Summary
- Thanos in Squid Game is a fan-favorite villain with a fantastic ego and endearing moments.
- Thanos showcases vulnerability by opening up about mental health struggles and a desire to make his mother proud.
- Thanos’ iconic moments include kissing the O button, hitting on a player, and dancing happily during the Mingle Game.
In Season 2 of Squid Game, Thanos is played by Choi Seung-Hyun, also known as T.O.P. He was famous worldwide for being a member of the K-pop group BigBang. The actor has received criticism before, but many fans think it was too harsh, and that he is a sweetheart who deserves the world. His career was given new light with his role in Squid Game, and we’re so excited he’s back.
Related
Thanos is the character you love to hate. He’s high for most of the show and does whatever he wants whenever he wants. In a show with practically no levity, Thanos is a welcome reprieve. His purple hair, the use of both English and Korean in his dialogue, and his lack of stakes made him everyone’s favorite villain.
8
Group Picture
You’re Thanos!
You can tell just how much Thanos loves the attention when everyone crowds around him to take a group picture. They smile and chat excitedly, and he invites other players around them to join. However, that’s nothing compared to when he’s getting reprimanded by a guard. The guard approaches, saying that they can’t take a group picture.
Instead of moving away, he invites the guard to join him. When the guard reiterates they can’t do that, he keeps inviting him. He assures everyone that he’ll take a picture with them once they leave, and then turns to take a solo picture. When the machine tells him to smile, he frowns and flips off the camera. He has a fantastic ego, and it’s a great introduction to Thanos.
7
Kissing O Button
Mwah!
Just like in Season 1, there are votes to decide whether you want to end the game. The twist in Season 2 is that if you choose to leave, you’ll split the pot with the other winners. During one of the votes, Thanos skips happily forward to the voting buttons: a big X for ending the games, and an O for continuing.
Instead of simply pressing the button, he lowers his head and kisses the O button with a loud ‘mwah’ sound. He then turns to the rest of the group, creating a circle with his hands and cheering on the ‘yes’ group, which is a callback to the last game. It’s a great moment because most yeses are solemn, but his was as enthusiastic as it gets.
6
I Like You
<3
One of the early and most iconic Thanos moments is when he hits on Player 196. He approaches her, gifting her with a short rap to get her attention. This rap included some sweeter lines, such as “In the sea of faces, you caught my eye,” and “My beauty, my flower.” But of course, in classic Thanos style, it had lines like “I’m a legend, Thanos.”
He finishes this interaction saying “I. Like. You,” while making a heart with his thumb and forefinger. It’s an endearing moment, and unfortunately, it’s one of the last interactions she has since she is the first player to die in the second season.
5
Senorita
Infinity Stones
One of the most viral moments to come out of the show is when Thanos approaches Player 380 by calling her “señorita”. When he introduces himself as Thanos, she asks if he has all the Infinity Stones. He shows his nails, each one painted a different infinity stone color.
But through all that showmanship, he has a moment where he promises to keep her safe. His face drops the usual act, and just a second of sincerity shows through. On top of that, she tells him she already has another partner, and he’d have to join too, and without flinching, Thanos says no problem. It’s pretty endearing compared to some of his other moments in the show.
4
I’m So Angry Man
Make My Mother Proud
After the vote is left 50-50, Thanos tries to convince others to vote yes so the games can continue. The internet was excited about him yelling in English, “I’m so f-in angry man!” However, that’s not what made this moment special.
Thanos opens up and is honest about his reason for being in the games. He was suffering from mental health problems and was going to jump off a bridge. Being invited into the games felt like almost a religious intervention for him, and he wanted to make his mother proud. It showcased the person he was underneath the rapper, which is a rare and beautiful thing.
3
Fly Me To The Moon
Heel Click
During the Red Light, Green Light game in the third episode, Thanos looks quite scared at first when the first person is shot, but once he takes one of his pills, he starts to have a great time. He kicks people over, and his face covered in blood as he says bye to them.
Then things start to move in slow motion to a remix of the song Fly Me To The Moon. During this time, Thanos is happily running, so much so that he lifts his legs and clicks his heels together. This moment was iconic and set the stage for the kind of person he is.
2
Gyeong-Su
You’re Out!
This moment is twofold, and you need both parts to see the two sides of Thanos. When choosing who will go into a room with him, he screams, “Gyeong-Su! You’re Out!” Then he kicks him and runs away giggling.
A minute later, he freaks out about the others leaving Gyeong-Su behind, screaming his name through the door. It was the moment when the audience truly realized how out of it he was and how much the drugs were affecting his mental capacity. Thanos is going through this on autopilot, and still managing to stay alive. It’s hard to say how we would all survive games like this, so who can really blame him?
1
Dancing
Ring-A-Ling-A-Ling
The best Thanos moment in the show is during the Mingle Game. The rules of this game are simple. A number is called out, and many people have to run to a room. After people are killed and there is blood everywhere, most of the players are understandably horrified.
Not Thanos. You can see him dancing, and when the shot widens, he’s arm and arm with another player, spinning around happily. This is a song that many Koreans on social media have said they danced to as kids, so it’s almost like he reverted to his childhood.
