Alice in Borderland season 3 ending explained: Who is the Watchman?

by

The popular Japanese thriller *Alice in Borderland* has returned for a third season on Netflix. After a nearly three-year wait, the new season features even more intense and challenging games, along with a completely new storyline.

The second season concluded by revealing that Borderland isn’t a physical place, but a shared near-death experience. Everyone in the Shibuya area, especially around the famous Scramble Crossing, experienced this when the meteor struck.

Season 3 begins with Arisu and Usagi in a relationship, having moved forward with their lives. Arisu now works as a counselor, assisting people with trauma, and Usagi is a consultant.

Arisu doesn’t fully remember his experiences, but his time in the strange world of Borderland – and its enigmatic inhabitants – isn’t over.

Alice in Borderland season 3 ending explained: Who is the Watchman?

Alice in Borderland is known for its mind-bending scenarios. From the dangerous games involving lasers and hidden players in season one, to the complex narratives about virtual reality and aliens in season two, the show consistently keeps viewers guessing.

This strange environment reveals yet another hidden aspect of the world Arisu is trapped in.

Like past seasons, the beginning of season 3 focuses on the exciting competitions and doesn’t reveal much about the underlying story. However, the series quickly becomes unpredictable and increasingly strange as it progresses towards the finale.

At this point, Arisu just wants answers and, honestly, so do we!

Ken Watanabe (known for films like Inception, The Last Samurai, and Batman Begins) makes a surprising cameo appearance, raising more mysteries than he solves. Sporting a black bowler hat and Western attire, he deepens the complex story of the series.

Watanabe plays a character called ‘the Watchman,’ but he’s not a god within the Borderland world, nor is he the Joker. He explains to Alice during their last game that the Joker is simply a playing card.

Instead, he’s a psychopomp-a guide for souls transitioning to the afterlife-and he presents Arisu with a straightforward decision: live or die.

He participates in these games because he’s afraid of death and curious about what might come after. It’s a way to distract himself and stay engaged with life. Ultimately, he simply wanted to connect with someone like Arisu, who had faced similar life-or-death situations and lived to tell the tale.

He cautions that everyone will soon face the same difficult situation as Arisu – caught between two realities. Moreover, a far greater threat is on the horizon, one that even Arisu won’t be able to overcome, and it will result in many deaths.

Arisu declares his love for Usagi and is willing to sacrifice his life to be with her. He bravely dives into the water to save her from being pulled into the deadly vortex.

During the fight, he rescued her from Ryuji, who was attempting to pull her into the afterlife with him. Sadly, Arisu didn’t survive and passed away in the hospital bed next to Usagi, who remained unconscious.

She shares a touching scene with her father, Shiganori, which feels earned, despite the show only recently exploring her difficult past. The earlier seasons largely centered on Arisu’s story.

After that, death didn’t seem so frightening anymore – it just felt like a normal part of life.

Oh and Arisu finally calls her Yuzuha, Usagi’s first name, which is just so sweet.

Who is Ryuji?

Arisu encounters Ryuji Matsuyama, a researcher in a wheelchair, at a university. Ryuji is studying people who have participated in the games, including those with experiences similar to Arisu’s.

Arisu has only vague memories of traveling to a distant place. Meanwhile, Ryuji becomes fixated on it and manages to find a way to Borderland, ultimately becoming one of its residents.

We eventually discover the source of Ryuji’s obsession: he once assisted a student with an experiment that tragically resulted in her death. Unable to save her when things went wrong, he became consumed by the world of the dead. This obsession ultimately caused a car accident, leaving him unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair.

Ryuji discovers the world of Borderland after winning a dangerous game of Old Maid against a group of enigmatic men who punish losers with electric shocks. Their identities remain largely unknown, though they seem connected to the ‘citizens’ introduced in season 2 – people who chose to leave reality and live permanently in the deserted city, where they host games for newcomers.

These beings aren’t divine or evil-they simply enjoy watching games. Arisu has been an exceptionally skilled player, and they’re using Ryuji to bring him back to Borderland to continue playing.

Collective Delusion or NDE?

Ryuji’s single-minded focus drives the plot. He abducts Usagi, hoping to force Arisu to return to Borderland. With help from Ann, a forensic scientist who appeared in season 1’s ‘The Beach,’ he manages to do so, and Arisu is once again thrust into the dangerous games.

The first game takes place at Hikawa Shrine, named after the ‘fire river’. Players try to draw fortunes while dodging falling arrows.

Usagi is still grieving the loss of her father. Ryuji convinces her to come to Borderland, where she reluctantly participates in the dangerous games with his team. These challenges include dodging deadly laser beams and surviving a subway car filled with poison.

She later discovers Arisu and his group are playing the same game in the opposite direction.

The last game presents Arisu, Ryuji, and Usagi (who is now revealed to be pregnant) with a chance to view all the potential futures awaiting them.

Once a player runs out of points, they experience a fleeting moment of joy before an explosive collar eliminates them – a dramatic turn of events that echoes the tension of Battle Royale and a similar heartbreaking scene from the first season, when Arisu lost Chōta and Kanabe.

In the end, Arisu wins by sacrificing himself to ensure Usagi and the others escape Borderland, sending them back to the real world in Shibuya.

But it’s all a deception, and the city collapses into a devastated, waterlogged ruin. He attempts to save the remaining people, but then a mysterious new character, known as The Watchman, appears and offers him an unusual decision to make.

What could happen next?

The story of Arisu and Usagi seems to have come to a peaceful close, with springtime cherry blossoms falling as they choose a name for their soon-to-arrive baby.

The episode includes fun appearances from familiar faces, not just from this season, but also past players like Kuina and Chishiya! It’s heartwarming to see Chishiya ask Arisu what gives his life meaning, and it’s clear everyone has changed and matured because of their time in Borderland.

Things are looking good for the group, but it feels like their adventures in the strange world of Borderlands aren’t over yet.

The series concludes with a dramatic scene of earthquakes hitting Tokyo and the entire world, a moment that feels unsettlingly relevant given the recent increase in earthquakes and tsunami warnings globally.

The story now moves to a new location. We’re taken from Tokyo to an American diner, seemingly in Los Angeles, and meet a waitress named Alice – though we only ever see her nametag, never her face.

When two customers requested the window table, I couldn’t help but feel on edge, anticipating something bad happening. Thankfully, nothing did, but it was clear the chaos wasn’t over, and a fresh wave of people were about to experience the same unsettling situation.

While the original *Alice in Borderland* manga had a sequel called *Alice in Borderland: Retry* that influenced parts of the show, the series is largely a new story. There was also a spin-off manga, *Alice on Border Road*, which features a character also named Arisu (or Alice Kojima) playing games in a different version of Borderland, this one set in Kyoto.

After an accident at a busy Tokyo intersection, twelve people find themselves pulled into a mysterious game, raising questions about whether it’s an experience meant to be shared by many.

The third season takes inspiration from this concept, specifically exploring the differences between time in the real world and within the Borderland game. Ann even tells Arisu approximately how much time he has left to locate Usagi before facing permanent death.

Memories don’t easily carry over between the two worlds in the story. The characters from Border Road need physical objects – things they couldn’t realistically possess – to remember things. Within the series, Ryuji is unique in that he retains some of his memories, though he often seems disoriented. It’s frequently unclear whether he’s genuinely lost his memory or is simply pretending.

Ultimately, whether the show continues depends on how many people watch. The ending will likely be satisfying for fans, but it will also leave the door open for a potential reboot with a new lead character and a fresh take on the Borderlands universe.

Read More

2025-09-25 18:06