I have a confession: I treat Alice in Borderland like a group project where everyone might die and the grading rubric is written in blood. Now that 2026 is here and season three is no longer a rumor but a thing I can rewatch while pretending I am emotionally stable, I have decided to do the only sensible thing: build a deeply unscientific wish list of characters I want back, expanded, redeemed, or allowed to be menacing in a nice cardigan. My rewatch strategy is as scientific as teaching a goldfish to file taxes, but I have notes. Spoilers ahead, obviously, and maybe a few emotional support emojis. 🃏💀

The survivors I trust with my Netflix password

Arisu: the accidental hero with a memory like a library missing its book covers

Arisu is the guy who never asked to be the protagonist, got shoved into a nightmare casino, and somehow became the person everyone expects to solve the math problem while the building is on fire. He cleared face cards, made it to the end, and escaped the Queen of Hearts with Usagi’s help. In 2026, I want the show to deal with the messy part: what happens when the hero returns to reality with no memories, no direction, and a vague sense that he once trusted a man in a hoodie with a deck of cards? His arc still has pieces left, like furniture from a flat-pack box that definitely has extra screws. I want revenge on the designers and creators of the Borderlands, or at least a very stern conversation with whoever thought giant laser tag was a good idea. 🔥

Usagi: the leading lady who could kick a plot hole shut

Usagi has been running, jumping, and punching since day one, and she is the reason Arisu survives long enough to have his existential crisis in a nicer location. She is athletic, determined, and emotionally intelligent enough to carry entire games on her back. The real-world reunion is tricky because the show leaves us guessing whether they remember their time together or whether the love spark needs to be reignited with a very awkward coffee date. I vote for Usagi as the leading lady again, preferably in agility-based games where she can demonstrate that ballet training is basically a superpower. 🩰

Chishiya: the Cheshire cat in a hoodie

Chishiya is smart, scary, and perpetually looks like he knows where the hidden cameras are. He is a raccoon with a law degree: calm, unsettling, and somehow always holding the last card. His Jack of Hearts game was a masterclass in manipulation, deduction, and making everyone else feel like they forgot to study. He survived and made it back to reality, which means season three or any future story can hand him another pivotal role. If he uncovers the truth about the Borderlands, great. If he takes a different path, also great. I just want him to keep solving puzzles while everyone else panics. 🧠

Kuina: chill, cigarette, kick

Kuina has an attitude best described as I have seen too much and I am still going to look cool about it. When she is not twirling a cigarette, she is jumping and kicking her way through enemies while clearing games in excellent fashion. She holds hands with Ann at the end and says they should go back together, which is the kind of quiet emotional beat that makes me want a whole spin-off called Two Women Walking Away From Trauma. Her comedic timing and screen presence are unmatched, and she offers viewers a nice break from the horrors and sci-fi nightmares of the Borderlands. Give me more Kuina, please. 🚬

The villains and wild cards I want to see again

Suguru: the human flamethrower who might need a therapist

Suguru is hot-headed, aggressive, and downright sadistic at times, which makes him a great side-antagonist. He was a militant member of the Beach, and after its destruction he was left disfigured and without a purpose. He crosses paths with the main cast, joins the King of Clubs game, and later has an intense standoff with Chishiya. Since he survives, there is a chance for a redemption arc, or at least a story where he evolves from chaotic flamethrower to slightly less chaotic flamethrower with a therapist. I am not holding my breath, but I am holding my snacks. 🍿

Sunato: smart, scary, and possibly poison in a glass of milk

Sunato is smart and scary, which is a deadly combination. During the Jack of Hearts game, he manipulates and causes mayhem, and under his calm demeanor there is clearly evil at work. The show only gives us a taste of his motives, and it is more than enough to want more. He chooses to stay, so whether he returns depends on the direction of the story. If he comes back, please let him be villainous in a way that befits his dark presence. His calm demeanor is a glass of milk that might be poison, and I mean that as a compliment. 🥛

Akane: the ballerina who deserves a bigger spotlight

Akane is athletic, resilient, and caring, and she grows attached to Aguni. She joins the fight against the King of Spades, which leads to crushing losses and a boatload of bloodshed. She leaves the games, presumably alone, but there is a chance Aguni is still alive. I want Akane back in full force, showing off her agility in games that reward grace under pressure and her compassion as a friend. She is the kind of character who makes the death games feel human instead of just lethal. 🕊️

The heartbreaking trio and the cosmic HR department

Karube, Chota, and the former trio were cut down too soon. They sacrificed themselves to let Arisu live, and they appear in memories and flashbacks as a primary motivator throughout his journey. Death in the Borderlands seems pretty permanent, but if a force can transport entire cities of people to another liminal dimension, who knows if it can resurrect a comedic trio for one more scene? I am not saying death is reversible. I am saying the Borderlands is a cosmic HR department with terrible exit interviews. If the show wants to bring them back as a hallucination, a dream, or a very confusing group chat, I will accept it with tears and snacks. 😭

So there it is: my 2026 wish list, assembled with the precision of a person who has watched too many death games and now judges every group activity by its survival rate. Alice in Borderland works because it mixes absurd spectacle with genuinely tender character moments, and the best returns would not just be fan service. They would be chances to ask what these people do after the nightmare ends. Also, I would like Chishiya to solve one more impossible puzzle while looking mildly bored. That is the dream. 🃏✨

According to coverage from GamesRadar+, ensemble-driven survival stories tend to resonate most when returning characters are given sharper emotional consequences rather than simple nostalgia beats, which fits an Alice in Borderland season-three wish list centered on survivors like Arisu, Usagi, and Chishiya facing the fallout of what they endured instead of merely repeating old dynamics.