Alice in Borderland season 3 is happening on Netflix, and I have mixed feelings about whether the show should return after season 2’s perfect ending. Netflix’s Alice in Borderland is based on the manga of the same name by Haro Aso, which also received a mini-anime adaptation before becoming a live-action series. The Alice in Borderland show has arguably surpassed the popularity of the manga, with the series becoming a worldwide hit. Therefore, I can’t say I was too surprised that Alice in Borderland was renewed for season 3, even though season 2 felt like a definitive conclusion for the show.

The first two seasons of Alice in Borderland followed the manga very closely, although they did make some important changes to the source material. For example, Chishiya’s personality in Netflix’s Alice in Borderland is relatively different from the manga. However, the biggest difference between the show and the manga happened at the end of season 2. Whereas the Alice in Borderland manga had a very definitive ending, Alice in Borderland season 2’s ending teased that the story could continue thanks to the Joker card. Presumably, Alice in Borderland season 3 will explore the meaning of the Joker card.

Alice In Borderland Season 3 Didn’t Need To Happen

Alice in Borderland season 2 could’ve been the end

Apart from the Joker card, everything else in Alice in Borderland season 2’s finale felt like a conclusion to the whole show. The surviving characters woke up in the real world, the true nature of the Borderland was finally explained, and everyone who returned was now a better version of themselves. While I grew attached to all Alice in Borderland characters and cannot wait to revisit them, season 3 did not need to happen. Alice in Borderland is the type of show to include a lot of mystery boxes, yet season 2’s finale solved all of them.

Arisu’s character development had been completed, going from someone who could not find his place in the world to someone who now valued his life. The same can be said about Usagi, who thought about staying in the Borderland since she had already suffered a lot in the real world. Even Chishiya was now different following his experience in the Borderland, particularly after defeating the King of Clubs. Alice in Borderland’s second season raised the stakes and ended on a high note, which makes it difficult for season 3 to surpass it.

Whereas season 1 was about understanding the rules of the Borderland and defeating the initial games, season 2 was about taking down the Face Card citizens. The Alice in Borderland games were bigger and more dangerous in season 2, and they all lead up to the ultimate confrontation against Mira, the Queen of Hearts. As the architect of the 7 of Hearts, the game where Arisu had to watch his two best friends die, Mira was the perfect final boss for Alice in Borderland. This is why I cannot imagine what season 3 could do to continue the story.

Alice In Borderland Season 3 Won’t Have The Manga To Be Based On

The manga ends just like season 2 did, except for the Joker

Another element that makes me have mixed feelings about Alice in Borderland season 3 is the fact that the show will no longer have the manga to be based on. The final episodes of Alice in Borderland season 2 matched the end of the manga, and apart from the Joker card sequel hook, everything ended pretty much the same way as it did in the source material. The idea that Arisu and all other characters were on the verge of death in a hospital this whole time came from the manga, just like Mira’s fake explanations.

The confrontation between Arisu and the Queen of Hearts also happened just like in the manga, although the show removed the fact that Mira drugged Arisu. Regardless, Alice in Borderland season 3 will have to be an original story. There is a continuation of Arisu’s story in the manga, yet it is a short story that briefly revisits him and does not even include characters like Chishiya and Kuina. This is why I assume Alice in Borderland season 3 will not be based on Alice in Borderland: Retry, which is more of an epilogue than a sequel.

I Expect Alice in Borderland Season 3 To Undo Season 2’s Perfect Ending

Alice in Borderland’s happy ending might be ruined

Alice in Borderland season 2’s finale was perfect, but I sadly expect season 3 to retcon it. On the one hand, Alice in Borderland’s Joker card reveal teased that things were not over yet and that there was still a game left for Arisu to beat. On the other hand, the Alice in Borderland manga’s ending did not have any catches – Arisu did wake up in the real world after declining to stay in the Borderlands. The finale of Netflix’s Alice in Borderland season 2 was incredibly satisfying and delivered everything I could have hoped for.

Arisu was finally happy and ready to rebuild his life. Even though neither he nor any of the surviving characters could remember what happened in the Borderland, they all felt like they had learned something in this period they spent on the verge of life and death. Season 2’s finale also teased that Arisu and Usagi would find each other again and become a couple even if they did not remember their relationship in the Borderland. The only way for Alice in Borderland season 3 to work is to reveal that the games aren’t over yet.

Why I’m Still Excited About Alice In Borderland Season 3

Alice in Borderland season 3 could work after all

Alice in Borderland season 3 is a risky idea, which does not mean it cannot work. The Netflix series created an identity of its own and already made some significant changes to the source material, meaning Alice in Borderland is ready to go beyond the manga’s story. I’m particularly excited to revisit the main characters and see what happened to them after they woke up. Alice in Borderland season 3 could spend a couple of episodes following Arisu and the others in their “new lives” before bringing them together again.

I’m also curious to see what the Joker card actually means. In the manga, the Joker is simply the ferryman of the Borderland – a mysterious figure who takes Arisu back into the real world after he declines to stay. The show will likely change the meaning of the Joker, perhaps having them as the final boss of the Borderland. Some theories argue that Arisu and the others never woke up, while others claim the Joker game will be played in the real world. Either way, I’m cautiously excited about Alice in Borderland season 3.

Stream on Netflix