The Borderlands in "Alice in Borderland" were created by an enigmatic entity called the Joker, also known as the "Watchman." The Joker is not portrayed as a ruler or god but as a force that fulfills the gaps between time, life, and death for humanity. It controls the Borderlands and uses games to test individuals' will to live, making the Borderlands a sort of purgatory or liminal space between life and death.
