Netflix’s Alice in Borderland wrapped up its primary story beats with season 3, but viewers who already miss the show now have the perfect opportunity to check out its sequel in 2026.
In its ending moments, Alice in Borderland season 3 initially seems to leave no stone unturned as it resolves Arisu and Usagi’s story. However, just when it seems like it has concluded its story for good, a cliffhanger hints that the Netflix series is far from over.
Although no official announcements about Alice in Borderland‘s season 4 have been made yet, viewers who loved the series on Netflix can look forward to its upcoming sequel in 2026. Even the ones who were let down by the show’s season 3 ending must know about the franchise’s upcoming installment.
Alice In Borderland: Retry Is Getting An English Release In 2026
As reports have confirmed (via Crunchyroll), the Alice in Borderland: Retry manga is receiving an English-language release in 2026. This means that audiences across the globe will now have access to another major installment of the Alice in Borderland franchise, allowing them to experience its fantastical, action-packed stories again.
Alice In Borderland: Retry Is A Direct Sequel To Alice In Borderland
Viewers familiar with the original Alice in Borderland manga would know that its story’s ending coincides with that of the show’s season 2. Alice in Borderland season 3 adopted more of an original storyline that was not based on a manga. However, before the third installment was revealed to have an original story, many viewers could not help but speculate that it would adapt Alice in Borderland: Retry.
Written by the original author, Haro Aso, himself, the manga serves as a direct sequel to Alice in Borderland. It features Arisu as its protagonist all over again, who seems to have left his past far behind and built a new life with Usagi. He even expects a child with her, but things suddenly take a dark turn when he ends up in the Borderlands again after an accident.
With this, he is forced to play the games in the world between life and death again to be able to get back home to his pregnant wife. During his second journey in the Borderlands, he also encounters a whole new roster of players and beats a new set of games to survive till the end.
Alice In Borderland Season 3 Borrowed Some Things From Retry
Although Alice in Borderland season 3 adopts an original storyline, it has a few traces of the sequel manga’s narrative. For instance, in both, Arisu and Usagi are married and expecting a child. Arisu’s primary motivator to survive the games in both installments is also his wife, Usagi.
In both narratives, Arisu even faces a whole new set of physically and intellectually intimidating players before finding his way out of the Borderlands. Both stories eventually end on a positive note when Arisu manages to overcome all odds and make it out.
Like his show counterpart in Alice in Borderland season 3, Arisu also experiences significant memory loss in the sequel manga. Soon after entering the Borderlands again, he struggles to recall his previous experience in the same world but gradually recollects the trauma he associated with during his first run.
If You Weren’t Happy With Season 3, Retry Will Be A Good Read
While some viewers appreciated Alice in Borderland season 3 as a worthy extension of the original manga’s story, others could not help but complain about how unnecessary it felt. Many viewers criticized it for not giving Usagi a solid reason to return to the Borderlands. While her grief surrounding her father’s demise could have been a good driver of her narrative, her Borderlands return felt forced.
Did You Know: The original Alice in Borderland manga also has a spin-off, Alice on Border Road, which follows a female protagonist named Alice.
Others were let down by the show’s new villains, who seemed far less complex and layered than the previous ones. When compared with Alice in Borderland season 3, Alice in Borderland: Retry arguably feels like a better extension of the original story. Although it does not mark Usagi’s return to the Borderlands, it does a better job of continuing Arisu’s journey in a more meaningful and natural way.
It can seem a little too redundant, but it at least retains all the elements that made the original story work in the first place. Owing to this, viewers who did not enjoy Alice in Borderland season 3 can give the sequel manga a chance.
