Village governments in Indonesia play a vital role in implementing local development, but performance outcomes often diverge despite similar institutional classifications. This study applies the New Public Service (NPS) theory to examine how human dynamics shape governance performance among Independent Villages that hold the highest status under the Village Development Index (IDM). NPS emphasizes that effective governance depends not only on institutional structures but on citizen-centered, democratic, and relational practices. Using a qualitative comparative case study design, data were collected through twelve semi-structured interviews conducted between May and August 2025 across three village governments in Bandung Regency (Cisondari, Ciparay, and Soreang). Thematic analysis revealed four interrelated dimensions of human dynamics: leadership and trust, coordination mechanisms, accountability in resource management, and citizen participation and inclusiveness. Despite sharing the same formal status, the villages displayed distinct governance patterns: bureaucratic reliance in Cisondari, leader-centered personalization in Ciparay, and compliance-driven procedures in Soreang. These differences reveal clear gaps between formal autonomy and the NPS principles of serving rather than steering, collaborative coordination, and substantive citizen participation. These variations demonstrate that governance performance depends not only on institutional design but also on the behavioral and relational capacities of village actors. The study contributes by bridging NPS theory with Indonesian village governance practice, demonstrating that structural indicators such as IDM classifications are insufficient to capture the human dynamics that ultimately determine governance performance and the effectiveness of village governments.