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, it’s the perfect place to start a new life. On top of that, they can also find true love. A marriage, if they play their cards right, is possible already during the first year of their stay.
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However, with twelve different bachelors and bachelorettes to choose from, it’s tough to decide who would make a fitting spouse to move on to a farm. While divorce is an option, and players can technically date all bachelors in town without getting caught if they carry a Rabbit Foot in their inventory, finding a permanent spouse is nice. While this list weighs the best and the worst spouses in Stardew Valley, it’s good to remember that, at the end of the day, all choices are valid and subjective.
Updated on November 4, 2025, by Anastasia Maillot: Each wonderful bachelor now has more presentable pictures, and by hovering over their loved gifts, players can get an idea of what each item is. Birthdays have also been added in, since the most efficient way to gain hearts in Stardew Valley is to offer a villager their loved gift on their special day.
The criteria for the best spouses here are how easy their loved or liked gifts are to find in the first year for an average player, how useful or valuable their best post-marriage gifts are for the farmer, and the overall quality of their stories and personalities.
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
- Birthday: Winter 1
Original players of Stardew Valley will know 
Krobus as the sewer-dwelling merchant who 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.
Worst: Haley
Popular Girl Who Learns to Let Down Her Hair
-
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
- Birthday: Spring 14
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.
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She’s quite easy to increase affinity with by just giving her daffodils, which is a liked gift, 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.
Best: Shane
Cranky Blue Chicken Man With an Emotional Story
-
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
- Birthday: Spring 20
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 is 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.
Worst: Penny
The Generous, Hardworking Daughter of Pam
-
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
- Birthday: Fall 2
Penny’s ranking as a “worst” romance partner doesn’t stem from her personality. In fact, 
Penny is one of the sweetest and generous villagers in Pelican Town. She voluntarily teaches both Vincent and Jas on a near-daily basis and is always very concerned for her mother’s health. Penny’s story is easily one of the more emotional ones, so what gives?
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.
Best: Harvey
The Sweet Local Doctor Who Has Everyone’s Best Interest In Mind
-
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
- Birthday: Winter 14
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.
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He’s one of the older-looking bachelors in town, which creates a bit of diversity as well. 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.
Worst: Alex
A Nice Sporty Spouse, With Lackluster Gifts
-
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
- Birthday: Summer 13
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.
Best: Maru
A Genius Inventor Who Showers You With Great Post-Marriage Gifts
-
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
- Birthday: Summer 10
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.
Worst: Sam
-
Loved Gifts:
Cactus Fruit
,
Maple Bar
,
Pizza
,
Tigerseye
- Liked Gifts: All Universal Dislikes (except Coal, Copper Bar, Gold Bar, Gold Ore, Iridium Bar, Iridium Ore, Iron Bar, Refined Quartz, & Tigerseye), All Forageables
- Hated Gifts: All Universal Hates (except Joja Cola and Seaweed), Coal, Copper Bar, Duck Mayonnaise, Gold Bar, Gold Ore, and Iridium Bar. Iridium Ore, Iron Bar, Mayonnaise, Pickles, Refined Quartz
- Best Gifts After Marriage: Earth Crystal, Geode
- Birthday: Summer 17
Another person who’s 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 something better on the market, he just fails to impress.
Best: Emily
Quirky Crystal Lady With Incredible Post-Marriage Gifts
-
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
- Birthday: Spring 27
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.
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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.
Worst: Elliott
Handsome Aspiring Author, But Hard to Please With Loved Gifts
-
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
- Birthday: Fall 5
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.
Best: Abigail
The Girl Who Likes Crystals
-
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
- Birthday: Fall 13
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 her interactions 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.
