Who is Ryuji? Alice in Borderland Season 3 reveals controversial new character

by

The third season of Alice in Borderland is now available on Netflix, introducing several new faces, including the notably complex character Ryuji Matsuyama, played by Kento Kaku.

With Season 2 of the Netflix series covering the entire original manga story, Season 3 will explore completely new content, introducing fresh characters and challenges. Fans will be happy to know that Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) return, and they’re now married!

Several beloved characters, like Chishiya and Kuina, won’t be back as main players, though they might make brief appearances. When Arisu and Usagi are pulled back into the Borderlands for the Joker game tournament, they’ll encounter a whole new group of people.

The characters wouldn’t have been able to come back from the Borderland without Ryuji, a new and enigmatic figure who played a key role in setting up the dangerous games seen in *Alice in Borderland*. Be aware: this contains spoilers for the first episode!

Who is Ryuji in Alice in Borderland Season 3?

Ryuji Matsuyama is a researcher at Shushikan University, studying near-death experiences. The character he plays, portrayed by Kento Kaku, wasn’t part of the original *Alice in Borderland* manga.

Because of this, the show’s creator, Shinsuke Sato, and the writers had greater flexibility in crafting his storyline. He’s first introduced in the first episode of Season 3, where we see him conducting interviews with people who survived the meteorite strike in Tokyo.

He’s curious if Arisu had any dreams while unconscious-particularly, if Arisu remembers the games they played. After the conversation, Arisu introduces Ryuji to Usagi, and she agrees to share her own experiences with him later.

It doesn’t take long to discover that Ryuji’s fascination with the afterlife stems from his own desire to reach the Borderlands – the reasons for which will be revealed later in Alice in Borderland Season 3.

He accepted a challenge from someone who used to live in Borderlands and won by getting the Joker card. Afterwards, the observer watching the game revealed himself to be Banda, one of the two people who remained in Borderlands after the Queen of Hearts was beaten in Season 2.

After encountering Ryuji, Usagi finds herself back in the dangerous Borderlands. Meanwhile, Banda (Hayato Isomura) hints to Arisu that he’ll soon return there as well, once he recalls the events that led to their current situation.

Finally, Banda gave Arisu a Joker card and announced, “Let’s start a new game. Oh, and your wife will be participating too.”

You might be wondering why this information matters. Even if Banda is organizing the tournament, Ryuji is clearly key to rescuing Usagi, and Arisu always follows wherever Usagi goes.

Ryuji is a seasoned player of the Borderlands, having successfully completed it several times. Despite being injured in real life and using a wheelchair, he’s experienced with the game. On his second playthrough, he joins Usagi’s team.

Ryuji is a complex character, and fans were already disappointed with him even before the third season of Alice in Borderland began airing.

Why fans are already wary of Ryuji

A chart appeared on Netflix Japan’s TikTok page revealing the relationships between characters in a new series. Fans noticed an arrow pointing from the character Ryuji to Usagi, with a note suggesting a potential romantic connection between them.

More Season 3 Info By Netflix
byu/RideAffectionate7465 inAliceInBorderlandLive

If you enjoy the manga, the Netflix series, or both, you likely know how important Usagi and Arisu are and how much fans cherish their connection – it’s something special that shouldn’t be altered.

Because of this, the possibility of Ryuji interfering with the story’s conclusion caused disagreement among fans, particularly since Season 3 introduces events not found in the original manga (where Arisu and Usagi ended up happily together).

Someone on Reddit reacted to the image by saying, “Seriously, what is going on? A romantic storyline for Usagi could be a really bad idea.”

They shouldn’t even suggest that, because Arisu is risking everything to save his wife. Hopefully, it’s just the other person being strange, and Usagi will ignore him.

Honestly, I’m really hoping we don’t end up with another character like Niragi! With the show only being six episodes long, we just don’t need any unnecessary drama right now.

One viewer suggested a possible ending where Arisu gives his life to save Usagi. They theorized that Ryuji would then step into Arisu’s role within the family, resulting in two deaths by the series’ end-Arisu’s and, surprisingly, the theorist’s own character.

Don’t worry, Arisu isn’t being replaced. Other fans have also noticed that things are clearly moving forward, not backward.

One person pointed out a mistake, saying the text incorrectly identifies Yaba as Kyūma, and found it quite amusing.

The potential romantic connection between Ryuji and Usagi might seem surprising, but it hasn’t been confirmed – the question mark indicates it’s just a possibility. Even if it were true, the feelings only go one way, from Ryuji towards Usagi, and aren’t reciprocated.

Someone else pointed out that the arrow only points from Ryuji to Usagi, suggesting Ryuji has romantic feelings for her, but she doesn’t feel the same way about him.

Season 3 of Alice in Borderland is now available on Netflix. If you’re looking for other great shows, check out our picks for the best of 2025 and the most addictive series, or browse our complete 2025 TV release calendar to see what’s coming soon.

Read More

2025-09-26 01:50