Mei-Ling (ミーリング Mīringu, Chinese: 鈴鈴), referred in Vampire Savior and its iterations in Japan as Lin-Lin (リンリン Chinese: 琳琳), is Hsien-Ko's older twin sister. She first appeared in Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge along with Hsien-Ko. Mei-Ling mostly appears as the talisman in Hsien-Ko's hat, although her human form is also shown in the game after battles and during Hsien-Ko's ending. Like Hsien-Ko, she returns in Vampire Savior. She is voiced by Michiko Neya in the Darkstalkers games.
Background
Mei-Ling and Hsien-Ko were originally born in 1730s China. The twins were born into a line of powerful mystics. When their village was attacked by undead spirits, her mother sacrificed her life to protect them and their village before teaching them the reincarnation spell. However, having being killed by a dark being, her mother's soul became trapped in darkness, unable to pass on, so the sisters decided to use a forbidden spell to turn them into supernatural creatures, Hsien-Ko transformed into a Jiangshi and Mei-Ling into a talisman that prevents Hsien-Ko from going berserk. The twins' transformation allows them to become a Darkstalker Hunter as a combined single unit of mind (Mei-Ling) and body (Hsien-Ko). Hsien-Ko's powers cannot be fully controlled, unless Mei-Ling does so herself as the talisman.
Mei-Ling and her sister eventually succeeded in freeing their mother's soul, but at the cost of forfeiting their own lives into nonexistence as the last portion of their spiritual energy was being drained away. Their mother, finally free from the darkness, spares them from oblivion by using her powers to allow them to reincarnate into newborn twins in a new life as normal girls.
In their new lives, when Mei-Ling and her sister reached the age of 16 (the same age they had in their previous lives before they became Darkstalkers), they discover a special connection that they have after experiencing the same dream on the night of their birthday. Due to this, they gained Jedah's attention and, the next day, they both fell into a coma and their souls were transported into Majigen, where they reawake the powers that they had in their previous lives. With no memories of their past lives, they fight to survive with their new powers. Eventually, they're able to return to their normal lives with the help of the spirit of their original mother.
Personality
Like Hsien-Ko, in Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge, Mei-Ling is a serious person and a prepared mystic driven to rescue her mother's soul. In further appearances, since she is reincarnated in another life, Mei-Ling is a normal teenage girl who is merely in outlandish situations with no knowledge or wisdom from her previous life. (However both Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling are way older and are fully fledged adults in their Darkstalker forms).
Design
In the beginning, Mei-Ling was planned to be a fighter together with Hsien-Ko as a single character in a similar fashion as Morrigan's "Astral Vision", but this proved too difficult to implement at the time. So, instead, she became a talisman in Hsien-Ko's hat in order to control her powers.
Appearances in other video games
- Street Fighter Alpha 2 - In Ken's stage.
- Marvel Super Heroes - Cameo appearance in human form as one of Anita's powers.
- Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo - In talisman form, both alongside Hsien-Ko and as a solo, hidden character.
- Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix - In talisman form alongside Hsien-Ko
- SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash, SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters 2 and SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS - Card.
- Capcom vs. SNK 2 - As a talisman in Hsien-Ko's hat, Shanghai Stage.
- Line Drop Spirit Catcher - Mention.
- Zombie Cafe - Guest appearance.
- Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds - In Hsien-Ko's ending.
- Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 - In Hsien-Ko's ending and as a special DLC costume pack.
Appearances in manga
- Vampire Savior: Tamashii no Mayoigo
- Vampire Hunter: Yamiyo no Haikaisha
- Vampire Comic
- Vampire Hunter: Comic Anthology
- Vampire Hunter: Amusement Anthology Series
- Vampire Hunter: Darkstalkers' Revenge (Sony Magazines manga)
- Vampire Hunter: Darkstalkers' Revenge - Anthology Comic
- Vampire Savior: Comic Anthology
- Vampire Hunter: 4-koma Gag Battle
- Vampire Hunter: 4-koma Ketteiban
- Vampire Hunter: 4-koma Manga Okoku
- Vampire Savior: 4-koma Ketteiban
- Vampire Savior: 4-koma Gag Battle
- Ikuzo! Vampire Savior: 4-koma Comic
In other media
- Mei Ling appears in Darkstalker animated series, but unlike her video game background counterpart, she and her parents were killed by Demitri, leaving Hsien Ko the only survivor.
- Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge OVA, played by Maya Okamoto in the original version and Jane Perry in the English dub.
- Udon Entertainment's Darkstalkers comics
- Udon Entertainment's Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors comics
- Udon Entertainment's Street Fighter VS. Darkstalkers comics
Gallery
.png "Mei-Ling (OVA).png (116 KB)")
_2.png "Mei-Ling (OVA) 2.png (321 KB)")
_(OVA).PNG "Mei-Ling (Human Form) (OVA).PNG (77 KB)")
Sprites
Videos
External links
| Darkstalkers cast |
| Main cast |
| Anita • Anakaris • Baby Bonnie Hood • Bishamon • Dee • Demitri Maximoff • Donovan Baine • Felicia • Hsien-Ko • Huitzil Jedah Dohma • Jon Talbain • Lilith • Lord Raptor • Morrigan Aensland • Pyron • Q-Bee • Rikuo • Sasquatch Victor von Gerdenheim |
| Secondary cast |
| Belial Aensland • Dark Talbain • Le Malta • Marionette • Mei-Ling • Oboro Bishamon • Ozom • Shadow |
| Other cast |
| Anita's parents • Baraba |
| Cartoon characters |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger • Atlantian Ambassador • Computer • Director • Dracula • Dragon • Elijah Grimoire & Merlin • Hairball • Harry Grimoire • Hendrick Farr • Irving I. Irving • Klaus Schmendrick • Lex • Lily Lemay • Marshall • Morgan le Fay • Mrs. Grimoire • Terramon • Warriors of Ancient Scotland • Yonobi • Zunayoshi |
| Anime OVA characters |
| Manga/Manhua/Comic characters |
| Deeres • Heinrich Bauer • Jack • John Stately • Majorette/Thomas |