Alice in Borderland was renewed for season 3, which confirms that much of what the season 2 finale revealed was a lie. Based on the manga of the same name by Haro Aso, Alice in Borderland is one of Netflix’s best adaptations of another media into a live-action series and even improves some aspects of the source material. The cast of Alice in Borderland helped bring the world created by Haro Aso to life, and the show successfully combined action, mystery, and drama throughout two successful seasons.
Shortly after the release of season 2, Netflix announced Alice in Borderland season 3 was happening, which took many by surprise. A popular show getting another season should never be surprising, but the way Alice in Borderland season 2’s finale played out suggested the story was over. At the end of season 2, audiences learn what was happening to Arisu during the events of the show, and how his life was connected to that of the other characters. Despite the way season 2 ended, Alice in Borderland is not over yet.
Alice In Borderland Season 3’s Confirmation Means The Story Isn’t Over
Arisu and Usagi’s happy ending is now at risk
The fact that Alice in Borderland season 3 is happening naturally means that the story is not over, thus confirming that the season 2 finale was a lie. While some questions and mysteries remained unanswered by the end of Alice in Borderland season 2, the finale felt like a good enough conclusion to the series and gave each character a satisfying ending. This was not really surprising considering that Alice in Borderland season 2 was based on the latter half of the manga, meaning it was adapting the end of the story.
Aside from Alice in Borderland: Retry, a brief short story that sees Arisu and Usagi as adults expecting their first child, there is no sequel to the events of Alice in Borderland season 2 in the manga. The source material wraps up in the same way that season 2 of the Netflix live-action adaptation did – Arisu and his friends decline to stay in the Borderland and wake up to the real world. Alice in Borderland season 2’s finale was not only a happy one but also a very faithful adaptation of the manga’s ending.
Alice In Borderland Cast | |
|---|---|
Actor | Character |
Kento Yamazaki | Ryōhei Arisu |
Tao Tsuchiya | Yuzuha Usagi |
Nijirō Murakami | Shuntarō Chishiya |
Ayaka Miyoshi | Ann Rizuna |
Dori Sakurada | Suguru Niragi |
Aya Asahina | Hikari Kuina |
Between the relatively happy ending and the fact that the live-action series had covered all of the manga already, it seemed logical to assume that there would not be a third season of Alice in Borderland. As successful as the show was, season 2 felt like it was wrapping up the story just like the manga did. However, Alice in Borderland is returning for a third season after all, meaning that this sense of finality that the previous finale delivered was a “lie.” Granted, Alice in Borderland did leave the door open for a sequel thanks to the Joker card.
Alice In Borderland Season 2’s Happy Ending Has Already Lost Its Meaning
The games will have to continue somehow
Alice in Borderland season 3’s release date may still be far away, but season 2’s happy ending has already lost all of its meaning. Viewers were supposed to believe that Arisu, Usagi, and the rest of the survivors were finally in safety after going through a near-death experience that was translated into deadly games in the Borderland. None of the Alice in Borderland characters could remember what happened during the one minute they were on the verge of death, but they all felt like they had learned something during this experience.
Alice in Borderland season 2’s final episode brought the show full circle and answered the series’ biggest mystery – where exactly the characters were this whole time. It also confirmed how much each character had changed, and how their time in the Borderland would now help them get through life. For example, Chishiya wanted to be a different person despite having no memories of the games he played in the Borderland. Likewise, Arisu and Usagi were drawn to each other, even though they had no memories of being a couple during the events of the show.
Alice In Borderland’s Joker Card Now Makes More Sense
The Joker card was not metaphorical or an open-ending
None of the scenes in Alice in Borderland season 2’s finale felt like a sequel hook except for the Joker card reveal. After Arisu and Usagi leave the hospital and walk toward the sunset together, the episode shifts its focus to a table full of playing cards, an obvious reference to the show’s games. However, after the wind blows most of the cards away from the table, one of them remains – the Joker. This led to dozens of theories regarding what Alice in Borderland Joker card could mean, and they all had some merit.
One famous interpretation of the Joker card is that it was a metaphorical way of saying that the most difficult game Arisu had ever played was yet to come, and it was life itself. Another theory is that the Joker card was not supposed to have an explanation and should instead be perceived as an open ending, similar to Inception’s spinning top. Still, now that Alice in Borderland is returning for season 3, it is safe to say that the Joker card was neither metaphorical nor an open ending – it was a setup for a sequel.
Alice In Borderland Season 3 Is Risky After Season 2’s Perfect Ending
Alice in Borderland’s new season will have to justify its existence
Alice in Borderland season 3 is exciting, but it risks running season 2’s perfect ending. There is a reason why the original manga ended where it did – all of the storylines had come to an end, and Arisu’s journey was complete. The first two seasons of Alice in Borderland tell a complete story that, excluding the Joker card twist, does not ask for a continuation. This does not mean Alice in Borderland season 3 cannot be good, only that it is taking a significant risk by going beyond the source material.
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Alice In Borderland Season 3 Can Finally Fix The Show’s Chishiya & Kuina Mistake
Chishiya and Kuina are some of the best Alice in Borderland characters, but season 2 made a mistake regarding their story that season 3 has to fix.
It is quite common for adaptations to expand the story beyond their source material, from superhero movies to anime series. Netflix’s Alice in Borderland has created its own identity and made several changes to manga, many of which worked. Therefore, season 3 may turn out to be as good or even better than the first two. That said, the bar will be very high for Alice in Borderland’s next season considering the series already had a perfect, satisfying finale that could have served as the show’s final episode.
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