Tortimer

Tortimer (そんちょう, Sonchou, コトブキ, Kotobuki), is an elderly tortoise and the mayor of the town the player moves into in the. He has appeared in every installment in the Animal Crossing series except for the original game,. He also appeared in. His name is a portmanteau of 'tortoise' and the human name 'Mortimer'. His laugh is 'heh heh hoorf'.

During town events, Tortimer can often be found outside celebrating, and may give away holiday-specific items. In and, he can be seen napping in the back of the Town Hall when there are no active events. In, Tortimer has retired from the role of mayor and now lives on the Island where he works as a tour guide.

Tortimer seems to have a large ego, according to, to the extent of having his own cult of personality, though he is its only follower. This is supported in the games, since during festivals he always seems to remind the player of his authority, such as during Nature Day in City Folk, where he boasts the slogan 'Mother Nature and Father MAYOR'.

Role in Events
Tortimer is a very old tortoise and is the mayor of the player's town. At any events, like the Flower Festival, he will stand outside the town hall to explain the competition. At the end of the competition he will give a shiny gold trophy to the winner. At other occasions like Bonfire Night, he will give you a free sparkler. At New Year's he will give out a shirt and a party popper. At Fireworks Night he will give a Roman Candle and a Sparkler. The events he appears at are spread out at all different times of the year. He appeared on Bonfire night only in.

History
Occasionally, Tortimer talks about his life previous to becoming mayor. He talks about being an expert gardener and once had a wife, Mrs. Tortimer, though she is believed to have died tragically. Some villagers speculate that he became incredibly rich on the turnip market, while others believe he gained money illegally and used it to build the town hall. This is backed up by the fact that there are no taxes in the player's town, and that Tortimer himself never has to face election. Also, according to the gossip of villagers in City Folk, his shell might be fake.

Cornimer
Tortimer is often associated with Cornimer, who only appears in the Acorn Festival and replaces Tortimer for this event. Most believe that Cornimer is just Tortimer dressed up, but others think he may be a relative. It is interesting to note that Tortimer cannot be seen behind the desk at the Town Hall during the Acorn Festival, however he may just be out searching for acorns.

Zipper T.
Zipper T. Bunny is a yellow bunny who appears on Bunny Day in and will give the player egg series furniture in exchange for "bunny foil". The zipper on his back and the "T." in his name suggests that this is Tortimer in costume, but Tortimer can still be found in his usual spot, behind the desk in the Town Hall, sleeping.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tortimer appears as a trophy and in the background of the Smashville stage.

Trivia

 * In, Tortimer can be pushed without becoming angry at the player.
 * In, Tortimer wears a red hat and his spectacles are different.
 * Like Joan, Tortimer appears immune to Pitfall Seeds. When he is pushed on top of one he does not fall into the trap.
 * His hat cannot be seen when he is sleeping on his chair in the Town Hall.
 * Tortimer appears to be able to stay awake all day and night until the day is over. He can stay up very late. That may be why he sleeps on his desk in the day time.
 * When it rains or snows on a day when Tortimer is outside in the plaza, he does not seem affected by any type of weather. He will not carry an umbrella when it rains either.
 * Cranky villagers will sometimes say that he takes money the player donates to buy a Plasma TV.
 * Since the player gets to be town mayor in, Tortimer's role in the game was unknown until a recent trailer revealed that he will be on the Island in the game.
 * The villager Drake claims that Tortimer's favorite food is Peking Duck. Obviously, as a duck, it upsets him.
 * In the office in, there is a picture of Tortimer on the wall.
 * In, there is a rumor that Tortimer tells the player, that is he had to pick a successor, it would be the player. This may be what leads up to Animal Crossing:New Leaf.