How Each Stardew Valley Bachelor Represents a Deep Dive into the Human Psyche

The marriageable NPCs of Stardew Valley may be 2D in image, but they are 3D in character! The developer interwove his own anxieties and fears into their story-lines, creating rich and meaningful character. Let's take a look at each bachelor!

Pictures and quotes taken from the Official Stardew Valley Wiki.
Contains spoilers, but, in my opinion, nothing that ruins gameplay

1. Alex

Alex is a jerk. He is jealous, chauvinistic and arrogant. If you play as a girl, he will hit on you before you even know him: "Hey, it's farm girl. Did you get new pants? You're doing something right."

But, during his four-heart event, he reveals his mother passed away years ago, and his father was verbally abusive. While this is no excuse to harass women (if you marry him you're extremely problematic basically), his avoidance in being deemed "worthless" explains his actions. He uses a macho-guy facade to cover his deep self-doubt. In the early game, his only friend is his dog, Dusty.

Baby Alex and his mom

There is a dissonance between Alex's actions and dreams. He wants to be a a famous gridball player, but does not take the steps to do so. He has set his expectations up too high, and he will always find himself not living up to him. His love for himself is conditional. That is, until he meets a certain farmer...

Alex's longing to be famous is a longing to be liked. In his final fourteen-heart event, he creates a man-cave area in the saloon for him to hang with his friends, thus fulfilling his need for masculine bonds. He was once the most emotionally distant bachelor, but by finding a new way to enjoy his hobby, he becomes a pillar of strength and friendship. Alex is our drive for meaningful relationships and community that many of us, especially those mistreated, must learn to unearth as we mature.

His final form

2. Elliot

Elliot is the creative, free spirit of Stardew Valley. He lives in a cabin at the beach and spends his time playing piano, writing and visiting the saloon. However, he is far from lazy; Elliot is determined to make a name for himself in his field and is one of the few bachelors with a career.

How can he read? The guy only has one eye

During Elliot's two-heart event, you tell him your favorite genre. Unbeknownst to you, this information stays with Elliot for longer than you could have imagined. During your eight-heart event, Elliot reveals his newly finished novel, which is dedicated to you and written in the genre you chose earlier in the game. With so many choices in the game, it is surprising when such a small one had such an impact on one character.

Elliot is the seed we plant that creates a garden; our inspiration that we use to create bigger, better things. Elliot represents our dream to, not only create, but actualize. Our successes are written by ourselves, after hours of hard work. There is no goal too small to celebrate.

3. Harvey

Harvey is our local doctor; he is a worker and a giver. But, while exists in the domestic realm, he longs for for adventure; during his eight-heart event, you find him listening to the radio, trying to come in contact with a pilot. From the outside looking in, this may seem pathetic. He had to give up his lifelong dream of flying because of his eyesight and fear of heights. To top it off, he can't even enjoy a good Spice Berry because of his allergies.

Rainbow Shells do not interact

But is Harvey's life as boring as it seems? During his ten-heart event, he braves his fears and takes you on a hot air balloon ride. For him, this was the conquering of a lifelong fear; he faced his mind's lingering shadow head-on, unlike most of the other bachelors on this list, who take a passive stance toward their anxieties. Why can he do what they can't? Because he lives his life with simplicity and security.

Harvey is the stability within all of us. In this slice-of-life game, we learn that there is value in routine. Harvey shows us a courage that other bachelors do not have the gumption to even attempt. If married, he has the most caring and dedicated dialogue of all bachelors. Harvey is the unconditional love that we owe ourselves. 

"I think we're all striving to reach some kind of balance in life. An equilibrium of complexity. For me, moving here was exactly what my body needed to find that balance."

4. Sam

Sam is a stereotypical punk: he skateboards, plays guitar, hangs out at the arcade at night. He is the NPC with the most friends and seems to have everything he could ever want. Unlike other NPCs dealing with homelessness and abuse, Sam's lives a privileged life. So, what exactly is he rebelling against?

Skate or die

Sam's main adversary is his family. Jodi always seems to walk in and blame Sam for something: during his four-heart event, his mom becomes upset at a dropped egg in the kitchen; and, during his ten-heart event, she comes in once again, admonishing him for making noise at night (little does she know a farmer is in his bed). But, it's not just his mother: Sam expresses anxiety over his father being away at war. Sam struggles with finding his place within his family, especially since everyone seems to be out to get him.

In his fourteen-heart event, Sam reclaims his family. He finds a job making children's music and, at your behest, decides to ask his younger brother for an opinion on the song. He comes to realizes the value of his family and comes to them on his own terms, asking for help. He now knows lucky to have a younger brother to ask for feedback from, and this has given him a leg up in his new job.

Sam is our rebellious instinct, but also our personal growth. We push away those closest to us as children, such as our parents, but often come back after some time away. When we are given the chance to think for ourselves, we can become gracious and loving.

Gracious, loving and super saiyan

5. Sebastian

Sebastian is a classic outsider. He lives on his computer, in his parents' basement. He loves dark and tormented items, like Obsidian, Frozen Tears and Void Eggs. It is not that Sebastian has no friends; in fact, in his two-heart event, he is having trouble getting away from them, saying that they don't take him seriously.

The D & D player feels misunderstood and out of place. In his ten-heart event, he takes you on a ride on his motor-cycle, to a cliff overlooking the neon lights of the city. He begins to realize that he never wanted to move to the city, he was just longing for purpose. "The older I get, the less I'm drawn to the city. It had a certain mystique to it, once. But it turns out that was just a romantic fantasy. The city's so busy, so full of people... I don't belong there. I'm a loner.”

Sebastian admits to having anxiety, and prefers rainy days because there are less people around. In this way, the game constantly compares him to a frog. As The Princess and the Frog illustrates, frogs are disgusting and slimy and no one would ever want to kiss one. However, like Pepe the Frog, they are ubiquitous in nature. Perhaps they are not as popular as dogs or cats, but they make a cute offbeat pet.

In Sebastian's new fourteen-heart event, he finally follows the call of his animal guide. He takes in a injured frog, eventually creating a terrarium for the animal in his room. And, just like the frog, he has carved his own space for himself in the valley. Sebastian is our introverted self, the wise wizard who prefers thinking over action. But, part of his wisdom is accepting himself for who he is in the moment, Void Egg loving and all.

6. Shane

tw: non-graphic suicide, depression

Shane has, hands-down, the darkest story-line in Stardew Valley. He is initially very rude to you, but as early as his two-heart event, he opens up to you about his depression, and things only escalate from there.

By his six-heart event, you walk in on suicide attempt by the river. He is drunk and ready to end it all. No matter what you choose to say to him, he will end up at the hospital, and the next day, he comes to apologize and tells you that he intends to go to counseling. He hit a low point, but is ready to climb back up.

By heart event eight, Shane is better than ever. He has achieved a lifelong dream: breeding blue chickens. He is creating strong bonds with his family, such as his goddaughter Jas, who he wants to mentor in chicken care. He is finding meaning in his interests and beginning to live in the present. Of course, no road from the bottom is easy, but his fourteen-heart event confirms that he is sticking to the flower path.

Shane and his chicken Charly is the true love story of Stardew

In the early game, Shane is the very darkest part of ourselves, that one feels nothing and craves destruction. We end up here when our minds are overtaken by depression. But, more importantly, Shane represents recovery. He is our ability to move toward a healthy mental state after a breakdown, and to stay strong in the face of addiction.

Who is your favorite psychological author avatar i mean bachelor? Comment below!