If you haven't played every Animal Crossing game that has been released since 2001, you might not know about the tragic past the Able sisters share. It's possible to play them all and still miss the story as players can only receive tidbits from Sable after spending multiple days on end trying to befriend the usually withdrawn hedgehog.
While this information was unlockable in past games such as City Folk and New Leaf, New Horizons spares players the details of the sisters' family history. Here's an in-depth look into the Able sisters' story.
The Beginning of a Sad Story
The clothing shop Able Sisters was originally run by their parents, until a fatal accident left the sisters parentless and the store was handed over to the eldest sister, Sable. Label, the middle child, and Sable got into an argument after their parent's death that led to Label leaving home for a new life as a fashion designer in the city. Players learn from Sable that Mable was too young to remember her parents or her sister Label before she left.
In the original Animal Crossing release (as well as Wild World), players only meet Sable and Mabel, the two sisters who work at the Able Sisters, similar as they do in New Horizons. In these games, players can learn about Sable's January blues when the eldest sister gets depressed. By talking to Sable enough that month, players discover she was very good friends with Tom Nook before he moved away to the city. Sable admits that she received her first letter from him around this time of year and that she worries about Tom Nook's 'pure spirit' being taken advantage of in the city.
Introducing a Third Sister
It's not until City Folk, that we were introduced to a character named Labelle, a polite, hardworking clerk at GracieGrace, the high-end furniture store owned by the fashionista giraffe Gracie. When Label first left home for the city, she met Gracie and took on the name Labelle. In this game, Sable reveals the family secret that the worker in GracieGrace is her younger sister, making this the first game Mable knows of her second sister. After players develop more of a relationship with Sable, she shares more stories about her childhood and past. One story Sable shares is about raising her younger sister and how thankful she is that Mable turned out to be that bright bit of sunshine we all love.
Labelle starts sending letters to Mabel in City Folk in hopes of bringing the family back together. Mabel becomes quiet and sad in-game, and players can push to hear the story of the three sisters. After speaking to Mabel about it, players can travel into the city to question Labelle, where she admits she's done wrong and wishes to make amends.
It ends with Mabel wishing the two would speak again, but she's hopeful and knows that if they all keep working toward their dreams they will end up together and happy.
A Family Reunited
In New Leaf, you can uncover the same story by creating a friendship with Sable. However, in this game, the three sisters now work together in the Able Sisters, which leads us to believe they have turned over a new leaf and made up. Label runs the accessories section of the shop and still goes by her designer name Labelle.
Although at this point it may seem like they sisters have it all figured out, in Happy Home Designer, Sable tells players that she's terrified Mabel may leave like Label did, which hints that Sable may be harboring some form of abandonment issues. In New Leaf, behind Sable is a wall of family photos in frames. New Horizons has carried on the tradition and framed photos are visible behind Sable in the Able Sisters shop.
The Latest Chapter
New Horizons brings the sisters back with no hard feelings, but the same familiar characters. Label has left the family business to continue to pursue her original dream of fashion and has returned to being called by her birth name. The name Labelle lives on however, through Label's very own designer clothing brand.
Sable continues to be reserved in New Horizons, but if you become friends, she admits how much she misses Label but that she and Mabel are proud of their sister for continuing to chase her dreams. At this point, Sable also starts to give you a new set of patterns each day that can be used to customize furniture.
The sisters have a sad and tragic past, but they were able to prove they could get through it and makeup in the end. While a peaceful coexistence of the sisters fits into New Horizons' cute, friendly and welcoming feel, it will be interesting to see how the sisters' story continues in the future.