Netflix takes its annual library cleanse extremely seriously, which means the extermination of some of its brightest stars is inevitable if they do not fit the bill any longer. Among the streamer's ritualistic Originals sacrifices, this year is Alice in Borderland, a blockbuster Japanese sci-fi thriller.

While shows on life support getting axed makes sense to everyone, the news of Alice in Borderland's cancelation might be shocking for die-hard fans of the series. However, the streaming titan has its own data-driven policies and unannounced reasons that continue to stay unfaltering. 

Netflix's Japanese survival thriller Alice in Borderland cemented its position as a contagious global hit once, but met with a quiet death after three seasons, leaving viewers shocked and disappointed. Its early success among Netflix's biggest foreign-language titles, attracting great viewership and critical acceptance, was sealed, but the journey vaporized toward the end, with Season 3 not able to capture the magic that made the show a unique one.

The dystopian drama first attracted viewers in 2020 by combining the intense life-or-death game sequences with existential storytelling, but the reports from the industry suggest that cancellation was influenced by low engagement and the impact of Season 3. Together with a strategic content reshuffling, Netflix moved in pin-drop silence to cancel the show without making any public announcement. 

Arisu and Usagi's journey through the final Joker game came to a conclusion in Season 3, which also covered the entire source manga by Haro Aso. Unlike the two preceding seasons that had strong viewership and critical acclaim, the third one had mixed reviews and less buzz around it, which resulted in its relatively diminished prominence on Netflix’s platform ranking.

The thriller's Season 3 earned only a 63% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it still outperformed some of Netflix's newest Non-Asian originals.

'Alice in Borderland' Season 3: Cast, Plot, Release Date, And Everything We Know About The Finale

Expectations remain high for a show like Alice in Borderland when compared to its initial breakout performance.

Alice in Borderland, which premiered in December 2020, was an instant success as it got into the global Top 10 in almost 40 territories. It was praised not only for its mind-blowing visuals but also for its action and gripping premise.

Season 2 in December 2022 surpassed the first season in every possible way. It churned more than 61 million viewing hours in the very first weekend of its global premiere. In more than 90 countries, it took the crown for Netflix's best non-English series, becoming the most-watched Japanese show ever on the platform.

Meanwhile, Alice in Borderland season 3 garnered 25.4 million views, just below The Witcher season 4, smoothly surpassing several other Netflix hits from 2025. It even triumphed over Jude Law and Jason Bateman's Black Rabbit (24.6 million views) and House of Guinness (23.5 million views).

"Of course, if it’s going to continue in some way, I’ll be very much keen to be part of that," Arisu actor Kento Yamazaki said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, although the show now stands canceled by Netflix. For the saga to continue, they may need to take it outside of its Japanese context and expand the Alice in Borderland universe.

'Alice in Borderland' Creator Reveals the Real Life Inspiration and Ideas Behind the Global Netflix Sensation

Have you watched Alice in Borderland? Comment your thoughts on its cancelation below.