‘Alice in Borderland’ Season 3 Reveals First Looks and September 2025 Release Date

As part of Next on Netflix 2025, Netflix has reaffirmed that Alice in Borderland will be returning to Netflix in 2025 with a new September 2025 release window given. They’ve also delivered some brand-new first looks at the upcoming season and new tidbits about what we can expect. Here’s everything we know about season 3 of Alice in Borderland. 

Alice in Borderland is a Netflix Original live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name by author Hara Aso. The series is directed by Shinsuke Sato and written by Yasuko Kuramitsu. It has quickly become one of the most successful live-action adaptations of a popular manga and ranks among Netflix’s most successful international originals. Season 2 premiered on Netflix in December 2022.

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Alice in Borderland Season 3 Netflix Renewal Status

Official Renewal Status: Renewed in September 2023

After the viral posters were spotted across Japan, Netflix officially confirmed the series’ renewal on September 28, 2023. We also know that Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya will reprise their roles, and director Shinsuke Sato will return to helm the third season.

Since there isn’t much source material left to adapt, season 3 may introduce significant deviations from the manga. The Joker card shown at the end of season 2 strongly hinted at the character of the Joker, who appears in the manga but has yet to be revealed in the live-action adaptation. The season 3 announcement also included a short teaser focusing on the Joker card.

Season 2 performed well compared to its predecessor. Over five weeks, the second season racked up 216.23 million hours viewed, equating to 26 million views. You can explore the full viewing data here, but below is a breakdown of the weekly top 10 performance:

Week in Top 10	Week Period	Hours Viewed	Views / CVE	Weekly Rank
1	December 18, 2022 – December 25, 2022	61,190,000 (New)	7,400,000	1
2	December 25, 2022 – January 1, 2023	74,300,000 (+21%)	8,900,000	1
3	January 1, 2023 – January 8, 2023	41,840,000 (-44%)	5,000,000	3
4	January 8, 2023 – January 15, 2023	23,220,000 (-45%)	2,800,000	4
5	January 15, 2023 – January 22, 2023	15,680,000 (-32%)	1,900,000	6

Additionally, the first season saw a significant resurgence in viewership following the arrival of season 2, picking up an extra 48.88 million hours watched between December 18 and January 1.

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Alice in Borderland Season 2 Ending Explained

As the final game began, the stakes were higher than ever for Arisu and the others. Though exhausted, Arisu pushed forward with Usagi by his side.

The final game against the Queen of Hearts, Mira, was a match of croquet. However, Mira spent most of her time trying to manipulate the pair, nearly convincing Arisu that the entire world was a figment of his imagination. Fortunately, Usagi pulled him back to reality, and the pair finally confessed their feelings for each other.

Despite Mira winning the croquet game, Arisu ultimately triumphed after realizing that simply refusing to forfeit was enough to succeed. With all the face cards defeated, Mira was eliminated by the sky laser, and the remaining players were given a choice: return to the real world or stay in Borderland. All but Banda and Yaba chose to leave.

When the players awoke, they found themselves in a hospital, where Arisu learned that a meteor had devastated Tokyo, sending the survivors to Borderland. Unfortunately, none of them retained memories of their experiences there, yet Arisu and Usagi were still drawn to each other.

However, not everything is as it seems. As the camera pans across the hospital grounds, a table of playing cards is blown away—except for the Joker card.

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First Looks and Release Date Window for Alice in Borderland Season 3

Netflix first confirmed a 2025 return as part of its international showcase back in late 2025. During the Next on Netflix 2025 Japan event, the streamer confirmed the show would be returning in September 2025 along with a string of new first looks courtesy of a new teaser video previewing what’s to come from Japan’s live-action slate. The streamer says, “This season promises to immerse audiences in the characters’ survival journey through an unknown world.”

In addition, Netflix has also provided an updated synopsis for the new season:

“The Joker card has now appeared, marking the triumphant return of Alice in Borderland. Fans can expect an adrenaline-fueled rollercoaster ride as the series continues to explore profound themes of humanity, sacrifice and the pursuit of a meaningful existence.”

Here’s that new video teasing what’s coming up and some first-look pictures:

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Are you looking forward to the third season of Alice in Borderland? Let us know in the comments below!