Highlights
- Disney Dreamlight Valley offers a unique experience for fans of life-simulator games with its elaborate quests and RPG-lite systems.
- The game features a wide range of beloved Disney characters, each lovingly rendered and with their own unique personalities and storylines.
- Goofy, Stitch, Simba, and WALL-E are among the standout characters, bringing their own charm, humor, and contributions to the village.
Disney Dreamlight Valley scratches a very particular itch for fans of life-simulator games everywhere. If Animal Crossing’s aimless tranquility isn’t really your thing, then perhaps Dreamlight’s elaborate quests, story, and RPG-lite systems will be. Likewise, if you prefer a healthy dollop of IP to interact with while harvesting and fishing, you’ll be right at home.
The town is populated with characters from many walks of Disney, all lovingly rendered – both visually and personality-wise – in the dialogue trees you can have with them. But which of the game’s 30-plus residents is the best? Here’s a look at Dreamlight Valley’s citizens du jour.
10 Mickey Mouse
A list like this just wouldn’t be complete without the big cheese himself: Mickey, even if he is occupying the bottom spot. As one of the first characters you’ll meet when embarking on your village restoration project and one of the oldest residents of the valley, you’ll have ample time to get to know Mickey. Though he initially seems to exude nothing but the usual corporate-approved squeaky-clean energy, he soon reveals hidden depths.
We join Mickey at a low point. Minnie has phased into another reality, and he’s dealing with her absence in the only way he knows how: forced smiles and raucous laughter. Still, the mouse is supportive through the game’s tutorial, has a marvelous selection of dapper outfits, and continues to be a great pal long after you rescue his beau.
9 Ursula
The inclusion of Disney villains in Dreamlight Valley continues to be a point of contention among players. On the one hand, they are absolutely iconic and super-fun characters in their own right. But then again, it does rather affect the laidback tone to have literal murderers and con artists wandering about. All the same, Ursula is a total riot.
Notably, she’s more charitable than many of the supposed ‘hero’ characters are. She soon takes you under her wing (er, tentacle) as her ‘angelfish’ and is more than happy to concoct as many Faustian bargains as you need to help the other villagers with their problems. It’s also the last time the legendary late Pat Carroll got to play the role.
8 Goofy
If there were any Disney character you would peg as having an entrepreneurial spirit, it probably wouldn’t be Goofy. And yet here he is, with his near-total monopoly over Dreamlight Valley’s economy. Sure, Scrooge McDuck has a clothing store, and Remy the rat runs a restaurant (that nobody seems to pay at), but if you want any chance of staying fiscally solvent? Goofy’s your sole option.
He operates numerous stalls across the valley’s biomes, buying and selling veggies and other assorted goods for whatever price he feels like offering that day. At least when he’s not all business, he’s cheerful and amiable to hang out with – asking for help with his photo album hobby and demonstrating his ‘perfect cast’ fishing technique. But come on. We all know it’s an act, Goof.
7 Simba
One of the valley’s quadrupedal citizens, this friendly feline comes as a package deal with his mate Nala. He immediately scores points for the beautiful Pride Rock home you can install for the couple, which sets the Sunlit Plateau off gorgeously. In terms of Simba himself, he’s a very useful buddy.
His questline will introduce Dreamlight Fruit trees into the village’s ecosystem; these exclusive plants can be used in a host of high-value recipes and are crucial to progressing several quests. It’s also hysterical to see Simba strutting about the town performing his ‘Hakuna Matata’ head-dance – but surely his neck must be starting to hurt by now!
6 Stitch
If you’re looking to infuse your valley with a bit of chaos, Stitch is your alien. He makes a bang of an entrance right off the bat, crash-landing his spaceship on the beach and immediately setting about playing pranks on everyone. Swiping socks, erecting unflattering signs of Donald – he’s quite the mischief-maker. Luckily, you’re able to bring out his goodness and convince him to mellow out.
Stitch will teach you the meaning of ‘ohana’ as you go through his (oddly nostalgic) quests, which mostly involve bringing his Hawaiian home’s comforts to Dreamlight Valley. A rustic beachfront house, a VHS-compatible TV, a ukulele; everything a little blue fluffball could need. Now all we need is Lilo to keep him company.
5 Buzz Lightyear
Of the game’s two Toy Story reps, spaceman Buzz edges out his cowboy partner Woody. While it’s precious that the two toys come as realistically-sized nippers, Woody’s brown outfit (and tendency to flop on the floor) makes him tough to spot when you need him. No such danger with Buzz; his fluorescent green wings and loud laser would make any Space Ranger fail a stealth mission.
Buzz’s quests and dialogue trees are great. It’s apparent that his delusions of being a real ranger never fully left him as he patrols the valley instructing you to watch out for Zurg. One mission even has you perform a full combat drill in case of a Zurg invasion, right down to having you wear a crummy cardboard spacesuit. But hey, with Dreamlight Valley’s magic? It could happen.
4 Moana
A staunch supporter of sailing, Moana is a delight to have around the valley. In contrast to the fairly tedious company, her friend Maui provides (not to mention more chest-beating than a Donkey Kong game), this peppy, excitable lass earns her keep from the moment she sets foot in your town. She runs the local fishing service, going off on her boat and returning with fresh fish catches every few hours.
Especially exciting is when she has rare finds among her spoils, like kingfish and fugu, which are otherwise extremely hard to come by (and needed for some delicacies). Apart from this utility, she’s bubbly and confident, giving the village a zap of energy whenever she walks by doing the hula. Sail on!
3 Ariel
She wants to be where the people are, and she’s pulled it off. When you first meet Ariel, she’s beached on a deserted island, so it’s a good thing Goofy just so happened to be working on a raft that magically conveys you to that very place. Like her nemesis Ursula, this princess is initially water-bound, so any land-based hangouts are off the table. This can make raising her friendship level a bit tough.
But worry not! Just as in the film, if you pursue Ariel’s questline enough, she’ll sprout legs – no voice sacrifice required. From then on, she’s a full-fledged member of the community, and it’s pure magic to hear Jodi Benson’s voice singing away in the background. Extra points, Gameloft, for putting her in her lovely ‘village girl’ outfit rather than the puffy ballgown Disney prefers to have her in all the time.
2 Mirabel
An extremely young member of the Disney family – hailing from 2021’s Encanto – few players expected Mirabel Madrigal to be added so soon, even in spite of her movie’s juggernaut popularity. As it turns out, she’s utterly charming and more than earns her place in the Valley. It’s impossible not to mention her house, an eye-popping recreation of her family’s Casita, which comes alive to wave at you every time you pass by. Hola!
Sweet, mischievous, and eager to please, Mirabel teaches you about a lot of the game’s secondary mechanics, like animal feeding and cooking for profit. All of this is wrapped up in stories about her (extensive) familia, inescapably catchy renditions of the movie’s songs, and more hypnotic skirt-twirling than you could ever want. She’s the real gift.
1 WALL-E
Despite looking like a Virtual Boy taped to a cube, WALL-E has captured the hearts of Dreamlight Valley residents the world over. Routinely topping both official and fan polls, this diminutive robot is undeniably adorable.
Whether it’s the way he waves at you with a cheery ‘yoo-hoo,’ his little boogies to Hello Dolly tunes, or seeing him run his vegetable farm, he’s basically designed from top to bottom to get you aww-ing. He also has some of the more intricate quests in the game as you rediscover his old connections with other characters (he and Ariel used to hold swap meets for human junk.) Now, where’s EVE? He keeps calling for her, the poor guy.
#Villagers #Disney #Dreamlight #Valley
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