Summary
- Alice in Borderland season 3 won't have the manga to adapt now that most of it has already been covered.
- Season 3 will likely take place in the real world, at least initially.
- Alice in Borderland's characters currently don't remember what happened in the Borderland
Not much is known about Alice in Borderland season 3, but the Netflix series is already very different from the first two seasons. A few months after the release of season 2, Netflix confirmed Alice in Borderland season 3 is happening. While the show had been successful since its debut, the announcement of a third season of Alice in Borderland was surprising. Not only was most of the source material covered already, but Alice in Borderland season 2’s ending resolved all of the show’s conflicts and gave each of the main characters a happy ending.
Alice in Borderland is based on a manga of the same name by Haro Aso. Season 1 was about Arisu learning the rules of that mysterious world where people had to play deadly games to survive, whereas season 2 was about understanding what the Borderland was. Arisu was back in the real world by the end of the second season, which would have made for a perfect self-contained finale if not for the Joker card. Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya are so far the only Alice in Borderland cast members confirmed for season 3.
Alice In Borderland Season 3 Won’t Have The Manga To Adapt
What awaits them in the next stage?
By the end of season 2, all of the Alice in Borderland manga had already been adapted. In other words, there are no stories left for Netflix’s Alice in Borderland to be based on except for one short story called Alice in Borderland: Retry. However, considering how short Retry was, plus how it only featured Arisu, it is difficult to imagine that it will serve as the inspiration for Alice in Borderland season 3. Instead, it can be assumed that Netflix’s hit Japanese series will now be an original story going beyond the source material.
Netflix’s Alice in Borderland has arguably become more popular than the original manga, which gives the streamer the perfect opportunity to continue the series for multiple seasons.
It is not uncommon for TV shows that began as adaptations to go beyond their source material, especially when they end up being even more successful than what many would expect. The Alice in Borderland manga served as the inspiration for two great seasons that made the Netflix series into a hit, yet there is clearly a demand for more of Arisu, Usagi, and the rest of the crew. Even though Alice in Borderland season 2’s finale felt very definitive, except for the Joker card, the series was renewed for season 3.
Alice In Borderland Season 3 Will Start In The Real World (Presumably)
The Games Are Over, But The Mystery Continues
Another major difference between Alice in Borderland season 3 and the previous season is that the show will now start in the real world, at least according to how season 2 ended. Arisu and all the other players who declined to stay in the Borderland woke up in the real world and found out that they had an almost-death experience. None of them remember what happened in the Borderland, and it is unclear what the Borderland actually is. Regardless, whereas all of season 2 took place in this mysterious plane of existence, season 3 will at least start in the real world.
An interesting interpretation is that the real world and its unpredictability is the Joker game.
However, there is still a chance that Arisu did not really return to the real world at the end of season 2. The meaning of Alice in Borderland’s Joker card in the show remains to be revealed, as it differed significantly from the role the Joker played in the manga. The Joker card felt like a sequel hook, suggesting Arisu and his friends have at least one more game left to play. An interesting interpretation is that the real world and its unpredictability is the Joker game, but it’s also possible they are all being tricked into thinking they have returned.
|
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 |
Either way, Alice in Borderland season 3 will feel very different from that of the first two seasons. The characters spent most of the show aware that they were in a mysterious location, and that they had to find a way to return home. Now, however, the surviving Alice in Borderland characters believe everything is fine. They do not even remember their almost-death experiences, meaning they should have no reason to worry about a Joker game or being trapped in a fake reality. Alice in Borderland could return as if everything was fine, only for Arisu to realize something was off.
Alice In Borderland’s Characters Won’t Recognize Each Other In Season 3
Memories Erased, Bonds Broken?
After two seasons, several relationships have been crafted in Alice in Borderland. Most of the characters created some sort of bond with each other, from friendships like that of Kuina and Chishiya to romantic relationships like that of Arisu and Usagi. However, now that they have lost their memories of what happened in the Borderland, all of these relationships will have to start from scratch. Alice in Borderland season 2 ended with Arisu and Usagi both feeling like they knew each other, suggesting they would eventually reconnect despite not knowing where that feeling comes from.
The Joker acts as the ferryman in the Alice in Borderland manga and appears when Arisu decides to go back to the real world.
Similar to what happened between Arisu and Usagi, Alice in Borderland season 3 could see other characters reconnecting by pure chance. Assuming they are still connected to the Borderland and will have to play another game eventually, the first couple of episodes of season 3 could be about the Borderland survivors meeting each other in the real world before entering another deadly challenge. Whether they will all remember what happened in that world is difficult to say, but Alice in Borderland season 3 will have to reunite its characters for whatever games are about to come.
Alice In Borderland Season 3’s Changes Make It More Exciting
New World, New Rules
As great as Alice in Borderland is, the show will have to justify its third season considering there is nothing else to be adapted from the manga. For Alice in Borderland to successfully continue past the source material, it will have to deliver something as good as seasons 1 and 2 but that also feels fresh. Reversing things to the status quo after season 2’s cathartic ending, during which Arisu decided to continue living, would be disappointing. Alice in Borderland has to find a clever way to bring the games back without pretending season 2’s finale didn’t happen.
10 Moments That Prove Chishiya Is Alice In Borderland’s Best Character
From hilarious scenes to beating the most difficult games, it is difficult not to think of Chishiya as Alice in Borderland’s best character.
Netflix’s Alice in Borderland has arguably become more popular than the original manga, which gives the streamer the perfect opportunity to continue the series for multiple seasons. Still, there has to be a good enough story to justify why Arisu, Usagi, and the others still cannot have a happy ending. It is difficult to predict what Alice in Borderland season 3 will be about now that the show has covered all of the manga, which is exciting. Not even those familiar with the source material will know where the series is going, allowing for more surprises and twists.