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Pauline

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Revision as of 22:36, July 16, 2021 by Yug Guy (talk | contribs) (Added Names in other languages section taken from Smash Ultimate's Spirit List.)
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Pauline
Pauline Super Mario Odyssey.png
MarioSymbol.svg
Artwork of Pauline from Super Mario Odyssey.
Universe Mario
Debut Donkey Kong (1981)
Smash Bros. appearances Brawl
SSB4
Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance Mario Golf: Super Rush (2021)
Console/platform of origin Arcade
Species Human
Gender Female
Voice actor Kate Higgins
Article on Super Mario Wiki Pauline

Pauline (ポリーン, Pauline) is the damsel-in-distress in the arcade game Donkey Kong, as well as the mayor of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey.

Origin

Pauline as she appears in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, the basis for her trophy in Smash 4.

Pauline was Mario's original damsel-in-distress and love interest, appearing under the name "Lady" in the Donkey Kong on arcade machines and its subsequent versions. In her original appearance, she is a blonde with a pink dress. Lady's hat, purse, and parasol (as well as sometimes a birthday cake), which she ostensibly dropped after being captured by Donkey Kong, appear as collectibles for extra points. As Mario pursues him, Donkey Kong drags Lady farther and farther up the building until he is finally defeated and she is set free and reunited with Mario. Lady appears in all versions of the game; however, she is replaced with Princess Peach, who has similar blonde hair and a pink dress, in Super Mario Bros. and subsequent Mario games.

In the Donkey Kong remake for Game Boy, Pauline returns under her new name and a new appearance, differentiating her from her successor with brown hair and a 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, 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, becoming furious when they sell out before he can get one and kidnapping Pauline once more, though he 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 mainstream Mario 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 was also added as a playable character to Mario Tennis Aces in a free update, made her Mario Kart series debut in Mario Kart Tour, and appears in 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.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Pauline appears as a sticker in Brawl. In addition, Pauline's lost items appear on 75m.

Sticker

Name Game Effect Character(s)
Pauline & Donkey Kong Donkey Kong AttackArm+018TypeIcon(Hand).png Attack +18 DK DiddyDonkeyKongHeadSSBB.pngDiddyKongHeadSSBB.png
Brawl Sticker Pauline & Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong).png
Pauline & Donkey Kong
(Donkey Kong)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Trophy

Pauline appears as a trophy in both versions of the game.

Trophy in for 3DS
Trophy in for Wii U
Pauline
Ntsc Waaay back in 1981, a new action game using barrels and girders hit arcades. That game was Donkey Kong, in which Mario had to rescue Pauline from the title character. Maybe she wanted to look less like Princess Peach—she changed her look in the Game Boy version.
Pal One fine day in 1981, the world was introduced to a new action-packed arcade game - Donkey Kong! But back then, the girl Mario was trying to rescue from Donkey Kong wasn't Peach - it was Pauline. Also, did you know that in Japan, Pauline was originally just called "Lady"?
NES: Donkey Kong Classics (09/1988)
Nintendo DS: Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (09/2006)

Additionally, she is mentioned in passing in the description for the Event Match 1988.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

As a background character

The New Donk City band and Pauline.

Pauline and the members of the band cameos on the New Donk City Hall stage, appear on floating platforms, and on the ground in front of City Hall. Interacting with the band members causes them to begin performing "Jump Up, Super Star!".

Spirits

Two different spirits also exist in her image, one featuring her artwork from Super Mario Odyssey (which has become somewhat infamous among the community for its Spirit Battle's extreme difficulty) and the other featuring her artwork in the clutches of Donkey Kong from the original Donkey Kong and referring to her by her original name, "Lady".

Primary spirit

No. Image Name Type Class Slots Base Power Max Power Base Attack Max Attack Base Defense Max Defense Ability Series
137
SSBU spirit Donkey Kong & Lady.png
Donkey Kong & Lady
Grab
★★★★ 3 4047 10119 2386 5967 1432 3580 Strong Throw Donkey Kong Series

Support spirit

No. Image Name Class Cost Ability Series
79
SSBU spirit Pauline.png
Pauline ★★★★ 2 Healing Shield Super Mario Series

Names in other languages

Language Name
Japan Japanese ポリーン, Pauline
UK English Pauline
France French Pauline
Germany German Pauline
Spain Spanish Pauline
Italy Italian Pauline
China Chinese (Simplified) 宝琳, Pauline
Taiwan Chinese (Traditional) 波琳, Pauline
South Korea Korean 폴린, Pauline
Netherlands Dutch Pauline
Russia Russian Полина