Alice In Borderland Recap: Everything to Know Before S3

If you need a refresher before diving into the highly anticipated Alice in Borderland Season 3, you’ve come to the right place. This Alice In Borderland recap will catch you up on all the deadly games, shocking betrayals, and emotional twists that defined the first two seasons of the hit Netflix show. Let’s journey back into the deserted streets of Tokyo and remember how Arisu and Usagi fought for survival.

Where It All Began

Our Alice In Borderland recap begins with Ryohei Arisu, a job-avoiding gamer, getting kicked out by his dad. He meets up with his friends, Chota and Karube. After a minor accident, they hide in a public restroom. When they emerge, the entire city of Tokyo is mysteriously empty. A billboard directs them to their first game venue.

This first game, “Two of Doors,” sets the brutal rules of this new world. They meet two others and must choose between two doors: one marked “Live,” the other “Die.” A girl chooses wrong and is instantly killed. Arisu realizes it’s a logic puzzle, not luck, and figures out the correct path. They escape, but Chota is injured. Their reward is a 3-day “Visa.” They quickly learn that when a Visa expires, the holder is killed by a laser from the sky. The only way to survive is to keep playing games.

The Deadly Games Begin

Arisu soon meets Usagi, a skilled rock climber who is surviving on her own. Together, they enter more games, each representing a playing card suit (Clubs for team games, Spades for physical, Diamonds for intellect, Hearts for psychological torture) and a number indicating difficulty.

In a intense “Five of Spades” game (Tag), a masked gunman hunts players while they search for a safe room before a bomb explodes. Arisu’s quick thinking saves them, but they witness the horrifying deaths of other participants.

The most heartbreaking moment comes in a “Hearts” game: Hide and Seek. The “Wolf” survives while the “Lambs” die. Shibuki starts as the Wolf but passes the role to Arisu. In a devastating act of friendship, Karube, Chota, and Shibuki choose to sacrifice themselves for Arisu, their collars exploding and leaving him as the sole, grief-stricken survivor. Usagi finds him and becomes his crucial partner.

The Beach and the Witch Hunt

Arisu and Usagi learn of a place called the Beach, a fortress-like resort where survivors gather under the eccentric leader, Hatter. Their goal is to collect all the game cards. At the Beach, Hatter’s rule is chaotic, and he takes their Seven of Hearts card.

After Hatter’s death, his right-hand man, Aguni, takes over. The deceitful Mira, also known as the Witch, tricks Arisu and Usagi, leading to their capture. A new game, “Witch Hunt,” begins where players must find a killer and throw them into a fire. Arisu, even while tied up, deduces the truth: a girl named Momoka was a game dealer who killed herself to start the game. He also exposes Aguni as Hatter’s killer, though he learns Hatter wanted to die by Aguni’s hand. Aguni sacrifices himself to save everyone as the Beach burns down.

The Final Stage: Face Cards

After the Beach burns, Arisu and Usagi discover a secret lair with a video revealing the existence of “Face Card” games. The next stage is a battle against these powerful figures. The King of Spades immediately attacks them, a one-man army hunting players across the city.

Our Alice In Borderland recap now leads to several simultaneous high-stakes games:

• King of Clubs: A complex team-based game at the harbor. Arisu’s team wins through a clever trick involving extra bracelets, but at the cost of his teammate Tatta’s life.
• Jack of Hearts: A psychological battle in a prison where players must deduce their own card suit. Only the cunning Chishiya survives by outsmarting everyone.
• Queen of Spades: A brutal game where Usagi fights the Queen to protect Arisu, ultimately inspiring their team to victory.
• King of Diamonds: Chishiya wins this game of wits and strategy, with his opponent, Kuzuryu, sacrificing himself for Chishiya’s victory.

The survivors eventually band together to defeat the King of Spades, with a redeemed Aguni (who survived the Beach fire) tackling him into a booby-trapped building so Arisu can trigger an explosion, killing the King.

The Final Truth: The Queen of Hearts

Finally, Arisu and Usagi face the final boss: Mira, the Queen of Hearts. Her game is a psychological croquet match. She reveals a shocking truth: the entire Borderland is a construct of Arisu’s mind while he is in a critical state in a real-world hospital, a victim of a meteorite strike that hit Tokyo.

She preys on his guilt, trying to convince him to give up. Almost succumbing to despair, Arisu is pulled back by Usagi, who reminds him of his promise to survive. He defeats Mira, ending the games.

The surviving players are given a choice: stay in the Borderland or return to the real world. They all choose to return. Arisu wakes up in a hospital, learning the games were a near-death experience. He reunites with Usagi (Yuzuha Usagi) in the real world, though she doesn’t remember him. The final scene shows a Joker card blowing in the wind, hinting that the game might not be truly over.

And that concludes our complete Alice In Borderland recap. With the Joker card revealed, the stage is perfectly set for Season 3 to explore what comes next. Now you’re all caught up and ready for the next chapter