After arriving in the abandoned cityscape, Arisu and his friends Usagi, Kuina, and Chishiya learn the shocking truth from the game’s organizers, the “citizens.” They are not in a parallel world, but in a version of Tokyo where they must continue to play to survive. The ultimate goal is to collect all the numbered playing cards by completing deadly games, which will grant them a permanent visa and the right to challenge the “face card” games.
The season escalates into a battle for survival against the citizens, who are former players who chose to stay. Arisu’s group, along with other remaining players, must compete in the brutal “face card” games. These are large-scale, team-based contests representing Kings, Queens, and Jacks of each suit. The games test not only physical prowess and intellect, but also psychology, trust, and the will to live. Key confrontations include a fierce game of “King of Spades,” a city-wide hunt by a lethal soldier, and Arisu’s emotional and strategic battle in the “Queen of Hearts” game, which preys on his deepest psychological traumas.
Throughout the season, characters are forced to confront their pasts and their reasons for living. Allies are lost, and sacrifices are made. Arisu grapples with the guilt over his friends’ deaths and must find a renewed will to fight, not just for survival, but for Usagi and a future together. The final games culminate in a poignant choice for the winners.
After the last card is collected, the survivors are given a choice: accept permanent citizenship in this world or reject it. Those who reject it are given a chance to return to the real world. In a twist, it is revealed the entire Borderland was a prolonged near-death experience. All players were victims of a catastrophic meteorite strike in Tokyo, and their hearts stopped simultaneously. Borderland was a purgatorial arena where their will to live was tested.
Arisu and his surviving friends choose to return, waking up in the ruins of the real Tokyo, rescued from the rubble. They have no memory of each other from Borderland, but feel a deep, inexplicable connection. The series ends with the survivors meeting in the healed city, drawn together by fate, ready to rebuild their lives with a newfound appreciation for living.