Who is your favorite romance candidate and why? (possible spoilers)

Neat Games

Planter
In my current(and first time) playthrough I'm trying to win over the beautiful Penny!

The reason is, the first time I noticed her is she was helping/teaching the kids in the museum and I liked that :D (I'm an English teacher in Korea~)

I doubt I'll ever be able to get to know all the romance NPCs, so why did you choose the one you liked and what's cool about them?
 

Mcwhalen

Farmhand
Good way to start up a thread 👍
I'm currently on my 2nd playthrough. I too chose Penny. It's probably because I was so focused on filling the museum. Our paths crossed often enough to give her presents and get in a quick chat.

Even though I'm a little too hardcore on this go around,( I'm almost finished with a few of the last grindy achievements...)
I have really enjoyed being able to trust the mechanics of the game's story and to let things happen naturally.

TLDR: I'm making a new farm on PC. After more or less building friendships with everyone helps to expand on the marriage candidates and the repercussions of that choice.

The "what could have been?"

I'm going to be a barfly and hit on Emily at the bar all night and party with Shane. And my work ethic will show for it.
And the game will play out and be awesome 👌

Can't wait
 

Lew Zealand

Helper
Trifecta for Penny. My current save is with Abigail but if I'm honest, it was a bit of a chore chasing her around (not as bad as Leah though). And I initially liked Emily but I quickly identified her as one of Matt Groening's Elves to be Avoided, namely "Excessively Happy." (unfortunately this comic is impossible to find online)

And while chasing Abigail, I still ended up interacting with Penny more.

So: Penny best to chase.

But Abigail is still Best Wife.
 

Neat Games

Planter
Sounds like a fun plan! I've actually only been to the bar 2 or 3 times so far XD Shane seems popular, lots of fan art of him!

I need to talk to Emily and Abigail more~~
 

Boo1972

Farmer
Well, I married Elliot in my first farm. I’m a sucker for the artistic temperament and the poetry. My second farmer is supposed to marry Sebastian but I’m having some doubts. The farm is going to be a low-key foraging based operation. Will that be enough for a Zuzu City loving programmer? Leah would definitely appreciate the farm, so maybe I should switch gears. It’s always so hard to chose.
 

Magically Clueless

Administrator
Staff member
So, I haven't really written an essay about characters yet on this forum, but in the old Chucklefish forums I got the reputation of being The Sebastian Person. There was a thread titled "Why do people like Sebastian so much?" and I made..... such a huge post about it. I thought it'd be fun to reinvent that post, albeit shorter, since it's on topic. Sebastian is my favorite marriage candidate and here's why.

I reference Sebastian's heart events here, it's not detailed but I'm still spoiling since it's a long post

When I first started playing Stardew Valley, none of the characters stuck out to me. No one really struck my fancy, so I was just going to go for the one I thought was the nicest and most approachable, which was Sam. I first met Sebastian in the rain at the beach, and I thought he was a bit too much of a stereotype for me to go for him. He was moody, didn't like talking much, and whenever he did want to talk, he would say gloomy stuff to the point that it was super cheesy. But slow and steady in the game I became friends with everyone, and I saw Sebastian's 2 heart event.

He was immediately my favorite then. The 2 heart event showed that he had a lot more going on than the hair; he was shy, a bit of an introvert, serious about his work, and a little tired of no one taking him seriously. As I got to know him more, I discovered quite a lot more about him, and he became such a well rounded character to me. He enjoys reading comics, likes animals, and he's a bit of a prankster and likes to mess with the status quo a bit. He's surprisingly sweet to people he knows well, and it's pretty obvious when he has feelings for someone, even more than other bachelor/ettes I'd wager. His negatives I find interesting too; I've always seen him as someone more bitter and angry and he has a bit of a mouth on him. He's someone who can go with the flow, but he will put his foot down when he's had enough of it. He's a bit of a pushover when you don't know him well, but after you've built the bond, he will be a lot more firm. To get along with Sebastian, you have to accept he wants to be on his own sometimes, and that he wants control over the few things he owns in his life.

Robin refers to Sebastian as shy, which I always thought was odd because he's one of the more standoffish and borderline rude marriage candidates at first, but with how he changes in talking to you and how he gets bolder, she was totally right. He is a pretty anxious and shy person at first, but opens up later. I found that kind of character refreshing, and in a lot of ways it was like learning about a real person. I think all the characters are written this way, but I connected with Sebastian first and found him the most interesting in getting to know.

Marrying him was even better honestly. I love his dialogue and how he adjusts to being a father himself. He does some self reflection about his relationship with Maru, and it reflects some family issues that I think are really interesting and plan to write an essay about sometime. His 14 heart event really solidifies that he's a gentle person at his core and how the farmer's kindness really helped him open up without removing his introverted nature. I dunno, I never saw him as an 'emo' type after my first impression. There's so much about him to love and 'emo' doesn't cover even 10% of it.
there u go
 

Boo1972

Farmer
So, I haven't really written an essay about characters yet on this forum, but in the old Chucklefish forums I got the reputation of being The Sebastian Person. There was a thread titled "Why do people like Sebastian so much?" and I made..... such a huge post about it. I thought it'd be fun to reinvent that post, albeit shorter, since it's on topic. Sebastian is my favorite marriage candidate and here's why.

I reference Sebastian's heart events here, it's not detailed but I'm still spoiling since it's a long post

When I first started playing Stardew Valley, none of the characters stuck out to me. No one really struck my fancy, so I was just going to go for the one I thought was the nicest and most approachable, which was Sam. I first met Sebastian in the rain at the beach, and I thought he was a bit too much of a stereotype for me to go for him. He was moody, didn't like talking much, and whenever he did want to talk, he would say gloomy stuff to the point that it was super cheesy. But slow and steady in the game I became friends with everyone, and I saw Sebastian's 2 heart event.

He was immediately my favorite then. The 2 heart event showed that he had a lot more going on than the hair; he was shy, a bit of an introvert, serious about his work, and a little tired of no one taking him seriously. As I got to know him more, I discovered quite a lot more about him, and he became such a well rounded character to me. He enjoys reading comics, likes animals, and he's a bit of a prankster and likes to mess with the status quo a bit. He's surprisingly sweet to people he knows well, and it's pretty obvious when he has feelings for someone, even more than other bachelor/ettes I'd wager. His negatives I find interesting too; I've always seen him as someone more bitter and angry and he has a bit of a mouth on him. He's someone who can go with the flow, but he will put his foot down when he's had enough of it. He's a bit of a pushover when you don't know him well, but after you've built the bond, he will be a lot more firm. To get along with Sebastian, you have to accept he wants to be on his own sometimes, and that he wants control over the few things he owns in his life.

Robin refers to Sebastian as shy, which I always thought was odd because he's one of the more standoffish and borderline rude marriage candidates at first, but with how he changes in talking to you and how he gets bolder, she was totally right. He is a pretty anxious and shy person at first, but opens up later. I found that kind of character refreshing, and in a lot of ways it was like learning about a real person. I think all the characters are written this way, but I connected with Sebastian first and found him the most interesting in getting to know.

Marrying him was even better honestly. I love his dialogue and how he adjusts to being a father himself. He does some self reflection about his relationship with Maru, and it reflects some family issues that I think are really interesting and plan to write an essay about sometime. His 14 heart event really solidifies that he's a gentle person at his core and how the farmer's kindness really helped him open up without removing his introverted nature. I dunno, I never saw him as an 'emo' type after my first impression. There's so much about him to love and 'emo' doesn't cover even 10% of it.
there u go
The pro-Sebastian crowd convinced me. Well, that and a mutual appreciation for frogs. I got Sebastian up to 10 hearts. Once his mom finishes the upgrade to my house, I’ll propose on the first rainy day of spring. Poor Sebastian has no idea how great my farmer’s expectations for him are.
 

Quillmagic

Farmer
So, I haven't really written an essay about characters yet on this forum, but in the old Chucklefish forums I got the reputation of being The Sebastian Person. There was a thread titled "Why do people like Sebastian so much?" and I made..... such a huge post about it. I thought it'd be fun to reinvent that post, albeit shorter, since it's on topic. Sebastian is my favorite marriage candidate and here's why.

I reference Sebastian's heart events here, it's not detailed but I'm still spoiling since it's a long post

When I first started playing Stardew Valley, none of the characters stuck out to me. No one really struck my fancy, so I was just going to go for the one I thought was the nicest and most approachable, which was Sam. I first met Sebastian in the rain at the beach, and I thought he was a bit too much of a stereotype for me to go for him. He was moody, didn't like talking much, and whenever he did want to talk, he would say gloomy stuff to the point that it was super cheesy. But slow and steady in the game I became friends with everyone, and I saw Sebastian's 2 heart event.

He was immediately my favorite then. The 2 heart event showed that he had a lot more going on than the hair; he was shy, a bit of an introvert, serious about his work, and a little tired of no one taking him seriously. As I got to know him more, I discovered quite a lot more about him, and he became such a well rounded character to me. He enjoys reading comics, likes animals, and he's a bit of a prankster and likes to mess with the status quo a bit. He's surprisingly sweet to people he knows well, and it's pretty obvious when he has feelings for someone, even more than other bachelor/ettes I'd wager. His negatives I find interesting too; I've always seen him as someone more bitter and angry and he has a bit of a mouth on him. He's someone who can go with the flow, but he will put his foot down when he's had enough of it. He's a bit of a pushover when you don't know him well, but after you've built the bond, he will be a lot more firm. To get along with Sebastian, you have to accept he wants to be on his own sometimes, and that he wants control over the few things he owns in his life.

Robin refers to Sebastian as shy, which I always thought was odd because he's one of the more standoffish and borderline rude marriage candidates at first, but with how he changes in talking to you and how he gets bolder, she was totally right. He is a pretty anxious and shy person at first, but opens up later. I found that kind of character refreshing, and in a lot of ways it was like learning about a real person. I think all the characters are written this way, but I connected with Sebastian first and found him the most interesting in getting to know.

Marrying him was even better honestly. I love his dialogue and how he adjusts to being a father himself. He does some self reflection about his relationship with Maru, and it reflects some family issues that I think are really interesting and plan to write an essay about sometime. His 14 heart event really solidifies that he's a gentle person at his core and how the farmer's kindness really helped him open up without removing his introverted nature. I dunno, I never saw him as an 'emo' type after my first impression. There's so much about him to love and 'emo' doesn't cover even 10% of it.
there u go
*slowly claps* That essay was very well written!
 
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icKyou1025

Tiller
I picked Leah because she was the closest to the true love of my life (named Tara) who has reddish brown hair, is cute and dainty but is surprisingly tough and stubbornly independent. Leah also starts out as one of the more friendly girls to talk to and is willing to have full blown conversations right away when meeting you, which is something that captivated me about Tara right away. Leah pursuit of her passion is inspiring, another thing that is similar. Leah's passion is sculpting, Tara's is writing (She just finished her first book!). Honestly if they just swapped Leahs' and Elliots professions then Leah would be almost a dead ringer.
 

Neat Games

Planter
@icKyou1025 That is awesome she reminds you of that! Tara sounds great! I hope they add an asian family someday (I'm mixed Asian and my irl wife is Korean, she loves this game as well. She is farther than I am in my YouTube series now. I can't watch her play, gotta avoid spoilers!)
 
My two cents on the various eligible candidates...

Abigail is in love with the idea of adventure, but she's not really that cut out for it (see also: 10 heart scene). She acts like a rebellious teen even though she's listed as being in her 20's. She's probably one of the least mature candidates on the list. But hey, at least she won't be ruining any plans by falling hard for you, since she didn't really have any past 'get out of dad's house'. Which, I suppose, makes her the quintessential 'Waifu', but not particularly interesting if one wishes more depth than a puddle.

Maru is... well, let's be honest here. She's Ace. Which is great for her, but means she's not really a romantic candidate, at least for me. Even all the way up to her ten heart event, where most of the candidates get anywhere from flirty to... ahem... (Penny's 10 heart scene...), Maru is more interested in a lab partner for a platonic life partner, and that's not really what I'm looking for in a marriage.

Emily is easy on the eyes, and has a fun and bubbly personality. But rule number one: Don't date crazy, and she's taken her 'granola hippie' shtick a few paces too far. There's times I'm not sure which version of reality she's operating in, which is a bit disconcerting. Plus, were I to seriously date her, I'd have to... have a respectful discussion with Clint about creeping on my gal, and that would likely end up with the town no longer having a Blacksmith, which would be a shame. I mean, don't get me wrong, she can be a fun bag of crazy, if you wanna get your freak on I don't blame ya. But between not knowing when she's gonna get some odd idea in her head and Clint perving on her nonstop... yea, more trouble than it is worth, in my opinion.

Penny, at first glance, seems to be an excellent romantic candidate. She's the schoolmarm, so she's fairly intelligent. She's not afraid of a hard day's work. She's good with kids. She'd make a very good farmer's wife, someone intelligent enough to be an equal partner in the business. Except... she's got some baggage. First, there's her mother, the town 'drunk redneck' stereotype. Who would then be your mother-in-law. Yikes! Then there's the fact that she seems to be more looking for an escape from her current life than looking for the next step in her life. She's offering what she thinks you want because she's afraid of rejection, and that generally ends up with a bunch of drama on down the line. So, as long as you can convince her to communicate about her actual needs and desires, it could work out. But she seems the type to hide her hurts and offer what she thinks you want even if it isn't what she wants, and that's not healthy for either of you.

Leah is the fifth and final female candidate. She's not hard to find, she can be found several evenings a week at the pub, enjoying a salad and some socialization (instead of holding up the bar like Pam or Shane). She's got baggage, but she's also handled it and taken care of it. She's moved on. She's an independent hard-working lady who is familiar with nature and the bounty it can offer. She's got an ex, but unlike Emily who seems unwilling to tell Clint to his face to cut it out, she's sending a clear and unambiguous signal that her ex is the one who won't let it go, while she's moved on. She's also a talented artist, working in several mediums, and how you help her with this is equally important. You neither take it over for her nor hand it to her on a silver platter. You support her, but she's the one doing the work for herself. She's a strong and independent woman who needs no rescuing, and chooses you not because she's trying to escape something, but because she wants you for who you are. That's a good foundation for a relationship.

Then there's the guys...

Sam is... well, he's basically the male equivelant of Abigail: a twenty-something acting like a spoiled teenager. He's got the skater boi vibe that highlights his immaturity, his life goal is to be in a rock band... he's got no plans for his future that are remotely realistic. He at least does show some work ethic, working a minimum wage job at Joja, so he does have that going for him, and he's a good 'big brother', so presumably would make for a decent father. But the boy has some growing up to do before I'd consider him seriously as a romantic partner.

Elliot is the quintessential 'starving poet'. Dashing, debonair, honey'd tongue... and almost no substance. All the world is merely a play to him, with himself as the star of the show. He's someone to date, to have fun with, but for a deeper and more meaningful relationship? My biggest romantic rival would be his hair. Pass.

Shane is not in a healthy mindset at any stage in the game. He starts off as an alcoholic, who drinks to forget and to escape his problems, and who is intent on drinking himself into an early grave. This is kind of a huge red flag. Even after the gut-punch of his niece's reaction to seeing him in a drunken state, he doesn't really clean himself up that much. He puts on a facade, but he still goes drinking every night, he still tries to escape whatever he was escaping from, and won't let anyone in, not even a spouse, and won't share what caused the pain in the first place. That's another big red flag. He needs AlAnon and therapy, not a romantic relationship, and needs it in a hurry before he goes from passive to active suicidal ideation.

Sebastian, at first glance, comes off as the 'bad boy'. He's a smoker, rides a hog, leather jacket... that whole thing. But there's a lot more to him than meets the eye. He's one of three candidates who actually has a career (Shane and Sam's dead jobs at Joja don't count). He's had issues with his stepdad not really understanding him, which has caused family drama. Which is why he affects the bad boy look. But deep down inside? He's not a bad guy. If I have any reservations about dating him, it'd be that it would feel too much like trying to date myself.

Harvey is the only one of the candidates with an actual stable career in a respectable field. He's also the oldest of the bunch. He's kind of a stick in the mud, but some people like bringing the turtle out of their shell, and this is a prime opportunity to do it. His fascination with aviation is endearing because he doesn't have a false hope of doing it himself, and isn't planning on giving up his career for it. So he has his priorities straight. For someone who wants evening snuggles and a solid, dependable spouse... you'd have to go a long way to find a better one.
 

Uzzlegorf

Farmer
My two cents on the various eligible candidates...

Abigail is in love with the idea of adventure, but she's not really that cut out for it (see also: 10 heart scene). She acts like a rebellious teen even though she's listed as being in her 20's. She's probably one of the least mature candidates on the list. But hey, at least she won't be ruining any plans by falling hard for you, since she didn't really have any past 'get out of dad's house'. Which, I suppose, makes her the quintessential 'Waifu', but not particularly interesting if one wishes more depth than a puddle.

Maru is... well, let's be honest here. She's Ace. Which is great for her, but means she's not really a romantic candidate, at least for me. Even all the way up to her ten heart event, where most of the candidates get anywhere from flirty to... ahem... (Penny's 10 heart scene...), Maru is more interested in a lab partner for a platonic life partner, and that's not really what I'm looking for in a marriage.

Emily is easy on the eyes, and has a fun and bubbly personality. But rule number one: Don't date crazy, and she's taken her 'granola hippie' shtick a few paces too far. There's times I'm not sure which version of reality she's operating in, which is a bit disconcerting. Plus, were I to seriously date her, I'd have to... have a respectful discussion with Clint about creeping on my gal, and that would likely end up with the town no longer having a Blacksmith, which would be a shame. I mean, don't get me wrong, she can be a fun bag of crazy, if you wanna get your freak on I don't blame ya. But between not knowing when she's gonna get some odd idea in her head and Clint perving on her nonstop... yea, more trouble than it is worth, in my opinion.

Penny, at first glance, seems to be an excellent romantic candidate. She's the schoolmarm, so she's fairly intelligent. She's not afraid of a hard day's work. She's good with kids. She'd make a very good farmer's wife, someone intelligent enough to be an equal partner in the business. Except... she's got some baggage. First, there's her mother, the town 'drunk redneck' stereotype. Who would then be your mother-in-law. Yikes! Then there's the fact that she seems to be more looking for an escape from her current life than looking for the next step in her life. She's offering what she thinks you want because she's afraid of rejection, and that generally ends up with a bunch of drama on down the line. So, as long as you can convince her to communicate about her actual needs and desires, it could work out. But she seems the type to hide her hurts and offer what she thinks you want even if it isn't what she wants, and that's not healthy for either of you.

Leah is the fifth and final female candidate. She's not hard to find, she can be found several evenings a week at the pub, enjoying a salad and some socialization (instead of holding up the bar like Pam or Shane). She's got baggage, but she's also handled it and taken care of it. She's moved on. She's an independent hard-working lady who is familiar with nature and the bounty it can offer. She's got an ex, but unlike Emily who seems unwilling to tell Clint to his face to cut it out, she's sending a clear and unambiguous signal that her ex is the one who won't let it go, while she's moved on. She's also a talented artist, working in several mediums, and how you help her with this is equally important. You neither take it over for her nor hand it to her on a silver platter. You support her, but she's the one doing the work for herself. She's a strong and independent woman who needs no rescuing, and chooses you not because she's trying to escape something, but because she wants you for who you are. That's a good foundation for a relationship.

Then there's the guys...

Sam is... well, he's basically the male equivelant of Abigail: a twenty-something acting like a spoiled teenager. He's got the skater boi vibe that highlights his immaturity, his life goal is to be in a rock band... he's got no plans for his future that are remotely realistic. He at least does show some work ethic, working a minimum wage job at Joja, so he does have that going for him, and he's a good 'big brother', so presumably would make for a decent father. But the boy has some growing up to do before I'd consider him seriously as a romantic partner.

Elliot is the quintessential 'starving poet'. Dashing, debonair, honey'd tongue... and almost no substance. All the world is merely a play to him, with himself as the star of the show. He's someone to date, to have fun with, but for a deeper and more meaningful relationship? My biggest romantic rival would be his hair. Pass.

Shane is not in a healthy mindset at any stage in the game. He starts off as an alcoholic, who drinks to forget and to escape his problems, and who is intent on drinking himself into an early grave. This is kind of a huge red flag. Even after the gut-punch of his niece's reaction to seeing him in a drunken state, he doesn't really clean himself up that much. He puts on a facade, but he still goes drinking every night, he still tries to escape whatever he was escaping from, and won't let anyone in, not even a spouse, and won't share what caused the pain in the first place. That's another big red flag. He needs AlAnon and therapy, not a romantic relationship, and needs it in a hurry before he goes from passive to active suicidal ideation.

Sebastian, at first glance, comes off as the 'bad boy'. He's a smoker, rides a hog, leather jacket... that whole thing. But there's a lot more to him than meets the eye. He's one of three candidates who actually has a career (Shane and Sam's dead jobs at Joja don't count). He's had issues with his stepdad not really understanding him, which has caused family drama. Which is why he affects the bad boy look. But deep down inside? He's not a bad guy. If I have any reservations about dating him, it'd be that it would feel too much like trying to date myself.

Harvey is the only one of the candidates with an actual stable career in a respectable field. He's also the oldest of the bunch. He's kind of a stick in the mud, but some people like bringing the turtle out of their shell, and this is a prime opportunity to do it. His fascination with aviation is endearing because he doesn't have a false hope of doing it himself, and isn't planning on giving up his career for it. So he has his priorities straight. For someone who wants evening snuggles and a solid, dependable spouse... you'd have to go a long way to find a better one.
You forgot Alex and Haley...
 
You forgot Alex and Haley...
Which should tell you how forgettable they are.

I mean, Alex's entire personality boils down to a jock stereotype that he never breaks from.

Haley goes from annoying preppy cheerleader to Green Acres, which... isn't much of an improvement. Going from one stereotype trope to another isn't character development.

Both are plainly unsuited to farm life, and while Haley is at least willing to try (bless her little heart...), it results in the predictable sitcom hijinks that you'd expect of someone who's never had to work a day in their lives, much less lived in a rural setting.

Half the time, I completely forget Alex even exists, he's that much of a bland cardboard cutout. Sadly, I can't simply ignore Haley as she's too busy ignoring me while being in my way. Neither are very good candidates.
 

Magically Clueless

Administrator
Staff member
Alex is my second favorite marriage candidate. He is a lot more than the stereotype he starts out as, though ALL of the characters start out as a stereotype and break free from those molds. Alex has some of the most varied cutscenes of all the candidates and ones that are realistic in their own way. His first scene is about his dream of being a gridball player, and the next scenes break down that shield to show that he is someone who is full of doubt, doesn't have very high self esteem, and wants to do his best for the family he has. He eventually gives up on his dream, but in doing so, he has a new realized one, and one that makes him a lot happier. I like that, despite all of this, he still works out and enjoys playing gridball. After all, it's his hobby, and breaking free from 'jock' stereotype does not suddenly remove hobbies, nor should it.

Alex is a very sweet person, he cares about his family, recognizes his weaknesses and strives to improve them. He has an incredible amount of tenacity and self reflection that I think many could learn from. One of my favorite changes in dialogue is there's one low heart dialogue that makes fun of Sebastian (sometimes with Sebastian in earshot) and the higher heart dialogue is pretty much the opposite, showing appreciation of different appearances even if he doesn't always necessarily understand them.
 

Quillmagic

Farmer
Geez, it’s so hard to rank them... I’d def say Sebastian for first choice, which surprised me because he didn’t appeal to me at all. I actually mostly saw fanworks starring him and thought I’d try and get to know him more. And... then I fell in love. He doesn’t seem overly sweet at first (not that I’m saying that’s a bad thing) but when you start to get to know him, he’s just so sweet. After about a month of my farmer stalking him and practically jumping on him after he emerged the basement at 3:00, he started to soften up. He revealed himself to be a video gamer and computer programmer, and not be so... EMO. He’d tell me, “Hey, if you’re bored you can hang out in my room,” and I felt really... idk, happy. So... yeah.
 
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