Alice in Borderland Season 3 Episode 5 Recap & Review

Alice in Borderland Season 3 Episode 5 recap begins with the final game commencing inside a reconstructed version of Shibuya. Giant digital screens guide each contestant to follow their doubles, leading them through different rooms until all the surviving players converge. Among the reunions, Arisu and Usagi share a heartfelt embrace, but tensions rise when Arisu lashes out at Ryuji, believing him responsible for Usagi’s suffering. Usagi, however, insists the games have helped her find closure.

Despite nine contestants present, the game master announces ten players in total — the shocking reveal being that Usagi’s unborn child is also counted as a competitor. Stunned by her sudden pregnancy revelation, she barely has time to react before the rules of the final challenge, “Possible Futures,” are laid out.

The game board is designed as a grid of 25 chambers in five vertical and horizontal columns. In each round, dice rolls determine how many players may advance to the next chamber. Every move costs one point from the wristbands each player wears, with everyone starting at 15 points. Staying in place drains one point per round, while doubling back requires waiting out a full round. If a player’s tally ever reaches zero, they are eliminated.

To complicate matters, the walls in each chamber display glimpses of possible futures for the contestants. These projections tempt players to make choices influenced by their personal desires and regrets. Adding more tension, some chambers are designated “minus” rooms, deducting between -1 and -8 points.

READ MORE: Alice in Borderland Season 3 Episode 3 Recap

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Arisu argues that teamwork is the only way forward and encourages everyone to take doors with higher values to conserve points. They are soon joined by newcomers Sohta and Yuna, who initially seem willing to cooperate. The group splits strategically, planning to regroup by using their wristwatch trackers to communicate.

But as the rounds progress, cracks emerge. Rei becomes trapped in a lockdown chamber, needing others to sacrifice points to release her. While Arisu insists on saving her, Ryuji argues they should prioritize reaching the exit. The futures displayed in the rooms only deepen the conflict. Sohta and Yuna, swayed by visions of happier lives, abandon the group and pursue their own paths. Nobu makes a similar choice, only to face heavy point deductions.

The most devastating turn comes with Tetsu. Haunted by his past and the memory of his lost partner Yukiko, he is lured into a chamber displaying her image. Unable to resist, he enters, only to discover it is a -8 room. With only 7 points left, he is eliminated instantly. Meanwhile, Nobu narrowly saves himself by retreating into a safer chamber.

Sohta also meets a tragic end. Split apart from Yuna, he finds himself stuck with massive point deductions that drain his tally to zero, leading to his death. Yuna is spared temporarily when she rolls a zero, but her survival comes at the cost of separation.

As the chaos unfolds, Arisu manages to lift Rei’s lockdown and reunites with part of the group. They identify the probable exit in Room A5, situated at the bottom-left of the grid. However, reaching it requires careful movement. Yuna races ahead with her brother, forcing Arisu to spare her, which costs him critical points.

Meanwhile, Ryuji, Nobu, Sachiko, and Usagi face another split, navigating three different directions. With Usagi’s baby still inexplicably treated as a full player with its own wristband, the stakes rise even higher. As the episode closes, the survivors are left with difficult choices about sacrifice, loyalty, and which futures they are willing to fight for.

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