Summary

• Ann could be the key to returning to the Borderland in season 3.
• Ann deserves a more significant role in season 3 after her season 2 story didn't lead anywhere.
• Alice in Borderland season 3 may need to undo the finale of season 2 for the story to continue.

One clever Alice in Borderland theory explains how Arisu returns to the Borderland and makes an underused character much more important in season 3. Taking many by surprise, Netflix renewed Alice in Borderland for season 3. While Alice in Borderland returning for another season should not be surprising given how successful the show has been, the show has already covered all of its source material. Alice in Borderland season 2’s ending matched the manga’s final chapters, making it difficult to predict what season 3 will be about.

Going by the current rules of Alice in Borderland, the only way for Arisu to return to the games would be if he entered another life-and-death situation. Even still, for the series to work, it cannot be just a story about Arisu – the other characters have to return too. Unless the Alice in Borderland characters all suffer the same accident once more, there will have to be another way for them to return together to the Borderland.

Ann Is The Key To Return To The Borderland In Season 3 – Theory Explained

Ann might still be connected to the Borderland

At the end of Alice in Borderland season 2, all of the characters who declined to stay in the Borderland woke up in the real world without remembering what happened. While it is still unclear how exactly the Borderland works, it can be assumed that it is a state between life and death in which the characters had the chance to fight for their life after the meteorite accident. However, whereas all of the main Alice in Borderland characters got to say the word “decline” and return to the real world, Ann never got to do so.

Ann may still be connected to the Borderland because she never declined the opportunity to stay there and only returned because of the doctors’ efforts in the real world.

Ann was already on the verge of death in the Borderland when the games came to an end, and she never said she declined to stay there. This is why Ann’s condition at the hospital in the real world appeared to be far more delicate than that of the other characters. While it seems like Ann survived after all, the way she returned from the Borderland was quite different from the other characters. Ann’s return did not properly follow the rules of the Borderland, which is why she may be the key for Arisu and his friends to return there.

No one remembers what happened in Alice in Borderland by the end of the show, although Arisu and the others feel like they experienced something important while they were fighting for their lives. Regardless, Alice in Borderland’s characters will have to remember the truth eventually. The show cannot continue unless they return to the games somehow, and Ann could be the reason why it happens. Ann may still be connected to the Borderland because she never declined the opportunity to stay there and only returned because of the doctors’ efforts in the real world.

Ann’s Role In Alice In Borderland Season 3 Could Improve Her Character

Alice in Borderland season 2 wasted Ann

Ann’s potential role in bringing the characters back into the Borderland would help improve her character. Even though Ann has been on the show since the beginning, Alice in Borderland season 2 did not give her much to do. Ann spent most of the second season trying to understand where they were, yet this investigation did not lead anywhere. After several episodes of walking from one place to another, Ann arrived at the edge of the city and realized there was nothing else beyond it – as if they were in a different universe, not in a real city.

However, shortly after Ann makes her discovery, Alice in Borderland reveals where the characters are by having them wake up in the real world. Ann’s investigation only confirmed what was already obvious from the beginning – the Borderland was not the real Tokyo, and the characters had to find a way to escape. The dynamic between Ann and Kuina had potential, yet it was introduced too late in season 2. To fix Ann’s character, Alice in Borderland season 3 should give her a key role in the main story instead of just a side quest.

Alice In Borderland Season 3 Will Have To Undone Season 2’s Finale

Alice in Borderland season 3 only works if season 2’s finale is retconned

Regardless of how Ann is involved in how Arisu returns to the games, Alice in Borderland season 3 will have to find a way to undo season 2’s finale. Alice in Borderland season 2’s ending, which was very similar to the manga, wrapped up all of the storylines and delivered a satisfying conclusion to the series. Most of the main characters were still alive, Arisu and his friends were back in the real world, and the mystery behind the Borderland had been explained. The final scene with Arisu and Usagi even suggested they were going to end up together.

According to the source material, there was no need for Alice in Borderland season 3 to happen. The only manga sequel to Alice in Borderland is called Alice in Borderland: Retry, and it sees Arisu briefly returning to the Borderland on the day Usagi is giving birth to their child. Retry is a short story that reveals how Arisu and Usagi’s lives turned out to be following the events of the main story, working more as an epilogue than an actual sequel. Therefore, it’s difficult to imagine Retry will be used as the basis for Alice in Borderland season 3.

Is Arisu Really Back In The Real World At The End Of Alice In Borderland Season 2?

Arisu might have never left the Borderland after all

There is no catch in the Alice in Borderland manga ending – Arisu was alive, everyone was back, and no one would ever remember their experiences in the Borderland. However, since season 3 of the Netflix live-action adaptation is happening, some aspects of season 2’s finale are bound to be retconned. While Alice in Borderland’s new season could be about the characters returning to the Borderland, it could also reveal that they never left. This would add another layer to Alice in Borderland's Joker card reveal, meaning Arisu and the others would still be inside a game.

Alice in Borderland is based on the manga of the same name by Haro Aso.

Alice in Borderland must be careful not to overly complicate its rules, though. The end of season 2 already used the “it was all a dream” trick, and while it works, it cannot be easily replicated. Revealing that the real world from the finale was actually just another game within the Borderland would be very disappointing considering how great of an ending it was. This is why it would be better for Alice in Borderland season 3 to be about the characters regaining their memories and realizing they are still connected to the Borderland.

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