Spoiler Alert: Before continuing, please note that this article discusses the ending of Squid Game. If you haven’t watched the finale, stop reading now. But if you have—what an ending, right?
Leading up to the final season, hints suggested a grim conclusion. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, who endured immense stress during production—even losing eight teeth—called the ending “bleak.” Yet, only in the last minutes of the final episode did that darkness fully emerge. Until then, one could argue the show wrapped up on a relatively hopeful note, at least within its brutal moral framework. After all, few series could depict the deaths of hundreds, let the villains evade justice, and still leave viewers with a sense of uplift.
In the end, Gi-hun—the season-one winner who returned to dismantle the game—made the ultimate sacrifice. The sudden inclusion of a newborn as a numbered contestant exposed the worst in most characters, with many attempting to harm the infant for financial gain. Gi-hun stepped in, first as her protector, then as her benefactor, forfeiting his life to ensure she won the prize. His final act was a small redemption for his past failures as a father.
More importantly, his choice dealt an ideological blow to the Front Man. Their conflict had long centered on human nature: Gi-hun believed in cooperation and inherent goodness, while the Front Man argued for ruthless self-interest. Gi-hun’s selfless act seemed to shake the Front Man’s convictions. After the finale, he ensured the baby’s safety, entrusted her to capable guardians, and secured her future with vast wealth. Delivering Gi-hun’s belongings to his estranged daughter in Los Angeles, he appeared genuinely shaken, as if grieving the collapse of his philosophy. In this sense, goodness prevailed—a flicker of hope for humanity.
But then came the crushing twist. As the Front Man drove away, he spotted a scene familiar from Seoul’s streets: a suited figure tossing a cardboard square to the ground and striking a stranger. This, as any dedicated fan knows, is how players are recruited. Only this time, the recruiter was Cate Blanchett.
There she stood—an Oscar-winner, a globally revered actor—materializing out of nowhere to slap a bewildered passerby in what must be the most shocking cameo ever. Her sudden appearance was so unexpected that—
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