Squid Game Finale Divides Viewers with Shocking Ending

Digital Phablet – This article contains significant spoilers for the season finale of “Squid Game,” now streaming on Netflix.

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The exhilarating season finale of “Squid Game” runs just under an hour, captivating audiences with a series of unpredictable twists as it reaches its conclusion. A pivotal moment occurs shortly after the 20-minute mark, resulting in the demise of the protagonist, Gi-hun/Player 456 (played by Lee Jung-jae).

The episode opens with Gi-hun, Myung-gi/Player 333 (Yim Si-wan), and an infant strapped to Gi-hun’s chest, marking the last three competitors standing after the initial two rounds of the Sky Squid Game showcased in Episode 5. The child is actually the daughter of Jun-hee/Player 222 (Jo Yu-ri), who previously sacrificed herself, leaving her daughter in Gi-hun’s guardianship.

In a tense standoff, Myung-gi approaches the last pillar, wielding a dangerous ultimatum—he threatens to let go of the infant, intending to leave Gi-hun to fall to his fate from the second pillar. Undeterred, Gi-hun remains committed to protecting the baby even amid the terrifying challenge atop the towering structures. Myung-gi considers winning the game by tossing his own daughter from the last pillar.

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With great reluctance, Gi-hun places the child on the ground, allowing Myung-gi to take her to the third pillar. Just as the pathway between the pillars begins to retract, Gi-hun leaps across, brandishing a knife to engage Myung-gi in a death match. The infant remains on the side as the perilous fight unfolds. Myung-gi eventually lifts her again, threatening to drop her if Gi-hun refuses to concede. After releasing the baby, they continue their fierce struggle until they both plummet over the edge. Gi-hun manages to catch an exposed bar just in time, but Myung-gi falls to his death as Gi-hun clings frantically to him.

After what seems like victory, Gi-hun ascends the pillar only to realize neither he nor Myung-gi activated the button to start the final round. In a heart-wrenching twist, Gi-hun must now choose to either end his life or sacrifice the child for the game to conclude. Gazing into the two-way glass, where he knows In-ho/The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) is observing, Gi-hun grapples with his decision. Ultimately, he chooses to let go, setting the baby down before his emotional leap. His final words resonate: “We are not horses.” He hints that humanity is inherent, but he does not finish the thought.

Gi-hun’s brave act bequeaths victory to the child, prompting a visibly moved In-ho to take the baby to safety. As they depart, In-ho and his crew scramble upon discovering authorities are closing in, racing to vacate the Squid Game site. Meanwhile, his brother Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun), who has been on a relentless search for the island and desperately seeks his brother, witnesses this from the control room. He confronts In-ho, questioning his role as Front Man, but In-ho simply walks away with the infant.

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Fast forward six months, we find No-eul (Park Gyu-young) returning to the amusement park where she previously worked before her recruitment as a game guard. She encounters Gyung-seok/Player 246 (Lee Jin-uk), who is oblivious to her true identity as the masked figure that forced him to abandon the games for his ailing daughter. He feels a pang of recognition, but she brushes it off, saying she has worked there before, giving his daughter, now healthy, a lollipop and wishes them well.

Upon learning that her daughter, whom she thought was dead in North Korea, might be alive and spotted in China, No-eul rushes off in search of her. During this time, we see Kang Cheol, Gi-hun’s best friend’s younger brother, reuniting with his mother who had been trapped in North Korea as No-eul checks in at the airport.

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After Jun-ho frees Woo-seok (Jun Suk-ho) from prison, they wonder what happened to Gi-hun’s prize money, which had vanished by the time Jun-ho attempted to reclaim it in subsequent months. Upon returning home, Jun-ho finds that In-ho has left him with the baby and a bank card loaded with Player 222’s earnings, totaling 45.6 billion won.

In the closing scenes, In-ho travels to Los Angeles to deliver a package to Seong Ga-yeong, Gi-hun’s daughter. He informs her of her father’s passing and hands her the package. Though disappointed with her father’s absence in the U.S., she accepts the package. Upon opening it, she discovers his 456 costume and a card that appears to have Gi-hun’s winnings from the initial game, indicating that In-ho took the money from Gi-hun’s belongings posthumously. As he rides through downtown Los Angeles, In-ho notices two individuals engaged in a familiar game of ddakji in an alley, exchanging a knowing glance with a well-dressed woman reminiscent of the Recruiter from the Squid Games before the car drives on.

The finale concludes with a stark contrast; on one side stands a destitute man, while on the other, a woman (Cate Blanchett) dressed in an elegant suit, eerily similar to the Recruiter from In-ho’s Squid Games. Their eyes meet, and they share a moment of recognition before In-ho rolls up the car window, driving away.