Rune Factory 5 Marriage Candidates: Confessing, Dating, and Proposing
Rune Factory 5 has 12 eligible bachelors and bachelorettes total. Not all of them are available as soon as the game begins, but they’ll eventually join through story progression. Romance in the Rune Factory series is a little more complex than traditional farming sims like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, adding a few extra steps to the process.
Every villager has their own personality, likes, and dislikes. We’ll explain their differences, tastes, and how to confess your love to each marriage candidate.
- Rune Factory 5 Marriage Candidates
- Romance Story Scenes & Friendship Levels
- Confessing and Going on Dates
- Proposals and Marriage Requirements
Rune Factory 5 Bachelorettes and Bachelors
There are six bachelorettes and six bachelors in Rune Factory 5, and there is no gender restriction on dating, marriage, or having kids, so pick the partner who appeals to you the most!
Bachelorettes
From left to right, Rune Factory 5’s bachelorettes are Fuuka, Lucy, Ludmila, Scarlett, Priscilla, and Beatrice. Marriage candidates like Fuuka, Lucy, and Priscilla are available to romance when the game begins, with Scarlett, Beatrice, and Ludmila joining later.
Fuuka
The little dog-like girl is the first you’ll encounter in RF5. She’s spunky and happy-go-lucky but had a tough time in life growing up without much of a home until finding Rigbarth.
Lucy
Boisterous Lucy lives in Rigbarth with her little brother Julian and mother Simone. She’s energetic, often taking charge in cutscenes amongst her peers, and quite an extrovert. As you get to know her, Lucy shares concerns about her father and his adventures.
Ludmila
From the get-go, Ludmila is a flirtatious succubus and unashamedly herself. She’s brash and often has a take-what-she-wants attitude, but getting to know Ludmila reveals some of the challenges she faced before coming to Rigbarth.
Scarlett - Guide to Romancing Scarlett
Obsessed with order and her father’s legacy, Scarlett often comes off as too strict or harsh during the day-to-day. Her role with SEED keeps her focused on protecting Rigbarth, but breaking down those walls reveals her doubts and worries regarding her father’s ways.
Priscilla
Shy and soft-spoken, Priscilla does not often venture out of her comfort zone. She’s beloved by friends like Lucy, and always eager to help those around her. Priscilla struggles with her anxieties and reveals her desire to come out of her shell.
Beatrice - Guide to Romancing Beatrice
As a lady from a faraway kingdom, Beatrice struggles to fit into Rigbarth life but is eager to do so. She loves meeting new people and learning more about life in the village, but getting close to her means uncovering more about her troubled home before Rigbarth
Bachelors
From left to right, Rune Factory 5’s bachelors are Lucas, Martin, Murakumo, Ryker, Cecil, and Reinhard. Marriage candidates like Martin, Murakumo, Ryker, and Cecil are available from the beginning, while Reinhard and Lucas join later on.
Lucas
Like the protagonist, Lucas struggles with amnesia and wants to understand more about his origins. He’s elegant, knowledgeable, and quickly endeared to most villagers. Romancing Lucas uncovers more vulnerabilities and pieces of the past.
Martin - Guide to Romancing Martin
A man of few words, Martin is the stony, quiet blacksmith apprentice. He cares deeply about his work and little brother, Cecil, but has difficulty showing his emotions and relaxing. Cozying up to Martin breaks through those walls and shows his sentimental side.
Murakumo
Deeply empathetic and cheerful, Murakumo is a bright spot at the local inn. He’s a people pleaser, often to a fault, and gives away most inn services. Murakumo is a worrier, and pursuing him shares moments of his concerns, hopes, and dreams.
Ryker - Guide to Romancing Ryker
The young carpenter is talented, learning under his mentor Palmo, but Ryker would often rather sleep or do his own thing than deal with life’s daily chores. Despite his nonchalance, he cares deeply for those around him and carries a lot of hurt from the past.
Cecil
Little brother to Martin, Cecil is his sibling’s opposite. He’s chatty, inquisitive, and loves spending time around others while trying to help solve their problems. His relationship with Martin is strained, and he shares his struggles to connect as you get closer.
Reinhard - Guide to Romancing Reinhard
As a knight to Lady Beatrice, Reinhard is fiercely loyal and protective. Most of his conversations are about concerns for others or strength, but romancing Reinhard helps uncover the bits of his past and someone far more tender than they let on.
Improving Friendship Levels, Triggering Romance Events
The path to romance in Rune Factory 5 is a three-part process. First, you’ll woo potential partners with gifts and get to know them early as friends, start dating as lovers, and finally get married. This section covers the first step, working on your Friendship Level and Romance Story scenes.
Raising Friendship to Level 7
Before any bachelor or bachelorette will date the protagonist, their Friendship Level must be at Level 7. Accomplish that through a few different tasks, like:
Speak to them every day. This works without even selecting the option to chat more. NPCs you have not spoken to for the day have a purple icon above their head. Also, use the Greeting Skill for a few extra points when you talk to them; it also works once a day.
Gift them gifts they like and love. NPCs will accept extra presents, but it appears only one liked gift and one loved gift a day works towards raising their affinity. Give gifts on their birthday for extra points. They also will comment on gifts the protagonist handmade themselves and like you a little more for it.
Invite them to your party. Villagers like spending time with the protagonist, so invite them to your party upon reaching Friendship Level 3 to earn a little more towards their level.
Involve them at festivals. Some festivals offer moments with someone special, like the Seaside Lights Festival. Invite your crush to experience the celebration together.
Accept their Task Board Requests. The assignments posted to the task board improve Friendship Levels with NPCs. Accept special requests from them for a little boost.
Level Admired Skills. Every character has a skill they admire, which they’ll reveal in their day-to-day interactions. Focus on that skill to improve your encounters with your love interest.
Trigger Romance Story Scenes
Every eligible bachelor and bachelorette in Rigbarth has three “Romance Story” sub-events to watch. These events are indicated on the map with a pink icon, different from other quest markers.
Some of these events cannot be triggered until you’ve reached a certain point in the story, and you can only have one active sub-event at a time.
Requirements for Dating Love Interest
Before marriage, the protagonist must spend a little time dating their love interest. To begin dating one of the single villagers, you’ll need to first confess your love. Unfortunately, confessions do not always work, and you can only confess once before needing to improve your Friendship Level again and trying later. To circumvent this, save before your confession and restart the game.
Confessing Your Love
During conversations, admitting your love for someone is done through the “By the way” prompt using the L or R button. For a confession to work, you must:
- Reach Friendship Level 7 at minimum
- See all three Romance Story Sub-Events
The protagonist cannot confess to players if they’re married, but you can date as many people as you’d like. If your confession is accepted, they’ll meet up with you the next day.
During the first date, when you confess, your lover will also ask what nickname you’d like to use and what you’ll refer to them as.
Special Dates and Normal Dates
Ask your partner out through the same menu; you’ll need to do this three times before marriage. After planning the date and time, make sure you arrive early. Late arrivals or no-shows cause their Friendship Level to drop.
There are two types of dates, with the first three unlocking “Special Dates” between you and your significant other. If you’re still working on improving your Friendship Level, you can ask them out for additional points to reach level 10. Only Special Dates will appear in your sub-event menu.
Confession Event
After you confess your love to your partner and see their three Special Dates, you'll have another encounter required for marriage - their confession event. Every bachelor and bachelorette has a special chain of sequences where they confess how serious they are about the relationship. Make sure you view this before trying to propose.
Marriage Requirements, How to Propose
Be confident in who you choose here, as there’s no going back. Rune Factory 5’s bachelors and bachelorettes will require you to complete a few extra steps before they’re willing to say, “I do.” A successful proposal requires:
- Reaching Friendship Level 10
- See first three date events and final love event
- Clear the story
- Wedding Task Board Request
- Craft an Engagement Ring
- Purchase a Double Bed
Prepare for Marriage - Task Board Request
After seeing any villager's love event, the confessional after three Special Dates, you'll see this task pop up on the Task Board. Accept it and it will unlock the two requirements mentioned below, the Engagement Ring and Double Bed.
Crafting an Engagement Ring
The recipe for the Engagement Ring can be obtained through Crafting Bread, but the wedding quest from the Task Board will also unlock it. It will cost you 1 Ore and 1 Gemstone.
Acquiring a Double Bed
Palmo will make the Double Bed at his studio after you accept the Task Board request. Through his expansion services, it requires 30,000G, (40) Stone, and (80) Lumber.
Proposing
Your proposal will work if you’ve met all of the listed conditions. If not, then something might be missing, so double check again. The Wedding Ceremony takes place the day after your partner accepts.