Does Ryuji die in Alice in Borderland? Details from Season 3, explored

The third and final season of Alice in Borderland introduces Dr. Ryuji Matsuyama, an academic fascinated by the prospect of the afterlife. He brings Arisu back into the elusive purgatory to play the life-and-death games.

The recently released season brought Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya back as the ill-fated couple, Arisu and Usagi, respectively. This time, they return to the passage between life and death for their own reasons. For Usagi, this land promises a chance to reunite with her father, while for Arisu, it becomes a way to bring her back to their new lives.

In one way or another, Ryuji leads them back to Borderland, but by the end, they diverge on different paths. Ryuji dies by the third season's finale, while Arisu and Usagi survive, even if Arisu initially sacrifices himself before. It ties up the loose ends of this Japanese adventure and opens up the possibilities for a potential American spin-off series.

Ryuji's tragic fate may not have been on anyone's mind in the third season of Alice in Borderland

The Japanese sci-fi series, based on Haro Aso's manga series Alice in Borderland, has offered fans something similar to what shows like Squid Game did. It made them root for its characters fighting in life-and-death scenarios through a series of games. Since these games dictate whether they live or die, it makes the show not only chilling but also entertaining.

Until now, Alice in Borderland primarily focused on Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and Usagi's (Tao Tsuchiya) journeys. The plot wasn't simply about whether they survive or not; it also addressed why they would want to be in that liminal space in the first place, and what drives them to return to the real world. By the second season's finale, it takes viewers closer to the answers to these queries.

In the third season, Arisu and Usagi are introduced almost three years later as two people working at jobs that interest them. At this point, they don't remember nearly anything about their time in Borderland, but they are still drawn to each other. Even then, Usagi is haunted by the thoughts of her late father, who allegedly died by suicide.

Usagi's vulnerability makes her susceptible to an academic, Ryuji's (Kento Kaku) appeal to return to a world where she can meet him. It's how she ends up in Borderland, followed by Arisu. Speaking about her character, Tsuchiya told Time magazine:

"For her, what she did in Season 3 was a necessary step. Because she has this resolve to build a family with Arisu, and she wants to be someone who can protect that family. That propelled her to confront her own trauma and vulnerabilities.”

It takes her and Arisu back to the Borderland experience, where they face several challenges. By the end, Ryuji attempts to pull her into a trap to death with him, but seeing her bond with Arisu, he lets her go. That's how Ryuji dies while Arisu and Usagi survive the borderland.

The third season of Alice in Borderland is streaming on Netflix.

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Also read: Alice in Borderland Season 3: The full mythology of the Borderlands as revealed so far

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