Is your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons missing someone to help you squeeze—er, seize the day? Tangy the cat is simply orange and ready to mewl her way into tropical life. The Animal Crossing franchise is highly regarded for its wide cast of quirky characters. Villagers are integral to the series’ gameplay as they offer daily tasks and opportunities for friendship. This guide covers what you should know about one of these villagers, Tangy.
Tangy in Animal Crossing
Tangy is an orange cat villager introduced at the beginning of the Animal Crossing franchise in the Nintendo 64 title, Doubutsu no Mori. She has appeared in every title and spin-off in the series, making her an enduring, stalwart figure. Cats comprise some of the most popular villagers in Animal Crossing and number more in their ranks than any other species. Overall, there are 26 cats with a gender dynamic of 15 females to 11 males. Tangy has the peppy personality, the most common personality amongst the cats (if you exclude villagers who are not in New Horizons, it is tied with snooty). Her birthday is on June 17, making her a Gemini.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tangy’s design is based on tangerines, or citrus fruits generally. Her pocked skin resembles the dimpled rind of a typical orange. Atop her head is a leaf, a trait shared with a rhino villager named Tank. While her name in English maintains the citrusy theme, her Japanese name, Hyakupā, is a bit more intriguing. Hyakupā is a shortened version of the phrase hyaku pāsento, which translates in English to “hundred percent.” This is in relation to 100% juices, made entirely from the natural juices of their respective fruits. Her initial catchphrase in the Japanese games, “mikan,” refers to a type of mandarin, which bolsters this connection.
How to Get Tangy
Trying to acquire this citrus cat may have you in a real squeeze. One method of finding her is via your island’s campsite. The campsite will occasionally host a random visiting villager; interacting with them allows you to relocate them to your island. However, the staggering number of villagers in the game makes the odds of this being Tangy low. You can also directly invite her to your campsite if you have her Amiibo card, which can be scanned using the Nook Stop terminal in Resident Services. Once she is at your campsite, she will request that you craft her various items as souvenirs. You must do this on three separate days before she joins your island.
While random, Mystery Island Tours provides another way to find Tangy. These ventures require using Nook Miles Tickets and are performed at the airport. If your island has an open lot, you can find a villager while scouring Mystery Islands. The character you encounter will be random, so ensure you do not spend your entire Ticket collection before trying to find her on one of these outings. Perhaps the easiest way to find the popular kitty is through New Horizons‘ online capabilities. Villagers often desire to leave their home islands; if a player grants their wish, they will pack up and begin moving the next day. While they are in boxes, another player can speak with and recruit them.
Orange You Glad to Have Her
Tangy is an optimistic, sprightly cat who will be a ray of sunshine on your island. Due to her legacy in the franchise, it won’t be easy to trade another player for her. She has always ranked highly in popularity polls, often breaking into the top 50 villagers and sometimes higher. Her unique and appealing design, alongside her personality, makes her a tour de force, even against other acclaimed cat villagers. She may seem like a ditzy kitty at first glance, but she is more layered than you might assume. Once you befriend her, she will peel back and reveal that she is sweet to the core.
