Nearly 600 million viewers have tuned in across Squid Game’s first two seasons, solidifying it as one of the most-watched TV franchises in Netflix history. Season 1 still holds the crown as the platform’s most popular show ever, while Season 2 shattered records upon release, topping premiere-week viewership charts and entering the Most Popular Non-English TV list in just three days.
Now, with Season 3, the story finally reaches its brutal, emotional end. This is the last chapter of Player 456’s story.
From Rock Bottom to One Final Stand
When we last saw Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), he was a broken man—physically crushed and emotionally gutted. Season 2 ended with him sprawled on the ground, grieving the death of his closest friend, Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), who was murdered by none other than the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun). What Gi-hun doesn’t know yet? The Front Man is actually Young-il, a player he once believed was one of his closest allies in the new game.
Actor Lee Jung-jae teased that this tragedy will deeply shape Gi-hun’s choices in the final season. “After what’s happened to his friend, can he still maintain his objective of saving the other people in the game?” he reflects in an interview with Tudum.
Gi-hun’s attempts to end the game in Season 2 ultimately failed. “He’s been ripped of everything. He’s lost all he’s got,” Lee adds. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk elaborates, “You realize that Gi-hun’s attempts to put an end to the game have failed in two ways.” First, he failed to persuade the players to vote and leave, with only 182 players voting to exit during the initial vote. Then, his physical uprising against the guards ended in a massacre.
Now, Gi-hun faces a defining choice. “Is he still going to believe that he will be able to persuade others and leave together or put an end to the game?” Hwang asks. “Or will he give in and become a completely different person? Someone just like the Front Man, who thinks, “What can I change?”
What Is Squid Game Season 3 About?
Season 3 picks up immediately after the failed rebellion in the arena. Gi-hun, haunted by guilt and loss, is forced to return to the game. But this time, his motivations are darker. The games resume with even higher stakes, and every round forces players into choices with irreversible consequences.
Meanwhile, the Front Man resumes his duties to usher in a new wave of VIPs, continuing the grim entertainment empire. His brother, Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun), continues his dangerous search for the elusive island, unaware that a traitor hides among them.
According to Director Hwang, Season 3 is the “second chapter of Gi-hun and Front Man’s showdown.”
Devastation and Redemption: Gi-hun’s Final Trial
One newly released image shows a shattered Gi-hun, handcuffed to a bed in the player dormitory. A haunting symbol of how far he’s fallen. Lee Jung-jae admits filming Season 3 was emotionally intense. “I thought about the guilt Gi-hun must have felt with so many people dying,” he says. But a pivotal conversation later in the season, he hints, becomes a turning point: “It says a lot about how we too can’t live on our own … all you can do is just go on living.”
Returning Faces
Unlike previous seasons, Season 3 features no new players. Only familiar faces returning for their final stand:
- Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun (Player 456)
- Lee Byung-hun as the Front Man
- Wi Ha-jun as Jun-ho
- Yim Si-wan as Myung-gi (Player 333)
- Kang Ha-neul as Dae-ho (Player 388)
- Park Gyu-young as No-eul
- Park Sung-hoon as Hyun-ju (Player 120)
- Yang Dong-geun as Yong-sik (Player 007)
- Kang Ae-sim as Geum-ja (Player 149)
- Jo Yuri as Jun-hee (Player 222)
- Lee Jin-uk as Gyeong-seok (Player 246)
- Chae Kuk-hee as Seon-nyeo (Player 044)
- Lee David as Min-su (Player 125)
- Roh Jae-won as Nam-gyu (Player 124)
- Jun Suk-ho as Woo-seok
- Park Hee-soon as Black Guard (Officer)
Need a Refresher on Season 2?
If you’ve forgotten the final moments of Season 2, here’s the gist: Gi-hun led a rebellion against the twisted game’s creators. A coup that nearly succeeded until the Front Man turned on him. In a final act of betrayal, the Front Man revealed himself and killed Jung-bae. The uprising was crushed, and Gi-hun was left in despair.
What’s worse? He still doesn’t know who really betrayed him. A thread that Season 3 is expected to pull hard on.
Easter Eggs You Might’ve Missed
If you’re a fan of wild fan theories and hidden details, you’ll want to revisit Seasons 1 and 2. Netflix Tudum’s Easter Egg breakdown reveals subtle details like mural foreshadowing, the Front Man’s switching hands, and Young-hee’s hair clip that cleverly hint at major twists.
So … were you just watching, or were you watching closely?
The Legacy of Squid Game
Squid Game reshaped the global television landscape. It broke language barriers, launched global stars, and inspired countless parodies, Halloween costumes, and philosophical think pieces. With Season 3 now streaming, it marks the end of a cultural phenomenon that combined gripping storytelling with ruthless commentary on human nature, greed, and survival.
And like the players inside the game, we were all just trying to survive the heartbreak.
Stream Now
All six episodes of Squid Game Season 3 are now available on Netflix!
Whether you’re here for closure, chaos, or catharsis, one thing’s clear—the final game has begun.
Which game shocked you the most? Let us know your favorite Squid Game Season 3 moment on Instagram and X/Twitter!
Featured Image Credit: Netflix Official X
