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'Squid Game' Season 1 Ending, Facts and Full Explanation

"Squid Game" Season 1 Ending Explained

The ending of Squid Game is both shocking and thought-provoking, offering several twists that leave the viewer with many questions. Here's a breakdown of what happens:

1. Seong Gi-hun Wins the Game

Seong Gi-hun (Player 456) emerges as the sole survivor and winner of the deadly competition, claiming the ₩45.6 billion prize (about $38 million). The final game, the titular Squid Game, is a brutal confrontation between Gi-hun and his childhood friend Cho Sang-woo (Player 218). Despite having the opportunity to kill Sang-woo, Gi-hun refuses to take his life, offering to end the game without a winner. However, Sang-woo takes matters into his own hands, stabbing himself in the neck, asking Gi-hun to take care of his mother, and dying in the process.

Gi-hun wins but is left emotionally devastated by the horrors he has witnessed and participated in.

2. Gi-hun’s Post-Win Depression

Despite his newfound wealth, Gi-hun spends the next year in deep depression. His mother has died by the time he returns home, and the trauma from the games weighs heavily on him. He doesn’t touch the prize money, feeling immense guilt over the lives lost. His life seems to be stuck in an emotional void until a mysterious message invites him to meet the person behind the games.

3. The Big Twist: Il-nam (Player 001)

In a surprising twist, it’s revealed that Oh Il-nam (Player 001), the elderly man who Gi-hun befriended during the games, is actually the creator of the Squid Game. He was never a true participant but instead a wealthy VIP who grew bored with life and wanted to relive childhood experiences in a twisted manner. He reveals that he participated in the games out of a desire to feel alive and experience the thrill of competition again. He also explains that the games were created as a way for the ultra-rich to find entertainment in the suffering of others.

Il-nam dies shortly after this revelation, leaving Gi-hun horrified but also with some form of closure about the truth.

4. Gi-hun’s New Purpose

After the confrontation with Il-nam, Gi-hun starts to regain a sense of purpose. He decides to use the money to help people, especially those affected by the games, such as Sang-woo’s mother and Sae-byeok’s (Player 067) brother. However, just as Gi-hun is about to leave for the U.S. to reconnect with his daughter, he sees a man being recruited for the games in the same way he was, on a subway platform. Determined to stop the games, Gi-hun calls the organizers and refuses to board his flight, signaling his intent to confront those behind the Squid Game.

Key Themes and Symbolism in the Ending

  1. Capitalism and Class Struggles:
  • Squid Game is a sharp critique of wealth inequality and the exploitation of the poor by the rich. The entire game represents the vast power imbalance between the ultra-wealthy (the VIPs) and the desperate (the players).
  1. Human Nature and Morality:
  • Throughout the games, participants are forced to make horrifying moral choices, testing the limits of their humanity. Gi-hun's decision to show mercy to Sang-woo at the end reflects his moral integrity despite the circumstances.
  1. The Cycle of Desperation:
  • Even after winning, Gi-hun feels trapped in the same cycle of emotional despair and powerlessness. His decision to fight the system rather than enjoy his wealth suggests a potential rebellion or battle against those who run the games.
  1. Il-nam’s Philosophy:
  • Il-nam represents the detachment of the ultra-wealthy from the reality of human suffering. To him, life is just a game, and the struggles of the players are merely entertainment. His death, however, serves as a commentary on how even the wealthiest cannot escape mortality.

Interesting Facts about

Squid Game

  1. Record-Breaking Success: Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched show, with over 142 million viewers worldwide within the first four weeks of its release.
  2. The Title Change: The show was originally going to be titled "Round Six," but director Hwang Dong-hyuk insisted on Squid Game to reflect a popular children's game in Korea that inspired the final competition.
  3. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Struggles: Director Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote the script for Squid Game in 2008 but was unable to get it made for over a decade due to lack of interest and funding. The global success of the show finally validated his creative vision.
  4. Symbolism of the Shapes: The shapes on the masks of the guards—circle, triangle, and square—are inspired by symbols from Korean children's games, but they also resemble hierarchy. Circles represent the lowest rank, triangles are soldiers, and squares are higher-ranking managers.
  5. Real-Life Parallels: The show draws from real-world issues such as economic inequality, debt crises, and exploitation. Many viewers connected with the participants’ struggles due to similar issues in their own lives.

Conclusion

The ending of Squid Game is a powerful commentary on wealth, power, and the nature of humanity. It leaves viewers with unresolved questions and a sense of moral unease, setting the stage for future storylines, as Gi-hun seems determined to take down the people behind the deadly games.