When it comes to Villagers that are named after a food and look like food, there aren’t many that cover both categories here. In this Animal Crossing: New Horizons Ketchup Villager Guide, we’ll explore one of the Villagers that does. Be warned, you’re in for a weird ride with this Villager, but if you love food-themed Animal Crossing characters, this is the best one by far.
Who is Ketchup?
Ketchup is a peppy duck Villager, and she looks exactly like a tomato. Prior to New Horizons, she was exclusive to Animal Forest e+. She was one of the few Villagers that you required an E-Reader Card for.
In New Leaf, Ketchup returned to the game as part of the Amiibo update. She could be added by scanning her Amiibo card. You could then meet her in the campground and invite her to your town.
If you hadn’t already worked it out, Ketchup’s name is inspired by her appearance. She looks like a tomato, and ketchup is made from tomatoes. It’s a very simple link, but an effective one nonetheless.
Birthday
Ketchup’s birthday is on July 27. You’d be wise to find her by popping by her house on this date. She’ll be having a birthday party that you can be a part of if you really want to. You’ll partake in games, and even get a piece of cake from her. That cake will be useful in all sorts of ways throughout your main game, so it’s worth picking up.
Outside of the benefits to you, your relationship with Ketchup will also flourish if you see her on your birthday. She’ll appreciate you, and it’ll make getting gifts off of her so much easier in the future.
Ketchup’s Personality
Ketchup is a peppy Villager. She’s often in a good mood, or appears to be, even when she’s not. Peppy Villagers tend to overreact in conversations, so expect a lot of emotion when you’re chatting about absolutely nothing. She will also be incredibly excited to see anyone else on your island, including you. Prepare for some serious pep from this one.
The main goal of all peppy Villagers is to become famous. This is reflected in their self-obsessed nature and short attention span. They’ll forget everything pretty quickly, so even if they don’t like what you say, they won’t remember it in a few minutes.
Peppy Villagers tend to get along with normal, jock, lazy, and peppy Villagers. They clash with cranky and snooty ones though. They can’t handle people being miserable, which is exactly what these Villages love to be. If you’ve got Ketchup on your island and you want to keep her, maybe get rid of the Villagers she won’t get on with.
Ketchup’s Appearance
Ketchup’s appearance is by far her most interesting quality. That sounds so shallow, but it’s also incredibly true. She is a duck that is entirely red, like a tomato. On her head, she has orange cheeks, a yellow beak, and green hair. Her hair looks like the green leaves on the top of a tomato.
Her appearance is further cemented as the tomato Villager with the clothes she wears. Everything either looks like a 1950s dress, or has more green and food associations. Everything simply blends together to look more like food, and it’s impossible not to see her as a tomato.
We feel sorry for Ketchup a little. She obviously didn’t choose to look like a tomato, and calling her Ketchup feels cruel. However, that’s her name, so we just have to go with it. What her appearance does do is make her fit with Zucker and Merengue and all the other food like Villagers. If you want only Villagers that look like food, Ketchup needs to be on the top of your list.
Ketchup’s House
Ketchup actually has a fairly normal looking house. In New Leaf, the roof was bright red and not very subtle. It was almost as if the other Villagers had deliberately painted it to make fun of her. In New Horizons, the build is muted brown for the roof and a more defined brown for the walls.
Inside, very little has changed between New Leaf and New Horizons. Ketchup has a layout that resembles a picnic at the park. There’s a pizza oven, camping table with picnic baskets, brick foot shower, incinerator, a pot of stew on the tree trunk table, and a picnic rug. It looks like Ketchup sleeps on an inflatable sofa, which cannot be good for her back.
The flooring is totally green and looks like astroturf. The wallpaper is full of leaves and ivy, giving the entire house a cozy feeling. It’s as if you both stumbled upon a secluded spot in the spring sun and have settled down for a picnic together.
Facts About Ketchup
Ketchup is already a very interesting Villager without taking anything else into consideration. However, it’s also worth knowing that she’s a very rare type of Villager. Being a peppy Villager, she’s already in a minority, but she’s also one of the rarest. Players find it quite difficult to track her down and get her to stay on their island. If you’ve got her, count yourself lucky. If not, you could pay about 15 million Bells to get her on the black market.
Players love making videos about Ketchup too. She’s the focus of quite a few, and they all generally look at her when she moves to their island. You could watch hours of footage like this, but one video is probably enough to cover it all.
The bottom line with Ketchup is that she’s adorable, and she looks like food. The thing that makes her so special to series fans is the fact that she’s only been in a few games. She was probably a prototype Villager in Animal Forest e+, so the fact that she made it to New Leaf at all is a miracle. In New Horizons, she’s found a true home, and she looks absolutely fantastic. She is well worth having on your island, regardless of the aesthetic you’re looking for.