You’re sure to fall in love with every character inStory of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, some of them very literally, but some of the townsfolk in Forgotten Valley are just so dang charming. Whether it’s them helping you out in a bind, funding your new farmstead life, or just cheering you on along the way, everyone has their own unique charms in this game.
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While everyone shines in some way, there are some characters who just seem more heartwarming than others. We’ve ranked the best villagers in A Wonderful Life (excluding the marriage candidates, though –we covered them here).
Lou
Once a traveler who’s settled down in Forgotten Valley to run the Lei-Over Inn with her husband, Tei, Lou feels like the town’s mom. She’s constantly cooking at the Inn, even going so far as to give you some of her special spice once you’ve maxed your friendship with her.
Lou’s kitchen at the Inn is the location of a handful of recipes you’ll learn to make at home, too. And while she’s technically only a mother to one, Lou talks far more about Nami than she does her own son, Rock. We love him, but… we get it.
Van
Atraveling salesmanthat appears across multiple Story of Seasons titles, Van is the merchant who visits Forgotten Valley on the third and eighth day of each season to buy and sell all kinds of goods. His inventory updates as the game marches on, serving as your source for all sorts of things, covering everything fromnew outfitstotool upgrades.
Van himself cracks us up, too. If you offer him a meal while he’s on his way to set up shop, he’s delighted by the offer but finds it within himself to refrain, “for the moment.” He’s also keen on Dig Site finds, and is only of the only ways you can sell your spares.
Flora
While Carter might be the lead on the archeological dig in Forgotten Valley, Flora is the real star of the operation. She’s a smart woman from the city who’s moved to the Valley to sleep in a tent on a sleeping bag for decades in the name of uncovering history.
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You also see Flora in a very nurturing role, too, cooking for Carter after a long day of work and eventually helping Kate when she grows up and starts soul-searching. Adorable, smart,andcaring, Flora definitely deserves her spot on our list.
Hugh
When you first begin playing Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, Hugh is but a child, trying to run in his father’s footsteps – literally. And while he starts off as just the neighbor kid toddling around town and loitering, perpetually without cash, by your store, you get to watch Hugh grow up throughout the course of the game.
Eventually, hewillhave money, able to use his allowance to purchase things if you offer him a discount and is always really grateful for you hooking him up. You eventually see him as a young man, jogging through town in the early mornings, following a similar path his father does.
Pui
Okay, sure, you need to give Pui thousands of dollars and a ton of home-cooked meals before he rewards you with an impressive tool upgrade. But with a grassy hat, a home base of sorts in the Forest, and butterflies for best friends, Pui has an odd charm.
And although he never does make it to Coco Island, we kind of don’t mind him sticking around Forgotten Valley, even if hehasoccasionally been known to pop by in the middle of the night to steal our Eggs…
Vesta
Vesta is one of the most down-to-earth characters in A Wonderful Life both literally and figuratively – she’s a hardworking, kind-hearted woman who isn’t afraid to spend her days in the field getting her hands dirty running a farm.
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While other competition right across the street from you may not always be a good thing, Vesta is never anything but kind after you arrive. She sells you basic seeds at an extremely reasonable price, she offers farming advice when you come by to talk to her, and she gives a tool upgrade that massively improves the ease of your farm work.
The Nature Sprites
Not only are the Nature Sprites – the three colorful elf lads who live in the tree with the weird mushrooms over in the Forest - searching for wonderful things, but they’re also around to help you adjust to life on the farm. Whenever you have a new animal born on the farm, whenever you have new notes to read, there those three are to let you know.
When you visit them at their home, they’ll spend the first several years of the game giving you new cooking recipes every day, helping you build both your farm andyour cookbook.
Vinnie
Vinnie is the sentient plant creature that moves into Takakura’s house early in Year Two of A Wonderful Life. He’s the oddball, three-headed potted plant who, after convincing him through endless chatter that the two of you are pals, will help you on the farm by making hybrid seeds for you, mashups of two standard crops that make much more money.
And though he’s definitely strange, Vinnie also gives you pointers on hybrid-making when you talk to him, too, explaining new ways to help you grow the farm from Year Two on.
Nina
The tiny little sweetheart in the brightly colored clothes and ladybug cap, Nina is the elderly woman who lives in town in Year One in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. She’s rather easy to befriend, fond ofevery floweryou may offer her, and her dialogue is always so endearing when you stop her for a chat.
We’ll spare you any spoilers, but having Nina around is a unique kind of sunshine in Forgotten Valley that you should savor! There’s a Wonder related to Nina called “My Fair Ladybug,” and the only thing cuter than the name is the namesake herself.
Takakura
Although all the villagers in Forgotten Valley are welcoming in their own way, nobody goes out of their way to accommodate you and help you adjust to your new life than Takakura. An old friend of your father’s, Takakura is the stoic older man with a small cabin on your farm who builds your farm upgrades, takes your goods to the city to sell them, and brings you new animals or goods anytime you ask.
And Takakura didn’thaveto do any of this – he simply got a random letter from you in the mail and upturned his entire life to help you start a new one. Takakura might not actually be your dad in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, but he sure feels like one before long, and we’d wager he feels quite the same toward you.
