Alice in Borderlandseason 3 was officially announced around a year after the second season dropped on Netflix, which was surprising given how season 2’s finale seemed to be the end of the show. Based on Haro Aso’s manga of the same name,Alice in Borderlandpremiered on Netflix in December 2020. WhileAlice in Borderlandreceived a short anime adaptation in 2014, the live-action series helped the franchise achieve new heights and became a streaming hit. Unlike otherlive-action adaptations of manga and anime,Alice in Borderlandwas successful among both fans of the manga and new viewers.
Starring Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya as Arisu and Usagi, respectively,Alice in Borderlandtook the battle royale trope to the next level by placing its characters in an alternate version of Tokyo where they have to play deadly games to survive. Given thatSquid Gamepremiered on Netflix a year later, comparisons between the Korean smash hit and the Japanese series were inevitable. WhileAlice in Borderlandnever became as big asSquid Game,the live-action adaptation was quite successful and received a second season in December 2022. Now,Alice in Borderlandwill surprisingly return for season 3.
Alice In Borderland Season 2’s Ending Was The Same As The Manga
Alice In Borderland Season 2 Appeared To Be The End Of The Show
The announcement thatAlice in Borderlandwas going to get a season 3 caught many off guard because season 2 covered the rest of the manga in its entirety.Alice in Borderlandseason 2’s finaleis based on the final chapters of the manga, with Arisu defeating the Queen of Hearts after almost being tricked by Mira. Once the Queen of Hearts is defeated, all the surviving players are given the chance to stay in the Borderland or return to their world.Arisu, Usagi, and most of the main characters declined the invitationto stay.
Alice in Borderlandseason 3 premiers in 2025.
This is when we find out that all of theAlice in Borderlandcharacters were in a hospital fighting for their lives after a meteorite hit Tokyo. Those we saw in the Borderland, including Arisu, were going through a near-death experience that lasted 60 minutes in the real world.Almost everything that happened inAlice in Borderlandseason 2’s final episode also happened in the final chapter of the manga, which ends with Arisu and Usagi finding each other in the real world despite not having memories of their time in the Borderland.
Alice In Borderland’s Joker Card Cliffhanger Teased Season 3 Would Happen
Alice In Borderland Season 2’s Joker Was An Obvious Sequel Hook
While it took almost a year forAlice in Borderlandseason 3 to be confirmed, the Netflix show had clearly left the door open for the story to continue. Unlike the manga, which has a very definite ending,Alice in Borderlandseason 2 ended on a cliffhanger as the camera zoomed in on a Joker card.Considering that there was not a Joker game in the first two seasons, many assumed that this final shot was a sequel hook and that there was at least one more game left to be played.
InAlice in Borderland: Retry, a short story set a few years after the events covered in season 2, Arisu and Usagi are married and expecting a child. Arisu suffers an accident and goes back to the Borderland, although everything is resolved briefly. It’s unlikely that this will be used for season 3.
Interestingly,while there is a Joker in theAlice in Borderlandmanga, he is just the ferryman of the Borderland.In other words,Alice in Borderlandseason 2’s Joker teaseis pointing at an original story and not something from the source material. It is also unclear what the Joker card means. Although some have theorized that Arisu is not in the real world after all and will have to beat the Joker game, others believe that Arisu will have to return to the Borderland for some reason. It’s also unclear whether the Joker is the one behind the Borderland.
Alice In Borderland’s Success On Netflix Must Have Made Season 3 Inevitable
Alice In Borderland Season 2 Was Massive For Netflix
The simplest explanation for whyAlice in Borderlandis getting a third season despite having already covered all of the source material is that the show was a huge success for Netflix.Alice in Borderlandseason 2 premiered as number 1 on Netflix’s global charts for non-English TV shows, with 61.2 million viewing hours in the first weekend. The second season was number 1 in nine countries during the first weekend and appeared in the Top 10 charts of 90 countries. This made it the most-watched live-action Japanese series on Netflix.
10 Wild Theories For What Happens In Alice In Borderland Season 3
From what the Joker card means to whether Arisu really woke up, here are 10 bold theories for what happens in Alice in Borderland season 3.
It must also be noted that Netflix’sAlice in Borderlandhad already made some big changes to the source material, including but not limited to Chishiya’s personality and the addition of original games. Therefore, the live-action series has built its own identity and is now in a good position to continue past the manga. What season 3’s story will be remains to be seen, but hopefully,Alice in Borderlandwill bring back all the aspects that have made the show so successful so far.
Alice in Borderland
Cast
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.
