Tom Nook

"I'll be there with bells on! Ho ho!"

- Tom Nook

Tom Nook is a tanuki, or Japanese raccoon dog, that owns and operates the town shop (except in, where he runs Nook's Homes, and , where he works at Resident Services). As soon as the player moves in to town, Tom Nook will offer part-time employment at his shop in order to pay off their newly acquired house mortgage.

After spending a certain amount of money in the shop, he will remodel to include a wider range of items. In all versions of, the final shop expansion, Nookington's department store, will include a second floor with two new employees, Timmy and Tommy (except ). In, Harriet's salon, Shampoodle, will also be included.

Background
Many years ago, Tom Nook left behind his friends, most importantly Sable, to travel to the big city. While there, he has dreams of success which are quickly broken by the harsh life there. After making nothing of himself, he returns to the player's town to set up his store. Nook no longer appears to be friends with Sable, though the two often mention each other to the player.

Nook seems to have a varied reputation amongst the villagers, with some speculating that he is, in fact, a human in a suit. His large, bushy tail seems popular amongst lazy people. He is openly derided by Redd as a "raccoon in an apron."

Nook has been thought to have worked with Redd in the past. This is further evidenced in, where, if the player have built his house, he may sometimes say, "Have you ever worked with a fox? Yes, foxes are never to be trusted, hm? I worked with a fox once in my life. Never again. Not after...the incident. Stop! I cannot say a word more! Let us assume it was tragic and not speak of it again."

and
At the beginning of the game, Tom Nook owns a small wooden shack. As the player buys items from him, the store will expand, eventually into a two-story supermarket. There are a total of four expansions, beginning with Nook's Cranny, which upgrades to Nook 'n' Go, then to Nookway, and lastly Nookington's.

In, Tom Nook runs a lottery on the last day of every month where Spotlight Items and NES games can be won if the player has raffle tickets. There are also random sales on occasion, as well as a selection of grab bags on Sale Day.

Tom Nook is also responsible for all players' mortgages, and will erect a statue outside the Train Station for each player who makes full repayments to him by depositing money in the Post Office.

This is the only game where the player can give passwords to Tom Nook. This allows for the transfer of items between towns.

In, the player can visit Tom Nook's store after hours by striking the entrance with an Axe or Shovel three times. Nook will set up shop in his pajamas—in this state, he walks very slowly, prices are inflated by 20%, and sales are deflated by 30%. Additionally, the player cannot access the catalog or any options besides buying and selling.

Tom Nook returns in as the shop owner once again. In this game, his store is now always adjacent to the Able Sisters, and the lottery, password and Sale Day features are removed. He also no longer sells clothes or umbrellas. However, the Tom Nook Point System is introduced to allow for eventual discounts on all purchases, with occasional Point Special days awarding five times the points, and Spotlight Items will infrequently appear in store. Nookington's contains Shampoodle on the lower floor, and upgrading to this store triggers Tom Nook's episodes.

Each player now shares Tom Nook's mortgage, and Tom will still force new players to work for him even when it is fully paid off. He states that he will 'not charge' the player for the lessons they are learning in Animal Crossing life.

His picture can be obtained by giving him a Safe, and the quote is "I'll be there with bells on! Ho ho!"

Tom Nook acts similarly in to. His store is never directly to the west of the Able Sisters, however, and his picture cannot be obtained in this game. But, players each have their own mortgage once again. Tom Nook will erect a flag outside a house with its mortgage fully paid off.

After a period of time with Nookington's in City Folk, Tom Nook will ask the player a question to "better serve his customers". Based on the answer given, Nookington's can close and reopen as a previous store to better suit the player's needs. Periodically, after the first questioning, Tom Nook will ask again, and the player can once more change the store.

The suggestions and answers are:


 * Variety- Nookington's
 * Balance- Nookway
 * Good Hours- Nook 'n' Go
 * Nothing much- Store does not change. Claims that this downgrades the store to Nook's Cranny are incorrect.

In, Nook runs a real estate store in place of a shop, and players are no longer required to work for him. The player, the new mayor, moves in without a home, but Tom Nook assists the player by letting the player determine the location of their new home. Construction of the home, however, takes a day and a 10,000 Bells down payment from the player, so they must sleep in a tent. Once the home is built, players must pay off the debt before they can make any expansions. After this, Tom Nook offers exterior home decorations and encourages the player to sign up for the Happy Home Academy, an association that scores players' homes.

In, he is usually referred to as King Nook. He helps run the monthly Happy Home Network Design Contest. During the contest, the player will be asked to design a home for King Nook. His appearance is notably different, as he wears royal clothing including a crown.

In, Nook and the Nooklings are heading a new venture, offering getaway packages to the player that set them up as new residents on a deserted island. In the game, Nook provides the player with a loan to establish themselves on the island and also runs a Resident Services center that provides a crafting bench and other amenities to the island's residents. The extent of the services provided is not currently known, but developer interviews have suggested that offerings will expand depending on how far the player has progressed in the development of their home and the island at large.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Tom Nook appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tom Nook also appears in the sequel to Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, in the background of the Animal Crossing themed stage Smashville.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
Tom Nook makes an appearance in the Villager's Final Smash, Dream Home, and makes an appearance as a trophy. The trophies have a different design and description from one another. He also makes a cameo appearance in the first E3 trailer for the games.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Tom Nook reprises his role as the Villager's Final Smash. He also appears in Isabelle's Final Smash, which functions similarly to Villager's, trapping opponents as he constructs Town Hall before it explodes, sending opponents flying.

Kirby: Planet Robobot
A rare gold sculpture of Tom Nook appears as one of Kirby's Stone ability transformations.

Tom Nook appeared in as the town shop owner, just as he does in the games.

Stories
Sometimes, upon entering his store, he will appear in thought, and may tell the player a story when approached:
 * "...Well, actually, I was just thinking about the good old days, hm?
 * I know it seems that the world is my oyster, what with my fine shop...
 * But in my childhood, I lived the kind of life you couldn't even imagine!
 * Yes, yes, but this was all some time ago, before I moved to this town, hm?
 * Of course, I was born in our lovely , but I moved away for a time...
 * Yes, yes, the city years, I like to call them. I was a raccoon of action, hm?
 * The big city certainly had its charms...but it had its pitfalls, as well.
 * Indeed, I had to endure certain hardships that I've never spoken of, hm?
 * ...Hard to believe, yes?
 * You're probably asking yourself, what the heck is Nook talking about, hm?
 * For now, , maybe it's best that we forget we ever talked about this."

Appearance
Tom Nook is a short, plump tanuki (racoon in western regions) with brown fur and a long nose. He appears to have lazy, frowning eyes and no visible mouth, with his nose moving in place of one when he speaks.

Nook's clothing changes depending on the state of his store. In Nook's Cranny, his most iconic appearance, he wears a short, blue apron with a leaf embedded on the front, or a kanji ten (店), meaning "shop", in. In Nook 'n' Go, Tom Nook wears a striped market uniform with a small market hat. In Nookway, Nook wears a large supermarket apron that covers his entire body, with a leaf still embedded on the front. Lastly, in Nookingtons', Tom Nook wears a simple, purple business suit.

In, Tom Nook's clothing is changed to reflect his new employment, wearing a teal colored vest with a white undershirt and red tie. He also wears gray-colored pants.

Personality
In the past, Tom Nook was an ambitious, money-driven individual who dreamed of fame and glory, even abandoning his friends to pursue such dreams in the City, although he still thought of his friends, particularly Sable, and would frequently exchange letters with them. After barely making a living and no profits, Tom returned to his home a more contemporary, down-to-earth individual, being described by Sable as a "completely different soul". Tom also says things such as "yes yes" or "Hm" in his speech. Many villagers will say that he has a checkered past, hinting at illicit activities.

Tom Nook's description in the game guide: ''A kind raccoon with a heart of gold, Tom Nook helps you get started when you first move to town by loaning you a home to live in. Tom also runs a little supply shop in town that sells all the basics, including furniture, tools, and gardening supplies. Tom will help you in a variety of ways as your life unfolds, and you'll help him as well: keep shopping at the store and it'll get bigger and bigger. Eventually, old Tom will even need to hire his two nephews, Timmy and Tommy, just to keep his business running!''

Sable
Tom Nook and Sable were close friends prior to Nook's attempt at striking it rich, frequently hanging out and talking about various things together. Even after Tom moved, the two continued to exchange letters with one another. Though Tom has rarely spoken with Sable since his return from the city, he mentions her often to the player. In New Leaf, he even appears to have a slight crush on Sable, which seems mutual from Sable's point of view, as shown when he blushes when Lyle mentions her and her sisters.

Timmy and Tommy
Timmy and Tommy are Nook's twin employees, and serve as his assistants in Nookington's. In previous installments, The two were implied to have been Nook's sons or nephews, however recent games have since denied any relation between the two. All three make a cameo in the Smashville stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In, Timmy and Tommy reside on the deserted island and assist Tom Nook in the operation of Nook Inc. and the island Resident Services center.