Animal Crossing: New Horizons — All Reactions and how to get them

Animal Crossing New Horizons character using shocked Reactions
Animal Crossing New Horizons character using shocked Reactions (Image credit: iMore)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a very social game, so being able to make your main character emote for pictures or for easy communication when you're playing with friends is a vital aspect of the game. There are over 40 Reactions that your character can unlock, ranging from happy emotions to angry ones. Here are all of the Reactions you can unlock along with an explanation for how to obtain them.

How to get Reactions

Animal Crossing New Horizons Flora teaching the player Aggravation Reaction (Image credit: iMore)

Animal Crossing New Horizons Flora teaching the player Aggravation Reaction (Image credit: iMore)

Source: iMore

If you want to learn more Reactions, you're going to need to talk more with your villagers. If a villager comes running up to you and wants to talk, make sure you enter into a dialogue with them. More often than not, they want to give you something or ask you a question. Sometimes this will result in them teaching you a new Reaction. If you regularly stop to shoot the breeze with your animal neighbors, you'll quickly fill up all of your Reaction slots.

How to use Reactions

Animal Crossing New Horizons Reactions menu

Animal Crossing New Horizons Reactions menu (Image credit: iMore)

To access your unlocked Reactions, all you have to do is press ZR, the right trigger button. This brings up a menu of eight Reaction options. All you have to do is select one, and then your character will emote accordingly. If you've acquired more than eight Reactions, then you can press X while in the Reactions menu wheel to view additional emotes that you've unlocked. You can even swap out the eight from your Reaction wheel if you think you'll be using one of these other ones more frequently.

Animal Crossing New Horizons two players using players using Reactions (Image credit: iMore)

Now comes the fun part: setting the scene. Decorate an area, dress up your character, and then open the Camera app on your Nook Phone. Whether you're alone or with friends using Reactions can help you make some silly scenes or can help you communicate better. If you accidentally hit your friend with your axe, use the Apologetic Reaction. If your friend catches a rare fish, use the Delight Reaction and clap for them. There are dozens of scenarios where you can use these Reactions and plenty of hilarious moments that you can capture in pictures by using them.

All Reactions

There are 44 slots in the Reaction menu, which leads us to believe that there are probably 44 Reactions to unlock. However, not all of the Reactions have been discovered yet. Here all of the ones we currently know about. We've included videos of the ones we've personally been able to unlock.

Aggravation

The character briefly becomes red in the face, and steam emits from the top of the head.

Apologetic

The character clicks their feet together and then gives a deep bow while a frown is on their face.

Bashful

The character moves its left arm behind its right ear while flowers appear around the head.

Cold Chill

An animated wind picks out around the character, carrying with it one autumn leaf. The character shivers and shakes their head while frowning.

Curiosity

The character tilts its head to the side, and a question mark appears above its head.

Delight

The character closes their eyes tilts back their head, and starts clapping. This action isn't stopped until the player presses another button.

Disagreement

The character shakes their head and then holds a frown until another button gets pushed.

Distress

The character wriggles around while sweat droplets roll down their face.

Encouraging

The character leans forward, opens their mouth, and animated lines shoot out from around their face.

Greetings

The character closes their eyes,ifts their right hand, and smiles while a chime sounds.

Happiness

The character closes their eyes, tilts their head up slightly and smiles.

Heartbreak

The character tilts its head to one side and opens its mouth in a frown as a heart splits in two above its head.

Intense

The character bows its head a little and stares directly upwards.

Joy

Flower appear around the characters head as they happily sidle from side to side.

Laughter

Yellow lines appear on either side of the player's head. Their eyes, clothes, and their mouth stay open as the head rocks forward and backward.

Mistaken

The character hits their head with a fist, and then a star falls on their head out of nowhere.

Pleased

The character closes their eyes, smiles, and tilts their head while a chime sounds.

Resignation

The character closes their eyes and then shrugs.

Shocked

A yellow shock mark appears around the character's head; their eyes and mouth are wide open.

Shyness

The character bows their head, half closes their eyes and opens its mouth while rocking from side to side.

Sleepy

The character's eyes droop, and bubbles pop around their head.

Sorrow

The character raises their hands to their face, tilts their head back, and starts crying.

Sneezing

The character sneezes and then shakes their head.

Surprise

The character grows wide-eyed, and an exclamation point momentarily appears above their head.

Thought

The character tilts their head, lifts a hand to their face while a thought bubble appears above their head.

Worry

The character's eyelids droop and the mouth frowns.

All the feels

Now you know how to use Reactions and how to get them in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Having these emotes up your sleeve can really add to your multiplayer interactions or simply allow you to take some fun screenshots. Have fun playing around on your island. I know I will.

Rebecca Spear
Gaming Editor

Gaming aficionado Rebecca Spear is iMore's dedicated gaming editor with a focus on Nintendo Switch and iOS gaming. You’ll never catch her without her Switch or her iPad Air handy. If you’ve got a question about Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, or just about any other Nintendo series check out her guides to help you out. Rebecca has written thousands of articles in the last six years including hundreds of extensive gaming guides, previews, and reviews for both Switch and Apple Arcade. She also loves checking out new gaming accessories like iPhone controllers and has her ear to the ground when it comes to covering the next big trend.