Marin

Marin is a character in Link's Awakening. She is a young girl living in Mabe Village with her father Tarin on Koholint Island. She saved Link's life when she discovered him on the Toronbo Shores after he was shipwrecked. The manual describes her bearing an uncanny resemblance to Princess Zelda. As such, Link confuses Marin with Zelda when he first wakes up at her house.

Marin is a kind-hearted, musically-talented girl who dreams of singing for people far away from the ocean and yearns for a life off the island. For most of the game, she can be found singing the "Ballad of the Wind Fish" near the statue of the Flying Rooster. Interestingly, even though the official artwork and her Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy depicts her with a harp, she is never seen with one in Link's Awakening. The character Malon, who appears in later games, is based on Marin.

Biography
After Link retrieves his sword on the beach shore, Marin will leave her house and stand next to the Flying Rooster statue singing the "Ballad of the Wind Fish." Later on in the game, the path to the Yarna Desert is blocked off by a sleeping Walrus, and Link learns from the animals in the Animal Village that the lazy animal is fond of Marin's singing. Link goes to Marin's house but finds a note left by Marin saying that she is at the beach. When Link finds her at the Toronbo Shores, the two of them sit down on a log and Marin confesses that her heart skipped a beat when she found the young hero on the shore, believing that he had come to give the islanders a message. She goes on to say that if she were a seagull, she would fly away from the island and sing for many people, wondering if her dream will come true if she wishes to the Wind Fish. Shortly after, Marin declares that she wants to know everything about Link, but immediately laughs it off and agrees to go with Link to go see the Walrus.

Along the way, Marin and Link go through a series of amusing misadventures, such as Marin falling on top of Link when they both go down a well and Marin picking up the trendy store owner with a grabbing claw. When Link hits a Cucco, she also tells him off, and calls him a 'bad boy' when he throws and breaks a jar. If Link hits a Cucco too many times, Marin will change her attitude for a moment as if she's enjoying the moment. Once Marin wakes up the Walrus with her singing, she will go to the Animal Village and stay there to sing for the animals.

Near the end of the game, some monsters kidnap Marin while she is singing to the Wind Fish egg and place her on a rotting segment of the bridge crossing between the Tal Tal Mountains. Calling for help, she admits to Link that she's afraid of heights. Link rescues her using the Hookshot and, for a brief moment, she begins to admit something to him, but as she is about to confess, her father Tarin calls and breaks the moment.

After obtaining the Ocarina, Link can speak to Marin to learn the "Ballad of the Wind Fish." If Link speaks to her again, she will thank the young hero for all his help and tell him he is the "kindest boy" she knows, revealing that she already made her wish to the Wind Fish but refuses to tell him what it was. Marin also asks that Link always remember her and the "Ballad of the Wind Fish" when the time comes for him to leave the island, for if he were to forget, she would never forgive him.

When the Wind Fish wakes up, the dream ends and everyone, including Marin, disappears. If Link managed to complete his quest without dying, Marin can be seen when the end credits are over. In the original game, a winged Marin could be seen flying across the screen. In the DX version, Marin's image appears in the sky and then slowly fades, revealing a seagull. Though it is unknown what this means, most people tend to interpret this as Marin getting her wish fulfilled and being turned into a seagull by the Wind Fish.

Possible Romance
Throughout Link's Awakening, numerous hints are given that there is a sort of estranged romance between Link and Marin. Several examples:
 * When Link takes Marin with him to wake up the walrus, the text hints that Link is hoping for something to happen between them.
 * While walking together, Link and Marin share a moment together while standing on a small cliff overlooking the sea.
 * Marin confesses to Link that she wishes to know everything about him.
 * Near the end of the game, some monsters kidnap Marin while she was singing to the Wind Fish egg and placed her on a rotting segment of the bridge crossing between the Tal Tal Mountains. Calling for help, she admits to Link that she's afraid of heights. Link rescues her using the Hookshot and, for a brief moment, she begins to admit something to him, but as she is about to confess her father, Tarin, calls and breaks the moment.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Marin makes a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee as one of the many collectible trophies. In order to obtain it, the player has to unlock all secret fighters (eleven in total) and all secret stages (eleven in total). Along with her trophy, the Sound Test menu is unlocked. Interestingly, her hair is blonde in the trophy instead of being red as depicted in official artwork.

Trivia

 * In an Ocarina of Time developer's interview posted on Shigesato Itoi's website, 1101.com, script writer Toru Osawa says that Talon and Malon in Ocarina of Time are based on Tarin and Marin from Link's Awakening and it is intended that players who have played the previous game recognize the reference.
 * In the character design notes for Aryll in the Zelda Box book, Eiji Aonuma says that Aryll (アリル, Ariru) was originally going to be named Mariru (マリル) to be similar to Marin (マリン) from Link's Awakening and Malon (マロン, Maron) from Ocarina of Time. This would appear to explain certain similarities between Marin and Aryll, such as their affinity for seagulls. Likewise, the red hibiscus print pattern on Aryll's dress is similar to the red hibiscus in Marin's hair.
 * Marin's name resembles the word 'marine', which has to do with the sea. Also, the prefix 'mar-' means sea.
 * In the Oracle series, Princess Zelda has a similar looking sprite to Marin's sprite.