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This article is about Hanna Marin, a TV show character. You may be looking for Hanna Marin (Book Character).

Is it actually possible that we're all happy at the same time?
— Hanna to The Liars

Hanna Olivia Marin is one of the Liars and main protagonists in the Pretty Little Liars television series on Freeform. She is portrayed by Ashley Benson.

Hanna was a shy teenager who was taken under the wing of Alison DiLaurentis, a popular posse leader at Rosewood High School, molded to fit a spot in the group. She was overweight, with the nickname "Hefty Hanna", and struggled with self image. However, after Alison disappeared, Hanna lost her weight, became best friends with Ali's former vicitm Mona Vanderwaal, and returned to Rosewood as a Queen Bee; just like Alison was.

Biography

Hanna Marin is the only child of Tom and Ashley Marin. Hanna's father had an affair with Isabel Randall and left to be with her when Hanna was a child. Ashley was embarrassed which led Hanna to tell a different story than the truth. She said that her Mom and Dad grew apart, split up and it was a good thing because her mother is much happier now.

Later, Hanna befriended Alison DiLaurentis, Spencer Hastings, Emily Fields, and Aria Montgomery. They were a close-knit group, but they were easily manipulated by Alison, the self-appointed leader. Hanna was overweight and was constantly made fun of by Alison, who donned her: "Hefty Hanna". She developed an eating disorder which was fueled by Alison. She had a brief fling with Aria's younger brother, Mike, which Alison convinced Hanna would ruin her friendship with Aria. Hanna often lived Alison's shadow who stole the guys Hanna liked and told her she would eventually find someone good for her.

In tenth grade, after Alison went missing, Hanna drifted apart from the other girls of her. Shortly after, became best friends with Mona Vanderwaal and they made a pact to become popular over the summer. Hanna lost the weight and returned to Rosewood High as the newly minted queen bee. Hanna began receiving threatening texts from "A". The messages lead her to rekindle her relationship with Spencer, Aria, and Emily, who were also being targeted by "A". She later wins Homecoming Queen but is constantly reminded by "A" of her dorky days as "Hefty Hanna".

Personality

Hanna is a kind-hearted, compassionate, and strong-willed woman. As a teenager, Hanna was insecure about her weight. These insecurities were heightened by her best friend, Alison DiLaurentis. Alison gave Hanna the nickname, "Hefty Hanna", which prompted Hanna's eating disorder. Her insecurities lead her to accept unhealthy behaviors and relationships from others because she thought she deserved them. Hanna also lacked confidence, a voice for what was right, and self-worth.

After Alison's disappearance, Hanna befriended with Mona Vanderwaal and became skinny and popular at Rosewood High School. With her new-found popularity also came a new attitude and self-confidence. She has remarkable instincts and used them to figure out who "A" is. Hanna is protective of her friends and shows her fierce side when defending them. She often buried her pain by making snide remarks and having a nonchalant attitude. Hanna's relationship with Caleb Rivers forced her to open up and let someone in for the first time since her father's abandonment and Alison's manipulation.

After being tortured by "A", Hanna suffered from PTSD and emotional displacement. She had trouble connecting with her friends and those she cared for, often pushing them away in an attempt to cope with her identity crisis. With professional help and the patience of her loved ones, Hanna began to heal. As an adult, she made a career in fashion and shed several insecurities and her self-doubt. She later suffered a slew of traumatic experiences, including being tortured by a masked assailant and taking a life for the first time.

Despite her traumas and depression, Hanna always remained true to herself. She became a survivor and found her way back to her true love and eventual husband and realized her desire to have children. She is now considered the most confident in her friend group and is protective of her loved ones. Hanna is guided by her heart and instincts, and despite her maturity, still has a rebellious streak.

Physical Appearance

Hanna is a very attractive woman with golden blonde hair, a heart-shaped face complimented with piercing blue eyes, full lips and a dimpled smile. She has a curvaceous frame with slim, shapely legs. Her skin is light with a milk and rose complexion which sums up her innocent and playful personality. In high school, she styled her hair in a wavy yet relaxed fashion. She wore heavy, brightly toned makeup and was always dressed in high-fashion. She wore several accessories and had a variety of heels.

As an adolescent, before Season 1, Hanna was overweight and wore baggy clothing. In Season 3, before the start of senior year, she cuts her hair to bob-length. She also wears fewer accessories and begins to wear flats. In Season 5, Hanna cuts her hair short and adds black highlights. She begins wearing edgier clothing such as ankle boots, ripped jeans, dark off-the-shoulder tops, and darker makeup.

Series

Pretty Little Liars

Ravenswood

The Perfectionists

In Sex, Lies and Alibis, Mona calls Hanna and asks how Caleb and the baby are doing.

Appearances

Pretty Little Liars (160/160)

Season 1 (22/22)

Season 2 (25/25)

Season 3 (24/24)

Season 4 (24/24)

Season 5 (25/25)

Season 6 (20/20)

Season 7 (20/20)

Ravenswood

Season 1 (2/10)

The Perfectionists

Season 1 (1/10)

Original Sin

Season 2

Relationships

Mike Montgomery: Hanna and Mike kissed before "Pilot" when they were both young. Mike, being the younger brother of Aria, was seen as off-limits to Hanna and the other girls. Alison found about the kiss and their flirtations. She called it disgusting and demeaned Hanna over it, to the point where Hanna stopped interacting with Mike altogether.

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Sean Ackard: Broken Up. (see "Seanna") Hanna and Sean had a relationship that began before "Pilot" when Hanna became a popular girl at Rosewood High. They cared about each other but were each other's first serious relationship. Hanna felt insecure in her body and that transferred into her relationship when it came to having sex. She thought she was ready to take the step and was frustrated over his refusal to entertain the subject. He later revealed it was because he was waiting for marriage, something that Hanna understood after some validation. They continued to date, though his jealousy over her friendship with Lucas Gottesman was a major roadblock for them. During the school dance, Sean asked Hanna not to dance with Lucas. 'A' blackmailed her into doing just that, which Sean saw as a betrayal and he ended things with her.

Lucas Gottesman: Unreciprocated crush on Hanna's part. (see "Lanna")

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Caleb Rivers: Married. (see "Haleb") Caleb is Hanna's biggest, longest-lasting, and endgame relationship with Pretty Little Liars. They met in high school during the height of Hanna's blackmail by 'A'. They bantered, bickered, and had instant chemistry. They became friends after she learned he slept at the school and kept his secret. She invited him to secretly stay at the Marin house since he was in a bad home situation. They were on-and-off again in high school largely because of A's involvement in their lives. The torment, trauma, and upheavals never kept them apart for too long, as their love for one another prevailed. They stayed together throughout college, but broke up when Hanna seemingly chose her fashion career over Caleb and their happiness together. Hanna and Caleb reunited a few years later in Rosewood and were roped into playing the game of the new and more murderous A.D. They got close again working together and confessed to still loving each other. They were married in "Choose or Lose" and, two-years later, started the process of having a family together. A year later, they had their first son.

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Wren Kingston: Kissed. (see "Wrenna") Their attraction was brief and complicated as Hanna was still getting over her breakup with Caleb. Hanna learned about Spencer's history with Wren and broke things off with Wren. She told him nothing can ever happen between them because Spencer is her best friend and she is still getting over Caleb.

Hanna and Holbrook

Gabriel Holbrook: Holbrook was assigned to the Rosewood PD to help investigate the recent murders in town and the disappearance of Alison DiLaurentis. He was originally an enemy to The Liars because of the secrets they held. However, Hanna realized he was just doing his job and didn't suspect the girls of anything, so she allowed herself to become his friend. She had a lot of questions about the case and how investigations worked, all of which he happily answered. Hanna than kissed Holbrooke when he stood up for Mr. Hobbs in court. She thanked him for the kindness by kissing him in The Brew, but was embarrassed and left immediately after. Nothing romantic happened between them after the kiss, and he continued to investigate Alison's now-believed kidnapping, Mona's murder, and the girls involvement in New York until his suspension. The last interaction he had with Hanna was when she hit him over the head with a tire iron.

Travis Hobbs: Broken Up (See "Tranna") Hanna and Travis hung out a few times and played pool together in "Close Encounters". Hanna kissed him goodnight. When Hanna apologizes for the kiss, Travis suggests they should give it a little more time, but Hanna has other ideas and pulls Travis in for a make-out session. He asked her on a date in "Cover For Me", but broke up in "Run, Ali, Run" because he believed she wasn't fully invested in their relationship. He liked her too much for that.

Jordan Hobart: Ex-Fiancé. (See "Jordanna") Hanna's fiancé during the time jump and one of her more serious relationships. She broke things off with him in "Bedlam", when after remembering their first encounter, Hanna wanted to take Jordan back to the place where their relationship began but she lost her temper when they discovered the bar was closed. She quickly realised she was trying to patch up a relationship that wasn’t working and she broke off her engagement.

Trivia

  • The name Hanna is used in languages all over the world, but the most well-known meaning is as a German variant of the Classical Hebrew name Channah meaning "favor" or "grace".
  • A lot of Hanna's character traits seem to contradict each other. For example, she is good at keeping secrets, but terrible at lying, she is fierce and outspoken but also extremely gullible and trusting, she is snarky yet very kind-hearted.
  • Lucy HaleSasha Pieterse, and Bianca Lawson originally auditioned in favor of Hanna's role. The role of Hanna was, however, awarded to former Days of our Lives Actress Ashley Benson.
  • Coincidentally, Ashley Benson and Sasha Pieterse both have a slight resemblance to each other. In the books, Hanna and Alison (Courtney) both had different physical appearances to one another while their actresses don't.
  • Hanna was the only one besides Spencer who tried to stand up to Alison when she bullied Lucas.
  • Hanna is a Justin Bieber fan, as seen in "If At First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again".
  • Hanna stores nail polish in her fridge.
  • Hanna is also a Nicki Minaj fan, as seen in "The Devil You Know".
  • Hanna is also a Katy Perry fan, as seen in "Picture This" & "That Girl is Poison"
  • Hanna is usually the first to find out another Liar's secret. She was the first of the four Liars to find out that Emily was a lesbian, the first to find out about Aria and Ezra's relationship, and the first to find out about Spencer stealing Melissa's essay and kissing Wren.
  • Hanna has received 30 messages from "A," plus 21 messages sent to all 4 girls.
  • Hanna is the second of The Liars who lost her virginity - she had sex for the first time with Caleb Rivers in "A Person of Interest".
  • Hanna is also the second of The Liars who got married - she married Caleb Rivers in "Choose or Lose".
  • Hanna is the fourth of The Liars who killed someone - she accidentally killed Archer Dunhill in "The Talented Mr. Rollins".
  • Hanna has been arrested five times.
  • According to the Incident report filed by the Rosewood Police Department Hanna lives at "43 Turning Left Lane".
  • Hanna's blood type is O-negative, which is one of the rarest blood groups.
  • She was the first to be "visited" by Alison, while in hospital after A tried to run her over, which was in Moments Later.
  • Hanna has seen Alison the most times, Once at the hospital, second in Dr. Sullivan's office during therapy and then on her porch while playing with Mona in episode Crazy.
  • Mr. DiLaurentis is mad at Hanna because she had told the family that she saw Alison on her porch 3 days before her body was found and he thinks it was a cruel prank that gave his wife hope.
  • She seems to be closest to Emily.
  • Hanna is also very close to her mom and will do anything to protect her no matter what the cost.
  • Hanna became bulimic because of Alison but recovered after Alison went missing.
  • Hanna won Homecoming Queen but missed being crowned on the spot because she had to sneak into the therapist's office to look for Jenna's file, only to find Toby's instead.
  • Hanna got an internship for Vera Wang but turned it down because it wasn't paid.
  • In I Must Confess her birthday (March 7) is shown on Dr. Sullivan's files.
  • Hanna was the first to find out that Spencer was on the A-Team and pretended to be Red Coat to trap Spencer into telling them the truth.
  • As a result of her mom's new progressing and serious relationship, she now has a newfound interest in religion. In EscApe From New York, when questioned about her having had said a prayer she said it was because her Mom was dating a pastor.
  • Up until Hush, Hush, Sweet Liars, Hanna was the only one of the Liars to not cheat on their partners.
  • In Songs of Experience, Hanna confessed that while as a child, she had an imaginary friend named Mr. Biscuits. Mr. Biscuits is the name of a well-known cat who gained popularity after being injured while sleeping in a car engine on Halloween 2014.
  • Out of the whole Pretty Little Liars and Ravenswood franchise, Hanna has appeared in the most amount of episodes compared to any other character, bringing her total of appearances to 162.
  • She is the liar with the 3rd most screentime, with over 2807 minutes (46 hours).

Book Comparisons

Hanna (Comparison)

Hanna (Book and TV versions)

Main article: Hanna Marin (Book Character)
  • Hanna met Kate after Alison's disappearance, while in the book Hanna met Kate with Alison. (who was really Courtney)
  • Hanna stole sunglasses in the TV series while in the books she stole a bracelet and a pair of earrings.
  • In the books, Hanna sometimes acts mean and bitchy after losing the weight whereas in the series her personality remains similar both pre- and post-weight loss, her only gaining a bit of confidence.
  • In the show, Hanna attended Rosewood High. While in the books, Hanna attended Rosewood Day, a private school.
  • In the books, Spencer is said to have looked like Alison. In the show Hanna and Alison have a distinct resemblance. 
  • In the books, Hanna has brown hair dyed auburn and light brown eyes, whereas in the series she is blue-eyed and blonde.
  • In the books, it was mentioned many times that Hanna is bulimic whilst in the series it is suggested that she may have only forced herself to throw up on occasion and never had a fully developed eating disorder.
  • In the TV series, Alison is the reason for Hanna being bulimic whilst in the book Hanna started throwing up after a comment her father made about her weight.
  • In the books, Hanna had slight amnesia when she was hit by the car, causing her to forget who "A" is, but in the series, she just has a broken leg.
  • In the books, she has a miniature pinscher named Dot.
  • Hanna has a closer relationship with her mother in the show than in the books.
  • Hanna is Jewish in the books, but it's not clear if she is Jewish on the show since she's seen celebrating Christmas. However, her paternal side of the family is Jewish and Hanna could very well be a nonpracticing Jew.
  • In the TV series, Hanna dates and eventually marries Caleb Rivers while in the books Caleb does not appear.
  • In the books, Hanna dates and eventually marries Mike but in the TV series, they only had a fling.
  • In the books, Hanna dates Lucas, and upon breaking up, never talks to him again. In the show, apart from Lucas kissing her on the forehead in the hospital and having a crush on her, their relationship has always been platonic, and they have remained friends since Season 1.
  • In the books Hanna was admitted to the preserve, but in the show it was Spencer who was admitted to Radley.
  • Hanna is more concerned about popularity in the books whereas in the show, she only cared for half of the first season.
  • In the books Naomi and Riley, former best friends with the real Ali, were Hanna's arch nemesis (along with Kate). In the series, they only had a brief conflict in Season 1 when Mona dis-invited Hanna to her party. 
  • In Vicious she went to jail because she was framed for Alison's death. In To Plea or Not to Plea she was arrested for Mona's murder since -A framed her.  
  • In the books, Kate and Hanna become friends later on, but in the show, they remain enemies. 
  • In the books Hanna has a car crash, injuring Madison (Naomi's cousin), this doesn't happen in the show.
  • In the books, Hanna is offered the role of Naomi in a movie based on the events revolving around Alison, where she befriends an actress, but in the show, this doesn't happen.

Quotes

Hanna: Mom, you don't need to do this.
Ashley: Do what?
Hanna: Squeeze his grapefruit.


Lucas: I didn't mean to invade your personal... skin.
Hanna: It's okay. The Leprosy cleared up.


Hanna [to Caleb]: You know what? Just don't talk about the Biebs, ok? You don't know the Biebs, you don't understand the Biebs. Or his hair.


Hanna: I went to fat camp for five summers. I can handle some woods.


Hanna: Fool me once? Shame on you. Fool my best friend? You're dead frickin' meat.


Hanna [to Caleb's foster mom]: Do you see that lady over there? That's my mom. She's also a senior partner at the firm of Dolce, Gabbana & Leibowitz. So I suggest you give Caleb his money and continue to give him his money until he turns eighteen, or I'll have to get all Erin Brockovich on you and haul your butt into court.


Hanna [role playing]: Alison, you were the best friend I ever had, but also my worst enemy.


Hanna: Oh God! I look like a demented creamsicle.


Hanna [talking about Shana]: I hate her.
Spencer: Why?
Hanna: Because she flirts with everyone but me.


Hanna: I can't go around without a phone. That's like going around without a brain or shoes.


Hanna: Why are you looking at pictures of bald fat men?
Aria: I'm looking for a guy for my mom. I don't know I just thought that she could try online dating.
Hanna: She's divorced, not desperate.


Hanna [about Emily]: Um, Nate, she's gay. She dated your cousin.


Hanna: I'm too depressed to work a zipper.


Aria: I wake up every morning with the intention of telling him, and then I go to sleep every night feeling guilty that I didn't.
Hanna: At least you have your afternoons free.


Aria: "Unable are the loved to die for love is immortality."
Hanna: That's creepy.
Aria: It's Emily Dickinson.
Hanna: I don't care if it's Santa Claus, considered me creeped.


Hanna: I smell dead people.


Hanna [about Shana]: You spend your whole life doing crunches, getting rid of tan lines, not eating that second pudding and in the end you're just a stale loaf of bread lying on a rack.


Hanna: For once, I'm right and you're wrong, Spencer.


Hanna [about wearing a corset]: People actually wore this crap; I'm never complaining again about a sports bra.


Emily: Somebody tried to kill Ali. They buried her in her backyard.
Aria: Right, and then Grunwald pulled her out.
Hanna: Yeah, like a carrot.


Hanna: Spence, the last thing I want to do is discuss my feelings over a tub of chunky monkey.


Hanna: Spencer, I'm about to have a breakdown. Your floppy foot is going to push me over the edge.


Hanna: Em, get real, this is all about the A-ness of things.


Hanna: The more I see of men, the more I want to get a dog.


Hanna [to Holbrook]: Don't get up. I don't want to accidentally run into your mouth again.


Aria: Okay, you really need to eat something. Hanna, give her your cookie.
Hanna: You give her your cookie, I'm hungry.


Emily: Follow him!
Hanna: No, you follow him! I have to change my underwear!


Hanna: Business conservative? I'd rather wear vomit.


Hanna: Hanna knows what Hanna means.


Hanna: I thought we were meeting for lunch.
Caleb: What time is it?
Hanna: Uh, half past I'm hungry.


Hanna [to Leona]: I think you were trying to find a way to say goodbye. We all are. I think that funeral probably helped a lot of people.


Mrs Grunwald: How do you live in such a psychically constipated environment?
Hanna: I eat a lot of fiber.


Hanna [to the Liars]: Holbrook's not that bad of a cop, just a bad kisser.


Alison: If I was A, why would I let this happen to me?
Hanna: I don't know. But I do know that if you are A, you're counting on that last little shred of me that gives a damn about what happens to you. And you shouldn't.


Hanna [to Spencer]: I'm at the police station. Can't you feel the police vibrations coming at you through the phone?


Hanna [to Charlotte DiLaurentis]: You win! Okay? You can have us as your precious dolls, but if Caleb shows us here and you do anything to hurt him, I will kill you!


Hanna [to Charlotte]: You have been such a bitch to us, but we heard your story. We understand.


Gallery

Camera Icon-Gallery

Hanna Marin has a photo gallery.


References

  1. The character ages reflect the last time the audience sees them in Season 7.

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