Summary
- Some characters in Squid Game sabotage others to win, adding intense conflicts to the show.
- Lee Myung-gi lost everything in crypto investments but shows some care for his ex.
- Notable characters like Han Mi-nyeo and Thanos exhibit manipulative and erratic tendencies.
Squid Game took the world by storm in 2021, quickly becoming one of the best shows on Netflix. What was a long wait for Season 2 turned out to be very much worth it, as Season 2 was a great watch and lived up to the hype.
Though we’ve only seen half the story, in both seasons, some characters made it their mission to sabotage everyone else so that they alone could win the money offered by the games. These people were some of the most villainous in the series, and the conflicts they created made the show much more worth it to watch.
Warning, Massive Season Two Spoilers Ahead, Read On At Your Own Risk
10
Lee Myung-gi
The Crypto Bro That Lost Everything
Lee Myung-gi found himself in huge debt before entering the Squid Game. He lost everything in failed cryptocurrency investments. He also managed to lose the money of all his fans, and Thanos targets him as well, as he had also lost money in his schemes.
But he isn’t the worst person we’ve seen in the games, as he seems to genuinely, to some degree, care about his ex. Though he is relatively harmless, we see a bit of his evil side when he enters the room during the Mingle game and lets Young-mi die just to save himself.
9
Han Mi-nyeo
Manipulative And Cunning
Han Mi-nyeo is a character that’s hard to forget in the first season, given how her personality revolves around exploiting opportunities to serve herself. From the moment she aligns with Jang Deok-su, it’s clear that her motives are purely self-serving.
She uses flattery and manipulation to gain protection and join Deok-su’s gang, but when he inevitably turns on her, she doesn’t hesitate to strike back. Her final act of revenge, pulling Deok-su down with her during the glass bridge game, is both shocking and poetic, and the ideal ending for her character.
8
Seon-nyeo
The Creepy Shaman Says All Kinds Of Random Things
Seon-nyeo’s elusive personality makes her a memorable yet incredibly unsettling character. Her shamanistic beliefs and cryptic comments create an air of uncertainty around her. While she doesn’t exhibit any actual villainous tendencies, her behavior spreads uneasiness among the other players.
In a competition where trust is scarce, Seon-nyeo’s erratic tendencies make her a liability, shown in the pentathlon and mingle games, where she almost loses her cool in the former and holds a grudge in the latter. She even curses the mother-son duo because they left her to survive on her own during the mingle game, showing that she’s up to something.
7
Im Jeong-Dae
The Morally Bankrupt Old Man
Im Jeong-Dae is a player in the Squid Game who, unlike other participants driven by desperation, operates without a shred of compassion. He views the Squid Game as an opportunity to reset his debts that are in the billions and keeps trying to vote the games to continue.
His greed knows no bounds as, even with the threat of death, he wants to keep playing. He manipulates the crowd to stay at his side and, though he is probably not the strongest player, he has survived thus far.
6
Thanos
Always High All The Time
Thanos is the kind of character everyone loves to hate. Constantly under the influence, his drug-addled state makes him erratic and extra violent. He operates on impulse, which is particularly dangerous in a high-stakes competition where strategy is key.
In the very first game, before he even knew that lesser players meant more money, he decided to kill three people by pushing them down in red light green light. Because of his drug use, his brain is probably fried, and he eventually gets what was coming for him.
5
Nam-Gyu
Thanos’ Partner In Crime
Nam-Gyu functions as the guy who keeps on cheering for Thanos, and they end up forming a dangerous duo. When Thanos acts on impulse, Nam-Gyu encourages it, using Thanos as a way to survive the games.
During the special games, when all the lights are turned off, he murders Se-mi and mentions to her that he hated Thanos and was only using him. This shows how cold-blooded he really is and, with Thanos’s remaining pills in hand, he’s about to wreak even more havoc.
4
Cho Sang-woo
He Just Wanted To Win No Matter What
Cho Sang-woo starts off as a character you might sympathize with. He’s smart, resourceful, and desperate to fix the mess he’s made of his life. But as the games progress, his drive to win takes a dark turn.
From betraying his childhood friend Gi-hun to using others as pawns, Sang-woo’s actions become increasingly ruthless as the games continue. His choices during the marble game where he deceives Ali and allows him to die despite losing, shows how he wanted to do anything to survive.
3
Jang Deok-su
Season One’s Most Annoying Character
Deok-su is a textbook bully, and he knows it. From the moment he enters the game, his strength and traits make him feel like a dominant force, but his arrogance makes him impossible to root for.
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Whether it’s throwing weaker players under the bus or betraying his own allies when it suits him, Deok-su operates purely on self-interest. His eventual downfall in the glass bridge challenge was incredibly satisfying to watch as he was killed by the woman he was planning to kill and died alongside her.
2
Oh Il-Nam
The Man Who Created The Games
Il-nam’s reveal as the mastermind behind the Squid Game is one of the most shocking twists in the series. The seemingly frail and harmless old man, known as Player 001, turns out to be the architect of the deadly competition.
His reasons for creating the games were to entertain the ultra-wealthy and alleviate his own boredom. He wasn’t just doing it for the fun of it, but also trying to prove a point in human psychology. Though he eventually dies for real in a hospital bed, he did once save Gi-hun in the marble game, which prevents him from being the most villainous Squid Game player.
1
001
The Front Man, Disguised As A Player
The Front Man is one of the most chilling characters in Squid Game. The reveal that he’s Hwang Jun-ho’s brother adds even more depth to his role in the games. In Season 2, he infiltrates the game as Player 001 just like Il-Nam before him, going from someone who was running the games to now playing them.
He betrays Gi-hun after bonding with him and kills Jung-bae in cold blood. It’s safe to say that he’s a psychopath who just wants to win his moral debate with Gi-hun about humanity, through the games.
