One moment from the recent Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct that social media and the internet, in general, don't seem to be able to stop talking about is the eerie gravestone sighting at the 22-minute mark. Yep, there's apparently trouble in paradise and some fans are now worried that a perhaps well-known character within the series may have finally kicked the bucket.
The obvious go-to is Tortimer. He's old and retired - so how much longer can he possibly live? Then there's Joan, the turnip seller, who appears to have been replaced by Daisy Mae. Of course, it could be the home of Wisp, or simply a spooky-themed item that's been placed outside (it wouldn't be the first time).
While death isn't a subject that's directly touched on in the Animal Crossing series, one character that's believed to have passed away is Frillard. This frilled-neck lizard showed up in Animal Crossing: City Folk and in the following game Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Dr. Shrunk references how much he misses him.
Enough with the theories, though, here's what social media is saying about this latest in-game sighting:
https://twitter.com/ChampionSmeltz/status/1230588895785619457
https://twitter.com/figleafcrossing/status/1230692306572972032
Is this grave just an outdoor item or is it something else? Share your own theories below.
[source gamerevolution.com]
Comments (68)
Y'all do know there are ghosts..... Right?
Like it's that ghost dude that shows up every now and then
My money is on Tortimer.
It's the undead cannibal zombie animal - Nice Tomb Eatya
Yeah, I was thinking Tortimer myself. It would be sad if so. I was little when i played AC on Gamecube. It'll feel like I lost someone i actually did grow up with.
Time for some dolt to claim they won't buy the game because death is too serious of a topic for AC!
ACNL & Happy Home Designer have tombstone, skeletons, etc. ๐


@Anti-Matter What?! You can build a graveyard in Animal Crossing?
Plot twist: It's actually Wrinkly Kong.
@Zuljaras Yeah, you can build pretty much anything in Happy Home Designer.
Another conspiracy theory: outdoor furniture item (YMMV why anyone would even consider gravestones as "furniture" but a mere couple months in New Leaf and nothing will surprise you in this regard anymore) intentionally placed outside for the trailer footage. Welcome to the 21st century marketing.
@Wolfenpilot687 How about New Leaf? I am currently seeing some horror towns on YouTube and I wonder if it is that free.
@Not_Soos Plot twist: And than there's Chunky. He's dead.
"Here Lies Link"
@Anti-Matter also City Folk

Itโs for the gameโs secret zombie mode! At a certain date in the evening the dead rise and the AnC characters pull out their secret stash of assault rifles, shotguns and Molotovโs cocktails and have to spend the evening defending their homes in an action packed shoot,em up mini-game!! XD
Resetti is dead.
@mantez nah he now spends his time rescuing careless players from their own mistakes.
It would be great if we had a cross game between Animal Crossing and Castlevania! Animal Crossing Deadly Moon or Animal Crossing Bloody Hell !
Oh, now we have to login every day to give food and water to the people. Just like in real life but if you don't play AC for a while your people on the island will get skinny and then die. It's rather sad really but the developer wanted this to be a real life simulation. You have to comb their hair, brush their teeth and wipe their bottoms. I don't know if I want to play this game anymore.
People often forget that the Able Sisters' parents are dead.
Could it be an Iwata tribute?
@FX102A *Pre-orders 2
@Morph it could be... But he did due a while ago. When did this game go into production?
What is sitting on the grave?
This is what happens when you don't pay off all of your loans.
Maybe it's for the lost unpacked-up save files ho ho ho (hope that doesn't come back to bite me!)
I don't think it's an old character.
It would be super dark, they'd have had to have died on the plane ride over to the island.
No one died. This game is as E rated as is possible for a game to be rated. And remember, it's easier to lie to children, than to admit people die. It's a Halloween decoration.
I don't think anyone will have died. It's probably the location of the ghost character guy
You'd think the kind of people who discuss tiny trailer details would have seen Hitokui Village.
It's for you when the bees kill you.
Anyone here actually see the direct? The player has full control over every structure. There wouldnโt be a permanent gravestone. Itโs fun to theorize but itโs so painfully obv itโs a decoration
::Cue Bloody Tears from Castlevania::
I question if digging channels so close to burial ground is a good idea.
its mr. Reseti`s...
As @Not_Soos pointed out, Nintendo games have integrated death by old age into a sense of continuity before. Tortimer can pass away and return as a ghost every Halloween. There, problem solved.
@Heavyarms55 A Halloween decoration in this time of year?
@Crockin Can the player move other residents' houses?
@Reigestugatensho everything is customizable
@Crockin I see your point then.
Resetti show his mouth off one too many times and got his own pick axe for it. There mystery solved.
Tortimer's grave I assume? That would explain why the player takes over as mayor
That's where my wallet is buried.
@nkarafo I found this. You might like it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO-hOhVyazY
The tombstone reads: "XBox Series X".
Thank you. I'll see myself out.
maybe the villager himself took his victim and buried him there.
these are funny but in all honesty I NEED to know Tortimer and Joan are okay.
It's possible it's a gravestone, & it's also possible it could be a monument/memorial for something in-game, such as a tree, or something.
The grave is my life beyond work and Animal Crossing post March 20th.
@Zuljaras Nice!! Thanks. Now, it's getting interesting!
Hopefully this is finally a way to dispose of all the rhino villagers I get.
The grave belongs to you, the player character. But that's just a theory... a Gaaaame Theory.
But, Google has stated that turtles can live between 30-40 to 80 years.
https://t.co/mCVpmZPgFA
It could also be a property marker, or landmark.
It's the grave of the previous island owner.
Reckon this is a tease to something non animal crossing, sure I've seen a similar grave in another Nintendo game but cannot remember which.
@Zuljaras Well, those are bit more specialized, but on New Leaf you cannot put furniture outside, so options are more limited.
I made a meme of it lol

I admit I've got a bit intrigued when I first saw it, but with Wisp being there and the fact there IS a gravestone furniture as part of the Creepy series should possibly explain it...
I mean Shrunk mentioned the late Frillard in New Leaf, so...
Wait, that was already mentioned.
Oops.
If Cube wasn't returning, I would have guessed that grave was his. Years ago in the first Animal Crossing game, he ambushed me and forced me to trade the rare golden axe for a lousy pissing statue I already had. I got so mad, I created a portal into the game's universe, entered the village personally, took the axe back forcefully, and chopped Cube to pieces with it. Almost all the residents fled afterwards, and the ones who stayed behind (like the Able Sisters, Nook, and the pelicans) started packing heat. The game became really depressing after that so I just stopped playing it.
One of my favorite villagers is Iggy, who last appeared on the Gamecube. He moved to my second memory card, so I have to take the train to visit him.
@AlphaElite That's where my time is buried.
@Lordplops That pun was perfect!
@Not_Soos that's what I call my pee pipe
I wish people wouldn't be so stupid. It's just an item related to that ghost that lingers about. Literally can't stand all this e-Drama and e-Excitement over it. Just behave like regular people.
People really do read too much into things. Itโs just a game.
for all we know the gravestone belongs to beau.
Nook finally figured out that she knows too much so he had to put her six feet under before she could inform the others.
if all the villagers knew that it was just a game than something may go wrong.... like the fruit starts growing at normal rate, Tommy and Timmy might stop buying weeds, shells, fossils, D.I.YI.recipes, and fruit from us. or WORSE Nook may start to charge us interest on our loans and foreclose on our houses if we can't pay our loan back in full by the end of the day!!! lol)
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