Alice in Borderland Season 3: All About the Netflix Series' Third Chapter — and What's In Store for Arisu and Usagi

Warning: Alice in Borderland spoilers ahead!

Netflix is dealing out more cards in Alice in Borderland season 3.

Adapted from Haro Aso's manga series, Alice in Borderland is a dystopian thriller that follows Ryohei Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) as he is transported to a parallel universe where survival hinges on winning intense, high-stakes games. The challenges are grouped into four categories, each represented by a suit in a deck of playing cards.

The Japanese live-action series became a global hit upon its 2020 release, with season 2 setting records as the streamer's most-watched Japanese title, as the platform reported in a press release. Fans have since eagerly awaited season 3, which Netflix confirmed in September 2023.

Yamazaki will reprise his role as Arisu, while Tao Tsuchiya will return as his love interest and game-solving partner, Yuzuha Usagi. Although season 2 ended with the duo's return to the real world, Netflix reported that Shinsuke Sato's continued role as screenwriter and director will "ensure that the series maintains its trademark intensity and cinematic excellence."

Here's everything to know about Alice in Borderland season 3, including how season 2 ended and who from the cast is returning.

How did Alice in Borderland season 2 end?

After the intense battle to conquer the King of Spades, Arisu and his friends are too injured to continue, but he drags Usagi into the final game: the Queen of Hearts. The Game Master, Mira, manipulates Arisu into questioning the reality of the Borderlands, but Usagi’s act of self-harm convinces him it’s real. Together, after admitting their feelings for one another, they defy Mira’s control, and though Mira wins the croquet game, Arisu triumphs by refusing to quit, defeating the Face Cards.

The players are then given the choice to return to the real world or stay. Most choose to leave, waking up in a hospital where Arisu learns of the meteor strike that created the Borderlands.

The season ends with Arisu and Unagi, now strangers with no memory of their time in the purgatory, crossing paths again at the hospital vending machine. The camera transitions to show a table full of playing cards blow away — except the Joker, leaving a cliffhanger for season 3 that has left fans wondering if the games are truly over.

What will Alice in Borderland season 3 be about?

Despite the characters going back to the real world in season 2, the story isn't over just yet. With the Joker card appearing at the end of season 2, it's possible that season 3 will bring a new set of games and challenges for Arisu and his crew.

According to the press release, the third chapter of the series will be "nothing short of an adrenaline-fueled rollercoaster ride" and will continue to "explore profound themes of humanity, sacrifice, and the pursuit of a meaningful existence."

Who is in the cast of Alice in Borderland season 3?

Yamazaki will return as Arisu, joined by Tsuchiya, reprising her role as Usagi.

In announcing their return, Netflix reported that fans can "look forward to witnessing the evolution of their characters in the ever-dangerous landscape of Borderland."

Although Riisa Naka's character, Mira, is killed at the end of season 2, she has expressed that doesn't necessarily mean it's the end of her story. After all, some characters who died in season 1 reappeared in season 2.

"You saw the ghost of Hatter introduced in the show so many times, so I have this feeling that he might come back again. So for Mira, you might also think that she could return," she told NextShark in December 2022.

When will Alice in Borderland season 3 be released?

Netflix has not officially announced a release date for Alice in Borderland. While season 1 premiered in 2020, viewers waited two years for the release of season 2.