Manga- OVA
- Netflix
Ryōhei Arisu (有栖 良平, Arisu Ryouhei) is the protagonist of Alice in Borderland. His specialty is Diamonds (♦️). He is portrayed by Kento Yamazaki.
Appearance
Arisu is a tall and lanky young man with shaggy black hair and bangs that cover his eyes. He wears various casual clothing in both the original world and the Borderland, which usually includes T-shirts, hoodies, board shorts, and jeans. Blue, yellow, and light beige/white are the dominant colors in his style.
Personality
In the original world, Arisu was a moody unemployed teenager, constantly in conflict with his family over his reluctance to attend job interviews. His addiction to computer games, however, proves advantageous to him after he and his friends are transported to the Borderland, where he is able to take a macro view of the deadly games and deduce certain details about their designs in order to find a solution.
As demonstrated during his time in the parallel Tokyo, deep down Arisu is a kind and caring individual, whose first instinct is to help people around him rather than betray them to save himself. He shows compassion to friends and foes alike, attempts to understand everyone's reasoning and see through their anger, knowing that there is usually pain hidden behind it.
Arisu is depicted as quite a well-rounded character, whose intelligence and quick-thinking are highlighted during Diamonds and Clubs games, and whose sufficient physical strength allows him not to fall behind during Spades challenges. He excels at Hearts games due to his ability to understand their core principle, which is to turn people against each other.
History
Before the Borderland, Arisu was a NEET, who dropped out of university, never left the house, and played video games all day. The only people he interacted with were Karube and Chota, his close friends, who helped him through his depression and disappointment caused by constant arguments with his father and brother.
Right before the Tokyo Meteorite Disaster, the trio was at Shibuya, laughing and causing mayhem, because Arisu texted his friends about being kicked out of the house, and they had their own struggles that they wanted to share.
Story
Season 1
Arisu with Karube and Chota in the real world
Arisu is busy playing video games but loses the match when his brother enters to scold him for missing a job interview that had been set up by their father. Frustrated, Arisu leaves the house and texts Chota and Karube asking to meet up.
The trio meets in front of Shibuya Station and discusses their next move, with Chota joking about a sudden zombie invasion. Karube remarks that Arisu would survive such an event and hoists Arisu onto his shoulders, running into a crowd of people. This causes a car accident, which in turn draws the attention of the police. The trio runs inside the metro station and hides in a bathroom stall, the lights go off along with their phones, and when they open the door to take a peek at the surroundings, they find themselves in a completely empty Tokyo.
They explore the abandoned city but find no one, so they come back to the Shibuya Crossing to discuss their next steps. A building's screen flashes, informing them that a game will commence momentarily. An arrow directs them to the GM Building, which is where the game will supposedly take place.
Arisu with Karube and Chota in the Three of Clubs game
They follow the signs and end up by an elevator. Seeing a table with phones, they grab one per person, as the instructions say, and realize that these devices work, even though their own do not. Their confusion is interrupted by an unknown lady, who joins the game and reprimands them for not taking the games seriously, showcasing that there is no way out through the lasers. Another female player then joins them, the registration closes, and Arisu and the others find out that the game is called "Dead or Alive", Three of Clubs difficulty. To win, they need to choose the correct door within the stipulated time limit and exit the building.
Shibuki urges them to choose the "live" door, but, when Minami does so, the laser shoots through her head, demonstrating the seriousness of the predicament, which Arisu and his friends did not realize prior to that. They run through the "die" door and immediately confront Shibuki. In the third room, a punch to the face by Karube jogs Arisu's memory of the car accident earlier that day, and he is able to recall the rough shape and dimensions of the building, which allows him to draw a map and eventually find a way out through multiple rooms.
Once outside, they receive a three-day visa, just before a man stumbles into the alleyway, yelling that he is done with the games. He is immediately executed by the red laser through the head. Arisu and his friends realize that their visas correlate to the amount of time they are allowed to stay alive, and that they must continue playing to survive.
After the game, Arisu and his friends share their thoughts about what happened to all the people in Tokyo. They come up with various versions, but none seems to explain what is going on around them. Karube suggests participating in another game the next day, in order to understand how this unknown parallel world works. Since Chota's leg is injured, he and Shibuki stay behind, while Arisu and Karube find the next game venue, Toei Sendagaya Apartment building, and enter the "Game of Tag", along with 11 other participants.
Arisu and Karube hiding from Horse Head
After the game rules are listed, Nitobe comes up to the duo and reveals that the current card means it is going to be a physical game, additionally explaining that each suit has its own game features, and the number on the card defines the difficulty. Despite Arisu and Karube protesting about Nitobe following them around the arena, he still does so, claiming that they might just be good enough to team up with. The group walks up the stairs to choose a starting position, and then, as the sound announces the Tagger's appearance, they start scoping the area more carefully when they hear gunshots, and a man's body falls down the stairs. The Horse Head Dealer notices the group and opens fire at them, so they rush down the stairs screaming. Arisu pulls Karube into a hiding spot, allowing them to escape from the Tagger and survive.
Later, they notice another participant hiding from gunfire, so Arisu urges him to quickly move to a safer spot. Since the Tagger does not seem to notice Arisu and Karube despite looking their way, Arisu realizes that his horse mask is blocking his vision, so he yells out his new strategy: to tell each other where the Tagger is. Usagi joins him and helps out, then Aguni and Jin take it upon themselves to distract Horse Head while Arisu is looking for the safe zone to disarm the bomb.
Arisu and Usagi clear "Game of Tag"
Eventually, Arisu realizes that the Tagger was shooting at Tatta from another floor, which makes no sense unless Tatta was sitting right next to the correct apartment. Another player, Chishiya, deduces the same, and they both open the 406 door, but get attacked by the second Horse Head Dealer, who was hiding inside. Arisu locks himself in the room with two buttons on the wall and realizes that he needs help, so he yells, and Usagi comes to the rescue. After battling with the second Dealer, they manage to knock her off balance with Chishiya's taser, and then jump and press the buttons at the last second of the bomb timer, which allows them to clear the game. However, the Dealer's collar blows up right in front of Arisu and the others, with her phone showing "GAME OVER" and switching off.
After realizing that the Horse Head Dealer died because he cleared the game, Arisu blames himself for her death. Usagi tries to reassure him, but ends up urging him to do anything in order to survive.
Chota hugs Arisu and Karube
Arisu and Karube return to the shopping center, and Chota happily greets them. Karube reveals that he heard someone talking through the walkie-talkie during the game and ordered to return to "the Beach", which is where all the answers might be. Chota's and Shibuki's visas are scheduled to expire that day, so Karube promises to clear the next game and search for the Beach later.
Usagi's words keep repeating in Arisu's mind, and he hallucinates about the dead Horse Head Dealer when Shibuki approaches him for a conversation. He shares his mixed feelings about seeing someone die right in front of him and surviving, but admits that he wants to live.
In the evening, Karube is slightly late, and Shibuki proposes to go without him, but Arisu insists on waiting. He notices how direct Shibuki is with Chota but does not fully understand the reason, and then witnesses how Chota snaps at Karube for returning later than promised. Karube helps Chota walk, and the quartet moves to find the next game venue.
Arisu and his friends in Seven of Hearts game
They arrive at the Shinjuku Natural Botanical Garden and find three white tables inside: one with four phones, one with four collar-like devices with goggles, and one big table with a variety of tools (from axes to scissors). After they are told to put on the devices, they notice that the visors follow their eye movements and identify other players by their ID. The difficulty of the game is announced to be Seven of Hearts.
"♥️ are games of betrayal where you play with people's hearts."
— Arisu remembers Nitobe's explanation
The game is called "Hide and Seek", where one person is a wolf and the other three are lambs, who need to find the wolf to become one themselves, as only one player, who is the wolf at the end, can clear the game.
Chota is selected to be the first wolf, and he panics and tries to remove the collar, but Arisu stops him, worried that the collar might explode. As their eyes meet, the wolf role gets transferred to Arisu, and they realize that this is the purpose of the eye-tracking device. Shibuki grabs a tool, attracts everyone's attention to get the wolf role and runs away, and Karube chases after her, leaving Arisu and Chota behind. Arisu catches up with them and accidentally gets the wolf role from Karube, asking them both to stop and work together, but Shibuki calls him naive, grabs Karube's axe and chases after Arisu, who is forced to hide. Karube then switches the direction of his anger towards Arisu, yelling out his name in search for him.
Eventually, Arisu stumbles upon Shibuki and lowers his eyes to avoid making contact, promising to find a solution for everyone. She accuses him of wanting to be the only survivor and claims that he does not deserve it. Karube catches up with them as well, admitting that there is no hope, but just before Shibuki attacks Arisu, Chota jumps at her and stops her. Arisu runs away and finds a glass display case, which he attempts to use as a mirror in order to remove his collar with screwdrivers, but fails. He then wants to cut the wire responsible for the explosive in the collar, but remembers what happened to Horse Head and realizes that he is unable to take such a risk. He starts crying and apologizing to his friends, but Karube's anger scares him even more.
"If you are just going to be a loser forever, then let me be the wolf!"
— Karube to Arisu
A flashback follows, showing Arisu's father complimenting his brother Hajime on being serious and committed, compared to the lazy and careless Ryohei. They invite him to have some cake, but Arisu is busy playing games on his phone, and his father openly admits that he does not expect anything from him. Then Arisu notices Karube and Chota outside, making funny faces and smiling, so he runs away with them. They eat together, and Karube gives them both a ride on a bicycle. While they are drinking in Karube's bar, Karube admits having a dream of buying a huge farm in Australia, and Chota promises to deliver beef steak there through drone delivery that he was going to build.
Memories make all three of them realize the importance of their friendship, and, when there are 3 minutes left until the end of the game, Arisu decides to give his wolf status to one of his friends instead. However, when he asks for their location, they keep silent and hide from him while he is running around and searching. No matter how many times he calls out for them, nobody responds, and the game screen shows the rule, "Hide well, sheep, so that the wolf does not find you". Eventually, Karube and Chota start reminiscing on their fun days together, still hiding, while Arisu keeps looking for them.
Arisu witnessing Karube's death
"Arisu, live on for us!"
— Chota's last words
Ten seconds before the end of the game, Arisu finally finds Karube, who sits on the railings, smoking.
"I am behind you. Thank you, Arisu."
— Karube's last words
Just as Arisu is about to approach Karube, the game countdown reaches zero, and Karube's collar blows up. Seeing Karube's dead body and realizing that both of his friends are dead, Arisu starts screaming in agony.
After losing both of his friends during the Seven of Hearts game, Arisu falls into despair and loses all hope to live. Usagi finds him lying on a road, having neither eaten, slept, nor showered. She asks him a few times whether he wants to survive, but he ignores her. Eventually, she moves him into her campsite and feeds him. Usagi's words of gratitude for the help during the "Game of Tag", as well as her own life story she shares, give Arisu a little strength to move on.
Later, the duo enters another game, "Distance", which is located in a highway tunnel and starts on a bus. As they walk onto the bus, they see three more players who seem to be friends. When the task is revealed to be reaching the GOAL, everyone assumes the necessity to run across the tunnel, but Takuma, one of the players, is hurt and cannot move. His speech convinces others to proceed without him, and Usagi tells Arisu that it is the right choice.
Arisu and Usagi after the "Distance" game is cleared
As the four of them move through the tunnel, they stumble upon a table with "refreshments". Arisu reaches for a bottle, but Usagi cautiously stops him and offers her own bottle of water instead, which he then shares with Seizan and Yamane. As the tunnel goes dark, the group gets attacked by a panther that chases them between the cars and eventually kills Seizan while the others escape.
In the middle of the tunnel, the group finds a motorbike, which reminds Arisu of Chota's earlier discovery about which mechanisms and devices still function in the Borderland. Arisu realizes that the diesel fuel from the motorbike can be used to start the bus and bring Takuma to the GOAL. He volunteers to take the motorbike back to the starting position, while Usagi and Yamane keep running forward. His plan succeeds, and he drives the bus towards Usagi, who, in turn, is running back from a tsunami. Arisu, Usagi, and Takuma are the only survivors of the game.
The duo decides to stay as a team and start searching for the location of the Beach.
Arisu and Usagi caught by the Beach people
Arisu in the Four of Diamonds game
Arisu and Usagi are looking for the Beach in the hope of learning the truth about the Borderland. They ask other players and then start watching them, finding a group with bracelets and chasing after their car. When they eventually find the place, they get caught by the militants and brought over to the Seaside Paradise Tokyo hotel. They are greeted by the executives and then the leader of the Beach, Hatter, who explains the rules and purpose of the organization. Arisu asks if they can still refuse and leave, but Hatter laughs that it is not possible. Arisu apologizes to Usagi for dragging her into this mess, but she brushes his apology aside.
As they stay at the Beach, they get separated into different teams when the game time comes, and Arisu goes with Ann, Kuina, and Tatta to the Four of Diamonds game arena, where the players have to work out which switch turns on the light bulb. Ann solves the game instantly, but she is adamant about testing Arisu, so she keeps pressuring him into making the decision. Arisu first wants to take a chance, but Ann's words stop him, so he decides to take a logical approach and asks Kuina to close the door before turning on Switch A. As the timer almost runs out, he turns off the switch and asks Kuina to open the door and touch the light bulb. Since it ends up hot, the group realizes the answer to the question, and Arisu additionally explains that electricity creates heat.
After returning to the Beach and reuniting with Usagi, Arisu gets involved with the militants who wish to take Usagi by force. He attempts to protect her, but there are too many of them, and they are not in the mood to have a discussion, so Aguni orders Niragi to break Arisu's legs. Luckily, Hatter arrives in time to resolve the conflict, and then invites Arisu to an executive meeting.
Upon the meeting's conclusion, Hatter invites Arisu to his suite, uncomfortably enjoying his time with women, drinking, and sharing his life story with Arisu.
Usagi wakes Arisu up, and they decide to explore their surroundings. They split up, and Arisu goes to the backyard, where he stumbles upon Momoka and Asahi having a private conversation, but they instantly run away from him, which makes him think they assumed he was trying to flirt with them. He then hears the militants and observes their behavior before opening a garbage container they were filling up and finding a lot of dead bodies that have already started to stink.
Chishiya and Kuina approach Arisu, reminding him of the "Death to traitors" rule, and invite him to the roof to have a chat. Chishiya asks what Arisu plans to do next, and Arisu shares his wish to leave the Borderland or at least allow Usagi to be the one who escapes. Kuina laughs and points out that Arisu would need to become the next #1 in order to achieve that goal, which, with his rank, would likely take a while. Chishiya reveals his plan to stage a coup and steal Hatter's stack of cards to change the status quo and have the chance to get out quickly.
Arisu caught stealing cards
The next morning, Chishiya invites Arisu to witness an executive meeting, during which Hatter is revealed to have been shot dead. Shocked, Arisu glances at Chishiya, who also did not expect the outcome, and then watches as Niragi and Last Boss threaten everyone, including him, into voting for Aguni to be the new leader of the Beach.
As Aguni gives a speech in the hotel lobby, Chishiya explains the plan to Arisu and Usagi, and sends Arisu to retrieve the cards from Hatter's suite. While Arisu searches for the safe, Chishiya, who keeps watch on the militants in the lobby and communicates through a walkie-talkie, describes the clues he used to find the safe's password. Realizing how smart Chishiya is, Arisu jokes that he would not want to be Chishiya's enemy. When Arisu finds the safe and tries the password, it is incorrect. The alarm goes off, and Chishiya stops responding. Soon the militants walk into the room, and Arisu realizes Chishiya's betrayal. Saiko and others bring in Usagi, and Niragi beats Arisu unconscious. The militants then move him to a secret room, tie him up with duct tape and laugh that he will get killed by a laser after his visa expires, while Niragi is planning to "have fun" with Usagi.
The "Witch Hunt" game begins, and Aguni orders his underlings to kill all the Beach residents. Arisu remains in the room for the majority of the episode duration, and eventually Last Boss sets the building on fire, so the smoke starts filling Arisu's room. He manages to get rid of the duct tape blocking his mouth, remembering his friends and realizing his impending death.
Hearing his screams, Usagi finds him and hugs him, then the duo, teamed up with Tatta and Asahi, moves to another room and starts brainstorming ideas on how to solve the game. Arisu attempts to think like the Witch first, but quickly recalls that it is a Hearts game, which means he needs to think like the game master. Eventually, he finds the answer.
Arisu solving the "Witch Hunt"
Arisu stops Aguni and the militants from massacring the Beach members by proposing a solution to the game. He reveals that Aguni, even though not the Witch, was Hatter's true killer, and realizes the reason behind his wish to kill everyone and die by their hands, as Aguni's eyes are the same as Arisu's were after the Seven of Hearts game. Arisu understands that Aguni is suffering due to murdering his friend and is blaming the Beach members for driving Hatter insane. Aguni's pain, revealed to everyone, causes his violent breakdown, so he keeps punching and kicking Arisu, claiming to be the Witch and demanding judgement. Eventually, Asahi's revelation of being a Dealer stops the chaos, and Ann proves Arisu's theory that the real witch is Momoka herself, who ended her own life. With little time left, the militants attempt to carry Momoka's body into the fire, but Niragi suddenly emerges and starts shooting everyone. He points a gun at Usagi, and Arisu instantly sits in front of her, ready to take the bullet, but they are both saved by Aguni, who runs at Niragi and pushes him into the flames.
As the survivors leave the Beach and watch it burn from afar, Tatta starts crying, which makes Usagi lose her cool and lash out at the militants with accusations. Arisu stops her and asks her to focus on living on, but then falls down due to multiple beatings he took earlier, and Usagi hugs him.
Arisu and Usagi in the Dealers base
During the Interval, Arisu and Usagi find a video on Asahi's phone revealing that Asahi and Momoka became Dealers and that the games are managed from a hidden lair. Determined to uncover the truth, Arisu and Usagi head to the lair, following the path from the video, only to find the Dealers already dead. Chishiya and Kuina happen to already be there, having discovered the place due to a map Chishiya found inside Horse Head's pocket.
Suddenly, the monitors light up, revealing Mira as the mastermind behind the games. She thanks the players for the games so far, and announces the next stage, which is scheduled to begin the following day: the Face Card stage. Arisu states that this is their next target, and the quartet moves to the Shibuya Crossing. Big airships with Face Card images start flying around the city, indicating the beginning of new challenges.
Season 2
Beach members arriving at Shibuya
Arisu hides behind a car
Arisu remembers his gaming days back in the real world. Just as his father was asking him whether killing people in games was fun in a flashback, the storytelling returns to the present day, showcasing Arisu himself as one of the targets in a massacre, running away from the attacker.
Before the beginning of the Second Stage, Arisu, Usagi, Chishiya, and Kuina are waiting at the Shibuya Crossing, looking at a huge screen with the "NEXT STAGE START" announcement. There are no people around, and nothing is happening. Suddenly, the quartet hears car engine sounds, and soon all the surviving Beach residents arrive at the game venue, stating that they have heard about the commencement of the new Stage. The conversation is cut short, as one of the players is shot dead out of nowhere, and then more and more people get violently eliminated. As Chishiya identifies the weapon as an anti-tank rifle, everyone starts running away, unsure where exactly the attacker is shooting from. The quartet hides behind a small building, and Arisu exclaims that there are no rules, and the game is mass murder. As more players arrive at the venue, Arisu guesses that there might be multiple shooters involved. Realizing the necessity to keep running away, Arisu tells others to split up and hide, and everyone scatters in panic. Arisu keeps running in no clear direction, seeing people die in front of him and remembering what it was like to kill enemies in video games.
After a short period of time, Arisu and Usagi meet again and run together across another street. Arisu notices a player getting shot but remaining alive, so he attempts to save them. Meanwhile, he remembers how he lost a game, and his brother reminded him that resetting reality was not possible. He and Usagi are attacked and forced to hide behind cars, from where they hear Kuina's voice urging them to stay focused on their own survival. As they look at the sky, they notice a large blimp, carrying a massive card image, which represents the King of Spades. Usagi notices the temporary silence and urges Arisu to escape while they can. The player Arisu initially wanted to save still moves, so he and Usagi attempt to rescue him. However, the King of Spades himself appears at the other end of the street and opens fire at them. They grab the wounded player and carry them away, only to realize that the person is beyond saving. Looking from behind the car, Arisu struggles to believe that the King of Spades operates alone.
Luckily for the quartet, Ann and Tatta arrive in a car and urge everyone to get in. Usagi, Arisu, and Kuina make it to the car, but Chishiya is forced to stay behind. Now Arisu is convinced that the King of Spades operates alone, and defeating him is the only game rule of the massacre. He also deduces that each Face Card game has a game master, and defeating them all will result in clearing the Second Stage. However, it remains unclear whether defeating the game masters can grant them a ticket back home. Looking back at all they have been through, Arisu points out that all the games so far have had clear rules, and, just as Hatter predicted, after all 40 number cards were gathered, the Second Stage began.
Arisu, Usagi, and Kuina during the car chase
The discussion is interrupted by the King of Spades, who has taken one of the Beach cars in order to catch up with the group. He shoots right at them, and a car chase begins. Making a sharp U-turn, Ann manages to pull away from the attacker, but not for long, and his car starts hitting theirs. In an escape attempt, the group accidentally crashes into another vehicle, and their car turns over, while the King of Spades drives past them and gets hit by other Beach residents. All five survive and crawl out of the car, but the King of Spades opens fire once again, forcing players to split up, so Arisu, Usagi, Tatta, and Kuina lose Ann in the process and escape.
The quartet takes cover in a building and rests. Considering their predicament, they decide to find another car and bring more supplies, so Arisu and Usagi go to the nearest store for food.
Arisu's flashback of Chota and Karube buying yakisoba
While looking at the products, one of the boxes reminds Arisu of his friends and the time they spent in the real world, so he picks it up and promises to eat it. After filling the basket with food, he goes to the counter, and Usagi politely greets him in a way a cashier would, which makes them both laugh as they have not been in such a situation since arriving in the Borderland. They continue with the formal way of talking, Arisu jokes that Usagi's voice is an octave higher, and she explains that it makes customers want to come back. He states that customers would naturally come back, calling Usagi beautiful, which makes the situation slightly awkward, but Usagi quickly changes the topic. Arisu expresses his wish to go home and reminisces on how he would sit under A/C and read manga with his friends, while eating yakisoba, but Usagi reveals her father's fate and her own wish to stay in the Borderland. Arisu hugs her, promising to protect her with his life, and insists on returning and starting over, but she claims that he does not understand her feelings and wishes to stay. He tries to change her mind, but she pushes him away and leaves.
On the way back, Tatta and Kuina pick them up in a car.
Arisu suggests joining another game
The next day, Arisu observes the blimps from a rooftop and spots the King of Spades card approaching the group's location. As the quartet starts brainstorming ideas on how to survive the game that takes the whole city, Arisu suggests participating in another game, assuming that the Face Card game masters would not invade each other's venues, and might even explain what these games are and why people have to die in them. Kuina proposes a vote on what to do next, and all four agree to join the King of Clubs game.
They drive towards the venue and see a lot of shipping containers. There is a table with wristbands and a note that there must be 5 players in order to participate. At first the quartet thinks there are not enough of them, but suddenly a familiar voice breaks the silence, and they see Niragi behind them with a wristband already on his wrist. Despite others refusing to work with him, Arisu supports Usagi's decision to look past the previous concerns in order to survive, since he wishes to get answers.
The doors open, and the group enters the game arena. The screen lights up with "The Sology" logo, and the announcement states that the King of Clubs' team has arrived. Four people walk towards them from different sides, followed by a completely naked man, who welcomes them and introduces himself as Kyuma, the King of Clubs. He then introduces Shitara, Uta, Maki, and Goken, and Uta jokes that he scared the guests with his appearance, but Kyuma is convinced that walking around nude is completely natural, as it is humanity's true form. To Arisu's question, Kyuma explains that they are Citizens of this country.
Upon learning of Kyuma's status as a Citizen, Arisu and the others are left utterly confused, as they have never encountered the term before.
While explaining the rules, Kyuma announces that battling is possible in teams and suggests that Arisu and Usagi hold hands for a demonstration, but they both hesitate after their previous private conversation, which amuses Kyuma. Eventually, Usagi walks up to Arisu and grabs his hand, to which Kyuma states that being a couple suits them.
While in contact with his own base and battling Arisu, Kyuma shows how touching an opponent in that situation means the opponent loses 10 000 points, their score falls below zero, and they get shot down by the laser.
Arisu trying to get answers from Kyuma
After all the rules are figured out, Kyuma and his team prepare to leave, but Arisu stops him and tries to get some information. The attempt is futile, as the King of Clubs becomes philosophical and dares Arisu to face him with everything he has got in order to get the answers he seeks. Arisu agrees to play by the rules, and the teams separate.
As his teammates start discussing the points distribution, Arisu claims that this decision is very important for the game, which means they have to find an effective strategy.
Eventually, the plan is the following:
- The faster runners (Usagi and Kuina) get 300 points;
- The slower runners (Niragi and Arisu) get 4600 and 4700 points respectively;
- The goalkeeper at the base (Tatta) gets 100 points, the least number possible, as he is able to get infinite points by touching the base;
- Pairs of fast and slow runners (Arisu + Kuina, Usagi + Niragi) search for items together, because, while battling against a duo, opponents cannot see the individual points distribution between each teammate and see only combined points instead.
Kuina asking about Arisu's relationship with Usagi
To Kuina's question about why Arisu paired Usagi with Niragi, Arisu calls it a strategic decision, but Kuina can see through his pretense and demands an explanation. He brushes off all the questions and keeps opening containers in search for items, and the next one is a success, as there is a button to press inside. Kuina claims the first item, obtaining 2000 points for herself and her team, and Arisu happily closes the container, only to see Kyuma waiting outside. Arisu and Kuina first join hands to have a better chance to win the battle, but Kyuma mentions overhearing their conversation about Usagi and tries to lift Arisu's spirits, turning the situation into a life lesson for him. Eventually, Arisu agrees to battle Kyuma alone without Kuina, but wins anyway, since Kyuma divided the points evenly between all his teammates.
At the end of the first round, Arisu and Kuina corner Maki, and Arisu quickly touches his shoulder to win another 500 points in the battle.
As the quartet returns to the base, Tatta compliments their success, and Arisu admits that things are going well so far, giving Niragi a high five to acknowledge his contributions. Arisu, Usagi, and Kuina touch the base to return to the active status, and discuss what they have learned about the enemy team, deciding to focus on their search for items.
Arisu reminds his friends about facing a serious opponent who is prepared to die
When the second round of battles begins, the players' team successfully claims another item, but they see a sudden announcement about a major change in the score, and a GAME OVER for someone on the King of Clubs' team. They return to the base and find out what happened from Tatta. Arisu points out that now three out of four of the remaining opponents have over 10 000 points each, as they have sacrificed one of their own to turn the tide, which makes battling an unfavorable option even in pairs. Seeing as his friends are arguing, Arisu reminds them of Kyuma being the King of Clubs, who has shown to be prepared to die. He suggests focusing on the search for the items and avoiding battles.
While his teammates are losing, Arisu successfully finds another item; however, Uta is already waiting inside the container, so she presses the button first and earns 3000 points. Seeing her and Kyuma, Arisu realizes that nobody is guarding their base, and Kyuma confirms their confidence in the players' lack of courage needed to attack. He touches Arisu's shoulder to initiate a battle, steals 500 points, and reminds him of the nature of the death games.
The players return to the base once again to come up with a new plan. Arisu suggests discarding their fear and attacking the enemy base.
"This is our only chance. You are my teammates, my friends. I would risk my life to save yours."
While everyone is skeptical of his idea, Niragi supports Arisu, claiming that he is not the guy to let fear stop him. Others realize their own wish to win, so they agree and discuss the exact strategy.
Arisu forcing Kyuma to grab him
Arisu's role in the plan is based on him never touching his own base and never restoring the active status. As everyone runs towards the enemy base, Arisu pretends to reach for the pole, but Kyuma grabs his wrist just before it happens, assuming it would lead to a battle. However, since Arisu is out of commission, he and Kyuma get electrocuted, which incapacitates them both for a short period of time, allowing others to do their part. The plan results in half-failure, as Kuina cannot touch the pole because of Maki's interference, and the team is forced to return to their own area.
Back at their base, Arisu blames himself for the failure of his plan. Usagi's decision to keep fighting seems pointless to him at first, but he respects her inner strength, and he is overjoyed when she succeeds, reducing the difference in points to 500. Arisu decides to go to Kyuma's base and battle him again to get the remaining points, but, before he attempts something that could end in his death, he thanks Tatta for always cheering him up.
Arisu carrying Usagi back to the base
Arisu stumbles upon Niragi harassing Usagi, so he pushes him away and punches him in the face. While Niragi is maniacally laughing at Arisu's desperation, Arisu keeps hitting him over and over, enraged by how Niragi treated Usagi. Then he gently carries Usagi to the base, apologizing for putting her in danger. He recalls how she rudely rejected his offer to return to the real world together, then remembers Kyuma's words about leadership, and eventually realizes that his decision to separate from her due to his selfish grudge was a huge mistake.
Tatta begging Arisu to help him
With 7 minutes remaining, he storms off to ensure his friends' survival but hears banging sounds and changes direction. He finds Tatta, repeatedly slamming a container door on his hand in an attempt to remove his wristband. He asks Arisu to push the door harder and then take the wristband with him, as if there were two players, in order to get a chance for their team to win. The request seems impossible for Arisu, but Tatta keeps begging him, insisting that everyone will die otherwise, and the realization that this might be their last option sinks in, so Arisu screams, closes his eyes, and slams the door. He then tries to stop Tatta's bleeding by wrapping his shirt around his wrist and apologizes for hurting him, but Tatta urges him to go and save the others.
Arisu thanks Kyuma for his life advice
Kyuma agrees to shake Arisu's hand
Arisu leaves Tatta and walks towards the dock, where he finds Kyuma, who is looking at the ocean and waiting for him. Arisu admits his team's defeat, and Kyuma expresses disappointment with Arisu having given up, so he refuses to answer any questions. Arisu smiles and suggests shaking hands for the last time, which confuses Kyuma, since a handshake would initiate a battle, but Arisu explains his feelings.
"I have finally realized something about myself because of your words. I should have accepted their feelings and let them know they could depend on me. And maybe we could have understood each other a little better. Even if you are my enemy or my opponent, and I understand it sounds weird, I still want to thank you for helping me realize those important things. I know I don't have time to do anything, so, before I die, at least let me shake the hand of the one who showed me my true self."
— Arisu explaining his rationality
Kyuma agrees to grant Arisu's dying wish, stating that battling him was a pleasure. They shake hands, while Arisu is holding onto Tatta's wristband in his pocket, and the score changes. Now the player team is leading by 500 points. To Kyuma's confusion, Arisu shows Tatta's wristband, explaining that he has won the game thanks to his friend. Seeing as Kyuma regrets letting his own friends down, Arisu points out that he was the one who set the tone and demanded putting everything they had got on the line.
Arisu tries to ask Kyuma about what happens at the end and whether it is possible to return to the real world, but Kyuma's response is vague, as he claims that the truth is what Arisu's intuition is telling him. Seeing as Arisu wants to give up playing, Kyuma points out that he will not find the truth in that case. Arisu is lost and unsure what to do next, realizing that he will never be as strong as Kyuma, but Kyuma advises him to see it as his own life and his own game instead of trying to follow in someone's footsteps.
Arisu realizing that Kyuma is about to die
The timer runs out, and the King of Clubs game is over. Kyuma wishes Arisu luck and walks away, but Arisu screams that he does not want him to die. Kyuma reminds him that one of them was always meant to die at the end, and confirms that they have been friends the whole time. Arisu watches as Kyuma gets shot by the laser, and his body falls into the ocean. The player team's victory is announced, and the King of Clubs blimp blows up.
Arisu returns to Tatta and attempts to wake him up to let him know of their victory. Usagi and Kuina slowly walk towards them, shocked to see Tatta in a pool of blood. Tatta wakes up and makes a joke about being great, which Arisu confirms and thanks him for. However, then Tatta loses consciousness again, permanently this time, which breaks Arisu's heart, as he tries to shake him and bring him back to life, crying and begging him not to leave.
Tatta dies, so Arisu, Usagi, and Kuina bury him nearby. Arisu puts his cap on top of the pillar, which serves as a gravestone.
Arisu in despair after Tatta's death
After witnessing the deaths of Tatta and Kyuma, Arisu is devastated. He spends days sitting and lying down, consumed by despair and guilt.
"When I was talking to Kyuma at the end of the game, I understood something. They were all players to begin with, and then eventually, they started making the games themselves. This means, even if we clear all the games, we might not be able to return home. Maybe... our world does not exist anymore. And I had to do that to Tatta for something like this..."
— Arisu crying in realization
Kuina attempts to reassure him, but Arisu does not react, and eventually Kuina leaves to find Ann and Chishiya, telling Arisu to take care of Usagi.
Arisu spends more days lying down in silence and remembering his late friends, Karube and Chota, with one of the flashbacks being a scene from Episode 1 (Season 1), when Chota joked about a zombie invasion, and Karube claimed that only Arisu would survive the event.
In the following flashback from the time before the Borderland, the trio was on the roof, and Karube asked why Arisu was acting like his life was over and the world was ending. He wondered whether getting a job was such a terrible thing for Arisu and then gave him life advice, reminding him that there is always another way, even if it seems like his life is at a dead end. Chota laughed and exclaimed that Arisu could use his father's connections instead of worrying or having deep thoughts. Arisu was silently looking at his friends jokingly bickering, which made him smile.
The flashback dissolves into a scene with Arisu sitting on another rooftop but in the present now, seemingly considering Karube's words.
Arisu hunting with Usagi
Next morning, Arisu is lying down once again, and Usagi comes back with some herbs, urging him to go hunting, since they cannot survive on plants alone. He ignores her at first, but she plops a piece of cloth on his chest and insists that he has to help if he wants to eat. They start chasing rabbits, but Arisu fails to catch one, so Usagi complains that he is not serious. They try a few more times, but fail again, until Arisu whines that he cannot continue, and Usagi jokes that there will be no meat for him in that case. Usagi laughs and offers him a hand to stand up from the grass, where he fell trying to jump after another rabbit, and they both smile, looking at each other.
Suddenly, they hear gunshots and move towards the direction of the sound, coming to an area full of dead bodies. They look around and find one single survivor, Kaito Kameyama, who is sitting next to his trailer covered in blood. He asks them to watch his film and passes away. Arisu follows Usagi inside the trailer, and they see multiple pictures and eight millimeter film, so Arisu decides that Kameyama was a photographer. They start watching the film, which shows empty streets and the trailer they are in, and then Kameyama appears on camera and states that electronic devices do not work, so he is using an eight millimeter camera to make a record of the place, because he wants to document it and figure out what is going on. Kameyama records multiple things, including a mysterious woman who claims that the fireworks people saw on the day they were transported to the Borderland were actually not fireworks but something else, however, she does not have the time to say anything more, since the King of Spades attacks the settlement and murders everyone, gravely wounding Kameyama himself, who survives long enough for someone to find the video but eventually dies.
Arisu under attack by the King of Spades
As the film ends, the trailer starts shaking, and Usagi and Arisu realize that the King of Spades' blimp has appeared above them, indicating that they are under attack. They get out from the other side of the trailer, with Usagi urging Arisu to duck, and run into the forest while being chased by the King and shot at. At some point, they are separated, as Usagi slides under a hill, and Arisu hides behind a tree, then Arisu distracts the King's attention to stop him from shooting at Usagi and runs away. He falls down and is about to get killed, but someone shoots at the King from behind Arisu's back, Arisu starts running again, bashes his head on an arrow stuck in a tree, and falls down unconscious.
Later that evening, when Arisu wakes up, he finds himself by the fire and searches for Usagi, but sees another woman with a bow in her hands and a Cheetah Flex-Foot Cheetah instead of her left foot. He wonders whether she is a Citizen, but she does not seem to know what that means. To Arisu's question about why she shot an arrow he hit his face on, she explains that he would have died running around in panic and adds that "he" wanted to save Arisu. She advises to thank "him" but warns Arisu that "he" is in a bad mood. When Arisu walks towards the tree where his savior is sitting, he realizes that it is actually Aguni.
Arisu reunited with Aguni
Arisu is shocked to see Aguni alive, so he informs him of Niragi's survival, which seems to irritate the former, who asks about other mutual acquaintances. Arisu briefly mentions Ann, Chishiya, Kuina, and Tatta, and then explains that he intends to find Usagi. Aguni reveals his plan to take down the King of Spades, and Arisu is surprised, considering how strong the King is. When asked about the purpose to keep going, Arisu admits that he has no particular reason to live, but he also does not wish to die, which is a very typical feeling for all humans.
In the morning, Arisu wakes up and sees topless Heiya, who is sitting with her back towards him and wiping her body with a wet cloth. Arisu pretends to sleep until she is done, but she hears that he is awake and talks to him. He asks which way the city is, and she wonders whether he is looking for Usagi, revealing that she overheard the conversation. She then asks whether she is cuter than Usagi and claims that Arisu is blushing. Noticing that Arisu is "nice" and "cute", Heiya jumps at him, trying to force him into sexual intercourse, but then Aguni walks towards them with a tired look on his face, so Heiya instantly lets go of Arisu and tries to find an excuse for her behavior, claiming that Aguni has already rejected her before. Aguni tells them both to start moving, and Arisu refuses at first, willing to find Usagi, but Aguni insists on taking care of his own life, since the King of Spades is going to attack as soon as he sees them. Aguni throws Arisu a rifle and walks away.
The group preparing for an ambush
During the hike, Aguni follows a compass and voices his suspicion that the King of Spades keeps tabs on all the players and tracks them, so he plans to find a good spot for an ambush. Deep in the woods they find a player who hanged himself instead of waiting for his visa to run out, and Arisu feels compassion towards him, considering the world they are in, despite Heiya's criticism. He then asks about Heiya's past and learns about her leg, as well as her determination to survive.
Reaching a cliff, Aguni states that this is where they will prepare an ambush. Arisu says that it does not make sense, but Heiya rudely silences him. Seeing as Aguni gives Heiya smoke bombs and wires, Arisu asks questions, and Heiya's explanation impresses him, but Aguni points out that he was the one who taught her and orders Arisu to keep watch in the tent.
Arisu points his rifle at Shirabi
Every sound makes Arisu jump and point his gun towards the darkness, which seems to be justified, as Shirabi indeed comes to their camp that night. Arisu starts falling asleep, as nothing seems to be happening, but suddenly hears an explosion and gunshots. He gets out of the tent in panic and points his rifle at the King of Spades, who is lying down seemingly defeated. However, Shirabi suddenly gets up and starts shooting back at the group, forcing Arisu to run and hide behind a tree next to Aguni. He realizes that he was being used as bait, and Aguni does not deny the fact, stating that Arisu has a talent for it. Then, Aguni explains that Shirabi is wearing a bulletproof vest, so they need to cover each other while luring him to the cliff. Arisu is shocked and lost, but he runs to another spot and shoots, falling down from the recoil. During the further gunfight, Shirabi drops a grenade at Arisu's feet, so Aguni shouts for him to run, and Arisu jumps away in panic, pushed into the water by the explosion.
In the morning, Arisu crawls out of the stream and walks towards the city. Considering the time of day, he has likely wandered around for hours. Suddenly, he notices a tent with light inside and rushes in, hoping it might be Usagi's, but it ends up being another unknown player. Walking further in the morning, he finds a corpse in a car, which seems to have been there for a while, since insects are crawling all around it. Surviving on a couple of drops of water he found in a bottle, Arisu approaches a game venue for the Queen of Diamonds, searching for Usagi, but to no avail. Next morning, he walks around the city a bit more and notices that plants have covered all the buildings, as if a few years have passed since humans disappeared.
Arisu and Usagi reunited
In the evening, Arisu joins the Queen of Spades game and finds Usagi, who is protecting a child. The two run towards each other and hug after Arisu explains that he expected her to join a physical game. Then Usagi introduces Kota to Arisu and mentions that his visa is expiring that day. The screen behind them lights up, revealing the game name and rules. Risa, the Queen of Spades, introduces herself and explains that her team consists of four players, so Arisu wonders whether they are also Citizens. After the game flow is demonstrated on the screen, everyone equips special vests with a button at the back, and the game begins.
Players scatter, leaving Arisu, Usagi, and Kota alone on the entry platform. By the end of Round 1, Arisu and Usagi notice a lot more red players and decide to tag back as many as they can in their own next turn. Arisu assumes that the former blue players will want to rejoin, and Usagi nods in determination. While they are running around, they notice Risa stopping a blue player from tagging a red one, and Usagi points out that the rules did not prohibit such actions. Arisu suggests splitting up and getting each player back one by one, but Usagi is worried, so Arisu comes up with a plan to check on each other when the siren goes off at the end of every turn.
By Round 10, most of the players have been tagged by the red team and convinced to stay there. Arisu finds a red player and offers to help him by tagging him back, but the player runs away, which confuses Arisu. By the end of the round, Arisu and Usagi check on each other's well-being, and Round 11, the Queen's turn, begins. Arisu, Usagi, and Kota end up the only three players left on the blue team, but the Queen wants only Arisu, as he is her type, so the red team starts hunting him down. Risa joins the chase personally and corners Arisu, but Usagi jumps between them from the higher floor and stops the Queen, allowing Arisu to escape.
Arisu and Usagi reunite, and Usagi claims to have a plan. She tags a few players back to the blue team, and Arisu states that they need five more to win, urging her to keep running and looking for red players, but Usagi decides to convince the ones she tagged to sincerely join back. Arisu does not share the idea at first and wishes to proceed with the game, but eventually listens and realizes that Usagi's previous response about the Borderland has changed, and now she is ready to return to the real world. After her monologue, one of the players claims that the real world is gone, so Arisu interferes and points out that the Citizens die if they lose, which means there are still rules in place, and defeating all Face Cards will mean no more games left to play. Other players doubt his claims at first, but he insists on having hope. Usagi's words about giving the real world another chance eventually win over the trust of another red player, who comes from around the corner and expresses the wish to see his family again, so Arisu presses the button in his back to bring him over to the blue team.
One of the players leaves anyway, but the others agree to help, so the five of them design a strategy to tag everyone back during the last turn. Usagi proposes to catch them one by one, but Arisu has another plan. During the Queen's turn, Arisu and Usagi run towards a higher floor, where the red team chases Arisu, so he runs away first, leaving Usagi behind, and ends up alone and cornered by the red team. The Queen of Spades feels victorious, but Arisu, trying his best not to let the opponents touch his back, grabs a metal chain, jumps on it, and swings away, barely escaping. As soon as the last turn begins, Usagi catches Arisu on his chain and pulls him back to the platform.
Arisu and Usagi after the "Checkmate" game is cleared
Round 16 is the final round for both the Challenger Team and the game overall. By the end, all players are tagged by the blue team, leaving the Queen of Spades to be the only member of the red team, and the game is cleared. Arisu watches players rejoice over the victory, then turns around to see Usagi hugging Kota, and smiles. The moment is interrupted by Risa, who confidently walks through the crowd and sarcastically congratulates Usagi on convincing others to join her. Arisu tries to get answers out of her and points out that Risa and other Citizens were once the same players as them, but Risa dismisses him with a mysterious promise that he will learn the truth after beating all the games. Despite his screams and attempts to find out if there is a chance to go back to the real world, Risa simply reiterates that he needs to clear all the games first, and then jumps off the edge, having her head pierced through by the laser.
Arisu and Usagi in a hot spring
Arisu and Usagi kiss
Arisu and Usagi return Kota to Nozomi and leave. While they are walking along the street, Arisu expresses his wish to finally learn the truth and return to the real world with Usagi. She agrees and expresses the same wish, surprising him. Suddenly, they see a ruined building, which served as the venue for the Seven of Spades, and find a hot spring (温泉, onsen) inside. They touch the water to check the temperature and decide to take a bath. Arisu excitedly removes his clothes, and Usagi is embarrassed to do it together, so they end up on different sides of a pile of rocks to have some privacy. The camera shows Arisu's clothes in a total mess, while Usagi's are neatly folded. Arisu enjoys the hot water but then hears Usagi's scream, so he goes to her side and sees a couple of elephants standing right in front of her. He exclaims that they cannot be real and jokes that they are also having a bath, but admits that he and Usagi would never see such a sight if they had not been brought to the Borderland. They both get emotional and share a meaningful look, but Usagi gets embarrassed again and turns away, prompting Arisu to avert his eyes and claim that he did not see anything.
"Elephants! There is nothing to see except the elephants! I love the elephants!"
As he is about to leave, Usagi suddenly says that it is okay if he stays, and they come closer. The elephants attract their attention, and they do not notice how their hands eventually touch underwater. They share a long look and lean for a kiss. However, the moment is ruined, when Arisu notices a dead body under a stone.
At the end of the episode, Arisu and Usagi stand on a roof looking at the sunrise. Arisu states that they could die at any moment and calls their survival so far a miracle. Usagi wants to fight until the end, and he agrees.
Arisu walks around the area and finds a rifle with ammo on the ground. He loads the gun and proceeds towards the Shibuya Crossing, eventually ending up in a big open area, surrounded by cars. He hears a familiar voice behind and looks back to find Chishiya, who casually greets him.
The gunfight between Arisu, Chishiya, and Niragi
Arisu shooting at Niragi
"It's you, after all. I knew you'd survive."
— Chishiya about Arisu's survival until now
Arisu notices that Chishiya has become softer, and Chishiya laughs that they have all been through a lot. He then expresses his wish to share something he has never told anyone before, and Arisu smiles, ready to listen, but Chishiya's speech is interrupted by a sudden gunshot from Niragi. Arisu silently watches as Niragi coughs out blood and throws Chishiya a gun to start a fight between the three of them, claiming that they are all the same outcasts. Chishiya picks up the gun and invites Arisu to join, but Arisu is shocked and confused, so he refuses. Niragi then shoots at Arisu's feet, forcing him to run and hide behind a car, and proceeds to attack Chishiya. Arisu yells at him to stop, but Niragi's psychological issues have clouded his judgement, and another accusatory speech follows. Arisu remembers how Karube, Chota, and Tatta died because of him and admits that Niragi's words are rubbing salt into his wound, however, he refuses to continue being weak and selfish, and, therefore, refuses to hide and pull the trigger only to survive. Niragi claims that it has ruined all the fun for him and lowers his gun, however, Usagi walks into the area, and her appearance triggers Niragi once more. He takes a few shots at her, and Arisu starts screaming that she has nothing to do with the situation. However, Niragi is convinced that her death will bring the attention back to him, which means he will not be alone anymore. The moment Niragi pulls the trigger for the last time, Arisu shoots at him in return, only to realize that Chishiya protected Usagi with his body. Then, Arisu rushes towards Chishiya, who is lying on the ground barely conscious, and asks what he had wanted to share before Niragi came. Chishiya opens up to him, and Arisu understands his feelings. Then Niragi speaks up, but Arisu notices that he is unable to stand or move.
Seeing the blimp of the King of Spades, Arisu and Usagi decide to hide Niragi and Chishiya under the cars to hopefully save their lives.
Watching other people run from the gunfire, Arisu states that the King of Spades and the Queen of Hearts are the only games left, so people are naturally gathering near those venues. Then Usagi notices Kuina and Ann in the crowd, so the four reunite. Kuina asks whether Chishiya is alive, and Arisu answers affirmatively, even though he is not fully sure about Chishiya's future. While trying to escape the attack, Ann separates from the others and falls, and the King comes dangerously close to her, so Arisu tries to shoot at the King to stop him from killing her, but the King fires at him and Usagi instead, forcing them to flee.
Arisu realizes that Heiya recognized Usagi and remembers what happened in the forest
Fortunately for everyone, another player drives a car right into Shirabi, causing an accident followed by a massive explosion. However, Shirabi survives and resumes shooting, taking off his fireproof cloak and balaclava. He turns to Arisu, gives him a long look, and opens fire at him, but Usagi quickly drags him away. Then Usagi attempts to distract Shirabi's attention by running further alone, and Arisu uses his rifle at the right moment, but the King jumps into hiding. Just as he is done reloading the gun and about to attack Arisu again, he gets shot by an arrow from Heiya's gigantic bow. Heiya's intervention allows Arisu, Usagi, and others to escape and hide. Ann and Kuina join them there, and Heiya comes soon afterwards. Heiya instantly talks to Usagi, making Arisu uncomfortable, but does not reveal what happened between them in the forest, playfully smiling. Aguni makes his presence known by explaining that the King will run out of ammo soon, so it is best to take cover for the time being. Aguni's strategy is to lure Shirabi into an area where the blimp cannot drop supplies, which would leave him defenseless if he cannot restock ammo. Kuina suddenly remembers about a bomb Chishiya gave her, Arisu smells it and assumes it contains kerosine, so he suggests using it at close range. Aguni claims that the bomb will not create a big enough explosion, so Arisu suggests enhancing it by filling it with gas from the nearby drugstore. To Ann's concern about his inevitable demise, Arisu insists that he will likely survive the fall from the second floor. Aguni and the girls become the bait and distract Shirabi, allowing Arisu to run towards the drugstore.
Arisu enters the store and collects as many various spray bottles as he can find, puts them all nearby, and starts using them to fill the room with gas. Eventually, he manages to open them all at the same time and starts coughing, as there is less and less oxygen left, but continues to ensure the room is ready for the King.
Arisu throws the bomb into the drugstore
Hearing multiple gunshots, Arisu runs out of the drugstore only to see all of his friends defeated, and the King still standing. He fires at him, but Shirabi dodges and hides. Seeing multiple gravely wounded people, including Usagi, Arisu taunts Shirabi verbally and attempts to lure him into the drugstore as planned, preparing to use the bomb. However, as soon as Shirabi approaches the door, he feels that something is off so he decides against opening it. Fortunately for Arisu, Aguni pushes Shirabi, forcing him into the room, and tells Arisu to initiate the last step. Arisu rushes to save Aguni before that, so they both run towards the window, shatter the glass by jumping out of it, Arisu throws the bomb into the drugstore mid-air, and Aguni shoots at it to make it blow up. The explosion wave propels them both away from the building.
After things have calmed down, Aguni finds Arisu in the debris, grabs his hand, and pulls him up. They look at the drugstore in flames and realize that there is only one game left, so Aguni tells Arisu to go on and clear it, reassuring him that everyone else is okay. As he walks away, he notices Usagi limping towards him, so he runs to her and takes her in his arms as she falls on the ground. He first assumes that she is gone, because her eyes are closed, so he starts shaking her and screaming out her name. Eventually, Usagi opens her eyes, and they hear an announcement to register for the final game.
Arisu and Usagi at the top of the building before entering the Queen of Hearts venue
They head towards the Queen of Hearts venue, and Arisu holds Usagi's body to help her walk.
"If the rules said we had to kill each other, I wouldn't hesitate to protect you, Usagi."
— Arisu's promise before the game
Usagi jokes that his words do not sound cool at all, and they enter the game arena, welcomed by Mira.
Right after Arisu and Usagi enter the venue, Mira introduces the game as Queen of Hearts: "Croquet". To the duo's confusion, she claims that not knowing the rules does not matter, because winning or losing does not affect anything, and the only condition to clear the game is to play three rounds with her without quitting.
Usagi decides to sit it out, while Arisu joins the game, and Mira explains what to do. She starts by hitting a blue ball, which goes through the wicket with perfect precision, but when Arisu hits a red ball next, it hits one of the white pillars instead. Mira laughs and succeeds in her next moves, and Arisu also gets lucky but loses the first set anyway. Talking to Usagi during the pause, he promises not to withdraw as he is prepared to play two more sets. Looking at Mira's nonchalant behavior and constant smile, Arisu wonders what is going on in her head, and she announces the second round.
Arisu and Mira playing croquet
During the second round, both Arisu and Mira fail their first moves, and then Arisu notices that Usagi's wounds are bleeding, so he decides to finish the game as soon as possible. However, Mira misses on purpose and drags out the round, irritating Arisu and making him motivated to win the second set. To Arisu's surprise, as soon as he speaks about the third set, Mira calls the game exhausting and suggests having some tea. They all sit at the table, and Mira pours the liquid into teacups, ignoring Arisu's protests and calling it a tradition. Usagi looks at Arisu and shakes her head from side to side to indicate that they should not drink the tea, and Arisu nods. Looking at Mira, happily enjoying the moment, Arisu asks point blank whether they can return to the real world after clearing the Queen of Hearts game, but Mira avoids the question. Usagi advises to ignore Mira instead, but Mira wonders why Arisu wants to know, and Arisu engages in a conversation.
"My friends died without ever knowing the answer. For their sake too... I want to know the answer. That's why I came this far."
— Arisu explaining why he keeps questioning Mira
Mira refuses to reveal whether it is possible to return to the real world and then hints at the possibility of the "real world" no longer existing. Arisu smiles and claims that she simply does not know anything, but she suddenly becomes serious and agrees to "tell him everything" about the Borderland. Despite her clearly stated intention to finish after she starts, which sounds like an ominous promise to have a very long story, Arisu's curiosity takes over so he lets her proceed.
Arisu and Usagi playing the game in a virtual reality
Mira wonders whether Arisu and Usagi have ever pictured the world of the future: nanotechnology, renewable energy, pluripotent cells, virtual reality, cryonics, terraforming, all of that became real within the next 1000 years of human history. Science and technology advanced at an explosive pace, and 30 years after the time Arisu and Usagi think they are from, developing nations grew economically, gradually removing the gap in living standards. 50 years later, genetic engineering extended human lifespan. With greater intelligence, humanity began to unravel the world at an unstoppable rate. Avatars and virtual reality became a prominent part of people's daily lives, and all terminal diseases were cured through genetic engineering. 100 years later, advances in climate control technology eliminated natural disasters. 200 years later, the brain's mechanisms were fully understood, so memory and thought could be transplanted. 300 years later, humanity finally conquered natural death and reached an average lifespan of 300 years. 400 years later, science learned to explain fate and coincidences. By 500 years in, irregularities were impossible, everything in human life was perfectly managed, and humans became nearly immortal. In the 500 years that followed, people could survive as long as they kept taking brain pleasure stimulants. And now, according to Mira, Arisu and Usagi are playing a virtual game, so they have forgotten all of history due to being immersed in virtual reality, while Mira herself is the system administrator.
Seeing as Arisu and Usagi really believe her, Mira laughs and calls it all a joke. However, she claims to be telling the truth in her next description.
Rich people betting on androids with artificial memories to play the games
Genetically modified plants developed sudden mutations and exploded with growth, which can be observed by the overgrown city. Moreover, people ended up surrounded by mountains. That was all the work of aliens. They wiped the memories of the humans they captured, conducting experiments by throwing them into numerous games. However, a rumor started circulating among the players: after a nuclear war, the surface became uninhabitable, and the wealthy people moved underground where they made androids with artificial memories play games on the surface, betting on which model would survive the longest. Arisu and Usagi are simply androids with artificial memories.
Arisu threatening Mira
Arisu slaps the table angrily, questioning the validity of the story, and Mira admits that it is another joke. She taunts him by speaking of his dead friends and mocking his feelings, and then claims that she was the one who created the Seven of Hearts game, because the three of them were too close. Arisu jumps from his seat and points the rifle at her, despite Usagi's screams, but Mira does not mind it and encourages him to use it. As Arisu is about to pull the trigger, he smiles and realizes that it was all part of Mira's plan: killing her would break the game rules, and the game would never finish, so all the remaining players would get stuck in the Borderland until their visas expire. He accuses her of willing to make everyone lose hope and fall into despair, and the assumption seems to excite her. She wonders whether he ever thought about the rest of the world while playing the games, but claims that his answer does not matter. The manipulation works, and Arisu demands to know the truth despite Usagi's better judgement, so Mira starts another explanation.
Arisu in the illusion of a mental hospital
Usagi trying to wake up Arisu
According to Mira, the world around them is an illusion created by Arisu's imagination: the desolate city, the advanced science, the mysterious childish games. He survived as long as he has because it is all happening in his head. The shock of losing his dear friends wiped his memories, and he is now in a mental hospital with Mira as his psychiatrist. Her calm and soothing voice makes Arisu's mind create the story she is describing, and Usagi's protests do not reach his consciousness, as he drops the gun, sits down, and starts seeing himself in a hospital with pills in front of him. They are sitting in a white empty room, and Mira is wearing a white medical uniform. Hearing that Usagi is another patient in the same hospital, Arisu turns his head and sees a door and Usagi in loose-fitting white clothes. Then Mira asks Arisu to remember what happened on the day of the fireworks, and he recollects the beginning with Karube and Chota, but then his imagination creates a road accident resulting in his friends' deaths. He is so convinced it actually happened that he starts crying and blaming himself. Mira insists that the answer he is searching for is not about the world but about why he was born, which pushes him further into despair. He imagines his family in the real world accusing him of a pointless existence and agrees that there is no reason for him to live. The patient Usagi walks into the room, scolded by the doctor Mira, and starts shaking him, but he does not react to her. Mira keeps pressuring Arisu into quitting the game and offers him a couple of pills, promising that he will feel better. Just as Arisu is about to take them, Usagi pushes him on the floor, and the glass of water breaks. Trying to save Arisu from the illusion, Usagi says that their relationship cannot have been made up by him, because that would mean he does not truly care about her. To prove Mira's words wrong, Usagi slits her wrist with a glass shard and begs Arisu to wake up. However, Arisu's mind removes Usagi from the picture entirely, leaving him lying on the floor all alone in the room first and then relocating him to various places he has visited in the Borderland: the forest, the "Checkmate" venue, the "Osmosis" venue, the Shibuya Crossing, the Beach. Eventually, he ends up in the highway tunnel, the "Distance" game venue, and Usagi appears lying in front of him again.
As Usagi starts speaking, they return to the hospital room, where Usagi, bleeding, begs him to come back to her. They move to the highway tunnel once more, but now to the darker part of it, and Usagi insists that all Mira's questions do not matter, because Arisu does not need a reason to live, and she was satisfied with searching for the answers together. To her, Arisu is the answer. After Usagi loses consciousness, Mira pats her head, assuming that she has won, and asks Arisu once again to forfeit the game. Arisu reaches for Usagi's hand and confesses that he wants to feel her warmth, walk side-by-side with her, and eat next to her, hearing her laugh. He realizes that being with her is enough reason for him to live. Determined to protect Usagi, Arisu gets up and tells Mira to proceed with the game, so the illusion breaks.
Arisu helps Usagi sit up, and Mira offers them a handkerchief to put on the wound and stop the bleeding. She calls the situation beautiful and suggests finishing the game quickly for Usagi's sake. The round ends with her victory, but since Arisu has completed three sets without quitting, the game is cleared. Arisu asks Mira about the Borderland once again, but she claims that he will know soon enough, and the laser shoots through her head. The fireworks appear all across the Borderland, along with the Queen of Hearts blimp exploding and the announcement about all the games having been cleared.
Players who have survived until the end are offered a choice: stay in the Borderland and become a Citizen, or refuse the permanent residency. Arisu takes Usagi's hand, she smiles and refuses the residency, so his decision is the same:
"Me too. I decline."
Arisu realizing he is actually talking to his dead friends
A flashback follows: Arisu is in Karube's bar, drinking with him and Chota. They make silly jokes about a hair in Arisu's nose, removing hairs with vax, and how painful it would be if something fell on you while you are using a trimmer. Suddenly, Chota claims that explosions hurt more, and Arisu realizes that he is not seeing a flashback of his past, but is rather given an opportunity to have the last conversation with his late friends. He starts apologizing and blaming himself, but his friends explain that they did not sacrifice themselves for his sake, and point out that he should not consider himself special. Chota notes that Arisu has not cleared any single game by himself and always had help, so thanking him and Karube until the end of time would not be enough anyway. Arisu asks if he has to apologize to them forever, but Karube grabs him by the shirt and tells him to live his life to the fullest instead.
An actual flashback follows: Arisu was at the Shibuya Crossing, waiting for his friends. The scene repeated the same way as Episode 1 (Season 1) at first, with the zombie talk, then Karube putting Arisu on his shoulders, and then the trio causing a road accident. However, this time it is revealed that all the other people Arisu met in the Borderland were also at the Shibuya Crossing at the same time, including Usagi, who was standing nearby, Niragi sitting on a bench, Kuina decisively rushing through the crowd, Chishiya having a nonchalant stroll, Hatter and Aguni walking out of a shop and talking, Tatta sitting in a big lorry, and Ann looking at her watch as she walked past Arisu and his friends. The same scene that was shown in Heiya's flashback before repeats itself, but now shows that the assumed fireworks were actually a few meteorites that hit Shibuya, causing a massive explosion and crushing all the buildings in the area.
Arisu found by the paramedics
Arisu opens his eyes, and the paramedics realize that he is alive, so they take him to the hospital.
He is lying on a hospital bed when he hears that Karube and Chota are dead and starts wondering why he is alive. Ryohei's brother, Hajime, is by his side unpacking clothes. He explains that a lot of people experience "survivor's guilt" after such events happen and asks him not to beat himself up about it. According to Hajime, Ryohei's heart completely stopped for a whole minute, and during that minute Ryohei was in the Borderland. Ryohei is surprised to hear that it was actually a very short time, because to him it feels like the journey was much longer, but it quickly becomes clear that he does not remember anything about his experience in the Borderland. Hajime smiles and tells Ryohei that his father actually cried for the first time since their mother's death.
Arisu meets Usagi in the hospital
A week later, Arisu decides to go to the vending machine. He looks out of the window and sees Kota, accompanied by his parents, even though Arisu does not remember the kid. Nozomi walks past him with her arm bandaged the same way it was in the Borderland, but they do not recognize each other. Having bought a drink, Arisu turns around and sees Usagi with a crutch. He gives her a long awkward look but does not remember her. After she buys a bottle of juice and starts walking away, he notices that she has forgotten her change, so he bends down to grab it for her. As their hands touch, they both seem to have a fleeting feeling of knowing each other, but it is stronger for him than for her. Arisu asks if they have met before, but Usagi responds negatively and turns away. He tries to stop her, and she first takes it as an attempt to flirt with her, but then decides to play along and claims that they might have met a year before. They agree to go for a stroll together, so Arisu takes her bottle, and Usagi puts her hand on his shoulder.
Season 3
Arisu's interview about Borderland
After the games are over and Arisu is back in the real world, all of his memories are gone. At some point, he is questioned by three afterlife researchers, including Ryuji, who assumes that he should remember the games mentioned by other players, but Arisu's memories remain very vague.
"I saw a red light, but I thought it was fireworks, so I didn't pay much attention to it. So just like that, my friends and I hid in a bathroom. Well, there were some things going on, so we went into the bathroom... Then suddenly, everything around us got quiet... and from that point on, my memory is... gone."
— Arisu about the moments before the meteorite disaster
When Ryuji decides to push further and guide Arisu towards remembering a bit more, Arisu responds that he was dreaming of a long journey, but then the questioning is cut short.
After the interview is over, Arisu walks with Ryuji to the exit, and Ryuji insists that Arisu should call him in case any other memories return, "even if it sounds strange" and "even if nobody else will believe it". Usagi, who also had an interview in the same university, is waiting by the exit, so Arisu introduces her to Ryuji. On the way back, she asks what they talked about and then mentions Arisu's internship at the counselling center. Arisu is positive that they will hire him next year.
At night, Usagi wakes up from a nightmare and Arisu hugs her to help her relax. The next morning, while Arisu is brushing his teeth, Usagi fills in a residential lease form, and Arisu suggests buying a place instead of renting. But since they have spent too much money on wedding rings, they need to save up first. Usagi finds a green pen in Arisu's pencil case and really likes it, so he offers it to her as a gift.
Arisu meets Ann at work
Ann comes to Arisu's workplace, Asahinomori Counseling Center. He treats her as an unknown patient with PTSD and talks to her very politely, but she informs him that they have met before. She tries to make him remember what happened and insists that they have been to another world where they had to survive. Ann reveals that her memories are also quite fleeting, so she wants to return to that world and learn the truth. Another therapist interrupts them and takes Ann away.
After Arisu comes home, Usagi calls him in tears but does not explain the reason. He tries to ask her, but she only apologizes and hangs up. Arisu runs to her old apartment, but she does not open the door, so he realizes that she has disappeared. Going to the police ends up in suspicions that Usagi may be having an affair with Ryuji, as they were last seen at a hotel together, but Arisu is determined to find out what happened. He rushes to the university, but they have lost contact with Ryuji as well. His office is full of books and papers related to the afterlife, and Arisu finds Usagi's interview, where she cries and admits missing her deceased father.
Arisu sees Banda in the underground tunnel
On the way back through a subway station, Arisu is approached by Banda, who thanks him for helping clear the games and invites him to return to the "beautiful world" in order to participate in new games. He slides the Joker card into Arisu's pocket and disappears. Shortly afterwards, Arisu gets a call from the police and finds out that Usagi is in hospital in a coma along with Ryuji. The doctor also informs Arisu that Usagi is pregnant, but she may not have known that herself since it is still at a very early stage.
The police are investigating the game Ryuji was part of, so they assume Usagi participated as well, but Arisu insists that she was kidnapped. He lashes out at the officers in anger, and they apologize for the lack of action from their side. As Arisu inspects Usagi's belongings, he finds a Joker card but decides not to explain the strange coincidence, and the police confirm that Ryuji also had the same card.
Arisu remembers about Ann and heads to the psychiatric hospital where she is a patient in order to ask for her help. He describes what happened and shows her the card, even though he still has no recollection of Borderland or Ann. According to Arisu, Usagi's pulse is weak, so he is prepared to do anything to get her back. Ann explains that two minutes is how long a human heart can stop for before they truly die. Seeing as Usagi is running out of time, Arisu agrees to Ann's plan. Ann injects him with a syringe meant to stop his heart, and it seems like nothing has happened at first, so Arisu turns to look at the clock, and the moment he turns around, he realizes that Ann is gone, as well as everyone else in the world. He leaves the room and finds a noticeboard instructing him to head towards the game location.
The only well-lit place Arisu finds is a summer festival near a traditional Japanese shrine. He walks through the gates, crossing the lasers, and ends up as the last registered participant. The announcement states that the team has been formed, and the game will begin momentarily.
The very word "game" triggers Arisu's memories, and he gets suspicious, even though he is still not able to fully recollect what he has been through.
Arisu trying to solve the riddles
The rules are explained, and the "Sacred Fortunes" game begins. Tetsu draws the first fortune slip with "Great Luck", and Arisu assumes that it means nothing bad is going to happen. During the second round, he attempts to help another player solve a math equation and provides the correct answer, but that player voices a different option, which results in three flaming arrows being launched at her, with one piercing through her neck.
Sachiko draws the third slip, and Arisu identifies the riddle as a probability question, suggesting that the answer should be 23. The answer is correct, but Sachiko chooses to give another number, which results in 55 more burning arrows flying towards the game venue.
A few more rounds later, the shrine territory is covered in arrows and engulfed in flames, which jogs Arisu's memory fully: he remembers the Beach burning, Niragi shooting everyone aimlessly, Usagi hugging him at the end of the First Stage, him saving Usagi during the bus game, him and Kyuma shaking hands at the end of the "Osmosis" game, and the death of Karube and Chota who sacrificed themselves for his sake. The recollection helps him realize that he has won multiple games before.
Arisu gives the final answer
Round 10 is the last round of the game, and Arisu takes it upon himself to draw the fortune slip. The result is "Great Curse", and the question is: "What is the world population in billions?" Shion makes an assumption but nobody knows for sure, and Arisu declares "7.9 billion" as the final answer. The correct number is eight billion, which means a hundred million flaming arrows are about to be launched towards the venue.
Everyone panics, and Arisu forces himself to think logically and search for an answer. He goes through the game rules in his head again and realizes that the directions in the fortunes indicate where the arrows will come from. He asks everyone to name the unlucky directions stated on their papers, but Tetsu has thrown his away. The only missing direction is north-west, so Arisu assumes this is where the exit is. However, when they arrive, the exit is blocked with lasers like all the other sides. Arisu remains convinced that there is a way out, as he remembers that the staircase leading to the venue was very steep, which may indicate that there is a hidden passage under the shrine. Arisu steps onto a stone slab that shifts and rattles, so he starts digging it up and tries to lift it. Kazuya and Masato rush to help, and the three manage to find an entrance into a dungeon. Everyone jumps in one by one, but three more players are too far, and Arisu tries to run towards them and bring them to safety but does not have enough time before the rain of burning arrows covers the area. He barely manages to escape with the others.
Arisu realizes they cannot refuse to play the games
In the underground tunnel, the players see a noticeboard congratulating them on clearing the game. They exit the venue and see another noticeboard that directs them towards the next game, 17 km north-east. Shion and Sachiko consider refusing to participate, but Arisu remembers the player who tried to leave and was shot through the head by a laser, so he states that it is not possible to escape from the games. As the players look up, they see a massive Joker card hanging from multiple blimps in the sky. They look at their personal miniature versions and realize that it is not their first time playing.
The group decides to have some rest in a shopping center, and Nobu happily shows Arisu how many new clothes he has found for everyone. While the others share their stories of meeting the same man who gave them the Joker cards, Arisu confirms that they have cleared Face Cards but never fought against the Joker. As Arisu points out that they have all been in the Borderland before, the others begin to remember their previous Sojourns.
On the way to the next game venue, Tetsu criticizes Arisu's decision to return to save his wife, while Sachiko is impressed by it. Nobu is skeptical about Arisu's chances to find her, and Masato deduces that they are about 5%.
Arisu's team arrives at the "Zombie Hunt" venue
The group arrives at the National Institute of Virus Research and meets Ikeno's team. The "Zombie Hunt" game begins with a long explanation of the rules, which all the participants listen to. Then Nobu touches Arisu, and the first round of mini-games begins. Arisu states that the numbers on the cards are not important, as long as at least one number card remains by the end. Nobu wonders whether there is a zombie on their team, and Arisu explains that the zombie will likely not reveal themselves because they risk getting eliminated by a Shotgun card. Then an unnamed player in a yellow coat rushes towards Arisu, forcing him to play, and wins.
Arisu's strategy is to find the players who received Vaccine cards and stop the zombies from multiplying, but since there are no Vaccines on his team, he decides to spy on other players. In the north wing, he sees a female participant who resembles Usagi. He wants to reach out to her at first, but when she turns around and he sees her face, he realizes it is a different person. A man approaches him for a game, and Arisu uses it as an opportunity to ask about Usagi, but the man coldly brushes him off by saying that a lot of girls match his description. The man also reveals that they are all participating in the Joker Tournament, so Arisu might end up having to play against Usagi in the end. Arisu brings this information to his group for discussion and deduces that the other players are the survivors from other games who were purposely put into this one, since choosing game venues is no longer an option.
Rikako touches Arisu nervously to start the next game, and Arisu quickly realizes that she is a zombie because she only played against Kana during all the previous rounds and she is afraid of looking Arisu in the eye. He invites her to stay with them and promises to cure her as soon as a Vaccine card is located.
Arisu brings Rikako and Kana to the group and asks for ideas on how to stop the zombification. Rei joins the conversation and proposes the trust barricade strategy. Arisu and the others spread the word, and players start joining them, bringing Vaccine cards with them.
Arisu listens to Rei's strategy
"Try to play the games against your teammates as much as possible and exchange number cards. In other words, lose on purpose to the person who has fewer cards. Furthermore, the winner takes small-number cards from the loser. And zombies must always fight other zombies. If we do that, then, even without killing each other, the number of zombies will not increase any further, and no one will run out of number cards. By repeating this, we increase the number of people who hold Vaccine cards."
— Arisu's game strategy in addition to Rei's plan
Arisu leaves the common room to spy on another group and then returns to see Ikeno forcing Kazuya to use a Shotgun card. After another round, he and Rei find a dead body of a zombie player, and Arisu states that the events have taken a dark turn. Despite Rei's indifference, Arisu worries that zombies from other teams might start to act, but Rei only laughs and claims that it will make the game more interesting.
Games Played
Gallery
Quotes
"Your broken feelings. The game master made use of them! That's why this is a Hearts game!"
— Arisu to Aguni
"Aguni. Let's just stop this. Don't let the deaths of the innocents go to waste. I understand how it feels to kill your friends. But we should not take our frustration on those who are still alive!"
— Arisu to Aguni
"We are still alive! We're all facing despair head-on and fighting until the very end! Don't look down on those who are still alive!"
— Arisu to Aguni
"Let's stop this. We're still alive. That's all that matters now. That's all."
— Arisu to Usagi
Trivia
- The forename Ryouhei consists of the kanji "良" (ryou) (good, pleasing, skilled) and "平" (hei) (even, flat, peace).
- The surname Arisu is a combination of the kanji "有" (ari) (possess, have, exist) and "栖" (su) (nest, rookery, hive).
- Arisu is the word "Alice" pronounced with a Japanese accent.
- His name and character are references to Alice from Alice in Wonderland.
- Arisu's ID number is 1000245, as shown in Episode 1. Therefore, Arisu is the 1000245th player to arrive in Borderland.
- Arisu's specialty changes throughout the series from Diamonds (♦️) to Hearts (♥️). However, both promotional posters depict him in a diamond-like pattern, despite him playing only one Diamonds game during both seasons of the show and multiple Hearts games.
- His username in the video game he was playing in Episode 1 is "Alice".
Arisu's video game screen
See also