Alice in Borderland season 3 director reveals key changes as series goes beyond source material

Director Shinsuke Sato has declared that Alice in Borderland is entering the unknown. However, it will still feature the same gripping narrative and dramatic action that made people fall in love with the previous seasons.

“In seasons 1 and 2, the audience would have been asking, 'What is this world? How does it work?' as they observe the games. In season 3, we know what the Borderland is so that sense of mystery and enigmatic element is gone,” Sato exclusively told RadioTimes.com.

He added: “You’re going to be riding attractions of the unknown and anyone who enjoyed season 1 and 2 will enjoy season 3 and say, 'Yes, this is what Alice in Borderland is all about!'”

A big part of Alice in Borderland’s popularity comes from the deadly games that provide real jeopardy to the protagonists in their bid to escape the Borderland.

Kento Yamazaki - who plays Arisu - declares that the upcoming season is an original script but has also blended exciting additions from the manga series by Haro Aso.

“There are games in the source material that weren’t in season 1 or 2 which appear in season 3 and they’re crazily intense. Some of the games are originals from the filmmaker as well. It’s such a psychological game that it’s something that really belongs to this world.”

A big driving force of the narrative of season 3 is Usagi struggling to come to terms with the tragic death of her father before she entered the Borderland. The unresolved grief and trauma led Usagi to seek answers in the Borderland.

“Up until season 2, for [Usagi], it was about how she was going to overcome and understand the people that she met and understand the games. With season 3, it’s very much about her own self, looking inwards,” said Tao Tsuchiya.

“Some people might see her and say that is weakness, but I don’t see it that way. I think it is her having the resolve to build a family with Arisu and this makes her want to confront her vulnerabilities and trauma and she feels that only after overcoming that will she be able to really become that family.”

At the end of season 2, it was revealed that the Borderland is a collective consciousness of people who suffered a near-death experience after the Tokyo meteorite disaster.

The people who enter the Borderland can’t remember their experiences, only faint memories of “games”.

However, the traumatic events of the disaster still have a big impact on the character arcs of Arisu and Usagi going forward into season 3.

“Arisu has basically forgotten everything that has happened in the Borderland, but at the same time, he has had a near-death experience,” said Sato.

“When faced with death, he realised how precious it is to live. We start with Arisu in season 1 not finding any meaning in living but in season 3 we see him connecting with society and the relationships within people. Through having the experience of death, he is able to discover how to live.”

Alice in Borderland season 3 will be released on Netflix on 25th September 2025. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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