Squid Game has revived the death game trope, enthralling the world with its ruthless, realistic messaging of the human psyche and the fun, harmless childhood games that most South Koreans are intimately familiar with. The show is also known for leaving subtle clues regarding a character’s true identity and tends to misdirect the audience, leaving you hungering for more.
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Although the show has several mysteries, one burning question is how the Squid Game came to be. We know it’s been going on for a long while and takes place once every year, but how did it start in the first place? We’ll treat you to a detailed rundown of all the hints peppered throughout the show about the origin of the Squid Game.
Oh Il-Nam And The Squid Game
In one of the greatest twists in the first season, the Old Man (aka Player 001) turns out to be Oh Il-Nam, the Host and creator of the Squid Game. Based on the investigation conducted by the undercover cop, Hwang Jun-ho, there is a scene where he’s rifling through the Squid Archives filled with files of past Squid Game players. When he flips through one of these files, it’s discovered that the first-ever game held was in 1988.
Coincidentally, the year before was the onset of Black Monday, considered one of the worst stock market crashes in history, resulting in global financial difficulties. It’s not too hard to imagine Il-Nam seeing the opportunity presented to him and deciding to exploit the circumstances of those less fortunate than him for his own advantage.
Although we consistently hear the words ‘equality’ and ‘fairness’ from the mouths of characters like the front man, for example, Il-Nam revealed that his main motivation for starting the game was because he was bored. We know that Il-Nam is an extremely wealthy man who, according to his words, made his fortune by becoming a lender (or perhaps a loan shark). He states that because he now has too much money and has achieved everything there is to strive for, he has begun to lose the thrill of life.
Il-Nam then decided to use his resources to create the Squid Game for both his and his clients’ entertainment while claiming to give the bottom rung of society a second (and final) chance to rise to the top in a game where everyone has an equal chance. He modeled it after the childhood games he loved, and he eventually joined the 2020 Squid Game to experience it himself before he died.
A Growing Business
Although we get insight into the history of the Squid Games through Il-Nam’s offhand remarks, we know more thanks to Hwang Jun-ho’s undercover digging behind the scenes. Not only did we discover that the games have been running since 1988, but that the number of contestants has been increasing every year since then, increasing the number of deaths and possibly the annual prize money.
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In an easily missed detail pointed out by YouTuber Bryce Edward Brown, what could be condensed to several thin files listing players in 1998 has expanded to rows upon rows of shelves with thick binders detailing players’ information and movements by the 2000s. Despite telling us that there is a set number of 456 players, the evidence presented in the Squid Archives tells a different story.
A Worldwide Phenomenon?
Although we do not see them in the second season, the latter end of the first season showcases the arrival and presence of the VIPs (aka Oh Il-Nam’s wealthy clients). In one of the scenes with the VIPs, one of them commented that the South Korean Squid Game was the best of all the games he had ever seen, implying that there are other versions of Squid Games all over the world.
And since Black Monday was a worldwide disaster, it stands to reason that Il-Nam wouldn’t be satisfied with exploiting the already distressed South Korean population but to do so to other nations as well. It would be interesting to see how the Squid Games in other countries are run and to see if it’s also subjected to the local games native to each specific culture, but it’s unlikely we’re ever going to get confirmation or a glimpse of other aspects of Il-Nam’s operations.
Who Is Running The Squid Game Now?
The finale of Season One ends with the death of Oh Il-Nam, who dies from the brain tumour he’s been suffering from throughout the games. Although Il-Nam mentions having a family and even speaks of a son, they’re clearly not a part of his life since they weren’t present when he died. This begs the question of who is taking over as the Host of the Squid Game after Il-Nam’s death.
The Squid Game doesn’t die along with Il-Nam, else we wouldn’t get a second season. Based on what develops in Season Two, it seems the Front Man has taken over operations to ensure the Squid Game carries on. Although it’s not outright confirmed (since the Front Man disguises himself as Player 001, just like Il-Nam did), the Front Man is currently assumed to be the Host of the game.
The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Squid Game
Although death game shows aren’t anything new, their involvement in South Korean childhood games is certainly unique. According to director Hwang Dong-hyuk, he not only wanted to include childhood games due to the sheer irony but also because of how simple and easy its rules are to relate to the audience. Furthermore, Dong-hyuk also watched Japanese anime and films like Battle Royale for inspiration.
However, Gi-Hun’s backstory was based on the 2009 Ssangyong Motor Strikes, with its announcement of the laying off of 1000 workers causing violent strikes and resulting in injuries and deaths. There is also a theme of inequality and debt running throughout the show, which Dong-hyuk states relates to his own earlier financial difficulties and is a pointed nod to the widespread issues South Korea faces.
In the past few days, there has been a string of TikToks and YouTube videos pointing to a real-life incident known as Brothers Home, which eerily mirrors Squid Game. Although officially known as a welfare facility, Brothers Home was a concentration camp that ran from the mid-1970s to 1988.
In a bid to cleanse the country of ‘undesirables,’ Brothers Home was one of the many facilities built to shelter them, but it resulted in horrendous abuses, with inmates being set on one another as part of a twisted ‘game.’
Although there are similarities, Squid Game’s director did not confirm Brothers Home as an inspiration.
- Release Date
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September 17, 2021
- Main Genre
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Mystery
- Network
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Netflix
- Creator(s)
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Seasons
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3