De-railing the Game Symbol
Kiwada is participating in the Battle for a second time; the first time he took part he actually won, but in doing so had to kill his girlfriend. His participation in this second Battle is predominantly an exercise in trying to de-rail the game by hacking into the government system and making it impossible for them to direct the Battle. This effort to derail is a symbol to him of his girlfriend, and to what she meant to him, and also symbolic of the extreme remorse that he feels for his actions in the first Battle he participated in.
Necklace Symbol
As they are about to escape, and be declared fugitives from justice, Shuya gives Noriko the necklace that Yoshitoki wore. This is symbolic of their shared love for his friend and for the fact that they consider him to be with them as they escape from the island.
Noriko Symbol
Kitano reveals that he always intended Noriko to win the game because she was a symbol of his daughter to him, and protecting or saving her was symbolic of his desire to save his relationship with his daughter, from whom he has become estranged.
Kitano's Estragement from his Daughter
Kitano reveals that he and his daughter are estranged and hints that she feels only hatred for him. He also expresses sadness that he and his students did not get along and that there was always both an enormous gulf of separation, and a great deal of anger and hate, between them. This continued inability to avoid estrangement with the young people in Kitano's life is symbolic of the government's inability to connect with the young people, particularly students, in the country, and the gulf that there is between Kitano and his class symbolizes the gulf between all of the students in the nation and the government ruling them with an iron fist.
Noriko's Victory Poster Symbol
Kitano reveals a poster depicting Noriko as the winner of the Battle. This is a symbol of the fact that rather than being a genuine contest, the Battle is actually completely rigged, and manipulated by the government forces throughout, so that the person they decide they would like to be the winner ultimately manages to emerge victorious. This is also another symbol of a totalitarian government's way of propagandizing everything to make even the worst and most murderous situations look positive.
