Pauline (ポリーン, Pauline) is a recurring character in the Mario and Donkey Kong series appearing as Mario's first love interest.
Origin[]
Pauline made her debut as "Lady" in Donkey Kong as the first damsel-in-distress and love interest to Mario, then referred to as "Jumpman". In her original appearance, she is blonde with a pink dress.
The Lady is kidnapped by Donkey Kong and is dragged up a construction site, dropping her belongings along the way, including her hat, purse, and parasol (as well as a birthday cake sometimes). Jumpman pursues Donkey Kong higher up the construction site, dodging obstacles and collecting the Lady's belongings as collectible extra points along the way. As Jumpman continues to pursue him, Donkey Kong drags the Lady farther and farther up the building until he is defeated when Jumpman causes the girders supporting him to collapse, sending him plummeting to the ground.
In the 'Donkey Kong remake for Game Boy, the Lady returns under her new name, "Pauline" and her new appearance, featuring long brown hair and a long red dress. Her role in the game is largely the same, though Donkey Kong is now joined by his son, Donkey Kong Jr..
After over a decade of making cameos or appearing in minor ports of the original Donkey Kong game, Pauline made her return to the series in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, where she joins Mario at the grand opening of his new theme park. As usual, Donkey Kong becomes infatuated with her, but she rejects him in favor of Mario, sending him into a rage and leading him to kidnap her; however, this time, Mario utilizes his toy Mini Marios to rescue her. After she is saved, she and Mario make peace with Donkey Kong. In the following game, Pauline is kidnapped once more, but this time when Mario and the Mini Marios save her, it turns out that her kidnapping was a ruse she orchestrated to test the toys' skills.
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, a Mini Pauline is added to the roster of toys, which Donkey Kong immediately becomes enthralled by. However, he becomes furious when they sell out before he can get one and resorts to kidnapping Pauline once more. Ultimately, DK lets her go once Mario gifts him with his own Mini Pauline. Pauline is not kidnapped in Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move, instead running different arcade games alongside Donkey Kong peacefully. In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, her apparent kidnapping again turns out to be a ruse, this time to lure Mario to a surprise party. The Mini Pauline also returns in the latter two games.
Pauline made her mainline Mario series debut on the Nintendo Switch in Super Mario Odyssey, where she is the mayor of the Metro Kingdom, the capital of which, New Donk City, is based on the city setting of the original Donkey Kong. When Mario first arrives in New Donk City, it is under attack by Bowser's Mechawiggler, with Pauline watching the destruction from afar, unable to do anything about it. After Mario defeats the Mechawiggler, Pauline is able to swiftly repair the city and plans a festival to celebrate things returning to normal. At New Donk City Hall, she asks Mario to help her gather a band so that she may perform a song at the festival, and Mario complies. However, before the festival can occur, Mario must investigate the power plant malfunctioning, and Pauline joins him upon realizing the sabotage is Bowser's fault. As thanks for helping make the festival possible, Pauline declares Mario the guest of honor. The song she and her band perform, Jump Up, Super Star!, also serves as the game's main theme song.
Later, Pauline is among the guests kidnapped by Bowser to attend his and Peach's wedding, telling Mario he is just in time when he arrives. Pauline can be heard singing a second song, Break Free (Lead the Way), as Mario and Peach escape the collapsing wedding hall at the end of the game. Once Bowser is defeated, Mario can visit Pauline in New Donk City, where she will reveal several facts about herself, including that her hat is her favorite possession, she loves eating cake, and that being kidnapped by Donkey Kong was "traumatic". Mario can also give Pauline a purse as a birthday gift, revealing that she lost her purse and never replaced it when Donkey Kong kidnapped her. Pauline also appears among other characters on the Darker Side of the Moon, performing Jump Up, Super Star! and cheering Mario on as he enters the final challenge.
Following her appearance in Super Mario Odyssey, Pauline's renewed relevance was maintained in a few ways. She was added to Mario Tennis Aces and Mario Strikers Battle League as a playable character via a free update, made her Mario Kart series debut in Mario Kart Tour, and is a part of the starting roster of Mario Golf: Super Rush.
In Super Smash Bros.[]
Donkey Kong's character description describes him as "kidnapping beautiful maidens", referring to Pauline.