The Joker card tease in the season 2 finale suggests that the real masterminds of Borderland aren’t done yet. It also hints that Usagi’s father could play an important role in the final season of Alice in Borderland.
The Netflix series is a faithful adaptation of Haro Aso’s manga, but the Joker card hints that this final season will feature an original narrative and continue Usagi and Arisu’s Borderland adventure beyond Aso’s source material.
Symbolism
After the Queen of Hearts battle, Banda handing Arisu the Joker card, and the survivors choosing to stay in Borderland instead of returning to the real world, the finale left the future of the series unclear. The shadowy Joker figure from the manga did not appear in Netflix’s version of the show, but the fact that they were forced to return to the Borderland and play deadly new games hinted that the survivors would have an unfinished ordeal.
The finale ended with a zoomed-in shot of the Joker card in the hospital where Arisu and Usagi woke up from their time in the Borderland. This tease worked as a sign that the three will return to this horrifying world in season 3.
Whether the Borderland is a form of purgatory or even an otherworldly intervention by the Joker, one thing is for sure. The Joker card represents the final game that Arisu and the others must play to decide their fate. Whether it is to keep fighting or return to the world they came from, this card is their last chance to find something, or someone, to live for.
Connection to Previous Games
The Joker is a versatile wild card that can take on multiple roles in various cards games. It challenges norms, reveals hidden truths, and helps players grow through disruption. This role is an important part of what makes the Joker so powerful, and it’s why many card game enthusiasts collect them.
The card originated around 1860 as a special addition to a particular form of Euchre. European immigrants brought the game to America, and they created new rules that necessitated an extra card to rank higher than the designated Bowers (Jacks). This was a new version of the joker known as the Imperial Bower or Best Bower.
Over time, the joker has grown into a staple of standard 52-card decks. It can serve as a wild card, trump, skip (forcing another player to miss a turn), or as the lowest-ranking card. Joker cards typically feature jester images and themes, reflecting the card’s role as a trickster. But their design has varied over the years, influenced by cultural trends and artistic styles. Today, there are uncountable variations of the joker card.
Final Challenge
The Joker card is a symbol of a final challenge, and Netflix’s version of the Borderlands seems to be adding another one. The Season 2 finale ended with a zoom-in shot of the Joker card in the hospital where Arisu woke up, hinting that there is one more game that Arisu must beat to exit the Borderlands.
This particular challenge is a bit different from others since it limits your maximum hand size to five and removes the ability to permanently increase it through cards or consumables. That makes it more difficult than normal, but you are provided with two potent Jokers for free to help make the early stages easier (in the form of a plain Joker and Card Sharp). They can be sold at any point in the run and don’t count towards your Eternal Joker total like all other non-Eternal cards do.
Arisu and Usagi will face high-stakes games that are likely to test their survival instincts and emotional resilience once more in the new season. Seeing how their dynamic has changed after returning to the real world should be interesting to watch.
Fan Theories
The Joker card teases that there is one more game to play. As a result, fans are eagerly predicting what Season 3 could have in store for Arisu, Usagi and the other survivors who escaped the deadly games of the Borderland. The Netflix series has done a fantastic job of keeping viewers off-balance and off-kilter, while also providing answers to questions about the world.
The final episode reveals that the Borderland was a purgatory of sorts. When residents beat the Queen of Hearts, they could choose to stay in the Borderland or be ferried back to the real world by the Joker. This makes the joker similar to Charon, the ferryman of the dead in Greek mythology.
Considering that the hospital where the players wake up resembles the one in the anime, it seems like the show will expand its horizons. The Joker card could hint at interdimensional travel or even multiple Borderlands. It might also be revealed that the characters didn’t actually escape, but instead continued playing their games in a different version of the real world.
Character Implications
The Joker symbolizes freedom from societal norms. It encourages spontaneity and the potential for adventure, but also warns against naivety. This makes it a popular choice for many different decks of cards and can be found in tarot, solitaire, Klondike, pyramid, and more.
While some of the characters’ arcs seem conclusive towards the end of season 3, a dark closing twist suggests that they could return for another run through the Borderlands. Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya are both returning as Arisu and Usagi, and a number of supporting cast members from seasons 1 and 2 (Ann, Ayaka Miyoshi, Kuina, Dori Sakurada, Niragi, and Chisaya) briefly appear in the finale.
In addition, the final scene shows playing cards being blown away, except for the Joker card, suggesting that there is more to be explored. If there is a fourth season, the Joker card may hint at a new set of deadly games for the survivors to face. This time, the stakes will be even higher.