Content Warning: this article contains plot spoilers for the Netflix show Alice in Borderland. It also contains misogynistic language and discussions of gun violence.
The survival drama show Alice in Borderland thrusts players into a brutal life-or-death competition, which tests their intelligence, strength, and humanity. It’s not surprising that some memorable quotes have come out of the show’s deadly games, with the most unforgiving ones often prompting extraordinary lines.
The best quotes from the series perfectly capture the characters’ personalities and reactions to the lethal games. They can be hopeful at times, but also unnerving depending on who says them. Whether it’s Hatter’s rousing speech or Chishiya’s chilling comments from the sidelines, fans won’t soon forget the best lines from the show.
Shuntarō Chishiya:
“Everyone Looks Like They’re About To Die, As Usual.”
There’s no shortage of heartbreaking deaths in Alice in Borderland, as only the smartest players survive most of the wild games. Chishiya is among the fortunate few who are skilled enough to effortlessly breeze through even the most challenging rounds.
When fans meet him for the first time in the game of “Tag,” he’s unbothered as players scramble around the building, looking for the right door. He even makes a snide remark about how those running around look like they’re about to die. His prediction turns out to be accurate, as most players end up getting shot when the masked tagger shows up a few minutes later.
Chōta Segawa:
“Our Smiles Are The Light Of Hope.”
Although Chōta seems like a funny supporting character at first, his backstory is revealed to be a shockingly dark one. When Chōta feels scared and helpless during the game of “Hide-and-seek,” he starts chanting a prayer.
Fans may recall that the prayer comes from Chōta’s experiences with a cult. The exploitative group manipulated and abused its members, including Chōta’s mother. It’s jarring to think that he still clings on to the cult’s doctrines when he’s seconds away from a gruesome death. It’s a testament to how impactful the group’s misguided teachings are.
Saori Shibuki:
“Humans Like It When Someone Weaker Follows Them, Because It Makes Them Feel At Ease.”
One of Shibuki’s most horrific acts in Alice in Borderland is her pathetic attempt at manipulating Chōta. She tries and fails to convince him that he’s the weak link in his friend group, saying that Arisu and Karube only keep him around to help them “feel at ease.”
Chōta is shaken by her words, but proves that their close friendship won’t easily be shaken in the game of “Hide-and-seek.” Despite Shibuki’s efforts at getting him to side with her, he restrains her in order to let Arisu win.
Ryōhei Arisu:
“You Guys Are All I Have. If Someone Has To Survive This Game, It's Not Me.”
“Hide-and-seek” is one of the most difficult games on Alice in Borderland, mostly because of how unexpectedly emotional it turns out to be. As a game of hearts, it forces the players to turn on each other.
While Chōta and Karube struggle to get the wolf label from Arisu at first, they eventually realize that the right thing to do is to let their friend live. They understand that out of all of them, he has the best chance at winning the twisted competition. This is heartbreaking for Arisu, of course, who pleads in the arena as he tries to find his friends. He doesn’t see the point of going on without them, as they’re the closest thing he has to a loving family.
Yuzuha Usagi:
“It Amazes Me That I'm Willing To Do Anything Just So That I Can To Survive. If We Weren't Willing, We Might As Well Die.”
Like Chishiya, Usagi starts out as a mysterious character who mostly keeps to herself. Fans learn more about her as she becomes Arisu’s close friend, however, and it’s revealed that she’s much nicer than viewers may have initially thought.
Usagi goes out of her way to help a depressed Arisu, despite only meeting him once before in the game of “Tag.” She urges him to keep going and gives a poignant monologue about how she manages to motivate herself every single day. Without Usagi, there’s a good chance Arisu’s visa would have expired.
Hatter:
“My Comrades! The Time Has Come Again Tonight. Do Not Falter! This Is A War Against Fear!”
When Arisu and Usagi finally find the enigmatic Beach, they meet its eccentric leader, Hatter. He claims to know how to get out of the cruel games, but his method is only doable if he has hundreds of disposable followers willing to risk their lives to collect cards on a daily basis.
It’s shown that this is exactly what Hatter has when he gives a rousing but chilling speech in front of his loyal followers. He asks them to put their lives on the line so that he can eventually leave and tell the real world about their dire situation. It’s unsettling to hear the cheering that follows his tyrannical speech, but it’s even more disturbing to watch the sequence full of brutal deaths that follows.
Shuntarō Chishiya:
“To Gain Something, You Need To Lose Something.”
There’s no questioning the fact that Chishiya is one of Alice in Borderland's smartest characters as he’s able to see the bigger picture. He doesn’t simply join the games to extend his visa, he thinks about how he can skip them entirely.
This is what drives him to trick Arisu into stealing Hatter’s cards for him. By using Arisu as bait, Chishiya is able to determine the location of the deck. Kuina confronts him about this treachery later on, but he shrugs it off and counts Arisu as part of the collateral damage that makes his grand plan possible.
Suguru Niragi:
“Left To Our Own Devices, Humans Will Rape, Steal, And Kill Each Other. That's Just Who We Really Are.”
It was only a matter of time before Niragi would do something heinous in the series, as he’s portrayed as a trigger-happy and power-hungry goon who’s more than willing to follow Aguni’s cruel commands.
When he finally gets a chance to restrain Arisu, he uses a group of followers to hold down Usagi and threatens to sexually assault her. His perverse reasoning revolves around the fact that since there are no laws, he can do whatever he wants. The scene is almost too painful to watch but is thankfully cut short by an announcement about the final game.
Hikari Kuina:
“You Just Keep Turning Your Back On Your Past, But I Will Face My Past Once More In Order To Survive!”
One of the most moving scenes in the entire series happens when fans learn about Kuina’s complicated past. She remembers her challenging childhood as she faces off against Last Boss, drawing strength from her tough experiences in order to defeat him.
She had a hard time growing up and learning to accept herself, as the rest of society and her family shuns her for her gender identity. She eventually realizes that there’s no reason to be ashamed of being transgender and she bravely transitions despite her father’s protests. Kuina tells Last Boss that her past is part of what gives her the courage to face animosities in her present, which is proven to be true when she defeats the antagonist in an epic way.
Ryōhei Arisu:
“There's A Limit To Our Lives. I've Lived My Life So Far Without Thinking About That.”
The moment that changes Arisu’s perspective happens early on in the show when Chōta and Karube sacrifice their lives to save him in “Hide-and-seek.” He’s devastated at first and loses hope after their deaths, but is luckily saved by Usagi.
He’s able to reframe the situation and uses his closest friends’ deaths as a reminder that he has to keep going. When he talks about the limit to his own life, he’s not only remembering his wasted years as a young adult hiding in his room. Arisu has found a new purpose that is made clear towards the end of the show, he wants to find and stop the gamemasters and cease the deadly contest once and for all.