Review
Squid Game season 2 ended with a bloodbath, but the trailer for season 3 provides some confirmation of who all survived to continue in the competition. Though there should be somewhere north of 90 players alive in all, not all of these have been prominent characters in the Netflix series. Season 2 focused on a large handful. Some of these were Gi-hun’s teammates, others stood out as villains, while some were simply for their intriguing personal stories and relationships. Still, when it came to the final big deaths of season 2, Squid Game didn’t discriminate.
Of course, players consistently died throughout Squid Game season 2—that’s the nature of the contest, after all. However, the final couple of episodes saw a massive uptick in fatalities. We lost characters like Thanos in the big bathroom brawl, and things got even more chaotic when Gi-hun led a rebellion against the guards. Several of Gi-hun’s allies died in the effort, including Jung-bae, his friend from the outside. Squid Game season 2 ended before an official survivor tally could be made, but the trailer for season 3 reveals those who we can definitively say made it through.
8 Gi-Hun
Player 456
Gi-hun nearly made it to the control room at the end of Squid Game season 2, but he was thwarted by his friend Young-il. Of course, Player 001 was actually the Front Man, who only allowed Gi-hun to get far enough to hope he might succeed before squashing the rebellion. The Front Man killed Jung-bae right in front of Gi-hun, and that’s about the last we saw of these characters in Squid Game season 2.
The Squid Game season 3 trailer confirmed that Gi-hun will return to the players’ dorm. Interestingly, he will be brought back unconscious in one of the prettily wrapped caskets used to transport dead players. This seems a pretty clear warning to the other survivors—if they try anything like that again, everyone will die. Now, it’s more unlikely than ever that Gi-hun will survive the final season of Squid Game.
7 Hyun-Ju
Player 120
Hyun-ju was Gi-hun’s most valuable ally in Squid Game season 2. She used to be in the special forces, so she is absolutely lethal with a gun. Hyun-ju knew precisely how to organize the fighters and distribute their strength, and had the patience and empathy to teach them all how to use a gun. Unfortunately, the players quickly ran short on ammo. Hyun-ju sent Dae-ho back to the dorm to collect more, but he never returned.
Hyun-ju may have actually been saved by the fact that Dae-ho never came back with more ammo. Before the Front Man put an end to the rebellion, Hyun-ju headed back to the dorm herself to see what had happened to her comrade and collect the ammo if need be. This was where she was when Gi-hun was caught, so she wasn’t executed like the other players still hunkering down in the halls.
6 Dae-ho
Player 388
Dae-ho made a big deal about being a former marine in Squid Game season 2, but it seems that this was mostly talk. When it came time for the rebellion, Dae-ho buckled under the pressure. He was too frightened to fire his gun and was quick to volunteer to return to the dorm to collect the ammunition. To Dae-ho’s credit, he successfully searched all the fallen guards and collected their magazines. However, he couldn’t bring himself to return to the fighting.
He looked rather meek and ashamed—a far cry from his upbeat personality back in season 2.
Dae-ho appeared briefly in the Squid Game season 3 trailer when Gi-hun’s casket was brought into the dorm. He looked rather meek and ashamed—a far cry from his upbeat personality back in season 2. In the upcoming episodes, we are sure to see Dae-ho grappling with his cowardice as he continues in the competition. Perhaps Hyun-Ju can offer some comfort (or, possibly, ridicule).
5 Geum-Ja
Player 149
Geum-ja is among the most selfless competitors of the Squid Game. She didn’t enter the contest for herself but in hopes of paying off her son’s gambling debt. She wanted him to live a life of financial security and was willing to risk her own life to make it happen. What she didn’t expect was that her son Yong-sik had already signed up for the games himself.
Geum-ja remained selfless throughout Squid Game season 2, offering her food to the pregnant Jun-hee and showing her son compassion when he abandoned her to save his own life. She waited in the dorm during the uprising and, therefore, survived the ending of season 2. In the trailer for Squid Game season 3, we see Geum-ja receive a ball of a different color than Yong-sik, implying that the mother-son duo will be on opposite teams in the coming episodes.
4 Yong-Sik
Player 007
Yong-sik is Geum-ja’s son, and the reason she entered into the games in Squid Game season 2 to begin with. He is a gambling addict whose immense debt has had a profound impact on his family, so Yong-sik’s mother attempted to alleviate the pressure by entering the games herself. He was shocked and ashamed to see her there, and these feelings only grew worse throughout season 2 as Yong-sik demonstrated his own cowardice.
Geum-ja wouldn’t allow Yong-sik to participate in the player uprising, so the man is still alive going into Squid Game‘s final season. We see in the trailer that he and his mother will be on opposite teams in one of the upcoming games, and this is almost guaranteed to end in tragedy. Geum-ja made it clear in Squid Game season 2 that she didn’t want to return home without her son. However, season 3 may be Yong-sik’s moment to do something heroic for his mother.
3 Jun-Hee
Player 222
Jun-hee is another player from Squid Game season 2 who stayed in the player dorm during Gi-hun’s uprising, so she is alive and well going into season 3. Geum-ja cleverly noticed that Jun-hee was hiding a pregnancy, which only makes her involvement in the games all the more devastating. She formerly dated Myung-gi, but their relationship fell apart when the man lost a significant amount of money in a bad call on the bitcoin market.
Squid Game season 3 will premiere on June 27, 2025.
The trailer for Squid Game season 3 may hint that Jun-hee will play a rather important part in the coming episodes. We hear a baby crying at the end of the teaser, which could mean that Jun-hee will give birth to her child during the games. Precisely what this will mean for her character and the continuation of the brutal contest in Squid Game season 3 is still anyone’s guess.
2 Myung-Gi
Player 333
Myung-gi is Jun-hee’s boyfriend and the father of her child. He was a successful finance YouTuber until he recommended a risky trade to his ers and lost an immense amount of money. His shame after this led him to pull away from Jun-hee, but he hoped that winning the cash prize from Squid Game‘s terrible competition would fix everything. Of course, he was shocked to see that Jun-hee had entered as well.
Myung-gi also stood back during Gi-hun’s uprising in Squid Game season 3, so he will be continuing on in the games. With Thanos dead and out of the way, Myung-gi may have an easier time, since he is no longer at such risk of being jumped and killed between games. However, if Jun-hee gives birth to her baby in Squid Game season 3, all bets are off.
1 Seon-Nyeo
Player 044
Seon-nyeo is among the more mysterious characters of Squid Game season 2, and we can expect her strangeness to continue into season 3. She used to be a shaman, but it’s never revealed precisely why she became so down and out that she needed to participate in the games. One way or another, it’s clear that she is very motivated to win.
Other villainous players like Thanos are dead, but there is a sense that Seon-nyeo could be just as dangerous.
Seon-nyeo is something of a wild card going into Squid Game season 3. Other villainous players like Thanos are dead, but there is a sense that Seon-nyeo could be just as dangerous. She had a grudge against Yong-mi, who ultimately died in season 2. Perhaps Seon-nyeo’s rage will carry over to Hyun-ju. Only Squid Game season 3 can provide the answers.
