The farmer has just moved into Stardew Valley, away from a busy and dreary life in the city working for Joja Corporation. Here in tiny Pelican Town, they've begun their new life. On top of that, they can also find true love here. A marriage, if they play their cards right, is possible already during the first year of their stay
However, with twelve different bachelors and bachelorettes to choose from, the player has to wonder who is worth the time and who doesn't necessarily have the farmer's best interests in mind. Not to worry: this guide is here to reveal the best and worst partners in Stardew Valley, and hopefully, make the choice just a tiny bit easier.
Updated on March 4, 2023, by Rain Egan: At seven years since its release, Stardew Valley is still going strong. If there's one thing that's almost guaranteed to be a hot topic among players of Stardew Valley, it's the bachelors and bachelorettes. With twelve (technically thirteen) to choose from, everybody is going to have different opinions on whom the best marriage candidate is.
With that in mind, this guide aims to provide an optimized view of the best and worst characters to marry in Stardew Valley. Of course, players are free to make up their own minds, but those who just aren't sure who to choose will find this guide helpful. This update adds 'Liked Gifts' and 'Hated Gifts' to the already comprehensive information presented, and offers an additional option for players that aren't ready to commit to the romance of marriage.
Special Mention: Krobus
- Loved Gifts : All Universal Loves, Diamond, Iridium Bar, Void Egg, Void Mayonnaise, Pumpkin, Wild Horseradish
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Life Elixir and All Cooking other than Seafoam Pudding), Gold Bar, Quartz
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates (except Void Mayonnaise)
- Best Gifts After 'Marriage' : Wild Horseradish, Void Eggs, Quartz
Original players of Stardew Valley will know Krobus as the sewer-dwelling merchant that sells some handy late-game items like the Iridium Sprinkler, Stardrop, and the Return Scepter. In a major update, Krobus was added as a 'marriage candidate' - but strictly platonically. He moves in as a roommate, though he can't do so if the player is married, and the player cannot marry anybody else if he is moved in.
He's a relatively easy character to 'woo', as he resides entirely in the sewer. After the player has donated sixty items to the museum and received the keys, he can always be found in the same place. Several of his loved gifts can be purchased directly from him, and Wild Horseradishes are free in Spring!
'Marrying' Krobus does not remove access to the Sewer Shop. He doesn't leave to go to work, he's just replaced with a chest that contains his inventory.
12 Worst: Haley
- Loved Gifts: All Universal Loves (except Prismatic Shard) Sunflower, Fruit Salad, Pink Cake, Coconut
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Vegetables), Daffodil
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates, all Fish, Clay, Wild Horseradish, Prismatic Shard
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Maple Bar, Eggplant Parmesan, Bean Hotpot
Haley is a great example of the fact that looks are not the most important factor. She falls into the trope of a typical pretty blonde girl and can feel like a bit of a princess, which can get annoying at a farm where hard work and soiling one's hands are inevitable.
She's quite easy to increase affinity with by just giving her daffodils, which is a liked gift by her, and since she's usually around the town center or by Marnie's farm, she's relatively easy to find. However, after marriage, the gifts she gives players are not amazing. Most of them are just food that can be easily cooked anyway mid to late game. Her rainy-day gifts and the Maple Bar for breakfast are probably the best items she gives.
11 Best: Shane
- Loved Gifts: All Universal Loves, Pepper Poppers, Hot Pepper, Beer, Pizza
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Pickles), All Eggs (except Void Eggs), All Fruit (except Hot Pepper)
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates (except Seaweed), Pickles, Quartz
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Pepper Poppers, Pale Ale
Also known as the chicken man, Shane might be one of the more flawed characters in the game. He starts off cold and rude, but his personal story is a sobering trip down a tale of depression. His heart events are easily the most emotional ones in Stardew Valley. In terms of how easy he's to romance, Shane works at Joja Mart initially, so catching him early in the morning or later in the evening at the Stardrop Saloon is pretty easy. Just give him a Beer there, as it's one of his loved gifts.
After marriage, he mostly gifts players with junk food like Pepper Poppers, which are great for increasing speed. Occasionally, he'll also gift players with Pale Ale, which is handy since it can be sold for a good price. Best of all, he'll bring in some chickens to the player's farm after marriage.
10 Worst: Penny
- Loved Gifts: All Universal Loves (except Rabbit's Foot), Poppy, Melon, Poppyseed Muffin, Tom Kha Soup, Sandfish, Diamond, Emerald, Red Plate, Roots Platter
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Algae Soup, Beer, Mead, Pale Ale, Pale Broth, Piña Colada, Tom Kha Soup, & Wine), all Milk, all Artifacts
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates (except Poppy and Red Mushroom), Beer, Grape, Holly, Hops, Mead, Pale Ale, Pina Colada, Rabbit's Foot, Wine
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Geode, Fried Eel
Penny's ranking as a "worst" romance partner doesn't stem from her personality. In fact, Penny is one of the sweetest villagers in Pelican Town. She voluntarily teaches both Vincent and Jas on a near-daily basis and is always very concerned for her mother Pam's health.
What makes Penny difficult is her taste in gifts. She loves items that tend to be very difficult to get one's hands on at the beginning of the game, including diamonds and emeralds, melons and poppies, and rare foods like the Red Plate and Roots Platter. On the bright side, in the first year of spring, she can be romanced easily due to her liking dandelions and leek. Once married, her gifts include potential geodes and Fried Eel on rainy days, which increases the player's luck. Overall, it feels like a bit too much effort from the player's side.
9 Best: Harvey
- Loved Gifts: Coffee, Wine, Super Meal, Truffle Oil, Pickles
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Cheese, Goat Cheese, Blueberry Tart, Chocolate Cake, Cookie, Cranberry Sauce, Fried Mushroom, Glazed Yams, Hashbrowns, Ice Cream, Pancakes, Pink Cake, Pizza, Rhubarb Pie Rice Pudding), all Fruit, all Foragables
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates, Coral, Nautilus Shell, Rainbow Shell, Salmonberry, Spice Berry
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Complete Breakfast, Fried Eel
Harvey is the local doctor and works at his clinic where he takes care of the sick. While he definitely has a noble life plan, Harvey can be a bit of a killjoy due to how much he hates indulgent foods. At least he'll always have the player's health in mind. The best part about him is that he has a huge range of liked gifts, many of which are foraged items that are simple to find, making him easy to romance.
He's one of the older-looking bachelors in town, which creates a bit of diversity as well. Harvey comes across as shy and a bit sad at first but warms up slowly. Harvey's romance storyline is actually not half bad, but he's a bit distant during the initial encounters. After marriage, his gifts are also not half bad, including the Complete Breakfast and Fried Eel, which probably rank as the best in terms of effects.
8 Worst: Alex
- Loved Gifts: All Universal Loves, Complete Breakfast, Salmon Dinner
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes, all Eggs (except Void Egg)
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates, Holly, Quartz
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Survival Burger, Dish O' The Sea, Fried Eel
When the player character first comes to Pelican Town, not everyone will welcome them with open arms. Some will react neutrally, while others will even brush them off until they get to know them better. Alex, however, is immediately kind to the player which is a breath of fresh air. However, Alex's ambition to become a pro athlete comes across as arrogance on many occasions, which can feel off-putting.
He's often at the town center practicing, so he's easy to find. The difficulty with him is that his loved gifts are expensive and there are only two of them. His liked gifts include eggs of all kinds, save for Void Eggs, so players have to wait until they get a coop to woo him easily. After marriage, his gifts are nothing special, save for a few special treats he can offer on rainy days.
7 Best: Maru
- Loved Gifts: Cauliflower, Strawberry, Rhubarb Pie, Miner's Treat, Cheese Cauliflower, Pepper Poppers, Radioactive/Gold/Iridium Bar, Diamond, Battery Pack
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Honey, Maple Syrup, and Pickles), Copper Bar, Iron Bar, Oak Resin, Pine Tar, Quartz, Radioactive Ore
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates (except Radioactive Bar/Ore), Holly, Honey, Pickles, Snow Yam, Truffle
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Bomb, Cherry Bomb, Quality Fertilizer, Refined Quartz, Warp Totem: Farm, Fried Mushroom, Crab Cakes
Daughter of Robin and Demetrius, Maru is a genius who loves all things science and technology. She's often working with either her father Demetrius at the lab or with Harvey at the clinic. Maru's friendly personality makes her a character who's easy to approach. That being said, she can be a bit expensive to bribe with loved gifts. Luckily, one of her liked gifts is quartz, which makes her easy to get to know early on during the first year.
Her ten hearts event is probably one of the more unique ones in the game and includes a large sentient robot. After marriage, she'll gift the player with some of the absolute best items in the game that will hold value even in mid to late-game in Stardew Valley.
6 Worst: Sam
- Loved Gifts: Cactus Fruit, Maple Bar, Pizza, Tigerseye
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Dislikes (except Coal, Copper Bars, Gold Bars, Gold Ore, Iridium Bars, Iridium Ore, Iron Bars, Refined Quartz, & Tigerseye), All Forageables
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates (except Joja Cola and Seaweed), Coal, Copper Bar, Duck Mayonnaise, Gold Bar/Ore, Iridium Bar/Ore, Iron Bar, Mayonnaise, Pickles, Refined Quartz
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Earth Crystal, Geode
Another person who's generally very kind towards the player right off the bat is Sam. He's often found walking across the city to go to his part-time job at the Joja Mart, or skating in front of his house. Every Friday he'll also be at the inn with Sebastian and Abigail. Sam is an incredibly easy person to please, as long as he's given Pizza, which can be bought from the inn.
He also likes Joja Cola which can be found in trash, while fishing, or bought from the inn's vending machine. As a husband, however, he gives weak gifts that only benefit players during the early game, including earth crystals and normal geodes. Sam's issue is that he's not much of a cook, so he'll only offer two meals: Pizza and Pancakes. He's a sweet guy, but when there's better on the market, he just fails to impress.
5 Best: Emily
- Loved Gifts: All Universal Loves , Survival Burger, Wool, Cloth, Emerald, Amethyst, Jade, Ruby, Aquamarine, Topaz
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Fish Taco, Fried Eel, Ice Cream, Maki Roll, Rice Pudding, Salmon Dinner, Spicy Eel, & Sashimi), Daffodil, Quartz
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates, Fish Taco, Holly, Maki Roll, Salmon Dinner, Sashimi
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Bean Hotpot, Cloth, Wool, Omni Geode, Refined Quartz
Emily is a bit of an eccentric, but her colorful personality makes her very charming. She's easy to find all year round since she works at the inn, and if players begin their quest for her heart early in the springtime, they can simply give her daffodils and quartz for easy relationship progression.
Her loved gifts are a bit more expensive, unfortunately, but totally worth getting for her. Once married, she'll give the player a pretty wide range of special gifts from Duck Feathers to Omni Geodes, making her an excellent partner to opt for if extra resources on the farm sound like a good idea.
4 Worst: Elliott
- Loved Gifts: All Universal Loves, Tom Kha Soup, Pomegranate, Lobster, Crab Cakes, Squid Ink, Duck Feather
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Amaranth and Pizza), All Fruit (except Pomegranate and Salmonberry), Octopus, Squid
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates, Amaranth, Quartz, Salmonberry, Sea Cucumber
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Chowder, Fish Stew, Coffee
Elliott is an artistic soul living in Pelican Town. His cabin is found on the beach, where he writes his next big novel. While he can usually be caught by the bridge leading to the beach or at the beach itself, he's quite difficult to please with loved gifts. Most fruits will charm him as liked gifts, so long as they're not salmonberries.
As a husband, he doesn't give players that many things, aside from seafood meals and coffee every once in a while. He's just not worth it, especially with his overly dramatic personality. That said, players looking for a sensitive and poetic man will find him very charming and kind-hearted.
3 Best: Abigail
- Loved Gifts: All Universal Loves, Pufferfish, Pumpkin, Banana Pudding, Amethyst, Blackberry Cobbler, Spicy Eel, Chocolate Cake
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Vegetables), Quartz
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates (except Sugar), Clay, Holly
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Solar/Void Essence, Cherry Bomb, Tom Kha Soup, Lobster Bisque, Fried Mushroom, Crab Cakes
Abigail is among community favorites, and despite her personality, it's easy to see why. She's a gamer at heart, but also somewhat immature given how she's often acting rebellious and arguing with her mother Caroline. That said, she's famously known for liking quartz, so early in the game, Abigail is an easy romance to start.
The best part about Abigail is marriage. Her gifts are some of the strongest in the game and make up for her expensive loved gifts. From utility items like Cherry Bombs to resources like Void and Solar Essence, she's a fantastic addition to the family simply for these gifts alone.
2 Worst: Sebastian
- Loved Gifts: Sashimi, Pumpkin Soup, Frozen Tear, Obsidian, Void Egg
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Flowers, Complete Breakfast, Farmer's Lunch, Omelet, and Artisan Goods other than Coffee, Green Tea, and Oil), Flounder, Quartz
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates, all Artisan Goods (except Coffee, Green Tea, & Oil), all Eggs, Clay, Complete Breakfast, Farmer's Lunch, Omelet
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Void Essence, Bat Wing, Coffee
Sebastian comes across the charming, edgy guy of Pelican Town, with a mysterious air. In terms of his loved gifts, however, he's a bit picky, and he's also one of the more elusive villagers because of his personal schedule which makes him hard to track down. Aside from sashimi, which is easy to make from any gift, his loved gifts are difficult to find in the first year.
Things don't get much better with Sebastian after marriage. His gifts are decent, but with other partners like Maru and Abigail that just provide more, there's no real reason to choose him over a few other candidates, unless the player genuinely likes his edgy style.
1 Best: Leah
- Loved Gifts: Salad, Stir Fry, Vegetable Medley, Poppyseed Muffin, Goat Cheese, Truffle, Wine
- Liked Gifts : All Universal Likes (except Foraged Minerals other than Earth Crystal, Gems other than Diamond & Prismatic Shard, Carp Surprise, Cookie, Hashbrowns, Ice Cream, Pancakes, Pink Cake, Pizza, Rice Pudding, Survival Burger, & Tortilla), all Eggs (except Void Eggs), all Fruit, all Milk
- Hated Gifts : All Universal Hates (except Seaweed), Bread, Hashbrowns, Pancakes, Pizza, Void Eggs
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Coffee, Fiddlehead Fern
Leah is the artist of the town, and though her gifts after marriage aren't the best by a long shot, she's by far the easiest person in town to get together with thanks to her liking foraged items. In fact, Leah even likes driftwood, which is a common piece of trash players can find while fishing. Moreover, Leah is commonly found at the saloon most nights, so it's simple to find her and talk to her on a daily basis.
Leah's story is an engaging one, too, and many creative types will relate to her. For players who value personality over in-game gains, Leah's definitely the best romance partner in Stardew Valley. Those who chose the Fruit Bat Cave will also find some benefit from her, as she'll occasionally give players mushrooms on rainy days and other foraged items. All in all, she fits in with the farmer lifestyle pretty nicely.
Stardew Valley is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.