| “ | I won't let anyone take what's mine! I'll protect you until the very end! | ” |
—Retrace LXXIV: Broken Rabbit | ||
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Introduction
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Alice (アリス, Arisu) is the heroine of Jun Mochizuki's Pandora Hearts. She meets Oz Vessalius, the story's protagonist, after he was dropped into the Abyss. The two form an Illegal Contract, unsealing Alice's powers as the B-Rabbit and allowing the two of them to escape.[1] They then begin to work for Pandora, a government research organization, under threat of arrest. Pressured to release Oz from his contract, Alice reveals she has left the Abyss in hopes of regaining her lost memories. She agrees to terminate her Contract with Oz once her memories are recovered.[2]
She, along with Oz and his childhood friend Gilbert Nightray, are the central protagonists of Pandora Hearts.
This article contains plot and/or ending details for Pandora Hearts.
Read at your own risk.
In truth, Alice is not a Chain, but the human[3] child of Lacie and Levi Baskerville.[4] Her birth was part of an experiment created by generations of Glen Baskervilles, hoping to gain control of Abyss by providing its Core with a physical body. As a young child, Lacie agreed to her guardian's request to impregnate her before her impending execution as a Child of Ill Omen, in hopes that a child would allow the Core companionship after her death. Upon Lacie's death, the Core took what was in Lacie's womb and raised them as her own, becoming the surrogate mother to the children. Alice was birthed a few days later, along with her twin sister/alternate self the Intention of the Abyss, despite the union not having meant to produce twins.[4] Her aging accelerated due to having been born from a place unbound by time, and she was raised by her mother's brother, Oswald, now the new Glen, alongside Gilbert and his younger brother Vincent, another Child of Ill Omen.[5]
As her birth was a taboo,[6] the only person Alice was allowed to see outside her surrogate family was Oswald's best friend, Jack Vessalius.[7] She thus became very attached to her stuffed rabbit Oz, a gift left behind by her mother.[8] After Jack destroyed Oz's body, Alice developed an intense hatred and distrust for him.[9] This led to an antagonistic relationship between her and her sister, who grew increasingly obsessed with Jack,[10] believing him to be the only person who did not hate her.[7] When Alice's fears culminated during the Tragedy of Sablier and Jack demanded that she allow him to meet her sister, Alice committed suicide, destroying the physical body of both herself and the Intention.[11] She then absorbed the power of Oz the B-Rabbit, who had become Jack's Chain, in hopes of using his power to destroy her sister's memories of Jack and prevent them from reuniting.[10] The Core interfered with this, not wishing harm to come to the Intention of the Abyss, and thus Alice's memories were given to her sister once she tore apart the Intention's memories and killed Jack.[12] Alice was subsequently left with no knowledge of her identity, excluding her name and the misplaced conviction that she was the B-Rabbit.
Appearance[]
As a human, Alice takes the appearance of an adolescent girl with purple eyes and long, dark hair. A cowlick turns up at either side of her head, giving the appearance of devil horns. Two long plaits descend from behind her, each ending in a chained hairpiece. Her hair is sometimes painted as black, and sometimes as brown. She is rather short. Jun Mochizuki notes her defining feature as her shapely legs, followed by her quickly changing expressions.[13]
Her outfit for most of the series consists of a long, red coat with white details, a white shirt with a large white bow, a black miniskirt, and white laced boots. And she also wore white gloves. Prior to the Tragedy of Sablier, Alice wore a black dress to differentiate herself from her sister, but otherwise looked the same.[7]
As the B-Rabbit, she takes the form of a large, somewhat anthropomorphized rabbit with black fur and red eyes. This form is sometimes given more predatory features, such as sharp teeth and a muscular frame. In this form, she wears the red and white checkered coat as seen in Alice's normal outfit, and wields a large, black scythe.[14]
Personality[]
Alice doesn't know what friends are.
Alice is initially presented as an enigmatic, sardonic girl with an inclination towards violence.[14] She is shown to be somewhat belligerent, domineering, and assertive.[15] No matter the situation, Alice plainly expresses her thoughts, even if this does not serve her well.[16] On occasion she experiences mood swings, suddenly expressing deep sadness or joy before returning to a neutral state only a few minutes later.[2] Violence appears to be cathartic to her, many of her early appearances characterizing her as rude and somewhat sadistic.[14] Her quest for identity drives her to great lengths, deliberately manipulating Oz[1] and even taking Sharon hostage to achieve her ends.[2]
Alice behaves brashly towards her superiors.
However, unlike nearly all Chains, Alice feels no drive to kill. When interrogated by Xerxes Break, she remarks she does not kill or eat humans simply because she does not want to, and the thought never struck her until Break brought it up.[17] Instead, Alice appears to be a normal adolescent girl, if rather pugnacious and tomboyish.[18] While her aggressive manner and desire for domination are certainly important parts of her character, her childishness makes it plain she is not a true threat to humans as a whole.
Alice communicates through direct means.
Instead, Alice is frequently characterized by her naivety, being completely unaware of even basic concepts such as friendship,[19] family,[20] romance,[21] or sex.[22] Alice has a habit of interpreting things in an overly literal manner, or asserting expertise in areas she knows nothing about. This innocence contributes to Alice's lack of self-image, and Alice, at times, becomes deeply insecure.[18] It is through Oz's love and support for her that Alice is able to remain faithful to her own emotions, despite her tendency to self-aggrandize.[23]
Alice lacks table manners.
Nonetheless, Oz's support proves invaluable to her, and Alice is able to stay true to who she is. This allows her to eventually recuperate her relationship with The Intention of the Abyss, her twin sister.[24] Oz's respect and platonic[22] love for her facilitates her warming up to Gilbert Nightray, whom she has been at odds with.[25] Alice always feels for others to the fullest capacity, and though she often has difficulty articulating this, she loves her companions far beyond their usefulness to her. In fact, Alice is extremely protective of those she thinks "belong" to her, as in the cases of her sister and Oz.[11] She and the Intention of the Abyss are repeatedly[7] stated[11] to be two versions of the same person, though this relationship and its implications for Alice's character are never explicitly elaborated on. Of the two sisters, Alice is far more disconnected from romance and femininity, ignoring these concepts entirely in favor of protecting her sister, Oz, and herself. She at times expresses a deep loathing for the Intention of the Abyss,[13] and has this hatred reciprocated,[26] but ultimately does everything in her power to protect her.
Abilities and Powers[]
As a Chain[]
Alice as the B-Rabbit
Alice is, in theory, extraordinarily powerful while using the powers of the B-Rabbit, and repeatedly demonstrates herself as one of the most formidable combatants in the series. It is unclear whether she can use the full extent of the B-Rabbit's powers, but even what limited abilities she uses make her frighteningly competent.[14]
- Transformation - If Alice doesn't or can't transform into the B-Rabbit, such as when her power is sealed by the Raven, she is only as capable as a normal adolescent girl.[27] By transforming into the B-Rabbit's true form, a large, anthropomorphic black rabbit, she can use a wider range of powers.[14]
- Weapon Summoning - She is able to manifest a large, red scythe which she can manipulate intuitively.[14]
- Chain Summoning - She is able to summon thick, pointed chains, which can be used as a projectile weapon.[14]
- Invulnerability - Like all Chains, Alice is invulnerable to most physical attacks in her rabbit form.
- Possession - In one of her early appearances, Alice took possession of Oz, her contractor. She never uses this ability again, and it is unclear whether she was able to use this ability under normal circumstances.[1]
As a Human[]
Alice and the Intention of the Abyss communicate across dimensions.
- Interplanar Travel - Prior to Alice's suicide, she was able to switch bodies with her twin sister and alternate self, the Intention of Abyss. This allowed her to freely move between the material world and Abyss, though whenever she left her original body in the material world, her sister would come to replace her.[7] Once her body in the material world was destroyed, this was no longer possible for her.
- Interplanar Communication - Alice was capable of communing spiritually with the Intention of Abyss, as her alternate self. This communication continued after Alice's suicide and subsequent memory loss, though less frequently, due to her increasingly antagonistic relationship with her sister.[28]
Quotes[]
- "I won't let anyone take what's mine! I'll protect you until the very end!"
- "You... were with us from the very beginning. I was very happy... we were together. Thank you."
- "The other Alice is my other self... and you... belong to me."
- " Oz! You're someone special. A dear, precious friend. So... promise me. If I'm suffering... if someone's hurting me... then you'll... come rescue me. I love you! Oz!"
- "Even I can tell that being alone... makes you 'cold.' Even a Chain... understands that..."
- "You shoulda called for me sooner!!! You great big fool!!!"
- "It... doesn't really make much sense to me, but... I heard Oz's voice a whole lotta times. He was calling my name like he was gonna cry. And I'll bet it's your fault, Jack! Get out of Oz's body right now. I'm the only one in this world allowed to make him cry!"
- "Something wrong? Didn't you want that I should be waiting for you wearing her white dress...?"
- "If I can remember who you are... will I finally understand...? Will I know... what in the world I am...?"
- "Jack...!! I won't forgive you!! Not... ever...!!"
- "Can't you see him? Don't you hear him? Oz is right there, screaming behind you...!"
- "The other one hates you! So I was nice enough to come in her place!"
- "I'm only copying you! If you want me to change, you change the way you talk!"
- "That's who I am now- Alice the B-Rabbit! So carve it deep into that so-called knowledge of yours!! You unsavory looking meat ball!!"
- "I'm... scared... that I'm not human. That I'm different from other Chains. That there are things I don't know. That I'll end up knowing things I don't want to know. More than anything else... I'm... always... scared of myself."
- "If this body vanishes... Jack can't meddle with the other Alice anymore. Then she and Oz... will no longer be forced to suffer-"
Appearances[]
- Retrace I: Innocent Calm (First Appearance)
- Retrace II: Tempest of Conviction
- Retrace III: Prisoner&Alichino
- Retrace IV: Rendezvous
- Retrace V: Clockwise Doom
- Retrace VI: Where am I?
- Retrace VII: Reunion
- Retrace VIII: Whisperer
- Retrace IX: Question
- Retrace X: Malediction
- Retrace XI: Grim
- Retrace XII: Where am I?
- Retrace XIII: A Lost Raven
- Retrace XIV: Lop Ear
- Retrace XV: Welcome to labyrinth
- Retrace XVI: Keeper of the secret
- Retrace XVII: Odds and Ends
- Retrace XVIII: Hollow eye socket
- Retrace XIX: Detestably*
- Retrace XX: Who killed poor Alice?
- Retrace XXI: Discord
- Retrace XXII: His name is...
- Retrace XXIII: Conflict (Mentioned only)
- Retrace XXIV: Hello my sister!
- Retrace XXV: Elliot&Leo
- Retrace XXVI: The pool of Tears*
- Retrace XXVII: Get out of the pool*
- Retrace XXVIII: Modulation
- Retrace XXIX: Rufus Barma
- Retrace XXX: Snow White Chaos
- Retrace XXXI: Countervalue of Loss
- Retrace XXXII: Snow Dome
- Retrace XXXIII: Echo of Noise
- Retrace XXXIV: Noise of Echo (Mentioned only)
- Retrace XXXV: Madness of lost memory
- Retrace XXXVI: Sablier
- Retrace XXXVII: Glen Baskerville
- Retrace XXXVIII: Scapegoat
- Retrace XL: Blindness
- Retrace XLI: Where am I?
- Retrace XLII: Stray
- Retrace XLIII: Crown of Clown
- Retrace XLIV: Dusty Sky
- Retrace XLV: Queen of Hurts
- Retrace XLVII: Unbirthday
- Retrace XLVIII: Isla Yura
- Retrace XLIX: Night in gale
- Retrace L: Reverse Corte
- Retrace LII: Bloody Rites
- Retrace LIII: Humpty Dumpty Sat On A Wall
- Retrace LIV: Blank Smile
- Retrace LV: Back To Back*
- Retrace LVI: Rabbit Eyes
- Retrace LVII: Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
- Retrace LIX: Couldn't put Humpty together again
- Retrace LX: Egg Shell
- Retrace LXI: Demios
- Retrace LXII: Repose
- Retrace LXIII: Purpose
- Retrace LXIV: Tarantelle
- Retrace LXV: Collapse
- Retrace LXIX: Alice*
- Retrace LXX: Oz*
- Retrace LXXI: Black Rabbit*
- Retrace LXXII: Bloody Rabbit
- Retrace LXXIII: A note
- Retrace LXXIV: Broken Rabbit (†)
- Retrace LXXV: Alone*
- Retrace LXXVI: Alice&Oz
- Retrace LXXVII: Vacant
- Retrace LXXVIII: Decision*
- Extra episode: It makes all kinds
- Retrace LXXXII: Wish
- Retrace LXXXIII: After the Rain
- Retrace LXXXIV: Trickster
- Retrace LXXXV: Reverberate
- Extra episode: Together
- Retrace LXXXVI: Wager
- Retrace LXXXVII: Starting Point
- Retrace LXXXVIII: Answer
- Retrace LXXXIX: Staccato Drop
- Retrace XC: Clock Tower
- Retrace XCI: Juror*
- Intermission: The present
- Retrace XCII: A Story
- Retrace XCIV: Blaze
- Retrace XCV: Vincent
- Retrace XCVI: Disagree
- Retrace XCVII: I am
- Retrace XCVIII: Reverberate
- Retrace XCIX: Shade
- Retrace C: Ossia
- Retrace CI: Oswald
- Retrace CII: The Nursery
- Retrace CIII: Call Your Name
- Retrace CIV: Will (†)
- Episode 1: Innocent Calm
- Episode 2: Tempest of Conviction
- Episode 3: Prisoner & Alichino
- Episode 4: Rendezvous
- Episode 5: Clockwise Doom
- Episode 6: Where am I?
- Episode 7: Whisperer
- Episode 8: Question
- Episode 9: Malediction
- Episode 10: Grim
- Episode 11: A Lost Raven
- Episode 12: Welcome to Labyrinth
- Episode 13: Keeper of the secret
- Episode 14: Hollow eye socket
- Episode 15: Who killed poor Alice?
- Episode 16: His name is...
- Episode 17: Hello my sister!
- Episode 18: Elliot & Leo
- Episode 19: The pool of Tears
- Episode 20: Modulation
- Episode 21: Snow White Chaos
- Episode 22: Countervalue of loss
- Episode 23: A Warp in the World (Non-Canon)
- Episode 24: Kyrie (Non-Canon)
- Episode 25: Beyond the winding road (Non-Canon)
- Caucus Race 1 — Story 1: Golden Drops
- Caucus Race 1 — Story 3: White Kitty
- Caucus Race 1 — Story 4: Pink Curse
- Caucus Race 2 — Story 1: Blue Rose*
- Caucus Race 2 — Story 2: Hello Baby
- Caucus Race 3 — Story 2: Adoration
- Maidora Hearts (Non-Canon)
- Bumbling Sleuth Break (Non-Canon)
- Magical Girl Ill-Omened❤Lacie (Non-Canon)
- Pandora Academy (Non-Canon)
- Gilbert in Wonderland (Non-Canon)
(*) - Denotes that the character did not appear physically, but as a part of another character's memories.
Trivia[]
- "Alice" is a name with an Old French origin, which roughly can mean "of noble character or rank" or "of nobility."[29]
- Alice is based directly after the titular character[30] of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland novels.[31][32]
- Her character song is called Kinjirareta Asobi.
Alice's profile in 24 + 1: Last Dance
- Her likes are, in order: beef, chicken, and pork. She dislikes Jack Vessalius.
- Her skills include dancing, kick attacks, and looking down on others. She is weak when it comes to coffee and bitter foods.
- Mochizuki's comment on her is, in the she end she ultimately became much more of a comic relief character despite showing more intelligence in Volume 1, and Mochizuki apologizes to her for this.
- Where confusion may arise as to which version of Alice is being referenced by fans, this Alice is usually called "Black Alice" (黒アリス, Kuro Arisu) in Japanese, and simply Alice in English. Her sister is usually called White Alice" (
白 アリス, Shiro Arisu) in Japanese, and in English, she's known as "Alyss"—a portmanteau of "Alice" and "Abyss." - Alice was originally meant to wear trousers. However, this version of her design was considered too masculine, and she was given a short skirt instead.[33]
- Alice does not hold alcohol well.[21]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Retrace III: Prisoner&Alichino
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Retrace IV: Rendezvous
- ↑ Retrace XIX: Detestably
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Retrace LXIX: Alice
- ↑ Retrace LXXIII: A note
- ↑ Retrace LXX: Oz
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Retrace XXXI: Countervalue of Loss
- ↑ Retrace LXXI: Black Rabbit
- ↑ Retrace LXXII: Bloody Rabbit
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Retrace LXXVI: Alice&Oz
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Retrace LXXIV: Broken Rabbit
- ↑ Retrace LXXVII: Vacant
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Pandora Hearts 18.5: Evidence
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 Retrace II: Tempest of Conviction
- ↑ Retrace V: Clockwise Doom
- ↑ Retrace XVIII: Hollow eye socket
- ↑ Retrace XV: Welcome to labyrinth
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Retrace XX: Who killed poor Alice?
- ↑ Retrace XXIX: Rufus Barma
- ↑ Retrace X: Malediction
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Retrace XXVIII: Modulation
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Caucus Race 2 — Story 2: Hello Baby
- ↑ Retrace XXIV: Hello my sister!
- ↑ Retrace CII: The Nursery
- ↑ Retrace XXXV: Madness of lost memory
- ↑ Retrace VIII: Whisperer
- ↑ Retrace XI: Grim
- ↑ Retrace VII: Reunion
- ↑ Wikipedia: Alice (name)
- ↑ Wikipedia: Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
- ↑ Wikipedia: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- ↑ Wikipedia: Through the Looking-Glass
- ↑ Pandora Hearts 8.5: Mine of Mine