Stardew Valley comes with many fleshed-out NPCs, each with their unique backstory. You will eventually need to befriend all of them to achieve Perfection and ‘finish’ the game. However, some friendships are more valuable than others. Many villagers teach you new recipes if you can get on their good size. What’s more, they may send you useful items in the mail from time to time. 

In this article, I’m going to introduce you to the top 15 Stardew Valley best villagers to make friends with early. 

 

15. Marnie

The farmer and Marnie.

Marnie runs the local ranch. She sells animals and various supplies for your barn and coop. And if you befriend her, she will sometimes send you free hay in the mail. This can make your life a lot easier since hay can be quite expensive early. 

But more importantly, Marnie gives you the Pale Broth recipe. This dish costs only White Algae and restores a decent amount of health and energy. The Rhubarb Pie isn’t as useful since it’s harder to make. 

What's great about Marnie:

• Sometimes sends you Hay in the mail
• Teaches you the Pale Broth recipe.
• Teaches you the Rhubarb Pie recipe.

Villager stats:

• Loves Pumpkin Pie, Pink Cake, Farmer’s Lunch, and Diamond.
• Spends most of her time at her Ranch (even though she never seems to be working).
• Tricky to befriend since she only loves food and Diamonds.

 

14. Caroline

The farmer and Caroline.

You should get at least two hearts with Caroline as soon as you can. And once you do, enter her sunroom in the top right corner of Pierre’s store. After the cutscene ends, she will teach you how to make tree saplings. You can also harvest tea from the sapling found in her sunroom.

She isn’t the easiest to befriend though. I recommend gifting her flowers in your first spring. Once you get to 2 hearts, simply place tea leaves in a keg to make Green Tea. Then, keep gifting it to her t boost the friendship further.    

What's great about Caroline:

• Can send you Parsnip, Potato, and Cauliflower in the mail.
• Teaches you how to make Tea Saplings.
• Teaches you how the Parsnip Soup recipe.
• Teaches you the Vegetable Stew recipe.

Villager stats:

• Loves Green Tea, Fish Taco, Summer Spangle, and Tropical Curry.
• Spends most of her time at Pierre’s. 
• You can harvest tea leaves from her sunroom during the last week of every season.

 

13. Robin

The farmer and Robin.

Robin is another important villager to befriend. Fortunately, she becomes extremely easy to befriend once get your income coming. Just buy Spaghetti at Stardrop Saloon and give her two per week. While the musical recipes are nice, it’s the Pumpkin Soup that makes her friendship so valuable. Pumpkin Soup increases your Defense and Luck by 2.

She will occasionally gift you 50 Wood in the mail which is always handy. 

What's great about Robin:

• Sometimes sends you Wood in the mail.
• Teaches you how to make Drum Blocks and Flute blocks.
• Teaches you the Pumpkin Soup recipe.

Villager stats:

• Lives in the Mountains at the Carpenter’s Shop.
• Loves Goat Cheese, Spaghetti, and Cheap.
• You can buy Spaghetti from Stardrop Saloon every day.

 

12. George

The farmer and George.

George initially comes off as rude and pessimistic. This can make a lot of people avoid him. However, he does soften up a lot if you befriend him. And more importantly, he will teach you two recipes. The first one is Fried Eel which gives +1 Luck which isn’t that amazing. But George also gives you the Spicy Eel recipe which gives you +1 Movement Speed in addition to +1 Luck. This is one of the most popular foods in the game, especially for running dungeons.

What's great about George:

• Teaches you the Fried Eel recipe.
• Teaches you the Spicy Eel recipe.
• Sometimes sends you stone in the mail.

Villager stats:

• Loves only two items but is still easy to befriend even during your first Spring.
• Loves Leek and Fried Mushroom.
• Lives in the house above the Stardrop Saloon.

 

11. Willy

The farmer and Willy.

Willy is the local fisherman. Logically, all of his recipes give you buffs that temporarily increase your fishing levels. Higher fishing levels means a bigger fishing bar, which makes the mini-game much easier. Willy loves many items as gifts and is therefore easy to befriend. I recommend going with gold-star Pumpkins since they are easy to farm in large numbers.

What's great about Willy:

• Gives you a lot of recipes for food that increases your fishing level.
• Teaches you the Chowder recipe.
• Teaches you the Escargot recipe.
• Teaches you the Fish Stew recipe.
• Teaches you the Lobster Bisque recipe.

Villager stats:

• Loves Catfish, Sturgeon, Sea Cucumber, Octopus, Pumpkin, Mead, Diamond, and Iridium Bar.
• Spends most of his time in his shop or fishing in other areas. Sometimes goes to Stardrop Saloon in the evening.
• One of the most rewarding villagers to befriend. 

 

10. Clint

The farmer and Clint.

Since Clint is the blacksmith, it makes sense that he would send you metal bars in the mail. The odds are higher the more friendship points you have with him. However, you want to befriend him for the Algae Soup recipes. While it may sound disgusting, the dish costs only 4 Algae and restores a lot of HP and energy. That can be invaluable for your dungeon runs. He also teaches you how to cook Bean Hotpot which is one of Demetrius’s loved gifts. 

What's great about Clint:

• Can send you either Copper Bar, Iron Bar, or Gold Bar in the mail.
• Teaches you the Algae Soup recipe.
• Teaches you the Bean Hotpot recipe.

Villager stats:

• Easy to befriend because he likes a lot of items.
• Loves Gold Bar, Iridium Bar, Artichoke Dip, Fiddlehead Risotto, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Emerald, Jade, Ruby, Topaz, and Omni Geode.
• You can find him at the Blacksmith’s shop or the Stardrop Saloon.

 

9. Linus

The farmer and Linus.

Linus should certainly be high on your list of friends. He teaches you how to make Wild Bait which gives you a chance to catch two fish at once. It only slightly increases the fish bait rate. 

He also gives you the Sashimi recipe. Sashimi recovers a lot of health and energy and cost only one fish to make. I recommend using low-value fish like Snail or Periwinkle to make Sashimi.

The Fish Taco recipe is less useful. But you can give it to Caroline as a loved gift if you want to. 

What's great about Linus:

• Teaches you the Sashimi recipe.
• Teaches you the Fish Taco recipe.
• Teaches you how to craft Wild Bait.

Villager stats:

• Loves Blueberry Tart, Cactus Fruit, Coconut, Yam, and Dish O’ The Sea.
• Extremely easy to befriend since he rarely leaves the Mountains.
• In winter, you can sometimes find him inside the Spa. 

 

8. Emily

The farmer and Emily.

Emily is one of the few romanceable villagers that are actually worth befriending. She teaches you two recipes – Salad and Red Plate. You’ll need to craft both at least once to reach Perfection. She can also send you wool and cloth in the mail, both of which sell for a decent price.

You won’t have any issues befriending Emily many gems are considered her loved gifts. 

What's great about Emily:

• Can send you Wool, Cloth, and Sea Urchin in the mail.
• Teaches you the Salad recipe.
• Teaches you the Red Plate recipe. 

Villager stats:

• Easy to befriend since she loves most gems.
• Loves Wool, Cloth, Survival Burger, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Emerald, Jade, Ruby, and Topaz.
• Lives at the bottom right side of Pelican Town. 

 

7. Pam

The farmer and Pam.

What's great about Pam:

• Can send you Energy Tonic, Battery Pack, and Beer in the mail.
• Teaches you the Cheese Cauliflower Recipe.
• Teaches you the Stuffing Recipe. 

Villager stats:

• Extremely easy to befriend even in your first Spring with Parsnips.
• Loves Parsnip, Beer,  Cactus Fruit, Glazed Yams, Mead, Pale Ale, Parsnip Soup, and Pina Colada.
• Spends a lot of time in Stardrop Saloon and JoJa Mart. Operates the bus once you repair it. 

 

6. Wizard

The farmer and Wizard.

Although Wizard doesn’t give you access to any recipes, it’s still a good idea to befriend him early. He can send you valuable gems in the mail as well as Purple Mushroom. The Purple Mushroom recovers a lot of health so stockpiling it is always a good idea.

You can befriend him easily with Void Essence, a common monster drop. At 6 hearts you can also use his shrine to change your look.

What's great about Wizard:

• Let’s you use his Shrine of Illusions where you can change your appearance.
• Can send you Fire Quartz, Frozen Tear, Jade, and Purple Mushroom in the mail.
• His tower is open until late night.

Villager stats:

• Easy to befriend with Void Essence and Solar Essence.
• Lives in the tower to the bottom left of Cindersap Forest.
• Never leaves his home, meaning you don’t ever have to look for him.

 

5. Jodi

The farmer and Jodi.

Befriending Jodi is all about food. And unlike most villagers, she looks good and is actually easy to cook. Namely, pancakes. If you get on her good side, she will sometimes send you fertilizers in the mail. This can make your farming a bit easier.

Jodi also teaches you two recipes that are loved by other villagers, making her perfect for snowballing friendship gain with the rest of the town. 

What's great about Jodi:

• Can send you Basic Fertilizer, Quality Fertilizer, and Basic Retaining Soil in the mail.
• Teaches you the Fried Calamari recipe, Pierre’s loved gift.
• Teaches you the Ice Cream recipe, Demetrius’ loved gift. 

Villager stats:

• Loves Vegetable Medley, Rhubarb Pie, Fried Eel, Eggplant Parmesan, Crispy Bass, Pancakes, Chocolate Cake, and Diamond.
• Easy to befriend with Pancakes.
• Lives on the left side of Pelican Town near the river.

 

4. Pierre

The farmer and Pierre.

Pierre is one of the two toughest villagers to befriend. He only likes complicated recipes and Rabbit Feet. Still, it’s a good idea to get on his good side. Pierre may sometimes send you money in the mail starting at a minimum of 250g. And who doesn’t like free money?

He also teaches you the Blueberry Tart recipe which you will eventually need for Perfection. 

What's great about Pierre:

• Sometimes sends you money in the mail
• Teaches you the Blueberry Tart recipe
• Has a very interesting cutscene once you get 6 hearts with him

Villager stats:

• A tough villager to befriend since he doesn’t love many gifts
• He loves Fried Calamari and universally loved gifts
• You can find him in his store on most days

 

3. Vincent and Jas

The farmer and Jas.

Vincent and Jas are the only two children you’ll initially see in Stardew Valley. Befriending them doesn’t give you any special benefit until you reach 8 hearts with both of them. Once you do, you’ll get Spring Onion Mastery in your wallet. This will increase the make Spring Onion cost 5x more. 

While Spring Onions aren’t the best money maker in Stardew Valley, you can get a lot of value in Year 2. Thus, you should focus on befriending both children. Jas likes Fairy Roses while Vincent loves Grapes and Snails. 

What's great about Jas:

• Gives Spring Onion Mastery
• Easy to befriend
• Good for making extra money

Villager stats:

• Jas lives at Marnie’s Ranch, Vincent at the bottom left corner of Pelican Town
• Jas loves Fairy Rose, Pink Cake, and Plum Pudding
• Vincent loves Snail, Grape, Pink Cake, Cranberry Candy, and Ginger Ale)

 

2. Evelyn

The farmer and Evelyn.

Evelynn is one of the most wholesome villagers in Stardew Valley. She is a kind-hearted old lady who even lets you call her Granny. She gives you two recipes and even sends you free food in the mail sometimes. 

You can befriend Evelyn easily since she loves common items such as flowers and crops. I recommend gifting her higher-quality items to befriend her faster. 

What's great about Evelyn:

• Gives you the Cookie Recipe
• Gives you the Rice Pudding Recipe
• Occasionally sends you Bread, Cookie, or Chocolate Cake in the mail

Villager stats:

• Easy to befriend
• Loves Beet, Chocolate Cake, Diamond, Fairy Rose, Stuffing, and Tulip
• She lives just above the Stardrop Saloon, slightly to the right

 

1. Demetrius

The farmer and Demetrius.

Although Demetrius’s recipes aren’t that useful, the dishes are loved gifts for some of the other villagers in Stardew Valley. He may also send you Rainbow Shell in the mail which you can use to dye your clothes. It’s used in some quests as well. The Rainbow Shell only appears at the beach in summer so it can serve as a reliable source of shells during other seasons. 

What's great about Demetrius:

• Gives you the Fried Mushroom and Autumn Bounty recipes
• Can send you Nautilus Shell, Rainbow Shell, Amethyst, and Bream in the mail
• Has some funny cutscenes

Villager stats:

• Lives in the Mountains, in the Carpenter Shop
• Loves Strawberry, Rice Pudding, Ice Cream, and Bean Hotpot
• Spends a lot of time near the mountain lake

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