Episode 6 of *Alice in Borderland* Season 3 kicks off with the climactic final game still in full swing. Arisu is resolute, his determination burning like a flame as he vows to ensure everyone bands together and emerges unscathed. He's not about to let another soul perish under his watch.
As the tension thickens, Usagi is on the verge of stepping into A3, the notorious danger room, alongside Tetsu. Meanwhile, Sachiko remains behind, trapped by the relentless lockdown. In a stroke of ingenuity, Usagi employs the wristband meant for her baby (a trump card that had remained dormant until this pivotal moment) to deduct 8 points from her total, buying herself precious time to survive. Now, both she and Tetsu find themselves at 7 points each.
The burning question remains: Will the players manage to reach the exit?
Arisu, ever the strategist, believes the key lies in Usagi ascending to Room A2. By doing so, they could form a diagonal line, a move that would free Sachiko from her lockdown and pave the way for her to reunite with the group. Recognizing that the clue is embedded within the wristband, they devise a plan to keep the child's wristband in A3. This way, it wouldn't trigger a lockdown, granting Usagi a safe passage back. The idea is to position the wristband just by the doorway, enabling them to retrieve it without ever setting foot in the room and incurring a hefty point deduction.
To pull off this daring maneuver, they turn to Yuna, whose wristband still boasts 11 points. She holds the potential to be their lifeline, ensuring everyone comes out of this ordeal in one piece. However, their meticulously laid plans encounter an unexpected hitch when the child's wristband is inadvertently pushed deeper into the room by the door mechanism.
In a nail-biting sequence, Usagi manages to snatch the wristband just in the nick of time. This feat is only made possible through Yuna's selfless point deduction and Ryuji's quick thinking, using his chair to prop open the stubborn door. With the rooms now accessible, Usagi catches a fleeting, ominous glimpse of a possible future—one where Ryuji points a gun at her, and Arisu meets his demise.
But with the path to A5 and the exit now within reach, all the players finally converge, united for the final showdown in the last room.
Who emerges victorious in this high-stakes game? The collars and wristbands are removed, leaving everything to rest on the outcome of a final, fateful dice roll. Arisu, the protagonist, steps forward to take on the roll, fully aware that this single throw will determine the destiny of all involved. The dice clatter to a stop, revealing a seven—meaning seven people can escape. With eight players present, one is destined to remain behind. However, they spare the baby from this grim fate as Arisu, in a selfless act, offers himself up to save the others.
From inside the room, Arisu watches as his companions find themselves trapped on a balcony outside. His heart pounds when he sees Ryuji draw his gun... only to hesitate and lower it, unable to bring himself to kill Usagi.
As for Arisu, his sacrifice is far from futile. Having paved the way for everyone else to secure their futures, the narrator confirms that he, too, has been granted a future. A Joker Card flashes across the screen as Usagi and the others outside are forced to withstand a terrifying flood, the world seemingly on the brink of being engulfed and annihilated.
Does Arisu manage to save the remaining players? Suddenly, the screens flicker, and Banda materializes before Arisu. He taunts the protagonist, revealing that Arisu can now become a citizen of the Borderland and partake in even more "entertaining" games together. He gloats about using Usagi as bait to ensnare Arisu.
With a fierce determination, Arisu smashes through the wall and forces the door mechanism open, rushing to save Usagi and the others from their impending doom. One by one, he brings them back inside before the flood can claim them. Yet, in the chaos, Usagi is swept away by the water, plunging deeper into the world. Without hesitation, Arisu dives in after her.
Time is of the essence in the real world, with Banda lurking, waiting for Arisu to succumb. Meanwhile, Ann somehow perceives Banda and sprints over to intervene. Though her grasp finds nothing but air, it's enough to make Banda flee.
Arisu does not drown, however. Instead of meeting his end at Banda's hands when he reaches the shore, a mysterious, shadowy figure emerges and slays Banda instead.
When the enigmatic figure materializes before Arisu, time itself seems to stand still. This is no ordinary trickster like the Joker; it's a man known as the Watchman. He stands as the sentinel of this realm, his sole purpose intertwined with guarding the ethereal boundary between life and death. With a gentle yet authoritative gesture, he invites Arisu to take a seat and engage in one final game. The stakes are high: Arisu must select one of two cards from a deck. Should he happen to draw the Joker, his fate will be dictated solely by the Watchman's whims.
As Arisu reaches out to make his choice, a shocking revelation unfolds—both cards are Jokers. The Watchman, with a knowing smile, explains that the Joker is neither a deity presiding over this world nor a mere mortal. It is, simply, a card—a symbol devoid of inherent power. Yet, in this absurd twist of fate, the double Joker draw grants Arisu a choice. He can succumb to death, drawn inexorably into a swirling vortex that promises oblivion. Or, he can embrace life, though it will be a life fraught with pain and hardship.
The Watchman, it turns out, is not without his own fears. He lingers in this liminal space, a guardian driven by his own terror of mortality and the unknown that lies beyond. His games, he admits, are a means to distract himself from the looming specter of death. Arisu, with his unique perspective on life and death, has piqued the Watchman's curiosity. Despite his numerous brush-ins with mortality, Arisu does not share the Watchman's dread.
Given that the Borderland is a realm suspended between existence and non-existence, the Watchman predicts Arisu's inevitable return. Eventually, he believes, Arisu will choose death; it is merely a question of when. That moment may arrive sooner than anticipated, as the Watchman warns of a looming catastrophe—a force of immense magnitude that threatens to claim countless lives.
What path does Arisu choose? He opts for the land of the living, but fate has other plans. Usagi, the person most precious to him, finds herself ensnared just beyond the vortex's reach. Driven by love and desperation, Arisu dives into peril to rescue her. In a surprising twist, Ryuji, seeking redemption for his past misdeeds, intervenes and saves Usagi from certain doom. "Keep on living," he urges the pair before willingly surrendering himself to the vortex's embrace.
Against all odds, Usagi and Arisu emerge victorious. Usagi also experiences a poignant reunion with her father, reconciling with her deepest fears. Her father, with words of encouragement and love, pushes her to embrace happiness and the will to survive. Together, they break free from the vortex's clutches and make their way toward the light—and, ultimately, toward life.
How does the thrilling conclusion of *Alice in Borderland* Season 3 unfold?
Arisu awakens, finding himself back in his own body in the real world. He had been absent for a mere two minutes, narrowly escaping oblivion; a few more seconds might have sealed his fate forever. Grateful, he thanks Ann for her vigilant watch over him before departing.
Meanwhile, Usagi stirs in a hospital bed, her voice tinged with humor as she playfully complains to Arisu about her hunger. Ryuji, as foreshadowed by the ominous vortex, does not survive. Yet, amidst the sorrow, a glimmer of hope emerges: the revelation of their pregnancy. Usagi and Arisu, side by side, begin to dream up names for their unborn child, their hearts filled with a bittersweet mix of joy and anticipation.
Back in Shibuya, the survivors—both from the latest season and those who braved the trials of previous ones—reunite. They converge on Arisu as he goes about his work, eager to reconnect and share their stories. We're treated to glimpses of each character's journey post-game: Chishiya, Kuina, and the rest, each navigating their newfound reality with resilience and hope.
But just as the dust seems to settle, a chilling reminder from the Watchman casts a shadow over their hard-won peace. News reports flood in, detailing a series of devastating earthquakes that have struck across the globe. It becomes clear that a far more formidable game is on the horizon, one that promises to test their limits like never before.
Our attention then shifts across the ocean to California, where we meet Alice, a server going about her duties. The camera lingers on her nametag before fading to black, leaving us with a tantalizing question: Is Alice the enigmatic Gamemaster, orchestrating their fate from afar? Or does this hint at California becoming the backdrop for a hellish new chapter in Season 4? The mystery lingers, setting the stage for an even more gripping and unpredictable adventure.
