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Character in print

Hanna is introduced in the first book as a popular and ruthless girl. She is described as an alluring young brunette who occasionally fights with herself to keep her beauty. In early novels, the character is also written as bulimic.

Story line

Hanna is one of four primary protagonists in all sixteen Pretty Little Liars novels, starting with Pretty Little Liars. All four girls attend the same school.

Before Alison DiLaurentis disappears, Hanna is shown as a shy girl with an eating disorder. She is best friends with Alison DiLaurentis along with Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery and Emily Fields. Like the other girls, Hanna and Alison had a secret between them: Alison witnessed Hanna purging with a toothbrush when she thought she was overweight. During the last night of the 7th grade, while having a sleepover in Spencer's sister Melissa's barn, Alison disappeared.

Years later, in the 9th grade, Hanna tried out for cheerleading but didn't make it, since the cheerleaders considered her too fat and not pretty enough to be in the squad. Hanna and Mona Vanderwaal, a girl that Hanna and her friends used to make fun of for being dorky, decided to become skinny and pretty before next year's cheerleading tryouts. They bonded and became pretty and popular, eventually deciding that cheerleading wasn't even cool enough to try out for. Hanna took over Alison's spot as the most popular girl after Alison's disappearance. Within that time, Hanna and Mona also became shoplifters.

Character on screen

Casting

In December 2009, The Futon Critic confirmed the casting of Ashley Benson as Hanna Marin.

Relationships

Hanna's relationship with Sean started before the first episode. She thought he was the love of her life after she became a popular girl, and he noticed her. She has to struggle with Sean's decision to not have sex yet, and she doubts if he likes her. Their relationship ends later, during a party where she passes the limits with him and he gets upset.

Hanna's first hook-up with the bad boy Caleb Rivers is in the first season when they develop feelings for each other, and he takes Hanna's virginity. This first hook-up ended when Hanna discovered that Caleb was spying on her, and Jenna paid him to do it. However, in the second season, Hanna forgives him and they rekindle their relationship. In the third season, after “A” was revealed to be Mona, Hanna started visiting her in Radley Sanitarium, and a new stalker emerged, making Hanna lie to Caleb multiple times. Thus, Caleb broke up with her, saying he was tired of all her lies. But, when Hanna tells Caleb the truth behind the new “A,” he forgives her. The relationship continues well during the rest of the third season, until the following season when Hanna gets upset because Caleb had to leave Rosewood to find out what was going on in Ravenswood. Furthermore, when Caleb returns to Rosewood, they hook up once again. They broke up again sometime during the five-year jump that occurred in mid sixth-season finale. It is later revealed that they broke up because Hanna was working a lot, and they didn't spend much time together. However, they kissed when Hanna was set as a trap for the new stalker. Later they got back together. All through everything, Hanna is still in love with Caleb.

Hanna's first contact with Travis occurred when he went to the police department and testified that Hanna's mother didn't kill Darren Wilden; with the act, Hanna thanked him. Later, Hanna texts Travis asking for his help. He drives her and her friends home, and later he helps Hanna to clean up, and she thanks him for everything. Hanna offers to pay him, but instead, he holds her hand and the two share an intimate moment. Later, Hanna invites Travis over to play a pool game. He teaches her how to play and, later, they kiss. Travis then invites Hanna on a date, and, during the dinner, they talk and enjoy a lot, until Hanna gets a text from “A” and after telling him she had a great time, leaves an upset Travis. They started dating later. However, when Alison returns to Rosewood, Hanna becomes insecure, and she forgets that she has plans to go to the Grille with Travis. He surprises her by knocking on her door, and she apologizes for forgetting and tells him that Alison is inside her home. She alleges that she would call him after Alison leaves, but she didn't do it, upsetting Travis, who broke up with Hanna the next morning.

Rivalries and friendships

Hanna has a brief jealousy of Amber Victorino, a girl who gave Sean rides to school after Hanna crashed Sean's car. In the fourth season, Hanna had a slight rivalry with Miranda, a girl whom Caleb wanted to help when he decided to move to Ravenswood. Hanna also has an ongoing rivalry with her step-sister Kate Randall, that begins in season 1.

Hanna also had a rivalry with Jenna Marshall due to Alison being at fault for the incident that blinded Jenna. Jenna harbored resentment for all of the liars. Jenna and Hanna's rivalry is a reoccurring topic in the show.

Hanna's closest friendships are with Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, Alison DiLaurentis, Emily Fields, and Mona Vanderwaal (The Liars). She is also casual friends with Lucas Gottesman and Wren Kingston.

Story lines

The formerly overweight "Hefty Hanna" is now the "it girl" of Rosewood High School. Along with her new best friend, Mona Vanderwaal, she rules the school, and they are clearly labelled "queen bees". She is dating a popular guy and pastor's son, Sean Ackard. Shoplifting with Mona makes her seem like a troublemaker, but when she is caught, her mother realizes that Hanna is only doing this to get her father's attention in the wake of his moving out. When she is caught by the police, Hanna struggles with the fact that her mother, Ashley Marin, is the main reason her charges were dropped. Ashley maintained a sexual relationship with Officer Darren Wilden in order to keep Hanna out of trouble and to keep up appearances. The old group of friends, of which Hanna was a member in ninth grade, reunites, causing tension between her and Mona. Hanna also has to deal with the threats and the danger of possibly having her secrets revealed by the tenebrous "A." Hanna navigates heartbreak, hurt, a broken leg (courtesy of "A"), and more. Toward the end of the season, Hanna starts a romantic relationship with the misunderstood "bad boy" Caleb Rivers, who seems to be the first person to truly understand her.

After suffering with Caleb's betrayal, Hanna now has to decide if she'll be able to forgive him, or just let him go. Meanwhile, Hanna has to struggle with the marriage between her father, Tom, and her soon-to-be step-mother, Isabel. Her friendships with Aria, Emily and Spencer grow — angering Mona, who thinks that maybe she has lost her friendship with Hanna. Hanna ultimately forgives Caleb, and they reunite. To find out who is “A,” the girls ask Caleb for help, and Hanna worries about it. The season ends with Hanna finding out that Mona is the person behind the anonymous “A.”

Hanna is trying to overcome Mona's betrayal, and she decides to visit her at the Radley Sanitarium to get some answers. Hanna's relationship with Caleb keeps going until they break up when Caleb gets tired of Hanna's lies—principally when she covers up her visits to Mona. Plus, Hanna gets closer to Wren Kingston, but she avoids a possible relationship. Hanna is also accused of stealing Alison's body by Officer Wilden. Caleb and Hanna hook up once again when he finds out that a new "A" emerged recently.

After the events of the third-season finale, Hanna and the girls now have Mona on their side. Meanwhile, Hanna starts to suspect that her mother may have killed Officer Wilden. On Halloween, the girls connect in Ravenswood, a town next to Rosewood. Hanna and Caleb's relationship ends when Hanna decides that Caleb should know what's behind his past in Ravenswood. Hanna's relationship with the girls is growing stronger and stronger with each tragedy. In the season finale, Hanna and the girls find out that Alison is still alive.