Breaking Down the Epic Ending of Alice in Borderland Season 3

Though Squid Game is often considered the most popular show of its kind from the pandemic, Alice in Borderland actually debuted first. This Japanese series, based on the manga by Haro Aso, premiered on Netflix in December 2020. It follows Arisu, a young gamer who finds himself mysteriously transported to an abandoned version of Tokyo called Borderland. There, he’s forced to compete in dangerous games alongside other people. Winning a game extends a player’s time in Borderland, while losing results in immediate, fatal consequences – a laser blast to the head. Amidst the intense struggle for survival, Arisu forms a connection with Usagi, a resilient and independent woman grappling with the loss of her father, a mountain climber.

Since the first season of *Alice in Borderland*, a lot has changed both within the show’s fictional world and in reality. When Season 2 was released in 2022, it quickly became Netflix’s most popular Japanese series, racking up around 61 million viewing hours in just four days. Even though Arisu and Usagi successfully return to the real world at the end of Season 2 – mirroring the manga’s conclusion – Netflix has decided to create a third season.

The second season of Borderland reveals that the world within the show exists between life and death. Arisu, Usagi, and the other players were brought there after a strange meteorite landed in the bustling Shibuya area of Tokyo. Their struggles to survive the games in Borderland were actually a fight for their lives back in the real world.

Shinsuke Sato, the director and co-writer, appreciated the creative freedom that a third season offered, allowing him to delve deeper into the mysteries introduced by the ‘Borderland’ concept. Speaking with TIME, Sato – known for adapting manga and anime into live-action films, including the upcoming Hollywood version of *My Hero Academia* – explained that while many storylines were possible, they ultimately chose the one that best conveyed the meaning of the afterlife. He believes they found the right answer to what the world beyond holds.

Return to Borderland in Season 3

At the end of Season 2, Arisu and Usagi find themselves in the hospital with no memory of their experiences in Borderland, but they still feel a strong connection. Season 3 begins about three years later, showing them happily married and living in Tokyo. Arisu now works as a counselor, while Usagi uses her skills in climbing and sports to work at a sporting goods store.

Usagi is still grieving the loss of her father, who appeared to take his own life after doubts were raised about the safety of his extreme solo climbs. When a researcher named Ryuji (Kento Kaku), fascinated by the possibility of life after death, contacts her, Usagi is tempted to return to the mysterious Borderland with the hope of seeing her father again.

According to Tsuchiya, her character, Usagi, shows more emotional vulnerability in Season 3. She explains that truly embracing happiness requires self-reflection, and for Usagi, facing her trauma was a crucial step towards building the family she desires with Arisu. Her determination to protect that family motivated her to confront her own weaknesses and past hurts.

Okay, so things are getting really intense! Ryuji created this crazy drug that can basically pause your heart and send you to Borderland, and he and Arisu went together. Then Arisu rushed to the hospital to see Usagi and found out she’s pregnant! He’s totally baffled about how she ended up in a coma from the drug, just like Ryuji, but thankfully Ann – you might remember her, she’s the forensic scientist I met at the beach way back when – is offering to help him figure it all out.

Even though Arisu doesn’t remember Ann, she tells him where Usagi went and how to find her. She gives him a special drink that lets him enter Borderland, and she stays behind to watch over him in the real world. Once inside Borderland, both Arisu and Usagi remember what happened during their previous visit.

The games of Season 3

Like all stories about deadly competitions, the quality of *Alice in Borderland* relies heavily on how well its games are designed. Season 3 features both new games and challenges taken directly from the original manga, like the flaming arrow game that reintroduces Arisu to the world of Borderland.

Sato, the creator of *Alice in Borderland*, explains that while the show is a drama, he wants viewers to experience it as if they’re actively playing a game, blurring the lines between watching and participating. He aimed for complete immersion, and believes season three achieves the highest level of this ‘gameplay’ feeling.

As a big fan of Borderland, I’ve really noticed a shift with Season 3. The first two seasons were cool because the games were all linked to playing cards – you knew each one would relate to a specific suit, giving you a little clue about what to expect. But Season 3 is totally different! They’ve thrown that system out the window. Now, they just divide us into teams and send us off to the next challenge with absolutely no idea what’s coming. It’s way more chaotic and unpredictable, and honestly, a little nerve-wracking, but it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Watching Arisu and Usagi now is so different from how they were at the beginning! The creator, Yamazaki, explained they’ve really grown after winning those games – they have this newfound strength. Especially Arisu, he’s so determined to find Usagi that he actually *goes back* to Borderland! I could really feel that confidence in the actor’s performance, it was amazing.

Arisu rapidly stepped into a leadership role, gaining his team’s confidence when he discovered a secret underground path leading away from a shrine about to be bombarded with countless flaming arrows. He then led them to victory in a subsequent game involving a zombie virus, cleverly concealing the fact that he was infected. Yamazaki, who considers it his favorite game of the season, explained to TIME, “Arisu excels at games that require thinking, and his intelligence was particularly evident in this one.”

Usagi and Ryuji become allies

As Usagi and Ryuji struggle to survive in the dangerous world of Borderland, they begin to rely on each other and form a bond. Ryuji, who uses a wheelchair due to a past car accident, starts to fall for Usagi after she rescues him during a particularly risky game on the poison train. Usagi, in turn, sees Ryuji as a friend. Actress Rina Tsuchiya, who plays Usagi, explains that she admires her character’s selflessness and determination. “Usagi is always willing to act to protect others, and she focuses on what she can do for them, not just herself,” Tsuchiya says. “I think that’s really powerful.”

Unbeknownst to Usagi, Ryuji secretly made a deal with Banda, a ruthless and calculating killer. Banda was a player alongside Chishiya in Season 2’s “Jack of Hearts” game and, after surviving the Borderland games, decided to remain as a resident. Now, he’s trying to draw Arisu back into the game, believing Arisu is a uniquely compelling player.

Banda promises Ryuji knowledge about what happens after death in Borderland if he delivers Usagi and Arisu to the purgatory. As the final game nears, Banda arms Ryuji with a gun and instructs him to kill Usagi before she can leave Borderland, hoping that Arisu will then choose to remain there as well.

Arisu sacrifices himself in the final game

Okay, so Arisu and Usagi are back together for one last, massive game, and thankfully, most of their teammates, including Ryuji, made it this far too! They’re dropped into this crazy grid with sixteen different rooms, and the goal is simple: find the exit. But here’s the catch – they only have fifteen rounds, and each of us has a wristband with fifteen points. Every time you try to open a door to move between rooms, it costs you a point. And some rooms are even *more* dangerous – just walking in will take away multiple points! If you run out of points… well, let’s just say it’s game over for good.

Usagi receives a second wristband when she finds out she’s pregnant. This addition of a baby-still developing inside her-to the game brings to mind the final season of *Squid Game*. Each room presents a challenge: players roll a die to determine how many people can pass through each door to advance. Because of her pregnancy, Usagi counts as two players and can’t go through doors that only allow one person. If anyone gets left behind in a room, they lose a point each round until another player comes back to rescue them.

At first, the players work as a team, following Arisu’s plan. Their wristbands let them communicate with each other, helping them coordinate their movements. But the game is more than just physical – it also plays with their minds. Before each door, they see a vision of what their life could be like if they choose that path, and it’s suggested they’ll actually live out that future, whether good or bad.

Tetsu (Koji Ohkura) struggles with drug addiction, which has ruined his relationship. Desperate to avoid an early death, he enters the Borderland games, but tragically dies after encountering a particularly difficult challenge. Soon after, siblings Itsuki (Joey Iwanaga) and Yuna (Akana Ikeda) find themselves in the games. Having lost their parents in a car accident, Itsuki is determined to give Yuna the happy family life she deserves. He becomes so focused on protecting her, and spends so many of his own points doing so, that he ultimately sacrifices himself.

It’s so intense! After everything, only a few of us are left, and we all figure out pretty quickly that nobody can win this game alone. Arisu, me and my baby, Ryuji, Yuna, and then there’s Rei, this amazing artist, Nobu who’s just trying to figure things out, and Sachiko, a really strong mom – we all somehow make it to the very last room. But here’s the catch: we have to roll dice to decide how many of us actually get to leave. It’s heartbreaking to think someone might not make it out!

Arisu takes the blame and successfully rolls a seven, triggering the game’s consequence: someone has to be left behind. Arisu immediately volunteers, but a heartbroken Usagi refuses to let him go. Arisu insists she leave, pushing her through the door. Before she goes, he makes Ryuji promise to ensure she returns to the real world.

Shibuya is swallowed by the sea

Arisu braced himself for the end he’d accepted, but then the screens around him lit up, announcing he’d actually won the game. His selfless act of sacrificing himself for others had been recognized. Before he could understand what that meant, the screens shifted to show Usagi and their friends. Arisu was horrified to see Ryuji pull out a gun and aim it at a heartbroken Usagi, who had collapsed to the floor. He desperately pounded on the screen, shouting for Ryuji to stop, realizing he couldn’t physically intervene. In the final moment, Ryuji couldn’t go through with it and lowered the gun, unable to shoot Usagi.

The brief sense of relief quickly vanishes as buildings around Shibuya Crossing start collapsing. A massive flood of water overwhelms the area, destroying everything it touches. Usagi is caught in the current, and Ryuji jumps in after her, while the others desperately cling to a nearby ledge.

Arisu, determined as always, tore a section of flooring from the ground and used it to break through the screen wall that blocked his way out. He created an opening, reached inside the wall’s machinery, and pried the door open just enough to crawl through. After helping the others back into the room, he immediately jumped into the water to rescue Usagi.

The death of Banda

Caught in the rushing water, Arisu follows the sound of Usagi’s voice, and they’re both pulled towards a swirling vortex that leads to the afterlife. Arisu manages to climb onto a pile of debris for a brief respite, only to be confronted by an enraged Banda. Banda offers Arisu a final choice: join their society, or face death. Arisu firmly replies, “I’ll answer any questions, but I will never become a citizen.”

Just as Banda was about to shoot Arisu, a laser beam struck him from above, eliminating the threat. He’d been stripped of his status as a Borderland player. Then, Ken Watanabe, a famous Japanese actor, appeared before Arisu and remarked, “He wasn’t prepared for this challenge.”

Ken Watanabe’s Watchman cameo and the Joker identity

Okay, so the tension is *palpable* here. Time literally stops, and this mysterious figure gives Arisu a final chance – one last game to decide his fate. He’s presented with two cards, and if he picks a Joker, the Watchman wins, meaning Arisu is at the mercy of whoever’s in charge. The big reveal? He *does* pick a Joker, but brilliantly, he predicts *both* cards were Jokers! It’s a fantastic twist – he’s not just playing the game, he’s playing the player. Seriously, a clever move that throws everything into question.

I was completely thrown when Arisu thought the Watchman was the Joker! It turned out he was just… a guardian, someone watching over the boundary between life and death. Then he explained the Joker isn’t a *who*, but a *what*. He said Jokers aren’t people at all, but essential parts of how time works in our world – like filler cards that connect everything, bridging gaps in time and between life and death. Basically, the Joker isn’t a ruler or a mastermind; it’s just… a card. It’s a concept, not a person, and that blew my mind.

Arisu claims the Watchman is cheating, though it’s not confirmed. The Watchman’s other cards are all numbered, and he tells Arisu, “You’re a fascinating person. It wasn’t random that the cards deciding your fate were Jokers.” Due to this strange twist of luck, the Watchman offers Arisu a choice: return to life, with all its pain, uncertainty, and eventual death, or enter a peaceful afterlife.

Arisu makes his choice: he wants to stay in the world of the living and be with Usagi, but first he needs to rescue her. As time resumes, he jumps back into the water. Ryuji is trying to pull Usagi into the whirlpool with him, hoping they can both go to the world of the dead. However, seeing how much Arisu and Usagi love each other, Ryuji changes his mind and lets her go.

Just before Arisu and Usagi’s adventure in Borderland ends, Usagi gets a final, touching moment with her father. He shares that he lived a happy life and hopes the same for her. Meanwhile, in the final moments of Season 3, Ryuji makes a heartbreaking choice and sacrifices himself, opting to enter the world of the dead instead of continuing the fight for survival.

Arisu and Usagi survive Borderland

Arisu and Usagi successfully escape the deadly games of Borderland again, and we see them happily planning their future together in the real world – even discussing baby names. Arisu remarks that choosing a name feels significant, as if it can influence a person’s fate. This is a clever reference to the show’s origins: *Alice in Borderland* is inspired by Lewis Carroll’s *Alice in Wonderland*. Arisu is a Japanese adaptation of “Alice,” and “Usagi” is the Japanese word for “rabbit.” Just as Alice followed the White Rabbit into Wonderland, Arisu follows Usagi into the dangerous world of Borderland in Season 3.

Nobu, Rei, Yuna, and Sachiko all returned safely. Nobu recently graduated and is celebrating with his mother. Rei is discussing her growing career as an anime illustrator with her mom over the phone. Yuna is planning a visit to her brother’s grave with her boyfriend. And Sachiko, who feared her son would become abusive like her husband even more than the abuse itself, is shown happily walking with him. He points out he gets his personality from her, and she smiles.

Returning characters in Alice in Borderland Season 3

Besides Arisu, Usagi, Ann, and Banda, Season 3 also features quick appearances by returning characters like Kuina, the transgender martial artist (played by Asahina Aya), the popular Chishiya, Heiya – an archer who had an amputation (played by Yuri Tsunematsu) – Aguni, a member of the military (played by Sho Aoyagi), and the complex character Niragi (played by Dori Sakurada).

Towards the end of the season, we see each of the five main characters in individual therapy sessions, where they briefly share what they’ve been up to. Kuina is now a karate instructor at her father’s dojo, Heiya has become a social media influencer, Aguni is managing the Hatter’s hat shop, and Niragi is working on becoming a better father. Chishiya, ever enigmatic, doesn’t offer a life update, but his response to Arisu’s question about the meaning of life encapsulates a key theme of the season: he suggests that even without knowing the answer, life isn’t so bad.

The Alice in Borderland American ending, explained

Just when the series appears to be wrapping up with a positive outcome, an earthquake hits the building where Arisu is located. Although not severe, news reports indicate this is one of many increasing earthquakes happening worldwide. Combined with the Watchman’s warning that many more people will soon be entering Borderland, it seems a large-scale disaster is probably coming.

The final scene of *Alice in Borderland* shifts the setting to Los Angeles, mirroring *Squid Game*. We see two friends chatting about sports in a bar while a news report about earthquakes plays in the background. A waitress takes their order, and though we don’t see her face, her nametag reads “Alice.” This has led to speculation that the show could continue in the United States with a new central character named Alice, a possibility made likely by the show’s popularity.

As a reviewer, I spoke with Hiroshi Sato about the future of this Netflix series, and he shared his biggest hope for season three: that it leaves the audience with the same sense of completion and satisfaction he felt when he finished writing the original manga. He really wants viewers to feel like the story has reached a natural and fulfilling conclusion, just as he did.

We all face big questions about life and death, but we still choose to live and keep moving forward, even when things are difficult. That choice, that resilience, is what truly makes us happy. I want you to experience that happiness, not just think about it.

2025-09-26 06:08