Alice in Borderland’s third season premiered September 25 on Netflix.
After surviving all the face card games in Season 2, Arisu, Usagi, and the others woke up in the real world with their memories of Borderland completely erased (or seemingly so). And while it seemed like a peaceful ending at one moment, the final shot of the Joker card hinted that their nightmare was far from over, and that maybe, what they thought was “reality” wasn’t the whole story.
I was able to watch Alice in Borderland Season 3 last weekend on one of the major streaming services out there (a.k.a. Netflix), and I really have to say it, it felt like coming back to a dream that’s still trying to make sense of itself. A lot of things are happening, but it was all necessary. Season three questioned what really happened, why and how it’s happening, and what it means to move forward after surviving something that changes you completely.
Alice in Borderland Season 2 Recap
Season 2 of Alice in Borderland continues Arisu and Usagi’s fight for survival as they face the last stage of the games, or the so-called face cards. One of the toughest was the King of Spades, a nonstop fight for survival that turned the city into a battlefield. But it’s the final game against the Queen of Hearts, Mira, that truly breaks Arisu.
She traps him in a psychological game that makes him question what’s real and what’s not. When Arisu and Usagi finally win, the truth about the Borderland is revealed. It was said that it’s a place between life and death caused by a meteorite strike in Tokyo. Everyone who played was fighting for a second chance to live. After clearing all the games, Arisu, Usagi, and the others wake up in the real world with no memories of what happened.
This isn’t like other TV streaming series where seasons don’t relate to each other. You will need to watch seasons 1 and 2 to actually understand and appreciate the story.
The Life After the Game
When I started watching Alice in Borderland, I didn’t know what to expect since I never got the chance to read the manga. At the start of season three, it shows Arisu and Usagi living their lives as a married couple. It almost feels like the show is giving us the happy ending we all hoped for. But of course, that’s far from the truth. Strange things happened when Usagi kept dreaming about her late father. It’s been haunting her, and it was painful to watch as someone who’s had the same grief as her. You can see the way she tries to keep it together, but she’s still searching for closure.
Then, Usagi suddenly vanished after calling Arisu, saying, “Arisu, I’m sorry,” before the line went dead. This is where Ann reenters the story. For those who might’ve forgotten, Ann was one of the smartest and calmest players back in the earlier seasons. She worked as a forensic scientist in the real world, which explains her logical way of thinking and problem-solving during the games. She was also one of the few people Arisu could actually trust.
So when she tells him that Usagi has somehow returned to Borderland, Arisu listens. Ann then gives him a special serum that allows him to cross over again, but this time, it’s not to play, it’s to rescue. It’s such a heavy decision, one Arisu doesn’t mind making over and over again if it means saving Usagi and their unborn child.
The Game That Never Ends
Before reaching the final showdown, Alice in Borderland Season 3 brings us through another round of brutal and clever games. Each one feels different, but they all serve the same purpose: to test how far the players are willing to go just to survive. By this point, everyone’s tired, but they keep pushing because it’s the only way out. Here are the games played in this season:
- Sacred Fortunes – Players have to solve strange riddles that decide who lives and who dies. It’s not just about being smart, but about trusting your instincts when every answer could kill you.
- Runaway Train – A train filled with poison gas, and you only have seconds to choose where to go next. It’s easy to see how one mistake could end it all.
- Tokyo Bingo Tower – The higher they climb, the harder it gets. Floors collapse, traps appear, and you can feel the exhaustion creeping in. This one really showed Usagi’s strength and how calm she can be even when everyone’s falling apart.
- Kick the Can – It looks like a simple childhood game, but it turns deadly quickly. The tension between teammates, also the panic.
- Zombie Hunt – Everyone’s scared of getting infected, and no one knows who to trust. The chaos and desperation here feel so real that you start wondering what you’d do in their place.
Now, we’re onto the exciting part, the final game. It’s called Possible Futures. It’s a maze with 25 rooms where Arisu, Usagi, Ryuji, and the remaining players must find the exit. Everyone has 15 points to start. Moving, opening doors, and even waiting cost you points. Some rooms carry hidden extra penalties, so they can lose more than one point. Once your points drop to zero, you’re out (yes, dead).
Because Usagi is pregnant, she’s treated like two players, with dual wristbands. As the game progresses, “possible futures” are shown on the walls for each door. Good futures and bad futures that are there to tempt and torment you. Which future do you want to gamble on? If your internet is spotty, you wouldn’t want to watch this, as everything gets so intense. So make sure your internet provider is up to the task.
The dice game looks simple, but it’s actually designed to test their choices and morals. It’s actually what Alice in Borderland does best. It forces everyone to face the question of who deserves to live when not everyone can make it out. It has always been about what it means to be human when the odds are just so cruel.
Then came the chaos. The city flooded, buildings collapsed, and Usagi was swept away. Arisu fought to reach her, while Banda appeared with a gun, forcing him to choose between living and becoming a Borderland citizen. The Watchman stopped time and gave him one last test – two Jokers, one choice. Arisu chose life. He fought through the water, saved Usagi, and made it back to the real world.
What’s Next for Alice in Borderland?
The ending was beautiful and bittersweet. Arisu’s friends are alive, living quietly after everything they’ve survived. It felt like we had the beautiful ending they all deserved. But we all know it’s not the end. When Arisu talked to the Watchman, he warned that more people would come and something bigger was waiting. Then the earthquakes started, not just in Tokyo but all over the world. It’s a chilling hint that the Borderland isn’t done yet, and that the next game might be bigger than ever.
TV and City 