The Hidden Connection Between the Player 001s in Squid Game Offers a Clue to the Show’s Endgame
We already know Squid Game Season 3 is coming, and that’s pretty much the only way we can cope with what happened in Squid Game Season 2, particularly the cliffhanger ending that promised not just a new and devastating game, but an even deadlier foe in what we know will be the show’s final season. But as we prepare for the final confrontation, we are left with many doubts and many questions about what transpired in the second season.
Season 2 saw Seong Gi-hun, the winner of Season 1, enter the arena once more, this time to dismantle the Squid Games from the inside. And for a while there, it seemed like he could do that. There was, at least, the spark of a rebellion. But just when it seemed like things might be going his way, it all took a turn for the worse. Like they say, the house always wins, and in this case, the house is always, somehow, Player 001.
More from StyleCaster
Related: What are the games in Squid Game Season 2?
In the first season of Squid Game, Player 001 was originally thought to be just another player, a terminally ill older man. But it was later revealed that Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su) was one of the Squid Game’s founders. That means there’s reason to suspect Player 001 in Season 2 from the beginning. Or, at least, there should be.
But who is player 001 in Squid Game Season 2? Here’s the answer.
Who is player 001 in Squid Game Season 2?
Player 001 is none other than The Front Man himself, also known as Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun). He is the most senior figure in charge of the Squid Games, tasked with making sure they run smoothly and that the game spectators are satisfied. And he seems to take his job very, very seriously.
How he became The Front Man is as of yet unknown in the games, though considering Season 3 is set to go into his rivalry with Seong Gi-hun it is likely we will examine his rise to the top, however it happened—including the possibility that he is indeed a previous winner, as it’s stated in Season 2. We might even revisit one of the most shocking moments of Squid Game Season 1—when it was revealed that The Front Man was the older brother of police officer Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), who infiltrated the game in search of his sibling.
Related: When is Squid Game Season 3 coming?
“The story he tells the other participants is completely true, and it is actually the story of In-ho or the Front Man,” Lee told TheWrap. “[In-ho] definitely feels that he can’t really go out into the outside world because he fears that world now. He feels that disconnect, so that’s part of the reason why he is in the games again.”
In Season 2, Player 001 gains Seong Gi-hun’s trust by pretending to join him in his rebellion. And then, in the pivotal moment, after the vote to leave the games has been lost and the rebellion has to proceed by force, betrays him. He kills two of the players and then; after suiting up as The Front Man again, he kills Jung-bae right in front of Seong Gi-hun. With this best friend lost, is this the end of hope for our hero?
It’s the perfect heartbreaking ending because it signals Squid Game will continue for now and Seong Gi-hun’s plan has been for nothing. He has lost and The Front Man has won. The game has won, just as it did in Season 1. Player 001 has come out on top. Or has he? If we know one thing is that the game isn’t over yet.
Best of StyleCaster
Sign up for Stylecaster's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.