Alice in Borderland was a huge hit for Netflix when it was released in December 2020.
Fans of the Japanese sci-fi thriller just couldn't get enough of Arisu (Kento Yamazaki), Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), Chōta (Yûki Morinaga) and Karube (Keita Machida) as they battled for survival in Tokyo.
Based on the manga series of the same name by Haro Aso, Alice in Borderland is a Japanese series with a twist.
Clearly, there are elements based on Alice in Wonderland, hence the name, but mostly it feels like a mash-up of several cult classics such as Battle Royale and Cube.
With two hugely successful seasons of the show, we now turn to Alice in Borderland season 3 – when will we see it on Netflix?
Alice in Borderland Season 3 Release Date On Netflix
Currently, it's not looking good for an Alice in Borderland season 3. To give a little perspective, two weeks after the first season was released, in December 2020, Netflix renewed the series for a second season.
It has now been nearly nine months since that season dropped and Netflix have remained very quiet about a renewal.
In fact, they haven't mentioned it at all! Given that the show takes over a year to get to our screens from the end of filming, timing is everything.
Plus, the season 2 finale left so many threads hanging there is definitely a lot more that could be included in a third season.
The problem is that the show has come full circle and has ended the same way the original manga ends. So with no more source material, a brand new story would have to be created to continue the show.
That doesn't mean that writer and director, Shinsuke Sato, couldn't keep going, it just makes it more difficult.
So for now, we have to simply cross our fingers and wait for the powers that be to make a decision. And as usual, as soon as we know – you'll know!
Alice in Borderland Season 1 Recap
In Tokyo, Arisu is hanging out with his friends Chōta and Karube when the trio cause a fight which results in them being chased by the police.
They quickly duck into a train station bathroom. And when the coast is clear they come out only to find that the city of Tokyo is empty.
By the time the nighttime comes, they notice a billboard leading them to a game arena and this is where things really heat up.
We learn that others have been similarly stranded and must compete in lethal games in order to survive.
Winning a game earns you a ‘visa’ of safety for a few days. If your visa runs out and you don’t enter a game, you are instantly and unavoidably killed. So too if you try to leave the arena without playing.
The games are coded with playing cards, with the suits denoting whether the challenge will be a game of strength, wits, team battles, or betrayal.
When our intrepid gamers service the first game, they soon find themselves stranded without electricity, internet, or a way to escape the abandoned city.
As such, they have to keep playing to extend their visas in order to stay alive. Always on the verge of death, defeating these games is nail-biting stuff that's what makes Alice in Borderland so compelling.
Now to tell you any more than this is an epic survival series (think Squid Game), would spoil the fun. Suffice to say that the ending did leave us all hanging.
Alice in Borderland Season 2 Recap
In Season 2 the stakes are even higher as the characters must navigate a deadly new phase led by the menacing King of Spades.
Arisu, Usagi, Kuina, and Tatta form an alliance and take on another face-card challenge: the King of Clubs.
In this tense game called “Osmosis,” teams collect points while avoiding deadly encounters, only for them to realise that the game's host, Kyuma, and his team are fearlessly willing to die for a win.
Meanwhile, separate plot lines emerge as Chishiya plays the Jack of Hearts game, a deadly card-guessing challenge, in a prison setting.
We also meet Heiya, a resilient survivor of a gruesome game, who joins forces with Arisu and Aguni to take down the King of Spades.
Arisu becomes increasingly skeptical about the possibility of ever returning to the real world.
And just when viewers think the characters have gained some breathing room, they are plunged into yet more intense challenges.
Allies fall, sacrifices are made, and strategies are torn apart, culminating in a high-stakes battle involving an elaborate trap set up by Arisu and Aguni.
With their friends injured and the clock ticking, Arisu and Usagi make their way to the final showdown against the enigmatic Queen of Hearts in a psychological game of Croquet.
Alice in Borderland Season 3 – What Could Happen?
We were all delighted at the end of season two when we really thought that some of the players had finally made their way back into the real world.
They discover they are survivors of a meteorite crash in Tokyo. Devoid of memories from the alternate world Arisu and Usagi meet by a vending machine in what seems like a fresh start.
But then the camera pans to a table of playing cards, highlighting the joker card. So has the game really ended?
As mentioned above, there is scope to continue the story. The problem is that with no new source material, and no way of knowing whether or not Haro Aso (creator of the original Manga) would even agree to it, the creators are a little boxed in with their options.
All of which could easily be negotiated if Netflix wanted to continue. We just don't know if they want to!
Alice In Borderland Cast
There are quite a few players in Alice in Borderland and clearly they are still as popular as ever…
Kento Yamazaki as Arisu a 24-year-old video-game obsessed man with family issues
Tao Tsuchiya as Usagi a mountain climber who was transported into the empty city of Tokyo shortly after the death of her father
Nijiro Murakami as Chishiya a mysterious and quiet player who tries to steal Hatter's deck of cards
Yuki Morinaga as Chota an IT technician and friend of Arisu and Karube
Keita Machida as Karube a bartender and friend of Arisu and Chōta
Ayaka Miyoshi as Ann, one of the key players in the final game of the first season
Dori Sakurada as Niragi, a dangerous member of “the Beach.”
Aya Asahina as Kuina, a close friend of Chishiya, whom she helps steal Hatter's deck of cards
Shuntaro Yanagi as Last Boss, a dangerous member of “the Beach,”
Yutaro Watanabe as Tatta, saved by Arisu during a game
Ayame Misaki as Shibuki, the first person Arisu and his friends encounter while in the deserted city
Mizuki Yoshida as Asahi, a member of “the Beach” and Momoka's best friend
Tsuyoshi Abe as Kuzuryu, an executive member of “the Beach.”
Nobuaki Kaneko as Hatter, leader and founder of “the Beach,” a hotel inhabited by dozens of players
Sho Aoyagi as Aguni, a strong fighter and Hatter's best friend
Riisa Naka as Mira, a mysterious woman who plays a large role in the finale
