Animal Crossing: New Horizons has some odd ducks, but none of them may be as peculiar as the chicken Egbert. : New Horizons has some odd ducks, but none of them may be as peculiar as the chicken Egbert. He's a fellow villager whose moods tends to jump around a little too fast for players comfort. Most of the time he's sad or nervous about something. The permanent sour expression on his face makes it hard not to feel pity for this bird. When Egbert isn't sad, he acts irate and erratic. In fact, he bounces between feeling the blues and strong negative emotions, seemingly never in between. Conversations between the player and this chicken show his issues have gotten him into multiple trouble in the past. How did such a seemingly lazy villager become so twisted? Better yet, what happened for him to become as disturbed as he is? THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY
Egbert Experienced Childhood Trauma
At one point Egbert mentions that a "birthday clown went into his house and never came out". Birthday clown in this context can translate to anything from a burglar to someone who invaded his childhood home and performed a heinous crime like a shooting or murder. Since his family are prey animals, they would definitely be prone to an attack by something. This would leave him not only heavily traumatized after what he witnessed but he would also feel fearful as an animal that has a hard time defending itself. The "clown never came out" because the trauma never left his mind, as shown through his tendencies to misbehave in places.
The Trauma Gave Him PTSD
For example, he mentions being kicked off a boat for having a meltdown about a fear of pirates. Typically, pirates can be associated with criminal acts. They are often portrayed as groups of thugs that invade unsuspecting ships, much in the way a criminal would invade a home. The similarities between a pirate and a modern-day criminal would cause Egbert to develop a fear of anyone considered to be invasive. The experience left him with a long-lasting paranoia that ingrained into his personality as he grew up, which is why he acts the way he does in New Horizons.
He is Permanently Emotionally Scarred
The trauma has long ripped away Egbert's peace of mind. He tells the player at one point that he's not allowed to drive cars anymore while going into an explanation that he's terrified of the explosions are happening inside the engine all the time. The idea of something dangerous being so close, yet hidden seems to be a serious emotional trigger for him. This chicken's tribulations lead him to live life on a quiet island. After all, a place like a village with very little population traffic, far off from industrialized civilization, and hardly any new emotional stimulators is perfect for someone nervous like him. But why did his parents kick him out in the first place as he claims they did?
Egbert Refused To Get Help
Based on his tendencies to have emotional outbursts, Egbert was a likely very difficult person to live with. Between refusing to pull his weight and his paranoia causing discomfort to those around him, the chicken's parents probably attempted to encourage him to seek out help multiple times and eventually became fed up when it wasn't going anywhere. This lead to his banishment, which leads to him seeking out a place of his own. But now it fortunately appears he's found some tranquility on the player's island. If you run into this chicken during your playing be sure to say hello! While neurotic and strange, he's one of the funniest villagers that can inhabit your island. Sources: , ,