Smartest Squid Game Characters

Summary

• Cho Hyun-ju’s alliances and military experience helped enact a coup.
• Hwang Jun-ho’s detective skills lead him to become an inside agent.
• Captain Park’s deception and sabotage remain undetected for now.

Squid Game is a series filled to the brim with memorable characters who either participate in the games or work behind the scenes to ensure this twisted event goes by without a hitch. As one would expect, some of these characters need to be smart to deal with the many challenges that come their way.

Some of these characters have used their brains to solve certain challenges or ensure that their masterplans are enacted without a hitch. As players watch Squid Game, they’ll resonate with the characters who give it their all to ensure their survival and develop a begrudging respect for the twisted people who fool everyone with their acting.

Warning! Spoilers Ahead!

8

Cho Hyun-ju

Knows How To Form Alliances And Form Plans, Which Is More Than What Fans Can Say For Other Characters

• Debut: 001 (Season 2, Episode 3)

Cho Hyun-ju is a character who faces her fair share of discrimination during her time in the games. However, she doesn’t let this wear her down, being smart enough to realize that the only thing that mattered was to win the games.

When push came to shove, Cho Hyun-ju utilized her years of experience in the military to enact a coup. While she was eventually unsuccessful, her quick thinking gave them a fighting chance, and things could’ve looked up for the contestants had the ammo come in time.

7

Hwang Jun-ho

An Ex-Police Detective Who Knows His Stuff, Even If He Can’t Figure Out A Traitor Under His Very Nose

• Debut: Hell (Season 1, Episode 2)

A police detective who hunts down his brother after he mysteriously disappeared, Jun-ho eventually figures out how to become an inside agent in the games. He had many brushes against death, only to find out that his brother was the mastermind behind the games who shot him in cold blood.

Even after leaving his job, Jun-ho doesn’t stop searching for the island where the games are played. Unfortunately, he’s so obsessed with his goal that he doesn’t recognize the traitor who’s been working against him all along.

6

Captain Park

It’s Impressive How He’s Fooling The People On His Boat With Ease

• Debut: Bread and Lottery (Season 2, Episode 1)

At the start of Season 2, Captain Park seemed like an admirable character helping out Jun-ho from time to time out of the goodness of his heart. It’s not until later that it’s revealed that he’s working against them, going so far as to sabotage their drones.

While he makes a misstep and is almost found out, Captain Park has still avoided any suspicions for the most part. Hopefully, Jun-ho and the other people around him will uncover his treachery and prevent him from standing in their way of ending the games once and for all.

5

Kang Sae-byeok

It Takes Some Serious Smarts To Survive Till The Very End Of These Twisted Games

• Debut: Red Light, Green Light (Season 1, Episode 1)

Kang Sae-byeok is an admirable character who uses her street smarts to survive for a long time in the games. However, by the end, a serious wound prevents her from defending herself against Sang-woo, who kills her off to make it easier for him to win the games.

She pulled her weight in the series more often than not, with her valiant goals making it easier for Gi-hun to trust her even after their less-than-amicable encounter outside the games. Fans were sad to see this smart, likable contestant bite the dust after going through numerous competitions and coming out victorious.

4

Cho Sang-woo

Used His Intelligence For Vile Purposes, Doing Everything In His Power To Win The Games

• Debut: Red Light, Green Light (Season 1, Episode 1)

It’s easy to hate Cho Sang-woo, given how he looks down on Gi-hun only to find himself in a similar predicament later on. As evil as he may be, there’s no denying that he’s crafty enough to secure victory when push comes to shove.

The heartless way he betrayed Ali coupled with his sleeping act to take out Sae-byeok makes it clear why Cho Sang-woo is one of the smartest characters in Squid Game. Fans were glad to see him fall at the end, with Gi-hun establishing himself as the victor of the games.

3

Seong Gi-hun

His Masterplan At The End Of Season 2 Is A Great Example Of Gi-hun’s Brilliant Mind

• Debut: Red Light, Green Light (Season 1, Episode 1)

The protagonist of Squid Game has shown time and time again why he’s such a smart and brave character. Even in the face of immense adversity, he was able to wrack his brain and figure out solutions to some of the harder challenges in the series, with his quick thinking on full display during the Dalgona game.

After infiltrating the games, he hatched a plan to take the guards by surprise and acquire their weaponry. He showed his meticulous side at this moment, and it’s a shame that a betrayal from within the group coupled with the cowardice of one of the contestants prevented this coup from succeeding.

2

Hwang In-ho

The Overseer Of The Games Was Able To Fool Everyone

• Debut: Red Light, Green Light (Season 1, Episode 1)

Hwang In-ho’s reveal at the end of the first season was shocking for his brother, with this contestant winning the games early on and choosing to play a role behind the scenes ever since. However, he wasn’t content with playing a passive role in the new games, choosing to enter as a contestant this time around.

He puts on a convincing act by sticking with the group, endearing himself to Gi-hun in the process. As smart as the protagonist of Squid Game was, he couldn’t sniff out a traitor within his midst who killed any chances of his coup succeeding at the end of Season 2.

1

Oh Il-nam

A Masterful Manipulator Who Didn’t Reveal His True Identity Until The Very End

• Debut: Red Light, Green Light (Season 1, Episode 1)

Oh Il-nam was one of the most captivating characters in Squid Game, with Gi-hun choosing to fool him to win the game of marbles and move on to the next game. However, this old man surprised him by revealing that he knew what was going on all along, causing Gi-hun no end of grief as he sentenced this old man to his death.

However, it wasn’t until the end of the first season that he revealed his true identity as the mastermind behind the games. He taunts Gi-hun by making a bet about human kindness, only to be proven wrong moments before he draws his last breath.