The Netflix series Squid Game has reached global audiences not only with the deadly games but also with the powerful dialogue. From the Oh Il-nam quotes on friendships to the quotes about human nature from the Salesman, all characters, old and new, left a mark.
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Across both seasons, there have been many quotes that have stuck with viewers because of how meaningful they are. Here are some of the best quotes in Squid Game.
There are spoilers below, proceed with caution.
8
“Because there’s no way watching it can be more fun than playing it yourself.”
Player 001: Oh Il-nam
At the end of Season 1, fans discovered that Oh Il-nam was the host of the deadly games. Having been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, he confided to the Front Man that he craved to experience the games as a player rather than merely observe them. He wanted to feel alive again and experience all the emotions one last time—fear, anxiety, and excitement.
When he steps into the player’s side, he understands all the challenges and vulnerabilities of the other desperate contestants. In his final moments, he asks to see Player 456 and unravel his true identity.
7
“Good rain knows when to fall.”
Secret VIP
“Good rain knows when to fall” is quoted by one of the wealthy VIPs in the final scene of Season 1. The rain started to pour right before the last deadly game. Supposedly, the VIP meant that timing was everything.
The quote is used in the scene where the two childhood friends, Gi-hun (Player 456) and Sang-woo (Player 218), fight each other for the massive cash prize.
6
“You can only have one. Bread or lottery.”
Salesman/Recruiter
The recruiter delivers one of the most shocking scenes in Squid Game Season 2. At the beginning of the episode “Bread and Lottery,” he wants to test human nature by going to a park surrounded by homeless people and giving them a choice between a piece of bread or a chance to win a fortune on a scratch card. They need to choose just one. The recruiter is disappointed by their choices and receives confirmation that people are greedy.
Driven by frustration, he stands in the center of the park and smashes all the bread while the homeless watch. When they try to approach him and beg for food, he reminds them of their choice of gambling instead of food.
5
“I know it’s harsh to tell a mother to forget about her child, but you really should.”
The Broker To The Shooter Girl
Early in the second season of Squid Game, viewers are introduced to No-Eul. She is an ex-North Korean soldier who shot her superior and ran away to the South without her one-year-old child. She begins working at a Korean theme park and ends up as the sniper girl in the deadly games.
She begged the broker to help her locate the child and offers him massive amounts of money to look for her one last time. Despite the offer, the broker denies it by saying there’s nothing else he can do and that a one-year-old can’t survive alone without any parents.
4
“They’re men who want to be women.”
Said Player 007 About Player 120
For the very first time, the Netflix series Squid Game makes the first transgender representation in the games. Cho Hyun-ju, Player 120, is an ex-special forces sergeant who enters the deadly games to have enough money to finish her transition in Thailand. During her experience, she has been judged by her parents and friends, and at the games, she is judged by an opinionated (yet kind) old lady: Jang Geum-ja, Player 149.
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It’s important to note that the old lady isn’t rude; she is just ignorant. However, Player 007, her son, explains what transgender means. During the games, Geum-ja develops a strong bond with the trans player and offers her motivation and unconditional support.
3
“Do you think you can stop the game with a pistol?”
The Frontman To Player 456
At the beginning of the second season of Squid Game, viewers can see that Gi-hun doesn’t enter the plane when he sees the salesman recruiting people for the newest round of deadly games. Driven by vengeance, Gi-hun, Player 456, is determined to bring the deadly games to an end once and for all. He eventually gets a meeting with the Frontman, who communicates through a golden piggy bank inside a car.
The Frontman reminds the former player that the game only exists because everyone voluntarily joins. Furious, Player 456 points a gun to the piggy bank, only to be met with the reply, “Do you think you can stop the games with a pistol?”. Desperate, he asks to be put back in the game. Smoke fills the car, and the next time he opens his eyes, he is inside the dormitory, surrounded by the other 455 contestants.
2
“We rarely ever get to see stars in this day and age.”
Player 001: Oh Il-nam
In the episode “The Man With The Umbrella” in Season 1, players face one of the most difficult games: Dalgona. There are four symbols to pick from—circle, triangle, star, and umbrella. While everyone is discussing the best strategic choice and what that might mean, Oh Il-nam, Player 001, picks the star for the kindest reason. He says people rarely see stars in a world that is always busy.
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During the challenge, Oh Il-nam remains with a positive attitude and ends up passing to the next round.
1
“We’re gganbu, aren’t we? We made a pinky promise to be each other’s gganbu”
Player 001 to Player 456
In one of the last scenes of Squid Game season 1, Gi-hun (player 456) and Oh Il-nam (Player 001) are against each other in one of the deadly games: marbles. They’ve been sticking together since the beginning. At the end of the marble game, Oh Il-nam reveals that he knows he has been tricked by Player 456, but that’s okay. Because of Gi-hun, the old man got to have fun again.
This is one of the most touching scenes of the whole series, where Oh Il-nam says, “We’re gganbu, aren’t we? We made a pinky promise to be each other’s gganbu.” Gganbu is a Korean expression for “old and close friend.”.
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