Lin-Lin, sometimes called Mei-Ling in regional adaptations, originates from 1730s China as the elder twin sister of Hsien-Ko, both born into a lineage of powerful mystics. When an undead assault destroyed their village, their mother sacrificed her life to protect them, inadvertently trapping her soul in darkness. To rescue their mother, the sisters performed a forbidden ritual: Hsien-Ko transformed into a Jiangshi (a reanimated corpse), while Lin-Lin became a sentient talisman affixed to Hsien-Ko's hat. This allowed Lin-Lin to prevent Hsien-Ko from losing control to her berserk instincts, forming a single combat unit where Lin-Lin served as the controlling consciousness and Hsien-Ko as the physical vessel.

After freeing their mother's soul, the sisters nearly faded due to expended spiritual energy. Their mother intervened, using her powers to reincarnate them as normal human twins in a new life. At age 16 in this new life, shared dreams reawakened their past abilities. This resurgence attracted Jedah Dohma, a powerful entity who transported their souls to his realm, Majigen. There, they regained their supernatural forms but retained no memories of their past lives. Forced to fight for survival, they eventually escaped with their mother's spiritual guidance and returned to their human lives.

Across media, Lin-Lin primarily appears as a talisman during battles, with her human form depicted in post-fight sequences and narrative conclusions. In the *Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge* OVA, she manifests in human form alongside Hsien-Ko during key events, consistent with her role as a stabilizing force against her sister's instability. Her personality shifts between incarnations: initially serious and duty-driven as a mystic, she adopts a more typical teenage disposition after reincarnation, lacking her prior wisdom despite retaining adult maturity in her supernatural state.

Early development for *Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge* envisioned Lin-Lin and Hsien-Ko as a dual-fighter character, similar to Morrigan Aensland's Astral Vision ability. Technical constraints prevented this implementation, leading to Lin-Lin's talisman design, addressing gameplay limitations and lore considerations about Jiangshi movement restrictions. In later games like *Vampire Savior*, Lin-Lin's talisman form remains integral to Hsien-Ko's mechanics, and their joint narrative continues through Majigen's events, concluding with their return to human existence.