WHO IS THE TRUE VILLAIN OF SQUID GAME? | KennieJD

Get 60% OFF your first 4-bottle box bit.ly/BrightCellarsKennie3 for just $38 plus taxes. Bright Cellars is the monthly wine club that matches you with wine that you’ll love. Get started by taking the taste palate quiz to see your personalized matches.
~TIMESTAMPS~
Disclaimer 0:00
Today’s Sponsor 1:19
Intro 3:23
I The Story 3:44
II Main Characters 5:57
III Characters I Like 10:58
IV A Defense of Sangwoo 14:27
V People I Hate 21:02
VI F*ck Gihun 24:51
VII Final Thoughts 34:00
▻FOLLOW ME
Instagram: Kenniejd
Twitter: @Kenniejd
Tiktok: KennieJD
▻CONTACT ME
Email (For collaboration or business Inquiries ONLY)
[e-mail]
FTC: This video is NOT sponsored unless otherwise stated in the video. The links above are affiliate links, from which I do make a commission.

[@KennieJD]

After making this video, I definitely think I could do a part 2! This video is more so just a general overview of characters and general plot lines but, doesn't go much into imagery, capitalism, addiction, xenophobia/racism, allegory to things like the holocaust (I was suspicious about that and apparently the director has confirmed it) or even what the red hair means. Let me know if you'd be interested in that in the future :)

[@doodlebob6561]

Yes!

[@ellipszilonq]

YES

[@jassminereil8487]

for sure!

[@MintyMido]

YES PLEASE

[@sydneymead326]

Definitely

[@idilkaraali]

gihun was a better father to saebyok than his own child lmao

[@yellowmesh7821]

Not really. He forgot ABT his promise to her for a whole year and only acted up when he got mad ABT being a pawn in the old man's game🙄 he is awful

[@cinnabin1744]

@@yellowmesh7821 I mean the man was traumatized💀💀 it’s not like he saw hundreds of people die and had to see his friend kill himself in front of him💀💀

[@tunafish5462]

@@cinnabin1744 And went back home to find his mum dead.

[@yellowmesh7821]

@@cinnabin1744 he saw hundreds die that very same way in the first game AND came back...the fact is had he not been contacted by the old man he'd be living as homeless man, and SB's brother will still be at the orphanage...

[@cinnabin1744]

@@yellowmesh7821 Do you know what trauma does to people? I highly doubt anyone would be able to get their life back together right away. Not only that but he probably had ptsd from the gunshots.

[@FantasyBookAddict]

“I knew he wasn’t gone survive, he was brown and sweet” 💀💀 Ali deserved so much better than what he got 😭💔💔

[@immasnakeee6460]

I cried I knew it was too good to be true

[@gostavoadolfos2023]

Idk he was an illegal immigrant and not a refugee from Afghanistan or Rohingia, he could ve come back home and start over without risking hus family.. in my country many went legally and illegally to Europe only to find a harsh unhappy life but can't go back bc locals back home would call them bums and losers 🤪

[@ellieminnow]

That was the exact thought I had when the show started, "He's brown, I like him, he just wants to take care of his family, he's dead". I even wondered if they'd NOT do that because of how predictable that would be, but.....still too much to expect I suppose.

[@immasnakeee6460]

@@gostavoadolfos2023 not really he left there to find better work. It wasn’t going good for him in his home country

[@ajheartsong]

@@gostavoadolfos2023 funny the ppl who hate Ali only do because he’s an illegal immigrant…

[@laviniamadeira5890]

I like how Sangwoo and Gihun are kinda of the two sides of the same coin. They went to the same school, were of similar social status, but sangwoo is the only one who became successful "bcs of his hard work" only to end up in the exact same spot as gihun within similar circumstances (kinda betting all of their mom's money and being a disappointment to those around them) and gihun won at the end, not because he was deserving of it, but bcs he was lucky and befriended the right people... and that's a great allegory for capitalism/meritocracy in my opinion

[@sophieheid4464]

+

[@jubilantsleep]

That’s an excellent observation.

[@bluebutterfly5062]

That makes a lot sense 👌

[@0912sooli]

I wonder why Sangwoo is depicted as frankly the better person, more naive even...what does it say about society?

[@sentimentist]

@@0912sooli what, how was he depicted as a better person? The only decent thing he’s done in the whole 9 episodes was give bus money to Ali, and that was probably bc he was looking down on him and feeling like he still didn’t have it as bad despite his astronomical debt. He’s not naive, he’s arrogant.

[@Peachy-101]

The idea behind Ali's character is very interesting. He's a representation that being nice to everyone in life doesn't always get you far and you usually end up the one getting hurt. You can't go around assuming everyone is a nice person or everyone has good in them because that's simply not reality.

[@ooblecki]

I would add onto that saying that Ali represents the immigrants who are harmed and exploited as a result of capitalism.

[@kristinepinlac2796]

If we can acknowledge that there is good in everyone, we also have to ackowledge the bad. Generally, my default is thinking that people are good but when there's signs that says otherwise, it's important to take note of that as well

[@gordonramsayslambsauce]

@@ooblecki Yeah. He really represents how immigrants are fucked over and often have to resort to less than legal things just to not die

[@hareemqureshi822]

Ali's loss is commentary on the fact that nice, trusting people don't make it as far in capitalism as ruthless people like Sangwoo.

[@_adrian_sean]

But him being nice but trusting without knowing the person and not setting boundaries

[@Chuuzus]

the old man called Oh Il-nam is the true villain. like imagine watching hundreds of people die just because you are bored of being rich..

[@musaviki783]

I was disgusted to say the least, and to his dying breath he felt no remorse "They chose to come back on their own accord, so it's not my fault" Yes they did, but your twisted mind thought of the game in the first place so no it is your fault. Like what kind of psychopathic behaviour is that

[@iciajay6891]

Capitalism is the villain. The old man is a result of Capitalism. Hording wealth when he could have used it to help others and therefore give himself meaning.

[@iciajay6891]

And for context in Korea you can inherit debt. So you are posable starting behind by just being related to someone who gets in debt there.

[@literaIIyshy]

I hate that there's people genuinely saying that he is not evil because he "gave" people a "choice"

[@scarlett-moriko1543]

God I felt so damn betrayed when I found out he was the “mastermind” behind it, he was my favorite character to begin with. I guess “looks can be deceiving” isn’t an incorrect statement 😭

[@patavinas4282]

The fact that Sangwoo put all of his mother's assets as collateral bothers me much more than his in-game actions.

[@Brenda-jo7cn]

THIS

[@geminibaby6245]

Exactly 💯💯!! This is the main reason I didnt like him and I believe this spoke more to his shadiness as a character, I wonder what would have made him do this and I wish they would have expounded on his past more, but maybe I missed something while watching....

[@201stars]

Exactly. The fact that she was elderly and still forced to work after being ousted from her home, just rubbed me the wrong way. And there she was in the pouring rain STILL singing his praises

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

YES!!!

[@NaturallyDOPE0990]

This. If he did this JUST for his mother to retire then yes. But he literally put her whole livelihood on the line because he makes poor decisions 🙄

[@vortexofweird]

It didn't seem out of character for Sang-woo to kill himself in the end. For me, he was the character I most identified with throughout the series. I don't think he killed himself out of guilt or hopelessness but because of pride. Gi-hun offered him the chance to walk out alive together but Sang-woo thinks of himself as an intelligent, educated man who wasted his potential in life to become a successful businessman. If Sang-woo had won, he could regain the pride he lost in the "real" world and go on living. For Sang-woo, there were clearly two options: win the games or die. He couldn't bear the thought of walking out alive, but still an empty-handed failure because it would be just another blow to his pride, just another wasted opportunity. So, when he realized there was no way to win because he was too injured to get up, he killed himself because that was the only other option in his mind. This is my personal interpretation of his death. I think it had nothing to do with helping Gi-hun, but preserving his own pride.

[@HakeemIsMyWorld]

Great take!

[@Samantha2209]

You call it pride, I call it shame. Two sides of the same coin. There was no way he was going to leave those games empty handed after all he did, and after all of his proven failures in the real world - he was so cherished and he fell so far in the real world, he couldn’t face having to be alive out there.

[@bluebutterfly5062]

I like to believe it was guilt. I don't think Sang woo was a monster and he showed some remorse and shame about his choices. Then again i think your take is a bit more consistent

[@draculaissus6120]

@@Samantha2209 yes I believe it to be a bit of both pride and shame same way he got Ali killed. He had enough pride to outsmart him but enough shame to not be able to face him during his death and realization of betrayal.

[@k.k.lavine1243]

This 🙌🏻 that's exactly how I saw it too.

[@MELLMAO]

Gi-hun winning even though he doesn't have many qualities or strenghts is a perfect allegory how people succeed in capitalism a lot of the time. By pure luck and sacrifices of those around them and their ideas and intelligence OR by being ruthless and bloodthirsty. SangWoo and Gi-Hun are the big two of capitalist mindset

[@Aandi_pants]

TRUTH

[@elleofhearts8471]

ruthlessness vs failing upwards ugh

[@somemong989]

Making gi hun the homer Simpson of the show and the viewer the Frank Grimes of the shkw

[@lizzyrank5405]

Which I feel like makes him worse, not to say that he didn't work to survive, and he even willing came back and tricked someone into a death sentence. But it's the fact that he went through all of that. Has the winnings and earnings to see his daughter again, but through it all away because he thinks he's doing something righteous. Even though litterally hundreds of people died, even his childhood friend. At least SangWoo tried to survive even if I don't agree with everything he did.

[@kdmac8110]

That's what I thought. I don't think the show wanted us to root for him in that way, I think it wanted us to root for him and then turn around and realize we had fallen into the pattern of praising those who succeed on a false moral high ground by failing upwards

[@NaturallyDOPE0990]

It’s funny how you pointed out that Gi-hun stole money from his mom but Sang woo stole his mama whole damn house and business 🤣

[@TC022782]

That part. He literally embezzled his mother into poverty.

[@Vincisomething]

Lmao seriously. Are we sure he's cut throat in the game because he's in dire circumstances, or was he already the type of person who would screw anyone over in any situation? If you're willing to steal that much from your mom and even more....

[@wideeyedskies]

RIGHT??? i can't have much sympathy for sangwoo knowing that he pretty much cheated others out of their money and that's why he's in the games in the first place. his situation is so different from the other characters on the show.

[@NaturallyDOPE0990]

Nothing about him being in the games were noble. He was trying to just cover his ass before his mama figured out what he done 🙄

[@Miranda-gi9fx]

Yes he does, he's no damn angel but Gi-hun is not one either. He stole his mother his whole life never doing anything good. The thong is Sang woo is self aware of his flows buit Gi-hun is not enough.

[@aman-.-]

i recognise gi-hun’s flaws but there’s no way i could hate him more than the man who is responsible for the death of tens of thousands of poor people over the course of two (maybe three?) decades

[@lc-do5eo]

Same. I think she just dislikes how he is seen as hero instead of a flawed person.

[@aman-.-]

@@lc-do5eo yeah i get that, i just don’t think gi-hun was ever intended to be a hero, he’s just the protagonist

[@ihatetheheat4524]

@@aman-.- honestly that last scene, all I could think of was GO TO YOUR DAUGHTER!

[@aman-.-]

@@ihatetheheat4524 same 😭 i was shouting “get on the goddamn plane!!!” at the tv

[@frozone1669]

@@aman-.- they probably would've blown the plane up or something

[@Bookauru]

Sangwoo’s suicide wasn’t out of nowhere, Gi-hun wanted to end the game. Sangwoo was beaten up and couldn’t win a fight in his condition. Gi-huh needs his and Sangwoos vote to end the game . Sangwoos didn’t want all that he worked for to go to waste so he killed himself forcing the game to have a winner.

[@littlemissmello]

and I'm pretty sure he tried to commit suicide before as well when they were all on a break after the first game. He was in a suit in his bath tub and burning some shit (carbon monoxide poisoning) and then the squid game people came to call again and he was like "fuck it, let's give it one more shot" but when he realised he was going to have to go back to his old life anyway and face everything like before because gihun wasn't going to kill him, he went ahead and did it himself because he was basically ready to do so anyway

[@hiboahmed8876]

I think he wanted all his work to at least result in his mother being taken care of

[@kl.1930]

I agree, he already came in to the game with the mindset of winning that money or die trying, so if he is not going to get the money all for himself and he was planning on ending his life if he couldn't clear his debts anyway, the next best thing for him, and his best bet of his mother being taken care of is ensuring Gi-hun wins and hoping he will use some of that money to take care of her, which he requested with his dying breath.

[@margarida6857]

I loved Minyeo character and I feel like no one truly understood her. When she killed herself and the tattoo guy, it was not because she liked him. She never did, she only used him so she would be taken seriously and not seen as scared and useless. She told him, if you betray me I will kill you, and he understimated her again. She was never really afraid of death, you can see it in the way she cheated her way through the honey marbles and how she would try to intimidate the guards. No other character interacted with the guards like her because they were afraid of being killed. I think her biggest fear was being forgotten and seen as not important. P.S. there's a great video about her character by Generation Ochi

[@fluffbowl]

I also loved her!

[@Cutzxx]

YES MAN I LOVED HER I DONT KNOW HOW PPL FOUND HER ANNOYING

[@sarah-zv8ld]

I loved watching her honestly. yes she could be obnoxious at times, but I loved how even if she looked weak, or crazy, or whatever else, she was pretty much always in control of her situation. just one example: in the scene where shes having uh. Relations with deok-su, and threatens to kill him if he ever betrays her, shes framed as being higher up in the shot than deok-su, with deok-su literally being pinned against the wall by her. I think that scene makes it clear that shes using her relationship with deok-su as a bargaining chip and thinking ahead to what will get her the furthest in this game. and on top of that, she follows through on her promise to kill deok-su even if it means dying herself. I have to respect that.

[@temitopeosasona398]

She wasn’t my favorite character but I respect how manipulative she could be. I think what spoilt people’s opinion of her was how annoying reliant she was and how she bragged a lot

[@increduleingrate83]

Finally, someone highlights Minyeo’s true intentions. She was lonely and miserable person who used her antics in order to be noticed

[@jennyramirez4957]

if gihun’s win is reflective of actual capitalism, then him actually doing nothing and winning everything kind of makes sense

[@galacticgxts729]

Thats fair tbh

[@JohnDoe-vw4zf]

I mean I think it would be better if you said it was 75% chance and 25% not being fucking stupid. A lot of people could have survived if they looked at the walls of the room and slowed down to use their brain for 1 minute.

[@awordbyrmlloyd]

@@JohnDoe-vw4zf But they deliberately chose stupid people. The entrance exam was getting punched in the face for something like 5 dollars I think. That can barely afford a box of panadol. It was a game to find the champion of stupid people and Gihun won. You could win by being consistently smart but it is harder if you are naturally dumb so the next option was winning by being the stupidest every single time. The old man is the dumbest choice but he is actually the win and being last is typically a loser move but the games set up last as a win.

[@dieseangi]

@@awordbyrmlloyd not 5 dollars, 85 dollars. And for poor people it's a lot of money so I get why they would rather get slapped to try to win some money

[@JohnDoe-vw4zf]

@@awordbyrmlloyd The first game was flipping a card and apparently that's a fully recognized game with championships. I also don't think they were targeting stupid people rather they were looking for desperate people as several players had formal educations and years of work experience. As for il nam he was the mastermind behind the game and he was in no real danger so him surviving so long in understandable but even then he had to think critically about one game.

[@alimac3470]

Sangwoo taking his life wasn't for Gihun's benefit, it was for his own. He needed the money for his mother and he knew Gihun wanted to give it up, so maybe he would win and not even take the money. The way Sangwoo had of making Gihun take the money and making sure he would help his mother was sacrificing himself for it and telling him that. Cause he knew Gihun was trustworthy enough to help his mother even after he died.

[@mimi_j]

That’s what I got from that

[@danilynn9904]

Yeah that’s the read I had.

[@TrueMena]

sangwoo knows he had no chance of winning and his death forced the game to have a winner. If he were to keep breathing there would be no winner cause gi hun wanted to give up which is something sangwoo wouldn't like since all efforts will be wasted and nothing will be gained.

[@khngzhen5628]

@@danilynn9904

[@LanaSK]

Yeah that's also kinda how I read it. Gihun wanted to end the game at that point, and if majority agreed to end the game then neither would get any money. Before they returned to the game, Sangwoo was going to kill himself. He would rather be dead than to return to the same life that he was living before the games, and not to mention, he'd have to live with the guilt of killing at least 3 people with his own hands. He would rather die and entrust Gihun to take care of his mother than to go back empty-handed.

[@tayler5373]

even thought its a really small part, i think the fact that mi-nyeo smuggles in cigarettes instead of anything more important actually says a lot because as someone who grew up really poor, its very common for people who dont know how theyre going to pay their electric bill or their next meal, to buy a pack of cigarettes instead. so i think that was a small detail that made it feel even more realistic to me. poor people just also want to be able to have the things they enjoy

[@ipig2379]

Right? If you never been that kind of poor, you wouldn't understand choosing something that is far from what you actually need so that you could enjoy a 5 minute pure happiness from that thing that you chose i.e. cigarette for mi-nyeo is understandable. Not great but understandable. That's how poverty messed people's mind. And her being unpredictable and untrustworthy with her words is realistic too. You made up stories along the way living your life so people would take pity on you and then turn 180 and get angry with them if they dont give you some. She's intentionally unlikable character but it a solid side character . The fact that most people dont understand the way she went with the tattoo guy. She was trying to get that tattoo guy side so she have more advantage in the game cuz she knows she her skillset and physique is not enough to win the game. It's a survival game. Why does everyone forgets about that? Life and death. You either do everything you could possibly do or you die. It's easy to judge when you're not in the game or near the level of desperation to play a game like squid game.

[@zzsmile1]

Plus smoking is an addiction, it illustrates the power of that addiction.

[@margarida6857]

I loved her character and I feel like no one truly understood her. When she killed herself and the tattoo guy, it was not because she liked him. She never did, she only used him so she would be taken seriously and not seen as scared and useless. She told him, if you betray me I will kill you, and he understimated her again. She was never really afraid of dead, you can see it in the way she cheated her way thought the honey marbles and how she would try to intimidate the guards. No other character interacted with the guards like her because they were afraid of being killed. I think her biggest fear was being forgotten and seen as not important.

[@melvv18]

@@margarida6857 Yeah, which it's shown how devastating it was for her that no one desired her, even though it gave her a free pass to the next challenge.

[@maria1742]

The protagonist won because the old man liked him since he reminded him of his own son and was the only one who was really nice to him and played the games with him. The old man knew where he lived so he met him there "by accident" and convinced him to come play the game with him. The old man knew that whoever was left without a pair in the marble game got a free pass to the next game so he just went to sit in a corner and gave the protagonist his jacket so that the soldiers know that he is chosen to be saved and that they cannot shoot him.

[@bloom2928]

Didn't think about the jacket thing. I wonder how that would have ended up

[@leahraven7]

Interesting! I did not think of this take.

[@edenp3268]

I think Sangwoo realized he would never be happy living. His last action did feel unexpected to me (read replies as to why I originally considered it out of character) but I think the biggest guilt he carried was how he ruined his mom's life as a collateral of all his actions (selling her shop and house, lying to her for years), and he knew Gihun was too nice to not help out his (SG) mom after the game was over. He probably did feel bad over killing Ali, Saebyeok and the glass guy but I think in the end he quit cuz he felt life wasn't worth it after everything he had done. I see it as a tragic tale of a man taking desperate measures to gain "happiness" only to realize he will never get it.

[@rainlanae5739]

I don't think his actions in the end has anything to do with finding happiness or feeling remorseful. he proved in the beginning that he would rather die than not have the money to pay his debt. he stabbed himself because he did not want to end the game and leave with no money. he couldn't fight Seong anymore because he was too wounded and Seong wouldn't kill him. he choose to kill himself and asked Seong to save his mother from his debt. To me, he stayed true to his character till the end.

[@maggiec83]

@@rainlanae5739 Yeah, it wasn't out of character at all. Throughout the games, he did what he needed to do to get that money. Not for himself but for his mother.

[@nadiar.4638]

@@rainlanae5739 I think thats a solid theory, as Gihun wanted to end the game. Which meant the money would go to the families of everyone who died and Gihun and him would get nothing. Maybe he heard Gihun and Sae-byeok talk about taking care of each others family and realised this is the only way to help his mother

[@dnikkithatsame5990]

I think Sangwoo killed himself because he couldn’t go back to his prior persona of the hood, smart one who got out… he couldn’t be the hero of the hood. Gihun talked him up, his mom talked him up- his image of self was done because if he went back with money he’d either go to jail or have to escape- both ruining how he saw himself and how others saw him.

[@AJ-pu9jq]

@@nadiar.4638 yep that’s why he killed Sae-Byeok, he didn’t want them to vote to end the game which they could basically do at anytime before the last game started. He was the most interesting character for me to watch

[@alistairmooncrest5018]

The true villain is whoever decided Sae-byeok should go out like that. ✋😔

[@dday1396]

@ writers : I JUST WANNA TALK Nah for real??? Such collateral damage????

[@tunafish5462]

Yeah I felt so bad when she didn't eat and then Sang woo just comes and slashes her throat like damn.

[@minimimi02]

no because it was so unfair???

[@aworte3266]

@@minimimi02 it was fair, just a littlr anticlimactic for a main character. I feel like Ali's death had more of an emotional build up

[@pandoraheartsvd]

In my opinion, she was better suited to be the protagonist.

[@luxiewuxie7444]

yo i cried so hard when the old guy “died” the first time cause he looks so much like my grandpa but then i was cursing him out in three different languages in the reveal

[@imane5819]

Damn that was so funny. Btw kudos to you for being trilingual.

[@nikichae]

Yup same here, but just in 2 languages

[@alyssapinon9670]

Awwww that’s so sweet. I feel you there. I watched a Thai version of a k-drama called “oh my ghost” and in that version one actor looked and acted so much like my late grandpa that it made me emotional 😭 like the actor in the original kdrama was just as amazing if not more but I think I cried more at the Thai version just because of the family resemblance Plus I just have a soft spot for sweet old people. So not the real Oh Il Nam 🖕 hate him for making me waste tears on his evil ass. I have to say though that he was good at using the sweet, helpless, confused old man Schtick to his advantage. Gi-hun’s reactions to his death were definetly a mirror of my own

[@wonderlandzer0]

I'm not even gonna lie, I cried so much that episode aakslkfls and similar reason, my grandpa passed last year and seeing an elderly figure like that was a lot for me 😅

[@sei7730]

I knew he was sketchy from episode one. How did people not catch it

[@CamelToeAndTheBeast]

I feel like Sangwoo truly represents most people. He’s not the villain… the old guy is the actual villain for creating the game.

[@QaaarLaaafReesaaa]

Don't hate the player, hate the game

[@fruitygarlic3601]

I don't think that the circumstances that landed Sangwoo in the game really represent most people. He did not take or lend out of desperation, like Sae-byeok, Ali, Gi-Hun, or many people in the real world. Sangwoo had a comfortable life already when he chose to rob clients. He leveraged power most people don't have to harm others without reason or justification.

[@CamelToeAndTheBeast]

@@fruitygarlic3601 in my opinion Sangwoo, despite his comfortable life, made a mistake like a lot of people do and borrowed out of desperation to cover his tracks like many of the other main characters with gambling issues in the game. It’s very similar, but Sangwoo’s class is making that hard for you to discern. They committed very similar mistakes, Sangwoo’s was just on a larger scale because he had more access to money. I see no difference between Sangwoo betting and losing by leveraging his mother’s livelihood and Gi-Hun’s betting and losing by leveraging his mother’s livelihood.

[@roza2633]

@@CamelToeAndTheBeast the difference is the material reality of sangwoo and gihun when the betting happened.. this isn't in defense of gihun either, i have my problems with the character and didn't want him to survive the game really, but to act like sangwoo represents most people is straight up ridiculous. he represents business majors who care almost exclusively about their own success in life and that's not "most people"

[@kanoelani3425]

@ally baby sure, but he’s still not THE villain. we hate him because he played the game. the point revolves around pitting poor people against each other for the entertainment of the rich, don’t hate the player

[@greywardenari]

I didn't interpret the end as him returning to the games because of his addiction. I understood that as the front man saying "get on the plane and forget about us if you know what's good for you," but then Gi hun decides to go take them down. The point about him dipping out on his daughter again is fair though. Like, if you're gonna be there, be there: quit making her promises and then breaking them.

[@_k_n_]

Yeah, I agree. It's like he's incapable of ignoring injustice but all too ready to put other people ahead of his loved ones.

[@JohnDoe-vw4zf]

@@_k_n_ Am I the only one who thought he should have let her go? Being inconsistent and following her and his ex to the states when he's suffering from ptsd and God knows what else after these games would only hurt her when she has a functional a loving family. Sometimes it's better to put that distance in between you and your child if you know you can't be there meaningfully.

[@megami7373]

yeah

[@divinevalentineyt]

I agree, he was depressed and angry i assumed he would come back to take it down

[@OwaisAhmedcooldude]

Yeah, I was really surprised that she said it was an addiction . What kind of sick addiction is this? This ain’t gambling, there’s no way Gi-Hun is addicted. Why’d she even say that?

[@TooCruel4School]

Random observation: the tracksuits participants wear in the games look EXACTLY like the PE uniforms Korean school children wear in the cooler months. Not a big deal, but I thought it was a cool little detail considering the children's games they play.

[@beatrizcbs8922]

wow, that’s actually so disturbing

[@mirabelarmstrong433]

The art director thought of EVERYTHING I’m her biggest fan

[@chrissynovful]

They smelled horribly too. I think the director said people were passing out it was so bad. Headaches for sure.

[@miyapapayax]

Not to mention in an interview with the cast someone mentioned that the robot girl from red light green light is a famous character among school children in Korea.

[@robinpark9224]

@@miyapapayax ive never even heard of the robot thing . im a korean student btw

[@CA-bw9vw]

In Gi Hun's defense (I hate myself), they never did make it explicit that EVERYBODY ELSE has to die for someone to win right? All they said is all games have to be finished. So for all Gi Hun knew, it might have been possible for those people to live and share the prize. I think that's why he naively kept his moralistic demeanor.

[@QaaarLaaafReesaaa]

Yeah... what if enough ppl survived to play the last game to make two teams, and the team that wins survives and the other dies??? ( I know it wasn't like that due to the other games ' winners but I get your point)

[@leahraven7]

Yep, I thought the same too. If the girl lived, couldn't two people take out one person and then the two decide to win together? Not sure. It seems like the last game, squid Game, was meant to only have one winner so they poised it that there only ever could be one winner. Not really sure though.

[@omnidiscord]

EXACTLY! in fact I myself, as the viewer, thought it would be that way up until like episode 7

[@purna062vishi6]

I'm sure it got clear in the first time they were called to the game that there will only be one winner, right? I completely agree with Kennie here haha

[@amaramoramei9959]

@@purna062vishi6 if I remember correctly they did make it seem like they would share the prize at the end

[@sittingaloneinvip]

The dalgona game where he figured out the hack to lick it is actually something that works. The director said that this scene was inspired by his childhood when he did this as a kid to win against his friends in the dalgona game.

[@nichellec.1752]

The thing is, it wasn't clear at the beginning that there would only be 1 winner. They actually implied there could be several winners. And in the beginning the players weren't directly responsible for the other players' deaths. Thus, when Sang Woo had an inkling that the dalgona game was what it was yet didn't warn Gi Hun, that made me dislike him. When it was clear later on that there was only going to be 1 winner, then I could understand Sang Woo actively killing others, but I already disliked him. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@NaturallyDOPE0990]

But also, in the beginning they played the squid game as teams so maybe it could be more then one winner.

[@meowmeow02230]

Yes! This!!! I was thinking this too, I thought all three of them would win because that would be dope and it would make sense to work as a team.

[@LG_Hakubi]

Okay same, I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't realize "only one could win" until the cop found the past winners records.

[@ihatetheheat4524]

I mean to be it was kind of obvious there would only be 1 winner. I've seen other Asian death games before so I kind of know the basic formula 😅

[@JessLoveyy]

Nah didn’t understand him at all. He was a snake

[@nikkicarreon]

I love gihun but it’s probobly because I had a deadbeat dad that I totally look at through rose colored glasses lmao

[@va8120]

Lolllll same reason why I hated him 😆

[@60wwediva]

@@va8120 I'm neutral but let me ask you a question: the movie portrays him as a deadbeat dad by circumstances (as well as his own shitty actions) but clearly wasn't intentionally deadbeat. I had "deadbeat" dad very similar to gi-hun who was sweet to me, would do crazy shit if it meant bettering my circumstances or doing what he could to see me and he was in circumstances like jihoon where he lost his main job due to a work external issue beyond his control and never bounced back (got an injury that also hindred him). I'm not siding with him, but I want to know do you hate the character gi-hun because he wasn't on par with the step dad by finances, career, and living normally or is it more personality based? I've met many many people who had dad's who were stable and finanically afloat like the step dad who they hated with a passion cause they were shit people personality and morals wise. I just think it's toxic to throw the deadbeat dad label around without clearly indentifying what classfies as deadbeat dad. he was a fucking mess of a person but he kept her in his best interest when most men especially black men would have abandon that little girl and allowed the mom to raise her with the new man.

[@va8120]

@@60wwediva I wouldn’t call out black dads. There are a lot of single moms in the world and they’re not just black. The deadbeat dad I was referring to was similar to gi hun- charismatic, a “good person” by default because they weren’t malicious or evil, but consistently let the people down in his life and still had the gall to think they have the moral high road.

[@60wwediva]

@@va8120 You're attaching race to this. We're talking about men here not women and not single moms. Its annoying when folks reach bringing in related things to justify q counter response. All men are capable of being shit dada but the western media and in my own experience in my lifetime with numerous black family members, friends, workers and in the community know of black men who aren't in the kids life 24/7 just barely or part time cause the mom banned them or its a child support agreement while the dad is onto flirting with the next female I've witnessed it with my own eyes

[@60wwediva]

@@va8120 Don't state the obvious as a response. All Asian men aren't uptight dads clearly and all black men aren't horrible dads. I see amazing black fathers everyday and had a great dad myself

[@jessicawilliams3849]

When I first watched this, I didn’t get the impression that only 1 person could win. That’s why I was confused about Sang Woo killing people; if a group could win, there would be no reason for him to kill so much

[@Akane1313]

It’s interesting that you mention that. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention, but did they ever say that only one person could make it out? If no one knew what the games were then there was no guarantee that only one could win and there was no reason to take people out indiscriminately aside from wanting more of the money at the end. When it came down to one on one life or death, it made sense to do what you had to do but in the second game when everyone just needed to survive and they weren’t being told to fight each other why are you purposely leading your friends to their death?

[@jessicawilliams3849]

@@Akane1313 Yeah, that’s the discrepancy everyone is having. The show only said the participants needed to get through 6 levels to win - it never specified only 1 person could survive. That’s why you, I, and many other viewers were offput by Sang Woo. Like you said, there would’ve been no reason for him to just start betraying his friends if he was acting according to the rules that had been given.

[@wizzytalksalot]

@@jessicawilliams3849 And you know what they could have both won if Sangwoo didn't kill homegirl at the end

[@wizzytalksalot]

Cuz Squid Game is a team game

[@maryrose9841]

@@jessicawilliams3849 The players didn't know for sure if there can be multiple winners. However, as viewers, we knew when we saw the list with the detective of the previous winners, per year only one person got the prize.

[@hobbes8608]

The best thing about all of the discourse around Squid Game is the universal desire to be slapped by Gong Yoo.

[@kpinthebubble]

🤣

[@dday1396]

🥺

[@arifarafah6433]

well, i can't lie about that hahaha

[@adelaideeverett9134]

agree hahaha

[@1farahnaz]

I was literally drooling watching him

[@MauveLeo]

I would only disagree on the reason for Sangwoo killing himself. I think he did it because he knew Gihun would refuse to properly end the game/turn himself into the winner, and he also didn't want the game to be stopped so his mother would end up with no money. The only remaining option was to request as much from Gihun and take himself out of the game so a winner is decided without a doubt.

[@XimenaGM]

totally!! his motivations were so obvious to me and i don't understand how people don't get that if he didn't kill himself, no one would get the money and his mother would be left to her luck.

[@supaserajupiter]

This exactly!!! You explained it perfectly.

[@moomyung9231]

That was how I saw it too. It surprised me for a minute until I realized all that.

[@kellyjean7168]

Agreed

[@ophiuchus44]

My take with sang-woo: there are two big reasons he lost. One was that all the killing he had to do finally got to him by the final game. In the end he's still just a dude and even if it's to save yourself, killing other people isn't going to be something a normal person shrugs off. Especially when he seemed to really be bothered by killing ali back in ep 6. Second, he just couldn't dig deep enough his one friend/ the only person who was so fucking proud of him (outside his own mom). Even though gi-hun was pissed at him by the end, he obviously still tried to save him so I think he probably felt so depressed about everything that he was willing to go out to protect the one person who still thought highly of him and would still take care of sw's mom.

[@GeneTonics]

I'd argue the main character DID learn that he had to take action and not just sit around. Hence why he went back to the games to stop them instead of sitting around like he did in the first go of winning the games. He's character progressing to a person who takes action. I think you missed the mark on the ending interpretation. It wasn't because of addiction, it was to stop others addictions to be exploited.

[@li8789]

Okay but what was his plan? He couldn't have taken a week to think about it while celebrating his daughter's birthday in LA?😭 the way he suddenly changed his whole course of action just from one walk through an airport seems more irresponsible and reckless than noble to me

[@gummy5862]

@@li8789 Actually as another commentary video mentioned, the elites would be able to find where his daughter is if they were already monitoring him so closely. It’d be very dangerous if he visited his daughter and decided to come back and defeat the game.

[@li8789]

@@gummy5862 I think they would already know where she was, no? With the way they were watching his every move, even knowing that he was about to get on a plane, wouldn't they know where the plane was going and who he was going to see, maybe even where he was planning to stay?

[@draculaissus6120]

@@li8789 they know where he is because all players have a chip in them (what the red guys scan to make sure they are who they are) so no they do not know where his daughter is but they would if he went there

[@li8789]

@@draculaissus6120 All right then

[@8ri1]

Personally, I like both Sangwoo and Gihun because they were sort of reflections of each other. To me, they represented what happens when a character upholds their morals in a critical situation and when another doesn't. I don't think one is better than the other just two people making shitty calls in a shitty society and ending up in some shitty games lol

[@60wwediva]

Me too. I love them both they are exactly the same but in different prespectives and ways of going about their lives.

[@am5ters504]

I mean they both did uphold their own personal set of morals to the end

[@melvv18]

@@am5ters504 Which is why it led to their downfall.

[@Walkriot]

The real villain is the acting coach for the VIPs And whoever decided to make that one extra evil by making him gay

[@void-xt8pw]

Actually I think the VIPs sounded like that because it showed how fake and hollow they were. Not to defend the acting btw, but that's how I interpreted it and made watching the VIPs more enjoyable for me.

[@Walkriot]

@@void-xt8pw I think you’re right, to some extent the over the top-ness was deliberate, but I’m not sure anyone in the room knew Americans well enough to emulate their behaviour

[@LeeyaMakesNoise]

​@@void-xt8pw The English actors in Korean films/dramas STAY being bad and wooden. In this case it works thematically, but honestly whenever anybody white/foreign pops up in a Korean production, I immediately cringe cause I know 9/10 they are gonna be terrible actors whose dialogue sounds like it written through google translate .

[@void-xt8pw]

​@@LeeyaMakesNoise Oh, yikes.. 😬 Kinda disappointed now knowing most likely their weird choppy dialogue wasn't intended. At least they managed to find one good foreign actor (Ali).

[@tunafish5462]

I wanted to jump off a cliff everytime that 69 VIP talked. I was this close to skipping the whole 69 conversation. I don't know if it's the acting, are they supposed to act this way? or is it the dialog?

[@_k_n_]

Sangwoo proved himself as an ain't-shit character from the jump - BEFORE the game. He had obviously abandoned his childhood friend, which is whatever we outgrow people; but he also put up his mom's house and shop as collateral for his own greed. It's very indicative of the kind of person he is and how little he cares about anyone close to him. It's not that he's a badly written character - it's incredibly done. I still hate him 😌

[@sayes2carrots]

Totally agree

[@babiirae729]

100%

[@serenatee6738]

Exactly! To me, there is no difference between him and the tatted gangster guy. Why do people like SW and dislike the tatted dude when they’re inherantly the same??

[@clairepettie]

I think Kennie's point was that - in this game, once you knew the rules and still wanted to play - you were already required to be an 'ain't sh*t' person who had fully accepted that, in trying to win, everyone else around you will die _in your place,_ even if it's not by your own hands. In other words, compared to Gi-hun - who signed up for the same morally questionable game, but pretends he's still morally in the right - at least Sangwoo signed up to play without pretending he still has the moral high ground. He's not pretending some manipulation of trust wouldn't be necessary to win, the way Gi-Hun does. I'm not sure I explained that clearly, so my apologies if it was too messy to make sense.

[@ativaadzem566]

The main character did the same thing tho. He also used all of his mothet money for his Addiction

[@mariatereza9721]

I like the interpretation that Gi-hun shows that sometimes being the smartest, the strongest or the most skilled is not enough to succeed in a capitalistic society, sometimes people survive/thrive out of sheer luck and being friends with the right people, in the end, it doesn't matter if you are the most skilled or the smartest, if you don't have luck and the right connections you may not succeed

[@raispurin9504]

YES connections will get you further ahead than a good resume. Gihun spent the whole series establishing alliances with the other participants while Sangwoo focused on being the best. His kindness actually saved him when pairing with Ilnam and handing over the number to the other player at the glass game. In the end Gihun didnt win because of strategy, just pure luck.

[@veebsummer9659]

The only part I disagree on is that they tried to show him as a moral or whatever correct character. They showed him to be what he is, unreliable. He's a deadbeat. He had the opportunity to reunite with his daughter, but as implied by the last episode, we're going to get a second season. I think season 1 was enough trauma. The plot of the second season is obvious and I fully expect him to die without ever seeing his daughter again. If I made it out alive, I'd be minding my own business.

[@kikivf4nr]

to me the whole conversation over "who is the villain?" or trying to judge the morality of the players just misses the point that these people were put in a horrible situation and the actual villains are the people who made the games in the first place and thus forced the players to make these kinds of decisions

[@ajat3202]

Not in reality because they were allowed to go.In reality nobody really right in the head

[@daniyah5613]

@@ajat3202 not really cause these VIPs created this fucked up environment in the first place. You could say that the players had a choice in the to join but then again VIPs and Oh Ill Nam and the masked guy also rigged the games to be in their favor. Eg: provided little food to make people rile up and fight amongst themselves for entertainment and only stopped when Oh Ill Nam asked them to stop. This tv series also symbolizes capitalism so really the system is at fault and not the players even though they partake in it.

[@ajat3202]

@@daniyah5613 yea the vip are the dirtiest people but these players aren’t innocent at all.For example seung gi-hun stole money from his mom wasted on useless things pushing himself back at the bottom of the barrel.I do think it a sad system people actually have to deal with but they weren’t force at all & the evil people even allow the chance to vote leave

[@daniyah5613]

@@ajat3202 I never said that the players weren’t completely blameless for what they have done. All of them have done some pretty fucked up shit. What I am saying tho is that the players were put against themselves and made to fight against themselves and not at the VIPs, Oh Ill Nam and the masked dude all in the name of “fairness”. However, just because they said that the players were given a “fair” chance to compete and get the money doesn’t necessarily mean that they were. We can see this when the glass maker was trying to see which glass was tempered. He wasn’t really explicitly breaking any rules but just because he had an “advantage”, (but a useful advantage to the players and not the VIPs) the VIPs had the lights turned off because it was “boring and not entertaining enough”. So yeah I’m not absolving any player of any guilt. All I’m saying is that, like capitalism, all of us are made to fight and compete amongst ourselves rather than at the system which is the real enemy.

[@ajat3202]

@@daniyah5613 I agree & get what your saying now

[@charlottebrunkalla2975]

I think that Gihun is the audience lens - we as the viewers still engage in capitalism in ways that are super harmful and still think we're good people... we are watching the games and making the same moral judgements as Gihun despite our own poor choices

[@bethday3032]

Shhiiiitttt I rly like this take

[@marissssssa]

Yo that’s exactly what I was thinking. I admit that gihun is self righteous and kennie made great points and stuff, but even after everything she said I felt like all his character was to show us the game through his eyes. Like a self insert type of character yk

[@occludedzeitgeist]

thats why i feel more neutral about gi hun and get emotionally angry and disgusted about the old man.

[@chamab.6800]

This is a really good take.

[@dariasdouble212]

I busted out laughing when Gihyun gave thre child to Sangwoo's mother. Tf? She's an elderly business owner- she raised her kids, she ain't got time for that!

[@WreathStorm]

I think it was the right choice. Gihyun has a pattern of being a bad caretaker, and the elderly woman was a sweet person who still doted on her adult son a lot. It's not uncommon for grandparents to take on parenting duties.

[@ativaadzem566]

@@WreathStorm she might die soon tho. No shade. The kid will be alone once more

[@keenaza]

First time I disagree with JD… Addiction is a disease, Gihun is far from being likeable for me but he’s not the worst. He is a hypocrite yes but his gambling comes from him trying to process the trauma of losing his friend during the strike. Also, as the game is a representation of capitalism, it’s normal for me that the ones who come first aren’t the best or the most deserving…

[@portiabartel]

CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW GIHUN COULD HAVE HELPED THE HOMELESS MAN IN THE SNOW IN THE TIME THAT WAS GIVEN BUT HE DIDN'T?????

[@leannewheeler5351]

I kept thinking the same. He kept entertaining that old dude to the very end?

[@blankfacedenji]

I think that shows how addicted he is to gambling even if it was on someone’s life

[@degeneratesquid5873]

I think when you gamble like that, it’s expected that you dont interfere much. I dont think its his fault. I think thats how the director wanted it to be played out

[@akingat4679]

Exactly! I guess that was the way of showing Gi Hun that he is no better than the old man, cause he betted on the homeless man's life rather than helping him

[@sayes2carrots]

Yeah I thought the exact same thing I actually thought that maybe that was gonna be the old guy teaching Gihun that If he took action he could make a difference in the world like now that he has all the money but nope lol

[@lovepantalone_kaeya]

The best thing about the show for me was Sae-byeok in a suit.

[@jocelyn15]

my little bi heart skipped a beat 🥰

[@brownsugar7922]

Same

[@msmiami212]

They never expected a girl to get that far😌

[@laurabruce9948]

I was so caught off guard by a man being in a serious near rape situation that I didn’t even read the old man as a predatory gay stereotype. My wife and I took one look at that group and we chalked it up to them being sadistic, hedonistic omnivores.

[@jesslynbitters9768]

The only thing that got me about Sangwoo was him letting Gi-Hun choose the umbrella when he knew what the game was going to be. He definitely could have warned him about that.

[@glimmerhutcherson139]

Can't say the main character didn't have any skill : he had the capacity to bring the right people together and use them. It's a skill.

[@vc13]

i actually think that sangwoo killing himself makes total sense, he was already suicidal and we even see him trying to commit. i think he basically made sure his mom wouldn't be affected because of him and his debt, he knew that gihun winning meant that he'd make the right choices regarding the money. his character sums up as "he saw the chance and he took it" imo lmao

[@ohmygodbecky6829]

That’s honestly such a great way to sum up his character. “He saw the chance and took it.” Hence he became a lot of great and terrible things. -went to a top school -could and did embezzled hella money -voted to participate in the squid games -knows the rules every time and takes an opportunity every time -solicits hint from pickpocket girl -hides info to advantage himself -desserts people to advantage himself -robs people to advantage himself -and when picking tug of war teammates, was the most outspoken and irritated when teammate opportunities weren’t looking great And yeah, he saw opportunity to make sure his mom was ok and took it (killing himself.) He legit lived as he died

[@SaintShion]

I loved San-Woos character the most because he had such an amazing arch, and was true to a struggling human. I think he killed himself cause he couldnt face his mom, and he knew Gi-Huns guilt over San-Woos death would make Gi-Hun help his mom anyways. It was over and in the end it was easier to kill himself than a old friend in a one on one fight. The story was slow w out him.

[@Breerox108]

The problem was that Sangwoo was constantly punching down, nothing makes someone more unlikable. No way I'm stanning a white collar criminal lol

[@kwarra-an]

100%. He took advantage of those lower than him on the socioeconomic ladder at every opportunity, even before the games. Fuck Sangwoo

[@Blueell]

Sang-woo wasn’t showing remorse. It was cold strategy right to the end. He knew he couldn’t convince gihun to kill him or to take the victory, but he couldn’t let the games end and sacrifice the money he had done so much for, or let his mom suffer because of his actions. He gave up so that there would be a winner, knowing that gihun would help his mother. In his eyes that money was more important than every life in the game, and when it came down to it that included his own life.

[@danyelle00]

i agree about sang woo. i feel like he was the only one that seemed completely grounded and aware of the game he was playing. thus, he was the only one that was rational to me. everyone else was so?? soft??? not in a bad way generally, just bad in the context of the games.

[@KieshaH]

He didn't really have anything to live for tho, yeah his mom, but he had the chance to see her n didn't so he didn't really care

[@tunafish5462]

When he killed Ali and sae byeok I was sad but still I understand where he was coming from but when he didn't tell Gi hun and the rest about the honeycomb game that was a shitty move, they were still in the second game so he didn't need to get rid of them just yet so why did he do that? I don't hate him as much as the thug, the annoying woman and Il nam tho.

[@etsubedenkebekele5598]

Honestly my thoughts exactly. In my eyes Sang woo was one of the few people that was ACTUALLY playing the game. Everyone that came back to play this game and win had already in one way or another decided that they are ok with everyone dying in order for them to get the money. Literally each and everyone of them have had a direct hand in someone's death.

[@msdilaurentits5777]

I think the main reason people don’t like him is because of how selfish he was. All he did was for his own gain, which resulted in people’s death and put his mom’s livelihood in jeopardy. He’s giving me major psycho vibes and the amount of people saying that they would do the same as him is scary.

[@brianford4914]

I don't know about soft but I think this goes back to how Sae-Byeok wanted to steer clear of making connections. These people in a short amount of time bonded with each other since this could be the last time they ever interacted with people and seeing people plead for their life before they die is also taking an effect on the survivors. A lot of the people were too empathetic for their fellow man. Sae-Byeok was literally doing fine until Ji-Yeong basically forced her to open up and connect with her. Sang Woo just didn't have that level of empathy that made him have a line he couldn't cross. I wouldn't say he was so much rational as he was more mentally prepared for the game then the others could possibly be. Like no matter how much I say I would be like Sae-Byeok or Sang Woo if I saw the continuous death of the people around me who just wanted a chance to live, could I still have the mental fortitude to do something like what Sang Woo did to Ali? I feel like a lot of people wouldn't.

[@elle3730]

my hate for Sangwoo starts and ends with him being a business major, which told me all I needed to know about him as a character

[@raccoonsincocoons5643]

tbh that does explain his choices during the games if we take the whole situation as a metaphor for capitalism. you are tought to do whatever it takes to increase the profits

[@imanimercedes9139]

As a business major I feel personally attacked.

[@shawnakayable]

Anyone else upset that no one even tried to find Ali's family to help, like everyone else on the team some what got compensated in the end except for poor Ali.

[@runjumpdie]

I “hated” Sangwoo after he double crossed Ali and then killed Sae Byeok, just cuz their deaths were heartbreaking but after I had time to process everything, I became somewhat neutral toward him (tho the fact that he just killed himself after all of that irritated me a little bit and made me feel like Ali and Sae Byeok died in vain). These were not ordinary circumstances. Existential terror will motivate anyone to do anything for the sake of self preservation. That said, even with self preservation in mind, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say it was cruel making Ali run around like an idiot, imo. He dragged out his death. Layers to the whole situation.

[@kraxykam7242]

Honestly true. Ali and Sae Byeok died in vain when he killed himself and that's why I found him as the villain

[@teacemoloney1547]

I was on Sangwoo's side when he pushed the man on the glass breaking game. He watched everyone before them die when he could figure out the solution? They were all going to die if they ran out of time. When Gihun asked if sangwoo would have pushed him, well, that wasn't that situation they were in so he didn't have to decide.

[@Penguin9796]

he made him run around so that he could present the marbles to the guards without Ali interjecting and exposing his cheating

[@tchew2545]

He was going to kill himself because he was a mess and he messed up his mom’s whole life. Sooooooo in death his messy life was settled and his mom was taken care of because he knew Gihun would do that🤷🏽‍♀️ ties up in a tidy lil bow😂🤣😂

[@lennoxvazquez]

The marbles game was particularly the worst game in the sense that people teamed up with someone they trusted and/or cared for. And Sangwoo did like Ali. That's why I feel like he felt bad for tricking Ali. But he had to save his life, his mom, and her shop that he put up for collateral. That episode made me so sad for Ali, my boy, but I understood that it was an either or situation. Also, all the things Sangwoo did were calculated decisions. He wasn't apathetic, he was in survival mode. Everyone who we saw team up were talking about sharing the money, but Sangwoo knew that it was only one person who was gonna get out of there alive I love these hot takes because that's how I reacted as well to the show

[@bluz1864]

Agreed. I don't like Sangwoo but I don't hate him. To me, it's obvious that in his own way, he did have a heart. He didn't have to give Ali bus money when they got out but he did. He didn't have to give Gi-Hun that tip in Red Light, Green Light but he did. He even flinched a little when he knew Ali was already killed which to me, it just showed that he chose Ali not just Because he believed they would he unbeatable but because part of him really liked Ali. I think Sangwoo was a good person at heart who wanted so badly to give not only himself but his mom that he decided that "the ends justify the means". Hence it led him to make bad decisions and even worse decisions to fix those. I can sympathize with that to some level.

[@valygirl94]

Also question? If the families of the players get money when they died then why didn’t the shop mom seem to get the money? But Gi hun gave her that briefcase of owed money.

[@Yvvxxie]

@@valygirl94 The families would get the money if all the players agreed to stop playing

[@sarabateki7265]

@@bluz1864 I don't think him giving Ali bus money had anything to do with him liking Ali. I think he just gave him bus money out of pity which led to Ali putting his trust in him. As they returned to the game I bet after seeing how Ali basically saved Gi hun life in the Red light Green light game he saw how he could from Ali strength that is why he proposed Ali to join their group in ep. 3. He continues to utilize Ali strength from ep 3 to 6 which is also why he teams up with Ali episode 6. Even though he flinches (he could be flinching from the gun shot who knows) when Ali gets shot he seems to move on pretty easily compared to the other people that were in their group. As for his mother... he obviously doesn't care about her enough if used her house and shop as collateral

[@rbreit93]

@@sarabateki7265 yeah I don't think Sangwoo gave a shit bout his mom either. It def seemed more like a pride thing to me throughout the entire show. In a lot of ways he was a more realistic human in his actions. Like the made a lot of sense most of the time in regards to surviving etc compared to Gihun just surfing/freeloading along. The pride thing to me also gets backed up by how annoyingly Gihun would constantly bring up his school etc and when it boiled down to just that fight between them at the end thats why I think he killed himself out of spite for Gihun. Mix of spite, finally giving up, maybe some guilt, possibly knowing that Gihun would help his mom etc but overall, I think it was spite and pride more than anything

[@farwakhan4423]

My hot take; but if Ali hadn't trusted him back in ep 6, he would have won the game. For people saying he was too nice, he was ready to beat Sang-woo when he had one marble left because he was thinking of his family. He manipulated Ali and since the rest of the team already trusted Sang-woo for being a genuis, Ali put faith in him too. For the glass bridge game, the glass maker wouldn't have been pushed off (if we're playing off by Ali replacing Sang-woo). His decision would have helped Ali reach towards the end as the glassmaker just had to take one final step for the rest of the players to find out what glass was tempered. For the last game, Ali was the anchor and the strongest out of Gi-hun and Sae-Byeok. Sae-Byeok would die because of the shattered glass. And Ali being stronger than Gi-hun would have overpowered him. Since Ali didn't own anything particularly to Gi-hun like he did to Sang-woo, he'd have felt less guilty. Sure he would feel incredibly guilty and sad, but as we were shown, he had to do it for him family. Edit : Missed a detail. Either Sae-Byeok would have died because of the broken glass because Ali wouldn't have stabber her. Orr she would have been treated. If she had been treated, she's still be weaker.

[@MikeOfMichigan]

I’d argue they only survived the glass bridge because Sang-woo pushed that man. He was stalling and even with the push, the timer was super close to ending. There is no saying if he would have made a choice or made it at the last second leaving the rest of them not enough time to get across. It would take one of the others jumping up to the front and taking the risk themselves as that man clearly wasn’t going to move. He also admitted that he knew how to tell the difference the entire time, but didn’t mind not helping anyone. Who’s to say he wouldn’t wait until the very last second to increase his chances of them not making it? It’s important to remember the players are for the most part not very trustworthy people.

[@lhollau4245]

I agree with your points, but I still wonder whether he would've had the mental/emotional capacity to actually kill Gi-hun in the final game. It's true that he was ready to beat Sang-woo, but that would've involved a soldier shooting him, not Ali himself. It's also true that his motivation overrides his kindness, but I'm not sure if he could bring to go that far.

[@NaturallyDOPE0990]

But also Ali didn’t know all of the games because he wasn’t from there so he might not have won

[@juniperlee6642]

@@MikeOfMichigan Thank you! Have a handshake 🤝🏼. Some people are acting like San woo is the only evil person and every other person is so good and morally right.

[@madf8507]

One thing i'd like to say is that if Sae Byeok was actually treated properly and had to go against Ali she would have won because of her skills with knifes

[@heather_doestruecrime]

I didn’t think the cop was pointless because in looking for his brother we were able to have that added suspense of is he going to get caught, is he going to find his brother, etc. and the twist at the end was MAGNIFICENT.

[@kwarra-an]

Plus we got to see the guards, and their hierarchy. Important worldbuilding imo

[@witlessmargo7129]

kennie: what’s the defendant’s reasoning for killing three people? SANGWOO: I mean well shit I’m a Gemini Kennie: I understand completely

[@jessgospel3999]

*14:31** Scorpio or capricorn*

[@alyssapinon9670]

Kennie: “I’m getting very Scorpio and/or Capricorn placement vibes with sangwoo” Me: *sighs* so this is why I’m so attracted to him 😭. Libra who’s had a bad history of liking Scorpio men here

[@purna062vishi6]

@@alyssapinon9670 bwahahah and I always fall for capricorns. Also, he's an intj and I'm too so I relate alot to him😭✋

[@alyssapinon9670]

@@purna062vishi6 I’m also an INFP who tends to like INTJ men or just XXTJ men in general. Maybe I’m just attracted to what I’m lacking in my self

[@AiValentine23]

This comment is over a year old but god damn this reference took me tf out 🤣🤣

[@curstinw6420]

“she’s gorgeous, like distractingly so...like wow, its really intimidating, she’s really incredibly pretty”- how everyone feels about jung hoyeon

[@marissssssa]

Dude I remember sitting down to watch it with my sisters and physically pausing to say “wow she’s so pretty” I was so enamored…

[@MilaBelen]

Nope not everyone

[@TheUKisThere]

@@MilaBelen bruh

[@YTD07]

@@TheUKisThere i mean it's true ppl are always exaggerating things. Of course everyone is swoon of her. But I think she is cute

[@batsuclub]

i think that sangwoo was playing squid game exactly the same way he was operating business outside of the games. idk why anyone was shocked that a businessman wanted for embezzlement would be dishonest in a game that's supposed to represent the competitive nature of capitalism and how workers are pitted against each other every day. i still don't think that makes him a character i could sympathize with, tho. i also think that gihun is aware he didn't do much of anything in squid game and that's why he emphasized the fact that everyone else died for him to make it to the final two. sangwoo paved his own way to the final game, while gihun had others pave the way for him. and that's kinda representative of how gihun was a freeloader outside of the games too (which also doesn't make him the most likable character) anyway #TeamSaebyeok

[@Gabriellaella23]

Except for the Dalgona game where he literally saved multiple people with his idea of licking it.

[@ahoam]

@@Gabriellaella23 To be fair, that wasn't intentional and he never actively encouraged people to copy him, so he wasn't trying to help anyone there

[@rinigan5596]

i took sangwoo killing himself as like. “id rather gihun win the money then call a draw and nobody wins / i die anyway” cause he seemed really beat up so my impression was he was already close to death. and a big thing for him in arguments with other players was that all the death and fighting is for that money so to give it up would be inappropriate. so since he was already dying he wanted to stand by his principle and maybe help gihun rather then leave it neutral and pointless.

[@laurenc4138]

I love love lovedddd Ali, he was so pure, it broke my heart when he poured the rocks out after being such a good man, to go out like that, the look on his face when he realized what had happened killed me.

[@milananderson7806]

Not sure about the storyline reason for Sangwoo to want to take his own life, but it's said in an easter egg video that most of the main characters who died, died following a moment from the start of the series. Saebyeok got her throat slit, and she was threatening to do the same when she held her pocket knife up to the man's throat who messed with her money. Deoksu died falling from the bridge, as he jumped off of the bridge to get away from the mafia. Sangwoo ended up killing himself in the final game, as he was trying to in the bathtub at home. And Ali ended up getting tricked/ his marbles "stolen," as he took the money from his boss who didn't pay him.

[@cxmls20]

DAM 😃

[@milananderson7806]

@@cxmls20 RIGHT! I was even more shook finding out that all of the games and how to play were written on the walls behind their beds the WHOLE TIME!!!!! If they had ever looked behind them, they would have been able to at least attempt planning ahead.

[@claraajayi2658]

@@milananderson7806 oh my gosh I didn’t even realize that. woah

[@icarusfalls568]

also Gi hun swore on his mother's life and when he came back home his mother was dead

[@milananderson7806]

@@claraajayi2658 It's wiiild! So much thought went into everything!

[@liyah7867]

For the licking in the dalgoona game, it actually does work. The creator said he tested it himself. Makes me wanna try it lol

[@LisaFrank39]

I mean it makes sense. It's just sugar right

[@mojojojo3212]

@@LisaFrank39 sugar w a pinch of baking soda (and I think but not too sure like some neutral oil)

[@hunni5713]

Everything you said about Gihun is right yet I can't help but love him lol, he has such a sad puppy dog face that I just wanna see him happy

[@alyssapinon9670]

Have you seen the KZbin surgeon who is famous for looking like Gihun? I’m sure you’d like him. He’s so wholesome and has the same puppy dog face

[@sonchik6324]

I relate to this comment so much lmao

[@ashagord2751]

I actually agree about Sangwoo. Yes he did despicable things, but he recognized he was in a game of survival; plus they showed that he wasn’t taking any glee in his actions. I’m not mad at this guy either; you enter this game to win. In argument though: did they specify that there could only be 1 winner? I don’t remember

[@user-ur4io5lh5s]

No, winning team. But people are still assuming one winner

[@noodledogs]

this is how i feel too. they showed killing people never brought him happiness. its why, even tho they do similar things, he's different from deok-su who was nothing but excited to hurt others. they both did things out of necessity, but at least sang-woo showed remorse.

[@violetta_chromatica]

Well Ik I’m late to reply but when Hwang Jun-ho was looking through the winner records, there’s only 1 winner every year if I remember correctly. The game never specified anyways so everyone assumed what they think will happen (if 1 person wins or multiple people) just like how they assumed sticking together is the best bet and didn’t consider the idea they might have to turn against each other. I think Sang Woo is going for the assumption that there can only be one winner. I feel like he knew from the jump but kept people around that benefits his team. I think he genuinely did bond with Ali and everyone else but it is a survival game and he did what he had to do. No time for morals baybee. Like what he did upsets me but I couldn’t hate him because he’s such a complex character. I hope I added something to the conversation ^^

[@ownyoursxtaylormorganne8551]

With Sangwoo, my dislike of him is not about his behavior in game alone. His behavior in the game and reason for needing the game paints a full picture of his character that is a disloyal self serving person I don’t like.

[@thatoneperson8154]

He literally put his old mother's house and business in jeopardy, and was going to kill himself, leaving his mother with that grief and shame. Like I can't ever imagine a good or even decent person would ever put their parents in that situation.

[@Kaitirich]

Gihun is also selectively loyal and extremely self serving. I mean. Except for Ali and Saebyeok most of them are. That’s how they ended up there.

[@MikeOfMichigan]

@@thatoneperson8154 most of the people were in situations similar to that. The main character was a horrible dad who didn’t take care of his own daughter, leeched off his own mother until her foot basically rotted off her leg because she couldn’t afford to see a doctor. It ended up killing her in the end. I’d say that’s just as bad, if not worse lol

[@gabrielamembreno3073]

that’s literally what I was thinking!!

[@bluebutterfly5062]

I thought Sang woo was very nuanced and showed a person when they abandon their morals for selfish reasons I would have liked to learn more about the shape staff. Like how'd they get there and why are they basically imprisoned?

[@valeriea4453]

I feel like Sang Woo killing himself wasn’t actually a moral act. If we think about the other option (staying alive and leaving) he would have to go back to the situation that drove him almost to suicide anyway. I feel like he just acted in the only way he felt could save him from the life he had ruined, that he was risking his life to escape anyway

[@jadedelilah8382]

it bugs me how people say that sangwoo is the most “realistic” character when he’s not anymore realistic than any of the other characters. I don’t think everyone has it in them to trick and (in saebyeok’s case) directly kill someone else who was literally on their deathbed anyway. Some people are kinder/more naive than others and some people are cowards and will reap the benefits and other people will simply mind their business and put their guard up. He’s definitely not more “realistic” to me than anyone else. Also that glass game shit with Saebyeok pissed me off like it was literally just a cop out to get her off the show cause if that hadn’t happened I do think she would’ve won in one way or another. I think out of everyone there she was certainly the one who “deserved” it the most and had the most purpose for getting the money + she DEFINITELY wouldn’t have waited a fuckass year to help the others loved ones.

[@melodysilver7029]

I agree. Honestly I didn’t think slitting her throat was necessary at all . We all knew she was gonna die when we saw that gash in her stomach. I think it was horrible how they made such an awesome character (who everyone in the comments seems to be rooting for) die that way. It almost felt disrespectful. They had the nerve to “kill” the old man off camera but she couldn’t have died a better way

[@piersnivans5983]

He was in a deep state of depression? Wtf he didn't "wait" a year.

[@niteskies]

I agree with everything except the last past. Gihun was clearly in a deep state of trauma and depression, especially knowing that the prize money was blood money, and watching all those people die.

[@juliusweiss5447]

@@niteskies I can see it from both sides. I understand how he would feel it was like putting a price on the lives of the people if he used the money, but it does piss me off that him NOT using it basically meant those people all died for nothing, and he let Sae’s brother stay in an orphanage for a whole year with his sister just disappearing on him, and fucked off on being any kind of dad to his daughter as well.

[@ihatetheheat4524]

@@melodysilver7029 I mean it was obvious someone had to die in that game. 1 dies and only 2 survive for the last game. They handed them the knives after they are implying 1 person has to go. Also he didn't know she was weak of blood loss. He woke up, saw she was an sleep and took advantage. In that situation most people would do that.

[@Molly-iw1rc]

One last thing: sangwoo lying to everyone and being an huge criminal is better that Gihun struggling with a gambling addiction and not being able to live up to everyone's expectations of how he should be as a father, while actively trying(and failing, but still trying) to make money and help others. Even Gihun's ex said he was too selfless at times. Sounds like two very different people leading very different lifestyles.

[@Hananloveslilac]

EXACTLY

[@degeneratesquid5873]

Right like didnt sangwoo use his moms house as collateral?

[@brxainslushiese]

IM s a d Cuz sang-woo is good at acting tho- and tried to kill himself with dr4gs also- To be fair this is my opinion I respect him😰 no hate-

[@melisacaceres8740]

My 2 cents on Gi-hun: 1. Yes, he won the games without any effort or true sacrifice because he was chosen from the beginning by Il nam. 2. The outrage against Sang Woo wasn't out morality, was out of fear when he realized that there were very few people alive, his friend would turn against him any minute. 3. He's incompetent even after the games, no character development because trauma didn't made him a better person. 4. His desire to go back made little to no sense to me, i understand the rage but his initial motives didn't matter enough to him. He leaves his daughter behind only for him to have his adrenaline rush AGAIN.

[@elbowsbuns1896]

agree that its disappointing he abandons his daughter to go back to the games, but i dont think he went back for an adrenaline rush. I thought it was pretty clear that he intended to stop the games. His initial motives clearly aren't a priority now, but his daughter missing out on a father is less important than saving other vulnerable people from suffering in these games. 1. He even rushed to that guy getting slapped by the salesman and tells him not to go to the games. 2. He says to the guy on the phone "I'm not a horse, I'm a person. That's why I wanna know who you people are and how you can do these horrible things to people...I can't forgive you for everything you are doing".

[@melisacaceres8740]

@@elbowsbuns1896 keep in mind he puts his gambling addiction before his daughter on the beginning and puts strangers before her daughter again. Yes, i know that he wants to end the games but you need to keep in mind that he's probably not going to do much as a single person. I liked that they didn't portrayed all his trauma as just a "phase" that he had to go through and move on, he indeed has a ton of consequences and becomes a shell of his previous self, I'll give him that. But he doesn't have any qualities to actually do much. Even his positive and trustful nature is crushed.

[@rachels.4159]

I interpreted Sang Woo killing himself as that he would rather die than go back to living the life he had before on the outside, especially after all he had done. To have nothing to show for it but trauma and then be possibly facing prison time?? It's basically to show that living under capitalism is the real hell

[@amakae3096]

Yes I interpreted it the same way. Gi-Hun wanted to end the game… like bruh 453 people have died!! They went through so much and for what? Someone should take the money, if it can’t be me, it should be you.

[@annapires991]

About SW's end Kennie: He stopped Gi Hun from attempting to end the game! I mean, he would have never agreed with it regardless, so instead of wasting everyone's time there, and giving Gi Hun a chance of no one getting anything out of that mess, he just offed himself.

[@Honeyin2013]

I kinda forgot about that. I think we all would have hated it even more if gihan ended the games

[@No1PlutoSupporter]

Yes! He was in a position of losing and I think his thinking was it was better to go thru all that & lose rather than it being all for nothing

[@avocato8156]

I mean the families of the victims would’ve split the reward money unless I’m misremembering the rules about forfeiting. About 85000 for each family i think? But the survivors would have nothing yes.

[@koori9739]

Exactly. I would've been so upset if Gi Hun ended it. Like the money in the piggy bank thing isn't just some pieces of paper, it's literally symbolising the hundreds of lives lost for them to get as far as they did. He knew how this would end but he went along with it anyway. I would've hated him even more than I already do of he forfeited.

[@loryndabenson2118]

Yes cuz he was gonna go to jail on top of that. So he gets to sit in jail with PTSD and the guilt of disappointing his mother. I fully understand offing himself, he had nothing left and no way out.

[@chloedya1899]

Gi Hun is reality. He’s an addict but he’s not evil or inherently immoral because it; he is just a disappointment. In everything he does he’s disappointing. What I think makes him seem self righteous is because he doesn’t know he’s a disappointment (unlike SangWoo who knows). His mom even had to remind him that he cancelled the insurance. Like most addicts he hurts the people closest to him the most but that doesn’t mean he is incapable. He cared for Sae-byeok better than his daughter and Il Nam better than his mom. I can’t hate him cause he isn’t despicable just DISAPPOINTING.

[@babeenough]

that’s the same way I feel about him! He’s not a horrible person, just disappointing. Most addicts are. Their addiction makes them loose themselves and become selfish to feed it. If anything I sort of feel bad for him because addiction is seriously hard to live with.

[@shanicek5188]

Yeah me too. He's just disappointing. My friend is on the same stance as kennie when we talked abt it, but I was like 'he's a disappointing person. He's not good or bad'

[@nakerascott8674]

@@shanicek5188 Uú

[@soraya131]

this!! i agree a million percent he is redeemable yes and is not a bad person but he is j a disappointment esp for his family and feels for everyone else except his whole family. he is obviously a kind person but not reliable at all but what do u expect from a gambling addict

[@heathersaxton8118]

I’ve noticed it’s actually become pretty common in recent years for Asian media to put brown skinned people in really soft , kind, good all the way through rolls. I’ve seen it in a few recent Korean and Hong Kong dramas. Feel like it’s even becoming a trope.

[@AriEugene]

Korean version of the magical janitor lmao

[@joanandjiro]

At the very end when Gihun turned around after promising to see his daughter is when he (for some reason) had a spontaneous sense of heroic justice to maybe put a stop to the game himself. I don't know how he'll go about that but it kinda sets up the end for a possible season 2 which we don't usually get for these type of Korea series.

[@hope3290]

Yeah, that's exactly how I interpreted it. I'm not exactly sure why people seem to believe he wants to return to the game for an addiction. He clearly wants to take it down.

[@ativaadzem566]

@@hope3290 how? Man is not strong, smart or cunning. He won by luck so this heroic thing will get him killed unless he has plot armor again. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@hope3290]

@@ativaadzem566 ...what? I didn't say anything about him succeeding. I just said that's his intenion.

[@Bhailluv]

My beef with Sangwoo had nothing to do with the game. It was the fact that he was going to leave his own mother homeless and without a job. 🙄

[@ihatetheheat4524]

Yeah that's not why people hate him. From the videos I've seen, reactions and tweets, they hate him because of what he does in the games. Yet they won't criticize gi hun for how he treats his own mother and daughter

[@tanzil8193]

Exactly! Yes he played dirty but anyone would do it if it's a matter of life or death. But he did all that for what? To continue being a shitty business man who doesn't care about his mother?

[@PrinTed56]

If i ever participated in squid games, my morals would leave at the door. The fact that you came back after you're aware that you might die or will cause the death of others leaves no room for expecting that inside the games will function within your ideals of life. That's the whole point, so i never understood persons' outcry that sang woo was a snake. he's the only one who understood the game.

[@mariatereza9721]

The scene where the "69" player wanted to quit after his wife died in the marble game and Sangwoo did a whole speech about how is not worth it to quit now (i dont remember exactly what he said but it was a great speech)... that was the scene that made me like Sangwoo, like, people say that he is manipulative, evil, shady, fake... the man is just being the most realistic in that entire game, he doesn't manipulate people out of spite or evil (like the gangster brute dude), is it really manipulation when this is your only chance to survive? He's just surviving. I agree with Kennie here, people that consider Sangwoo a villain live in a very happy fantasy version of the world, sometimes to survive you're gonna have to lie to some people and that doesn't make you a villain.

[@kayladt25]

I think people confuse hate for Sangwoo as a person as not understanding the character. You can get what he did, doesn't make him anymore likeable.

[@Laura-dl2wv]

I feel the other people weren't as okay with everyone else dying, because no one explicitly said there would only be one one winner en though that's probably intuitive, so they probably tried to hide themselves in this false sense of community, in which they would be able to leave together if they worked hard enough, but during the games that fantasy was shattered and they had to face the reality that everyone else had to die for them to win

[@pashpashe]

The thing is that it was actually possible to have multiple winners

[@TyMarie92]

It’s so weird to me that no one else talks about this. Like from the beginning they made it out like there could/would be multiple winners but then you find out that they specially made it so there would only be one

[@ihatetheheat4524]

@@pashpashe probably, but others would try to lessen the numbers so only 1 would win. Greed

[@bigivel]

@@pashpashe No it wasn't

[@bigivel]

@@TyMarie92 No they didn't, in fact is the opposite. They sent clues that it was only one. People just grab the comment, about the 6 days and 6 games and you win, to like Laura said, hide in the false sense that they all could pass. The fact was that the winner taking it all 45.6 billion, the counter of lives, and 1 piggybank, all implies that only 1 person wins.

[@farwakhan4423]

This is like, my third comment lmao. But I just wanted to say that as Pakistani, the joy I felt to see Ali portrayed the way he was is unmatched. I appreciate the people who fell in love with him, the writers who made the positive representation. I know colorism and racism is a terrible thing that exists in Korean media and society as well. So seeing Ali being such great representation really warmed my heart. " I want to be someone who helps people". WATERWORKS!!

[@anacarola]

Not gonna lie Kennie, I think Gihun leaving his daughter alone at the end was probably the best thing he's ever done for her 😅 man's wayy too messy

[@ativaadzem566]

Maybe but he didn't think about her while he was making that decision

[@partycitydumpster]

Deok-su was out here shanking everyone, but he also wasn't fully accepting of/prepared for the circumstance like Sangwoo was, because he wasnt suicidal.

[@alexiswatts649]

You should watch some of the interviews where the creator of the show talks about the differences in drive between Sangwoo and Gihun, it's very interesting to hear his writing process. I believe he said that Sangwoo believes he got to the end because he worked harder than everyone else and Gihun believes he never would have made it that far without everyone else and the sacrifices that they made. So Sangwoo thought he deserved to win (the game is a meritocracy) and Gihun didn't think he deserved to win (this shit ain't fair) and then when Gihun won, it was like an overwhelming sense of dissonance and despair and emotional exhaustion. I think Gihun also knows that he doesn't "deserve" to win. I think it's why he sort of falls apart after the games are over, because winning the money didn't fix any of his problems or change his situation. Like I get not liking him for who he was entering the game, but very few characters were saints going in either. I don't think Gihun is necessarily a villain any more than anyone else in the game (besides Il-nam). The idea of "deserving" to win is also relative since it's a game and it's not really something that's meant to be personal, right? If you play cards with friends, it's all chill if one person is absolutely dominating, until someone cheats, that is. And you're so right about him lying to Il-nam and then getting mad at Sangwoo for doing literally the same at the glass bridge. BUT I don't think Sangwoo is any more "deserving" of the win than Gihun. They both had done shitty things in the outside world and came to the game hoping money would change their life in some way. Whether they played aggressively or passively, games don't really operate on meritocracy all the time. Sometimes it really is the draw of the cards as well as the strategy of the player. It's totally up to chance when the robot turns around or what shape cookie you got, and if the chance to cheat comes up, I'd say the smarter players would do so. Sometimes it is luck that you were in the right place at the right time and don't have to be the most throat killing or desperate player to win. If killing and actively taking out opponents is a respectable way to play, then so is sitting back and watch the mayhem play out. Neither are really moral and I think anyone who survived would be hollowed out and traumatized anyway. I feel like Sangwoo might have killed himself over the guilt of having to actively kill people to win. Like he entered having done some embezzlement and would have had to leave after killing sweet Ali, Sae-byeok, glass guy AND Gihun if he'd won. He didn't know them but that wouldn't stop the ptsd and self-hatred. I don't think it would have made sense to end it any other way.

[@daniyah5613]

This I 100% agree with. And I also think that this show symbolizes capitalism where like the people who win, they win through networking (Gi Hun with Oh Ill Nam). If you befriend the right people you'll get far in life. Also the "winners" aren't really winners at all. Like they win off of piggybacking other people's success. I also don't think that Gi Hun went back to the games cause he was addicted. I think he went back cause he wanted to end the games. Also I don't get why people hate on Gi Hun for taking a year to get his shit together. Like mans was traumatized af seeing his "friend" kill himself then receiving the money that was indirectly cause of other people's death. Like would you use the money that other people died so you could use? Personally I don't get that. But yeah, all in all, I don't really have a fave character except Ali, Ji-young and Sae-Byeok. I feel like I personally relate to them. But both Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo have their moments were they are nice people and terrible people. So tbh, I feel like this show just symbolizes capitalism and how life is just different shades of grey, and nothing is definitively black and white.

[@hope3290]

@@daniyah5613 I agree with all of this.

[@aura_gold]

I agree.... her view is unfortunately so flawed

[@soraya131]

this whole thread really opened my eyes a lot, so so thankful for these explanations now i gotta rewatch it again

[@emeraldtree13]

Sang-woo's ruthlessness was his downfall. He got into legal trouble by engaging in unethical financing practices, which led to his spiral into debt and poverty. He even sold out his own mother by using her shop as collateral, although he clearly felt ashamed about it. You can see at the beginning of the show he’s trying to be a better person, which is why he shows kindness to Ali. Then as the Squid Game progresses, Sang-woo starts reverting back into his old ruthless habits. I think his decision to take his own life at the end and let Gi-hun win was bc Sang-woo was disgusted with himself. After all, Sang-woo had all these advantages and opportunities that Gi-hun didn’t, but Sang-woo still ended up in this situation due to his greed and selfishness. But Sang-woo wanted to do at least one good thing in the end; he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he had won the game. Edit: I made some edits for clarity. Btw, I don't hate Sang-woo! I think he's capable of compassion and selflessness. But like Gi-hun and everybody else, Sang-woo is the result of a broken system. The Squid Game demonstrates that no matter how virtuous or strong or smart you are, if you're not born into wealth, you're basically screwed. You either remain in poverty and die in the gutters, or you become a monster as you rise to the top.

[@thatoneperson8154]

Right I feel like when I say I don't like sangwoo people think it is because of the way he acted in the game. And never seem to acknowledge the fact that he put his mother into such horrible situation.

[@kalishaheadley1436]

PREACH!!!

[@catc2938]

He wasn’t trying to be a good person in the beginning. It’s his ego of “oh these people are beneath me, so I should help them because clearly I’m better and more capable than they are.”

[@kalishaheadley1436]

@@catc2938 nah, I dont think sangwoo gave Ali money to go home after the first game and wanted to know about his life and family because of his ego boo.

[@catc2938]

@@kalishaheadley1436 the actor who played him literally says that, but okay.

[@rwn3397]

anybody else forget about the whole “selling peoples organs to the black market” subplot?

[@kurlykayla9013]

tbh that and the entire police undercover subplot were pretty pointless. though I guess an argument can be made that it's meant to represent the conditions of the unheard and marginalized, and how their bodies are used as commodities above all else. Still, it didn't really go anywhere lol

[@Evolving.Ellie.]

I don’t think it was so much gay representation as it was a demonstration of the predatory nature of the vips. Many sexual predators do not limit their abuse to one type of person. They often have to victimize different types of people to get that thrill of control and power.

[@fmadiva]

Okay but the gay predator stereotype is still way too common in media and having the only gay character be a predator looks really freaking bad, especially in a country like Korea where gay rep is damn near nonexistent and the attitudes towards homosexuality are much more close minded still. That character perpetuates the already existing mindset that gay people are predators and often times they subconsciously write gay characters that way. No one said gay men can’t exploit ppl sexually, it’s just harmful to add to a stereotype that harms irl queer people.

[@kaya.serrano1693]

In gihun’s defense, he was willing to play fairly with the old man if the old man didn’t decide to test his loyalty. I feel like a lot of people forgot that Il Nam decided to test gihun’s loyalty to him at the last minute (now we know it’s because he was behind everything and was trying to convince himself that poor people aren’t worth saving because they all decide to be terrible). Gihun was actually going to play fair and was playing fair up until Il Nam wanted to up the dementia act and test him further when he forgot what his guess was. Gihun thought that as much as it sucked to screw his new friend over, he was in a position where he had to and the old man already forgot everything so what was the use of letting him win if he forgot everything. But even when Il Nam told him in the last minute that he was acting and that Gihun was tricking him, Gihun was obviously full of guilt and even offered to play the game again fairly. Il Nam DECIDED to not play one last fair game and instead “sacrifice”himself. I think the reason why he was so upset at Sangwoo for pushing the glassmaker was because of how guilty he himself felt for having to play dirty and didn’t want to play dirty anymore. Honestly, Il Nam’s last minute test proves how cynical he really was, like what normal person decides to test their friendship in a fatal situation.

[@ondiiina]

Also it's terrifying to see your childhood friend murder someone. Out of anyone, it's the more shocking. Not to mention he probably remembered when Sangwoo let him choose the umbrella. The fact he lied for years, put his mother's life in jeopardy (and possibly Gihun's and his mom's if I remember correctly) and had no plan to tell anyone, effectively screwing them over, only makes it worse. You get Gihun would have doubts and get scared. Even when he asked, he didn't get any reassurance that his friend cared about him. I don't think he was supposed to have any moral high ground. He was having a shitty realization and feeling betrayed and scared. He always counted on Sangwoo and trusted him no matter what. He pretended to be fine when he chose Ali because he wanted him to survive and thought he knew what he was doing. It's less about the murder and more about how his image of Sangwoo got crushed and that he finally had the time/just had to realize that he didn't really know him, that he was capable of doing horrible, scary things, that he could step so low. And honestly if you realized your super-smart trusted and dear friend is willing to kill/screw over someone/anyone to win, you'd be scared. Gihun clearly held Sangwoo in high regard, he thought they'd make it together and that Sangwoo WOULD win because of how capable he is. Realizing that such a person could turn against you is terrifying. Ofc he'd react like that. It was the moment we were waiting for, the realization that he was betrayed once and that his friend could backstab him. That there would be conflict between them, not just ideologically but also on a personal level. The good ol' "I thought we were friends, I thought I knew you" moment

[@taniajoy5203]

Exactly! This us why I like Gi hun

[@Miranda-gi9fx]

That's the thing, people think that someone is a good person because they feel guilty doing something questionable, but at the end of it all he still took the bait and cheats. So the point still stand, when pushed to the limit you will do horrible things to survive and he's not owning up to that. But I agree with the fact that at the end he did not want to play dirty anymore. What I dislike with his character is that he did not own up to the shit he did. Him distrusting Sangwoo was fair but put in a similar situation I'm not sure he would have been willing to die to not get his hands dirty and I think that's why he was mad at Sangwo.

[@ygcosplay]

Sangwoo: *understands the assignment* Ya'll: "NOT LIKE THAT"

[@daniyah5613]

I mean everybody there's a bastard except maybe Ali and Sae-Byeok and Ji-Yeong but like Sang Woo swindled his mom's house and shop. Is that a good thing or am I missing something? lmao and also not excusing Gi-Hyun but yeah nobody there's a good person hahhah

[@Bookauru]

Cause he killed everyone’s favorite characters. I 100% believe if Sangwoo just went around killing randoms people wouldn’t be this passionate.

[@serenatee6738]

With that same mindset, then didn’t Gangster dude and the others also understand the assignment? Why do we draw the line at Sangwoo??

[@Bookauru]

@@serenatee6738 Gangster dude definitely understood the assignment. And tbh I haven’t seen much hate surrounding his ethics. I’ve only seen people complain about his romance storyline with the annoying girl.

[@juliagafurero7701]

@@serenatee6738 there’s a difference in while gangster dude was playing for himself and using his advantages (strength, intimidation, whatever) throughout the games, there were at several moments where you could see him taking pleasure from actively harming/ putting others at a disadvantage, especially in times where that action wasn’t even needed (the directly harming others). That step of going above and beyond in cruelty just in all makes it basically impossible to like the dude compared to when Sangwoo is really just a “alright i have to make this immoral decision because this is the game”

[@krabiat]

:( I also feel like Gihuns lack of drive and inability to step up and do what's necessary is in large a result of having unresolved trauma that he has no way to work through. It wasn't just losing his job at the car company that caused his life to spiral, but being traumatised by the police brutality he witnessed during the strike. That's also why it takes him a year to help the families, he's traumatised from being in the game.

[@BeautiFuFu]

So I finally just watched this lol. The first game that the guy played in the subway I believe was a foreshadow. He played the game and got slapped silly so many times, by the time he won the game what he wanted was Justice (to slap the guy back) but instead what he got was money (per the rules). Once I saw that I had a feeling of how this was going to end. Essentially they play a game that abused them mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually (just like the current society), by the time he wins the game he doesn’t even care about the money he just wants to get back at the people. And then the end. Iol I knew that other guy had more to him. He was a little too excited to play the games and not fazed by the deaths. And then he says it’s more fun to be part of the game than watching it, which again is a reflection of todays society. The mega rich are bored with their easy lives, so they throw folk in the mud, but they are still bored watching people thrashing around in the mud, so in a sick thought process they jump in the mud to thrash around to because “looks like fun”. Reminds me of rich people that do things like take student loans and working as janitors so that they can say “I worked just as hard as everyone else” but forget that they have thousands and millions as plan A.2, and also they never had a real target on their back because the people executing the game know not to eliminate that one player. So they’re is no real “danger” in not succeeding in the game. They freaking own the game, but yet they think they are still proving some kind of point.

[@lizethrosas8482]

Actually, Sang-Woo’s death made perfect sense to me. He knew that Gi-Hun was adamant on ending the game but he himself wasn’t going to acquiesce and, being smart and calculating, he thought of the possibility of those three outcomes, being: 1) both him and Gi-Hun vote to end the games and all the money he put his life at risk for would go to the others’ families, 2) Gi-Hun sticks to voting to end the games while he doesn’t, which means the time will run out and they will both lose so the money will go to the others’ families or 3) he ends his own life while begging Gi-Hun to take care of his mom knowing Gi-Hun would do it out of a sense of guilt and obligation. Bottom line, Sang-Woo wanted to win to clear his debts and take care of his mom and the best way to ensure that was the third option and he knew it since he didn’t have the strength to beat Gi-Hun. Although it seems like a selfless act, to me it seems like a final manipulation to ensure that part of the money will still go to him and his family.

[@msmiami212]

You get it!

[@8ri1]

That's what I thought too! Plus I figured since he'd already planned on killing himself once, that would always be an option for him if it came down to it so to me it wasn't surprising at all.

[@nissango]

It's f*ck Gihun everyday in this household. I couldn't stand how he acted like he had morals in the game in front of these strangers, but in the real world he was stealing from his mama and neglecting his daughter 🤨

[@nightcat569]

He did but people with addiction do not only hurt themselves but also their loved ones

[@dori8756]

The thing people need to know about Sang Woo is that he has a superiority complex. Eversince he was little people have been hyping him up. The way Gi-hun says it: the pride of our village. He was a gifted kid, he went to a very prestigious university and graduated. During the show it gets very easy to tell. He likes feeling superior to people, hence he buys Ali a bus fare, and ramen, and lends him his phone, or was too embarassed to admit to his debt. He hated seeing Gi-hun because it meant his reputation was no longer there, since Gi-hun now knew he's in debt. It becomes abundantly clear during the last game, where he tells Gi-hun how pathetic he is, and Gi-hun retaliates by going "ok, I'm pathetic but how come you're in the exact same position as me?". I understand Sang Woo's perspective. It's not like he didn't feel guilty about his actions.

[@bixplex]

sangwoo was living by lashauwn beyond’s words: this isn’t rupaul’s best friend race!

[@pubescentvomit8947]

Lol here's my "In Defense of Gi-hun" (also noting that I read the ending scene as him going back to take down the games, not necessarily re-enter them, and if he did, he'd do it as a covert mission but how he'd be capable of that alone--and here's where I think that cop who got shot comes in--I'm not yet sure of. also also, I never hated Sang-woo's character either and don't get the backlash he gets as well): Both Ali and Gi-hun possess a similar kind of innocence: they contain high levels of empathy, are deeply sensitive, have a mind towards community, care about the wellbeing of others, and give strangers the benefit of the doubt more than are deserving. But whereas Ali is innocent in his unwavering selflessness, Gi-hun-even though he has selfishly (unintentionally or not) brought ruin to those around him-his innocence lies in the fact that he hasn’t grown up. He’s still essentially a child. Gi-hun is surviving off the back of his mother’s hard work as she literally wastes her body away. He has not matured enough to learn responsibility towards work, his daughter, finances, interpersonal relationships nor has he awoken to the fact that his actions lead to negative consequences. He does not realize the extent to which he is negatively impacting the people closest to him, partly because he’s self-interested, but also in the way of a child, he still needs to be cared for and expects that of others around him. His daughter takes care of him emotionally because she pities him and recognizes that his bad parenting are a result of ignorance and lack of self-awareness. Gi-hun’s mother is still feeding, housing, clothing and advising him because a loving parent will not willingly let their child suffer, even if it’s in their best interest to make them become better people. Gi-hun has been cushioned all his life; he’s literally been abandoned in the nest. It makes sense that this is who he has become. Gi-hun, when we meet him, is still living in a bubble; the Squid Game is a complete shattering of this safe world without responsibility that he has created for himself. He forcibly learns that there are those who quietly suffer around him and comes to know of the harsh world of capitalism where people are treated worse than the race horses he bets on. However, he is also friendly towards others, expresses generosity to all living creatures, and easily shares in the joys and sorrows of those around him. He refuses to alienate anyone and is, for all intents and purposes, a good person. It’s just not enough. His character is testament to the fact that good intentions are never suffice. We have to do better. We have to be better people by actually showing up, double knotting our shoelaces, and doing the hard task. I love Gi-hun’s development and the fact that his guilt never fully leaves him. By the end of the season, he is burdened with accountability. His being alive is a reminder that it was at the expense of someone else, the money he reluctantly won was earned because 454 people had to be killed. His entering the game meant that his mother died without any aid, and that Sang-woo’s mother won’t know what happened to her son. By the end, his innocence is gone but he gains the necessary grit to make him want to actively bite back the system. I think that’s pretty neat writing. Lastly, the fact that one of his friends/ co-workers died in front of him at the hands of police while protesting for labor’s rights and compensation, a traumatic memory he is still plagued by, definitely contributes to his sort of fetal state. (Isn’t this also the reason why he misses the birth of his daughter?) At that point, he needed to be assisted in more ways than one and he just simply couldn’t pull himself together in time to be a father and the supportive husband his wife needed. Most depressingly, the (workforce) system had failed him too, so it makes sense for me he looks for ways of acquiring money that do not involve strict oversight and the presence of higher ups because he has been exploited before. Kenny if you read all this, ily but if not...I get it, I wrote a whole damn essay.

[@yellowmesh7821]

That man deserves nothing. End of the case.

[@pubescentvomit8947]

@@yellowmesh7821 Might I also point out that when Sang-woo invested in futures and went bankrupt, he invested in all his mother's property, her house and small business as collateral without her knowledge, and all this time has had her thinking he was abroad. He effectively abandons her too and she is ultimately the one who will inherit his mess. Sang-woo and Gi-hun are nearly the same. I don't think "deservingness" really means anything in this show. The characters who deserve to win don't because that's the way the world is irl. And nobody decent comes out of it either.

[@niteskies]

👏 👏

[@babeenough]

I agree, people are way too harsh on Gi-Hun. I’d like to add this: He wasn’t always living off the back of his mother. It seemed that before the work strike happened, he had a semi normal life. He had a wife and a baby on the way with a job. The main reason he became the worst version of himself was because of what happened at that strike. In the blink of an eye he lost everything. He had absolutely no money to support his wife and newborn daughter. He saw his friends die right in front of him. When drastic changes like that happen, it changes people. Usually for the worst. He went from having some normalcy to having only disaster. I’m also sympathetic to him because he has an addiction. Addiction to me is a disease. It’s so hard to overcome it, I’ve personally seen it. It’s the worst thing to live with. It really turns you into a shell. You’re no longer capable of being a functioning human being. He probably turned to gambling to help bring in some cash, but it turned into an addiction. That, mixed with his feelings of seeing his friends die, not getting the money he worked hard for, and missing his daughters birth, was the reason he fell into a depressing hole and became pathetic. I really do feel sorry for him when it all comes down to it. Episode two was so so important because it explained everything! Why the characters came back, their predicament outside the game, their motives and reasonings. Viewers were so caught up in them playing the games that we missed key parts of the second episode, which is understandable.

[@TC022782]

@@yellowmesh7821 No one in the game "deserved" anything; what part of this are y'all not getting?

[@supernova42x35]

Kennie + Squid Game = The content we never knew we needed but sure are glad exists

[@DreamsReality7]

This comment here....PURE PLATINUM

[@hayoumad8775]

@@DreamsReality7 Wait was that..a Bayonetta reference or am I just hallucinating??

[@keychains5806]

Yall dont even know how long i been waiting on kennie's video 😥 ugh

[@tionak]

Oh I both knew I needed it and am happy it exists lol

[@ajayiayomide4401]

I wasn't sure she'd make a video about it but i knew I needed it for sure

[@jaque19743]

My main argument for Sangwoo being a big villain in the show is that pre squid games he was out here committing blue collar crimes on his own time, the games didnt need to awaken that within himself. He was already hurting everyone around him like his clients and his mom when he put her home and business up for collateral to pay some what he owes for embezzling. And like my momma says “if he’ll steal he’ll kill” 😂

[@cata2541]

It was just announced that there‘s gonna be a game show in the Netherlands on which the winner will get all of their study debt paid off… I don’t know if the timing couldn’t have been better or worse lol

[@funnybunny2304]

Nowhere in the show does it say there has to be one winner, so Sang-woo's actions of deceit did not make much sense and was uncalled for.

[@saint_silver]

THANK YOU SOMEONE SAID IT.

[@Chelsea34567891]

The game would keep going though until there was a winner. The games are set up to have only one or one set of winners. If they stopped the game they’d send the money to the families of those who died.

[@maggiec83]

Sang-woo knew that more dead people meant more money for the survivors. Plus every game after Red Light Green Light and the honeycomb forced players to work against each other, instead of working together. Add some food scarcity and general paranoia to the rest of the bullshit and of course this already ruthless guy is going to get even worse.

[@funnybunny2304]

@@Chelsea34567891 It doesn't actually state that in the show. The only rules are to follow the rules of the individual games or be eliminated. There was no explicit mention that there would only be one winner. Say that the players all had a mind of their own and weren't all bloodthirsty like Deok-su and didn't have the heart to kill each other directly, but indirectly allowing that games to kill them off and the remaining group decided to work together rather than against each other? The amount only goes up if people are eliminated, if they shared the rest amongst themselves they wouldn't have to kill each other.

[@funnybunny2304]

@@maggiec83 "Worse", but that doesn't mean that they had to kill themselves. There were of course players that were out to get each other for more money, but there were players that came into the games in hopes to win TOGETHER like the couple. Sang-woo was not an all seeing Squid Game god and KNEW that there should only be one, he had a theory and by his actions, contributed to making it true. It was not true otherwise.