Marian Kelly
A frequently kidnapped character who later becomes a playable fighter.
Marian Kelly is a character in the Double Dragon and Kunio-kun series, first appearing as a damsel in distress in the 1987 Double Dragon. She has been kidnapped multiple times across the series, and in River City Girls 2 she is introduced as a powerful fighter with long white hair, having trained due to frustration over being repeatedly victimized. Her role and design in River City Girls were well received, with multiple critics identifying it as an upgrade compared to her standard design.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Double Dragon
- First
- Double Dragon (1987)
Facts from the source article.
Appearances
Marian Kelly enters the Double Dragon series as a kidnapped woman in the first game, taken by a gang and needing rescue by her boyfriend Billy and his brother Jimmy. After the brothers defeat the gang leader, they fight each other to decide who gets to date her, and one wins both the brawl and her affection. In Double Dragon II, the same gang assassinates Marian, prompting Billy and Jimmy to seek revenge; once they succeed, she is brought back to life. The NES version of Double Dragon III renames her Marion and makes her the final boss in the English release, possessed and calling herself Empress Noiram (Marion spelled backward), while the Japanese version omits her and uses Cleopatra as the final boss. Super Double Dragon reboots the first game, recasting her as a police officer who disappears while working undercover. The 3D reboot Double Dragon II: Wander of the Dragons lets players briefly control her at the start before she is killed, setting up the brothers’ revenge quest, and a separate mode allows players to pick Marian to fight enemy waves. In Double Dragon Neon, she is kidnapped again by the villain Skullmageddon, who temporarily turns her into Evil Marian for a boss battle; after being freed, she responds by punching him in the groin. In the Kunio-kun series, starting with River City Girls, Marian helps the main characters by selling them items. She becomes a playable character in River City Girls 2, using a grappler fighting style. Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons includes her as a playable fighter who wields a gun, and a free update later makes her Evil Marian form playable. Another title, Double Dragon Revive, also features her as a playable character. A Marvel Comics Double Dragon series portrays Marian as a cop who is captured while undercover, and the brothers again argue over her. In the Double Dragon film, Alyssa Milano plays her as the head of a vigilante group called the Power Corps, and in the animated series, Cathy Weseluck provides her voice.
Concept and creation
Marian Kelly first appeared in the video game Double Dragon as a damsel in distress, a role she repeated across several games. Her character was later redesigned for River City Girls, where she gained a more muscular build and white hair, and took on a different role. In some versions, she works as a police officer or detective. When WayForward decided to include her in River City Girls, they asked Arc System Works, the character’s rightsholder, for permission, and the company was enthusiastic. Her identity was not revealed in the game itself, but WayForward confirmed on Twitter that this was Marian, explaining she was “tired of being a damsel in distress.” Artist Rem added that her muscular physique came from being kidnapped and assaulted so often. After her popularity in the first game, she became a playable character in River City Girls 2. Her fighting style blends boxing and wrestling, but the design avoided making her simply a “slow but powerful wrestler” archetype. She is the only character in the cast who can perform a command grab. For Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, game designer Raymond Teo called her an “easy pick” because of her recognizability. He also noted that her background as a cop and her training made the decision easier and led to an interesting gun-based play style. Over the years, Marian has been voiced by several actresses in different languages, including Amanda Gish, Yuka Yokama, Christijana York, and Hiroko Emori. In River City Girls 2, she is voiced in Japanese by Marina Inoue and in English by Erika Harlacher.
Reception
Marian is frequently cited as one of the most iconic victims in gaming, with critic Virgile noting that she has rarely been treated as a fully realized character. She is also regarded as an early example of the damsel in distress trope, and serves as the romantic interest for both Billy and Jimmy Lee, with their rivalry over her leading to a fight. Games critic Anita Sarkeesian pointed to her kidnapping in the original game as an iconic moment, observing that multiple versions of this scene across the series show her panties. Writer Bonnie Harris-Lowe discussed how video games often feature damsels in distress who eventually turn the tables on their captors, using Marian in Double Dragon Neon as an example; however, she noted that this reversal happens after the credits and does not erase her role as a damsel throughout the game. Eugene F. Provenzo analyzed Marian’s role and the cover art of Double Dragon II, describing her torn mini-dress that reveals her curvaceous thighs and buttocks, and a ripped tank top with her breasts and midriff pressed against Billy’s chest. He argued that NES box art and game stories frequently portrayed women as victims, and that violence against women was often used to motivate male protagonists, citing Marian in Double Dragon II. He believed the roles of Marian and the Lee brothers reinforced specific archetypes for men and women. Marian’s redesign in River City Girls was well received, attracting attention on Twitter from people who found her appealing. Polygon writer Ian Walker noted that while her original design was hard to recognize, her new athletic outfit, white hair, and physique made her more distinctive. He added that, although women should not need to become stronger to avoid violence in real life, he appreciated that River City Girls gave her more personality, making her stand out compared to her earlier look. Anime News Network writer Jean-Karlo Lemus was disappointed that Marian’s appearance in Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons did not use the River City Girls design, but still liked how it worked with her original look. Nintendo Life writer Scott McCrae considered Marian the highlight of the River City Girls 2 cast, praising her boxing-based moveset.
More in Fictional Martial Arts Trainers
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced