Alice in Borderland Season 3 revealed whether Arisu remembered Usagi after they both returned to the games. The Netflix thriller's sophomore run ended on a wild note after Arisu managed to outsmart Mira, the Queen of Hearts, in a simple game of croquet (aka lawn billiards), where the only way to win was to never give up or forfeit, no matter how tired they were. After Arisu won, Mira was killed by the red sky beam, meaning that all the Face Cards have been defeated.
After successfully winning the Queen's game, the surviving players were offered a choice to stay in the Borderland as permanent citizens or return to the land of the living and continue their lives. Arisu, Usagi, and all their remaining allies, like Chishiya (who had a reduced role in Alice in Borderland Season 3), decided to return to their lives and start over.
How Does Arisu Remember Usagi?
Following Season 2's wild ending, the twist is the revelation that they have no memories about what transpired in the Borderlands, but Arisu and Usagi's strong connection in the dimension between life and death appeared to carry over in the real world, even if they hadn't met each other in the real world before. This was apparent when the final moments of Season 2 showed the pair having an adorable meet-cute that could lead to something more.
Although Arisu seemingly didn't remember what exactly transpired in the Borderlands, Alice in Borderland Season 3, Episode 1 confirmed that he still has fragments of memories from his time in the alternate dimension, but he doesn't fully remember what happened. Arisu and Usagi’s strong connection, forged in the Borderland dimension, was more than enough for them to end up together in the real world, as shown by their marriage at the start of Season 3.
While Arisu had no vivid memories of the Borderlands, he did mention to Ryuji Matsuyama that he felt like he was dreaming and "on a journey," noting that he "went off traveling to some far-off place." What remained consistent, though, is Arisu's love for Usagi that transcends beyond the Borderlands.
Meanwhile, Usagi had brief flashes of what happened in Season 1 after she experienced some sort of deja vu when she returned to a familiar location: the Seaside Paradise Hotel. This experience, combined with her unresolved grief over her father's death and Ryuji's manipulation, served as the main reason for Usagi to return to the games.
Returning to the games initially meant that Arisu had no memory of why he was there in the first place, as evidenced by the confused look on his face upon entering the game arena. Still, Arisu didn't forget who Usagi is, mainly because she served as his driving force to stay alive while playing the deadly games.
Eventually, though, in Episode 2, Arisu started to regain his memories of the Borderland after seeing the death and the destruction that was taking place in the first game.
Flashes of memories from the games played in the first two seasons started to reemerge in Arisu's mind, with him declaring, "I remember I cleared so many games in this country." The only difference this time is that they are playing in the Joker's tournament of games, which is later explained as the gaps between life and death (read more about the true identity of Alice in Borderland's Joker here).
Did Arisu & Usagi Reunite in Alice in Borderlands Season 3?
While Arisu and Usagi played together in the same team in the first two seasons of Alice in Borderland, Season 3 threw a wrench in that partnership after they were forced to be split apart and play in different groups throughout the Joker tournament. After Usagi was drawn into the game, followed by Arisu, they were mostly playing in separate teams, and they only saw each other again in Season 3, Episode 4, during The Runaway Train game.
Arisu and Usagi were only properly reunited in Episode 5 during the final game called Possible Futures. This was a pivotal moment in Alice in Borderland Season 3 since this was also the time when Arisu told Usagi that she was pregnant. It also marked the first time this season that they played the games together, which echoed their strong dynamic in the first two seasons.
After enduring numerous trials and deaths, Arisu and Usagi successfully cleared the final game, but Arisu chose to stay behind to save his wife and unborn child, because the game allowed only seven players to pass, and their group, counting the baby, totaled eight.
Despite that, Arisu was still given the chance to move forward by the Watchman (the overseer of life and death) after two Joker cards showed up on the table, where he was supposed to choose his fate in the final confrontation. After choosing to live, Arisu and Usagi ended up returning to the real world to live a happy life.
