It may be hard not to believe thatAlice in Borderlandseason 3’s biggest mystery revolves around the Joker card, but the show’s upcoming installment seems to have an even bigger story beat to address. Based on the original manga it adapts, Netflix’sAlice in Borderlandshould have reached its natural conclusion with season 2’s ending. In many ways, season 2’s final arc also seems to perfectly wrap things up for Arisu and the crew by highlighting how, after facing many trials and tribulations, they finally return to the human world from the Borderland.
However, just when it looks likeAlice in Borderland’s charactershave gotten the happy ending they deserve, the show’s season 2 paves the way for another installment by revealing that something sinister is at play. AlthoughAlice in Borderlandseason 2’s endingdoes not delve too deep into exploring how season 3 will expand the franchise’s lore, it hints that the show’s final installment will have something to do with the Joker card. This undoubtedly makes the Joker card’s purpose one of season 3’s biggest mysteries. However, the final season also needs to answer another nagging question before the series ends for good.
Alice In Borderland Has To Come Up With A Clever Way For Arisu To Return The Borderland
Arisu Has Already Beaten All The Games
After keeping viewers in the dark about what the Borderland is and how the show’s characters were transported to it,Alice in Borderlandseason 2’s ending finally answers some of the biggest questions surrounding its mysterious world. It confirms that the characters were somewhere between life and death, and their fates in the games were a reflection of what happened to them in the real world after a meteorite disaster wreaked havoc in Tokyo.
Since Arisu and his friends return to the real world in season 2’s ending after beating the games, many have wondered how season 3 will take them back to the Borderland. One way it can do this is byshowing how Arisu has another brush with doom before he finds himself in the Borderland again. However, that would risk making the series a little too repetitive.
Every Alice in Borderland Game, Ranked Worst To Best
In the manga adaptation Alice in Borderland, characters face life-or-death games in a dystopian world, aiming to win enough games to escape.
Alice in Borderland has already received some criticism for extending its storyline beyond its source material. If it does not bring something new to the table with season 3 and only attempts to recreate previous narrative devices to explain Arisu’s return to the Borderland, it could harm the show’s momentum and risk ending its run on a disappointing note despite earning consistent acclaim so far.
It’s Not Just Arisu Who Has To Return To The Borderland In Season 3
Many Main Characters Are Set To Return In The Show’s Season 3
Alice in Borderlandseason 3’s teaser confirms that it will not feature a solo adventure for Arisu. Instead, it will mark the return of several major characters from previous seasons who will likely find themselves facing the central games again before finally getting a happy ending. Owing to this, the show cannot merely get away with featuring another near-death experience for Arisu. It will have to find a way to highlight how, despite surviving the games in season 2’s ending and returning to the real world, the entire roster ends up in the Borderland again.
Although most story details surrounding how season 3 will unfold remain under wraps,season 3 might establish that Arisu and the crew never left the Borderland at all. PerhapsAlice in Borderlandseason 2’s ending was a trick played by the Joker, who intentionally made the characters believe they had escaped the Borderland to keep them trapped. Since the characters seemingly do not remember the Borderland after they awaken in the real world, the Joker might have also purposefully erased their memories to ensure they do not team up again to beat the games' final stage.
Alice in Borderlandseason 3 is scheduled to be released sometime in September 2025.
Or,Alice in Borderlandseason 3 might establish that the Joker’s game will unfold in the real world, where Arisu and his team will have to race against time to beat the final boss and save the world from his looming threat. After season 2’s ending, the possibilities seem endless. Hopefully, the Japanese show’s season 3 will find creative ways to immerse viewers back in its action by presenting a logical reason for Arisu and his friends' return to the Borderland. This alone could make or break the Netflix series' final arc.
How Arisu Returns To The Borderland In The Alice In Borderland Manga
It Seems Unlikely The Show’s Season 3 Will Adapt The Manga’s Story
InAlice in Borderland: Retry, a brief sequel/spin-off to theAlice in Borderlandmanga, Arisu ends up in the liminal space between life and death again after being involved in an accident. As a result, to reunite with his pregnant wife, Usagi, he is forced to play the games all over again. However, consideringAlice in Borderlandseason 2’s Joker setup,it seems unlikely the Netflix series will take a similar narrative route. Season 2’s ending clearly establishes that Arisu and his friends will have to encounter one final challenge before they are set free from the Borderland.
While only time will tell whether drifting too far from the manga will benefit the show, it opens up possibilities for a more unique direction for the franchise…
By following the sequel manga’s story,Alice in Borderlandseason 3 will not only risk being too redundant but also struggle to explain the other main characters' return to the Borderland. This makes it hard not to believe that season 3 will unfold an original storyline, which will have nothing to do with the sequel manga. While only time will tell whether drifting too far from the manga will benefit the show, it opens up possibilities for a more unique direction for the franchise, which could potentially expand its fantastical world-building and make it even more compelling.
Alice in Borderland
Alice in Borderland follows a video-game enthusiast and his two friends who find themselves transported to an alternate Tokyo. There, they must participate in perilous games for survival.
