Two years after its December 2020 premiere, fans of Alice in Borderland (open in new tab) finally have all the answers. This thrilling Death Game series is Netflix's most watched (open in new tab) Japanese show and follows everyday people who are transported to the alternate world of Tokyo.

The truth of "Borderland" was shrouded in mystery throughout the show's run, and neither the characters (opens in new tab) nor the viewers had any way of knowing how the players were chosen and whether they could escape. Now that the Season 2 finale has answered the big questions surrounding Arisu's time in the Borderlands, the only question left is whether the Netflix hit could return for a third season. Read on for a breakdown of the Season 2 finale and the series' chances of moving on.

The Season 2 finale finally featured a big showdown between players Arisu and Usagi and the Queen of Hearts, aka Mira Cano, who was revealed to be one of the game masters at the end of Season 1. After defeating the King of Spades with the help of Quina, Anne, Agni, and Heya, Arisu and Usagi are now in a croquet match in the Queen of Hearts' arena. Mira challenged Arisu to a three-round croquet match, but this simple challenge turned into a battle of mental manipulation as Arisu's mind searched for answers about the Borderlands.

Throughout the season, Arisu was trying to get answers about the mysterious Borderland of Death from its "citizens". He and his friends risked their lives on the possibility of returning to the real world after winning all the cards, but they could not be sure that they would not be trapped in the Borderland forever. Mira reversed his despair and offered several dystopian explanations that were false after all. (The one about immortals in the future playing Borderland as a VR game was quite convincing.) The final scenario connects with Arisu: Mira says he's been in a mental hospital all along, Mira is his doctor, and Borderland is just an imaginary reality he came up with because he didn't accept Chota and Karube's deaths.

This "reality" cuts deep into Arisu's lingering guilt over the deaths of his friends, so much so that he initially believes Mira's game-ending drugs, almost accepting them. Instead, Usagi rescues him by cutting himself, asking him to save her and reminding him that they are alive and can continue to live together. He emerges from despair and finishes his round of croquet, with Mira getting lasered at the end. When the winners are asked if they want to remain in the Borderlands as citizens, Arisu, Usagi, Akuni, Heiya, Kuina, Chitose, and even Niriki say "no." Then the truth of the Borderland comes out.

Back to the opening at Shibuya Crossing: Arisu is playing on the street with Chota and Karube. The fireworks that everyone remembers seeing before entering the Borderland" That was a meteorite exploding over Tokyo and destroying the city. The events in Borderland lasted only a minute in the real world, and the people there were actually those whose hearts had been temporarily stopped by the explosion. Chota, Karube, and the other Borderland victims died in the real world, but all those who survived and chose to leave the scene were revived. They all ended up in the same hospital, where those who did not know each other well were brought together by an innate bond. Arisu meets Usagi, who invites her to join him, and the players move on with their lives.

The real answer behind "Borderland" brought a beautiful conclusion to this program that was essentially a thought experiment about the will to survive. In the end, all of our favorite players learned the value of life, and the ending was very hopeful, seeing them all (even the little boy whom Arisu and Usagi saved from the Queen of Spades) arguing and reconciling with their loved ones in the real world. For those wondering about the original manga by Haro Aso (opens in new tab), the Season 2 finale closely followed the ending of the original, meaning that this finale was really the end of Arisu's saga in the Borderlands.

However, the show's finale ended with a very ominous image: a gust of wind blew through a table full of playing cards, causing all of them to float away except for the Joker. This parting shot may be an Easter egg for fans of the manga, in which a character called the Joker serves as a ferryman between the Borderlands and our world. Or it may suggest that series director Shinsuke Sato has ambitions to return to the world of Borderland in some form or another. After all, Haroasu has written two manga spin-offs.

No, Netflix has not said or even hinted at whether Alice in the Borderland will continue as an ongoing adaptation based on Aso's spin-offs or as a sequel with original material. It is also difficult to determine whether the streamer might allow a third season, as streamers' renewal decisions are unpredictable these days (open in new tab). This is because Sato will be directing another popular manga, "My Hero Academia" (opens in new tab), which will be adapted into a live-action series on Netflix.

Either of Aso's "Borderland" spin-offs could be adapted for a thrilling season of the Netflix series. (Unfortunately, neither has been released in English yet.) The first, "Alice in Borderland," stars Kina Sano, a high school girl in Tokyo who is bored with her mundane life. One day, she wakes up in desolate Kyoto with no memory and a card of the Queen of Clubs in her hand. She meets a group of amnesiac wanderers, including Kojima Alice, who holds the Queen of Hearts. The two eventually become part of a group with 12 cards and are given a hint to go to Tokyo. However, things change when one of them is murdered.

While "Border Road" has completely different characters and no connection to "AiB" other than the premise, "Alice in Borderland Retry" is a direct sequel, with Arisu returning to the world of death. After returning to Borderland, Arisu can instantly return to the real world if she wins the game "Nine of Hearts". This quick series takes place well after the events of AiB, when Arisu is working as a school counselor and married to Usagi

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While a film adaptation of both of these is possible (and hopefully soon to be released in English), it is also possible that the season 2 finale of "Alice in Borderland" will be the series finale, with the Netflix series coming to a planned, thoughtful, and unhurried conclusion It's nice to be left with two seasons to rewatch after some time has passed, and whether we've seen the continuation of "AiB" or the end of Arisu and Usagi, the "AiB" series has been a harrowing, roller-coaster ride, and often a devastating, wonderful on-screen experience.