- In the finale of Alice in Borderland, Arisu makes a huge sacrifice during the final game.
- Some familiar faces make cameos.
- Are the games actually over, or are they getting bigger?
Japanese Netflix series Alice in Borderland concludes another epic season filled with more drama, more chaos, more games, and extremely difficult choices that have to do with life and death. Season 3 goes beyond the story of the original manga—which the show is based on—and sends Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) back to Borderland. And this time, the stakes are higher as we learn that Usagi is pregnant.
Do the married couple get a chance to start their family? Will the other final players make it out alive? Is the real world actually doomed, too?
Find the answers to these questions, and a full breakdown of Alice in Borderland Season 3 below.
Arisu makes the ultimate sacrifice.
The last episode of Season 3 opens with the group of surviving players caught in the final game. They're still stuck within the grid of 16 rooms, attempting to find the correct exit within 15 rounds. Each of them have a wristband with 15 points on it, with one point deducted each time they open a door to go between rooms. Some rooms also deduct multiple points as a penalty for entering. Once a player runs out of points, they're dead.
Arisu is burdened with the impossible task of leading all these people—including his wife and unborn child—to safety. Luckily, Usagi has double the points as the baby gets its own wristband. This advantage helps all the eight remaining contestants reunite in the final room. However, there's a catch which requires them to roll dice in order to determine how many people make it out alive. Arisu takes on this responsibility, rolls, and lands on a seven. He then volunteers to sacrifice himself. Usagi, of course, refuses to leave his side, but Arisu pushes her through the door and asks Ryuji (Kento Kaku) to make sure that Usagi and their baby make it to the real world safely.
Arisu wins the game.
While he chose certain death, Arisu is recognized and rewarded for his bravery. Once the other players make their exit, the screens in the room turn into surveillance footage showing the outside. Arisu then watches in horror as Ryuji pulls out a gun, pointed at Usagi who is on the ground, mourning and in absolute devastation. This is because Ryuji made a deal with Borderland citizen Banda (Hayato Isomura) to kill her with the theory that this would convince Arisu to remain in the liminal world. However, Ryuji comes to his senses and decides not to shoot (since he's also developed strong feelings for Usagi), much to Arisu's relief.
But moments later, the buildings around Shibuya Crossing implode and a rush of water floods the streets, destroying everything in its path. Usagi gets swept away in the flood, and Ryuji follows her, while the rest of the gang hold on for dear life. Once again, Arisu leaps into action. He manages to rip a hole through one of the walls, and helps the others into the room to keep them safe. He then dives into the water to go and rescue his wife.
Banda finally meets his death.
As Arisu is able to hear Usagi's voice and follows it through the rushing water, bringing them closer to a whirlpool leading to the world of the dead. He manages to find rubble to hold onto for a moment, when Banda appears holding a gun. The villain, still hellbent on convincing Arisu to stay and play the deadly games with him, offers the show's protagonist a choice: become a citizen of Borderland or die. To which, of course, Arisu responds that he would never become a citizen. But before Banda can shoot Arisu, a laser from the sky strikes and instantly kills him. The Watchman (Ken Watanabe) then appears, saying that the Borderland has revoked Banda's citizenship.
Ryuji tries to take Usagi with him to the world of the dead.
The Watchman stops time, and plays another game with Arisu wherein he must choose between two cards. If he draws the Joker, he must succumb to the fate that the Watchman chooses for him. Arisu draws and picks the Joker, but quickly realizes he never had a chance since both cards were Jokers. The Watchman ultimately agrees to allow Arisu to choose his own fate. Does he want to return to the land of the living, where he might still suffer pain, and eventual death awaits him? Or head straight to death now, and find immediate peace?
He chooses to continue on, rescue his wife and child, and fight his way back to the land of the living. Time resumes, and he plunges back into the water. As he tries to rescue Usagi, Ryuji is trying to pull her with him into the portal to the land of the dead, hoping they can be together there. However, his innate kindness gets the better of him, and he decides to let her go and be with her loved one. Ryuji then chooses to plunge to his own death.
Usagi says goodbye.
From the beginning, Usagi's motivation to return to Borderland was to see her father once again, and to get closure. Before rejoining the living, she bids her dad farewell. He tells her that he lived a happy life, and only wants her to live a happy life as well.
And just like that, Arisu and Usagi escape Borderland a second time. We see them back on the other side, living their lives and discussing baby names. We also see the fates of the other surviving contestants play out, after also having made it back to the real world safely. They all get the endings they had hoped for.
Then, there are the fun additional cameos. Arisu, who is a licensed psychologist by profession, meets with his clients who (unbeknownst to him) are his former fellow competitors in seasons past. We once again see some of our faves: Chishiya (Nijirō Murakami), Kuina (Asahina Aya), Heiya (Yuri Tsunematsu), Aguni (Sho Aoyagi), and even Niragi (Dori Sakurada). They all update Arisu about their lives since leaving Borderland.
The end?
Just when things seem to be all tied up into a pretty bow, an earthquake rocks Tokyo. We then find out that it isn't Japan that's been hit, but this is merely a part of a series of earthquakes around the world. This could be a sign that the Watchman's prophecy is coming true, that more people will be entering Borderland — and it seems like, this time, on a global scale.
The scene cuts to a bar in Los Angeles, where the earthquakes are shown on the TV. We then see a waitress's name tag, which reads: Alice. Just like Squid Game, this hints at a possible international iteration of the series. Though nothing has been confirmed by Netflix, fans will just have to wait and see.
