Pauline

Pauline is a character from Nintendo's Super Mario series, debuting as Mario's girlfriend in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong. Initially known as "Lady," she was the damsel-in-distress kidnapped by Donkey Kong. Her name was later changed to Pauline, named after the wife of Nintendo of America's warehouse manager, Don James. In her early appearances, Pauline was depicted with blonde hair and a pink dress, but later she was redesigned with dark brown hair and a red dress. Although she was replaced by Princess Peach as Mario's love interest, Pauline later reappeared as Mario’s friend in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. In 2017, Pauline made a significant comeback as the mayor of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey, demonstrating her abilities as a singer and a leader. She has since become a playable character in various Mario spin-offs, such as Mario Tennis Aces and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.