Every Clue in Squid Game | Ending Explained

Every Clue to the Squid Game Theory that everyone is talking about, plus a breakdown of the ending with speculation for Squid Game Season 2
#netflix #squidgame #squidgamenetflix
0:00 Intro
0:22 Three Main Clues
1:18 Curious Introductions
1:49 Red Light Green Light
2:21 Chance Encounters
2:48 The Team
3:16 The Fight
3:58 Second Watch
5:01 Gganbu
5:58 The Last Game
7:19 The Front Man
7:55 The Ending

[@EmmyOnTheInternet]

I think the old man pressed No because he was the game host and didn’t want people to play if they where forced to play… he rather have them come back by their own will and play

[@debbieebbiebobebbie]

That’s exactly what I got out of it.

[@krypto1390]

I agree

[@SynergistN7]

And also, forcing people to stay would inevitably have people try to escape, and this is not what the show wanted to focus on. Getting a better look at the characters desperate circumstances and have them come back voluntarily was so good in terms of storytelling.

[@krypto1390]

@@SynergistN7 ur so right. This show really wanted to be unique. Other stories like this. They’re forced to stay

[@linuskentrevtorp]

Both sound reasonable

[@ChelseyBrejanee]

Damn totally dawned on me that him begging for the fighting to stop is why the guards rushed in lmao there was no way to protect him in the dark

[@peternguyen3813]

It wasn’t about not being able to protect 001, the front man literally waited until 001 said to stop it, when he saw the strong team cornering Gi-Hun. 001 was always safe as he knew the fighting needed to happen and let it play out until enough died.

[@25MK]

@@peternguyen3813 He still could have easily been attacked by the other gangs.

[@chris9879]

How did he manage to helicopter himself to such a high place?

[@clarkkent6927]

@@chris9879 Probably there was a secret door that the old man knew about

[@jakemoresea7415]

@@clarkkent6927 More likely the old man just climbed his way up tbh

[@trap9o233]

All the character's death were already foreshadowed in Episode 2. Ali is eliminated because sang-woo took his marble the same as he took his boss money. Deok-su jumped on the bridge and was eliminated in the game by falling off the bridge. Sae-byeok die because she was stabbed on her neck same as she threatened someone with a knife on their throat. Sang-woo almost commit suicide in the bathtub and was eliminated from the game by killing himself. Also, the old man died from a brain tumor. Gi-hun swore on his mother's life, and his mother died in the end. Wow.

[@blepblep7245]

sae-byok already had a scar on her neck, could be that too

[@blepblep7245]

i like your theory on gihun's mom

[@TRANGNGUYEN-vd8rb]

Omg yaaa!

[@berryrl9]

Wohoo

[@Julian81109]

*Long Comment Bruh*

[@thewolf5444]

Another clue the old man was the game master. When the sirens went off to say there was a problem on the outside and all the contestants woke up all confused. They didn't know what the alarm was for. It then panned to the old man and he was visibly terrified. He knew if there was a problem on the outside, that he wouldn't be safe on the inside. He was so terrified he actually wet himself!

[@prettyboyreign5180]

He used the water bottle. Which was shown next to him.

[@thewolf5444]

@@prettyboyreign5180 Ahhh yeah I didn't see that part!

[@malibustacys80085]

Myself, a stupid idiot just thought it is some war fears and the dementia he had. (My grandpa had dementia and was comparable).

[@thewolf5444]

@@malibustacys80085 Haha I think very few people actually realised this on their first time watching. I watched it a second time and found it just as enjoyable because you can see all the hidden clues!

[@mariusm.xenomorphwarrior757]

@@prettyboyreign5180 for what reason did he do this? very good catch tho

[@once.upon.a.time.]

The father/son theory is so flimsy, it really doesn't hold up. He just doesn't recognize his father's face or name? And the father really didn't think to provide for his son after he got rich? It makes way more sense to think that he thought of him as a potential heir, not as a literal blood relation. Perhaps he reminded him of his son and he appreciated that he went out of his way to help an old man, but that's about it.

[@mattyspurgeon5353]

I think one of the most interesting parts about the father son theory is that when the old man gives Gi-Hun the last marble he says “it’s yours anyway” just seems to hint at him using his old toys and the fact Gi-Hun said he just liked collecting them, it kind of makes sense

[@zarasamo]

Gi-Hun didnt really provide for his daughter either after he won the grand price! Also his father is never once mentioned during the series, may have left him and his mother when he was too young to remember. Both Gi-Hun and Il-Nam them are clearly addicted to gambling as well.

[@christurner666]

I definitely agree with the heir of the game theory you've mentioned there. That's the way I was interpreting it as it was playing out.

[@shannond7437]

There are a ton of hints at it being true though. Even if he isn’t his biological child it is implied he is passing him the mantle. If he is the biological father he’s the very worst!

[@AKWatchX]

Didn't think of the father son thing. I was more perplexed why no one was paying attention to the walls showing what the games would be. Great vid, the father/son clues are def strong.

[@julietteaps]

I thought about that too but I believe they were printed as they were played

[@AKWatchX]

@@julietteaps Go back and look. The beds were blocking what was on the wall. However, since they were bunk beds, if anyone was really looking, they could've slid the beds away from the walls to see the full diagrams.

[@julietteaps]

Oh yeah just saw. Why the hell wouldn’t they have caught on?

[@AKWatchX]

@@julietteaps Too stressed maybe? Lol, I don't know, it does make you wonder.

[@CCSABCD]

I thougt they were being added as they were playing them

[@mkt1037]

This show never had a dull moment

[@Cherry-oh1in]

Ikr? It was just so good

[@yeeyee1690]

Sadly when the quality is that high, we will get season 2 in a few years

[@pieloloon]

well it did, that one 30 second sequence of the glass breaking, but that's about all

[@minhchientruong2973]

The first half of Ep1 feels boring too

[@sarabellaaa]

The start was a little boring tbh…

[@mustapha_a]

After the marble game, the old man's death was hidden so you didn't get to see if they really shot the old man, that part made me think why they didn't show it and I got sus, I then suspected the old man had something to do with it but wasn't 100% certain until I saw the name on the card the flower lady gave the main character.

[@deltoroguillermo4338]

Well for me i though that maybe they didnt show it because its very cruel and disturbing to show his head having a lots of blood considering that he is already old

[@heckindoggo7521]

Well They Didn't show Ali's Death too

[@tad_tao]

no one asked, but here's my personal experience: I suspected the twist at episode one cause of fishy coincidences; the only old dude there, him being the first to move during game 1 WHILE SMILING, he has no clear motives with the money and his van was not gassed. granted as the episodes went on, I flip flop between doubted and confident about my personal theory. Especially doubted when he wet himself. but him pretending to have dementia was the nail in the coffin where I was very sure that he was behind it. Whats the motivation? Whats the reasoning? Why does he remember that place and so happens to "have 1 backup marble"

[@loganvella8107]

@@heckindoggo7521 no they didnt but they showed Ali's dead body with the bullet in his head. i knew it was the old man cause when the host took off his mask and didn't show his face I could see he was an old man and had the same hair colour and the fact that they didn't show his death neither his dead body and that he was number 1 i knew he was the host from the moment he died.

[@heckindoggo7521]

@@loganvella8107 ahh..i might hava mjssed it then. Also can you tell me why everyone is saying that the front man is the winner of 2015 game, i mean is it mentioned in the series itself (i feel i missed it somehow)

[@vaibhavdalip]

Is it possible that the soldiers were instructed not kill player 001 and that’s why il nam gave the jacket to 456

[@xosamreen]

OH MY GOD YES THAT'S A POSSIBILITY

[@Yasser_Kratos]

He could have still died if he choose to take number 1 at the glass jumping but got 16 by luck.

[@atsplayz8505]

@@Yasser_Kratos yeah

[@andys2801]

That’s not a possibly. That’s exactly what happened. I mean you can’t kill the host.

[@atomic_hok]

One possible example of the old man being Gi-Hun's father that's always being left out is the conversation where the old man is saying he forgot to get his son a toy robot for his birthday and was going to get it next year, the same way Gi-Hun promised his daughter a better gift for her birthday the next year after getting her the gun lighter. It's not a direct indication of the old man being the father but it fits the old saying of "like father like son" or "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" so it's a possible connection of how they could be related in some way.

[@debbieebbiebobebbie]

That’s almost the plot of The Tomorrow War 😂 classic trope.

[@VideoSouls]

If Gi-Hun gets some kind of robot in season 2 then this theory might have some meaning

[@Waichouu]

Trueeee

[@victoryjav]

nice catch! tho it may also be since the old man knows the players' backgrounds, he was trying to appeal to Gi-hun by sharing a story so close to his experience so that Gi-hun would have more will to beat the old man.

[@lliamclifton5773]

I feel like an idiot, it never even crossed my mind that they were father and son. I did guess that the detectives brother was the masked man so that's something

[@Undefinedde]

Noib

[@rainofrest7778]

Noob lol

[@Undefinedde]

@@rainofrest7778 how old

[@rainofrest7778]

@@Undefinedde 5 hours

[@hyperiacob8341]

Same

[@malte1984]

I don't like this theory because it is cliche and doesn't hold up. first of all, It makes no sense. No.456 was born in the early 70s and the first games took place in the early 80s which means he would have been 10 by then. Ill Nom remembers his son playing in the garden so he had to be there for at least a good part of his sons childhood. ill nom created the games out of desperate bordom when he became too rich. so this would have to mean that ill nom became a father as a more or less poor man, got rich but didn't provide for his family, went into hiding after about ten years, got bored with being rich and created the games... all within about 10 years... and on top of that No. 456 (yeah I forgot his name) somehow forgot how his fathers face looks like and has no pictures of him... and you want to tell me, that ill nom, who shows through out the series that he may have lost faith in humanity but definetely not into friendship and caring for people he loves, never got the idea to at least send his ex wife (who in this case would have been 456's mother) or 456 himself some money when he got rich? I think the reason why 456 and ill nom have so much in common is because ill nom represents what could become out of 456 if he lets himself be corrupted by money. Its like "look at this old man. he too grew up in a simple enviorment, he had children aswell and knew friendship, love and family and yet when he became rich enough, he was corrupted by the power he had and became this evil mastermind and it could happen to you too 456, just like it happened to the frontman!" The fact that he is an old man is also importaint for the character development of 456 because he is in a similar age than his sick mother. befor the games he didn't care for his mother but when confronted with mortality he starts to act responsable and takes care of an old man which makes him realize what a jerk he was to his mother and that he finally needs to start to act like an adult. In the end this is the overall messege of the show. the big diffenance between ill nom and 456 is, that one has lost faith in humanity and one hasn't. 456 is one of the only characters who tries to form teams whithin the game. he is the only one who stepps in when the gangster character beats up the other contestant. he only survives the marble game because he was kind enough to form a team with on first sight the worst choice of a team mate, the old man ill nom. in stepping stones, he survives because he was kind enough to give his number of choice (no.1) to a diffenent contestant who begged for it and in squid game he didn't even tried to claim his money because just like in the beginning when he played against the man in the subway station he isn't interested in the money because deep down he knows that money isn't everything in life. And in the end, he proofs ill nom wrong who bet that noone would come and save the homeless man which is symbolical for the good tryumphing over the evil. So i see the relationship of 456 and 001 more like the relationship between "Gollum and Frodo" and not like "Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker"

[@SilkyDimi]

Agree 100%

[@goobsdoobs]

Agreed. I feel like this is such a flimsy theory, I can't believe it's as popular and widespread as it is.

[@myriamjouini2788]

Wow this amazed me

[@sokhnafall4329]

One thing I noticed , the box of the gift with the gun lighter is the same one box wich the used to put the dead body of the player 😳

[@curtisjackson4090]

That was the first thing I noticed too

[@CCSABCD]

I supposed the old man wasn't going to die in the marbles game, neither Gi, because the were Gganbu, they "shared everything, even their marbles". I tought it was going to be something like: Gi loses, but because they said they were Gganbu before he wouldn't get killed because technically both had 20 marbles.

[@miguelwariskovih]

thats what i thought would happen also

[@malibustacys80085]

001 remembered his house and the place his son remembered the marbles, so I thought there is a hidden place with enough marbles for everyone.

[@shortcutmarketing]

You all missed the fact he was the only person not being scanned by the doll in the "scanning" visuals.

[@typhonbeats1540]

Is that true? Good one

[@chris9879]

@@typhonbeats1540 he (and whoever is near him) didn't have a green overlay as compared to the rest of the players who were totally highlighted in green.

[@anessajenna8854]

i already know that one

[@anessajenna8854]

so remove the “you all”

[@HakenRPG]

@@anessajenna8854 Wow! what a special snowflake!

[@amyc9155]

Okay so serious question....are we just assuming that he doesn't recognize his own father??

[@thececeshow253]

Well he never mentions his dad only his mom. So maybe he was kept a secret & the mom didn’t tell him who his dad was but the dad knew. He could have been away at the military or had another family & left his mom to be a single mom & maybe he just supported her with money or gifts for his birthday. Idk I’m just making guesses but they definitely have a connection. They seem to know the same thing about the neighborhood

[@blepblep7245]

the father could've left him when he was young and he simply didn't remember

[@maxxannishi]

Gi grew up without a father. No explanations why.

[@BMoney8600]

My guess is that IL Nam walked out on him when he was a baby

[@LadyVenVen]

@@BMoney8600 That makes no sense, since he said he disciplined his child.

[@khoado123]

Despite being sick as hell in the head, the old man and front man still have honor and human decency when it comes to treating people fairly. That's why i think he voted no in the beginning because he saw so many not wanting to play his game but he was a smart man so i'm sure he knew that these people would willingly go back eventually.

[@therealkosakukawajiri]

no im pretty sure that its because he knew that the majority would come back due to their horrible financial situation like it was shown in ep 2 (their living conditions etc outside of squid game are alr that bad so they have no choice but to compete for the money)

[@twigwigsoso]

something tells me you think capitalism is fair too

[@davidc.]

@@twigwigsoso Its probably better then what ever economic opinion you have tbh

[@Cloud91738]

I disagree. You can’t create a life or death game where you bet on people to entertain yourself and still have human decency.

[@dj-y7018]

They kept going on about equality but then in the tug of war game they completely allowed the group's to divide up in ways that were completely uneven, didn't really get that

[@khoado123]

That saleman is the main character in The train to Busan. What a badass dude

[@obiekat53]

I also speculate that Oh Il-nam had been a player, too. When he was talking with Seong Gi-hun about his youth and how he use to gamble but then became rich it led me to believe he was in a similar situation as Seong Gi-hun and had played the game and won. And then realizing that having the money did not make his existence better went back to the game but not as a player. This appears to be what happened to the Front Man. So it only adds to the theory that Seong Gi-hun and Oh Il-nam may be related as the old man wants his son to take his place. This is notion is further strengthened by Seong Gi-hun once again encountering the Salesman (Gong Yoo) and gaining access to the number to contact the game and that as soon as he identified himself on the phone, the Front Man came on the call and told him to get on the plane and forget everything, maybe wishing he had never joined the game again. It does seem that once you are on the inside of the game you can never get back out again. It does appear both Oh Il-nam and the Front Man are employees in the Game's organization and not actually running the game. Since each time the Front Man answered the phone he only spoke English and the majority of the VIPs were English speaking, it would make one believe that the force behind the game is actually from the English speaking world. There are so many questions left unanswered and Jun-Ho potentially not being dead would lend itself to him and Seong Gi-hun joining forces to take the game down. Let's hope Seong Gi-hun's goodness would survive in that endeavor.

[@mayarimarjorie5624]

The moment that old man from the marble game saw his house I got suspicious. Like I get it if it might seem like he is having nostalgia to the street, but the fact that he saw that particular house fount & said it was his house confidently made me question.

[@crozraven]

+ The game have certain age limit for participants imo. Why?? because Il Nam is the only elderly age player in the whole batch. There is also clear distinction that there are no kids or teens players. It's safe to assume the age limit will be from 20-60 years old. + There is a theory that the guards are the people who chose red paper in the paper folding initiation game. I don't think so as that would be kinda contradictory to the whole point of the game event itself since the guards basically have no chances of winning anything, just acts like robotic psychopath. It doesn't even make any sense with the consideration of safety & gun training. Killing people inc cold blood without any reaction is not something normal, comes out of folks who are in debts. + I think guards are paramilitaries, veterans, & orphans. Especially when it comes to triangle & square mask guards who definitely have military training with guns & diving techs. Yes, diving is not a simple manner, even though a person can swim just fine. You need a license for that or basically a military person. + Gi hun being Il Nam's son is way too much of a cliche tbh & I really doubt this theory. I am more leaning towards Il Nam is the friend of Gi Hun's mother or father. This collaborated with Il Nam showing up in Gi Hun's neighborhood & he was saying that "he is temporarily staying in his old friend's house." Like he was saying he knew this neighborhood because this is where his friend lived. + There is another theory that could support Il Nam & Gi Hun being father & son. It is the archetype of "Alpha & Omega." The beginning & the end (player numbers), as Il Nam is the "game god" who started this death game, while Gi Hun will be the son of god who will end that very death game (season 2?) + I still think the recruit guy (the paper folding man) is the son of Il Nam instead. He is the "first one" that players actually meet/connect to the game & he has that "gamer passion," just like Il Nam. It make sense that someone with high degree of importance have the direct involvement on selecting/measuring the players. + Another optional theory is the recruit guy (the paper folding man) is one of the winner from previous games. That means there could be multiple people that disguise themselves as the recruit person & this is certainly inline with multiple winners throughout the years. + I believe if Ali won the marbles game, not cheated by Sang Woo, the story could change as there could be multiple winners survived, possibly being Gi Hun, Sae Beyok, & Ali in the same team winning the final squid game. Remember that "squid game" itself is a team match game so there should be an attacker team & defender team, so it's very possible to have multiple winners with split rewards.

[@debbieebbiebobebbie]

I think the guards are the people who pick red in the subway game *wiggles eyebrows*

[@kendrickkoh5967]

If Ali had won instead of Sang Woo, they may possibly all perish in the bridge crossing game, as the glass maker is stuck on making a decision.

[@Dynoids]

Something in support of the son of god idea. In the last episode when he is released, the man lays a cross next to him and speaks about jesus.

[@entasis704]

stupid viewer.

[@sylwiagruszka1240]

I wonder why there was no kids or teens... did you ever see a kid in or a teen in a million-dollar debt?

[@theyoutubeanalyst3731]

I think the things you pointed out are just things they had in common in order to develop a friendship between the characters. And the others stuff happened because they were friends. I wouldn't be stuck on the birthday theory, because someone already pointed out that in the protagonist's file, the one the cop found looking for his brother, his birthday is different.

[@kas2840]

Watched the whole show in one run 😂 Can't stop watching it!

[@lastboyscout73]

I could of swore at the end when he was on the phone he said his birthday was October 31st 1974.

[@1979chyeo]

If the old man is really the father, it's crazy he wanted to do this as Gi Hun could well be killed right from the first game

[@Yasser_Kratos]

he did almost die if it weren't for Ali.

[@sleepingboiz8155]

The old man probably didn’t even know 456 was his son

[@1979chyeo]

@@sleepingboiz8155 Can't be, the organisation knew everything about these people's background and that's why they were selected. It's not random selection

[@louiseace5558]

@@1979chyeo not every thing if you remember sang wu owed more than they knew of

[@sleepingboiz8155]

@@1979chyeo the organization knows but not the old man cause he got brain tumor so either he’s lying or he told the soldiers not to kill 456

[@glennchartrand5411]

I think the game started out as something the "VIP's" played themselves ,not lethal but terrifying challenges with a huge buy-in and "winner take all". It's why there is a rule allowing the majority of players to end the game at any time. But at somepoint the game became a huge draw for high end gamblers who bet on the players. So the game became a lethal challenge for desperate people they recruited. 001 decided to play one last time ( like the old days) when he found out he had a brain tumor. He also decided to have his son added at the last moment when he saw how low his estranged son had sunk. He realized his son was self-destructing and would either kill himself , or be killed, in the near future anyway so this could give him a chance.

[@dailymotivationv]

Or he could’ve just gave him son some of his own money instead of having him fight to the death for it lol

[@anthonygill4795]

Damn if that is his dad. This is one he'll of a way to give your kid their inherentance.

[@user-mb5gk8sp1y]

The first show that I didn’t “catch” a single hint!! It was all a surprise for me and that was amazing 🤩

[@melissasantos4299]

Lmaooooo same ! I just thought the old man was just crazy so I didn't pay attention much to all the clues ! Loll

[@user-mb5gk8sp1y]

@@melissasantos4299 yesss, they made him look sooo innocent

[@entasis704]

@@user-mb5gk8sp1y you naive, I'll take you as wife here in France cuz you blind af and you need help. yw

[@mushieslushie]

Me too for the most part but I totally guessed the front man was the cops brother pretty early on.

[@bibekkarki475]

Gi-Hun barely managed to survived in the first game red light, green light if Ali didnt saved him. Why in the world does any father want to watch his son shot to the death infront of his eyes for the sake of entertainment.

[@typhonbeats1540]

Because he is fucked in the head

[@bibekkarki475]

@@typhonbeats1540 If he is psychopath, why did he saved Gi-Hun in the marble game?? They are not related but later developed connection.

[@name8731]

I mean, he watched everyone else get shot for his entertainment.

[@thececeshow253]

Omg I kept saying he got lucky every single game lol.

[@koomaappa75]

Oh my god, you were my favorite GoT channel. I am extremely giddy that 1. You liked SG and 2. You are doing video(s} on the great series. Hope you make more & thank you!!!

[@SillyKisha]

What would have happened if Gi-hun choose the red card instead of blue when the recruiter played the card game with him? What if red is employee en blue is contestant?

[@blepblep7245]

i think red contestants are not selcted through the same way as the players. it seems like the red people are already cruel or sth, im guessing they're criminals who ran away and so they need shelter rather than money.

[@zylnexxd842]

The Writter confirmed that nothing would change

[@obinna12]

It’s a 2 player game with the same looking cards. How can u tell which card flipped if not for different colors? Use ur brain please!

[@RETURNTOMONKAE]

I feel like the old man planned the police helping the Drunk so he could show him that there is still good in this world, to get closure, and to Help him bounce back.

[@xosamreen]

great perspective

[@ThirdProletariat]

Bruh it’s literally like saw but instead of jigsaw it’s the old man

[@dnichl]

i noticed the tracking on the red light green light for il nam was weird but thought nothing of it. but when he says he was scared and got the fighting to stop my sus meter went off the charts about him being an inside man. I had no idea about the father son theory though, just might have to do a rewatch.

[@elizabitty213]

Wow like some others have said you were my favorite GOT channel so I’m so happy you did this show it’s incredible! 😎 thank you 😊

[@debbieebbiebobebbie]

Love your theory videos, bud!

[@davidplays5864]

Awesome like always keep up the good work

[@ryantabor3026]

If he knew he was unhappy despite his wealth, he could have thought about going ahead and taking his family back way, way earlier in his life. I can't really accept this father-son theory. I'm sorry. The clues you mentioned are really only substantial to the fact that the old man was the pioneer of the games. They're not enough to substantiate the father-son theory. The show is already brilliant without that angle. That father-son angle can actually be detrimnetal to the qualtiy of the film. So in my opinion, it's better to not think about the show that way. It's more important to think that the old man was actually an asshole. I actually felt betrayed in the end. That's the most brilliant part of the show. We cared so much about their relationship only to be let down that the old man was the one who came up wtih this sick, twisted, immoral, inhumane system of subjecting people to deadly games. The old man was having fun in his life while the players were miserable. I do not buy that father-son angle because it distracts people from realizing that the old man and the whole institution of these games are menace to society. You feel me? That's my view anyway. We have to be strong-minded at the end of the series to not succumb to the sentimentality we perceived from the relationship between the man and the main character and realize the whole thing with the games was wrong.

[@entasis704]

@@wdyt_21 you low IQ, she may be right about the father son thing and wrong about everything else. The old man represents what the hero will become. In fact he made him from the start because when the kid gets the box he will give to his daughter as present it's staged. There is 0 chance the gun lighter box was random. Old man saved this guy over and over but you felt betrayed.

[@Yourstruly43ver]

Love your analysis!!!

[@Reeses.w0rld]

I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE BOTH FATHER AND SON

[@SaintsFlow1k]

Once I they didn’t show the old man getting shot, I knew something was going on

[@dekishajones282]

Wonderful analysis 👍🏽!

[@vivaankarulkar1450]

If you really Observe the voting scene in episode three, you see that every player looked at the piggy bank before deciding weather they want to play or not. The players who ended up voting "yes" always looked at the piggy bank. Player 001 didn't look their AT ALL. He just looked at the votes and then made his decision. Showing he doesn't really need the money as much and their is something else that compelled him to vote out. Why would an old man join a game like that in the first place who was never mentioned about his debt? Who never had questions? And who just couldn't have been selected in the first place. He was also the only old guy their.

[@nicholasbroke1585]

Gganbu is a slang word for kids used by older generation, which means a close partnership/ally between two people so they share their cards/marbles as shared property. So when Il-Nam proposed they be Gganbu they collectively had 20 marbles. They did not need to play at all. They both already had each other's marbles through a loophole. The only reason Il-Nam didn't present that to the guards immediately was to not spoil the game for everyone else. He only played marbles at all to silence Gi-Hun. Gi-Hun's pestering to play the game nearly got him killed, but ultimately he was spared by Il-Nam.

[@raymondperater447]

This really makes sense. Feeling like, every scene of SquidGame has a hidden meaning that needs keen observation for us to understand. This is how to make a game. Just like the old man said on the Tug of War scene, it is not always about strength but strategy.

[@calamitygirl2403]

Best video on this I've found!

[@ehmjeigh]

Their smile are pretty much the same... Always positive and smiling

[@dfunkt2291]

I've only just gotten around to watching this series. Great stuff. Noice video on this theory. I pondered this father son theory, but landed in the no camp by the end. I feel more of a chosen son/ possible heir vibe.. but I could be wrong. Hell I even pondered if they were somehow the same person and we had some timey wimey stuff going on for a minute early on! I do know the birthday of Gi-hun is not the same as Il-nam's son as stated in the show, as I saw the very end a few times due to accidentally falling asleep in the preceding ten minutes, and when he calls the number and they tell him to state his name and date of birth, it's October 31, 1974. Onto your next squid vid!

[@mistyapril29]

Oh Il-nam loosely translates in English to "first man" or "#1 man"

[@braywyatt516]

I'd like to note that the protagonist may have had the old man's "ring of protection" during red light, green light. Think about it, he definitely moved during the slaughter. He was knocked over by another contestant, sure, but he moved. The motion detector and auto-rifle still never counted him as eliminated. This could hint that the old man placed a mark of protection on his alleged son.

[@museysmoderndreadfuls]

Great theory, my friend!

[@shettysatishs1]

The Series Message itself is in the first ddakji game he played with the salesman in the station.. He started with greed and became so engrossed in the game because of the beating that after winning he forgot about the money and was going for the salesman face :)

[@xxSALTtheWOUNDxx]

Gi-han also told the old man that he also lived in a alley similar to where they were during the marble game.

[@ChoiHansol27]

This is the best theory yet

[@albertteng1191]

Listening to this brings back memories of the show and tears starts falling again

[@crozraven]

I really hope you also do a video on the recent "Midnight Mass" & "Alice in Borderland" (also a death game series).

[@jennydevic]

I don't think it is Father-son, but more about regaining humanity over greed. The old man was a lender. His job is to collect money and would be against people who couldn't fullfil their payments. The old man started the game due to boredom and saw everyone in the game as horses. But when he was in the game, he realized how terrible the game was. A key scene is in Lights Out where Front Man wants to weed out the weak, but the old man pleaded them to stop. The old man didn't take part in the spectacle, because he realized how cruel the games were. Remember, we saw how they act treating the players as numbers and bets. Last, the old man didn't try to contact the MC until he was going to die, and rather than talk about family, they focused on humanity and the drunk outside.

[@reaganb6013]

1:00 this was a mistake, because later in the show Gihun says his birthday is October 31

[@justchilling771]

Oh Il-nam and Gi-hun kryptonite - Being a father

[@amiraameera8302]

I feel like even though he says at the end that his birthday is on 10/31/74, you can still read into the birthday clue since the 31st is only a week away.

[@Pand3man]

🤔..not too sure as Gi hun states at the end his birthday is 10/31 Halloween..

[@diyashikha93]

If they were father-son, then why would he have let him choose the umbrella for the honeycomb challenge? As it's the most difficult, and also the glass bridge, where he could have just chose the '1st' jacket, thus losing his life easily. Or let the lights on?

[@abstrakt1254]

I'm pretty sure it was because when the doctor died they said that the most important rule was equality and that no one was to have an unfair advantage so the old man didn't want to break his own rules.

[@jennydevic]

It wouldn't surprise me if the old man wanted the full experience and didn't want to know the games list ahead of time either. He was there during lights out and Tug of War.

[@SweetJesusBale]

Wait so why does Gi-Hun give two different birthdays throughout the show

[@dazaiosamu1972]

THISSS, HE SAID HIS BIRHTDAY WAS OCTOBER 31ST BUT THEN AT THE START IT WAS APRIL 26TH?

[@LaValeMadre]

I thought the 26th was his daughters bday or something

[@mineblocks3118]

@@dazaiosamu1972 I'm pretty sure it's so that they he could get a new identity instead of saying what he did last time, as thehy might hang up if they instantly knew he was the winner, but they knew anyway so idk

[@carldamonkey119]

@@mineblocks3118 Gi-Hun's player file in the front man's records room also lists his birthday as October 31, I think they simply made a mistake when showing 0426 as his birthday in the ATM keypad scene

[@AndSoWeLaughed]

I actually thought the past kids playing games were gi hi. And sang woo, especially with the narration. But now I feel like the winning child was actually il nam, representing him having fun and remembering old times. Weird how he did die on at the very moment when Jesus is “believed” (dates are different historically) to have been born. And on a day in many cultures people spend money like stupid on materialistic things.m

[@angentzc1398]

The old man give him 001 jacket so he can join back and can be the leader of the game that how I think.

[@shannond7437]

Thank you! I haven’t heard anyone else say the possibility that the old man is still alive! I also wondered if it wasn’t him behind the police arriving for the homeless buddy at that exact moment.

[@noodelsn5222]

This guy calling articles lazy but just sums up the series in a 9 min video straight up xD

[@Juvenwastaken]

Now that I think about it. What if they lost the tug of war? Would the old man have died there and then?

[@diceroll1496]

Don't forget the team that loses is dangling and then the rope is cut so if they lost the rope may not have been cut

[@Juvenwastaken]

@@diceroll1496 then what? Opposing team will carry 10 dangling people until the redhoods help?

[@e.r.8383]

Someone online pointed out that when they show the winners on the ground after the rope is cut and the other end falls, you can see that they’re all still padlocked to the rope except the old man. He was shown being locked to it earlier, so he must’ve had some way to get out of the locks before they fell if it looked like they weren’t gonna win. I don’t know how they would’ve kept it a secret that he wasn’t dead, though, maybe he would’ve pretended to fall off the edge?

[@beenusdiary4770]

the only show i binged watch

[@tora5054]

In the log books #456 birthday showed 10/31/1974 I thought.

[@psmung9315]

i thought about some of the clues u mentioned too and if the old guy wad his father

[@purestmeme108]

I thought Gi-hun’s birthday was Oct 31 1974, or was that made up? It is what he said on the phone call while boarding the plane

[@clwt4075]

Ya the DOB of MC is pretty much a plot inconsistency mistake.

[@ireneyuliana2528]

Gave me goosebumps!

[@sanderschellen7974]

but in the end of the season, Gi-Hun says his birthday is on 31oct1984

[@youngdarkvader8406]

i didnt even catch the lazy clues

[@ajayrulezzz]

You forgot about the news on the TV in the one scene where people in South Korea are getting in debt. That sparks new players for the games.

[@loganvella8107]

I knew it was the old man cause when the host took off his mask and didn't show his face I could see he was an old man from his hand and had the same hair color and the fact that they didn't show his death neither his dead body and that he was number 1 I was 100% certain from the moment he died that he was the host behind all of it.

[@astrovlog4451]

This makes me ask for more episodes, Squid game rules!!!!

[@farzanasamad3513]

Y’all have never thought about this,but 002 who is the first person on the book. Somewhat that would be special to the movie,

[@RandomGamer-ke2vc]

Something I do want to see is a spinoff of the front man when he played the competition in 2015

[@shannond7437]

Number 001 is the Jigsaw of Squid Game! He doesn’t believe he is behind any murders.

[@royaltyblessed2454]

but umm his bday isnt 26 april...its halloween as he says and shows in his file...unsure if thats a mistake in the shows logic or not...

[@KennyPang]

This is the BEST theory i have read so far. Definitely his son. I felt a little Willy Wonker in the Old man.

[@tiffanywilliams7860]

Excellent commentary. I’m going to be highly upset if there is no season two, this series was brilliant.

[@shakilalam1]

I bet you won't like if they create season two in hurry as season one is Work in progress since 2008 . Its awesome because it took that much time. I also wanted the season 2 although...

[@tiffanywilliams7860]

@@shakilalam1 wow! No wonder it was so well done!

[@azuregiant9258]

The points brought up in the video are what I’ve also been wondering. That Oh Il-nam is indeed Gi-hun’s father. I hope if it’s true that (assuming there’s a second season) if the writers were going down this route, they don’t change it just because the viewers cottoned onto this. I’m sure they are capable of lots of twists and turns that will be a total surprise to us, but it just feels right that these two characters are father and son. I also strongly suspect (and hope) Il-nam is still alive.

[@nikagogibedashvili6476]

The reveal of the old man being a host robbed us the best moment of the season - old man choosing to purposely lose against Gi-Hun, die in his stead and giving him the great lesson about friendship. Even if audience was shocked for 10 seconds with the reveal, it does not justify massacring the highest point of the whole show.

[@bell1495]

It doesn’t add up in the end gi hun says his birthday is 10-31

[@lpk4396]

gihun’s birthday is in october though… which he stated in the phone call to play the game

[@m1cr0ji27]

I was surprised when I realised that the salesman was the same actor from the train to busan

[@Jscrilla.]

Everyone missed that the Old Man faked his death and he did not die at the end. You can clearly see on the ECG monitor that it states "LL Lead Off" which would mean that the Old Man removed his ecg lead in order to appear to be dying. He is alive. You're welcome.

[@camron9745]

these aren’t really clues as much as you just stating what happened in the show, the only ones that really show is the 3 main ones

[@ANR1122]

The makers of the series already denied about making of season 2, they already said that they don't have any story or any plans for a season 2

[@perryiscool]

Makes sense. If they did a season 2, it just be season 1 all overm

[@chrysavardali8513]

I thought that they would explore the backround of the man with the black mask. I do not think that his brither died when he shot him

[@ANR1122]

@@chrysavardali8513 i was also thinking the same

[@idontwanna6147]

this made me cry

[@ImaCocoNgati]

Seong Gi-hun unlocks New Game +

[@kenicke579]

So the only hole in the son/father theory is the date of number 1’s son’s bday. I thought during the marble game contestant 1 said that his sons bday is the 24th but 456’s bday is on the 31st.

[@angelicatrino2498]

Watch the video again. He said is it April 24th now? cause if it is my son's birthday is near

[@jasonlam8588]

@@angelicatrino2498 456's birthday is 31st October, as stated in the contestants' files and him ringing the game at the end of the season to provide his name and birthday. Don't know why he put 0426 at the ATM though

[@Armylady74]

I knew the old man was on it from the start!

[@iAsbestos]

Ending nerds to get explained? Was straight forward.

[@darrellpadilla379]

He wont be able to get back in the island? How!? they keep track of the identity and background of every player, as he was already a past participant

[@CaityRaindrop]

I prefer the theory that Ilnams son was the man Gi-hun worked with and saw die at the factory. Also it's interesting with the marbles game, both Gi-hun and Sangwoo fail massively at the betting game. It shows Gi-huns bad luck and addiction to gambling, as well as Sangwoo's highbrow version of gambling where he was losing money "betting" on the wrong stocks and futures.

[@jordanmichael2192]

im not the only one who noticed the old man loved it with the biggest smile on his face but if the producers are having problems with a second season i got ideas for the next 5 seasons but thats the thing imma nobody damn i didnt even notice he had a smile on tug of war as well damn this guy crazy i love that old man

[@spicypeppermushroom8708]

I just thought it was the brain tumor/dementia, or the fact that he knew he was gonna die and might as well go while having fun

[@jordanmichael2192]

@@spicypeppermushroom8708 yeah thats what i figured the end was deffinitly a surprise i wish he didnt have to betray the old man though not gonna lie i would have done the same in this situation but i would of missed him thats the thing about movies id like to see someone greeve more yeah crying gets annoying but thats the key to realisitcness old man dies 1 personnrefuses to play cause he too upset and crys i mean even a guard comming in hitting him these difference actully make a show great then hes forced to continue for a korean show im a fan of ung bok so stuff like the speach translation sucked but they are doing so well i would love to see more emotions though everyone there is so cold hearted what made me angry is the guy threatens the old man saying ill kill u if i win after all that you been threw with the old man after u lost your friend because u ripped him off was actully the dumbest part of the show and expected more emotion when the old man was gone not a threat to kill the dude