How to Revive Kelvin and Virginia in Sons of the Forest
In Sons of the Forest, companions like Kelvin and Virginia are "Permadeath" NPCs. If they are killed by cannibals (or accidentally by a player), they do not respawn. For a dedicated server owner, this can be devastating for a long-term save. However, you can bring them back by editing the SaveData.json. This guide walks you through the 2026 revival process.
💾 SaveData.json
The primary save file that stores player positions, inventory, and the "Life Status" of all global entities.
❤️ Affinity Stats
When you revive Virginia, you must also reset her "Fear" and "Affinity" stats, or she will simply run away from you forever.
The Revival Process
1. Backup Your World
Stop the server and download a copy of your most recent save from /Saves/DedicatedServer/Multiplayer/. Do not edit files while the server is running.
2. Editing GameStateSaveData.json
Open GameStateSaveData.json and search for "IsRobbyDead": true (Kelvin) or "IsVirginiaDead": true. Change these values to false.
3. Editing SaveData.json (Crucial Step)
This file is very large. Use a JSON editor or a high-quality text editor and search for the Type ID of the companion:
- Kelvin TypeID: 9
- Virginia TypeID: 10
Look for the "State" value associated with that TypeID. If they are dead, the state will be 6. Change it back to 2 (Alive). Also, find the "Health" tag and set it to 100.0.
4. Fixing Virginia's AI
If Virginia was killed by a player, her "Anger" will be high. Search for "Anger" and "Fear" in the same section and set them to 0.0. Set "Affinity" to 100.0 to restore her trust immediately.
Warning: Ensure you do not have duplicate entries for Kelvin or Virginia. If you accidentally Create two "States" for the same ID, the server may crash on boot or spawn multiple corrupted NPCs.
Automated Save Management
Editing raw JSON is risky and can lead to world corruption if a bracket is misplaced. At Supercraft, our Sons of the Forest panel includes a Companion Recovery Tool that allows you to revive Kelvin or Virginia with a single click, safely handling all the JSON modifications for you.