9 Most Heartbreaking Character Deaths, Ranked

There’s no shortage of heartbreaking deaths in the survival drama show, Alice in Borderland, but which were the most tear-jerking ones?

Heartbreaking deaths are unavoidable in a survival drama show like Alice in Borderland. The unforgettable and lovable characters on the show make the devastating scenes of their demise almost too painful to watch.

The most tear-jerking deaths often happen to characters who have shown that they’re good people, despite being helplessly stuck in a seemingly endless competition full of life-or-death games. Some of these characters sacrifice their own lives so that other players could survive, which only makes their deaths even more moving and upsetting for fans who have grown to love them.

9 Takatora Samura (Last Boss)

As a hikikomori, or someone who withdraws from society, Last Boss easily adapts to the deadly world he finds himself in. In fact, he embraces the change when he realizes no one else is around. Last Boss is far from being likable, as he enjoys the freedom of being able to swing his samurai sword around and hurt others.

Last Boss not only changes his name, but also his appearance. He asks a tattoo artist to cover him up in a way that he wouldn’t be allowed to re-enter society. He completely shuns his old life and enjoys intimidating and hurting others in the competition. Needless to say, no one was too upset to see him die and some fans might have found themselves breathing a sigh of relief when Kuina manages to stop his lethal rampage.

8 Nigari Suguri

Although fans see a glimpse of Nigari’s sad backstory as he’s shooting people with a sniper rifle, the fact that he was bullied as a kid doesn’t do much to justify his heinous actions on the show. He’s an arrogant character who blindly follows Aguni’s senseless and aggressive commands. He even enjoys chasing down other players on The Beach during the “Witch Hunt” round. Fans may also recall the disgusting scene where he tries to assault Usagi.

Things begin to look dire when he starts mindlessly shooting at the crowd and almost hits Arisu, but he’s thankfully stopped by Aguni. It’s implied that he burns in the fire offscreen and viewers can only hope that he’s really gone.

7 Takeru Danma (Hatter)

Whether fans like it or not, Hatter is undeniably one of the smartest characters in Alice in Borderland. He’s able to lean into his own narcissism and charms to trick hundreds of players into thinking he can offer salvation from the brutal competition.

In reality, Hatter only cares about himself, using others to have enough manpower surrounding him during the deadly games. He loves the fame and attention, but doesn’t realize it comes with potential threats. It turns out that he’s the biggest danger to himself, as he makes the foolish mistake of attempting to kill Aguni and gets shot in return. Hatter doesn’t go out of his way to hurt others like Nigari and Last Boss, so at least his death wasn’t a source of relief.

6 Akuyava Momoka (The Witch)

Momoka is at the center of the most difficult game in Alice in Borderland, as she is the titular witch in “The Witch” round. Fans soon learn about her tragic story of being recruited as a dealer along with her friend Asahi.

The dealers and friends found themselves in the unfortunate position of both posing as players and having to prepare the dangerous games for others. They felt guilty and at some point, Momoka couldn’t take it anymore and turned the knife on herself. She’s only featured for a few minutes, so fans likely don’t feel too bad about her unfortunate fate.

5 Kujõ Asahi

Audiences see glimpses of Asahi every now and then, but she seems more like an aloof player rather than a character with a shocking secret. Fans likely weren’t expecting the massive twist in the show when Asahi stood up and explained that she was a dealer responsible for staging games.

A laser shoots down from the sky and kills Asahi instantly after her confession. Her attempt to exonerate her friend and save the others in the game is admirable, but most would agree that it comes out of nowhere. Her death was a little harder to stomach than Momoka’s because it was so jarring and she did do it to spare the players on The Beach.

4 Saori Shibuki

Despite Shibuki’s questionable and manipulative choices in the competition, most fans would say that she simply did what she had to do to survive. Her cruel manipulation of Chōta is unforgivable, but it’s worth noting that it doesn’t really work on Arisu’s friend.

The show does somewhat humanize Shibuki during her moving scenes with Arisu, so some fans can’t be blamed for feeling a bit attached to her character. The way she dies is horrible as well, as she doesn’t have a choice and takes comfort in holding Chōta during her last moments in the “Hide-and-seek” round.

3 Aguni Morizono

If the villain Aguni never became a hero, viewers probably wouldn’t have batted an eye when he died. As the stereotypical strong man in the show, Aguni carries around his rifle and leads his goons with pride as part of his fake feud with Hatter.

It’s revealed that he only does this to maintain peace on The Beach, which is why he’s disheartened when he learns Hatter began to believe their farce was real. The way he lashes out in the “Witch Hunt” game is mostly a result of his own guilt around having to shoot his best friend in self-defense. It doesn’t completely excuse his horrible actions, but fans certainly felt a tinge of sadness after Aguni heroically saves Arisu and sacrifices himself in the fire.

2 Chōta Segawa

Chōta is depicted as a meek and slightly cowardly character who relies on his best friends, Karube and Arisu. Fans likely felt terrible for him as he began to believe Shibuki’s lies about him being out of place in the trio.

He’s kind and loving, but also gullible and emotional. His last major and most important trait is shown during the devastating game of “Hide-and-seek” where Chōta turns out to be a courageous person if his friends’ lives are on the line. He sacrifices himself and even holds back Shibuki, crying as he waits for time to run out. It’s a heartbreaking scene that highlights his loyalty and love for his friends.

1 Daikichi Karube

Unlike Chōta, Karube is portrayed as a likable character from the get-go. He’s a carefree, optimistic, and strong friend who’s ready to do whatever Arisu asks. He shows how brave he can be in the game “Tag” where he risks his life to defeat the masked shooter.

It’s upsetting to watch him struggle at first in the game of “Hide-and-seek,” as he wants to survive the competition to return to his partner and finally propose. His loyalty and love for Arisu is stronger in the end and fans won’t soon forget the way he sits calmly and reminds his best friend to win the games for them. His death is the most heartbreaking one in the survival show so far, but it likely won’t be the last.

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