Animal Crossing: New Horizons features numerous tools that enhance your gameplay experience. One such tool is the axe, which helps reshape your island’s landscape by removing trees; it can also aid in gathering important crafting resources. The bladed tool has several variations, and knowing which type will serve your intended purpose is crucial. Follow along with this guide to discover more about how to use and acquire this important tool.

How to Use the Axe

Axes have been staple items since the inception of the Animal Crossing franchise. The tool first appeared in the Japanese-exclusive Doubutsu no Mori, the debut title for the series. Intriguingly, the axe in Doubutsu no Mori is unbreakable and cannot be reordered in the catalog, making it a unique item. Later titles, including the international release of Animal Crossing for the GameCube, would introduce a durability counter to the tool. Successive strikes would cause its blade to slowly chip away before finally breaking. This durability factor was once exclusive to the chopping tool but would later become a major—and controversial—game mechanic for most tools in New Horizons.

The primary function of the axe is to cut down trees. A tree will be felled following 3 strikes, causing the trunk to collapse and leave behind a stump. New Leaf on the 3DS contained a unique feature where certain axes could produce special patterns on stumps. When chopping a tree, any fruits or beehives in its foliage will plummet to the ground. Like the shovel, the axe can strike rocks to uncover insects, ore, or Bells. In earlier series entries, tree removal was not necessarily a pivotal game mechanic but more of a customization method for the player’s town. However, the tool gained further utility in New Horizons, which coincided with the game’s crafting and resource mechanics.

Materials and Types

Ridding your island of trees may not interest you, but that doesn’t mean you should put this tool on the chopping block. In New Horizons, the axe gained additional functionality as the main way to garner wood materials. There are three types of wood trees produce: normal wood, softwood, and hardwood. The tool can also be used on bamboo trees to gather bamboo pieces and young spring bamboo. During the lead-up to Bunny Day, you can also acquire wood eggs by striking trees. All these materials are necessary for several of the game’s crafting recipes. But it is important to note that felling a tree also deprives you of a source of these crafting materials.

The developers had the foresight to understand this predicament, which is why New Horizons features multiple variations of the tool. Rather than just being an aesthetic choice or having higher durability, these different types of hatchets also have different functionalities. The flimsy and stone versions of the tool can strike trees to harvest wood resources from them. However, they cannot cut trees down; this is an exclusive feature for the normal and golden upgrades. If you are more interested in collecting wood than chopping down your trees, you will likely favor using the stone axe the most. But the tools must be crafted, meaning you must obtain their respective recipes.

How to Get the Axe

If you are the Resident Representative, unlocking your first axe should occur early in your playthrough. After helping Tom Nook complete his DIY workshop at the beginning of the game, he will provide you with recipes for the flimsy net and fishing rod. After you have crafted these tools, start collecting some of the bugs and fish that populate your island. With a few in your inventory, hand over to Nook at least two of them (the ratio of bugs versus fish does not matter, just the number you give him). After doing so, the raccoon magnate rewards you with the recipe for the flimsy axe. Crafting this tool requires 5 tree branches and a stone, easily obtainable resources.

The flimsy axe will live up to its name, only having a durability of 40. Once you start farming Nook Miles, you can head to the Nook Stop terminal and acquire the Pretty-Good Tools recipe pack. The pack will set you back 3,000 Nook Miles but provides access to myriad new tools, including the normal and stone axes. The normal hatchet is crafted using the flimsy version, three pieces of wood, and an iron nugget; the stone version requires the same ingredients, minus the nugget. Unlike some of the game’s other tools, they cannot be customized into different colors. This is likely due to the requirements for unlocking the almighty Golden Axe.

Golden Axe

The Golden Axe—not to be confused with the classic arcade beat ‘em up game—returns in New Horizons. Unlike its previous incarnations, it features a noteworthy change that neuters its capabilities. To coincide with the durability mechanics of New Horizons, the golden upgrade of the tree chopper is now breakable. This is quite a sharp contrast to previous games, where the main mechanical benefit of the tool over its normal version was that it would never break when used. Given the usual lengths needed to acquire the gilded beauty, some players were incensed by this design decision.

The Golden Axe throughout the series is often one of the toughest final tool upgrades to obtain. Sometimes it has required an elaborate trading sequence, while other times you need to maintain a perfect town for a lengthy period. In New Horizons, however, the recipe is relatively straightforward to acquire. It will be quite laborious, though, as you must break 100 different axes to unlock it. It does not matter which version of the tool is broken; any of them will suffice. However, it is highly recommended that you use the flimsy type. The flimsy tool will not cut down trees like the normal version and has the lowest durability, making it easier to break and achieve your goal.

I Have an Axe to Grind

Axes in New Horizons have unique traits compared to some of the other tools in the game. While Nook’s Cranny sells customizable variants of the shovel, net, and watering can, our bladed instrument unfortunately only comes in 4 versions. Technically, there are five, as a special variant called the Worn Axe is used for the May Day island maze; it only has a durability of three, meaning it can cut down a single tree before it breaks. Whether you intend to fell some trees that are becoming eyesores or accumulate timber for a slew of DIY recipes, this is one tool you can’t overlook. Remember to replant what you cut, as the axe forgets what the tree remembers.