Merlee
- Not to be confused with Merle.
| Merlee | |
|---|---|
 Sprite from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | |
| Species | Shaman/Flopsider |
| First appearance | Paper Mario (2000) |
| Latest appearance | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024) |
- “I'm Merlee, you see? That's me! A cuter gal you'll never see. I do magic, but not for free.”
- —Merlee, Paper Mario
Merlee is a character in the Paper Mario series. She is a fortune teller who speaks exclusively in rhyme in every appearance, and, for a price, she performs a spell with her various magical devices that randomly increases Mario's attack or defense, number of Star Points earned, or number of coins dropped when he wins a battle.
History[edit]
Paper Mario[edit]
Merlee is depicted as Merluvlee's twin sister and therefore also a sibling of Merlow (the latter being confirmed when Merlow receives a letter from their father) in Paper Mario. She resides in a hidden alley in Dry Dry Outpost and uses cards to power Mario up. Merlee offers three payment plans, and the length of time for which Merlee's spells last is dependent upon which plan Mario picks (e.g. the most expensive plan lasts the longest). Merlee's spells take effect randomly during or after battles, and the effects they bestow upon Mario are also random. When activated, a spell either increases the amount of coins Mario receives after a battle, doubles his Star Points, or increases his attack/defense power by 3. Each of these effects lasts only as long as a given battle. After a period of time, Merlee's spells wear off, forcing Mario to pay Merlee if he wants their effects again.
After delivering Merlee's letter to Merlon with Parakarry, Merlon says, "Oh, my granddaughter, Merlee! She recently entered the family business...".
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
- “My mystic power can make you smile! In battle, you'll win with style! Even if nasty foes arrive, you'll be fine since my fortune will thrive!”
- —Merlee, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, she can be found in Rogueport Underground. Merlee performs the same service in this game as she did in Paper Mario (and is even given the same depiction as Merluvlee's twin, according to Goombella), except she uses a magical box instead of magical cards to enhance Mario's luck.
During the events of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Merlee submits a trouble to the Trouble Center in Rogueport, where she requests to be reminded of the ingredients for a Heartful Cake. Toce T. in Petalburg informs Mario that the recipe for the cake requires Ruin Powder mixed with Cake Mix. Toce T. questions who Merlee might be making a cake for this time. After Mario tells Merlee the recipe, she asks Mario to bring her Cake Mix (as she cannot leave her shop to get any). Once Mario does so, he is rewarded with 30 coins. She does not accept a finished Heartful Cake.
Super Paper Mario[edit]
Merlee returns in Super Paper Mario. In this game, she lives in a mansion at Gloam Valley. She later moves to Flopside in a building adjacent to Merluvlee's house in Flipside to help Mario and his party, where her theme song, "The Road for the Lost" (which is also Merluvlee's theme), can be heard. In this game, Merlee appears rather angular and strange unlike in previous installments, taking on the appearance of other female members of Merlon's clan. According to the InterNed her theme heard when Mario and Peach talk to her in her mansion via magical projection is titled "Look out for me".
Merlee's Mansion is a major level in Chapter 2. Mimi also makes an appearance here, initially posing as Merlee's maid in her standard form, then eventually Merlee herself – in three separate occasions, in fact. The first is when she attempts to trick Mario into thinking he finally found Merlee, but an apparition of the real Merlee appears, exposing her as a fake. She impersonates Merlee again once the real Merlee is found hiding in a washroom stall, causing a confusion that is only settled with the "That's My Merlee!" show hosted by The InterNed (although the real Merlee had a fly buzzing around her head due to hiding in the toilet, providing an easier way to tell her apart from Mimi). During the subsequent battle with Mimi, Merlee cheers from outside the bathroom, healing Mario and his party. After Mimi is defeated, Merlee gives Mario and his party the third Pure Heart. Much later in the game, Mimi disguises herself as Merlee once more in Castle Bleck, asking Mario and friends what monsters they fear the most.
The following facts about Merlee were revealed during the "That's My Merlee!" show:
- Merlee was born on March 25.
- Her favorite smell is fresh air.
- Her favorite food is strawberries.
- She washes her bangs first in the shower.
- Her nickname is the "Bashful Ghost".
- She has no preferred type of guy.
- Her favorite animal is a bear cub.
- Her hobbies include looking through catalogs for crystal balls.
- She wants the newest kind of crystal ball.
- Her best feature is the lobes of her ears.
In this game, Merlee is Merluvlee's rival, and has been ever since they were classmates. After Chapter 3, Merlee works as a fortune teller in Flopside. She begins a trading sequence by requesting that Mario bring her a Crystal Ball from Merluvlee. Merlee also apparently once helped Merluvlee greatly sometime before the events of Super Paper Mario, as Merluvlee tells Mario and friends to tell Merlee "Now we're even" as they give her the Crystal Ball. In the end, Merlee gives Mario and co. a key that unlocks the building holding Piccolo.
Merlee's charms work differently in this game than the previous games. After defeating a certain amount of enemies, a roulette of helpful items appears and Mario is given one item from the roulette. She allows Mario to receive any level of charm for free one time if Mario and friends brought her the Crystal Ball from Merluvlee.
Charm details[edit]
The package bought determines how many times the roulette appears. Each spin happens after a random number of enemies has been defeated (between 20-70, in which the counter resets to zero).
- Trial Package (50 Coins): The roulette appears five times.
- Advised Package (100 Coins): The roulette appears 10 times.
- Special Package (200 Coins): The roulette appears 15 times.
- The 8 items that can be received from the roulette are:
Super Mario-kun[edit]
Merlee makes an appearance in volume 37 of the Super Mario-kun, where she is captured by Mimi. Mimi then disguises as Merlee and leads Mario into the trap. When Mario defeats Mimi and rescues Merlee, Merlee gives Mario a Pure Heart.
Profiles[edit]
Paper Mario[edit]
- Tattle: "She's a wizard, Merlee. She casts spells. If you let her cast a spell on you, it may affect you in battle. She's one of the pair of twins. The other one is Merluvlee, from Shooting Star Summit. When I look at a woman as beautiful as this, it makes me feel all strange! ♥"
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
- Tattle: "That's the charmer, Merlee. She's bright and cheery, huh? If you have her charm you, you'll receive various bonuses in battle. They're super-helpful, so next time you have a chance, be sure to have her charm you! Oh, AND I hear she's the twin sister of Merluvlee, the fortune-teller!"
Super Paper Mario[edit]
- Tattle: "That's Merlee, the charmer... Her spells are empowering when you're in a bind... She lives in a large mansion in Gloam Valley, but moved here to help the heroes... She and Flipside's fortune-teller, Merluvlee, were rivals when they were classmates..."
| Catch Card | |
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Gallery[edit]
Merlee as she appears in Paper Mario
Merlee as she appears in Super Paper Mario
Merlee during her trouble
Merlee on the Nintendo Magazine for summer 2024, showing a relationship chart featuring many characters from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | サンデール[?] Sandēru |
From「デアール」(Deāru, "Merlon") and likely "sun" and/or "sand", due to being initially found in a desert | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 莫莉[?] Mòlì |
From the English name | Paper Mario |
| 桑黛儿[?] Sāngdàier |
From the Japanese name | The Thousand-Year Door remake | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 桑黛兒[?] Sāngdàier |
From the Japanese name | |
| Dutch | Merlia[?] | - | |
| French | Merlie[?] | Variation of English name | |
| German | Merlee[?] | - | |
| Italian | Merluna[?] | From "Merlon" and luna ("moon") | |
| Korean | 선데르[?] Sendereu |
From the Japanese name | |
| Spanish | Merlí[?] | Variation of English name |
| Shamans | |
|---|---|
| Bestovius • Chet Rippo • Merle • Merlee • Merlight • Merlimbis • Merloo • Merlon • Merlow • Merlumina • Merlumina's sister • Merluvlee • Nolrem • Old Man Watchitt | |
