I can confidently say that Stardew Valley is my favorite game. As someone who has played over 1,200 hours over four years, I’ve gotten to know all the NPCs pretty well—especially the bachelors and bachelorettes!
As it’s the month of love, this article will rank all 12 of the marriage candidates in Stardew Valley. I have strong opinions on some, and others are just “the others” to me. I will admit that every bachelor and bachelorette in Stardew Valley is great in some way.
Note: This is just one person’s ranking; yours will look different, and that’s okay! (I’ve talked with other writers here and I know they have their own favorites!)
Stardew Valley Romance Options Ranked: Who’s Worth Marrying?
Minor spoilers for Stardew Valley romance candidates’ plotlines.
These Bachelors and Bachelorettes I Can Do Without
12. Harvey
Dude, Harvey. Harvey is Pelican Town’s doctor and the oldest marriage candidate on this list. He runs the town’s clinic and has a comfy apartment above. The clinic isn’t open that long, leaving Harvey to wander in his spare time, listlessly looking at the river. He’s hard to find some days, which is one of the reasons I have trouble befriending him. I need to spend more time with him and familiarize myself with his mustache better. But I do know that Harvey is naughty—he’ll let you interrupt while he’s giving an NPC a checkup. I guess there’s no HIPAA in Pelican Town!
11. Penny
Penny is a quiet, nose-in-a-book type. She lives with her alcoholic mom, Pam, in a trailer, and teaches the two kids in town, Vincent and Jas, at the library. She dreams of a fairytale romance. If you’re looking for a good girl, she is the one. However, she’s not the one I’m looking for, so I’m ranking her number 11 on this list.
10. Leah
Leah is a lonely artist who lives in a cottage in the forest, which is incredibly cozy. I know she is popular, but she is so unmemorable to me. The only reason she isn’t lower on this list because her 14-heart cutscene is one of the best cutscenes in Stardew Valley. However, I envy her as a person, as I would love to hang out in nature and create art. Aside from that, she doesn’t bring much personality to your house after you’re married. (Her life at your place is similar to her life before, so I guess that’s good…?) Honestly, I forget about her. Leah seems better off as a loner, working on her art, and occasionally hanging out with Elliott, the beach-dwelling writer.
Maybe Too Young to Date?
9. Maru
Maru is an ambitious young scientist living in the mountains with her parents, Robin and Demetrius, and half-brother, Sebastian. If she’s not working at Harvey’s clinic, she’s busy creating a robot or seeing the stars. I like her tenacity, and she’s the Stardew Valley marriage candidate I admire the most. However, Maru has dreams bigger than the Valley and it feels a bit weird to stifle her career by proposing, so that’s why I’ve ranked her lower.
8. Haley
Haley, younger sister to Emily, is a beauty guru who is into herself. I get it. She’s pretty, but she doesn’t have a lot of depth. When getting to know her, Haley mocks your work and acts grossed out around you. However, the more you two interact, the more she opens up and begins to think you’re all right. She belongs in Zuzu City, away from the dirt and grime of Pelican Town.
7. Alex
Alex is arguably the hottest of all the bachelors and bachelorettes in Stardew Valley. He’s nice but still kind of a jerk, as he’s a young jock who is into himself (like Haley; it makes sense that they get together if you don’t romance either of them). Alex has a rough backstory and lives with his grandparents in Pelican Town. In all of my saves, he is usually one of the last few I befriend. His loved gifts are not easy to obtain in the early game, so I often ignore him for a couple of in-game years.
Stardew Spouses Who Will Rock Your World
6. Emily
Emily is my partner in my current Stardew Valley save, and she’s great. She’s the artsy bartender who Clint, the blacksmith, has his eyes on. Emily lives with her younger sister Haley, and they are two very different souls. While Emily is down to Earth, Haley is snobby and self-centered. She has a positive personality and is a breath of fresh air compared to some of the town meanies (I still love the meanies too). She’s easy to find and befriend, bartending at the town saloon every night, and admires anything beautiful. Emily is a mindful, meditative maker with a fun parrot and a kind outlook on the world.
5. Sam
Sam, bruh. He’s the marriage candidate I would love to hang out with the most in real life. He’s a gamer, a musician, skateboards, and plays pool on Friday nights. I’m in! His friends Abigail and Sebastian are pretty great too. He comes from a sweet family with his mom Jodi, dad Kent, and little brother Vincent. As you get to know Sam, he invites you to one of his band’s concerts, and it’s such a great time. I honestly feel bad romancing him because I am taking time away from all the cool things he is doing with his life.
4. Abigail
I’ll keep this short and sweet with a minor spoiler: Abigail kills a creature for you. She’s quirky, cute, and is not afraid of her feelings for you. Abigail is in a tricky situation at home—she lives with her parents, who she often disagrees with. However, as you get to know her, she admits that she does love and appreciate them (even if the Wizard may be her real father). She’s a gamer, plays drums in Sam’s band, and likes to go for long walks around the valley. Abigail is hands-down the best bachelorette in Stardew Valley.
The Holy Trinity of Marriage Candidates
3. Sebastian
Sebby! Easily one of my favorites, Sebastian is a hard-working freelance programmer living in the mountains of Stardew Valley in his parents’ basement. He also owns a motorcycle and promises to protect you if you’re scared (AWW!). He’s an emo type and someone I would have loved in high school in the 2000s. As a spouse, I feel safe with him, and loved. He’s a thoughtful parent, even wanting to build a bike for your kid someday. I love him—and you should, too.
2. Elliott
Elliott is quite the catch and easily one of my favorite bachelors. With his long, flowy red hair, he can easily charm his way to wedded bliss with you in the game. He’s poetic, openly affectionate, and pretty chill. Elliott is an author, plays piano, and has a cozy shack on the beach. I’m sad you can’t move in with NPCs in Stardew Valley because I’d like to join his humble bungalow. I feel like if Elliott were a real person, he’d be a lonely English lit dropout reading Hemingway in the woods. That’s hot.
1. Shane
Shane was my first love, boyfriend, and spouse in Stardew Valley. In every playthrough I’ve done, I managed to gain friendship with him the fastest. With just a beer or a pepper, you can easily become his best friend. We have a beautiful life together on Pokemania Farm with our children and chickens (all of whom he loves deeply).
Normally, Shane is a lonely, depressed alcoholic living with his aunt Marnie and goddaughter Jas. Before you develop a friendship with him, he is a blatant jerk to you. However, as you progress in your relationship with Shane, you learn about his struggles with mental health.
What I love about Shane is how he grows so much as an individual, more than any other bachelor or bachelorette when you romance them. Eventually, he starts to develop better habits, like cutting his drinking and going to therapy in Zuzu City. Plus, having a relationship with Shane also unlocks blue chickens for you, so that’s a win in my book.
Who Are Your Favorite Bachelors and Bachelorettes in Stardew Valley?
Which romance option is your favorite in Stardew Valley? Are there different NPCs you wish you could date? Let us know in the comments! You can also check out a conversation we had last year, trying to answer the question, “Why Is Stardew Valley So Good?”
