Alice in Borderland Season 3 didn't feature Chishiya in the new games at all, despite Usagi and Arisu's unexpected return to the Borderland. Shuntaro Chishiya (Nijirō Murakami) is one of the most fascinating characters in the Netflix thriller series after he was introduced in Season 1. Chishiya started as a player and temporary resident of The Beach, a known sanctuary in the Borderland, where they play the games to retrieve the numbered cards of the deck because they believe that it would be the answer to escaping the unknown dimension.
Throughout the games in Alice in Borderland Seasons 1 and 2, Chishiya has been a lone wolf who usually plays alone and doesn't usually team up with Usagi and Arisu. He is highly competitive and a master manipulator, but he only does this because he simply wants to stay alive. After Season 2 pulled back the curtain on his backstory and confirmed his fate in the finale, many fans are wondering why Chishiya is absent in Alice in Borderland Season 3.
What Happened to Chishiya in Alice In Borderland?
Chishiya had his fair share of ups and downs in Alice in Borderland, with him mostly playing the games by himself while his best friend, Kuina, joins Arisu and Usagi during the first few episodes of Season 2. After surviving the King of Spades game, Chishiya ventured alone in the Jack of Hearts round, where he met the serial killer, Banda, during the Solitary Confinement game.
As a keen observer and manipulator, Chishiya successfully became one of the winners of the game after he pieced together the Jack of Hearts' identity. Chishiya's master strategy in being a lone wolf then allowed him to outsmart everyone in the King of Diamonds round, defeating everyone and ensuring his survival in that specific game due to his combined intelligence and luck.
Alice in Borderland Season 2, Episode 6 was also the installment where Chishiya's backstory was finally unveiled. It turned out that he was a former doctor who was about to do heart surgery for a young boy named Hayato. Unfortunately, it didn't push through because the heart that was supposed for his patient was transferred to another one who had connections to the hospital's director.
This experience completely changed Chishiya's outlook on life because he learned the hard way that money, power, and connections will always triumph. A once hopeful and caring Chishiya turned into a manipulator and became skeptical about the injustices in life. However, his perspective changed once again after the King of Diamonds (Kuzuryu) allowed him to win in his game, which ended with Kuzuryu's death. This gradually drew out a softer side of Chishiya, which echoed the humanity glimpsed in flashbacks to his past life in the real world.
Did Chishiya Die in Alice in Borderland Season 2?
Alice in Borderland Season 2, Episode 7 showed Chishiya reuniting with Arisu for the first time since Episode 1, but he was shot down by Niragi (one of the antagonists of the series since Season 1) in cold blood. A gravely wounded Chishiya chose to protect Usagi from Niragi’s violent shooting spree, resulting in him being shot in the chest again.
Given that he was badly injured, Chishiya sat out the final two games. However, he was still alive when Arisu and Usagi defeated the Queen of Hearts in the final game, which meant that he was given the choice to stay put or return to the real world.
After the King of Diamonds game that forever changed his outlook on life, which essentially made him a better person, Chishiya chose to return to the real world and live a more selfless life, with the ending confirming that he was on the brink of death after a meteor strike that impacted Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, Japan.
Why Chishiya Is Not In Season 3 of 'Alice In Borderland' With a Main Role
Alice in Borderland Season 3 had a high death count after Arisu and Usagi returned to the games, but Chishuya didn't appear in the first five episodes because he was not chosen to participate in the Joker round.
Still, the latest season of the Netflix thriller pulled a surprise in the finale when it brought back the survivors of the Shibuya meteorite disaster, which includes former players like Chishuya.
Arisu, who chose to live and decided to be Usagi in the real world, was seen thriving as a therapist for the survivors (who were once his teammates in the Borderland). Chishiya was seen conversing with Arisu about what makes life worth living, and the ending made it clear that he is also successful with his chosen path.
Chishiya's return and evolution in Alice in Borderland showed that anyone is capable of change, and even a self-centered individual like him can transform himself into someone capable of becoming hopeful about life and forging a stronger relationship with his friends.
