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on February 24, 2026
That happens again in episode 5. As season 3's biggest game starts getting intense, the show cuts some of the momentum short with overtly long sequences that do add emotional stakes at times, but stall things too much. That said, season 3 is a success, and after a finale tease, I would gladly take Alice in Borderland season 4 or any spino
Although Alice writes in the official Borderlands 3mix blog Borderland season 3 adopts an original storyline, it has a few traces of the sequel manga's narrative. For instance, in both, Arisu and Usagi are married and expecting a child. Arisu's primary motivator to survive the games in both installments is also his wife, Us
Rei is arguably the best new character in Alice in Borderland season 3 because she comes off as Chishiya's perfect replacement. Like Chishiya, she carries herself with a nonchalant demeanor and cleverly navigates every game. Even in the Possible Futures game, she ensures that her decision benefits the entire team and avoids taking the projections on the walls too seriou
Aya Asahina, Nijiro Murakami, Ayaka Miyoshi, Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya, Yuki Morinaga, Yūtarō Watanabe, Dori Sakurada, Eishin, Seiya Goto, Yuzuru Yuyama, Takanobu Shiohara, Kanon Hanakage, Chigusa Yasuzawa, Riku Matsuda, Motoharu Kurokawa, Ayu Higashi, Kenkichi Watanabe, Mizuho Misato, Michiko Sako, Ruito Yamashiro, Hidetaka Ichiyama, Yuya Matsuura, Chizuko Akiba, Tetsuya Nakanishi, Kazuma
Others were let down by the show's new villains, who seemed far less complex and layered than the previous ones. When compared with Alice in Borderland season 3, Alice in Borderland: Retry arguably feels like a better extension of the original story. Although it does not mark Usagi's return to the Borderlands, it does a better job of continuing Arisu's journey in a more meaningful and natural
It would've been unfair not to give the new characters a chance, though. Fortunately, they were all great on their own. Arisu's team was surprisingly charismatic, and I caught myself rooting for them at each and every game. We didn't get to spend as much time with Usagi's new friends, but Yuna and Itsuki's story was tragically beauti
Usagi trusted Arisu, but she also had ghosts of her own to face. Their relationship was never at risk, and Arisu never once questioned her about her decision. Instead, he understood that Usagi had been manipulated into coming back to the Borderland and did everything to bring her b
While some viewers appreciated Alice in Borderland season 3 as a worthy extension of the original manga's story, others could not help but complain about how unnecessary it felt. Many viewers criticized it for not giving Usagi a solid reason to return to the Borderlands. While her grief surrounding her father's demise could have been a good driver of her narrative, her Borderlands return felt for
What particularly drew many viewers to Chishiya was his laid-back and cool demeanor, even during the most grave situations in the games. He never broke under pressure and almost always outclassed his enemies with his unmatched wit and fearlessness. In season 3, though, he has a slightly different r
Chishiya and the other players do not play a significant role in Alice in Borderland season 3's overarching story, but their return towards the end instills a sense of nostalgia. From a narrative standpoint, it also makes sense that they did not return for the new set of games. The show's season 3 primarily focuses on Arisu and Usagi and gives them a solid reason to return to the ga
When Chishiya was first introduced in Alice in Borderland season 1, he almost came off as a villain because of how cleverly he tricked the show's main heroes, Arisu and Usagi. However, he soon became a part of the series' main roster as he teamed up with protagonists and rose in the ranks to become one of the most liked Alice in Borderland characte
Surprisingly, Chishiya is not the only supporting character from Alice in Borderland 's seasons 1 and 2 who shows up in season 3's ending moments. The season's ending arc walks through a series of scenes where Arisu counsels his clients and asks them what makes their lives worth liv
Her inability to detach herself from the outcome is what eventually leads to her brother's death. Since her arc also lacks enough depth in Alice in Borderland season 3, it becomes hard to truly empathize with her loss towards the
While Usagi's underlying grief for her father drives her to return to the Borderlands, Arisu goes back to be able to save her. Since the story arcs of all the other players were well resolved by the end of Alice in Borderland season 2 , their return would have felt forced in seaso
However, since Sanchiko never takes center stage and always allows her others to lead her to victory in the games, she never becomes a fan-favorite in season 3. Because of her lack of proactiveness, she never grows to become one of the better players in the Netflix Japanese live-action sh