Wait, Which Animal Crossing Character Died?

Animal Crossing: New Horizons appears to follow in its predecessors' footsteps of being an utterly chill game (read our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review-in-progress for detials). You catch some bugs, shake some trees, catch some fish, and so on. This time it all takes place on your own private, deserted island. What could be more relaxing?

Oh, also someone died.

At least, that's what appears to have happened, thanks to a brief glimpse in the latest Animal Crossing-themed Nintendo Direct. During the section detailing the game's terraforming features, the plucky island-dweller passed by the unmistakable image of a tombstone, caught by eagle-eyed fans.

Keep in mind, this is very explicitly a deserted island. No one was here before you; that's the whole point. So whoever kicked the bucket happened to have died while you were there, after you started populating it with houses and shops and inviting your friends and animal companions to join you. You started building a society and someone ended up dead. That gives the whole thing a slightly ominous, Lord of the Flies tone.

Oh, sure, you say, the tombstone could be a house for the ghost character Wisp, who we also saw briefly in the presentation. Or it could be a piece of furniture left conspicuously behind a tree. But we owe it to the brave first citizens of our tiny civilization to probe the issue regardless.

What's baffling is that we don't actually know who could be buried there, if anyone. Our best guesses revolve around characters who haven't yet been seen. Could it be Joan, who's no longer running the Stalk Market? Or Kapp'n, whose ferrying services may no longer be needed? Or Tortimer, who frankly was already getting up in years? We don't know, and no one leaves the island until we get to the bottom of this.

Tom Nook: Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts last night?