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[This story contains major spoilers through the season two finale of Squid Game.]

The Squid Games are over — if only for now, and if only with a pretty big asterisk.

Season two of Netflix’s smash-hit South Korean thriller Squid Game dropped on Dec. 26 to record-setting viewership, picking up right where we left off after season one. Having won the Squid Game, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) was on his way toward a new goal: defeating the game, once and for all. The seven new episodes explored Gi-hun’s effort, with varying degrees of success — which is to say, very little.

After working with police to infiltrate and dismantle the games from within, Gi-hun finds his plans ruined, stranded back in the familiar playroom arena with no allies to speak of save for one: Park Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), Gi-hun’s oldest friend. Together, they try to convince their fellow players to vote to leave the game, but find their efforts defeated at...

The most twisted show on television is back with a whole new slate of characters and a new list of games. Yep, “Squid Game” Season 2 is finally here, and it’s time to meet its players.

The first season of the Netflix original created by Hwang Dong-hyuk ended with Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) winning the Squid Game, taking home 45.6 billion won and proving that some people are intrinsically good to the game’s creator. Though the money fixed Gi-hun’s financial woes, it forever changed him. This time around, his goal isn’t to get out of debt. It’s to take down the Squid Game no matter what it takes, even if that means going back into this horrific competition to do so.

Wondering who’s who in this wild drama? Consider this your guide to the major players as well as the shows and movies where you may know these South Korean actors.

Squid Game 2 Ott Verdict (Week 1): Beats Wednesday (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Squid Game 2 was one of the most anticipated shows of 2024, and it reflected through the number of views it garnered during its premiere week. It has beaten the record of Jenna Ortega starrer Wednesday, which came out in 2022. The first season of this popular Korean drama is at #1 on Netflix’s top 10 most popular non-English shows. Scroll below for the deets.

The first season, released in 2021, took the world by storm. It is a dystopian survival thriller led by Lee Jae. It won multiple accolades, including six Primetime Emmy Awards. The 2021 series became Netflix’s most-watched non-English series with 265.2 million views.

According to Variety’s report, Squid Game 2 witnessed immediate and massive success in its first four days of availability, more than any Netflix series has achieved in its premiere week. The previous record was held on Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega.

Note: This story contains major spoilers from “Squid Game” Season 2.

If you thought the final face-off during the “Squid Game” Season 1 finale was stressful, you’ve seen nothing yet. Season 2 of the Netflix original ups the stakes in every conceivable way, adding in more players, bigger personalities, wilder twists and crazier games.

And that means Season 2’s finale is more intense than anything this series has ever done before. Whether you need to dissect what you just watched or you’re the type of person who flips to the back of a book before finishing it, here’s your guide to the Season 2 finale of “Squid Game.” Also, as an added bonus, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk and stars Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun tell TheWrap what that emotional ending will mean for Season 3, coming in 2025.

How does “Squid Game” Season 2 end?

The beginning of the end started in the bathroom.

The bloody competition of Squid Game has taken just about everything from its protagonist, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) — other than his life. During his first foray into the competition, his mother (Kim Young-ok) died . In order for Gi-hun to win the game in Season 1, his friend Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) had to die. Yet it isn’t until the final scene of Squid Game Season 2 that we see Gi-hun at his absolute lowest. He closes out Episode 7 wailing on the ground, looking into the lifeless eyes of his best friend, Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), who’s just been murdered by Front Man (Lee Byung-hun). To make matters even worse, Gi-hun has no idea that Front Man is actually Young-il, the player who Gi-hun thought was one of his closest allies in the new game.

“The end of Season 2 is going to make people more curious about how Gi-hun...

Spoiler Alert !!!Spoiler Warning for Squid Game Season 2

Since gaining international attention and becoming Netflix’s most-watched series with numerous accolades in 2021, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk finally dropped the sequel to his highly anticipated show on December 26, 2024. And surprisingly, following the same suspense and excitement, the second installment ended on a bigger cliffhanger than the first outing.

A still from Squid Game Season 2 trailer | image: Netflix

Once again, raising people’s expectations for the next and final installment, Squid Game season 2 featured tragic events, nighttime brawls, rebellion, and life-threatening games.

But among all, the one thing that raised curiosity was the mid-credits scene that offered an insight into what’s awaiting fans in season 3, after the tragic events of the season 2 finale. So let’s dive right into it.

Squid Game season 2 mid-credits scene explained

For people who thought the final faceoff in Squid Game season 1 was stressful, they...

Netflix’s global phenomenon Squid Game returns with its highly anticipated Season 2. The deadly competition of children’s games — where the stakes are as high as the cash prize — is back, promising even more intensity, danger, and drama. Alongside the returning cast from Season 1, new faces join the brutal arena, bringing fresh dynamics and gripping storylines.

In Season 2, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the central character and winner of the first game, embarks on a mission to dismantle the Squid Game organization. Armed with the fortune he won and fueled by justice, Gi-hun plunges back into the deadly world, facing old enemies, new allies, and unexpected revelations. Below is a comprehensive guide to the returning and new cast of Squid Game Season 2:

Squid Game Season 2 Returning Cast Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun (Player 456)

The divorced gambler-turned-Squid Game winner returns with a fierce determination to end the games for good. As Gi-hun re-enters the game,...

Spoiler Alert: This article contains major spoilers from “Squid Game” Season 2 finale, now streaming on Netflix.

Facing betrayal from an inside man infiltrating the Squid Games is nothing new for Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) within the twisted “Squid Game” universe.

When the first season of the Korean drama released on Netflix in 2021, watching Player 001, the old man Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su), be revealed as the creator of the games came as a total surprise for both Gi-hun and the viewer. But in “Squid Game” Season 2, which dropped Thursday, the unexpected involvement of head game guard The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), whose real name is In-ho, is handled quite differently when he joins the games as Player 001 upon Gi-hun’s reentry into the competition.

In-ho uses the fake name Young-il when he introduces himself to Gi-hun, who has returned to the games in “Squid Game” Season 2 to try to take them down from the inside,...

This article contains spoilers for "Squid Game" season 2.

Poor Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae). You'd think that a man trying to take down the entire Squid Game organization by participating in the games for the second time would already have enough on his plate. Yet, even his chance to shine with his Sugar Honeycombs game knowledge is stripped away from him. Convinced that the second game is the all-too-familiar Dalgona candy-shaping game from season 1 and freely distributing game-winning strategy to his fellow contestants, Gi-hun ends up with egg on his face when the organizers shake things up and the game turns out to be a Six-Legged Pentathlon instead. 

The game begins with the players forming teams of five. After this, the teams have their legs tied together in a way that they have to proceed on a combined "six legs." Then, they're forced to take on a circular course which contains...

As quickly as it began, the “Squid Game” Season 2 binge is over — and the wait for Season 3 begins.

Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Netflix sensation returned on December 26 after more than three years, plunging Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) back into the world of deadly children’s games played by desperate adults competing for money. The initial episodes caught up with him three years after winning the games featured in Season 1, now using his money and resources to find the Recruiter (Gong Yoo).

In his Season 2 review, IndieWire’s Ben Travers noted that “Hwang does a fine job justifying Player 456 re-entering the arena, but he struggles to justify how Gi-hun goes about putting an end to these battle royales.” This is probably the main frustration once G-hun rejoins the game: He has no plan. After saving as many players as possible during Red Light, Green Light, his inside knowledge of the games is...

Spoiler Alert: This article contains major spoilers from “Squid Game” Season 2 finale, now streaming on Netflix.

Game over — for now. “Squid Game” Season 2 concluded its seventh and final episode with the brutal murder of Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) best friend Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) right before his eyes. Jung-bae is shot dead by Squid Game supervisor The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) after Gi-hun leads an uprising of the players in the current game.

While the death on its own is shocking and gutting and horrifying, it’s made all the more gruesome for the viewer than Gi-hun because, unlike our hero, the audience knows The Front Man’s true identity: he’s In-ho, a previous winner of the Squid Game who now works as the head guard.

In-ho has spent this game posing as Player 001 (going by the name Young-il) and growing close to Gi-hun and Jung-bae to gain their trust...

Contains massive spoilers for Season 2 of “Squid Game,” including the ending.

It is an understatement to call Netflix’s “Squid Game” a smash hit. The show became a global phenomenon, helping gear anticipation for a follow-up season promising to continue a tale of intrigue and pathos. The first season ended with Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) vowing to dismantle the titular games at the cost of personal happiness, and Season 2 picks up two years later, with him expending every effort to corner the ddakji salesman (Gong Yoo) who started it all. On the other end, Detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) is now a traffic officer, having been saved after being shot and falling into the water. Gi-hun and Jun-ho leave no stone unturned to search for clues that might get them closer to the ones organizing the games, but things seem bleak in a world where evil masquerades as a part of nature.

In a world where everyone’s playing to win, some are just playing to survive. And that’s where we find ourselves in Squid Game Season 2—struggling through a high-stakes game that’s as cruel as it is addictive. After a three-year hiatus, Hwang Dong-hyuk’s game of deadly survival returns with more shocking revelations, including a game-changing twist: the real identity of Player 001.

Squid Game Season 2 | Credit: Netflix

What makes a story unforgettable? It’s the raw intensity, the shock, the gut-wrenching moments that leave you questioning everything. Squid Game, with its haunting blend of innocence and savagery, has enchanted us, but as the story unfolds in season 2, it gets darker, bloodier, and even more intense than before.

Fans had been eagerly speculating for years about what would come next, but none could have predicted how the plot would unfold. Hold on tight because season 2’s conclusion isn’t...

Proceed carefully; spoilers for the end of "Squid Game" season 2 lie ahead.

The second season of writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk's acclaimed — and unbelievably popular — Netflix series "Squid Game" is officially here, and the third season, according to Hwang, will premiere sometime in 2025. Based on the season finale, "Friend or Foe," what can viewers expect ... and what about that massive cliffhanger?

Let's back up for a moment. At the beginning of season 2, the winner of the games seen on screen in season 1, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), stays in South Korea despite the game's Front Man, Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), urging him to decamp to America and leave his time in the game behind. He doesn't — and as the series jumps two years ahead, we learn that Gi-hun has spent that entire time trying to suss out the Front Man and stop the games once and for all (on account of all...

Season 2 of Netflix’s popular show Squid Game just dropped on 26th of December. It was a bit of a wild card, as competing with the first season’s brutality and surprise factor would have been a hard task no matter what. However, according to fans, the season proved to be a worthy successor to the highly rated first season.

A still from Squid Game Season 2 | Credit: Netflix

Filled with surprises, plot twists, and violently intense action sequences, Squid Game Season 2 provided quite a punch in the gut for the audience. One particular twist, however, has shocked the fans beyond belief. That was obviously the Front Man’s reveal. It not only managed to bring back the sharp surprise from Season 1, but also set up the premise for the show’s next season.

Spoiler Alert !!!This article contains spoilers for Squid Game Season 2. Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2 served a...

This article contains spoilers for "Squid Game" season 2.

"Squid Game," by its very design, is a show with a massive ensemble cast. Well, at least it starts out that way -- as fans remember all too well from "Squid Game" season 1, the show's deadly playground games tend to pare down the cast something wicked as the plot progresses. Knowing this, it's only natural that some of the show's more obscure characters fail to catch the viewer's attention. This actually works for the sophomore season's favor when it comes to Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), who's such a minor presence in "Squid Game" season 1 that he almost counts as a brand new season 2 character ... while simultaneously having a handy, pre-established history with series protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae).

Jung-bae is Gi-hun's good friend who makes a couple of appearances in the first two episodes of season 1 -- "Red Light, Green Light" and "Hell...

This article contains major spoilers for "Squid Game" season 2. 

The ending of "Squid Game" season 1 makes it abundantly that the show's seven-episode season 2 will feature a wealthy and revitalized Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who's on a quest to bring the titular game down once and for all. Unfortunately, the mission is struggling even after a two-year time skip, and he ultimately decides to personally re-enter the deadly game. 

Even more unfortunately, Gi-hun severely underestimates the Front Man (Lee Byung-Hun), who appears to wield the highest authority over the Squid Game after Oh Il-nam's (O Yeong-su) death. This time, the masked overseer -- whose true identity is disgraced cop Hwang Jun-ho's (Wi Ha-joon) stepbrother In-ho -- isn't content with his usual cephalopod-themed social disparity murder hustle. Instead, he's either fascinated by Gi-hun's struggle or adamant on personally sabotaging it, so he decides to play the game himself after the protagonist declares...

This post contains major spoilers for "Squid Game" season 2.

The first season of "Squid Game" ends on a rather decisive note. Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who wins the titular game in a pyrrhic victory, chooses to stay behind and challenge the barbaric notion of pitting struggling, desperate folks against each other. The deaths of his friends weigh heavy on Gi-hun, paving the path for his re-entry as a contestant in "Squid Game" season 2, in which he's prepared to undergo hell once again just for a shot at eradicating this sinister cycle. Gone is the cheerful naivete that Gi-hun exhibited in season 1: now, he's jaded yet determined, taking a more vigilant, pragmatic approach to the games. However, is that enough for him to win the games a second time? Or will another player emerge victorious, with Gi-hun's arc coming to a tragic end?

To answer this question quickly: no one wins the Squid Games this time,...

Surviving the Squid Games should’ve set Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) for life. 45.6 billion won is an inordinate amount of money, substantial enough to pay off his debts, help out the families of his fallen comrades, and carve out a comfortable existence for himself. Although Gi-hun does all of the above, a simmering discontent plagues him years after his pyrrhic win, leaving him stewing in rage-fueled guilt that will forever haunt his heart. In “Squid Game” season 2, Gi-hun has his sights set on vengeance and is armed with the conviction that this barbaric sport should come to an end. And he is just getting started.

Before we plunge back into this bleak, stakes-heavy world, it is crucial to note that series director Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote seasons 2 and 3 back to back and that the two stories form halves of a whole. Although the first season ends on a cliffhanger, it is...

The story behind Squid Game Season Two feels like it should be a story in the South Korean thriller’s long-delayed return. The making of the show’s first season — an ultra-violent satire of late-stage capitalism, where financially desperate people compete in a series of children’s games and the lone surviving player will go home with billions in cash — was so difficult and stressful that its creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, claims he lost “eight or nine” teeth over the course of that initial shoot. It was an experience that unsurprisingly...

“Squid Game” isn’t a surprise anymore. Upon its initial release in 2021, the South Korean drama series hit much larger for Netflix than any of the streamer’s other international series, and exceeded hits like “Bridgerton” and “Stranger Things” to become an outright phenomenon and the streamer’s most-watched series. Part of it was timing; creator Hwang Dong-hyuk smartly drew on global hardships over the last few years — mostly economical but also societal — to craft an incisive take on a “Battle Royale”-style series that resonated at the time and has only become more relevant in recent years. A second season, if commissioned, would arrive with totemic expectations.

Perhaps that’s just one of the many reasons — along with the well-documented fatigue he endured making it the first go around — Hwang held out before announcing he was ready to move forward with a second offering. And it was well worth the three-year wait.

[This story contains spoilers from Squid Game season one.]

Three years after taking Netflix by storm to become the streamer’s most popular series of all time, Squid Game returns Dec. 26 with its highly awaited sequel season. Set in the aftermath of the first finale, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk’s thriller looks to plunge deeper into the titular competition’s violent history, with Lee Jung-jae once again braving the games as Seong Gi-hun.

Before diving into Squid Game 2, you’re probably wondering if you need to recall every single detail about the original. That answer is complicated. You don’t need to remember every character and beat, but there are definitely recurring figures and plot points you should refresh yourself on before hitting play. If you don’t have time for the full rewatch, here’s a pocket-sized primer on what you need to know before Squid Game 2 (trailer, below).

Filmed and set in South Korea,...

More than three years after it took the world by storm, Hwang Dong-hyuk’s “Squid Game” returns to Netflix this holiday season.

A lot can happen in three years — for the characters, but also for those of us outside who have had so much time to forget. For many of you, hearing “Squid Game” probably elicits emotion — excitement, dread, etc. — but the details of what made you feel that way are a little hazy.

So in case you haven’t made the time to re-binge all eight episodes of Season 1 (or even if you have!), here’s a refresher on what happened in “Squid Game” Season 1 and what might be critical to Season 2. Sadly, most of the characters from Season 1 are dead, but the Games themselves are very much alive…

Players Can Terminate the Games

After the horror of Red Light, Green Light, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and the other surviving...

Lee Jung-jae and his co-stars get together for a group selfie at the Los Angeles premiere event for Squid Game season two held at Los Angeles City College on Thursday (December 12) in Los Angeles.

The cast then headed over to Hollywood for a screening at the Egyptian Theater.

Joining Lee Jung-jae were Jo Yu-ri, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee Byung-hun, Yim Si-wan, and Lee Seo-hwan.

At the premiere, Lee Jung-jae teased what to expect from the upcoming new season.

Keep reading to find out more…

“So I can tell you for sure that you’re in for even more surprises, because there are games within games, and I call them psychological warfare,” he told People. “We have so much of them in season 1. So at one time, you’ll be enemies, the two will be enemies, and then the other time, they will be friends. So you don’t know what’s going to happen.

Netflix is not holding back when it comes to the return of Squid Game, the streamer’s biggest show of all time, as it held an immersive premiere and fan event in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Los Angeles City College’s athletic field was converted into a re-creation of the games, featuring the iconic “Red Light, Green Light” (with accompanying giant doll), set-inspired photo ops and a seemingly endless number of pink guards wandering the premises. The night’s biggest component, though, was a nearly 5K run, as hundreds of fans — outfitted in the show’s green tracksuits — attempted to win tickets to the night’s premiere screening by correctly completing challenges along the route.

“I can’t believe I’m watching this moment,” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk told the crowd as he looked out on the sea of costumed guests. “Thank you for coming to the event and celebrating Squid Game season two together.

"Squid Game" is more than just the most thrilling competition on TV — it also wears its cultural identity on its sleeve. Though it deals with universal themes such as the skewed distribution of wealth, the series is profoundly and unashamedly South Korean. In fact, Hwang Dong-hyuk's survival thriller revolves heavily around a deadly series of Korean playground games that the country's desperate, impoverished people play for the amusement of the jaded global elite.

One of the things to remember about "Squid Game" is that it thrives on carefully chosen locations and impressive set pieces but rarely overexplains them. While the show does a great job of depicting the everyday life and deep financial distress of the Squid Game participants and explaining each game for viewers who may be unfamiliar with them, it's often content to leave its impressive locations unaddressed. Still, it doesn't hurt to know more about the...

Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun step out for the season two premiere of their show Squid Game held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Monday (December 9) in Seoul, South Korea.

The returning stars of the hit Netflix series joined many of their co-stars at the event, which featured a performance by dance crew 1Million, behind-the-scenes talks, a first screening of the first episode of season two and even an experience zone that brought the game to life.

Also in attendance were Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Wi Ha-jun, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee Seo-hwan, Jo Yu-ri, Won Ji-an, Chae Kook-hee, Lee David, Roh Jae-won and more!

Keep reading to find out more…

The Squid Game season two premiere event was actually livestreamed, and you can re-watch it on the Netflix YouTube channel Here.

In season two, three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going...

Who Are the New Characters in Squid Game Season 2? Meet the Cast - Main Image

Squid Game was such a surprise hit when it was released on Netflix a few years ago, and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has been hard at work with a highly anticipated follow-up.

Besides the characters of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) coming back, the second season is also going to be introducing a whole batch of new characters, each one with their own personal struggle that forces them to join the Squid Game.

Who are the New Characters of Squid Game Season?

Just like the first season, the new batch of Squid Game players also have some high stakes that they are betting on. And while there are some characters who are definitely made to be the villains of the season (like the Thanos Team), there are also some that are made...

Squid Game is back with more blood and a taste for revenge.

Netflix’s biggest ever series, which launched in September 2021, returns for its second season later this month and it’s just as dystopian, violent and vicious as the first with more than 450 new characters to kill off.

The first season, which scored 14 Emmy nominations including wins for star Lee Jung-jae and creator Hwang Dong-Hyuk for directing, was inspired by the Korean financial collapse.

The world, according to Dong-Hyuk, otherwise known as Director Hwang, is just as screwed up as it previously was, inspiring him to go back to the island for another round of Squid Game.

The second season starts with Seong Gi-hun, otherwise known as Player 456, played by Lee, searching for the people behind the game, three years after winning it. He’s using the ₩45.6 billion prize to fund this search, helped by a large group of ne’er-do-wells and underworld figures,...

Fans and critics alike praised Netflix’s Squid Game, which went on to become another popular series for the streaming site. It has been a while since we learned that the series will receive a second season, the premiere date of which is coming up very, very soon.

The first season, which aired in 2021 and included nine episodes, was followed by the release of the reality spin-off Squid Game: The Challenge in 2023. Netflix is gradually getting ready for the second season’s premiere, whose premiere is set for December 26, 2024, and what is the best way to do it than with the first full official trailer for the upcoming season?

Yes, Netflix has finally released the official trailer for the second season of Squid Game and we are, of course, going to bring it to you here in this report, alongside other information about the upcoming second season, whose premiere is exactly one month away.