Chai

"Guess what! I'm taking flying lessons! And I don't even need wings–I can just use my ears!"

- Wisp imitating Chai

Chai is a peppy elephant villager in the. She first appeared in and has appeared in all subsequent games. She is one of the Sanrio crossover villagers and is based on the dog character, sharing the same birthday as him. Chai's catchphrase, "flap flap," refers to how Cinnamoroll can use his ears to fly. Chai's name is likely a reference to, since Chai has a pink teacup on her head, chai tea is a notable drink served at cafés, and Cinnamoroll's place of residence is at a café. She is the only Sanrio villager whose English name is different from her Japanese name.

Appearance
Chai is a blue elephant with a pink teacup on her head and yellow tips on her trunk, feet, and hands, as well as a white belly, hair, and eyelids. Her eyes feature cross-eyed blue pupils, which become smaller when she's shocked. She has Cinnamoroll on her shirt, the Sanrio character her design is based on. Chai and Tia are both elephant villagers based on.

Personality
Chai is a peppy villager, which means she will appear over-excited to see the player and most other villagers. Like all peppy villagers, she will appear childish and immature, usually asking the player for items they want. She will enjoy the usual hobbies and will tell the player that when she is bug catching, she is looking for a particular bug that may look nice in her home. She will get along well with other villagers, particularly the lazy, normal, big sister, smug and other peppy villagers, but she may annoy and upset cranky and snooty villagers who are known to appear older than other villagers. Due to the honest nature of peppy villagers, she may mention how "old" or "boring" they are due to her opposing, upbeat personality. She will easily get upset in conversation when it is not going her way, but will forget ever having the conversation due to her short attention span.

In
In, Chai can only move to the player's town if her amiibo card is scanned.

Chai's skill of "napping" refers to Cinnamoroll's habit of sleeping on the laps of the customers at Cafe Cinnamon. Her goal of "café owner" refers to how Cinnamoroll was adopted by the owner of Cafe Cinnamon and became the café's popular mascot.

In
While initially absent from, Chai was added in an update on March 18, 2021, and she can only move to the player's island if her amiibo card is scanned. Additionally, in all versions of the game, the can be obtained from Nook Shopping after inviting Chai to Photopia via her amiibo card.

In
Chai was added to on July 11, 2019 as part of Sanrio Characters Collection #1 and was available until September 2, 2019. She became available again in the Sanrio Characters Collection 2021 beginning March 26, 2021 and lasting until May 10, 2021.