Matlin

Matlin (sometimes called Wa-Nin) is the late wife of Ho-Boe and the late mother of Musa.

Appearance
Matlin is a fair-skinned young woman with shoulder-length blackish-blue hair that resembles a bob with pieces of hair tied back and dark gray eyes.

Civilian
She has been seen either wearing a cheongsam or a kimono, which are Chinese and Japanese traditional outfits. She has also been seen wearing an orange crop top and long skirt.

Bride
Her bride dress is an orange short sleeve dress, with a triangle mark at the chest. She wears a purple veil. The dress also has a pale purple collar that covers her neck.

Personality
Not much is known about Matlin, but what is known was her passion and love for music, a passion that was passed down onto Musa and she was the happiest when she sung. Matlin appeared to be a loving mother and wife, as seen in a flashback the devastation her family experienced when she passed. It was enough to turn Ho-Boe's love for music into fear and anger.

Matlin is proud to see what Musa had become.

Pre-Series
Ho-Boe wanted Matlin to sing a song he wrote and she agreed to do so. The two fell in love, got married and had Musa. The two would continue to perform together, but when Musa was a child, Matlin fell gravely ill and passed away. Her death left a major impact on her family: Ho-Boe gave up on his music career in grief and Musa grew up without her mother.

Season 1
In "A Friendship Sundered", it is the Day of the Rose (the Magic Dimension's way of saying Mother's Day) and Musa is at the dining hall with Stella and Bloom. Matlin is first mentioned by Musa when she explains to her friends that she does not celebrate the holiday after her passing. The mere memory of Matlin causes Musa to shed tears and her friends as well.

Matlin then appears as a holographic picture which Musa often looks at. Musa sets this down and tells her mother about her day and mentions her attraction for Riven.

Season 2
She is seen in "The Show Must Go On!," when she is mentioned by Musa to Aisha. Later on in the episode Musa visits her mother's grave with her father Ho-Boe.

Season 3
When Musa is chosen to find her way through the Crystal Labyrinth, she reaches the last two doors: there is the Exit, but there is also a door to someone Musa loves more than anything else in the world: her mother. After hesitating, she chooses to get the Water Stars and before entering the other door Matlin tells her that she is very proud of Musa.

Season 5
Matlin appears in Musa's flashbacks, when the Winx visited Melody to find the Ruby Reef. She also appeared in a flashback in "The Singing Whales." Musa had stated to her father that she would have wanted to wish her mother back into life with her Sirenix Wish; but knew that it would have been the wrong thing to do. It is heavily implied that Musa would have not wished for anything more than to use her Sirenix wish to bring her mother back. Also, it is worth noting that Musa was the only fairy of the Winx Club who did not achieve her wish.

Season 8
Matlin briefly appears in Musa's flashback as she recalls her childhood memories with her parents.

Etymology

 * The name Matlin comes from the word Mandolin, a musical instrument in the lute family.

Trivia

 * In the 4Kids version, when Ho-Boe and Matlin fell in love, she gave up her classical training and Ho-Boe gave up his royal claim for each other.
 * In the German novels, Matlin's name was changed to 歌 (Uta), which means "song, poetry" in Japanese.
 * In the Cinélume dub, Anik Matern also voiced Stormy and Musa from Season 3 onward.
 * In the Nickelodeon dub, she is voiced by Laura Bailey who also voices Princess Tressa, Serena and the Green Ethereal Fairy.
 * In "The Singing Whales", it is revealed that Matlin's favorite song is "Return to Me".