Arisu’s Future After Alice In Borderland Season 2 Revealed How Important The Queen Of Hearts Really Was

What happened to Arisu after the events of Alice in Borderland season 2 confirms how important Mira, the Queen of Hearts, was to the story. Netflix’s Alice in Borderland is based on Haro Aso’s manga of the same name, with the first two seasons covering the source material from start to finish. While Alice in Borderland made changes to the manga, the Netflix live-action show was faithful to the manga for the most part and included most of the key characters and storylines conceived by Haro Aso. This includes Arisu confronting Mira in the final game.

At the end of Alice in Borderland season 1, we discovered that Mira from the Beach was not a regular player – she was actually one of the citizens of the Borderland and the person behind all the Hearts games. As the Queen of Hearts, Mira was arguably the most difficult Face Card player to be defeated, which is why she was the final obstacle Arisu had to overcome. Whereas the King of Spades represented a physical threat to the players, the Queen of Hearts knew how to play with Arisu’s fear and insecurities, particularly because she was once a psychiatrist.

Arisu Became A Therapist After The Events Of Alice In Borderland In The Manga

Arisu Studied Psychiatrist Just Like Mira According To Alice In Borderland: Retry

The confrontation between Arisu and the Queen of Hearts was such a powerful moment that it directly shaped Arisu’s future, including his career choice. While Arisu had no memories of what happened during the 60 seconds in which he was fighting for his life at the hospital after he woke up, what he experienced in the Borderland would forever affect him. The same applies to all the other surviving characters in Alice in Borderland, which is why Arisu and Usagi felt like they knew each other even though they couldn’t remember from where.

While we don't know how exactly much time passed between Alice in Borderland and Alice in Borderland: Retry, the latter sees Arisu and Usagi married and about to have a baby.

Although Netflix’s Alice in Borderland does not make this clear, the manga establishes that Mira was a psychiatrist in the real world before entering the Borderland. During the final game of season 2, the Queen of Hearts tried to trick Arisu into giving up and staying in the Borderland forever through lies and manipulation. Mira even disguised herself as Arisu’s therapist during one of her many illusions. Interestingly, Alice in Borderland: Retry, a short manga by Haro Aso set a couple of years after Alice in Borderland, reveals that Arisu went to college and eventually became a psychiatrist himself.

The Queen Of Hearts Was Secretly Alice In Borderland’s Most Important Character

Mira Was Connected To Arisu Since The Beginning

The Queen of Hearts in Alice in Borderland season 2

Mira did not have a lot of screen time in Alice in Borderland, and it was only at the end of the first season that we discovered what she was really up to. Still, the Queen of Hearts was arguably the show’s most important character the whole time. Mira was the final threat Arisu was going to have to beat, and for her game, there was nothing he could do other than fight his own demons and decide whether he wanted to continue living. The Queen of Hearts’ game wasn’t about skill, strength, or even sacrifice.

Defeating Mira and declining to stay in the Borderland was a full-circle moment for Arisu.

As someone who was very depressed and struggled to find his place in the world, Arisu was an “easy target” for the Queen of Hearts, whose goal was to make players give up returning home and accept staying in the Borderland forever. Mira’s connection to Arisu was even deeper in the sense that she was the one who designed the Seven of Hearts, also known as Hide And Seek, the game in which Arisu’s best friends sacrificed themselves so that he could live. Therefore, defeating Mira and declining to stay in the Borderland was a full-circle moment for Arisu.

Will Arisu Be A Psychiatrist In Alice In Borderland Season 3?

Season 3 Could Borrow Elements From Alice In Borderland: Retry

Arisu in Alice in Borderland season 2's finale

Alice in Borderland will return for season 3, although we still don’t know what the story will be. With the Netflix show having covered all of the Alice in Borderland manga already, it is unclear how Arisu’s story will continue. One option would be to adapt Alice in Borderland: Retry, in which Arisu suffers an accident and finds himself back in the Borderland, this time with all the memories from the first time he was there. However, considering how short Retry is, it will likely not be used for season 3.

Retry also does not include any of the other Alice in Borderland characters apart from Usagi, which makes it even more likely to be used for season 3. That said, if Alice in Borderland season 3 includes any kind of time skip, it would be interesting to see Arisu attending college for a psychiatrist or even already having a degree. This would make the Queen of Hearts’ final game and the Alice in Borderland season 2 finale as a whole even more significant in hindsight.