Alice in Borderland is one of Netflix’s best gritty survival/thriller shows, delivering an engaging live-action adaptation of a manga series/anime special of the same name. Alice in Borderland tells the story of Arisu, a gamer who soon finds himself trapped in a sick survival game within a parallel universe known as Borderland. Interestingly enough, the show takes major influences in its themes, plots, and characters from the iconic Alice in Wonderland tale. You may just be wondering where these links exist, so here’s all Alice in Borderland characters and counterparts, explained.
Arisu & Alice
It is no surprise that Alice in Borderland’s main protagonist, Arisu, is based on the character of Alice. This is the most obvious comparison in the show, as Arisu is the Japanese name for Alice. Arisu’s story also unfolds similarly to Alice’s adventures in Wonderland. This is shown with him starting the show as an unmotivated, stay-at-home gamer freeloading from his family. Soon this all changes, though, and Arisu finds himself transported to and lost within the parallel universe of Borderland, where he must participate in a twisted game of survival, try to win his freedom, and return home.
This is similar to how Alice accidentally falls down the rabbit hole and winds up lost in Wonderland, wandering around and meeting quirky characters on her journey to find her way home. Of course, while there are subtle elements of Alice’s story in the Alice in Borderland plot, the latter is a much darker, morbid setting. This is what makes it so great, transforming Wonderland from something whimsical and wonderous into a horrifying and fascinating world of survival.
Usagi & The White Rabbit
Usagi is Arisu’s first trusted ally in Borderland and main partner throughout the games they play. As it turns out, Usugi’s character parallels the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, which makes sense given how much time Arisu and Usagi spend together.
Further cementing the details of this comparison is her name, as Usagi means “rabbit” when translated to English. The White Rabbit is known to be nervous, and always in a hurry. This somewhat translates over to Usagi’s character. While she isn’t exactly nervous, she is seriously concerned about making it out of the game as soon as possible. Usagi is always ready to dive into the games and try to get one step closer to home.
Chishiya & The Cheshire Cat
Chisiya is introduced in Alice in Borderland as a highly intelligent, mysterious individual, always maintaining a calm and collected composure. He isn’t as bright and colorful as his Wonderland counterpart though, sticking to neutral tones and whites compared to the Cheshire Cat’s bright pink color scheme. Still, it’s easy to see where his cat-like qualities come in, staying under the radar and using his sly, cunning personality to outwit his opponents during challenges.
Let’s not forget that from the moment Arisu first crossed paths with him, Chishya was willing to sacrifice others to achieve his own goals, somewhat similar to how the Cheshire Cat enjoys speaking in riddles and leading poor Alice in circles during her time lost in Wonderland. Chishiya’s slight smirk is also an excellent point in the direction of the Cheshire Cat’s iconic grin, ensuring the trait remains entirely in character to Chishiya without bending him too far into being a clone of his Wonderland counterpart.
Chishiya is one of the most interesting and well-done Wonderland incarnations, as he is somewhat different in mannerisms and personality from the Cheshire Cat. Yet, the link between them is still so clear, but you’ll have to give Alice in Borderland a watch to see what we mean.
Chota & The Carpenter
Chota is one of Arisu’s best friends and was transported to Borderland alongside him and Karube while enjoying a day out together. Chota’s character is most easily compared to the Carpenter from Alice in Wonderland. Alongside this, Karube fits the role of the Walrus, completing the Carpenter and Walrus duo featured in the story.
Chota’s mannerisms mimic the Carpenter’s high focus on work over life. The Carpenter is shown to be very trusting and loyal, believing the Walrus’ word and following through on his end of the plan as intended. This is very much Chota’s personality, always taking the word of others at face value. Chota’s similarities to the Carpenter are also found in the fact that he always seems to be by the Walrus’ side.
This remains true in Alice in Borderland, as Chota and Karube are introduced together and remain a duo at Arisu’s side. Similarly to the Carpenter and the Walrus’ feud over the Oysters, the whole situation of Borderland causes Karube and Chota to butt heads, their contrast in personalities within the high-stress situation drawing a wedge between them.
Much like how the Carpenter retaliates against the Walrus’ actions, making him see the error of his ways, Chota has the same effect on Karube’s selfish mindset during the Hide and Seek game, forcing him to see the errors of his greedy-for-survival thinking.
Karube & The Walrus
Karube’s character fits the comparison of Alice in Wonderland’s Walrus character, completing the duo of the Carpenter and the Walrus alongside Chota. While the Carpenter is a work-oriented guy who’s loyal to his word and follows the rules, the Walrus is greedy, selfish, and sly — all characteristics Karube has shown in one way or another.
Karube is shown to be inconsiderate, bold, and impulsive, much like the Walrus from his very first moments in Alice in Borderland. This can be seen in Karube’s debut, being fired immediately after getting caught in an on-the-spot hookup with his boss’s girlfriend. Karube is also introduced alongside Chota as the essential duo that makes up Arisu’s best friends.
This parallels the duo of the Walrus and the Carpenter Alice hears about in her adventures in Wonderland. Still, the similarities in contrast of personalities between the Walrus/ Carpenter and Karube/ Chota make this link more believable. During Alice in Borderland, Karube can be seen putting himself before others, greedy for survival. He continues to act this way until Chota finally has enough of this in the Hide and Seek game and retaliates, making him see the error of his ways and finally put others before himself.
Hatter & The Mad Hatter
Standing out as another one of the most apparent Borderland/Wonderland counterparts is Hatter, referencing the character of the Mad Hatter. Hatter is an interesting character with many qualities that indicate his connection to the Mad Hatter. First, there’s his name, which is about as bold of a reference as it can get; after all, even Arisu’s name is at least the Japanese variant.
Aside from his blatantly obvious name, Hatter is also most commonly dressed in orange-colored beach attire, mirroring the Mad Hatter’s color palette. On top of this, just as the Mad Hatter is the one in control of the Tea Party, Hatter is the one in command of the utopia-like Beach community, operating as their eccentric and quirky leader.
It’s also somewhat hinted that Hatter’s relationship with Aguni as his best friend of over 10 years resembles the Mad Hatter and March Hare, the iconic duo responsible for the chaos and lack of rules at the Tea Party, or in Borderland’s case, The Beach. When you see the bizarre way the Beach functions on a day-to-day basis, this connection becomes much more understandable.
Aguni & The March Hare
Aguni most closely resembles the iconic, crazy March Hare. This all begins with Aguni’s link to Hatter as his best friend for a long time, drawing the parallel to the Mad Hatter’s relationship with the March Hare. Aguni and Hatter also operate the Beach under their standards and rules, creating a bizarre way of living.
The Beach is also very party-focused when residents aren’t out renewing their Visa in gruesome games of life and death, with Aguni and Hatter leading this somewhat crazy lifestyle, controlling their party. This is a clever link to the Mad Hatter and March Hare’s Tea Party, in which they are both in charge during Alice’s journey through Wonderland.
Aguni is also there to witness Hatter’s spiral into madness first-hand, becoming lost in what the Beach has made him become. This is just the same as the March Hare, who is always sitting at the Tea Party, stuck behaving as if he’s in a continuous loop of tea time, due to the Mad Hatter’s antics.
Kuina & Absolem
Kuina is one of the characters Arisu and Usagi meet and befriend during their time at the Beach. Kuina’s character parallels Absolem, the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland, who is seen spending most of his time smoking a hookah. This is indicated both by Kuina’s blue beach costume and the fact that she always has a mock cigarette in her mouth to try and help her quit smoking.
In Alice in Wonderland, Absolem goes through a beautiful transformation, becoming a butterfly. This is a direct connection Kuina has to the character. She has a literal transition of beauty herself, being born a biological male and choosing to leave her family to embrace who she is inside. Another transformation Kuina goes through in Alice in Borderland is facing her troubled past with her father, redefining herself from a Clubs player to a Spades player, thanks to her newfound confidence in her strengths.
Mira & The Queen of Hearts
Mira undeniably resembles the Queen of Hearts, as stated by her title in Borderland. At the end of the Witch Hunt game, it is revealed that alongside the games to win the cards, there are also the Face Card bosses to defeat. This is unveiled by Mira, who reveals herself as the Queen of Hearts and becomes ecstatic with glee at the thought of the players finally reaching the more challenging games, which seems ridiculous, given how many horrible, gory deaths have occurred thus far.
Mira’s character portrayal of her Wonderland counterpart goes even further than just names and face cards. This is indicated in her boss game, which features a game of croquet. This same game of croquet is a direct parallel to Alice in Wonderland, where Alice participates in the exact match against the Queen of Hearts. It’s also strongly indicated regarding Mira that the wider range of various Dealers she has appointed represent the Queen of Hearts’ Card Guards, further tying her connections to the antagonist of Wonderland.
An & The White Queen
The polar opposite of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland is her sister, the White Queen. While Mira and An aren’t sisters, An most definitely makes up the duo’s latter half as Borderland’s White Queen. This is showcased in the qualities she displays as one of the highest-ranking Beach members, carrying a high level of intelligence, empathy, and righteousness.
An is someone people look up to in the darkest of times, much like the White Queen. A prime example of this is during the chaos and slaughters of the Witch Hunt; An was the only one capable of working as a detective to determine the true culprit, thanks to her background as a forensic scientist.
An’s confrontation with Last Boss in the Ten of Hearts game also parallel’s the White Queen’s dynamic against the Jabberwocky in Alice in Wonderland, which the Queen of Hearts used to try and gain the upper hand in their battle. Knowing Mira is the Queen of Hearts, Last Boss was likely operating under her orders. Thankfully, Kuina was there to assist, allowing An to escape and end the game of the Witch Hunt.
Momoka and Asahi & Tweedledee and Tweedledum
Momoka and Asahi are a unique incarnation of the Tweedledee and Tweedledum characters in Alice in Wonderland. At first, Momoka and Asashi seem to be average teenage girls and the best of friends. However, during the Ten of Hearts game, there proves to be much more to these girls than what appears on the surface. The Ten of Hearts creates a game of Witch Hunt, sending the Beach residents into a craze to try and find the ‘witch’ responsible for killing Momoka and burn their body on the bonfire before time runs out.
After much chaos and slaughter occur, it is finally revealed that Momoka is responsible for her own death, followed by a confession by Asahi, revealing that the two of them were Dealers, operating for the Face Cards to set up the games and keep tabs on the participants. Momoka couldn’t bear that she contributed to such atrocities and ended her life out of desperation for it all to stop.
After this, Arisu finds a phone with video footage of the two when they first stumbled into Borderland, detailing their exploration of the parallel universe together and how they wound up becoming Dealers. This footage shows the two’s links to Alice in Wonderland’s Tweedles more clearly. Firstly, Momoka and Asahi never left each other’s side, and before becoming residents of the Beach, they wore matching outfits in the form of their school attire. The two were also very bubbly and upbeat but far too trusting of others, allowing them to be manipulated by the Queen of Hearts.
Niragi & The Jubjub Bird
Niragi is a character introduced in the Beach ark of Alice in Borderland, operating as the second-in-command of Aguni’s Militant Faction. As far as Wonderland counterparts go, Aguni fits the role of the Jubjub bird, a powerful and dangerous being that Alice is supposed to watch out for.
Niragi more than matches the temperament of this beast and makes up one of the core dangers and antagonists that Arisu and his friends have to face off against in Borderland. His crazy behaviors and actions were enough to cause concern to Aguni and force him to approach Hatter about permanently closing the Beach due to fears of no longer being able to control Niragi and others he was beginning to inspire.
Niragi makes his mark as a villain during the Witch Hunt, opting to massacre as many people as possible and throw them all on the fire instead of deducing the rightful culprit as a team. Because of this, he continuously kills innocent people, even when the game has been solved. The only thing that stopped Niragi’s deranged behavior was Aguni, who managed to grab him and charge directly back into the burning Beach resort building.
Last Boss & Jabberwocky
Takatora Samura is an Alice in Borderland character operating under the alias of Last Boss, a dark and bloodthirsty member of Aguni’s Martial Sector at the Beach resort. Last Boss very much bares a resemblance to Jabberwocky from Alice in Wonderland, a fearsome dragon-like creature that Alice, the White Queen and friends go up against in a boss-battle style of combat.
Firstly, there are the dragon-like tattoos that cover his body, making him bear an uncanny resemblance to the horrifying Jabberwocky creature. And of course, his confrontation with An and Kuina could be linked as a parallel to the final battle at the end of Alice in Wonderland, with the entire fight having an uncanny resemblance to the Jabberwocky poem. To conclude the fight, Kuina gives a devastating kick to Last Boss’ neck, which looks as if it’s going to take his head off completely – much like the beheading of the Jabberwocky.
Last boss is very powerful and deadly with his weapon, but much like the Jabberwocky, it was the way that he undermined the abilities of his opponent (Kuina) that led to his defeat, much like Jabberwocky undermining Alice in the battle between the White Queen and Queen of Hearts.
Militants & The Card Soldiers
This is one of the more straightforward and obvious Wonderland references in Borderland. In Alice In Wonderland, the Card Soldiers are loyal servants to the Queen of Hearts and are responsible for protecting her Castle. However, in Alice in Borderland, the Militants are loyal servants to the Beach (home to Mira, aka the Queen of Hearts), responsible for tracking down cards by completing games.
The link between the Militants and the Card Soldiers is extremely strong, as both seem to blindly follow orders, despite these orders being filled with lies. For example, the Queen of Hearts is known to exaggerate tales and fabricate evidence during the trials of her citizens, yet the Card Soldiers turn a blind eye and enforce her orders. Hatter and Aguni make up a story about how if they manage to collect all cards by completing the various games, everyone will get to go home – and therefore, the Militants often blindly follow these ideals.
They’re also responsible for enforcing the rules of the Beach set by the Idealists. As Mira was a part of the Idealist faction in the Beach, it can be presumed that the Militants were somewhat operating under the orders of the Queen of Hearts.
Yaba Ouki & Jabberwocky
While Last Boss has uncanny parallels to the Jabberwocky through his appearance, confrontation with An, and fight with Kuina, it seems he may not be the only character that has a link to the horrid beast. During the Jack of Hearts game which Chishiya participates in, a new character named Yaba Ouki is introduced.
Not only does this name sound ridiculously similar to ‘Jabberwocky’, but he also makes his appearance in the same game a young man named Banda Sunato is introduced, with the latter’s name sounding familiar to another fearsome creature of Wonderland – the Bandersnatch. As these two were the arguably two of the most influential and powerful canidates during the Jack of Hearts game, it’s very much possible that these participants were supposed to represent the two most unruly beasts known throughout Wonderland.
Lastly, Yaba and Banda made a last-minute alliance after discovering their common interest in obtaining victory in all the games and becoming permanent residents of Borderland. This is ultimately what led them to complete the Jack of Hearts Game, and once again played into the idea of the Bandersnatch and Jabberwocky with them both being shady individuals who want to make Borderland their home.
Banda Sunato & Bandersnatch
Making an appearance in the Jack of Hearts game is Banda Sunato, whose name is similar to Bandersnatch, a creature known to be extremely dangerous and vicious. Furthermore, Banda is also introduced in the same game as Yaba Ouki, which sounds eerily similar to Jabberwocky. These characters likely play reference to the two most dangerous beings in Wonderland, especially due to their powerful influence on others and the fact that Banda was a former serial killer.
Banda and Yaba also allied together to complete the Jack of Hearts game, finding common ground on their goals of completing all of the Face Card games and becoming permanent citizens of Borderland. Later on, near the conclusion of the show, it’s revealed that both Yaba and Banda achieve this goal, settling into place with Borderland as their new home.
Tatta & Mock Turtle
Tatta is a rather interesting character. While he does have his moments of bravery, he’s often seen acting cowardly and melancholic in moments of high stress and frequently wishes to be as fearless as the other members of the group. Tatta bears a resemblance to the Mock Turtle from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, with the two sharing that same level of melancholy regarding themselves.
Tatta also sounds somewhat similar to a turtle, and his hat is similar in color to the one worn by the Mock Turtle in his cartoon design. Alternatively, Tatta’s hat in the Alice in Borderland manga is also shown to have a reptile skin-like pattern, which looks pretty similar to that of a turtle. The Mock Turtle is also known to resent himself for being a ‘fake’ as he used to be a real turtle, and Tatta spends a lot of his time holding similar views to himself.
Tatta’s negative self-views and resentment revolve around both his lack of heroism and due to previously wanting to escape his life as a mechanic in the real world. This caused him to put in a lack of effort, which resulted in a terrible accident with his boss – showing how Tatta’s ‘fake’ self became a burden.
Lastly, Tatta finally finds some sense of purpose through his experience in the King of Clubs game, where he makes a brave sacrifice to save his friends. As Kyuma is the King of Clubs and has loose connections to the Gryphon from Alice in Wonderland, this may further prove Tatta’s role as the mock turtle, as all three characters (Alice/Arisu, Mock Turtle/Tatta, and the Gryphon/Kyuma) are connected.
Kyuma & The Gryphon
The Gryphon is a unique character in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland who is commanded by the Queen to take Alice to visit the Mock Turtle. The Gryphon then demands that the Mock Turtle tell his history to them. This is a much less obvious character resemblance in Alice in Borderland, but the King of Clubs, Kyuma, has several key similarities to the Gryphon, which also ties into the idea of Tatta as the Mock Turtle.
Firstly, the Gryphon demands that the Mock Turtle tells his history, and funnily enough, the King of Clubs game is where we finally get to see Tatta’s backstory and learn about his history before winding up in Borderland. The Gryphon, despite having the appearance of an intimidating beast (which is a fitting way to describe most of the Face Card citizens), actually ends up befriending Alice.
Despite the two of them being enemies in the King of Clubs game, Kyuma and Arisu manage to find qualities they admire in one another. Unlike the other Face Card citizens, who often act in a malicious nature and outright attempt to kill off as many players as possible, Kyuma created his game to work as fairly to both sides as possible. He also encourages Arisu and his friends to strive for victory, ending the game as friends with Arisu, despite the grim circumstances in which they met.
Heiya & Dormouse
Heiya is a teenage girl who was introduced to Borderland, tragically losing a leg during the completion of her first game. Heiya’s wonderland references are quite clear and intriguing to consider, especially due to her becoming a somewhat apprentice-like figure to Aguni. Aguni is known to resemble the March Hare, and in Alice Through the Looking Glass, there is a brown hare named Haigha who is known to be an incarnation of the March Hare. As Haigha and Heiya are extremely similar names, this is an interesting reference to her relationship as Aguni’s comrade.
However, Heiya’s tale strikes an uncanny resemblance to that of Alice in Wonderland’s Dormouse. In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Dormouse tells the story of three sisters who live in Treacle Well. It’s a possibility that the Treacle Well in this tale may be a loose reference to the overflown lava stadium in which Heiya’s first game takes place.
To expand on this idea, the Dormouse is also shoved into the Hatter and Hare’s teapot but manages to escape. Heiya’s first game is titled Boiling Death – similar to the idea of a boiling teapot, the stadium in which this game takes place is filled with lava, causing the building to start collapsing, rubble to emerge as a hazard, and seemingly safe areas of water to bubble as the lava heats the terrain.
As Heiya fled to escape the stadium (which was how you successfully win the game), she noticed the other players around her were being boiled alive by the extreme heat. Thankfully, much like the Dormouse, Heiya managed to survive the game and make it through to the exit.
Kuzuryu & The Knave of Hearts
The King of Diamonds, otherwise known as Keiichi Kuzuryu, is quite a difficult individual to pin down at first. However, as more of his backstory and characteristics become clear, he draws a resemblance to Alice in Wonderland’s Knave of Hearts. Firstly, Kuzuryu has black hair and clothing and is usually dressed in smart, formal attire. Similarly, in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland adaptation, the Knave of Hearts is also known to dress head-to-toe in black and is one of the main villains of the story, just a Kuzuryu in his role as a Face Card Citizen.
Kuzuryu and the Knave also have a very similar personality. In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Knave barely speaks a word during his trial, and Kuzuryu is noted to be a man of very few words. The fact that the Knave has a very mysterious trial also links back to Kuzuryu, who was an attorney during his life before Borderland. Kuzuryu’s life as a lawyer made him witness firsthand the power of the wealthy elite, which ultimately led him to sense a significant injustice in the world and ponder how he had a hand in causing the suffering of others.
Similarly, in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, the Knave is the right-hand man of the Queen of Hearts, working as her assassin. He follows her orders, bringing suffering to many individuals at her command. Despite this, the Knave secretly hates her, creating a similar sense of internal conflict that Kuzuryu found in his job as a lawyer.
That completes all Alice in Borderland characters and their Wonderland counterparts. For more television features, lists, quizzes and news check out the rest of our content here at Twinfinite. We have a wide range of topics to keep you up-to-date on your favorite movies and TV shows, and help you dive into topics or queries that catch your interest, such as 10 reasons why Skins UK desperately needs a reboot.
Published: Sep 23, 2023 06:36 am