Stardew Valley's Willy is the local fisherman, who runs the town's bait and fishing supplies shop. Having grown up travelling the Fern Islands, he has now settled by the beach, and can often be found fishing before and after work. Unfortunately, you cannot marry this kindly gentleman, but you can befriend him and earn some useful recipes in the process.
If you find this guide useful and want to learn more about the other villagers, we have handy Stardew Valley Sebastian, Stardew Valley Gus, and Stardew Valley Leah guides. We also have detailed Stardew Valley fish and Stardew Valley co-op guides to help you develop your skills and play with your pals.
Here's everything you need to know about Stardew Valley's Willy:
What are the best gifts for Willy?
The best time to give Willy a gift is on his birthday, which is Summer 24. You can give him gifts any other time, though, and we recommend the items he likes the most:
The best gifts to give Willy are:
- Catfish, diamond, gold bar, iridium bar, Jewels of the Sea book, mead, octopus, pumpkin, sea cucumber, sturgeon, The Art O' Crabbing book, universally liked items, universally loved items (except for life elixir and non-fish related cooking)
The worst gifts to give Willy are:
- Seasonal foraged items, life elixir, universally disliked items (except fish), and universally hated items
What are Willy's favorite movies and concessions?
Fancy taking Willy to the movies? Make sure to pick the snacks he really likes - but any movie will do.
| Movie | Concession | |
| Love | None | Salmon burger, stardrop sorbet |
| Like | It Howls In The Rain, Journey Of The Prairie King, Mysterium, Natural Wonders, The Brave Little Sapling, The Miracle At Coldstar Ranch, The Zuzu City Express, Wumbus | Chocolate popcorn, fries, ice cream sandwich, jasmine tea, nachos, pizza, popcorn, salted peanuts, star cookie, truffle popcorn |
| Dislike | None | Everything else |
How to unlock Willy's heart events
Here's all you need to know about unlocking each of Willy's heart events:
- Three hearts
- When you reach three hearts with Willy, you will get a chowder recipe from him in the mail
- Five hearts
- When you reach five hearts with Willy, you will get a recipe for escargot from him in the mail.
- Six hearts
- Go to the beach between 6 am and 5 pm
- Seven hearts
- When you reach seven hearts with Willy, he will send you his fish stew recipe in the mail.
- Nine hearts
- When you get to nine hearts, you will get a final recipe in the mail from Willy - this one is for lobster bisque.
What does Willy sell in the Fish Shop?
Willy has a few ocean-themed items for you to buy, including rods, bait, foodstuffs, and furniture. You can also purchase a ticket to Ginger Island for 1,000 gold.
Some items unlock as you upgrade your fishing level skill, so bear this in mind if you want a specific item.
| Item | Price | Level required |
| Fish Smoker recipe | 10,ooog | - |
| Trout Soup | 250g | - |
| Targeted bait | 100g | - |
| Bamboo Pole | 500g | - |
| Training Rod | 25g | - |
| Advanced Iridium Rod | 25,000g | - |
| Copper Pan | 2,500g | - |
| Small fish tank | 500g | - |
| Large fish tank | 2,000g | - |
| Deluxe fish tank | 5,000g | - |
| Hanging fish decor | 1,000g | - |
| Fisher double bed | 25,000g | - |
| Bait | 5g | Two |
| Fiberglass rod | 1,800g | Two |
| Crab Pot | 1,500g | Three |
| Deluxe bait | 100g | Four |
| Sonar bobber | 500g | Six |
| Spinner | 500g | Six |
| Trap bobber | 500g | Six |
| Lead bobber | 200g | Six |
| Iridium Rod | 7,500g | Six |
| Treasure Hunter | 750g | Seven |
| Cork bobber | 750g | Seven |
| Barbed hook | 1,000g | Eight |
| Dressed spinner | 1,000g | Eight |
| Magnet | 1,000g | Nine |
There you have it - everything you need to know about Willy. If you love farm games and are looking for a fresh Switch experience, you can check out our list of the new Switch games coming out this year, and some games like Stardew Valley for more farming action.