Stardew Valley Willy: How to Befriend Him

Have you met this character? What do you need to know about him? Find out what he does in the game and how a friendship with him can benefit you in this guide.

Player in the fish shop talking to WIlly.
Willy is the fisherman and runs the Fish Shop in Pelican Town.

Willy is one of the characters you meet within your first few days in Stardew Valley. He’ll invite you to meet with him on The Beach through a letter and give you his old fishing rod. After that, just like with any other NPC, it’s up to you if you’ll keep up with him and start a friendship.

Bamboo pole fishing rod from willy in stardew valley
Willy will give you his old bamboo pole fishing rod.

Who is Willy?

He’s a villager who lives on The Beach, south of Pelican Town. He also runs the Fish Shop where he sells all kinds of fishing supplies and bait. You can find him there every day, but he usually goes fishing on Saturdays if the weather is nice.

His Friendships and Relationships

This NPC isn’t shown interacting with other villagers much as he spends most of his time either in his shop or just outside fishing. When his shop closes in the evening, you can often find him at The Stardrop Saloon, especially in the winter. 

The Fish Shop at the beach of pelican town
Willy’s Fish Shop is located at the beach, south of Pelican Town.

He and Elliott live close to each other as the only residents of The Beach.

Gifts

You may build a friendship with Willy by giving him up to two gifts per week, excluding one for his birthday on Summer 24.

Your gift may either raise or lower your friendship with him depending on whether he loves, likes, or dislikes it. The birthday gift you give him will have eight times the effect.

The following table shows which gifts he loves, likes, and dislikes.

LovesLikesNeutralDislikesHates
CatfishGold BarDish O’ The SeaChanterelleAll Universal Hates except for Seafoam Pudding
DiamondQuartzMaki RollCommon Mushroom
Iridium BarLingcodSashimiDaffodil
MeadTiger TroutAll Universal NeutralsDandelion
OctopusBaked FishAll Eggs except Void EggGinger
PumpkinCarp SurpriseAll Fish unless stated otherwiseHazelnut
Sea CucumberCrab CakesAll Fruits unless stated otherwiseHolly
SturgeonCrispy BassLeek
Fish StewLife Elixir
Fish TacoMagma Cap
Fried CalamariMorel
Fried EelPurple Mushroom
Lobster BisqueSalmonberry
Salmon DinnerSnow Yam
Seafoam PuddingWIld Horseradish
Trout SoupWinter Root
All Universal Dislikes unless stated otherwise
Most Cooking dishes unless stated otherwise
Willy has very specific preferences.

What Does He Like in the Movies and Concessions?

The fisherman also likes going to the Movie Theater and watching the following movies:

  • It Howls In The Rain
  • Wumbus
  • Mysterium
  • The Zuzu City Express
  • Natural Wonders: Exploring Our Vibrant World
  • The Miracle At Coldstar Ranch
  • The Brave Little Sapling
  • The Journey Of The Prairie King: The Motion Picture

He loves getting Salmon Burger and Stardrop Sorbet at the concessions, while he likes the following:

  • Chocolate Popcorn
  • Truffle Popcorn
  • Fries
  • Star Cookie
  • Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Salted Peanuts
  • Jasmine Tea
  • Popcorn
  • Nachos
  • Personal Pizza

What’s His Schedule?

On most days, Willy wakes up at around 6:10 AM. He always fishes at the beach before opening the Fish Shop at 9:00 AM.

He then closes up the shop at 5:00 PM and fishes at the beach until 10:00 PM.

His schedule changes depending on the season, weather, or days of the week. See the following tables for his different schedules.

Friday

TimeActivity
6:10 AMWakes up and goes outside the shop to fish
8:50 AMGoes back inside the shop
9:00 AMOpens up the shop
5:00 PMCloses up the shop to go to the saloon
11:20 PMWalks home to go to bed

Saturday (His Day-Off)

TimeActivity
6:10 AMWakes up and goes fishing at the river by Leah’s cottage
2:00 PMLeaves Leah’s cottage and transfers to Pelican Town to fish at the river
5:00 PMWalks to The Stardrop Saloon
11:00 PMHeads home

Raining

TimeActivity
6:10 AMWakes up to go fishing just outside the Fish Shop
8:50 AMGoes back inside the Fish Shop
9:00 AMOpens up the shop
5:00 PMLeaves the Fish Shop to go to the saloon for a drink
11:20 PMWalks home to sleep

Winter

TimeActivity
6:10 AMWakes up and starts fishing
8:50 AMReturns to the Fish Shop
9:00 AMOpens up the shop
5:00 PMCloses the shop and goes to The Stardrop Saloon
11:20 PMLeaves the saloon to walk home

Winter 15, 16, and 17

TimeActivity
4:30 PMStays at the Stardrop Saloon
12:20 AMLeaves the saloon to walk to the Fish Shop

Spring 9

TimeActivity
6:10 AMWakes up and goes fishing
8:50 AMReturns to the Fish Shop
9:00 AMOpens up shop
10:10 AMWalks over to the Harvey’s Clinic for having a fish hook stuck in his thumb
1:30 PMCheck-up at the Harvey’s Clinic
5:00 PMLeaves the clinic to go over to the saloon
11:20 PMLeaves the saloon, walks home

Willy’s Quests

This NPC will give you these various quests throughout the game.

QuestDescriptionReward
The The BeachYou’ll receive a letter from him on Spring 2 asking you to meet him on the beach.Bamboo Pole
Catch a SquidYou’ll receive a letter on Winter 2 asking you to catch and bring the fisherman a Squid.800g
1 Friendship heart
Catch a LingcodHe’ll send you a letter on Winter 13 Year 2 asking you to catch a Lingcod and bring it to him.550g
1 Friendship heart
Juicy Bugs WantedHe’ll request for a Special Order of 100 pieces of Bug Meat for bait.3,000g
Quality Bobber recipe
FishingHe’ll randomly ask you to catch a certain number of any fish from the current season. You’ll find this at the Help Wanted board at Pierre’s General Store.3x the fish’s base value
The fish you caught
Item DeliveryHe may request for you to bring a random item through the Help Wanted board3x the item’s base value
150 Friendship points

Heart Events

Every time you reach a certain number of hearts, you’ll have different interactions with this character.

No. of HeartsDescription
ThreeHe’ll send you the Chowder recipe in the mail.
FiveYou’ll receive the Escargot recipe in the mail.
SixGo to The Beach between 6:00 AM and 5:10 PM. Willy will greet you outside the shop and ask you to help him with the Crabs.
SevenHe’ll send you the Fish Stew recipe in the mail.
NineYou’ll receive the Lobster Bisque recipe in the mail.
You’ll have different interactions with Willy at every heart event.

Meet the author

"Hello, I'm Eena, your freelance companion on the Stardew Valley adventure. Within my game guides, I weave a tapestry of insights and strategies to transform your digital farm into a thriving masterpiece. Join me in unraveling the secrets, embracing the challenges, and savoring the joys of cultivating your pixelated paradise in Stardew Valley."

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