Stardew Valley: How To Befriend Willy

This guide focuses on befriending Willy, a key character in Stardew Valley. Willy, the kindly old fisherman, is an early contact for players, providing a fishing rod and essential supplies. Building a friendship with him offers significant advantages.

Befriending Willy is straightforward and rewarding. Regular visits to his shop (weekdays) or his fishing spots (weekends and evenings) are crucial, along with gifting. Rare fish are particularly appreciated.

Updated January 4, 2025: With the 1.6 update, Willy's list of favored gifts has expanded to include several fishing-related books.

Gift Guide

Gifts significantly impact friendship levels. Remember Willy's birthday (Summer 24) – gifts on this day have an 8x effect.

Loved Gifts (+80 friendship points):

• Fish: Catfish , Octopus , Sea Cucumber , Sturgeon
• Books: Jewels Of The Sea , The Art O' Crabbing
• Mead (made with Honey in a Keg)
• Gold Bar (from Gold Ore in a Furnace)
• Iridium Bar (from Iridium Ore in a Furnace)
• Diamond (found in Mines)
• Pumpkin (grown in Fall)
• All universally loved gifts

Liked Gifts (+45 friendship points):

• Most fish-based cooked dishes (excluding Dish O' the Sea, Sashimi, Maki Roll)
• Fish: Lingcod , Tiger Trout
• Quartz
• Bait And Bobber

Disliked & Hated Gifts: Avoid foraged goods, non-fish-based dishes, Life Elixir, universally disliked items (except for fish – Willy is neutral towards most fish not listed above).

Quests: Willy occasionally posts requests on the bulletin board, offering gold and friendship points as rewards. He also sends two letters challenging players to catch specific fish (Squid on Winter 2, Year 1; Lingcod on Winter 13, Year 2).

Friendship Perks: Reaching higher friendship levels unlocks four unique fishing-buff recipes from Willy: Chowder (+1 fishing), Escargot (+2 fishing), Fish Stew (+3 fishing), and Lobster Bisque (+3 fishing, +30 max energy).