Stardew Valley has long been acclaimed for being much deeper than it appears on the surface. The game is full of stories that flesh out its world. Several of these stories can be found by simply gaining a few hearts with an NPC, but others like Shane, are ones that need to go into the realm of romance.
Shane has a heavier story compared to other bachelors, but that’s just part of what makes him the best. If you’re not into doctors or waitresses, then you should check out all that Shane has to offer. Below we have compiled a list of ten reasons that Shane is the best bachelor.
10 He Loves Animals
One thing that you should quickly note about Shane, especially since your a farmer, is that he loves animals. He actually enjoys living on Marnie’s ranch and helping take care of all the critters. He even brings a pet chicken with him when he moves in. He names the chicken Charlie and can often be found holding him right outside of your house. Best of all, you get an adorable picture of the two in the dialogue box.
If your looking for a husband that can handle the farm life, then Shane is probably the best candidate for the job.
9 He Has a Tragic Story
If you’re a bit tired of the happy go lucky romances, then give Shane’s route a try. During his route, he reveals to you that he is actually suffering from heavy depression, and you learn the reasons why he drinks every night. There is even a scene where you find with alcohol poisoning near a cliff he was trying to jump off.
While it is a bit of a dark story, watching him overcome depression is a very refreshing storyline. You may even find yourself tearing up when you realize that he was just trying to push everyone away because he hated himself.
8 He is a Good Father
You can tell what type of parent someone will be by just watching their interaction with children. In the game, you can often find Shane doing little things for Jas. He even makes sure to take her to the Night Market when it docks at the beach. He also comments that he has grown rather close to Jas and can be shown giving her a gift in one of his heart events.
After your married, he will even go on walks to visit Jas. Shane already has experience helping with children thanks to her.
7 He Loves Pizza
If there is one thing you should know about Shane, it’s that he loves pizza. We mean really loves, pizza it’s in his favorite along with beer and pepper poppers. Sadly, these items can be a bit hard to make in the kitchen, even if you have the recipe for them. Luckily, you won’t have to wait until late game to be able to make homecooked meals for Shane; instead, you can simply purchase pizza and beer from the local bar.
This makes his items incredibly easy to get as he will only cost you around 800 gold a week to give him his loves.
6 He Takes You Out
Once you finally make it to the ten heart mark, you will have a letter delivered to you from Shane. In the letter, he tells you that he “got” an extra ticket to the Gridball game and wants to take you with him. If you decide to go with him, he will go with you on the bus to Zuzu City. Once there, he even buys you a drink and makes sure that you are having a good time.
While many of the other characters have cute activities for their ten-heart event, Shane actually takes you to a popular sports event, which in all honesty couldn’t have been that cheap.
5 He is a Talented Breeder
Once Shane begins to recover from his alcoholism, and you get him to ten hearts, you will unlock his event at Marnie’s ranch. In the cutscene, Jas will take you back to meet Shane in the chicken coop. Once you get there, you notice that he is surrounded by blue chickens with curly tails. You soon learn that Shane worked hard to breed these special chickens and is teaching Jas how to follow in his footsteps.
This is pretty big news as even Marnie hasn’t created a special breed of animals. Just think about what Shane could do if he was living on your farm.
4 He Has Good Work Ethic
One of the few things that you can see as soon as you meet Shane is that he takes his work seriously. Every single morning, you will see Shane leaving his house extra early to go to JoJa mart where he stocks goods. If you try to talk to him when he is working, you learn that he is so entranced by his work that he won’t respond to you. It’s not often that you find an employee so dedicated to their work that they won’t stop to chat.
One of the biggest things you should look for in a partner is their dedication to their job. This shows that Shane will be able to help provide for the family.
3 He Doesn’t Crowd You
While everybody else is more than happy to get to know the new farmer, Shane doesn’t try to cling to you. While he does come off as cold, it’s quite refreshing not to be crowded. Even after you get married, Shane is happy to let you hang out with the other villagers and spend time on his own. It can be horrible to be smothered with attention, especially when it’s coming from everyone in town.
If you’re looking for an alternative route that slowly grows over time, then you will find Shane more appealing than the other bachelors.
2 He Overcomes Alcoholism
One of the hardest things you can do when you have addictions is to overcome them. Even with a difficult task set in front of him, Shane cuts out alcohol with ease. He even decides to start drinking soda to take the place of beer. There is even a hilarious fourteen heart event around the subject of him becoming addicted to video games.
Whether you like Shane or not, though, you really have to admire his character arc as depression and alcohol are both two huge hurdles that many people struggle to overcome.
1 He is Easily Embarrassed
When you get to know Shane, he seems like a no-nonsense man who likes to take things seriously. It’s a bit surprising when he kisses you during the gridball game and immediately freaks out. Even better, when your character kisses him back, he becomes completely startled by the fact that you like him back. Seeing this softer side of Shane is a great treat that any fans of quirky romance stories would enjoy.
Whenever an NPC in the game shows these little changes in emotion, it helps to pull you deeper into the game and make them be better marriage candidates.
NEXT: 10 Indie Game Recommendations For Stardew Valley Fans
