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Marian Kelly is a character in the Double Dragon and Kunio-kun series. She initially appeared as a damsel in distress in the 1987 Double Dragon, kidnapped by gang members, and must be rescued by protagonists Billy and Jimmy. She has been kidnapped multiple times through the series as well as murdered. In River City Girls 2, she is introduced as a powerful fighter with long white hair, having trained due to being frustrated by being kidnapped and assaulted so often. She was included in River City Girls at the request of developer WayForward Technologies, who got permission to use her. She also appears in the Double Dragon film, portrayed by Alyssa Milano.
Marian has been identified as an iconic character due to how often she becomes a victim in Double Dragon. The way she is kidnapped was discussed, with critics stating that her victimization is framed through a sexual lens, including by Anita Sarkeesian. Her role and design in River City Girls was more well received, with multiple critics identifying it as an upgrade compared to her standard design.
In the Kunio-kun series, starting with River City Girls, Marian appears as a character, assisting the protagonists by selling them items. She would later appear in River City Girls 2 as a playable character, utilizing a grappler fighting style. She was also featured in the video game as one of its playable characters, utilizing a gun in combat. Another game, Double Dragon Revive, is slated to feature her as a playable character.
A Marvel Comics Double Dragon comic book series features Marian as an cop who got captured while undercover, who the protagonists Billy and Jimmy fight over. She also appears in the Double Dragon film, portrayed by Alyssa Milano, as the leader of a vigilante group called Power Corps, as well as the Double Dragon animated series, where she is voiced by Cathy Weseluck.
When selecting playable characters in to include, game designer Raymond Teo identified her as an "easy pick" due to her recognizability. He also felt that her being a cop and training to fight helped the decision, and made for an interesting gun-based play style.
Marian has been voiced by multiple actresses across different languages over the years, 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.
Writer Eugene F. Provenzo discussed Marian's role in the game as well as the cover art of Double Dragon II. He stated that she wore a "torn mini-dress" that shows off her "curvaceous" thighs and buttocks, and her tank top ripped, with her breasts and midriff pressed against Billy's chest. He discussed how NES box art and game stories tended to portray women as victims. He also discussed how the use of violence against women is often used as a motivating tool for the protagonist in NES games, citing Marian in Double Dragon II as an example. He felt that the respective role of Marian and the Lee brothers represented certain archetypes that men and women are meant to fall under.
Marian's redesign in River City Girls was met with positive reception, receiving attention on Twitter by people who were attracted to her. Polygon writer Ian Walker felt that where her original design was difficult to recognize, her new design was more recognizable due to her athletic outfit, white hair, and her physique. Walker noted that, while women in real life should not need to become stronger in order to avoid violence, he appreciated that River City Girls gave her more of a character, stating that her new design made her stand out compared to her old design. Anime News Network writer Jean-Karlo Lemus was disappointed that Marian's appearance in Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons was not the one from River City Girls, but still appreciated that it played well with her original design. Nintendo Life writer Scott McCrae felt that Marian was the highlight of the cast of River City Girls 2, enjoying her boxing-based moveset.
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