When we meet Ryohei Arisu, he is a bright but aimless young man who hides from his disappointments inside video games. He has the sharp problem-solving mind of a natural gamer, yet none of the drive to apply it to real life. The Borderland changes that overnight, turning his idle talent for reading patterns into a matter of survival.
Across the first season, grief reshapes him as the games strip away the people he loves and force him to keep moving anyway. His bond with Usagi gives him a reason to fight rather than merely endure, and his knack for cracking impossible puzzles earns him the wary respect of harder, colder survivors. Each cleared game leaves him stronger and more haunted in equal measure.
By the second season, Arisu has become a genuine leader, willing to stake his own life on a gamble if it means saving the group. His confrontation with the Face Cards demands not just cleverness but the courage to choose this world, or the one he left behind. The boy who could not face his future ends the story having fought harder for it than anyone around him.
Key Episodes
S1 E1
Episode 1
Arisu and his friends vanish into an empty Tokyo and survive their first deadly game, a fiery test of nerve that sets the stakes for everything to come.
S2 E8
Finale
Arisu faces the final game against the ruler of the Borderland, gambling everything on a choice between the survivors he has come to love and a return to the world he abandoned.
Ryohei Arisu is one of the central figures in Alice in Borderland, a thriller/sci-fi/drama series that aired on Netflix from 2020-2022. Within the narrative of Alice in Borderland, Ryohei Arisu serves as a pivotal character whose decisions and relationships drive key story arcs throughout Seasons 1-2. The character's journey has been central to many of the show's most memorable and discussed moments.
Portrayed by Kento Yamazaki, Ryohei Arisu has become one of the most recognizable characters in modern television. Kento Yamazaki's performance brings nuance and depth to the role, creating a character that resonates with audiences on both intellectual and emotional levels. Kento Yamazaki's work has been recognized with 1 major award, reflecting the critical acclaim their portrayal has received.
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? Frequently Asked Questions
Kento Yamazaki plays Ryohei Arisu in Alice in Borderland.
Ryohei Arisu is the protagonist of Alice in Borderland, a listless gamer whose talent for solving puzzles becomes the key to surviving the Borderland's deadly games. Over both seasons he grows from an aimless dropout into a determined leader fighting to save the people around him.
