To get rid of an imaginary friend in The Sims 3, tell it to go away, let the friendship decay so it stays dormant in doll form, or dispose of the doll while it is still a doll; once it has been made real with the Metamorphium potion, normal removal stops working. The doll comes with the Generations expansion. Here is every option, in both directions.
Where the Doll Comes From
When a baby is born (or sometimes as a toddler), the household may receive an Imaginary Friend doll in the mail; the gift is not guaranteed, which is why some families never see one. If the child plays with, talks to, and names the doll, it becomes a living Imaginary Friend when the toddler ages up to child, visible only to that child.
Getting Rid of It
- Tell it to “Go Away.” The friend returns to doll form until summoned again; repeated dismissal keeps it dormant.
- Ignore it. The friendship decays with neglect, and a neglected friend stays a lifeless doll.
- Dispose of the doll while it is in doll form. Sell it or delete it from inventory before or between manifestations. Community wisdom holds that selling the doll ends it, though results can be inconsistent.
- The cheat route: enable
testingCheatsEnabled true, shift-click the doll, and choose Delete It. Blunt but final.
The one true point of no return: an Imaginary Friend that has been turned REAL is a full household Sim, and the game offers no takebacks beyond normal Sim management.
The Opposite: How to Turn It Real
If your household loves the weirdo, make it permanent:
- Level Logic and use the chemistry lab station until your child or teen can brew the Imaginary Friend Metamorphium potion (it unlocks at high Logic skill).
- Or take the Science Lab route: with the child best friends with the Imaginary Friend, an opportunity chain has you deliver a Rainbow Gem to the science facility and buy the potion for 4,500 Simoleons.
- Have the Imaginary Friend drink it. It becomes a real, playable Sim, visible to everyone, and joins the household.
Tips Most Players Miss
- Keep the doll out of inventory on birthdays. Aging up with the doll stashed can glitch the manifestation; leave it placed in the world.
- Metamorphium randomizes the look. The real Sim’s appearance can surprise you; a trip to the mirror (or the reset Sim trick if it glitches) fixes most issues.
- Only the bonded child sees it until it is real, so other household members socializing with “no one” is normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can adults get an imaginary friend? No, the doll arrives for babies and toddlers; grown Sims keep theirs only if turned real.
Does every baby get a doll? No, the mail delivery is chance-based, one of Generations’ random gifts.
Is the imaginary friend evil? Just uncanny. It mimics the child and dances at the edge of vision, but causes no harm beyond aesthetic dread.
Can it be turned real after the child grows up? The potion path stays available as long as the friend exists and the relationship holds; see also changing a lifetime wish if your Sim’s goals shift around family plans.