How to get rid of a Villager in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

It's free real estate.

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you have the ability to invite Villagers to live on your island, and get rid of them if you no longer desire their company. Getting rid of a Villager you don’t like feels a bit cruel, but sometimes it’s for the best. To help make the process easier, we’ve put together a guide explaining how to get rid of a Villager in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

How to get rid of a Villager in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

How to get rid of a Villager in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Only talk to and interact with Villagers you want to keep on your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
© Nintendo
  • Stop talking to the Villager you want to get rid of entirely.
  • Continue talking to the Villagers you want to keep and cultivate a good relationship with them by doing things like giving them gifts.
  • When you see them walking around looking troubled with a thought bubble over their head, speak to them and when they tell you they want to leave, encourage them to leave.

The max number of Villagers you can have on your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is ten. Two Villagers move in with you at the start of the game, after which you can invite eight more of your choosing. With so many unique Villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there’s no guarantee who you’re going to run into on a mystery island or at your campsite. It’s always a surprise.

When comparing your Villagers with the Villagers other people have on their islands, you may spot a Villager you’d like to have on your island in place of one of your current Villagers. In that instance, you’ll need to free up some space if you have the max number of Villagers on your island. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes the pros outweigh the cons.

It’s not difficult to get rid of a Villager in terms of gameplay, but it is when it comes to the guilt you may feel. To get rid of a Villager, you’ll need to stop talking and interacting with them. If you see them running up to talk to you, ignore them and don’t engage. Don’t give them gifts, don’t visit their house for a friendly chat, just ignore them entirely.

While you’re doing this, you’ll want to sustain good relationships with the other Villagers on your island. Talk to them, give them gifts, make sure they’re happy. Note that other suggestions like complaining to Isabelle and hitting them with a bug net won’t do much when it comes to getting rid of a Villager.

The main way to convince a Villager to leave is by ignoring them and making a point to give the rest of your Villagers adequate attention. Eventually, the Villager you want to get rid of will be seen walking around looking upset with a thought bubble over their head. Speak with them when they're at this point and they'll tell you they're thinking about leaving.

Encourage them to leave and be as blunt about it as possible. It’s incredibly mean to do, and you’ll probably hate yourself for it for a while, but when that Villager moves out you’re free to invite a new Villager. You don’t have to invite someone met on a mystery island or through your campsite if you don’t want to.

You can wait until someone you prefer comes along. By being picky with who you invite in the first place, you won’t have to give anyone the cold shoulder in order to get them to leave.

Now that you know how to get rid of a Villager in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, be sure to read through some of our other helpful guides including all cherry blossom recipes in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, what to do with Lost Items in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and how to catch an Atlas Moth in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Morgan is a writer, indie game lover, and socially awkward coffee addict. Need something? Morgan can be reached at morgan.shaver@allgamers.com or if you like, you can say hello using GIFs on Twitter.

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