Pauline

Pauline (originally known as Lady or The Lady) was Mario's original love interest. She is the damsel-in-distress in the arcade game Donkey Kong, in which she was captured by the original Donkey Kong. She is one of the few damsels in the Mario series who is not a princess, but simply a civilian. After a large gap of absence, Pauline now makes regular appearances in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. There, she fulfills the same role as in prior games, although she can play other background roles.

Pauline is stated by Game Over, a 1993 non-fiction book by David Sheff, to be named after Polly James, wife of Nintendo of America's warehouse manager, Don James. Her namesake, however, may be the damsel-in-distress featured in the eponymous movie serial The Perils of Pauline.[1]