Willy
| Willy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Villager |
| Birthday | Summer 24 |
| Lives In | The Beach |
| Address | Fish Shop |
Willy is the old fisherman of Pelican Town, and he runs the Fish Shop on the pier at The Beach. On Spring 2 a letter from him invites the new farmer to the beach, where he hands over a Bamboo Pole. From then on his shop is the place to buy rods, bait, tackle, Crab Pots and fish tanks. He also holds the key to Ginger Island, because the old boat behind his shop carries the farmer across the sea once it is repaired. His friendship pays off in fish recipes from his "pappy", a comic scene with runaway crabs and a steady stream of fishing quests. Gold Bars, Diamonds and Catfish win him over quickly, and most fish dishes please him too.
Lore
Willy grew up sailing between the Fern Islands with his father, living from one catch to the next. He shares this memory at six hearts and adds that the fishing life is tough but keeps him going. Ginger Island belongs to the same chain of islands, so the sea route there is home water for him. He mentions his absent father, whom he calls "me ol' Pappy", whenever he receives a gift he loves. The recipes he mails are dishes his pappy used to make, and the game calls Lobster Bisque a secret family recipe of his.
He talks like an old sailor, full of "ahoy", "aye" and "me" in place of "my". At heart he is a simple man. He says a full pipe is all he needs to be happy. At the Feast of the Winter Star he gives thanks for a solid roof over his head and a hot can of beans in the morning. His respect for the water comes up again and again in his lines about what makes a true angler.
Rare fish matter to him more than anything. He has a reaction for each legendary catch the farmer lands. The Crimsonfish taunted him for years and nearly nibbled through the wood under his house. Landing the Legend earns his highest praise, and he calls the farmer the best angler the valley has seen in a long time. A catch from the sewers gets a different reaction: he sniffs the air and tells the legend of carp twisted into monsters by toxic sludge.
Schedule
Willy's day starts at about six in the morning with fishing just outside his shop. He opens the counter at 9am and closes it at 5pm. On ordinary evenings he goes back to fishing on the beach until about ten. On rainy days, on Fridays and all through Winter he spends the evening at The Stardrop Saloon instead.
Saturday is his day off when the weather is fine. He walks to the river by Leah's Cottage at dawn, moves to the river in town in the afternoon and ends the day at the Saloon. The shop stays shut while he is away, so shopping is best done on another day. Rain keeps him at the counter, even on a Saturday.
Fishing events shape the rest of his calendar. On Spring 9 he leaves the shop mid-morning for Harvey's Clinic to have a fish hook cut out of his thumb. During the Desert Festival he takes the bus to Calico Desert and runs a fishing challenge there. For the Trout Derby in Summer he fishes the river in Cindersap Forest and opens the shop for just one hour from 9am. He joins SquidFest on the beach in Winter, and he spends the Night Market evenings at the Saloon. During the first Green Rain he stays inside the Saloon all day, worried that the strange rain might harm the fish.
Relationships
Willy and Elliott are the only residents of The Beach, and the two neighbours are friends. In the evenings Willy shares a table at the Saloon with Clint, most often in Winter. He also calls the captain of the deep-sea submarine at the Night Market an old friend. At the Festival of Ice he competes in the ice fishing contest alongside Pam and Elliott.
Gifts
Willy loves gifts that a fisherman or a miner would prize. Catfish, Octopus, Sea Cucumber and Sturgeon are all on his loved list, along with Diamond, Gold Bar, Iridium Bar, Mead and Pumpkin. Two fishing books also delight him: Jewels Of The Sea and The Art O' Crabbing. Every universal love works as well. Once Gold Ore starts turning up, smelting it in a Furnace makes Gold Bars easily, so a Gold Bar is a dependable choice. Catfish bite on rainy days, as Willy himself hints at the Egg Festival.
His likes cover a lot of ground. He likes almost every fish dish from the kitchen, including Baked Fish, Crab Cakes, Fried Calamari, Fish Taco and all four recipes he mails himself. He also likes Lingcod, Tiger Trout, Quartz, Coffee and the Bait And Bobber book. Dish O' The Sea, Maki Roll and Sashimi only earn a neutral thank you.
His dislikes catch many farmers out. Most cooked dishes that are not seafood leave him cold. He dislikes nearly all seasonal forage, from Daffodil and Leek to Holly and Snow Yam, along with mushrooms and the Life Elixir. Universal dislikes still apply, except that fish become neutral and the Gold Bar and Iridium Bar stay loved. Seafoam Pudding is the odd one out: it is a universal hate, yet Willy likes it. Gifts on his birthday count eight times as much as usual.
At the Movie Theater he likes every film. His favourite snacks there are the Salmon Burger and Stardrop Sorbet.
These gifts are the ones this villager loves most.
| Gift | Image |
|---|---|
| Catfish | 
|
| Diamond | 
|
| Gold Bar | 
|
| Iridium Bar | 
|
| Jewels Of The Sea | 
|
| Mead | 
|
| Octopus | 
|
| Pumpkin | 
|
| Sea Cucumber | 
|
| Sturgeon | 
|
| The Art O' Crabbing | 
|
Heart Events
Most of Willy's friendship rewards arrive by mail. At three hearts he sends the Chowder recipe, a dish his pappy used to make. Escargot follows at five hearts, Fish Stew at seven and Lobster Bisque at nine. Each letter insists that the fish must be fresh. Lobster Bisque is the best of the set, with a Fishing boost and a large temporary bonus to maximum energy.
His one cutscene comes at six hearts. On a daytime visit to The Beach, Willy is waiting outside the Fish Shop and asks for help. Inside, his crabs have escaped and are scuttling all over the floor. Gus walks in and offers to buy the whole lot for the Saloon, minus a little for the work of catching them. Willy agrees and says a fond goodbye to his "sweet ladies" as they are carried off. Gus then quietly tells the farmer he will run a Crab Cakes special, and asks that Willy never hears about it. Crab Cakes stay on sale at the Saloon for the next few days.
Notes
Willy's shop is the main fishing store in the valley. Its stock grows as the farmer's Fishing skill rises, which fits his own remark that a livelier fishing scene would let him expand. His counter sells better rods, Crab Pots, bait and tackle.
After the Community Center or the Joja Warehouse is finished, Willy writes to say the back door of his shop is open. Behind it sits an old boat that needs 200 Hardwood, 5 Iridium Bars and 5 Battery Packs to repair. Once it is fixed, he sells tickets to Ginger Island for 1,000g and sails the farmer there. He also ferries other villagers to the Beach Resort.
Willy hands out plenty of work. In Winter he writes asking for a Squid, and a later Winter brings a request for a Lingcod; each pays well and adds a friendship heart. He may post fishing or delivery requests on the Help Wanted board outside Pierre's General Store. His "Juicy Bugs Wanted!" special order asks for 100 Bug Meat, dropped into the bin beside the Fish Shop, and pays 3,000g along with the Quality Bobber recipe. At the Desert Festival he sets a new fishing challenge each day, and one of them is to find his lost Golden Bobber.
Filling a Fish Pond with ten Crabs earns a reward from him. He smells the crabs on the farmer, calls them a fellow crab enthusiast and hands over a Pearl the next time they talk.
All Villagers
Every entry in this group, with its key details.
| Name | Image | Birthday | Lives In |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abigail | 
|
13 Fall | Pelican Town |
| Alex | 
|
Summer 13 | Pelican Town |
| Birdie | 
|
- | Ginger Island |
| Bouncer | 
|
- | The Desert |
| Caroline | 
|
Winter 7 | Pelican Town |
| Children | - | - | - |
| Clara Mullner | - | - | - |
| Clint | 
|
Winter 26 | Pelican Town |
| Demetrius | 
|
Summer 19 | The Mountain |
| Dwarf | 
|
Summer 22 | The Mines |
| Elliott | 
|
Fall 5 | The Beach |
| Emily | 
|
Spring 27 | Pelican Town |
| Evelyn | 
|
Winter 20 | Pelican Town |
| Fizz | 
|
- | Ginger Island |
| George | 
|
Fall 24 | Pelican Town |
| Gil | 
|
- | The Mountain |
| Governor | 
|
- | - |
| Grandpa | 
|
- | - |
| Gunther | 
|
- | Pelican Town |
| Gus | 
|
Summer 8 | Pelican Town |
| Haley | 
|
Spring 14 | Pelican Town |
| Harvey | 
|
Winter 14 | Pelican Town |
| Henchman | 
|
- | Witch's Swamp |
| Jas | 
|
Summer 4 | Cindersap Forest |
| Jodi | 
|
Fall 11 | Pelican Town |
| Junimos | 
|
- | Community Center |
| Kent | 
|
Spring 4 | Pelican Town |
| Krobus | 
|
Winter 1 | The Sewers |
| Leah | 
|
Winter 23 | Cindersap Forest |
| Leo | 
|
Summer 26 | Ginger Island |
| Lewis | 
|
Spring 7 | Pelican Town |
| Linus | 
|
Winter 3 | The Mountain |
| Marlon | 
|
- | The Mountain |
| Marnie | 
|
Fall 18 | Cindersap Forest |
| Maru | 
|
Summer 10 | The Mountain |
| Morris | 
|
- | Pelican Town |
| Mr. Qi | 
|
- | The Calico Desert |
| Old Mariner | 
|
- | The Beach |
| Pam | 
|
Spring 18 | Pelican Town |
| Penny | 
|
Fall 2 | Pelican Town |
| Pierre | 
|
Spring 26 | Pelican Town |
| Professor Snail | 
|
- | Ginger Island |
| Robin | 
|
Fall 21 | The Mountain |
| Sam | 
|
Summer 17 | Pelican Town |
| Sandy | 
|
Fall 15 | The Desert |
| Sebastian | 
|
Winter 10 | The Mountain |
| Shane | 
|
Spring 20 | Cindersap Forest |
| The Merpeople | - | - | - |
| Vincent | 
|
Spring 10 | Pelican Town |
| Willy | 
|
Summer 24 | The Beach |
| Wizard | 
|
Winter 17 | Cindersap Forest |
| Yoba | - | - | - |