Who is Gruff, and what is his role in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Animal Crossing: New Horizons islands are home to 10 villagers that players choose from the variety of villagers that the game offers. These villagers are divided into eight personality types - smug, snooty, jock, lazy, cranky, peppy, sisterly, and normal. Players need at least one of each type to make their Animal Crossing islands interesting and buzzing.

One of the most sought-after cranky characters in the title is Gruff, the cranky goat. This article dives into everything players need to know about him.

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Gruff is the crankiest character in Animal Crossing

Gruff is one of the oldest and consequently most popular characters in the Animal Crossing franchise. He is a pale green goat with a cranky personality.

Gruff in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Image via Animal Crossing Wiki- Fandom)

Gruff dons an old-school black jacket in Animal Crossing New Horizons. He has droopy eyelids covering his sapphire blue eyes and short, brown hair. He has three prominent eyelashes on his lower lashline. His horns and hooves are white, in contrast to his black, round nose. His tail is brown in color, and the insides of his ears are of a pink shade.

Gruff is a cranky villager and exhibits regular cranky habits. He gets irritated very easily and can get angry if a player disagrees with anything he says. He can mix well with other cranky, snooty, or smug villagers but steers clear of peppy villagers, as they are not his cup of tea. Furthermore, he even enjoys spreading rumors about peppy villagers.

Gruff interacting with a player in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Image via Reddit)

Like every other cranky villager, Gruff, too, is heavily invested in his hobbies and can often be seen challenging players to compete against him. However, he gets annoyed if the player refuses to grant him a favor.

Interestingly, Gruff seems to possess an interest in music, with a house full of musical instruments. This feature is common across all Animal Crossing titles he has appeared in. Gruff has been part of every Animal Crossing title except Wild World and City Folk.

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