Alice in Borderland (2020) — Character Map & Story Timeline

AI Narrative Summary

The story follows Arisu and his allies through lethal games, shifting explanations of the Borderland, and repeated efforts to survive and return. Its central relationships are tested by loss, trust, and the choice to protect others.

Character Network — 16 Characters

• Arisu Ryohei / Alice (Kento Yamazaki) — protagonist Protagonist transported to an alternate Tokyo where he must survive life-or-death games. In the second season, he allies...
• Usagi Yuzuha / “Rabbit” (Tao Tsuchiya) — protagonist Key ally drawn back into Borderland in the third season after being convinced by Dr. Ryuji Matsuyama. Her reappearance f...
• Shuntaro Chishiya (Nijiro Murakami)
• Hikari Kuina (Aya Asahina)
• Ann Rizuna (Ayaka Miyoshi)
• Suguru Niragi (Dori Sakurada)
• Aguni Morizono (Sho Aoyagi)
• Inoue Momoka (Kina Yazaki)
• Hajime Arisu (Kyotaro Tamura)
• Kujo Asahi (Mizuki Yoshida)
• Sunato Banda (Hayato Isomura) A participant in the plan involving Arisu during the third season, as Arisu is drawn back into Borderland.
• Daikichi Karube (Keita Machida)
• Kodai Tatta (Yutaro Watanabe)
• Chota Segawa (Yuki Morinaga)
• Shibuki Saori (Ayame Misaki)

Key Relationships

• Arisu Ryohei / Alice → Hajime Arisu (Brothers) — The brothers' strained relationship is established through a conflict about Arisu's inability to build a stable life.

  "In Season 1, Hajime angrily confronts Arisu for missing another job interview and calls him a parasite; the argument prompts Arisu to leave."

• Inoue Momoka → Kujo Asahi (Game operators and confidantes) — They work together documenting the empty city and are connected through their involvement in the deadly games.

  "In Season 1, Momoka and Asahi record deserted Tokyo, work at the place where the games are operated, and share the burden of witnessing the deaths. M...

• Arisu Ryohei / Alice → Mira Kano (Player and game administrator) — Mira uses the game and conversation to pressure Arisu, making their encounter a direct psychological confrontation.

  "In Season 2, Mira administers the Queen of Croquet game, where she tries to exhaust and psychologically unsettle Arisu."

• Arisu Ryohei / Alice → Usagi Yuzuha / “Rabbit” (Survival partners) — Their relationship develops from mutual survival support into a central partnership that draws Arisu back into the games when Usagi reappears.

  "In Season 1, Usagi helps keep Arisu alive and teaches him to read signs in nature. In Season 2, they fight together in the Queen's game and face Mira...

• Hikari Kuina → Ann Rizuna (Reunited allies) — Their reunion provides mutual encouragement as they face another team-based challenge.

  "In Season 2, Kuina and Ann reunite in the Queen of Clubs game and encourage each other to survive the remaining games."

• Arisu Ryohei / Alice → Daikichi Karube (Close friends) — Karube is one of Arisu's close friends and provides practical support before their shared ordeal in the Borderland.

  "In Season 1, Karube lets Arisu stay with him after Arisu leaves home, and the two enter the deserted city alongside Chota."

• Arisu Ryohei / Alice → Chota Segawa (Close friends) — Chota is one of Arisu's close friends and part of the original trio facing the Borderland together.

  "In Season 1, Chota offers Arisu a place to sleep, and he and Karube accompany Arisu into the deserted city."

• Shuntaro Chishiya → Sunato Banda (Suspicious game opponents) — Chishiya treats Banda as a dangerous possible opponent in the Jack of Hearts game.

  "In Season 2, Chishiya warns another player that Banda is a convicted murderer and may secretly be the Jack of Hearts."

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

Season 1: From Home to the Beach

Arisu leaves home after conflict with his brother and enters a deserted Tokyo with his friends. In the Borderland, he meets Usagi, struggles to survive, and seeks answers at the Beach.

Season 1: The Beach's Hidden Cost

The Beach's promise of refuge gives way to a deadly murder game. Arisu's investigation and the recordings of Momoka and Asahi expose their connection to the operation of the games.

Season 2: Face-Card Assault

The survivors face a sudden armed attack and learn that the face-card games pit players against Borderland citizens. Arisu's group enters the dangerous challenges with survival and reunion still at stake.

Season 2: Queens and Resolve

Separated survivors regroup amid loss, while Aguni prepares to confront the King of Spades. Usagi protects a child, Kuina and Ann reunite, and Mira's croquet game tests Arisu's resolve.

Season 3: Return to the Games

Survivors face a choice about remaining in the mysterious land or returning to their former lives, while memories connect their experiences to the meteorite incident. Arisu encounters new lethal games, reunites with Usagi, and joins a room-based effort to reach an exit.