Gi-hun returns in Squid Game’s climactic finale

"Number 456. ‘He’ is calling for you."

Someone calls out to Gi-hun as he sits slumped on the ground. Although dressed sharply in a black suit and bowtie, his face is somber, his beard unkempt, and his eyes vacant. With tired determination, he slowly rises, adjusts his shoelaces with bloodstained hands, and walks toward the Front Man, whispering, “I’m going to end the game.”

Season 3 of the Netflix series "Squid Game," premiering June 27, will conclude the globally acclaimed saga. It arrives nearly five years after Season 1 debuted in September 2021 and won six Emmy Awards, solidifying its place in television history.

The latest season, as teased in trailers and promotional videos released on June 14, goes beyond mere survival. At least three new games are introduced, culminating in a climactic showdown between Gi-hun and the Front Man.

Among the new challenges, the “murderous jump rope game” stands out. The infamous animatronic doll Young-hee, a symbol of the franchise since Season 1’s “Red Light, Green Light,” returns to swing a massive jump rope. Contestants leap over it, and those who fail are violently flung into the air. The appearance of Young-hee’s companion, Chul-soo, suggests the two will rotate the rope together, forcing participants to time their jumps precisely.

Another featured game is a “maze tag,” played beneath a ceiling of blue stars. Contestants lose their sense of direction, form groups, and scramble through the labyrinth, chasing and being chased. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who wrote and directed all three seasons, explained at a Season 3 press event on June 9 that the players wear red and blue outfits and participate in games combining elements of tag, hide-and-seek, and cops and robbers.

Attention also centers on the final, undisclosed game. The trailer offers no clues, and Hwang has only hinted, “A hidden game awaits at the end.” However, scenes showing Gi-hun heading to confront the Front Man have fueled speculation that the two will face off in the ultimate challenge.

Dialogues from the trailer have already struck a chord with fans. Gi-hun cries out, “Why did you spare only me?” Meanwhile, Geum-ja, played by Kang Ae-shim, who joined the game to settle her son’s debts, tells him, “I believe you have come to save us,” and adds, “The world is unfair. Good people always blame themselves.”

Tension also rises as a pink guard is shown aiming a gun at a superior, hinting at an internal uprising. Viewers speculate that an outsider may have infiltrated the ranks or that conflicts of interest are fracturing the guards’ unity.

One haunting scene shows a figure wearing a golden mask enjoying a luxurious meal. These VIPs, who paid to watch the deadly games, first appeared in Season 1. Whether their identities will be revealed and if Gi-hun will confront them remains a key point of anticipation.


이호재 기자 hoho@donga.com