is picked, the game then rolls for a specific character within that group.
This is where the math gets funky. If you’re looking for a specific cat like Raymond, you have to win the 1 in 35 species roll, and then win a 1 in 23 roll because there are so many cats. But with an octopus villager, because the pool is so tiny, your odds of getting the specific one you want—like Marina or Zucker—are actually higher once you hit that initial species roll. It’s a strange paradox. They are the rarest species to see, but the easiest "subset" to complete.
Meet the Squad: More Than Just Suckers
For the longest time, the "Octopus Trio" was all we had. Marina, Octavian, and Zucker. They felt like a complete set. Then New Horizons 2.0 dropped and gave us Cephalobot.
Octavian is the OG. He’s been around since the very first game on the Nintendo 64 (released as Animal Forest in Japan). He’s a Cranky villager, which fits his design perfectly. He’s bright red, looks perpetually annoyed, and his house usually looks like a literal space station. There is a long-standing fan theory that Octavian isn't just an octopus—he’s an alien. His Japanese name, Takoya, is a play on takoyaki, but his English name is a nod to the Roman Emperor Augustus (Octavian). He’s grumpy, but once you win him over, he’s basically your island’s overprotective grandpa.
📖 Related: Tony Todd Half-Life: Why the Legend of the Vortigaunt Still Matters
Then there’s Marina. If Octavian is the salt, Marina is the sugar. She is a Normal villager, which in Animal Crossing speak means she’s kind, obsessed with hygiene, and gets along with everyone. She’s bubblegum pink. She’s the only female octopus in the entire series. Because of her color palette and "sweetheart" personality, she is consistently ranked in the top 10 most popular villagers on sites like Nookazon. If you find Marina, you don't let her leave. You just don't.
Zucker is the one that makes people a little uncomfortable if they think about it too long. He’s a Lazy villager, but his design is... well, he’s food. He is designed to look like takoyaki, a popular Japanese snack of fried octopus balls. He has a bamboo toothpick sticking out of his head. He has a sauce glaze. He lives in a house that looks like a street food stall. He is an octopus who looks like a cooked octopus. It’s dark! It’s weird! But he’s so charming and dim-witted that everyone ignores the cannibalistic implications.
Finally, we have Cephalobot. Added in the 2.0 update, he’s a Smug villager who is literally a robot. He’s metallic, has glowing eyes, and fits that "sci-fi" niche that Octavian started. While the others feel organic (or culinary), Cephalobot adds a much-needed variety to the group.
Why the Fanbase Is Obsessed
It isn't just the rarity. It’s the movement.
When an octopus villager walks around your island, they don't have the "thump-thump" gait of a bear or a deer. They have this mesmerizing, squishy animation. Their tentacles curl and expand. When they sit down, they sort of just... deflate into a puddle of limbs. It’s a level of detail Nintendo didn't have to include, but they did.
👉 See also: Your Network Setting are Blocking Party Chat: How to Actually Fix It
Also, their homes are top-tier. Octavian’s space-themed interior is a classic, but Zucker’s outdoor-market vibe is arguably one of the most unique layouts in the game. They feel like "special" characters even though they have the same personality scripts as the 300 other villagers.
The Mystery of the "Missing" Octopuses
There’s a bit of Animal Crossing history most newer players don't know. We used to have more. Back in the GameCube era, there was a villager named Inkwell. He was a collaboration with the Splatoon series. He was an Inkling-inspired octopus with a sporty Jock personality.
Unfortunately, Inkwell hasn't been seen since Welcome amiibo on the 3DS. He didn't make the cut for New Horizons. There was also a villager named Patricia in the Japanese-only titles. Because Nintendo has been so stingy with this species, the community is constantly scouring every update or DLC announcement hoping for their return. It’s a weird kind of gatekeeping—we want more, but we also kind of love that they’re an exclusive club.
Common Misconceptions and Island Logistics
One thing people get wrong is thinking that you can't have more than one of the same species on an island. You totally can. In fact, many players do "single species" islands. An all-octopus island is one of the most prestigious (and easiest to manage) themes you can go for.
However, be warned: because their personalities are limited (Cranky, Normal, Lazy, Smug), having all four means you’re going to hear the same dialogue a lot. You won’t have a Sisterly octopus or a Peppy one to give you certain DIY recipes or reactions. It’s the price you pay for the aesthetic.
✨ Don't miss: Wordle August 19th: Why This Puzzle Still Trips People Up
Another tip? Don't gift them hats. Or do. It’s hilarious. Because of their head shape, hats sit right on top of their "blowhole" area. It looks ridiculous. If you give Octavian a crown, he looks like royalty; if you give him a tiny party hat, he looks like he’s having a mid-life crisis.
How to Actually Get One
If you’re tired of gambling with Nook Miles, you have three real options:
- Amiibo Cards: This is the only guaranteed way. You can buy the specific cards for Marina, Zucker, or Octavian. Scan them at the Resident Services kiosk, invite them to the campsite three days in a row, make them some furniture, and they’re yours.
- The "Move-Out" Method: If you have a friend with an octopus villager in boxes (meaning they are packed up and leaving), you can visit their island and invite that villager to live on yours. You must have an open plot of land for this to work.
- The Campsite Reset: This is for the hardcore players. By manipulating the game’s internal "cooldown" for campsite visitors, you can eventually force the game to spawn a species you don't currently have. It takes hours. It involves a lot of time travel. It’s soul-crushing, but effective.
What to Do Next
If you've managed to snag one of these eight-legged legends, start by tailoring their yard to their specific "vibe." Zucker needs a stall and some lanterns. Octavian needs a telescope and maybe a rover. Marina needs every pink item in the game.
Don't just treat them like any other villager. Watch how they interact with the water or how they hold a donut with their tentacles. It’s the little things that make them the crown jewels of the Animal Crossing franchise.
Actionable Insights for Your Island:
- Check your personality balance: If you invite Cephalobot, make sure you don't already have too many Smug villagers, or your daily conversations will get repetitive fast.
- Invest in the 2.0 DLC: If you have Happy Home Paradise, you can eventually redesign their tiny houses on your main island, which is great because Zucker’s default house in New Horizons is a bit of a mess if he was one of your "starter" five.
- Gift specifically: Octopuses look best in "A-line" dresses or wide-collar shirts. Avoid anything with complex patterns on the back, as their tentacles tend to warp the textures in a weird way.
- Keep an eye on the "Move-In" queue: If you have an empty plot and don't fill it by the next day, the game might "void-fill" it. Because there are so few octopuses, the game rarely picks them for random fills—you almost always have to hunt for them.
The octopus villager isn't just a neighbor; they are a status symbol. Whether you're a fan of the grumpy space-alien Octavian or the sugary-sweet Marina, having one of these rare creatures on your beach is a rite of passage for any serious player. Stop burning your tickets on cats and start looking for the suckers.