What happened to Alison in Pretty Little Liars? Character’s fate explored

The Pretty Little Liars saga begins with a riddle that would become the show's theme in many ways.

In the very first episode, the buzz is around Alison DiLaurentis' death, her disappearance not only affecting the girls but also preluding to more secrets that will follow.

So where was she really? The answer is that Alison DiLaurentis was always alive. In Pretty Little Liars, this girl, who had lived in hiding for a long time, returns to Rosewood, is incorrectly accused of a crime, and finally survives.

Pretty Little Liars does not at once expose Alison to the world, but instead does so through a gradual process. A murder mystery that is perceived as simple is actually filled with fraud, decisions driven by fear, and historical facts.

The unmasking of Alison's identity takes a long while, and it involves the audience and the protagonists constantly re-assessing their assumptions about her disappearance.

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Alison DiLaurentis, before she vanished in Pretty Little Liars

In the TV series Pretty Little Liars, Alison DiLaurentis, prior to disappearing, is portrayed as the individual who controls the group she hangs out with. Alison can be described as a confident, quiet, and at times very manipulative individual who uses her own personal secrets as tools to control.

Alison’s control has been exhibited not only within the group but also among the classmates, the teachers, and the adults within the neighborhood of Rosewood.

Alison leaves behind a trail of unresolved disputes and, among her acquaintances, an atmosphere of fear in which it will be hard to tell the victims from the perpetrators. Pretty Little Liars does not, from the very beginning, ignore the effect of Alison’s absence in the slightest degree.

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The night Alison disappeared

One of the most important discoveries made in Pretty Little Liars is the truth about the night that Alison disappeared. It’s the Labor Day weekend, and a rock hits Alison in the back. She gets injured but does not die. Shortly afterward, she is found by Mona Vanderwaal, who realizes that Alison has survived the attack.

However, a tragic crime is committed at the same time. Jessica DiLaurentis buries a body in the DiLaurentis backyard, thinking that it was hers. However, that was not Alison, but Bethany Young, who was disguised as Alison. The audience learn about Bethany Young, Jessica DiLaurentis' mistake, and Mona's role in sneaking out of Alison's.

This series of revelations demonstrates that the disappearance of Alison was not carefully thought out; it was the action of fear and confusion. This burial by mistake leads the town of Rosewood to think that Alison is dead for years.

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Mona Vanderwaal’s role in Alison’s survival

In Pretty Little Liars, the character of Mona Vanderwaal is central in the whole process of Alison’s disappearance. After the shocking discovery of Alison being alive, she is still so terrified that Mona persuades her that it’s going to be risky for her to come back home. Mona pulls the strings for the girl to leave Rosewood and supports her.

Mona’s participation is decisive. Her motives are intricate, and she is often her own best friend; still, her every step leads to Alison living through that night and being invisible for many years. This intervention turns out to be a major part of the mystery when Alison's fate gets completely uncovered.

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Years in hiding under an Alias

While the residents of Rosewood are in tears over Alison’s death, she stays incognito under the name of Vivian Darkbloom. In Pretty Little Liars, the years are depicted through flashbacks that show nothing but fear and instability. Alison has to move frequently from one place to another; she is not allowed to have long-term relationships, and she has to use the money she has stolen to survive.

Even in this period of her ordeal, Alison is convinced that someone is still after her. She gets threatening texts and encounters, which keep her staying in the shadows. Although she is not anywhere near physically, her movements and mysteries continue to affect the situation back in Rosewood.

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Alison’s reappearance in Rosewood

In Pretty Little Liars Season 4, Alison discloses her presence. Her coming back is like a bombshell, making all the people around her revise their thoughts about her death that have been over the years. Still, the question of what exactly she is mum about the night she went missing presses her hard.

But rather, she first gives a twisted account of events, skipping incidents involving Mona and Bethany Young. This half-truth creates a rift and distrust among the characters, particularly between the girls, who find it difficult to accept the Alison they knew with the one who has returned.

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The whole truth is revealed

As Pretty Little Liars continues, the whole truth behind Alison’s disappearance gets out. The viewers learn about Bethany Young, Jessica DiLaurentis' mistake, and Mona's role in sneaking out of Alison's. This series of revelations demonstrates that the disappearance of Alison was not carefully planned; it was the result of fear and confusion.

This perception sheds new light on Alison's character. She is neither an outright victim nor a schemer but a human being whose existence was a matter of a chain of desperate choices made in extreme conditions.

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Mona's murder framed

Alicia’s false accusation of the murder of Mona Vanderwaal is among the elements that get reversed in Pretty Little Liars. Although there is minimal evidence against her, Alison is imprisoned.

Her time in jail is a turning point in her life. This is the first time Alison can no longer dictate the terms of her life. She has to deal with danger and loneliness, and the consequences of the image created long before her vanishing are facing her. At last, new findings establish that she was set up and she is freed.

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Prison existences

Alison finds it hard to cope with life in Rosewood post-prison. She takes up the role of a high school teacher in Pretty Little Liars, which is the complete opposite of her previous position as the most powerful student.

Her relationships take a long time to develop. There is no immediate trust, and the forgiveness is slow. Alison attempts to be more honest in her life, but her past remains a significant factor in how people rate her.

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Marriage, motherhood, and later canon

In the final seasons of Pretty Little Liars, Alison is said to marry Emily Fields, and they have twin daughters. Although this turn of events is interpreted as securing their relationship, later canon eliminates the idea that their romance ends up lasting.

The perfectionists introduces us to a different scenario in which it is revealed that the couple Alison and Emily have already broken up.

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What happened to Alison in the end in Pretty Little Liars? She was the one who survived the murder attempt, instead of being killed as it was planned. She spent her life in hiding under an alias, went back to the town of Rosewood, got imprisoned by mistake, and was then released as innocent.

By the conclusion of the series, Alison is portrayed as living, liberated, and no longer being recognized only for her disappearance. The series also shows her future as uncertain, yet still heavily influenced by unconfessed secrets, fear, and the truth that has been buried for a long time.

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What makes Alison's story still relevant?

The character of Alison DiLaurentis is still the main theme of Pretty Little Liars. However, her fate does not validate the viewers' early perceptions. The 'dead' character serves as an example that one cannot always rely on appearances, and that sometimes the truth may remain hidden for a long time.

In the end, Pretty Little Liars characterizes Alison's saga as that of survival determined by errors, trauma, and accountability, neither more nor less.

Also read: The cast of Pretty Little Liars has agreed to a reboot, but with a major condition