Leah Stardew Valley Guide

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Arthur Monteclar

Arthur has been in the writing business for years now, and he loves writing about his hobbies, one of which is video games. He loves Stardew Valley and other relaxing games of this nature, namely the Animal Crossing series which is his other love within gaming. He is also a software programmer, so he understands the craft and effort invested in the gaming medium. He is also fond of manga and anime, being an avid follower of One Piece and Kaguya-Sama, to name a few.

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Stardew Valley is a refreshing, heartwarming game that taps into your farm life fantasy. I love the game’s simplistic mechanics and exciting plot. It’s one of the few games you can play for hundreds of hours and never get tired of. That’s because of the characters in Stardew Valley! 

Aside from the random NPC chat, you can build relationships with all characters in the game and potentially find a life partner. Leah is among the single villagers you can marry in town. She is the perfect girl for someone who enjoys exploring the woods and appreciates endless creativity.  

Thinking of building a relationship with her? You’ll undoubtedly love how her story unfolds, and if you fancy some drama, it doesn’t disappoint! As a sweet and shy girl, Leah is easy to impress and get along with. Let’s explore everything you need to know about Leah, including her schedule, heart events, and of course, her interesting past. 

Bottom Line Up Front

Leah is one of the single ladies you can marry in Pelican Town. Unlike the other marriage candidates, she has no family or relatives living in town. She’s quite the exact opposite of Haley—shy, reserved, and calm. With an affinity for the arts and nature, Leah enjoys painting and exploring the woods.

Leah’s essentials: 

Every NPC loves getting gifts, and certainly is Leah, though giving her presents is a different ball game. She loves collecting seasonal items that can be easily foraged around the valley. 

• Birthday: Winter 23
• Home Location: Cindersap Forest, Leah’s Cottage
• Family: None 
• Friends: Elliot 
• Clinic Visit: Spring 16 
• Night Market Visit: Winter 16th
• Occupation: Artist
• Marriage: Yes

Leah: Appearance, Personality, and Hobbies

Appearance 

Leah is your typical suburban girl. She has this shy smile and a kempt ginger braid hair. Her simple beauty isn’t one that brightly illuminates the room; instead, it’s a slow burn—the longer you stare at her, the more you’d appreciate her pretty face. I love how she wears her bangs as it perfectly frames her fame. 

Unlike other single ladies in the village, she doesn’t wear fancy clothes. You’ll never miss her because of her outfit; she sports a rugged green shirt, brown suspenders, and denim pants. 

The game creator didn’t also spare Leah’s character design from revision and changes. ConcernedApe wasn’t shy to experiment with her face shape and hairstyle before the game launched. Leah’s first-ever appearance is drastically different from today’s. Her hair is significantly brown, and she wears it in a ponytail with full bangs. 

Personality

Leah is a lovely girl. She’s very organized and artsy, yet extremely shy. Her creative skills and passion make up for her bashful personality. I love how she’s determined to make a name for herself despite the impostor syndrome and hesitation. 

Her passion for her craft is invigorating. It’s just extremely refreshing to be around her during her creative process. Like the player, she uproots her life in the city to find her place in Pelican. That speaks volumes of her dedication and commitment. 

Aside from her artistic flair, Leah is quite an adventurous young lady. She’s not afraid to get dirty or even forage items and climb trees. If you’re up for a calm yet interesting life, Leah is your partner! 

Hobbies 

It’s equally hard to separate Leah’s hobbies from her actual job as an artist. It seems like she’s got the perfect work-life balance. Her hobbies fuel her creative sensibilities; she enjoys exploring the woods and foraging seasonal items. You’d often see her in Cindersap Forest drawing on her sketchpad. 

As a nature lover, she also watches the scenic views around town. You’ll find Leah in her bedroom or at home, sculpting or working on other artistic pursuits when she’s not out and about. 

Relationships

We rarely see Leah’s childhood and family life in Stardew Valley. Unlike other characters, she lives alone without any family or relatives in Pelican Town—which is indeed mysterious. It seems like she moved to the town to pursue her passion for the arts. However, she left loose ends when she went and lived in the countryside. 

Later in the game, it is revealed that Leah previously lived in an apartment with his boyfriend, Kel. She decided to move out because Kel was unsupportive of her dreams and wanted her to choose a more practical career. 

When she moved into town, she became close to Elliot; they considered each other friends. It’s apparent why; Elliot also loves to pursue his passion for writing and creating beautiful stories. 

Best Gifts for Leah

I love giving gifts to Leah as she doesn’t demand much. She isn’t picky and loves the simplest things. That’s why you would easily befriend her early in the game. While finding the best gifts for Leah is easy, it’s essential to know which are her favorite gifts. 

Giving her the most hated gifts might cause you to lose friendship points. The best way to max out your friendship level with Leah is to give her a gift every day. Remember to surprise her with the best gift on her birthday, Winter 23. When Leah receives a gift she loves, she says, “Oh! This is exactly what I wanted! Thank you!”

Goat Cheese

Leah likes tasting different food, so it’s no surprise she wants Goat Cheese. It’s an artisanal good made from Goat Milk. To make Goat Cheese, you need to put Goat Milk in a Cheese Press—which takes 3.3 hours. 

Poppyseed Muffin

Are you a fan of preparing dishes? If you have a knack for cooking, you’ll find Leah’s best gifts easy to acquire. Poppyseed Muffin is one of her well-loved gifts. You can cook it in an upgraded farmhouse kitchen or a cookout kit. 

You can get the recipe by watching The Queen of Sauce on Winter 7, Year 2. It requires three ingredients: x1 Poppy, x1 Wheat Flour, and x1 Sugar. 

Stir Fry

Like Penny, Leah is a foodie. She has a penchant for good food. That’s why giving her Stir Fry would be an excellent choice. You can get the dish recipe from watching The Queen of Sauce on Spring 7, Year 1. 

The ingredients of this dish are quite easy to find since they can be foraged and made. You need four ingredients: x1 Cave Carrot, x1 Common Mushroom, x1 Kale, and x1 Oil. You can make it using a kitchen or cookout kit in the upgraded farmhouse. 

Salad

Unlike Haley, Leah loves healthy dishes like Salad. You can easily prepare this cooked dish in the kitchen or cookout kit. You can get the recipe from Emily once you reach her Three Hearts Event. 

To make the Salad, you need three ingredients: x1 Leek, x1 Dandelion, and x1 Vinegar. If you’re not a fan of cooking or don’t have the recipe yet, you can also purchase this dish at The Stardrop Saloon for 220g. 

Truffle

Leah is also a fan of fancy items like Truffle. This is the only item on her list that isn’t cooked or prepped.

It is a type of mushroom that can be harvested from pigs outside the barn. They can’t be spawned in Winter since pigs do not leave the barn during this season. This item may also appear on the Traveling Cart for 1,975-3,125g. 

Vegetable Medley

Only three villagers love Vegetable Medley (Stew), and Leah is among them. Unsurprisingly, she likes this sumptuous meal since she has a refined palate.

Like other dishes, you can only get the recipe from one of the villagers. In this case, you need to befriend Caroline and reach seven hearts so she’ll send the recipe through the mail. It may sound like a lot of effort to make the dish recipe, but you only need two ingredients (x1 Tomato and x1 Beet) to make it.

Wine 

Like Goat Cheese, Wine is also an artisan good that takes time to make. You can use any type of fruit to make wine by using the Keg. It roughly takes 10,000 minutes or seven days to finish making wine. However, purchasing wine in the Traveling Cart can also acquire it. 

While Leah’s best gifts need to be made, prepped, or cooked, you can also give liked gifts that are easy to obtain. All items in this list can be acquired through foraging all year round, such as: 

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Holly
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Snow Yam
• Spring Onion
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root

Leah’s Most Hated Gifts

It’s no secret that Leah is easy to please and befriend. She has an interesting variety of favorites, from cooked dishes to foraged items. However, you should know when to draw the line when it comes to giving her gifts. 

She usually hates unhealthy and carb-loaded dishes. If she hates your gift, she isn’t shy to express it and say, “This is a pretty terrible gift, isn’t it?”

• Bread
• Hashbrowns
• Pancakes
• Pizza 
• Void Egg 

Schedule

Knowing Leah’s schedule matters, considering most of her Hearts Events are time-sensitive. She usually hangouts inside her cottage, where she’d sculpt or paint most days. When it’s raining, she stays indoors and wakes up around noon. You should also note that repairing the beach bridge affects Leah’s schedule.

Spring

Leah stays indoors from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and sculpts in her cottage. She goes for a long walk and basks in the town’s nature spots. You’ll find her deep in the forest or near the pond in the afternoon. On Mondays, she also visits the General Store. She goes home at 7:30 PM and stands near her bookcase. Leah has the latest bedtime at midnight. 

When it’s raining, Leah stays indoors and doesn’t leave her house until 4:00 PM. She hangs out inside The Stardrop Saloon until 11:40 PM.  

Summer

Summertime is the perfect time for Leah to find inspiration for her art. That’s why she leaves her cottage relatively early. Once the bridge is repaired, you’ll find her drawing at the tidal pools at the beach during noontime. At 7:00 PM, she heads home and spends the rest of the night in her cottage. 

On the other hand, she’ll just spend time at the beach, not at the tidal pools when the beach bridge has not been repaired. You’ll notice her at The Stardrop Saloon at night on weekends. She goes home pretty late, typically at midnight. 

Fall 

Leah’s schedule for the Fall season is quite similar to her Summer schedule. The only difference is what she does at noon—she goes to the east side of the river in town above the Blacksmith. 

Winter

Most villagers aren’t huge fans of the Winter; Leah doesn’t love it either. She stays mostly indoors this season and spends most of her time sculpting or painting. When it’s Winter, it’s safe to assume you’ll find Leah in her cottage.

Heart Events

Two Hearts

To trigger Leah’s first heart event, you must enter her cottage when she’s home. You’ll find her in the bedroom working on a sculpture. She enthusiastically shares her thoughts on sculpting and says, “Once you get past the outer layers, the true nature starts to show…” 

You can either respond by choosing between these options: 

• “It’s the same with people.”

Saying this will not affect your friendship with Leah. However, she agrees with your statement and highlights how this is right. 

• “I actually prefer the look of raw, unadulterated wood.”

This doesn’t add or minus friendship points with Leah like the first statement. She further explains that there is beauty in nature’s raw beauty. She also says art influences how we perceive the world around us. 

• “(creepy) May I have a kiss?”

This is possibly the most awkward and uncalled-for response to the conversation. I couldn’t bring myself to pick this option. It also has serious ramifications; aside from getting a deduction of 100 friendship points, you won’t get to witness Leah’s 8-Heart event. 

Interestingly, Leah’s reaction to this statement depends on the player’s gender. 

• If your character is a male, she calls you a pig and kicks you out of her house. The scene immediately ends. 
• If your character is female, she acts shocked and blushes while saying, “Oh! You’re…? (blushing) Me too. That’s good to know” Despite the seemingly positive response, she’ll still hit you with a hammer and kick you out too. 

If you pick any of the two choices aside from the kissing, she continues to share her struggles as an artist. You can select between the two suggestions. Both choices don’t have any impact on her friendship points.  

• “Why don’t you have an art show in town?” 

Leah excitedly mentions how such an event would help Pelican Town become a true art destination. However, she begins to doubt herself and says she’d be devastated if no one liked her sculptures. She thanks you for stopping by, and the scene ends. 

• “Why don’t you sell your art on the internet?” 

She tells you that she will need a computer to make this happen, emphasizing that computers are pretty expensive. However, she still thanks you for suggesting and stopping by her cottage. 

Four Hearts

Leah has an interesting Four Hearts Event. You can trigger it by visiting the cottage when she’s around. You’ll hear her arguing with her ex on the phone as you enter her home. You’d least expect that a shy lady has an obsessive boyfriend back in the city. Over the phone, her ex tells her to come back to the city.

It’s weird that she didn’t get mad at you for eavesdropping. Instead, she elaborates on what happened between them. She then asks you if she did the right thing. You can pick between: 

• “No, it had to be done.”
• “No, and your ex sounds like an idiot.”

The choices above don’t have any effect on your friendship with her. However, you get minus 20 friendship points if you choose the following: 

• “No, but you would’ve been better off staying in the city.”
• “Yeah, a little.”
• “Yeah, but it’s natural to care about yourself first.”

The conversation continues with her thinking about an art show or saving for a computer—it depends on your choice at the previous Two-Hearts Event. 

Six Hearts I

The Six-Hearts event doesn’t require any action from you. It is triggered by a specific time and weather— 6 AM to 11:30 AM on a fair day. 

You’ll find Leah outside your farmhouse, bringing a gift for you. It’s a sculpture entitled “How I Feel About <your name>.”

Six Hearts II

You can trigger the second Six-Hearts Event by going to Cindersap Forest when Leah is there. Leah stands before a large tree just above the forest lake. She’s trying so hard to reach the fruit to no avail. You carry her on your shoulders so she can reach the fruit. She thanks you for being there for her. 

Eight Hearts

This is my favorite Hearts Event. It’s related to your response to the Two Hearts Event. If you choose an art show, Leah will be outside your house between 6 AM and 8 AM. She’ll invite you to her art show. 

Art Show

You need to enter Pelican Town between 3 PM and 5 PM to trigger the event. It doesn’t have to be on the same day. 

You’ll find a lot of villagers present in the town square. Leah is happy to see you and immediately starts the art show. She’s delighted to see everyone and is grateful for their presence. She presents her eccentric sculptures: Post-Dimensional Nullspace, Egg Heads, and Wood Sculpture 3. 

Once she’s finished with the art presentation, she thanks you for giving her the idea to host an art show. The villagers praise Leah’s creativity. 

As the scene fades, Kel, her ex, is seen on the far right side of the art show. 

Art Website

To trigger the scene, you need to visit Leah’s cottage when she’s around. She excitedly shares that she bought a laptop to set up an online art shop, as you suggested. Her laptop plays a coin ding—which means someone purchased her art. 

She notices that a “Mr. K” keeps buying all her sculptures and thinks it must be just some rich guy. She’s grateful for giving her the idea of creating an art website. 

Ten Hearts

Remember Kel, Leah’s ex? Well, he is around and makes an appearance at Leah’s Ten-Hearts event. You must enter Cindersap Forest between 11 AM and 4 PM except during Winter to trigger the event. 

Leah prepares a surprise picnic in the middle of the forest. She thanks you for helping her get close to her dreams and starts to kiss you. You notice a person coming out of the bushes; it’s Kel, Leah’s ex. (Kel’s gender will depend on your character’s gender.)

Annoyed by Kel’s interruption, Leah asks why he’s in Pelican town. The scene differs depending on whether Leah hosted an art show or built an art website. Bottomline is Kel wants Leah back, but she refuses and highlights how Kel was uninterested in her art before.

The argument escalates, and you can pick between two options: 

• Punch Kel in the face. 
• Try reasoning with Kel. 

Whatever your choice, Kel ends up getting knocked out. If you don’t punch Kel, Leah will. She’ll take you to a more private spot and tell you how things didn’t pan out how she’d liked them to. 

Group Ten-Heart Event

The Group Ten-Heart event happens when these conditions are met: 

• The player is unmarried;
• has given a bouquet to all available bachelorettes;
• raised friendship among all of them to 10-hearts;
• Has seen each bachelorette’s 10-hearts event. 

It is a similar Group 10-heart event for all the bachelorettes and can be triggered if you enter Haley or Emily’s home. 

Fourteen Hearts

The Fourteen-Hearts Event is definitely a culmination of your growing relationship with Leah. You can trigger the event if you exit the farmhouse between 6 AM and 8:20 AM on a sunny day—make sure it doesn’t fall on a Sunday or the winter season. 

Leah is waiting for you outside the farmhouse. The next sunny day, you must go to Cindersap Forest anytime between 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM. 

Leah asks you to paint Marnie’s portrait with her; she consults with you on the style of the artwork. You can pick between any of the three choices (This doesn’t affect your friendship with Leah)

• Classic Country Portrait
• Colorful, Retro Pop Art
• Minimalist Modern 

She starts painting the style of your choice and shows it once she’s done. You also finished a grotesque painting. Both frames are up for display, and Leah tells Marnie that she can keep both paintings. However, Marnie insists you should keep your first painting. The scene ends, and now you have your painting in the inventory. 

Married Life

If you’ve chosen to marry Leah, she’ll move into the farmhouse and add her room right next to your bedroom. She also isn’t shy to take up some space for her artistic pursuits behind the farmhouse. This space is where you’ll find her working on her recent sculptures. 

While she’s more of a random gift giver, you’ll come to appreciate gifts from her foraging or mushroom-hunting sessions. She’ll give you Chanterelle, Common Mushroom, Red Mushroom, or Morel.

You also get to wake up to a fresh cup of coffee made by Leah early in the morning. She’ll personally plant seeds from the “little pot out back,” which yields different crops such as Wild Horseradish, Daffodil, Leek, Dandelion, Cactus Fruit, Fiddlehead Fern, Spice Berry, or Sweet Pea. So if you marry Leah, you’d find yourself abundant with foraged items. 

FAQs

Leah Stardew Valley: Pelican Town’s Ingenious Artist 

Leah is a crowd-favorite character; her shy and reserved nature might not be ideal for any outgoing player. However, I find her heart events emotionally rewarding—I love how the drama unfolds right before my eyes between her and her ex. 

She’s one of the easiest to befriend, thanks to her liking for foraged items. She’s an ingenious artist who needs a little confidence boost. It’s fascinating to see how such a shy character comes out of her shell because of your support. There’s really much to discover about her character, and I hope you learn a thing or two from this guide.