One Tales of the Shire Hobbit Stands Out From The Rest

This article contains SPOILERS for Tales of the Shire's main story quest.

Though it puts its cozy game elements at the forefront, Tales of the Shire is also home to a bevy of lite social sim mechanics. While players can't get into full conversations with fellow townsfolk, invite them for one-on-one meetings, or get into relationships with them like they can in a game like The Sims, they can buy various goods from their Hobbit neighbors, increase their Fellowship rank with each of them, and earn unique rewards for their social efforts.

There are a lot of relationships for players to foster and maintain in Tales of the Shire, with there being 15 NPCs in the game's core cast. All of these Bywater villagers are noteworthy in their own ways, but there's one Tales of the Shire Hobbit who stands a little taller than the rest.

One Tales of the Shire Villager Stands Above The Rest

Tales of the Shire Features a Lively and Memorable Cast

Aside from Nefi, the dwarf who runs Bywater's forge, all of Tales of the Shire's core cast of characters are Hobbits. Most of these Hobbits are fairly memorable, with their conversational dialogue doing a good job of giving each one a distinct personality, and each villager having a unique role in Tales of the Shire's gameplay loop.

The Cottons, for instance, are some of Tales of the Shire's most memorable NPCs, with Farmer Cotton and Young Tom Cotton running the seed and dairy stalls in the Bywater market square, and Lily and Rosie Cotton running the cooking and gardening social clubs, respectively. The Burrows are another set of memorable NPCs, being a sibling duo who run a sizable clothing and furniture shop in Bywater's center.

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Tales of the Shire's Delphinium Stands Out From the Crowd

But while most of Tales of the Shire's Hobbits should leave a somewhat lasting impression, few shine quite as brightly as Delphinium Brandybuck. Found on the edges of Bywater near its dense surrounding forests, Delphinium boasts a particularly distinct character design. Delphi wears a mint-green dress with floral patterns along the neckline, along with a brown satchel lined with potted herbs and plants on the front. Taking just a single glance at Tales of the Shire's Delphinium immediately reveals the character's affinity for foraging and all things to do with the natural world.

Tales of the Shire's Delphinium Brandybuck is related to The Lord of the Rings' Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck.

Tales of the Shire Lord of the Rings References Hobbit Names Delphinium Brandybuck

Delphi is also the subject of one of Tales of the Shire's few overt character arcs. When Tales of the Shire's story quest begins, Delphi is introduced as a great forager but a poor healer. It's quickly revealed that Delphi's late mother, Primrose Brandybuck, was one of the most revered healers in the Shire, and that Delphi's struggling to step out of her shadow following her recent passing.

During the course of Tales of the Shire's main quest, Delphi's healing shortcomings are routinely and openly criticized by Bywater's townsfolk, so much so that she ends up disappearing for a few days towards the end of the story. Players need to team up with Gandalf to track Delphi down and bring her back to the village, leading to a short escort mission that ends with Gandalf and the player-character giving her a pep talk and saying that she should lean into her own talents rather than keep trying to live up to the lofty legacy of her mother.

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It's far from a groundbreaking piece of storytelling, but Tales of the Shire's Delphi arc does have some clear themes and emotional motifs, which can't really be said for the rest of the game's cast, despite their lively personalities.

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