Is Squid Game Season 3 Turning Gi-Hun Into a Villain?

Summary

Season 2 of Squid Game sees Gi-hun attempting to dismantle the games, facing betrayals and struggling to save everyone.
Gi-hun’s transformation from a moral center to a possible villain raises questions about his character and narrative direction.
Viewers are intrigued by the potential shift in Gi-hun’s role, from hero to antagonist, making for compelling storytelling.

The Netflix series Squid Game premiered in 2021 and turned out to be the streamer’s most successful TV series ever. No one thought that a series from South Korea would beat every English-language show to claim the top spot. It didn’t take long for the series to become a global phenomenon because of its unique storytelling, brutal visuals, brilliant performances, and emotionally resonant narrative. The show’s lead character, Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), became a symbol of hope, desperation, and humanity. Although he was introduced as a man who desperately wanted out of his flawed life, Gi-hun never compromised on empathy and moral courage. However, things changed pretty drastically for him in Season 2.

In Squid Game season 2, Gi-hun only has one thing in mind: destroying the Squid Games altogether. However, when he re-entered the game, he felt once again how difficult it was to change people when money is involved. Even then, he started planning his rebellion, with the help of Player 001, among others. He couldn’t succeed in his rebellion because Player 001 turned out to be The Frontman, who is responsible for running the games. The ending of Season 2 forced viewers to ask an important question: Is Squid Game turning Gi-hun into a villain? Has he had enough with humanity, and trying to show people what is wrong and what is right? Will Season 3 make him the very thing he once swore to destroy? Let’s take a look.

Squid Game Season 2 Ending Explained

Did Seong Gi-hun lead a successful rebellion? How many players was he able to save? Take a look at how Squid Game season 2 ended.

From Despair to Hope, to Despair again: Gi-hun’s Journey Has Been Bumpy

Seong Gi-Hun runs to see what happened to Sae-byeok.

When Seong Gi-hun made his first appearance on the show, he was shown as a character who made some wrong decisions and made his life a living hell. Debt and failed relationships made him a flawed person. When things got rough, he decided to enter the Squid Games in order to turn his life around for the better.

As soon as he entered the game, Gi-hun, aka Player 456, knew that it wouldn’t be easy for him to survive. If he failed in any of the games, the result wouldn’t be just disqualification, but death. Even in those circumstances, Gi-hun never forgot who he was and held on to his sense of morality. The decision not to kill Cho Sang-woo in Season 1, and not willing to spend the prize money after the games, showcased how guilty and unhappy he felt after watching what had happened during the games.

Season 2 showed Gi-hun as a completely different person. He still had his sense of morality, but he was also consumed by his own ambitions of ending the games. When he re-entered the games, he tried helping the other players survive, including his friend Jung-bae. But this time, he realized that he wouldn’t be able to save everyone. Not everyone wanted to be saved; they just wanted to defeat everyone and win the money. In the final moments of Season 2, Gi-hun was left with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. That was one of the main reasons why he didn’t come between the fight between the Xs and Os in Season 2. Even when a lot of people from his team were being killed, he kept himself hidden, along with some of his close friends.

This is where things began to change. It was the first instance when he purposefully chose himself and some of his close ones to survive the bloodbath. That moment didn’t show him as empathetic or wanting to save everyone. Instead, he realized that some people would have to die if he needed to save others and accomplish his mission. However, when things didn’t go according to plan and the Frontman showed his real face, Gi-hun realized that he had been sold out. At that moment, Gi-hun’s expression made everyone wonder one thing: was Gi-hun, aka Player 456, ready to break the rules? Did he want vengeance for what he witnessed?

Is Gi-hun a Dark Hero, Or Really a Villain?

a group of squid game players holding guns in season 2-1 — IMDb

It won’t come as a shock if Squid Game decides to showcase Player 456 as a villain. It is not a new concept to flip the narrative and change the protagonist into an antagonist, making viewers realize that this corrupt world can change anyone. In the history of television, there have been several characters who have become iconic by showcasing their dual personalities. They are not traditional heroes, but they are also not villains. They are in that gray area, which makes them more of an “anti-hero.” From Tony Soprano in The Sopranos to Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars, audiences have always been drawn towards the characters who slowly become darker with each passing moment. Gi-hun might be one of them, because viewers would understand his fall and the way he was betrayed throughout his life and games.

Stories like these are always thrilling to watch, and people sympathize with the characters. They can feel their pain, even if they disagree with their choices. As a result, the potential shift of Gi-hun from being a protagonist to an antagonist will be an intriguing theme to explore. The kind of betrayal he endured in Season 2 of Squid Game could have broken him into pieces, and made him realize he is trying to save humanity when it doesn’t want to be saved. He might use other players as pawns and manipulate them to achieve his own goal. That’s what makes this direction so compelling. Gi-hun was once the moral center of the show, and seeing him compromise on his own morals would be really thrilling to watch.

It would be a wild thing to see Seong Gi-hun turn into a villain. It would be a bold choice to make, and it would make for incredibly rich storytelling. It would take the narrative to a whole new level and would raise several questions about the society we live in. Viewers love that kind of storytelling and characters. If done right, this transformation of Seong Gi-hun from a hero to a villain might be one of the most brilliant things in television history.

Squid Game season 3 will premiere exclusively on Netflix on June 27.