Rover

"Always trust a smiling cat."

- Rover

Rover is a cat in the. His job varies in each game, but his primary job is to set up the playable character. His name likely comes from roving, meaning "to travel without a set destination," which reflects his role in the games.

Appearance
Rover is a blue and white cat with red irises and black vertical pupils in his eyes. He wears a yellow-lined sweater with a repeating red and black diamond pattern.

In
Rover makes his debut in and, serving to set up the game for the first time. In his first appearance, Rover meets the player on the train, when he approaches the player asking if he has the correct date and time, before asking if he can sit adjacent to them, promising that he isn't crazy. Regardless of whether the player rejects him or not, he will sit in the row across from the player and drums up conversation by asking questions to determine the gender and appearance, as well as asking where the player is going, and setting up a house for them to stay in by talking with his friend, Tom Nook. Soon after this, the train arrives at the player's town.

The player can also meet Rover again when traveling to another town, though he will not ask questions to the player.

In
Rover makes a minor appearance in. He can occasionally be found drinking coffee at The Roost on any day from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM and 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. He also begins Tag Mode for the player, appearing when the player selects the option from the title screen.

In
In, Rover returns to his previous role from , by setting up the player for the first time they play. He meets the player on the bus driven by Kapp'n and asks questions to determine the gender and town name of the player. Rover also appears whenever the game is booted up, asking if the time and date is correct and who is going to be playing the game out of four saved players, as well giving access to options.

Rover also turns on WiiConnect24, as well as other options, such as audio options, by calling him with the phone in the player's attic.

In
In, Rover yet again sets up the player similarly to previous games. He meets the player on the train before it pulls into town, similar to the original. Yet, when the player starts the game thereafter, Isabelle greets them, not Rover.

In
While initially absent from, Rover was added in the 1.2.0 April Free Update alongside May Day, an event that runs from April 29 to May 7. He is invited by Tom Nook to celebrate May Day, and he can be found at the goal of the May Day Tour. If the player reaches him, he will congratulate them and give them a prize: or.

can be obtained from Nook Shopping after inviting Rover to Photopia via his amiibo.

Prior to its removal in version, when the player scans Rover's amiibo card and tries to invite him, he will say:

''Hello! Player ? Yeah, it's totally me! What's on your mind? You have a campsite?! Sounds like fun! Too bad I'm busy right now on an island far, far away from yours. Not that I can tell you what I'm up to. Mya ha ha! Till next we meet! Bye!''

In
In, Rover can be invited as a client via his amiibo after becoming a "famous designer." Like in, Rover has no required theme to his house.

In
Rover appears in and is only available his amiibo is scanned. In this game, it is hinted that he has a crush on Katrina.

In
In, Rover will occasionally host a garden event, when the player can plant seasonal flowers and catch rare butterflies near them. For the captured butterflies, players will get rewards, including Rover-style furniture. Players can also share butterflies with other players.

In
Rover appears as a collectible sticker.

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Rover appears as a trophy in both versions of the game.

Trivia

 * In the first popularity poll held on the website, Rover ranked as the 5th most popular character at 168 votes, ranking above Bob but below Bunnie.
 * In a second popularity poll held on the Japanese website, Rover ranked as the 12th most popular character at 1,165 votes, ranking above Tortimer but below Aurora.
 * Rover appears in the Japanese e-Reader card artwork for "K.K. Chorale."
 * While beginning a new game in, Rover says that he "hasn't done this much traveling by train since 2002 or so," a reference to the North American release date of the original , which is the only other game outside of Japan in which Rover is met on a train. This only appears in the English version of the game.
 * If the player continues talking with Rover after completing the May Day Tour in, he may say that he isn't really used to travel by plane, being more fascinated by trains — a reference to his original role in the original and.
 * In, Rover has the voice of a smug villager.