Alice in Borderland characters have direct or indirect counterparts of the classic Alice in Wonderland story by Lewis Carroll, shared by either their personalities, the clothes they wear, or both. From the lead character Arisu being the counterpart for Alice to Chishiya as the counterpart for the Chesire Cat, characters in Borderland share similarities to their Wonderland counterparts. In the original story, Alice ends up in Wonderland after falling down a rabbit hole and meets a wide variety of characters on her quest to get home, which is similar to what happens in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the Alice in Borderland manga by Haro Aso.
Alice in Borderland follows the story of a Japanese man named Arisu as he goes through Borderland, a virtual reality of Tokyo. Unlike the original fairy tale, Alice in Borderland‘s characters face more violence and death in their version of Wonderland but keep to the same principles as the original story. Out of the many characters featured in Alice in Borderland, some have counterparts that are from the original story that inspired the manga.
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10 Arisu Ryohei is Alice
Portrayed by Kento Yamazaki
Arisu is the main character in Alice in Borderland. In Japanese, Arisu’s name is the phonetic version of Alice. Like the main protagonist in the original Alice in Wonderland fairytale, Arisu walks into an alternate version of Tokyo known as Borderland or, in Alice’s case, falling down the rabbit hole. Like Alice, Arisu goes through multiple games to survive Borderland just like Alice goes through challenges in Wonderland to get back home.
While Arisu’s version of Borderland involves fights to the death, Alice’s version is more psychological than deadly. Arisu’s version of Borderland is based on an alternate plane of existence, similar to Alice’s Wonderland. Arisu also wakes up from Borderland wiser and more aware of his surroundings. While he is not a child going through Borderland, his curiosity, and determination to finish the games mirrors Alice’s curiosity to find out what the white rabbit is up to as well as to find her way home.
9 Usagi is the Rabbit
Portrayed by Tao Tsuchiya
While the Rabbit never falls in love with Alice in Wonderland, it is because of him that Alice ends up in Wonderland in the first place. In Alice in Borderland, Usagi is a skilled player and is often involved in a lot of the action in the show. It also helps that the word “usagi” is Japanese for rabbit, describing Usagi’s personality well. The rabbit in Alice in Wonderland is constantly on the move, determined not to be late for anything and always being chased by a curious Alice. Arisu is always chasing after Usagi and, since she is a trained runner, it is not easy for him to keep up with her.
8 Takeru Danma “The Hatter” is the Mad Hatter
Portrayed by Nobuaki Kaneko
Just as the name suggests, Takeru Danma, or “The Hatter” is the counterpart of the Mad Hatter. He constantly throws parties to help distract from the downbeat drudgery of the games and builds his escape, known as The Beach. Like the Mad Hatter’s constant tea parties and “unbirthdays”, The Beach is an escape for those who do not want to deal with the reality of death and violence in Borderland. Borderland’s Hatter is willing to do anything to keep The Beach going, even if it means killing people to keep up the facade of parties.
7 Chishiya is the Cheshire Cat
Portrayed by Nijirō Murakami
Chishiya is the counterpart of the Chesire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. Mysterious, quiet, and full of riddles, Alice in Borderland‘s Chishiya teamed up with Kuina to steal the Hatter’s deck of cards in season 1. Like the Alice in Wonderland character, Chishiya gives out riddles and is very mysterious, sometimes being a troublemaker for Arisu as he makes his way through the games. Just as the Chesire Cat’s true motives are unknown and often leave people baffled, Chishiya’s true allegiances are not revealed at first, however, in Japanese, his name means “fatal”.
6 Mira Kanō is the Queen of Hearts
Portrayed by Riisa Naka
Introduced in Alice in Borderland season 2, this icy woman is revealed to be one of the brains behind the games in Borderland. Mira is Japanese for “queen” and she lives up to that role with no problem at all. Her role as the Queen of Hearts parallels the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. Like her Alice in Wonderland counterpart, Mira’s chosen game in the Queen of Hearts game is “croquet”, one of the best games in Alice in Borderland. With plenty of psychological undertones in place, Mira’s croquet game tests Arisu to his limits and nearly breaks him.
5 Militants are the Card Soldiers
For every evil Queen, there are minions ready to do her bidding and this Queen is no different when it comes to her soldiers. The Beach’s militants in Alice in Borderland are initially loyal to the directors, one of whom was the Queen of Hearts. Similar to their Alice in Wonderland counterparts, some of the Militants have a card suit on their clothes to represent their status in the games and what games they are involved with.
4 Kuina is the Caterpillar
Portrayed by Aya Asahina
Similar to Absolum the Caterpillar in the original story, Kuina is almost always seen smoking and solving game problems in Borderland. Absolum is seen smoking and has an obsession with mushrooms, and he gives cryptic clues to Alice to help her get out of Wonderland and figure out how to get back to her normal height. While there is no shrinking in Alice in Borderland, Kuina helps out her allies and gets them out of a situation safely, sometimes even stealing to achieve her goals.
3 Niragi is the March Hare
Portrayed by Yuri Tsunematsu
Niragi represents the March Hare, a firecracker character who acts on impulse and drives Alice crazy during her time in Wonderland. Ironically, he almost died by fire in season 1. Niragi eventually returns despite being badly injured by Chishiya and continues to cause a lot of trouble, making him one of the most lethal and vile parts of Borderland. While the March Hare is mostly harmless in the original story, his way of doing things is enough to drive Alice away just like Niragi.
2 Ann is the White Queen
Portrayed by Ayaka Miyoshi
Wearing a white shirt and known for her perspective attitude on the games, Ann represents Alice in Wonderland’s White Queen. As a forensic scientist pre-Borderland, Ann uses forensic methods to examine the games and help Arisu and his allies get through them, especially the Witch Hunt. Ann’s voice of reason mimics the White Queen’s all-knowing wisdom and aptitude for problem-solving.
1 Chota and Karube are Tweedledee and Tweedledum
Portrayed by Yuki Morinaga and Keita Machida
Aristu’s two best friends, Chota and Karube, are always working in sync, similar to Tweedledee and Tweedledum from Alice in Wonderland. Like the twins from the original story, Chota and Karube tend to argue with one another, but always playfully. In the original Lewis Carroll story, the twins tell Alice the story of the walrus and the carpenter. In Alice in Borderland, Karube bears a resemblance to the walrus’ trickster behavior while Chota works hard to get what he wants, like the carpenter. While they may not look alike, the two are best friends and willing to sacrifice themselves for Aristu during the game of Hide and Seek.
