Alai Character Analysis in Ender’s Game

Alai is a loyal friend to Ender. He practices alongside Ender so that they can improve their maneuvers in the battleroom, and frequently defends Ender from others. At times, Ender thinks that Alai is his only good friend at the Battle School, but at other times, he wonders if Alai is indifferent to him, or even resents him for his successes. In the end, Ender realizes that the truth is somewhere in the middle: Alai respects Ender and thinks of him as a friend, but can’t relate to Ender on an intimate level because of Ender’s role in the Bugger Wars.

Alai Character Timeline in Ender’s Game

The timeline below shows where the character Alai appears in Ender’s Game. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Games, Computers, and Virtual Reality Theme Icon

...Ender and Shen float through the battleroom, they notice Bernard’s best friend, a boy named Alai. Ender collides with Alai, and the two laugh. They decide to experiment with movement in... (full context)

Control, Manipulation, and Authority Theme Icon

As the chapter begins, Alai tells Ender that he’s finally figured out how Ender hacked into the messaging system and... (full context)

Love, Empathy, and Destruction Theme Icon

Ender and Alai go to their barracks to set up a security system on Alai’s desk. Inside, Ender... (full context)

...himself. Ender decides to return to his old barracks. There, he finds Bernard, along with Alai. He invites them to practice maneuvers in the battleroom. Together, Ender, Shen, Alai, and Bernard... (full context)

In his spare time, Ender decides to continue practicing with Alai and his other friends, disobeying Rose’s authority. He also uses his desk. One day, Rose... (full context)

Shortly after Ender’s conversation with Dink, he goes to practice battleroom maneuvers with Alai and some other friends. Bernard isn’t present—word has gotten out that any new recruits caught... (full context)

One day, Ender and Alai are practicing with new students. A group of older boys from other armies (including Salamander)... (full context)

...this sometimes frustrates him. While he continues to practice with his old friends, Shen and Alai, he’s noticed that they think of him as a different “kind” of person than they... (full context)

Ender goes to the game room, where he finds Alai waiting for him. Alai tells Ender he’d planned on practicing with him, only to find... (full context)

The next day, Ender and Alai greet each other in the halls. They’re still friendly and open with each other, but... (full context)

...that he’s been prepared to command an elite group of commanders, including his old friends Alai, Bean, Dink, Shen, Crazy Tom, and many of his other loyal commanders from Dragon. Ender... (full context)

...instructs his forces to be careful—he doesn’t want to lose a single ship. He tasks Alai with luring the enemy into a large clump that will be especially vulnerable to the... (full context)

...good, smooth relationship with him. Strangely, Ender’s friendship with his commanders weakens during this period: Alai, Petra, and Bean respect Ender and become excellent at understanding his commands, but they cease... (full context)

Ender wakes up to find Alai standing over him. Alai informs Ender that a war has been going on between the... (full context)