7 Major Things to Remember About Squid Game Before Season 3

Netflix’s hit series, “Squid Game,” swept the globe, transforming into a global sensation with its chilling portrayal of destitute individuals compelled to participate in lethal versions of childhood games for a potentially life-changing monetary reward. The South Korean production, masterminded by Hwang Dong-hyuk, enthralled viewers not just with its grim survival concept but also with its incisive social critique, intriguing characters, and startling plot twists. The show centers around Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who struggles to survive in the grueling competition, eventually emerging as the unlikely victor at the end of season 1. In contrast, season 2 of “Squid Game” saw a reversal of fortunes, with Gi-hun deliberately rejoining the games to dismantle it from within, leading to a domino effect of new partnerships, betrayals, and heart-wrenching losses.

As Netflix prepares to air the third season of “Squid Game,” fans eagerly anticipate a thrilling end to Gi-hun’s journey. This upcoming series serves as a follow-up to “Squid Game 2” and delves deeper into several crucial plot points and unanswered questions from his previous life-threatening experiences. Recalling these significant events will help you fully understand the narrative threads that will likely dictate the brutal games, ethical dilemmas, and dramatic twists in “Squid Game 3.

1) Gi-hun’s Failed Revolution

In the hypothetical sequel to “Squid Game,” Gi-hun led a player revolt against the masked guards and the game’s management. His approach involved defeating guards to arm the players, aiming for the facility’s command center. Crucial partners in this endeavor included his old friend Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) and other players such as Gyeong-seok (Lee Jin-wook). Regrettably, their rebellion faced an overwhelming response from the game’s military forces, which ultimately quashed the uprising.

At the close of Season 2 of Squid Game, the Foreman (Lee Byung-hun) brutally kills Jung-bae, leaving Gi-hun to bear witness to his demise. Furthermore, numerous other players who had taken part in the uprising were slain by the guards during the quelling. In the chaos that followed, Gi-hun was subdued, arrested, and imprisoned within their complex. This violent act signaled the failure of Gi-hun’s rebellion and resulted in a tragic loss of life among the individuals he had inspired to join him.

2) The Front Man’s Ideological Victory

In the storyline of Squid Game 2, Hwang In-ho – who was introduced as the Front Man in Season 1 and is also the brother of police officer Hwang Jun-ho (played by Wi Ha-jun) – chose to masquerade as Player 001. In this new role, he took part in the fresh game sequence alongside characters like Seong Gi-hun and other competitors. During his time as a player, In-ho often conversed with Gi-hun, expressing a pessimistic view of human nature and contending that the games served as an unbiased, if violent, platform for people to showcase their innate self-interest.

As Player 001, In-ho monitored and occasionally manipulated events designed to challenge Gi-hun’s ethical decisions, most notably during Gi-hun’s preparations for the player uprising. Following the suppression of the rebellion, and after Gi-hun took actions that In-ho portrayed as betraying his principles, In-ho engineered a circumstance in which it seemed Player 001 had perished. Later, posing as the Front Man, he told Gi-hun that his behaviors and their consequences supported his notion that people, when faced with pressure, primarily act based on self-preservation or a distorted understanding of utilitarianism. After all, Gi-hun opted to sacrifice lives for the sake of his revolt.

3) The Shocking Betrayal by Captain Park

In the thrilling debut season of Squid Game, I found myself deeply engrossed in the storyline as Jun-ho, a determined brother, sneaked into the enigmatic game compound on a quest to find his missing sibling. As the tension built, my heart raced with anticipation as his undercover work led to an intense showdown with the Front Man, who was none other than In-ho. In this climactic moment, In-ho revealed himself and, in a heart-stopping twist, shot Jun-ho, sending him plummeting from a towering cliff into the ocean depths.

The suspenseful sequel Squid Game 2 confirmed that against all odds, Jun-ho miraculously survived this harrowing fall and was eventually saved by a fisherman named Captain Park (Oh Dal-su). After recovering from his ordeal, I watched as Jun-ho forged an alliance with the kind-hearted Captain Park, utilizing his boat for extended periods in our shared mission to uncover the game’s elusive island. As time passed, he even went so far as to hire mercenaries for a daring reconnaissance operation aimed at exposing the secrets of this mysterious game once and for all.

In the course of Squid Game 2’s mission, one of Jun-ho’s teammates found Captain Park tampering with their surveillance drone, an essential tool for finding the island. To conceal his role as a representative of the game, Captain Park eliminated the teammate and hid the body, leading Jun-ho to believe that the teammate had vanished due to a storm. This series of actions exposed Captain Park’s loyalty to the game’s organization.

4) Dae-ho’s Mysterious Background

In Squid Game 2, a fresh character appeared named Dae-ho (played by Kang Ha-neul). He was a former Marine and had joined Gi-hun’s group. Given his military past, he seemed like a strong and disciplined ally during the player uprising. However, when the rebellion began and fighting broke out, Dae-ho’s behavior on the battlefield didn’t align with his claimed military background. For example, he showed difficulties in handling firearms effectively.

Later in the heat of the uprising, Dae-ho temporarily withdrew from the active battlefield to the dormitories where players resided, allegedly to gather more supplies. At this point, he was shown in a state of apparent distress, unable to return to the fight. Dae-ho managed to survive the suppressed rebellion as he missed the climactic battle due to his absence, but his decision not to rejoin with ammunition contributed to the revolution’s eventual downfall. However, the series didn’t offer any definitive answers about his military background or his actions during that time.

5) No-eul’s Undecided Allegiance

I had the pleasure of recognizing Park Gyu-young’s captivating presence in “Squid Game 2,” portraying one of the enigmatic guards within the game’s premises. My role involved maintaining order, ensuring rules were followed, and executing consequences for those who fell short or violated regulations during the games. The series unveiled an intriguing backstory about Park Gyu-young’s character – she is a defector from North Korea, working as a guard to amass enough wealth to reunite with her son in South Korea.

As No-eul carried out her responsibilities, there were hints, especially in her interactions with Gyeong-seok (Lee Jin-wook), a man she knew from a previous job outside of the military, that she grappled with some internal turmoil about her position. Tragically, Gyeong-seok was killed by guards after Gi-hun’s uprising failed, an incident No-eul witnessed. However, it remained unclear what her stance towards the game’s administration was by the end of Season 2.

6) The Second Giant Doll

As a movie enthusiast, I couldn’t help but notice during the mid-credits scene of Squid Game 2, there was a fleeting glimpse of an expansive outdoor courtyard reminiscent of where the classic “Red Light, Green Light” game takes place at the start of each competition. In this scene, keen-eyed viewers like myself could recognize the towering motion-controlled doll, the symbolic figure of authority for that game. Interestingly, this time there was a second identical doll standing beside it, catching my attention.

In Season 2’s central game sequence, where Seong Gi-hun returned to play, all participants had previously overcome the “Red Light, Green Light” challenge as part of their competition earlier on. The mid-credits scene didn’t provide any dialogue or additional actions to clarify the appearance of this extra doll or to hint at its potential new function or game modifications. It remains unclear whether these games will be reset post-Gi-hun’s revolution, or if the Front Man is introducing a lethal form of retribution to emphasize the rebels’ loss.

7) Hyun-ju Future After the Revolution

After Seong Gi-hun and several other participants in the Squid Game 2 uprising were captured, resulting in many deaths, not every significant figure shared this immediate fate. One notable exception was Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), who was an active member of Gi-hun’s revolutionary group. Instead of being arrested or killed during the aftermath of the failed rebellion, she managed to evade capture and return to the player dormitories where she encountered Dae-ho.

In the game, when the soldiers later invaded the dormitories to capture or neutralize any remaining rebels, Hyun-ju concealed her weapon. By apparently distancing herself from the obvious signs of rebellion, she managed to avoid being swiftly recognized as a key plotter by the soldiers. This allowed her to survive and maintain an uncertain status and potential future role within the games at the end of Season 2.

Squid Game Season 3 premieres globally on Netflix on June 27th.

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2025-06-25 18:41